"Is Miss Huang joking? But this joke isn't funny at all."
Lin Bai was also utterly baffled by what Huang Qingyun had said, unable to make head or tail of it.
A lingering gloom seemed to cloud Huang Qingyun's face. "Brother Lin, I absolutely am not joking with you about this."
Lin Bai sensed the gravity of the matter as well and asked, "What exactly happened?"
When Lin Bai asked that question, the faces of the few old women from Sacred Lotus Palace darkened. Their cheeks puffed as they repeatedly swallowed their words.
Huang Qingyun's beautiful eyes sank, and she seemed to want to speak but held herself back.
Lin Bai pressed her further. "Miss Huang, if you're unwilling to tell me frankly, why did you ask me to come here?"
Huang Qingyun hesitated again and again before saying to Lin Bai, "It's not that I don't want to tell you frankly. It's just that... it's truly difficult to speak of!"
Lin Bai raised his brows. "Then please speak frankly, Miss Huang!"
Huang Qingyun drew a deep breath and first glanced at the several elders behind her.
Seeing that those elders also wanted to speak but held back, they ultimately opened their mouths, then stopped trying to restrain Huang Qingyun.
Huang Qingyun took another deep breath and said to Lin Bai, "Does Brother Lin know of the imperial clan's 'Twenty-First Prince'?"
"I've heard of him, but I'm not familiar with him." Lin Bai nodded.
Emperor Chu had many children, but the most outstanding among the princes were Prince Chen, the Third Prince, and the others.
Lin Bai smiled. "I've heard that this prince is Emperor Chu's youngest son. He's naturally clever and quick-witted, and Emperor Chu favors him greatly."
"But he doesn't seem to like wielding power or meddling in