Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

"So you agree to it? Without even asking what it is? What if you can't find out?" Qi Xiao ate and drank as casually as if he was in the Prince of Chu's Mansion, and treated Tang Ling with an easygoing attitude, as if he were a friend.

Tang Ling smiled and said, "If you didn't believe I could do it, why would you condescend to ask me for help? After all, it would be wise for His Majesty the King of Chu to draw a clear line between himself and me, a hostage of the Zhou Kingdom."

"Are you so jealous of me? It seems I wasted my kindness last night again."

Tang Ling's smile suddenly turned bleak, revealing a sense of grievance: "I am truly grateful, but you just don't believe it."

Qi Xiao looked at Tang Ling. Perhaps it was true that he was truly grateful, but only Tang Ling herself knew what else was hidden in this sincere gratitude.

"Believe it. I'm already here, so why wouldn't I believe it?"

Tang Ling smiled slightly, lowered her head to eat, glanced at the hairpin on Qi Xiao's head, and her face showed no strange expression.

Qi Xiao put down his chopsticks, pulled out the white jade hairpin, and handed it to Tang Ling: "You've been looking at it since you came in. Do you really want to take it back?"

Tang Ling also put down her chopsticks and reached out to take the white jade hairpin. Her slender fingers gently stroked it, and she looked down at it for a moment. "I really like it, and I really wanted to take it back... My mother died of illness shortly after giving birth to me. All I remember of her is her portrait. She had a similar hairpin in it, and when I saw this white jade hairpin later, I particularly liked it."

The story about Tang Ling's jade hairpin was true, but she told it deliberately for Qi Xiao to hear.

Upon arriving in Yuanjing, Tang Ling inquired with Huang Zexian about news from the capital, particularly regarding Qi Xiao. However, Qi Xiao's title of King of Chu was a mere figurehead, and no one in Yuanjing even remembered his existence. However, the Xingluo Guards, ever vigilant of palace news, readily learned of Concubine Lin's grave illness. Qi Xiao's reason for returning to the capital was unknown. Perhaps Qi Xiao simply used Concubine Lin's illness as an excuse to reclaim his rightful place in the world of wealth and power.

Qi Xiao is young but has a lot of ideas. If Tang Ling wants to control such a person, she must know what he wants and what his purpose is. If he has ambitions, that will suit Tang Ling's wishes. There are many princes in the Chen Kingdom, and the issue of establishing a crown prince is a fight between two parties. He needs to quietly add fuel to the fire. The internal strife in the Chen Kingdom will intensify, and people like Lu Fangjin will become victims of the power struggle. When Your Majesty is more stable, the Great Zhou will no longer have to fear.

With Qi Xiao's mind and scheming, he has been hiding his true abilities for so many years, acting as an arrogant and domineering young man in Yongcheng, but secretly being on good terms with Lu Fang. Such a person would never be willing to live a mediocre life.

For some reason, Tang Ling secretly hoped that Qi Xiao was a filial son and came back only for his mother's illness.

"What about your mother's jade hairpin?" Qi Xiao propped up his chin, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Tang Ling. He had expected him to say the hairpin was his mother's heirloom. While the story might not be entirely true, Tang Ling had always been very fond of it. Even if it wasn't his mother's heirloom, it was still a favorite of his.

Tang Ling smiled softly: "That one belongs to my father. He has always treasured it. I can't covet it."

"In that case, I'll return this hairpin to you." A gentleman doesn't take away what is loved by others. A jade hairpin was nothing special to Qi Xiao. He had worn it to see Tang Ling specifically to return it to her.

Tang Ling suddenly stood up, approached Qi Xiao, and personally pinned the jade hairpin back on him. "If you're willing to wear it, then you like it, right? This time, consider it a small token of my appreciation for you, okay?"

Tang Ling leaned very close to Qi Xiao, yet deliberately kept a few inches of distance between them, as if restraining himself from the other side, yet also teasing him with alternating closeness and distance. His words were soft and gentle, and even contained a hint of earnest flattery. Qi Xiao was actually momentarily dazed, as if he couldn't understand what Tang Ling meant by "like."

The moment Qi Xiao was stunned, Tang Ling had already pulled away, sat back in her original seat, and poured another glass of wine for Qi Xiao.

The waiter brought hot dishes and hot soup, quickly covered the table, and then quickly left.

Qi Xiao's messy thoughts were interrupted, and he started drinking and eating meat as usual.

"What information do you want me to find out?" Tang Ling couldn't see through Qi Xiao's thoughts, so she just went straight to the point.

Qi Xiao put down his chopsticks again and gestured to Tang Ling, "There are two things. To be more precise, there are two people. One is Cao Weishan, the governor of Jingji Protectorate, and the other is Bai Liu, the late General Huiyun."

Tang Ling nodded gently. "Okay, I'll make a note of that." Cao Weishan and Bai Liu? Are these two people related?

Cao Weishan, Tang Ling could understand that Cao Weishan was in charge of the Capital Protectorate, which meant he was in charge of all the affairs of Yuanjing. Although his rank was not high, his position was crucial. It was no exaggeration to say that Cao Weishan was a know-it-all in Yuanjing.

As for General Huiyun, Bai Liu, he'd died years ago. He was once a renowned general throughout the Three Kingdoms period, a god of war before Lu Fangjin, stationed at Fenglin Mountain for years... Fenglin Mountain? Why Fenglin Mountain again? Could this be a case of Qi State spies?

Tang Ling couldn't figure out the connection or Qi Xiao's intention for a moment. She was afraid that she could only figure it out slowly after investigating.

"Then I'll be grateful for your help, Ziyi." Qi Xiao seemed to read the confusion in Tang Ling's eyes and smiled softly. Why did he ask Tang Ling to investigate these two people? Because he didn't trust her, and he needed to be more vigilant against Zhou's Xingluo Guards. Tang Ling only helped him because she believed he had ambitions to seize the throne. Zhou had suffered a defeat, and its treasury was strained. Peace talks would undoubtedly cost a considerable amount of money, and it would probably not dare to easily go to war with Da Chen again in the next few years. Zhou needed time to recuperate, but Da Chen couldn't afford that time. With the current divisions over the crown prince, Tang Ling naturally welcomed the instability of Da Chen's political situation, and the more chaotic the better.

Whether it was Qi's Divination Office or Zhou's Xingluo Guard, both were forces to be reckoned with. Qi Xiao needed to know where Tang Ling and the Xingluo Guard had placed their spies and what they could uncover. Only by knowing both oneself and the enemy could one achieve victory in every battle.

Tang Ling and Qi Xiao were clearly aware of each other's inner plans, but on the surface they both remained unmoved. No matter how fragrant the apricot blossom rain was, it seemed bland.

After a satisfying meal and a few drinks, Qi Xiao patted his butt and headed back to Yangxizhai. The smile on his face faded as he emerged from Huaxi Villa. Conspiring with Tang Ling was a crime of treason. He'd have to be crazy to take such a risky move. But besides the Xingluo Guards, Qi Xiao couldn't think of any other force capable of tracking down clues under the noses of the Xuanji and Tiance Battalions.

Tang Ling was like a poisoned and extremely sharp knife placed in Qi Xiao's hand. If Qi Xiao didn't find a way to get such a weapon in his own hands, would he have to wait for the knife to pierce his chest?