Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 293: Jiu’er Will Not Harm the Princess Consort
Zhou Junlin returned to the carriage, and Zhen Niang hurried after him.
"Prince, I will arrange for men at once..."
"There’s no need."
Zhou Junlin’s eyes were half-closed, his handsome face showing a trace of fatigue. "You don’t need to involve yourself in this matter any further."
Zhen Niang froze. "Then what should I do?"
"What can you possibly do now?" The speaker was Song Xilan. She spoke softly, "There are so many eyes on us here in Li Zong Pass. It’s best you don’t cause any more trouble for the Prince."
She used the gentlest of tones, yet her words made Zhen Niang’s face flush with shame.
Zhen Niang bit her lip. Even though she was unwilling, as long as Prince Ling didn’t speak, she had to accept it respectfully.
"It was my incompetence..."
"Oh, so you *do* know it was your incompetence," Song Xilan said with a faint smile. "There’s something I don’t understand. Since those things were so important, why weren’t they destroyed sooner? If they fall into the hands of our enemies, they will become a sharp blade threatening the Prince! Don’t you even understand something so basic? Or were you holding onto those things for your own future schemes?"
She was one step short of outright accusing Zhen Niang of keeping evidence to secure an escape route for herself.
Zhou Junlin glanced sideways at Song Xilan. Her tone had been gentle the entire time, but the words she spoke were so sharp they were impossible to refute.
’She seems... different now, too.’
Song Xilan lowered the carriage curtain. "Let’s go."
The carriage departed right before Zhen Niang’s eyes.
"Mistress..." Xi Que stepped forward nervously. "That secret room inside the square..."
Zhen Niang glanced back at the collapsed Huaxu Square. It was now surrounded by soldiers, preventing any onlookers from getting close.
Zhen Niang’s eyes darkened. "They will never find it."
Xi Que didn’t understand, but seeing her mistress’s expression, she didn’t dare ask more questions.
After Song Lianhe publicly promised to cover all the losses for Huaxu Square, Cao Jin’s men completely cordoned off the area, allowing no one near.
"Commander Cao, your timing is impeccable!"
Song Lianhe only turned back to offer her praise after watching Zhou Junlin’s carriage depart.
Let’s be frank, the excuse of attending a funeral was just a pretense.
Commander Cao’s gaze was cold, his stern face devoid of any emotion. "I was merely fulfilling a request, traveling day and night to get here."
Song Lianhe paused. ’A request from whom?’
Moreover, from the faint dissatisfaction he let slip, she could tell that this person wasn’t the Holy Emperor. It must have been someone very close to him.
"Commander Cao, you mentioned just now that you requested a decree from the Holy Emperor... The Holy Emperor is quite a nice person, isn’t he? To let you bring the imperial guard back?"
’It’s not just me; Zhou Junlin must have realized it long ago, too.’
Cao Jin looked at her and said slowly, "The Holy Emperor received a memorial submitted by Governor E before his death. It mentioned Huaxu Square."
"A memorial written before his death?"
"Yes. It was deliberately intercepted, but then it suddenly appeared in the Imperial Study Room."
Song Lianhe clicked her tongue. ’This is too bizarre.’
’This shadowy force must be one of Zhou Junlin’s rivals.’
’He had just been entrusted by the Holy Emperor to investigate the Poetry Collection, and someone immediately used Governor E’s name to expose Huaxu Square. This is clearly targeting Zhou Junlin!’
’Who could it be?’
’Zhou Cangyan?’
She tried hard to recall the plot of the book. It seemed Zhou Cangyan’s power base grew quite large in the later stages, but that was later, not now.
"So, Commander Cao, you’re actually here under orders to investigate?"
"Yes."
"Why you, Commander Cao? What I mean is, you’re responsible for the security of the Ling’an Imperial City."
"But I also answer to the Holy Emperor."
"..."
Song Lianhe understood.
Huaxu Square—the intelligence hub of the Li Guan Sect. In the future, it would develop into the largest intelligence agency in all of Da Cheng!
Now that he knew of its existence, Emperor Cheng Xiao would not just ignore it.
Even if its master was Zhou Junlin, his most favored son.
No amount of favoritism could be allowed to overstep imperial authority—the Emperor’s authority. As long as Emperor Cheng Xiao was alive, there was only one Emperor of Da Cheng!
