Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 440 How did the State Preceptor find out the whereabouts of Princess Qi?

Chapter 440: Chapter 440 How did the State Preceptor find out the whereabouts of Princess Qi?

"State Preceptor, are you provoking this Prince?" The second prince was choked by his aggressive words and finally managed to spit out this sentence in a fit of pique.

Jiutu smiled faintly, "Dare not, Your Highness shouldn’t take it to heart, I have no other meaning."

The second prince snorted coldly, and his prejudice against this man deepened.

He had originally wanted to win over Jiutu, after all, having the State Preceptor as an ally would make his ascent to that supreme position much easier.

But although Jiutu seemingly accepted his overtures, he never really planned anything for him.

Moreover, he later found out that both the eldest prince and the seventh prince were also secretly trying to win over Jiutu.

And Jiutu’s attitude towards all three of them was almost identical, neither strictly rejecting them nor easily giving in, making it clear that he was playing them.

Ever since he learned of this, the second prince’s attitude towards Jiutu was no longer as warm as before.

A fruit forcibly twisted off a vine is not sweet; why should he, a prince, demean himself to woo a subject?

"Why should the second brother be angry, the State Preceptor is just making a joke," seeing the atmosphere grow tense, the seventh prince quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

He had always been disinterested in the struggle for the throne, merely wishing to be an idle prince.

But he also knew the wisdom of keeping himself safe.

Now, with the situation still unclear, he was watching from the shadows to see who would take that position.

The second prince was in a strong position, with many court officials siding with him.

Compared to him, the eldest prince seemed somewhat lackluster, having always maintained the image of a gentle and good-natured person.

But he did not claim to have a deep understanding of his eldest brother, yet he was well aware that this man’s nature and ambitions were anything but ordinary.

To maintain a good reputation in an unstable court situation was not just a matter of not contending.

To remain beyond reproach must have required tremendous behind-the-scene efforts.

As the seventh prince was pondering, the eldest prince also spoke up, asking Jiutu meaningfully, "State Preceptor, how did you know that Princess Qi Yu was in the hostel?"

Feeling cornered, with anger smoldering within, the second prince, spurred on by the eldest prince’s remark, pressed Jiutu, "Indeed, Prince Qi and Princess Qi have been missing for days without a trace. How did the State Preceptor come to know of Princess Qi’s whereabouts? Could it be that, failing to find anyone, you deliberately concocted lies hoping for the Emperor and me to fall for them?"

Jiutu, untroubled on the surface, calmly replied, "The Saintess had divined a prophecy, asserting that the person born under the full moon was hiding within the hostel. I followed her guidance in the search and happened upon Princess Qi Yu. And more coincidentally, Princess Qi Yu was also born under the full moon."

This explanation was watertight, leaving no room for criticism, but the second prince was not willing to let it go so easily, and he continued, "Does the State Preceptor mean to say that the disappearance of Prince Qi and Princess Qi was nothing more than a scheme? That the two have been hiding in the hostel all along, seeking to frame me, Tulan?"

His dogmatic words made all present change their expressions, and the Emperor’s gaze turned particularly grim.

He hadn’t considered that the disappearance of Prince Qi and Princess Qi could very well be a self-directed play and the reason, just as the second prince said, might be to shift the blame to them, giving Dazhao the opportunity to trouble Tulan.

Jiutu shook his head, "Why would Your Highness say such a thing? Prince Qi and Princess Qi have been missing for so long; not only has Minister Shen made efforts, but Your Highness also sent people to search multiple times. If they were just hiding in the hostel, why would we have turned the entire Imperial City upside down without finding anyone?"

The second prince ground his teeth, "Is the State Preceptor accusing this prince of incompetence?"

After beating around the bush for so long, isn’t this just an attempt to pass the blame onto him?

Indeed, what a cunning move!

Jiutu responded, "Your Highness, I have no such intention."

Prince scoffed lightly but did not pursue the issue further.

After all, if they were to investigate deeply, his own fault would be the greater.

Prince and the eldest Prince had long since fallen silent, not wishing to get involved in the dispute between these two.

Moreover, they could see further than Prince; Jiutu was provoking Prince with words only to make him take on the task of inviting Princess Qi Yu to the Imperial City.

As expected, Prince fell into his trap. After a round of debate, he not only failed to get out of the task but also ended up drawing blood.

At this moment, the Emperor, who had been silent all this while, opened his bloodshot eyes and pointed at Prince, "Enough, stop arguing. You shall take care of this matter."

Prince immediately wanted to refuse, but under the gaze of so many eyes, he could not speak out against it and could only reluctantly accept, "Yes, Father, rest assured, your son will bring her into the Imperial City."

Unknown to the impending disaster, Qi Yu was still in the hostel, chattering non-stop to Shi Zhou about her adventures in the illusion.

Mo Qingshan, who had been annoyed by her noise, had gone outside to drink.

After an entire hour of talking, she finally stopped, still not having had her fill, and poured herself a cup of tea to moisten her throat.

Shi Zhou, curious after listening, asked, "Ning Yue is from Luoyue Country. Why would Cang Ming let her serve as the Saintess?"

She had seen how the Tulan people revered the Saintess. In the hearts of the common people, the Saintess’s influence might even be greater than that of an Emperor.

Yet Cang Ming had so recklessly entrusted such an important position to a foreigner, which was somewhat inexplicable.

Qi Yu pursed her lips, casually saying, "Isn’t it simple? Cang Ming doesn’t care who becomes the Saintess. What he cares about is whether Ning Yue can find a way to bring Yin Wanning back to life."

Shi Zhou shook her head, "That doesn’t seem right, according to what you said. Cang Ming is a cold and ruthless man, not one to act rashly for personal feelings of children."

She paused, then added, "Moreover, whether or not Ning Yue can revive Yin Wanning, she probably only has one path left to death at Cang Ming’s hands, after all, she knows so many secrets and wields such a powerful and terrifying force."

Qi Yu was stunned for a good while by her logical analysis and then realized, "You’re right, someone like Cang Ming would never let Ning Yue live."

The two exchanged a look, their expressions turning cold.

How did Ning Yue manage to survive under Cang Ming’s control?

Moreover, not only did she survive, but she also became the Saintess of Tulan. As a person from Luoyue Country, this was almost impossible.

"Poisonous Insect Poison!" Suddenly, Qi Yu’s eyes brightened, and she said to Shi Zhou, "That’s it, Poisonous Insect Poison. Ning Yue must have used it on Cang Ming!"

Shi Zhou nodded in agreement, "She used Witchcraft Technique to control Cang Ming and thus achieve her objective."

Having solved another problem, Qi Yu felt invigorated.

But then she realized another issue and furrowed her brows, "But if she could control Cang Ming, why did she wait a hundred years to seek revenge?"

Shi Zhou also frowned, about to say something.

Suddenly, there was an urgent knocking at the door.

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