Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 429: Why Not Bet on Who Can Have the Last Laugh?

Chapter 429: Chapter 429: Why Not Bet on Who Can Have the Last Laugh?

At dusk, Shen Xiheng stood atop the newly completed Zhaixing Pavilion, tilting his head towards Jiutu and furrowing his brows to ask, "What mysteries exactly does the Zhaixing Pavilion hold?"

Jiutu laughed sarcastically, and said lightly, "Mr. Shen should have heard those eight words."

Shen Xiheng nodded slightly and recited the eight words, "Moonset Star Fall, a sign of great misfortune."

This phrase had troubled him for many days, and now seeing Jiutu bring it up, his eyes lit up slightly.

Jiutu smiled and said, "Does Mr. Shen know what this phrase actually means?"

Shen Xiheng thought critically to himself, If I knew, why would I ask you?

Jiutu and that Saintess both speak in a cryptic manner, always circling around before they clarify anything.

Knowing Jiutu’s style well, he directly said, "If I’m not mistaken, the ’moon’ mentioned here refers to Luoyue Country, and the ’star’ naturally refers to Zhaixing Pavilion."

Jiutu nodded, "Correct."

"Only, I do not know, how should the sign of great misfortune be interpreted?" Shen Xiheng murmured softly, his gaze drifting downward to rest on the distant city gate.

Zhaixing Pavilion was located at the center of the Imperial City, from which one could overlook the entire panorama of the Imperial City.

Previously, he had thought that Yingruo chose to build Zhaixing Pavilion here for Feng Shui, but now it seemed there was probably more to it.

"Mr. Shen, since you know what ’moonset’ and ’star fall’ mean, how could you not guess what the sign of great misfortune indicates?" Jiutu still did not answer his question but continuously countered with his own.

Shen Xiheng glanced at him, and said indifferently, "Although the first line is harder to decipher, knowing the meanings of ’moon’ and ’star’ makes the rest clear. But the sign of great misfortune is not so easily guessed; it could refer to both natural and man-made disasters. I wonder which kind the State Preceptor is referring to?"

Jiutu fell silent before finally saying, "This matter does not concern you."

Shen Xiheng gave a faint smile, staring at his tense face, and pronounced each word deliberately, "Then you shouldn’t have schemed against Prince Qi and Princess Qi, trapping them in this situation."

Jiutu, indefensible, remained silent.

Shen Xiheng’s gaze turned icy as he continued, "From the beginning, you had already calculated how to draw us into this scheme. Not only that, but you also deliberately led us to focus on the second prince, making us mistakenly believe this affair was his doing."

Hearing his words, Jiutu’s expression relaxed slightly, his gaze firmly fixed on Shen Xiheng as he provocatively raised his eyebrows and asked, "Do you have evidence?"

Shen Xiheng scoffed with irony, "The State Preceptor is meticulous in his actions. Whether it’s that century-old hairpin or those secret messages, none can definitively be traced back to you, so naturally, there’s no talk of evidence. But at this point, is evidence important?"

Jiutu also smiled and said, "Mr. Shen is indeed exceedingly astute. Unfortunately, the more you know, the less advantageous it is for you."

Perceiving the underlying threat in his words, Shen Xiheng’s brow furrowed slightly, and his tone became more grave, "What are you planning to do exactly?"

Clearly, Zhaixing Pavilion was a scheme devised by the Saintess and Jiutu together; as for their purpose, he was still unaware.

However, the identities of these two were extremely special—one he had been in supreme command of courtly matters, and one he had possessed the power to beguile the hearts of the people. If these two were to collaborate, whatever they intended to achieve would be effortlessly accomplished.

"Mr. Shen, how about we make a wager?" Jiutu slightly curved his lips, his lifting brows in the sunset’s glow not only did not become softer but instead gained a somewhat indescribable sinister quality.

Shen Xiheng suppressed the unease in his heart and said solemnly, "Bet on what?"

Jiutu looked at him meaningfully, "How about we bet on who can have the last laugh?"

Having said that, he turned and left, his white robe lifted by the evening breeze, appearing even more like an immortal descending to the earth.

Shen Xiheng’s gaze heavily rested on his retreating figure while his hands slowly clenched into fists.

The two left the Zhaixing Pavilion one after another and exited the Imperial Palace.

There were guards stationed outside the Zhaixing Pavilion, and since there was only one entrance, even Jiutu didn’t notice someone hiding in the shadows, overhearing their entire conversation.

These two people were Qi Yu and Li Mingjue. After leaving the illusion, they found themselves in a newly erected pavilion, which felt somewhat strange to them.

But before they could investigate further, they suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

They could only hide in the shadows, but unexpectedly, the newcomers turned out to be Jiutu and Shen Xiheng.

Qi Yu pricked up her ears to listen to their conversation, but the two talked in riddles without coming to the point.

She listened with partial understanding, and after the people left, she couldn’t help complaining to Li Mingjue, "Were those two giving each other riddles?"

Li Mingjue had also been listening to the conversation, but his focus was different from Qi Yu’s; he spoke with a serious tone, "It seems that the person behind this isn’t the Second Prince, but Jiutu."

Qi Yu nodded, "Jiutu didn’t admit it, but he also didn’t deny it. It must have been his doing."

After speaking, she looked up, curiously surveying their surroundings, "What exactly is this place? Didn’t Shen Xiheng mention that this seems to be called Zhaixing Pavilion?"

Li Mingjue also glanced around and said to her, "It looks like it’s just been built."

Qi Yu stood up, stretched lazily, and walked to the viewing platform where Jiutu and Shen Xiheng had been talking.

She looked down and saw several circles of guards, sighing, "It’s hard to escape from this place even with wings. Just when we left the illusion, we ended up in another terrible place."

Li Mingjue stood by her side, hearing her quiet complaints, and chuckled, "Getting out isn’t so difficult."

"Hmm?" Qi Yu turned her head to look at him, "Do you have a plan?"

Li Mingjue said, "Wait until it’s deep into the night. The guards below will inevitably become lax, and then it will be easy to get out."

Qi Yu looked at the sky, calculating how long it would take for night to fall.

However, before it got dark, she saw a woman wearing a veil and with an elegant figure approaching in the direction of the Zhaixing Pavilion.

She tightly grasped Li Mingjue’s hand, thinking of pulling him into a space to hide for a while.

But Li Mingjue stopped her movement, saying, "Let’s meet this person."

Qi Yu looked at him puzzled.

Their sudden appearance here was already suspicious enough, and being discovered would surely lead to being captured and interrogated.

"She looks a lot like someone." As the footsteps drew closer, Qi Yu’s heart pounded like a drum, but suddenly she heard Li Mingjue whisper beside her ear.

Qi Yu was stunned, asking, "Who?"

Actually, she had already been somewhat suspicious, but because they were far away, she couldn’t clearly see the woman’s face.

Now, hearing Li Mingjue say this, a name immediately surfaced in her mind.

Qi Yu moved her lips, finding the matter incredibly absurd, and after a long pause, finally stammered, "But, hasn’t she been dead for a long time?"

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