Zhou Junlin had broken an Emperor’s taboo.
And as the commander of his Personal Guard Army, Emperor Cheng Xiao naturally trusted Cao Jin.
No wonder Zhou Junlin left without another word after seeing Cao Jin.
"Then, about the reconstruction work..."
Cao Jin glanced at her. "I am only ordered to investigate, not to oversee reconstruction."
Song Lianhe smiled. "Thank you."
As a supporting character with the advantage of foreknowledge, she of course knew what kind of secrets Huaxu Square held.
’Clearly, Cao Jin knows, too.’
Since he was acting on the Emperor’s orders, he had to investigate. But how he investigated was up to him.
She glanced back at Xuan Mei, her eyes filled with eager anticipation.
Xuan Mei: "...I’m not going with you."
As she spoke, Cao Jin looked at her, the depth in his eyes intensifying.
Song Lianhe didn’t mind. She went up and linked arms with her, shaking it coquettishly. "Come on, Xuan Mei, you’re the best~"
Xuan Mei: "..."
If it had been anyone else, their arm probably would have been dislocated by now.
But not only did she allow Song Lianhe to get this close, she even tacitly permitted all of her unreasonable antics.
That’s right. In Cao Jin’s eyes, Song Lianhe was just pestering Xuan Mei without reason.
His gaze fell on her arm wrapped around Xuan Mei’s, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Xuan Mei, completely pestered into a corner by Song Lianhe, finally glanced at her. "Just this once."
If one listened closely, a hint of imperceptible indulgence could be heard in her cold tone.
Song Lianhe was delighted. "I knew you were the best~"
When she happened to glance back, she noticed Cao Jin’s gaze on her was a bit cold. He then turned and walked away.
She froze. ’How did I offend the great Commander this time? Weren’t things fine just a moment ago?’
Puzzled, Song Lianhe turned around and suddenly saw a slender figure ahead. She immediately called out, "Jiu’er!"
Jiu’er’s body stiffened, and she stood frozen in place.
Song Lianhe tossed out a "Sister Mei, you can show Commander Cao around," and then walked toward Jiu’er.
Jiu’er clutched the hem of her clothes, looking completely helpless.
"Your Highness... Jiu’er knows she was wrong."
Before Song Lianhe could speak, E Jintang blocked her path and said in a booming voice, "Granny, Jiu’er didn’t do it on purpose."
Song Lianhe glared at him. "It’s not like I’m going to eat her!"
Then, she looked closely at Jiu’er. "You created that diversion for me on purpose, didn’t you?"
Jiu’er started, then lowered her gaze, saying nothing.
’So that’s how it was.’
Song Lianhe knew this girl was hiding secrets. She had no intention of digging them up, but simply said to her sincerely, "Thank you. I owe you for what happened just now."
Jiu’er hadn’t expected her to not only ask nothing but also thank her. This time, she was truly overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.
She quietly lowered her gaze. Just as Song Lianhe was about to leave, she suddenly whispered, "Your Highness, Jiu’er would never harm you."
—
Since Cao Jin was a relative of Governor E’s wife and had also come specifically to pay his respects, he naturally stayed at the E Mansion.
That evening, Mrs. E, as the mistress of the house, hosted a family banquet to express her goodwill.
Zhou Junlin and Song Xilan were naturally invited as well. After all, he was a Prince and could not be slighted.
But when Zhou Junlin appeared, he did not see Song Lianhe.
He frowned. "Where is Princess Qing?"
Song Xilan, by his side, showed only a slight change in expression before returning to her calm and elegant demeanor. "That’s right, where is my younger sister?"
She sounded so affectionate, as if she weren’t the one Song Lianhe had let a snake bite earlier. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Mrs. E looked at her son. E Jintang was holding a chicken leg in one hand while studying the Hand Technique Xuan Mei had taught him with the other. Catching his mother’s gaze, he belatedly said, "Granny isn’t feeling well. She’s gone to bed."
"Not feeling well?"
A cold sneer appeared on Zhou Junlin’s handsome face.
Just as he was about to stand up, Cao Jin raised his wine cup. "Prince Ling, I apologize for any offense today. Allow me to offer you a toast."
Zhou Junlin’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked at him, but still picked up his cup.
