Outside the heart hall, the blazing midday sun scorched the earth, its heat nearly unbearable.
Ren Ye hurried outside the palace, scanning the surroundings, preparing to chase after the princess's chariot.
To his surprise, Lian'er, the maidservant waiting at the bottom of the steps, spoke first: "Your Highness, the princess left a message. She wants you to go to her bedroom after bathing and changing clothes tonight."
Ren Ye paused, momentarily stunned. He looked up toward Xu Qingzhao's chariot in the distance, his thoughts racing.
He had planned to catch up with Xu Qingzhao, to engage with this "daughter-in-law" whose depths remained a mystery.
But just now in the palace, Xu Qingzhao's behavior had been so out of the ordinary, so starkly different from the "monk" image he had remembered, that Ren Ye couldn't ignore it. Her actions were too irregular.
For Ren Ye, whether she had intended to use him or manipulate him to kill someone, it was still a positive sign.
After all, he had no allies at the moment. Being used by others at least indicated his value, regardless of the intentions behind it. If he was still of use to someone, his situation couldn't be all that bad...
Ren also suspected that something was off. There was always a deeper motive behind sudden changes in behavior, and he had started to think that Xu Qingzhao might be another player. Her sudden appearance, "helping" him out, could be tied to her own mission.
If that were the case, it meant she wasn't content to remain passive, and engaging with her now could offer some advantages.
Most importantly, she had already "helped" him, so initiating a conversation wouldn't be out of place. It wouldn't be too sudden for him to take the first step.
But who could have guessed that she might want to date him? Well, that wasn't the worst thing; at least it would make things more active. He could play the fool at night, letting her make the first move.
Ren Ye mulled it over, then turned back to Lian'er. "What else did she say?"
Lian'er blinked innocently, then added, "The princess said nothing else." She paused, then slyly added, "But Miss Xue'er specially told you to take a bath and change your clothes before the appointment tonight."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the eunuchs and maidservants nearby exchanged knowing glances, their eyes gleaming with gossip.
What does it mean to bathe and change clothes? Does she want to... enhance the relationship between husband and wife?
Ren Ye's mind wandered for a moment. Well, it's been more than three years since I last… touched a chicken, but the foundation is still there. Perhaps a little rust, but my skills are often renewed...
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
"Your Highness!! The king's command has unjustly died!" A burly young man in a white python suit, his black crown gleaming, rushed forward, kneeling and weeping without warning.
Ren Ye instantly recognized him. This was Hong Jiadi, known as Erzhu, a general flag officer serving under Wang Jingzhong in the pro-guard battalion.
In the entire Huaiwang Mansion, aside from Wang Jingzhong and the personal eunuchs and maidservants surrounding Ren Ye, only Erzhu could be trusted and relied upon.
A native of southern Xinjiang, Erzhu was a martial arts prodigy who had been brought into the palace by the former king at the age of six. He excelled in the use of a single blade, his strikes swift and deadly. Fierce and courageous, he had grown up alongside Zhu Zigui, their bond unbreakable, even bordering on excessively close.
In Zhu Zigui's memory, Erzhu was the epitome of loyalty—a hardcore subordinate, one who would never betray his master.
As a child, he often spoke two lines that had become his signature:
"His Royal Highness, who shall be cut today?"
"His Royal Highness, where shall we bully men and women today?"
After the death of the first king, Zhu Zigui had transferred Erzhu to the personal guard camp, intending for him to quietly amass strength while keeping the soldiers in check.
"Although Wang Jingzhong was unjustly killed, it was under Lord Li's direct orders. Don't speak recklessly," Ren Ye looked at the upright young man with the little northern nose. "Get up and speak."
"It's Li Yan's fault! If His Highness is unwilling to kill him, then my subordinates can first capture his wife and sell her to the barbarian camps in southern Xinjiang to serve the military horses. Or we could tie up his eldest son and make him a turtle prince!" The second stunned man, gritting his teeth, proposed viciously. "I will handle it. No word will leak from me."
Ren Ye was silent for a long time, his heart sinking. Zhu Zigui, Zhu Zigui, look at the people around you. All eunuchs, maidservants, and vulgar, reckless fools.
"Swing the temple of meditation," Ren Ye muttered and turned away.
The meditation hall was located in the back of the palace, where the former king had conducted his daily affairs—similar to the emperor's imperial study.
As the chariot moved forward, Ren Ye's mind raced, thinking about how to escape his passive position. Meanwhile, the second stunned man cried all the way, his grief evident.
It was clear that, though upright, he was deeply emotional and had a strong bond with Wang Jingzhong.
When they arrived at the ancient meditation hall, Ren Ye walked through the dim corridor, standing at the door of the main hall, then commanded: "Lian'er, take the others to guard here. The second stunned will follow me inside."
"Yes." Lian'er responded.
Ren Ye glanced back at Erzhu, who was still muttering, and lost his patience. "Stop whining. Come inside."
With that, the two men pushed open the door of the meditation hall and entered.
The door closed behind them. Ren Ye glanced around casually, noting that although the hall was tidy, it felt inexplicably cold.
In his memory, after the death of the first king, Zhu Zigui had completely deteriorated. He had become too fearful to involve himself in palace matters and had avoided the meditation hall as much as possible.
Ren Ye continued to scan the room and then looked at Erzhu. "You and I will search together."
Erzhu wiped the tears from his eyes and asked, "What are we looking for?"
"A copy of the Emperor's Secret Edict," Ren Ye replied, his brow furrowing. "Flip through everything you can."
The second task given to Ren Ye by the Star Mark Gate was to restore the supernatural abilities of the Royal Pen, and the clue to this task was said to lie in a secret edict. Ren Ye immediately thought of the meditation hall, the place where the late king had spent most of his time.