Chapter 567

Bai Xiaosheng lowered his eyes slightly, thinking to himself.

The case of Qi Sha Gu is too deep.

Thinking of how Bai Xiaomen's information gathering in the jianghu was top-notch, yet when gathering news about Qi Sha Gu, he couldn't get anything at all.

Qi Sha Gu is shrouded in heavy mist, like a slippery loach; a little carelessness and one directly burrows into the historical mire, making investigation impossible.

This time Xiao Yin wants to re-investigate the Qi Sha Gu case; could he already have grasped something?

This time Bai Xiaosheng is rather itching with curiosity; what earth-shattering secret does Qi Sha Gu hide? He also wants to know.

However, Xiao Yin seemingly wouldn't give him that chance; when they got to the main topic, Xiao Yin politely asked him to leave the inner hall.

Bai Xiaosheng embarrassedly walked out of the Zheng Ting of Rui Wang Fu; originally thinking he would return to the Eastern Palace, but Bai Xiaosheng stretched, looked at Ling Feng who was following beside him, and said with a smile: 'I've heard the rear garden of Rui Wang Fu is quite exquisite; this prince would like to take a look!'

Ling Feng stared for a moment, then politely smiled: 'Your Highness, it's probably inconvenient for an outsider male to tour the inner quarters of the Wangfu.'

"Nonsense! Am I an outsider male?"

Bai Xiaosheng's face sank slightly: 'This prince and the Imperial Uncle are uncle and nephew; can't a nephew look at his uncle's rear garden?'

Such a small matter, and you still quibble; this prince will go see it today! Back when you, the Heir Apparent and the Commandery Princess, held the hundred-day banquet, you indeed invited everyone from Shang Jing to visit; at that time this prince was wandering homeless in the jianghu, never expecting to have such a proud uncle.

Bai Xiaosheng talks a lot, and his steps are big; while speaking, he already strode into the rear quarters.

Ling Feng's expression changed slightly; if he forcibly stopped him, after all this person is the Regent Prince, and as a guard his rank is too low to act directly.

Moreover, it's the Prince's inner quarters; as the commander of the Wangfu's guards, if there's no need, it's inappropriate for him to wander about inside.

But just as he was stunned, Bai Xiaosheng had already stepped toward the inner quarters, walking and laughing: 'Besides, your master's inner quarters only house Gu Jiu Ling; where else could there be another woman?'

"This prince will go take a look at your Rui Wang Fu's garden; I've heard it's very beautiful."

Ling Feng was at a loss when suddenly a cold, aloof maiden in indigo-blue robes hurried over from beneath the covered corridor.

It was Yun Duo, the maid beside Gu Jiu Ling; Gu Jiu Ling treats her few maidservants with utmost sincerity.

Yun Duo likes martial arts, so Gu Jiu Ling hired a skilled martial arts instructor for her; in terms of food, clothing, and daily needs, she is not lacking either.

Now Yun Duo has grown a few inches taller, her figure has slenderized, and a green outfit further highlights her upright bearing.

The little maiden grows more beautiful with age, yet her beauty is tinged with a hint of cold aloofness and an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

"Commander Ling, the Princess Consort has ordered me to accompany the Crown Prince to tour the garden!"

As soon as Yun Duo's words fell, Ling Feng breathed a sigh of relief; indeed, the Princess Consort is formidable, she knows this person is restless.

Now Yun Duo's martial arts are nearly on par with his; this maiden is also very quick-witted, so Bai Xiaosheng probably has no chance to cause trouble.

Moreover, Yun Duo is a woman, so it's appropriate for her to accompany the Crown Prince for a leisurely stroll in the inner quarters.

Ling Feng and Yun Duo nodded, then bowed slightly and stood sideways at the entrance of the moon-gate leading to the inner quarters.

Bai Xiaosheng subtly glanced at Yun Duo following behind him; indeed, he forced her to reveal herself.

He also didn't know why he liked teasing this little maiden with a perpetually cold face; he found it quite amusing.

Since he acknowledged his kin and became Empress Yun, who knows how many women have been stuffed into the Wangfu.

