Soon after, on the street.
A luxurious carriage wound its way through the bustling city, with servants trotting past on the streets and the sounds of people chatting amongst themselves.
What happened?
"It seems like that Ye Grand Duke Jupiter from the Heaven-Observing Pavilion has killed someone again in Chongren Ward..."
"Ha, how many has he killed already?"
"Almost forty..."
Hou Chou'er and A Fei rode alongside on horseback on the side of the carriage, followed by Ye Xingge's large white horse.
Inside the spacious carriage, Lady of Anyang changed into a tasteful silver-white peacock dress and sat by the window. Her skin was so tender from the bath that it seemed to drip with moisture. She even helped Ye Xingge peel an orange.
Shen Yueyao changed into a peach-pink cover-up and light blue lantern pants, with her hair tied in double buns. She was holding Ye Xingge's United Hearts Plaque and chatting fiercely with the Great Beauty Luo, her eyes full of love for it.
Ye Xingge sat on the small couch, while Xiyue, light and supple, knelt behind him with her legs curled up, her hands kneading his shoulders.
"This was my oversight. I said I'd bring you here for recuperation, but it turned out to be a huge ordeal for you. I should have just hosted you at home."
As An Yurou spoke, she handed the peeled orange to Ye Xingge, teasingly:
" Xiyue usually gives me massages, and she's quite skilled. How about I have her Xiyue as compensation?"
Ye Xingge accepted the oranges and said politely:
"I'm mostly fine..."
"Oh, it's nothing, it's all part of the job."
Xiyue was quite enthusiastic at the moment, eager to see the verification mark, and reached out to help Ye Xingge take off his clothes.
Ye Xingge understood the purpose, so she pretended to be unable to refuse the hospitality and took off her outer robe and soft armor.
Shen Yueyao also glanced up, and as her eyes fell upon the broad chest and abdominal muscles, her cheeks flushed red.
But noticing the marks on her shoulders and chest that hadn't completely disappeared, Shen Yueyao leaned closer and touched them with her slender, white fingers:
"Brother Ye, are you in pain?"
Ye Xingge said nonchalantly, "They're all superficial wounds, they've healed completely, only the marks haven't faded."
An Yurou was initially worried about the Crown Prince of Western Shu, but upon seeing his wounds, she felt that her suspicions were unrealistic.
After all, the wounds on Ye Xingge's body were almost all located near vital points. It can be said that if the protection had been even slightly flawed, Ye Xingge would not be sitting here, but would be almost seven days old.
If this were the Crown Prince of Western Shu, then Long Zaiye would truly be insane.
No matter what, Western Shu was a small dynasty that controlled two provinces. How could they possibly use the crown prince as a suicide soldier?
Where are the guardians?
Free-range, huh?
But since the clothes were already off, checking them was a quick thing to do!
Xiyue sat down in front of Ye Xingge, first helping him lie down, then took out some medicinal wine and began to massage him with oil, her technique like that of a professional masseur, starting from his shoulders and moving towards his torso.
Shen Yueyao sat down in front of her, her face flushed and her heart pounding. After thinking for a moment, she said:
"Brother Ye, do you know who my father is?"
"Of course I know. Back in Qingxi, I owe a great deal to your father's care. You could say that half of my skills were developed by him."
Shen Yueyao didn't believe her father could raise such a talented young man, and asked curiously:
How did Brother Ye and my father meet?
"Know him? Uh... that's a story. I was only eight years old back then. I remember there was a famine in the south, Hexi was a major grain-producing area. Magistrate Shen grain for disaster relief..."
Gibberish...
The Baby Bunny earnestly spouted platitudes, trying to figure out if its father was interested in arranging a marriage.
An Yurou listened attentively, but her eyes were constantly on Da Xiyue.
Xiyue straddled Ye Xingge's legs in a duck-sitting position, her hands gently stroking his well-defined abdominal muscles, making his strong waist and abdomen glisten. Because it was her first time serving a man, her eyes were a little off.
However, with a heavy responsibility on her shoulders, Xiyue suppressed her wandering thoughts. Seeing Ye Xingge chatting with the Baby Bunny, she secretly moved her hand down to massage, past his navel, and pulled his waistband down a little.
To prevent Ye Xingge from feeling embarrassed to stop her, Xiyue thoughtfully pulled over a thin blanket and draped it over her stomach, pretending to cover it up.
But actually, she could still see the V-line through the gap between her hands. She gradually probed downwards, and when she reached the vicinity of the Zhongji acupoint, she actually found some textures from the edge of the fabric!
?!
Xiyue's pupils contracted slightly as she glanced at Ye Xingge. Seeing that he was still chatting and hadn't noticed anything amiss, she pushed the mark down a little further, and the outline of the mark became more prominent, the lines resembling... um...
Anyway, it has dragon horns and claws...
Lady of Anyang sat to the side of Xiyue, and could vaguely see the mark in his peripheral vision. His heart was filled with disbelief, and even his breathing changed slightly!
The dragon is a symbol of emperors.
If the mark mentioned in the intelligence is indeed there, and Ye Xingge was born on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, then it can be concluded that this child is the Holy Son of the Dragon Flower Cult and the future successor of Western Shu!
But how could the Crown Prince of Western Shu dare to take such a great risk, wielding the Fate-Robbing Saber, and come to the capital to stir up trouble?
What earth-shattering scheme is the Western Shu Kingdom plotting...?
Could it be that they intend to assassinate the emperor...?
Impossible. Killing the Emperor of Yan and the Crown Prince wouldn't change the overall situation...
