Chapter 89: Still playing? I've come to collect you!

Qian Youde's words were extremely disrespectful.

From start to finish, his gaze never moved away from Liu Er's face.

Lao Liu Tou knelt on the ground, watching the County Magistrate's state, so anxious that the veins on his forehead bulged out.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, then hesitated a moment, his Adam's apple rolling several times, and finally he spoke:

"But... sir... I've heard..."

Qian Youde didn't look at him, his gaze still stuck on Liu Er's face.

Liu Er was lowering her head, playing with a jade bracelet on her wrist; sunlight streamed in through the window crack, making the bracelet glow a lustrous green, reflected on her fair, smooth wrist, looking very beautiful.

"What did you hear?"

Liu Er didn't even lift her head, asking casually.

Lao Liu Tou gritted his teeth, lowering his voice by half, as if afraid to startle something:

"In the neighboring county, just recently news came of the Deposed Crown Prince's death, and there are people scattering rice for his funeral… It's said… it's said that it's a little princess…"

As these words were spoken, the air in the room suddenly froze.

Liu Er's fingers, which had been playing with the bracelet, stopped.

Qian Youde's gaze finally moved away from Liu Er's face, slowly turning toward Lao Liu Tou.

In his murky old eyes, the murkiness seemed to fade a little, like a perpetually dazed person struggling to wake for a moment.

"Deposed Crown Prince mourned…?"

He murmured the repetition, voice low, as if talking to himself.

As for the Deposed Crown Prince, he certainly knew.

Or rather, anyone who's lived a few years basically knows.

At the founding of the Yin Dynasty, originally the second son of the Prince of Huainan, Taizong, had been campaigning everywhere to pacify, while at that time the Prince of Huainan's Taizu schemed to seize the opportunity and establish the dynasty.

Logically, Taizu founded the dynasty, and the second son had earned great merit; he should have been rewarded to stabilize the people's hearts, but Taizu instead favored the eldest son and sought ways to suppress the outstanding second son for the mediocre eldest.

This move was no different than pouring oil on fire.

Later, Taizong won the people's hearts and ascended the throne; immediately he abolished the crown prince, ordering the Deposed Crown Prince to go into seclusion...

Until now, it must have been twenty or thirty years, right?

If the Deposed Crown Prince truly went into hiding in the south at some point, producing a young lady would be about the same, wouldn't it?

In this situation, could it really be that after the Deposed Crown Prince's death, the imperial court, to display its benevolence, posthumously ennobled the orphan girl as a princess?

But why did she come to Ju Cheng?

Qian Youde's slow-witted brain turned for a long time, as if groping for something in a paste.

Lao Liu Tou was still kneeling on the ground, his knees numb, but he dared not move, just looking at him pleadingly.

Liu Er also fell silent, leaning on the couch, her gaze shifting back and forth between Qian Youde and Lao Liu Tou twice; the charm on her face faded a little, gaining a touch of scrutiny.

The silence lasted a long time.

So long that Lao Liu Tou thought the County Magistrate had fallen asleep again, when Qian Youde suddenly moved.

He braced himself on the edge of the couch and shakily rose to his feet, his knee bones clicking.

Liu Er reached out to support him; he steadied himself, then lowered his head to look at the patterned satin robe he was wearing—

The robe was newly made, its fabric transported from Suzhou, costing him eighty taels of silver.

Dignified.

Indeed dignified.

Not wearing official robes, I suppose that's acceptable.

Qian Youde reached out to adjust his collar; the motion was slow, but still neat enough.

"Let's go."

He spoke, his voice still having the elder's mumble, but this time his words were much more resolute:

"Go check the city gate."

Having said that, he stepped out walking.

The first step was a bit unsteady, the second a bit firmer, and by the third he was walking like he meant it.

Liu Er froze for a moment, rose from the couch, and hurried after him with small steps, her water sleeves fluttering behind.

Lao Liu Tou remained kneeling on the ground, watching the County Magistrate's back disappear at the doorway, then he let out a long breath, pushed himself up from the floor, and hurriedly limped after them.

The lingering fragrance in the rear courtyard remained strong.

After the footsteps faded, everything was nearly silent.

But from the table inside the house came a barely audible faint sound—

"Crack!"

The White Jade Guanyin still stood quietly on the table, eyes lowered, yet a deep crack had split open between its brows.

The deathly stillness at the city gate continued.

The corpse lay on the stone slab road, blood no longer seeping outward, only pooling in a small dark-red patch in the low spots of the stones.

The few commoners huddled against the wall base still stayed put, no one daring to leave or move.

The two city guards inside the gate had long since fled, leaving only the discarded spear on the ground.

The spear shaft lay across the threshold, half inside the gate, half in the sunlight, its shadow stretched thin and long.

Du Shanü sat on her horse, her back straight as a rod.

Her face showed no emotion, only the fingers resting on the reins tightened slightly.

Chinu's horse had somehow come up beside hers, the two horses nearly side by side, heads touching, the warm breath from their nostrils mingling.

He turned his body, leaning in close, his voice lowered to a whisper, only she could hear:

The princess's investiture requires an imperial edict.

Du Shanü didn't turn her head, her lips barely moving, her voice squeezed out from between her teeth:

I know, isn't it you? You handle state affairs all the time, forging an edict shouldn't be hard?

As usual, when there's business it's sir, when there's none it's slave.

Chinu had long grown accustomed to it.

But when will she realize that actually, calling a good slave for business is more effective?

Chinu fell silent for a moment, then spoke:

Too late.

His voice remained as low as ever, his speech a bit faster than usual:

The silk used for the edict is tribute-grade cloud-pattern brocade, not available in ordinary markets. Its weaving, density, and pattern are regulated—one check reveals it.

As for the edict's rollers—no need to think—first-rank jade rollers, second-rank black rhino horn rollers, third-rank gold-plated rollers, all limited in number. Even if materials are ready, just weaving a blank edict... takes at least three days.

Du Shanü said nothing.

Her gaze stared straight ahead, falling into the dark depths of the gate tunnel.

Three days—neither much nor little.

If we hadn't come to Ju Cheng today, we could naturally find a way, but now we're already at Ju Cheng's gate—no matter what, it's too late.

Chinu wanted to ask her what to do, but upon glancing at her, her profile still faced the gate direction, sunlight striking her brow bone and casting a small shadow.

Light and dark intertwined, slicing her brow and eyes.

At her hairline it slightly lifted, like a neat ink stroke finishing a line.

Her nose bridge straight, lips pressed, jaw slightly lifted, her whole facial contour pared by light, making her bone structure ever more sharp.

With such looks, she is more intimidating when silent than when speaking.

Those eyes gazing at her felt like something cold pressing against her chest—not painful, but numb.

Chinu withdrew his gaze, fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke, his voice pressed extremely low, low enough that only the two of them could hear:

Without an edict, what do you plan to do?

Or are you waiting for the county magistrate to come out so you can kill him?

Du Shanü gave no answer.

Chinu paused, then added:

I'll say it plainly: if you want to fight, I won't accompany you to death.

Unless you swear—your whole life, you'll have only me as your consort.

?? coming, coming!