Chapter 475: What the heck is all this chaotic mess?

Chu Yuan smiled: "Good disciple, was that commotion caused by you?"

Tuan Tuan looked up at him with a grin: "Yeah! We rescued the craftsman uncle and also rescued the hedgehogs."

Chu Yuan was startled, then patted her small shoulder: "Well done."

Xiao Ningyuan bowed and said frankly: "National Preceptor, we came here to take refuge; are we causing you trouble?"

Chu Yuan shook his head, took Tuan Tuan's small hand: "Follow me."

The group followed him to the quiet chamber with stars inlaid in the floor; the surroundings were still tall bookshelves covering the walls.

Tuan Tuan happily ran to the mat where she used to listen to lessons, plopped down: "Master! I really want to hear you teach again!"

Chu Yuan smiled: "Really? You didn't used to say that before!"

Tuan Tuan's face flushed: "Master!"

Everyone laughed.

Chu Yuan walked to a bookshelf and pressed a few spots.

With a "click-click-click", the mechanism sounded from within the wall, the bookshelf slowly slid inward, revealing a dark opening.

Tuan Tuan's eyes widened: "Master! You have a secret room here!"

Chu Yuan picked up a lamp and beckoned to Tuan Tuan: "Come in."

Tuan Tuan darted over like a little bird, grabbed his big hand, and followed him inside.

The light spread a warm yellow circle, illuminating the stone steps below.

The stone steps went down, only wide enough for two abreast; everyone filed in, and their footsteps echoed faintly in the enclosed space.

After about twenty or thirty steps, the view suddenly opened up.

It was a spacious stone chamber, walls smooth, floor laid with blue bricks, exquisite craftsmanship.

In the center of the stone chamber stood a bronze celestial crane, silent and still.

Chu Yuan walked over, hung the lamp on the crane's beak, and the whole stone chamber instantly brightened.

Looking closely, on the four walls of the stone chamber, at intervals were embedded glass mirrors with raised, curved surfaces.

The candlelight on the crane's beak flowed among those glass mirrors, lighting the entire stone chamber.

Tuan Tuan tugged Chu Yuan's sleeve, pointed at the wall mirror: "Master! This is exactly the same as the one we saw in the tomb!"

Chu Yuan puzzled: "Tomb?"

Xiao Ningyuan nodded: "Yes, National Preceptor, Tuan Tuan and I saw an identical glass mirror in the former dynasty's tomb; they also used those mirrors for lighting there."

Everyone else marveled, only Chu Yuan was not surprised: "This National Preceptor's residence was originally the dwelling of the former dynasty's National Preceptor."

"Oh!" Xiao Ningyuan understood, then asked: "Then what about this secret room?"

"I discovered it by accident while sorting old documents, triggering the mechanism; this is the first time it's been used."

Xiao Ningyuan walked around and found that the secret chamber actually consisted of three rooms.

The first room entered was an antechamber; on its stone wall hung a huge silk star chart, the stars still clearly visible, especially the Big Dipper at the center.

In the middle were a complete table and chairs, with a compass and a tea set placed on the table.

In the right-side stone chamber stood a wide bed, but without bedding; beside it was a desk and a chair, and on the desk lay brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

In the left-side stone chamber was a row of simple bunks, enough for a dozen people to sleep side by side, clearly left for the disciples.

Xiao Ningyuan felt shocked: "This place is actually so well-equipped."

Chu Yuan nodded: "You can take temporary refuge here just fine."

"Even if Chen Wang and Prince Cheng come to search the National Preceptor's residence, they would hardly find this place."

Xiao Er bowed: "Please, National Preceptor, arrange some bedding and provisions."

"Use what's in my residence for now; I'll have people send it later, no need to go out and buy—today's Jingcheng is not peaceful."

"I imagine Chen Wang and Prince Cheng are now furious, ordering a citywide manhunt; you can rest easy, I'll go out first."

Everyone hurriedly bowed in thanks: "Thank you, National Preceptor!"

Tuan Tuan tugged Chu Yuan's hand: "Master, please come sooner; I've finally managed to see you."

Chu Yuan smiled, rubbed her head: "Good." Then turned and left.

Just past noon, in the study of the Ning Prince's Mansion.

A person wearing a bronze mask sat in the center, with Chen Wang and Prince Cheng seated on either side.

Prince Cheng's face was grim to the extreme.