Or do they want Ye Xingge to rise to the highest position in the court, becoming a powerful figure who then amasses an army, thrice declines in favor of the emperor, and wreaks havoc in the palace, thus following the old path of the Xiao Clan attempt to seize power?
This might be a bit too difficult...
Lady of Anyang couldn't fathom what kind of heaven-defying scheme Western Shu could possibly have, and wanted to wait for Xiyue to continue scrolling down to confirm it more carefully.
However, the Zhongji acupoint is located four inches below the navel; pulling further would turn it into "grabbing the dragon's tendon."
Ye Xingge didn't react again, it would seem a bit fake, so he turned his head halfway through his sentence:
"Well..."
"Hehe~"
Xiyue quickly pressed the thin blanket down, reached up and touched it with both hands, and blinked:
"Just kidding, Young Master Ye, please continue our conversation."
Ye Xingge shook his head and smiled upon seeing this, and without saying much, continued chatting with Baby Bunny about the old story of how he was conscripted by Magistrate Shen and Constable Wang and caused trouble in the Four Counties of Hexi.
An Yurou was filled with surprise and doubt as she secretly observed Ye Xingge's face. Only now did she realize that this young man had a full forehead, clear eyes, straight cheekbones, and a broad bridge of his nose. His overall appearance was upright and dignified, neither charming nor wicked, and he even had a bit of the appearance of a celestial being...
Good heavens...
An Yurou really didn't know how to doubt him. After glancing at him a few times, she could only think that the Crown Prince of Western Shu was truly handsome, far more promising than the Later Zhou of Great Yan...
On the other side, the Wujian Inn.
The dim yellow lanterns illuminated the area several feet in front of the door, and the tables and chairs in the lobby were spotless.
At the entrance, the sign that read "Grand Opening Special: 30% Off Everything" was still up, and the red flower hanging on the plaque also indicated that this was a brand new inn with a huge promotional discount.
But why are there no customers?
My son only kills bandits, not guests...
Dressed as a wealthy landowner who believed in making money through harmony, Ye Yuanshan was working on his abacus behind the counter. Seeing a large group of constables running past on the street, he thought for a moment and whispered:
"Has Xingge gotten into trouble again?"
Liu Ping'er was wiping the wine cabinet when she heard the sound and frowned.
" Xingge is an act of merit, how can you say it's a crime?"
"I know."
Ye Yuanshan sighed softly:
"But back in Qingxi, they at least caught one person every three to five days. Now that they're in the capital, under Flower Judge's influence, they've become so ruthless and ungrateful. They're coming in shifts, morning, noon, and night. Even with the Wujian Inn's big name, they can't hide it..."
"Sigh, there are so many people in Beijing, there are always a few unsuspecting outsiders..."
Meanwhile, on the roof ridge.
Ye Gucheng stood on the eaves, his sword clasped around his arm, gazing at the distant Forbidden City. His white robes fluttered in the wind, and a sense of desolation, like someone drawing their sword and looking around in bewilderment, lingered between his brows.
As a waiter at the inn, I was busy for less than three days, and it seems the new inn has already gone out of business...
It feels like someone who has practiced martial arts all their life, only to find after a couple of matches that they have no more opponents...
My sister-in-law won't cut costs and increase efficiency; she'll just kick me out...
Ye Gucheng was bored out of his mind, his eyes darting around, looking for something to do to pass the time.
And sure enough, after scanning the area a few times, I did discover something unusual.
Two female warriors were seen passing by on the bustling streets of Azure Dragon Ward.
The two female warriors, one dressed in a red dress and the other in white as snow, both wore veils. At first glance, they were unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to be extraordinary.
The woman in white, in particular, seemed ethereal as she walked, with an eagle perched on her shoulder.
The eagle's feathers were black and white, and it was rather plump. It seemed to possess a certain intelligence, shaking its head and looking around, then turning its head to look at him, as if to say, "What are you looking at?"
" Azure Luan..."
Ye Gucheng frowned slightly, sensing that these two female warriors were probably no ordinary people.
According to the " Heaven-Watching Gazette ), there was an ancient mythical beast called " Azure Luan" that appeared only once every five hundred years. It was exceptionally powerful in battle and was born with intelligence. There was a saying in the martial arts world: "One Luan can fight three tigers, three Luan can dominate, five Luan can pacify three mountains, and ten Luan can kill celestial immortals!"
This eagle seems to fit the description of the Azure Luan.
Unfortunately, Ye Gucheng hadn't even had a few glances before he heard a greeting from below:
"Oh my! Magistrate Shen, what brings you here...?"
"The day after tomorrow is the Emperor's birthday; I will be going to the capital to accompany the Prefect in offering my congratulations..."
Ye Gucheng was taken aback, then quickly climbed down the ladder from the back of the inn and entered the lobby.
At the entrance of the inn, Ye Yuanshan and Liu Ping'er were both busy greeting guests.
County Magistrate Shen Songnian, dressed in ordinary clothes and resembling a middle-aged scholar, had a rather amiable face. Before entering, he even looked up at the signboard.
"Your brushstrokes are fluid and powerful, possessing a sword-like aura. Gu Cheng, your calligraphy is becoming increasingly impressive."
Ye Gucheng quickly stepped forward and said modestly:
"My skills and knowledge are meager, compared to Magistrate Shen's, like a firefly compared to the bright moon—not worth mentioning..."
Constable Wang Shouyin walked ahead. Having spent many years with the second son of the Ye family, he was already accustomed to his style. Now, he followed the magistrate into the main hall and surveyed the scene:
"This shop is beautifully decorated, why are there no customers?"
"Well..."
Ye Yuanshan opened his mouth, but then stopped himself from speaking.
Wang Shouyin pondered for a moment, then realized what he meant and said no more...