Chapter Ninety: The King of Pingyi Senses It

In the days that followed, the four of them pressed onward together, and the scenery along the way was pleasant enough.

What most surprised Fen Yewu was Chen Pingwu’s manner of speech.

He seemed to know everything there was to know: astronomy and geography, military strategy and the schools of thought, all of it.

Even Lu Jue could not help feeling admiration inwardly. If not for the fact that Chen Pingwu’s gaze toward Fen Yewu was somehow wrong, the two of them might well have become confidants.

Along the road, Yang Guang remained silent, as though everything before him had nothing to do with him.

Inside the capital, at the mansion of the Crown Prince of Changwu, the steward stood at the gate, helplessly shaking his head at Wang Jia.

This was already Wang Jia’s fourth visit.

The day before, Chen Pingwu had taken Yang Guang out. Not long afterward, Wang Jia had happily brought her maid to the prince’s mansion, still thinking of taking Chen Pingwu around the capital to look about.

Unluckily, she learned from the steward that Chen Pingwu was not there and had gone to the eastern city.

Guessing that Chen Pingwu must have gone after the storytelling she had spoken of at the tavern, Wang Jia hurried to the eastern city as well.

As fate would have it, by the time she arrived, Chen Pingwu had already left the city with Fen Yewu.

Then Wang Jia, unaware of what had happened, searched every tavern in the eastern city one by one.

If the sky had not grown too dark, and if her maid had not repeatedly urged her, she would have searched the eastern city twice more.

That morning alone, Wang Jia had already asked twice and was told both times that Chen Pingwu was absent, leaving her to sigh in frustration.

Now, after midday, on her fourth visit, even the old steward had nothing left to say; he could only shake his head helplessly.

The maid at her side grew a little indignant and tried to persuade Wang Jia.

“Miss, if you keep being so attentive, and that Young Master Chen ever learns of it, would that not make you lose your reserve?”

Seeing the steward shake his head and feeling disappointment in her heart, Wang Jia forced a smile at the maid’s words.

“The Crown Prince of Changwu and my father are both vassal kings. By rank, Young Master Chen and I are hardly strangers. He has only just arrived in the capital, and I fear he is unfamiliar with the place, so I merely wished to show him around more. How is that losing any reserve?”

The maid saw that Wang Jia still would not give up, and glanced secretly toward the mansion with her head tilted up, then let out an angry sigh.

The old steward, seeing Wang Jia come so many times, could not help feeling sorry for her as well.

Such a lovely young lady, out in this cold weather; it would not do to let her freeze. So, with some sympathy, he said,

“Miss, why not do this instead? Once the prince returns, I will have someone notify your residence. You may wait at home in peace. Would that be all right?”

Wang Jia was delighted to hear this and nodded repeatedly, then very politely instructed the steward,

“Then I shall trouble you. When the prince returns, please send someone to inform this young lady at the Residence of the King of Pingyi.”

After speaking, she even bent slightly in a courteous bow.

The old steward, hearing of Wang Jia’s birth and rank, hurriedly helped her up and said with a wry smile,

“Miss, please do not be like this. I am only a servant and truly cannot bear such courtesy.”

Only then did Wang Jia return to her residence.

Yet this waiting stretched on for another two days.

On this day, a letter arrived at the Residence of the King of Pingyi. Wang Changgeng was sitting in the main hall reading it when he suddenly saw the maid by Wang Jia’s side peering around from outside.

Wang Changgeng frowned and rebuked her.

“Ping’er, why are you not properly attending to the young lady, and instead looking about like this? You know no manners!”

The maid’s nickname was Ping’er. She had grown up with Wang Jia since childhood and was also someone Wang Changgeng had watched grow up, so though he scolded her, he was not truly angry.

Hearing Wang Changgeng’s rebuke, Ping’er stuck out her tongue in fright and replied timidly,

“Replying to Your Highness, the young lady sent Ping’er over to take a look. I heard that someone just came to the manor?”

After hearing her explanation, Wang Changgeng raised a brow, clearly unconvinced, and coldly rebuked her.

“So you have learned to lie now? Since when has Jia’er ever cared so much about who comes to the manor?”

Ping’er had been at Wang Jia’s side since childhood; by now, she had certainly developed a few wits of her own. Hearing Wang Changgeng’s stern tone, she immediately realized he was truly angered and hastily knelt down to explain.

“Your Highness has truly wronged Ping’er. A few days ago, after the young lady went to Young Master Chen’s residence, she never saw him again. The steward said that once the young master returned, he would send someone to the manor to inform the young lady.”

Seeing Ping’er’s aggrieved expression, which did not seem false, Wang Changgeng’s tightly furrowed brows eased slightly, and he asked in confusion,

“Which Chen young master?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wang Changgeng understood. He slapped his forehead several times. The Chen young master Ping’er spoke of must have been Chen Pingwu.

Then, thinking of her words, that she had not seen him for several days, Wang Changgeng’s eyes flashed with doubt.

All along, his judgment of people had rarely been wrong. Chen Pingwu did not seem like a frivolous man. These past few days, no outsiders had come to the manor either. Could it be that he had truly never returned?

Wang Changgeng waved Ping’er back.

Then he remembered that the last time one of his men had said he saw Chen Pingwu, it was when Chen Pingwu had come out of the palace.

“Wait!”

Wang Changgeng hurriedly called Ping’er back and asked,

“After the young lady went to the prince’s mansion, did anyone there say where the prince had gone?”

Ping’er bent slightly and replied,

“The steward there said that Young Master Chen had gone to the eastern city.”

The eastern city?

Wang Changgeng sank into thought and went to his study.

After he sat down, Zhao Xiyan emerged from the shadows.

“Your Highness, do you have an order?”

With a grim expression, Wang Changgeng instructed her,

“Go to the eastern city and find out where Chen Pingwu is, and whom he has met.”

At Wang Changgeng’s words, a trace of confusion appeared in Zhao Xiyan’s cold features.

After all, she had once heard Wang Changgeng speak of Chen Pingwu with much approval, even with a smile. Yet now, there seemed to be suspicion.

She did not dare ask more. Lowering her head, she accepted the command and vanished once again into the study’s shadows.

Wang Changgeng let out a heavy sigh, only hoping his concern was unnecessary.

These past few days, Wu Muxue had again announced in court that Fen Yewu’s cold illness had worsened and that he would not be attending the morning audience for the time being.

After the previous uproar in court, even if Wang Changgeng truly suspected that Fen Yewu was not in the palace, there would no longer be any officials willing to take such a risk with him.

The eastern city?

If Ping’er’s account was correct, then the last time Chen Pingwu was seen coincided with the time Fen Yewu’s illness took a turn for the worse.

This final clue in the eastern city was unlikely to bring good news.

Wang Changgeng slowly exhaled, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples with both hands, silently praying.

About an hour later, a faint sound came from the corner of the study, like something scraping.

Immediately after, Zhao Xiyan walked in and stood beside Wang Changgeng, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Without opening his eyes, Wang Changgeng asked softly,

“Have you found out?”

Only then did Zhao Xiyan reply,

“Yes. According to the intelligence, the last people Chen Pingwu met were two young masters.”

Wang Changgeng gave a cold laugh, slowly opened his eyes, then narrowed them slightly and said with certainty,

“One of them was a handsome young master, carrying a silver sword hilt set with gemstones, was he not?”

Hearing Wang Changgeng’s description, Zhao Xiyan froze at once and asked in surprise,

“Does Your Highness know who the prince encountered?”