The only hope!
Chu Qianli found it laughable.
When did she become the one everyone else wanted to get rid of?
However, she was never one to act on impulse.
Soon, Chu Qianli calmed down.
"Is Hua Rong in the palace now?" she asked.
Upon hearing this, Granny Cui finally saw a glimmer of hope and quickly said, "I haven't seen the Venerable Master with my own eyes, but judging by our speculation, the Venerable Master must be imprisoned in the palace by the Emperor."
As she spoke, a shadow flickered across Granny Cui's eyes.
"If the Venerable Master is in the palace, he must... he must have suffered greatly."
Chu Qianli didn't want to hear this; she felt no sympathy for Hua Rong.
She wasn't a soft-hearted person who pitied everyone.
"What about Prince Xuan? When was the last time you saw him?"
"Four days ago," Jing Ri interjected, "The Prince returned to the city with us, but after entering the city, we all went our separate ways to inquire about the Venerable Master's whereabouts."
"Later, news came from the palace that the Emperor was going to deal with a criminal."
"So your Prince went to the palace?"
"We don't know." Jing Ri and Wang Yue exchanged glances.
Wang Yue said helplessly, "The Prince did not allow any of us to follow him. We don't even know when he entered the palace."
"It was only later that we heard there was a great commotion in the palace, something about an assassin breaking in..."
"Didn't you even think of going to see?" Chu Qianli found it hard to believe. This was completely out of character for Jing Ri and Wang Yue.
Knowing that their Prince was likely the assassin, how could they not follow?
Were they just going to watch Feng Yexuan get into trouble?
Everyone knew that the Emperor's so-called dealing with a criminal was nothing but a massive trap.
"The Prince did not allow us to follow," Jing Ri said, lowering his head, his palms slowly clenching.
"The Prince... the Prince had already made up his mind. He might not be able to return, so..."
Jing Ri didn't finish, only looking at Chu Qianli.
Chu Qianli felt a turmoil in her heart.
Had Feng Yexuan fallen into the Emperor's hands? Was the Emperor torturing him, or trying to use him?
Most of Prince Xuan's former subordinates were fiercely loyal to him. The Emperor, at this point, should not dare to kill him easily.
Chu Qianli closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, "Do you have something to say?"
Jing Ri and Wang Yue exchanged glances again.
Jing Ri was reluctant to speak.
Wang Yue hesitated for a long time before saying in a low voice, "The Prince said that if... if Miss came, and he couldn't return, then..."
"He guessed I would come?" That scoundrel, how did he know she would definitely come here instead of going to Black Wind Forest to search for the legendary treasure?
"The Prince was not sure, after all, the Prince left you thinking he had betrayed you."
"So, he deliberately made me think he betrayed me?" Chu Qianli looked at him. "What exactly did he tell you to tell me?"
Wang Yue continued to clench his palms, opening his mouth, but still couldn't speak.
What words could make him so conflicted?
"Leng Ji, you say it," Chu Qianli's gaze fell on Leng Ji, who had been silent all this time.
Leng Ji's heart trembled.
No one wanted to say these words, no one was willing to say them.
But, Miss Chu had indeed come.
At least, what the Prince had intended had come to pass.
He looked at Wang Yue, "Since Miss Chu has truly come, then this matter must be decided by Miss Chu."