Their information and opinions were basically exchanged, so as soon as Tang Xiaobai spoke, Li Mu understood.

"Second Miss suspects Zhao Jing is hiding in Pingyang Temple?"

Tang Xiaobai nodded repeatedly inside the carriage. After nodding, she remembered he couldn’t see and gave two "mm-hmm" sounds, saying, "If Zhao Jing didn’t deliberately kill Gongsun Yi, then his only connection to Gongsun Yi is Pingyang Princess."

Of course, there were other possibilities, but so far, this was the only closed loop she could see.

Li Mu glanced at Li Xingyuan.

Li Xingyuan shook his head.

He was using people he brought from Zhenzhou. If Zhao Jing came from Zhenzhou, he wouldn’t have received no news at all, unless he was deliberately kept in the dark by the Commandery Prince’s secret order.

"Since there’s this suspicion, I’ll go to Pingyang Temple to take a look!" Tang Ziqian said.

After all, they were already at the Duke Yan Mansion’s gate, and Pingyang Temple wasn’t far. Tang Ziqian continued onwards to Pingyang Temple.

The carriage entered through the gate and hadn’t stopped when Gu Ning came out like a willow swaying in the breeze, supported by her maidservant.

Tang Shigong hurriedly leapt off his horse, rushed forward to embrace her and said, "Why come out? I would’ve seen you first after returning." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Gu Ning softly said, "You’ve been gone for so long, I felt anxious and wanted to wait here."

Tang Shigong smoothed her hair, smiled and said, "Tired waiting? Let me help you inside to rest..."

The two of them went in like that.

Tang Xiaobai, who was completely ignored: ...

"How come no one cares about me?" she muttered softly.

"Second Miss tired?" Li Mu heard her words keenly.

Tang Xiaobai shook her head with amusement, looked around and asked, "Where’s Miss Tang?"

The servant answered, "Miss Tang went to Pingyang Temple—"

...

In Pingyang Temple, when Li Yao saw a shadow moving on the ground, she closed her eyes and turned inward.

Zhao Jing stopped his steps, coldly saying, "Is Gongsun Yi worth all this to you?"

Li Yao bit her lip and remained silent.

Zhao Jing silently walked to the bedside, sat down, picked up a lock of her loose hair on her back, and said lightly, "Do you know Tang Jiaojiao was reborn too—"

Li Yao suddenly turned to look at him: "How do you know?"

Seeing her open eyes, Zhao Jing’s stern face showed a hint of a smile.

Before her eyes, Li Yao saw the scene of Gongsun Yi’s death, then closed her eyes and turned back again.

Zhao Jing collected his smile, playing with her soft hair and said lightly, "That day, Tang Jiaojiao ran into my meeting with Zhen Su in Jinchang Village. Later, she tried every means to separate us. This never happened in the past life—"

"Didn’t she not want you to be Prince Consort because you were tangled with Zhen Su?" Li Yao couldn’t help but retort.

"If she wasn’t reborn, how would she know Zhen Su was in Jinchang Village?" Zhao Jing said, "Many things in Duke Yan Mansion also deviated from the previous life; Yingsuo River’s victory report came three months early, there was never any Huntian Academy, Tang Zier never went to Gu Family’s studies, and there was never someone named Tang Xiao by her side—" Here, he frowned slightly.

This Tang Xiao, he knew who it was.

But strangely, with Tang Xiao’s presence, Qin Xiao was absent, no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find him.

"Princess, Miss Tang is here," someone reported outside.

Li Yao sat up abruptly: "What’s she here for? No—" Her mouth was suddenly covered.

"Bring her in," Zhao Jing’s voice was cold and flat, without any fluctuation.

Li Yao forcefully pulled his hand away: "You called her here? What are you planning?"

Zhao Jing held her tightly: "Just to talk with her."

Li Yao struggled: "It’s not her business, it’s me who doesn’t want you! It’s me who doesn’t want you!"

