Chapter 488: So Clever!

Chu Yuan set Tuan Tuan down: "If we want this to succeed, we need help from all sides; relying only on those present here is indeed very difficult."

Xiao Ningyuan lowered his head to think: "Now, in Jingcheng, who else can we use?"

Tuan Tuan walked up to him and gently slipped into his arms: "Big brother, is Imperial Aunt still in the Palace? Imperial Aunt is a good person; can we go ask her?"

Xiao Ningyuan pulled his sister into his embrace and looked at Chu Yuan: "Elder Princess?"

Chu Yuan pondered briefly: "After King Chen and King Qing entered Jingcheng, I have not heard any news about the Elder Princess."

"But back then, when the Crown Prince perished for the country, the Elder Princess was always highly respected among the generals."

"Moreover, she has long resided in the Palace; if we could see her in advance, regardless of whether she can lend aid, our chances would increase considerably."

Xiao Er raised his eyes: "Could the Fragrant Garden that the Elder Princess granted to the miss be useful?"

Xiao Ningyuan's eyes lit up: "Fragrant Garden?"

Xiao Er nodded: "If we can rescue everyone, this secret chamber probably won't hold us any longer."

"The Fragrant Garden is a separate garden, not the Palace, and it isn't heavily guarded."

"When Miss and I went there last time with Jifeng, we saw the attendants inside; many are the elders left from when the Elder Princess was with the Crown Prince, so they should be reliable."

"However, we need to ask the Elder Princess about its current state before deciding."

Eunuch Cheng cleared his throat lightly and pointed at Tuan Tuan.

Xiao Ningyuan looked down; his sister was leaning against his chest, already drowsy, and he smiled faintly: "Let her sleep; we've been up all night again."

"If we stay in this secret chamber a few more days, I won't be able to tell day from night."

Chu Yuan looked at his young disciple and sighed lightly: "My disciple has suffered enough."

"Take a good rest; this matter requires stability, not haste. Once Tuan Tuan has rested, we can decide without delay."

Lu Qi got up: "I'll go to Yi Zhuang."

"No need," Xiao Ningyuan called out, "Everyone sleep; after waking, we can go."

Only then did everyone settle down and drift into sleep.

Two days later, Lu Qi brought Feng Zhou from Yi Zhuang to the secret chamber, and Xiao Ningyuan placed twenty‑seven bronze small components on the table for him to examine.

Feng Zhou studied carefully and exclaimed, "Who made this? It's truly remarkable! So small, yet crafted so finely—I couldn't even make it."

Xiao Er hurriedly asked, "Can it be joined?"

Feng Zhou assembled a complete Heavenly Son Sword shape and examined its cross‑section: "Not easy, but we can try."

"This cross‑section has fine carved mortise‑and‑tenon joints, requiring molten silver to fuse; a fraction off in temperature will deform it. I can't claim a hundred percent certainty, but there's a seventy‑to‑eighty percent chance."

Lu Qi grew anxious at once: "If we can't make it, all our effort will be for nothing."

Feng Zhou wore a puzzled expression: "I've never made one; how could I claim we can definitely finish it?"

Lu Qi's eyebrows shot up; just as he was about to speak again, Tuan Tuan hurriedly grabbed him: "Uncle Qi, don't be impatient! Feng Zhou said a seventy‑to‑eighty percent chance is enough!"

Lu Qi finally relaxed, shot Feng Zhou a sideways glance, and said, "Then why didn't you explain clearly?"

Xiao Ningyuan helplessly pressed his hand to his forehead: "These people—if it weren't for Tuan Tuan, we couldn't have gotten this far together."

He waved his hand and called his sister over: "Good girl, tonight we'll go see Imperial Aunt and see if she can help us."

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands: "Great! I haven't seen Imperial Aunt in ages!"

Xiao Ningyuan looked at Eunuch Cheng: "Gonggong, does the Elder Princess's Chen Hui Hall contain an exit to the Tiger Cave?"

Eunuch Cheng's face showed difficulty.

Xiao Er's heart sank: "There isn't? What about the adjacent Palace? If that fails, we can, like when we entered Shoucheng Palace, climb over the wall from the neighboring Palace."

Eunuch Cheng came over and covered Tuan Tuan's little ears.

Tuan Tuan looked up with a puzzled expression.

Eunuch Cheng whispered, "Yes, not only is there one, it's right inside the Elder Princess's bedchamber."

Everyone was instantly stunned.

Chu Yuan was shocked: "The Elder Princess's bedchamber? How could that be?"

Eunuch Cheng spoke at a rapid pace: "Because the previous dynasty's dim‑witted ruler had an illicit affair with the master who lived in Chen Hui Hall, he deliberately left the Tiger Cave entrance inside the bedchamber."

"I happened to spot it in a fragment of the early dynasty's 'Daily Record'. Such filthy matters corrupt the ears, and Little Princess cannot bear to hear them."

The group exchanged glances, each forming a hint of speculation, and couldn't help feeling disgust toward that absurd monarch.

Tuan Tuan watched the adults' expressions shift from shock to understanding to contempt, lifted her hand and pulled away Eunuch Cheng's hand covering her ears: "Grandpa, what did you say? I want to hear too!"

"Uh, cough cough." Xiao Ningyuan cleared his throat: "Eunuch Cheng said that in Imperial Aunt's Palace we can go straight in; that's a great thing."

He paused: "But because the exit is in the Elder Princess's bedchamber, Tuan Tuan, you must not tell anyone else!"

Tuan Tuan stared with big eyes: "Why?"

This time, the one showing difficulty was Xiao Ningyuan; he truly didn't know how to explain this to his sister.

Chu Yuan hurriedly changed the subject: "Tuan Tuan, do you have any acquaintances in Jingcheng who could help? Tell Master, will you?"

Tuan Tuan slid out of her big brother's arms, ran to him, and began counting on her fingers:

"My disciple Cui Jiziu, the later top scholar Liu Yunyi, snack auntie Xie Yunshu, Lu Er and Xiao Hua Mei, the Taoist Priest from Xuanqiong Temple…"

She thought carefully again: "No, just those few!"

Chu Yuan, surprised, said: "Disciple, how long have you been in Jingcheng to have connections with so many? Even stronger than Master. But who is this Xiao Hua Mei, which wandering hero?"

Tuan Tuan smiled brightly: "Master, you have me! Xiao Hua Mei is Lu Er's bird! So clever!"

Chu Yuan: "…"

"Uh, the bird doesn't need counting."

"Oh," Tuan Tuan was a bit disappointed, "Right, also Chen Hao!"

"Chen Hao?" Chu Yuan shook his head: "He once went to argue with King Chen, and thereafter was confined to his own residence."

"He is indeed discerning, but unfortunately we can't use him this time."

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "Then can we rescue him too?"

Xiao Ningyuan helplessly rubbed his forehead: "No need, Tuan Tuan; he is the eldest legitimate son of Chen Wang. Even a tiger's venom does not eat its young, so Chen Wang won't harm him—he doesn't need rescuing."

He flicked his sister's nose: "I think we should leave Jingcheng as soon as possible; otherwise, you might end up trying to rescue everyone in Jingcheng."

Everyone laughed.

Chu Yuan pondered for a moment: "These people are also notables in Jingcheng, but how to use them—we'll have to think it over carefully."

"It's fine; let's go see the Elder Princess tonight," Xiao Ningyuan said, patting his sister's head, "maybe your Imperial Aunt can give us a good idea."

That night, several people followed the Tiger's Den inside the Imperial Garden and reached the exit of the Imperial Radiance Hall.