Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 431: What Secrets Are Hidden in Zhaixing Pavilion?

Chapter 431: Chapter 431: What Secrets Are Hidden in Zhaixing Pavilion?

Early the next morning, Shen Xiheng once again entered the Imperial Palace.

He had not slept at all the previous night, his mind constantly pondering over Jiutu’s words.

At the moment, his face was etched with a layer of frost, expressionlessly walking toward Zhaixing Pavilion.

Perhaps because when he and Jiutu had come together yesterday, Jiutu had not given any specific instructions, so the guards did not hinder him much, merely asking a few simple questions before letting him in.

Ascending the wooden staircase slowly, one tier at a time, Shen Xiheng’s doubt deepened.

From the outside, Zhaixing Pavilion showed no signs of anomaly; compared to the other buildings in the Imperial Palace, it was just a bit emptier inside, devoid of any superfluous decorations. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Yet, he faintly smelled a light fragrance, which was not pungent but rather soothing to the body and mind, giving a sense of floating.

Reaching the top floor, he suddenly stopped, leaned forward slightly, and his expression tensed upon confirming there were indeed several blurred footprints on the ground.

Someone had been here.

Not just that, this person had stayed for a while.

After contemplating for a moment, just as Shen Xiheng was about to continue searching for more clues, someone suddenly patted his shoulder.

His eyes slightly widened, his heart suspended high, his forehead already breaking out in dense, cold sweat as he forced himself to ask, "Who?"

No reply came for a long while.

As he grew nervous, his Adam’s apple sliding up and down, and he was desperately thinking how to escape, he heard a light laughter, followed by a familiar and playful female voice, "Since when did Minister Shen become so timid?"

Hearing this, Shen Xiheng incredulously widened his eyes, turned his head abruptly, and upon seeing the two people standing before him, his expression turned both shocked and joyful, "You’re still alive!"

These two people were none other than Qi Yu and Li Mingjue, who had been lying in wait here for a long time.

In order to investigate the mysteries within Zhaixing Pavilion, they had decided to stay here temporarily.

However, they did not expect someone to come here early in the morning, giving Qi Yu quite a scare.

Luckily, it was not Yingruo, or seeing her face, so similar to Ning Yue’s, would have caused Qi Yu to be frightened for quite some time.

With her hands behind her back, Qi Yu smiled at Shen Xiheng, "Didn’t expect a mantis stalking the cicada while a oriole stalked behind, did you?"

Shen Xiheng, who had nearly had a heart attack from her light pat just now, although relieved to see them unharmed, could not help but complain, "The Prince and Princess seem to be enjoying themselves, making us search hard for you!"

Qi Yu shrugged her shoulders, "How are we enjoying ourselves? It’s only by great luck that the Prince and I are alive."

Shen Xiheng recalled what Mo Qingshan had previously mentioned about the Ghost City Illusion, and his expression became grim, "What exactly have you encountered in this past month?"

With a lot on her mind to share about this matter, Qi Yu responded, "We have already figured out the secrets of Zhaixing Pavilion, let’s find a safe place to discuss the rest after we leave the palace."

Shen Xiheng nodded, then, frowning, asked, "The Imperial Palace is heavily guarded, how do you plan to get out?"

Qi Yu raised her eyebrows, "Anyway, these people haven’t seen the Prince and me. We can just change into different clothes and follow you out, right?"

"That would work." Shen Xiheng had no objections to this plan.

The three of them quickly came up with a plan and soon procured two sets of Palace Attendant clothes.

After Qi Yu and Li Mingjue changed, they followed behind Shen Xiheng, walking out of the palace together.

As he approached the palace gate, he happened upon Prince Jiutu and the second Prince entering the Imperial Palace. Qi Yu quickly bowed her head, thinking to herself that this was bad news.

Of all people to encounter, it had to be someone who had seen her and bore a grudge against her.

Compared to her, Li Mingjue seemed much calmer. He was certain that Jiutu would not expose them and did not overly conceal himself, simply toning down his aura so nothing seemed amiss.

Shen Xiheng, walking ahead, also felt a twinge of anxiety upon seeing these two, unsure whether he could deceive Jiutu.

He advanced a few steps and exchanged pleasantries with the second Prince and Jiutu, then planned to leave.

But the second Prince stopped him, asking with ill intent, "What brings Master Shen to the palace so early in the morning?"

Shen Xiheng replied smoothly, "Yesterday, I accompanied the State Preceptor to the Zhaixing Pavilion and accidentally left my jade pendant there. Given it was a gift from my mother, it is extremely important to me, so I hurried into the palace this morning to search for it."

"Is that so?" the second Prince narrowed his eyes, scrutinized him for a moment, and scoffed when his gaze fell on the jade pendant hanging at Shen’s waist, "Since it’s so important, Master Shen, you really should take better care of it."

Shen Xiheng nodded slightly, "Your Highness’s words, I shall surely bear in mind."

With that, the second Prince no longer seemed intent on troubling him further and strode forward.

Jiutu, however, looked meaningfully at the person standing behind Shen Xiheng, his eyes flickering momentarily before he smirked and said to Shen, "I remember Master Shen always prefers solitude. Why do you have two companions today?"

Shen Xiheng responded with a forced smile, "The Zhaixing Pavilion is so vast that my own eyes might not suffice to find the pendant."

Jiutu feigned realization, "I see."

With that exchange of pleasantries, both parties were well aware of each other’s intentions.

Shen Xiheng didn’t want to get entangled further. He bowed to Jiutu, "I shall take my leave now."

Jiutu nodded slightly but as they brushed past each other, he whispered to Shen, "Sometimes having more people isn’t helpful."

Shen Xiheng frowned but said nothing.

Upon returning to the hostel, Shen Xiheng found a secluded room, sat down, and immediately asked Qi Yu, "What exactly is hidden inside the Zhaixing Pavilion?"

Qi Yu yawned, her eyelids drooping, and said tiredly, "You should ask the Prince about this, I can’t hold up anymore."

After speaking, she collapsed onto the bed.

Li Mingjue shook his head helplessly, tucked her in, and then said to Shen Xiheng, "This is a long story."

Shen Xiheng clenched his teeth, "Then make a long story short!"

For the past month, he didn’t know how many hairs he had fretted white over these two, and he wouldn’t let them fob him off with that!

Li Mingjue poured a cup of tea, took a leisurely sip, and under Shen’s intense gaze, he slowly began, "It all starts with the Ghost City."

Over the next hour, he detailed their bizarre experiences in the illusion over the past month.

Shen Xiheng marvelled, "I thought Elder Mo was merely speaking offhand; I never imagined such a place truly existed in the world."

After expressing his amazement, he continued, "So it seems you returned to Tulan a hundred years ago?"

Li Mingjue nodded, "Correct, but not everything in the illusion was real."

Shen Xiheng, still puzzled, asked, "But what does all this have to do with the secrets hidden in the Zhaixing Pavilion?"

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