But those women are all boring; either they have ulterior motives and cling on like medicated plasters.

Or they are afraid of him, and a word from him frightens them like quail.

Only this maiden who follows behind her master, efficient and neither arrogant nor humble, makes one think it's interesting.

The two walked one after another into the garden; just past the Origin Festival, the spring chill was still biting, the garden looked rather desolate, only a cluster of plum blossoms blooming in the cold attracted Bai Xiaosheng to stop and look up.

He raised his arm and plucked a crystal-clear spring plum blossom, then turned and pinned it to Yun Duo's temple.

Yun Duo had been silently following behind him; this time Bai Xiaosheng's action startled her badly, she hurried to dodge, but the plum blossom had already landed on her temple, and she raised her hand to pluck it off.

"You dare?" Bai Xiaosheng rarely sank his face.

If it were before, Yun Duo would have nothing to fear; she would just pull it off and throw it away.

But now Bai Xiaosheng's stern rebuke steadied her heart and mind.

Yun Duo lifted her gaze and fixed it on the turned-around Bai Xiaosheng; although this man is now supremely noble, Yun Duo does not really respect him in her heart.

Before, when I followed my master and had contact with this man a few times, this man loved money as his life, greedy and shameless.

Back when he was the head of Bai Xiaomen, this rascal often cheated and defrauded, even daring to swindle his own master's silver.

She had no good impression of him, and she never expected that this person would transform and become the Regent Prince.

Yun Duo couldn't adapt quickly to such a huge change in the other's identity.

At this moment her slender white fingers tightly gripped that spring plum blossom; she lifted her head and stared fixedly at the noble man before her, her brows furrowing tightly.

Yun Duo doesn't much like this kind of frivolous person; who casually picks a flower to put on a young maiden's head?

Although her status and his are worlds apart, she is a maid of Rui Wang Fu, while he is the Regent Prince.

He isn't even Yun Duo's master; what gives him the right to toy with her like this?

"Wear it!" Bai Xiaosheng also didn't know why he became angry.

He and this little maiden seldom meet; each time they see each other, the situation is not pleasant.

There have been several times when he almost got beaten by this little maiden; now finding her amusing, he wonders if she can't handle playing.

She doesn't want to wear the flower he gave her, yet he insists she wear it.

Yun Duo stared fixedly at Bai Xiaosheng for a moment, actually forgetting her identity; she threw the spring plum blossom to the ground and stomped it to pieces.

"Your Highness, this commoner maiden does not like to wear flowers; please forgive me, Your Highness."

Yun Duo's action suddenly startled Bai Xiaosheng; this little maiden's temper is growing.

Bai Xiaosheng also got angry, and plucked another blossom from the branch, this one blooming even more brightly; he seized Yun Duo's arm in a grip, and Yun Duo wanted to break free.

"You dare to use force against me? Don't bring disaster upon your master!" Bai Xiaosheng gritted his teeth, firmly gripping Yun Duo's hand, and this time directly pinned the flower into her hair bun.

But as soon as it was pinned, Yun Duo plucked it out again and stepped it into the mud.

"Your Highness, this commoner maiden does not like to wear flowers."

"This prince orders you to wear it, so you must wear it!"

"Your Highness, why make things difficult for others?"

The two of them really got into a spat; one insisted on putting a flower in her hair, the other refused.

After a while, Yun Duo couldn't suppress the fire in her heart.

Bai Xiaosheng grabbed Yun Duo's waist in one motion and pulled her into his embrace.

Yun Duo's face flushed crimson; it was the first time she had been so close to a mature man, and his scent frightened her.

Yun Duo instinctively pushed him away, not expecting Bai Xiaosheng to lose his mind as well; he leaned in and kissed her, determined to conquer this aloof flower.

Yun Duo couldn't take it and threw a punch at Bai Xiaosheng's eye socket.

Bai Xiaosheng staggered back several steps, clutching his face, unable to recover for a good while.

Bai Xiaosheng, fuming, was about to speak when footsteps sounded not far away.

Bai Xiaosheng stared fixedly at the panicked woman before him, flashing a smug, punch‑worthy grin.

"Little girl, you're done for!"