Zhao Jing’s gaze tightened, looking at her, he said, "If it weren’t for her interference, we would have long been married!"

"She’s doing it for my good!" Li Yao gritted her teeth and said.

Zhao Jing sneered: "Tang Jiaojiao once was infatuated with Prince Jin but was humiliated to death by him, losing the entire Duke Yan Mansion. Her rebirth was for revenge! Under her guidance, Duke Yan Mansion has already colluded with Crown Prince Li Mu! Don’t underestimate her!"

These words said too much.

Li Yao stopped her struggle, staring at him in a daze.

At this moment, faint voices sounded from outside the courtyard.

A familiar bright and crisp young female voice reached her ears, and Li Yao was instantly excited. Without thinking, she shouted towards the outside: "Jiaojiao, go quickly!"

Instantly, it went dead silent.

Zhao Jing frowned, hastily covered her mouth, and ordered outside: "Bring her in!"

The sounds of fighting outside the wall didn’t last long, then they heard Tang Jiaojiao shout: "Stop!" After a moment of silence, "I’ll go in myself!"

Li Yao widened her eyes at the doorway.

Tang Jiaojiao’s steps were consistently larger and faster than the average young lady, even heavier.

"Thud thud thud" a few steps, the graceful and colorful figure of the girl appeared in her sight.

With cloud-like hair and flowers on her face, her skirts flowing like waterfalls, as she walked, her cloud-like attire flared, the bands flew swiftly, elegant yet with hidden menace, quickly arriving in front of the room.

The moment she saw Zhao Jing, Tang Jiaojiao’s eyes flared with fire, her chin slightly lifted, she sneered: "A stray dog, how dare you return?"

Zhao Jing’s palm tightened, then relaxed, slowly saying: "Tang Jiaojiao, what do you want?"

Tang Jiaojiao’s intention was the intention of Duke Yan Mansion. He only knew that Duke Yan Mansion stood with the Young Crown Prince, but he didn’t know their ultimate goal, to support the Crown Prince, or to self-establish?

Tang Jiaojiao raised her eyebrows: "Since you’re asking so sincerely, I’ll be straightforward. Nothing else, just want your life!"

Zhao Jing frowned: "When did I ever offend you?" He questioned himself, thinking he had no conflicts or past entanglements with Tang Jiaojiao.

Tang Jiaojiao laughed: "So strangling me, kidnapping, and slandering don’t count as offenses?"

Zhao Jing sneered: "If you hadn’t instigated things between me and Pingyang, even looking at you for a moment would be a waste of time!"

Tang Jiaojiao squinted her eyes, smiled and said: "That wasn’t instigation, it was a reminder to Ah Yao that when she’s played enough with things that crawled out from the mud, she could wash and play with something fresh, is it Prince Consort?" With a look at Zhao Jing, whose face had turned somber, she jeeringly sized him up, her expression turned cold, "Bah!"

"Without Ah Yao pulling you out from the mud, could you even see me when kneeling? Even the random child from the street would be far more noble than Zhao Jing..."

"Tang Jiaojiao, shut up!" Li Yao was going mad, shouting at her while holding onto Zhao Jing tightly.

Tang Jiaojiao saw Li Yao winking at her but rather than back down and concede, she’d rather die.

Seeing Zhao Jing appearing ready to kill at any moment, she felt extremely delighted, her laughter even brighter: "Is this borrowing someone’s power, not only barking but wanting to bite too? Tell Ah Yao to give you a bone, will you let me go?"

"Tang Jiaojiao!" Zhao Jing roared, shaking Li Yao off.

Just then, another angry shout came over: "Tang Jiaojiao! Try saying one more word!"

------------

Received some concern from readers~

Some say my leave requests are exhausted, hehe, there’s still 1 left!

Others say if I can’t write I’ll go bald and forbid me to refute, but I strongly refute, we now call ourselves a cat-like fairy, shedding hair with a stroke~