Chen Zhuang had always been under his jurisdiction; now that such a major incident occurred, he naturally bore responsibility.

The masked man asked slowly: "Has the National Preceptor's residence been searched?"

Prince Cheng hurriedly replied: "We've searched it, inside and out three times, even lifted the incense burner to look; nothing was found."

Just as the masked man was about to speak, a guard rushed in and knelt on one knee:

"Report to Your Highness, all nine gates of Jingcheng and every district have been searched! Inns, civilian homes, even abandoned compounds revealed no suspicious persons."

He paused: "However, according to the report from the North City Gate guards, yesterday Zhou Jing'an, the Young Master Zhou of the Marquis of Jinghai's residence, entered Jingcheng."

Prince Cheng's brows knotted sharply: "Zhou Jing'an is back? Why didn't Zhou Jinhua come to report?"

He, suppressing his anger, ordered: "Go, summon the Marquis of Jinghai!"

"Yes!"

After the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Marquis of Jinghai Zhou Jinhua hurriedly entered the study.

Before the desk, a huge screen had been erected, shielding the masked man from view.

Zhou Jinhua bowed: "I don't know why Your Highness summoned me; what are your orders?"

Prince Cheng stared at him: "Your son already returned to Jingcheng yesterday; how did the affairs in Yuzhou go? Why didn't you come to report?"

Zhou Jinhua first froze, then stared in disbelief: "Jing'an is back? I, the lowly official, had no idea! If he returned to the capital, he certainly wouldn't fail to return to the marquis's residence."

Qing Wang's expression darkened: "Do you really not know?"

Zhou Jinhua broke out in cold sweat, yet he had to steel himself: "My son truly has not returned home; I would never dare to deceive Your Highness!"

Chen Wang suddenly spoke: "Could he have gone to his concubine's residence? Young men indulge in pleasure and forget propriety, which is common."

Zhou Jinhua felt a chill in his heart—how could Chen Wang know even such a trivial matter?

He hurriedly said, "I will go check right away…"

"No need for you to go." Chen Wang cut him off, "Guard! Go to the third household in Huazhi Alley, west of the city, and see whether Young Master Zhou is there; if he is, bring him to me!"

"Yes!"

Zhou Jinhua froze in place, having already scolded his son countless times in his mind: "You little rabbit! After finishing the errand, you didn't return to the residence to report; when you get home, I'll break your legs!"

Before a reply could arrive, another Guard led a person hurriedly inside.

The newcomer, dusty from travel, knelt and saluted: "I am the steward of the Incense Burning Hall in Yuzhou, sent by Lord Xue on a swift horse to Jingcheng with urgent news!"

Qing Wang grew increasingly irritated and snapped, "What is it now? Speak!"

The steward gasped, "A few days ago, Young Master Zhou Jing'an delivered fifteen Nine‑Star Repeating Crossbows to the Incense Burning Hall, handing them over to Lord Xue."

"But the next morning, Young Master Zhou returned with men, saying that Your Highness had other arrangements and urgently needed them, demanding that all the crossbows be taken back."

"Then, Young Master Zhou met a group of bandits impersonating him on the street, captured their leader, slew the remaining bandits, and then escorted the prisoners, bringing the crossbows back to Jingcheng."

"Lord Xue found the matter suspicious and feared that Young Master Zhou might encounter bandits on the road, so he personally led men to pursue them out of Yuzhou, yet failed to catch up."

"Therefore he ordered me to ride swiftly to Jingcheng to report the matter to Your Highness."

When the words fell, the study fell silent.

Zhou Jinhua stared dumbfounded, his son in Yuzhou both delivering and retrieving goods, and even killing bandits on the street?

With his meager courage? How could that be! What on earth is going on?

Chen Wang squinted, while Qing Wang wore a puzzled expression: "I have so many crossbows here; why does he need those fifteen in his hands?"

Just then, the Guard previously sent to Huazhi Alley returned:

"Reporting to Your Highness, we did not find Young Master Zhou in the residence on Huazhi Alley; according to the woman living there, Young Master Zhou has not been there for nearly half a month."

"What?" Zhou Jinhua exclaimed in shock.

Qing Wang's complexion finally turned completely dark, a fury as if he were being toyed with like a monkey surging to the top of his head.

He slammed his palm onto the table, shaking the tea cups into clattering chaos: "What a mess!"

"Where is Zhou Jing'an? Where are the crossbows sent to Yuzhou? And who bombed Chen Zhuang?"