A Shocking Dream

"There's no smoke without fire. There are some things neither you nor I can say for sure. How is the Saint Maiden doing these days?"

Speaking of Yunshuang, Qin Rongchen hesitated, unsure how to respond. He hadn't visited her in recent days, fearing that going would disrupt her plans, so he had no idea what her situation was.

"Rongchen, you still don't care about her enough." Qin Ronghuan mentioned Yunshuang deliberately, just to see Qin Rongchen's reaction. Who knew he would be like this, could it be that he has come to his senses these days and no longer likes Yunshuang? Qin Ronghuan thought, why did the Queen Mother ask him to lead the troops out of the capital on his behalf, could it be that he has already made it clear to the Queen Mother? But seeing him look so affectionate that day, it didn't seem like he was pretending. He added, "The Saint was assassinated in the Imperial Palace. As the most suspected party, we should pay more attention to her situation. How about this, you have your own secrets, then you go to care about her situation on my behalf, so that people won't say that we neglected the guests from afar. If it gets out in the future, wouldn't my Daqi, as a country of etiquette, become empty talk? Regarding the matter of Qiuluo Mountain, I will send General Yang Xu to go with you to mobilize General Yang's brave and combative troops, and this trip will surely be smooth."

Qin Rongchen lowered his head slightly with a complicated expression. After a moment of silence, he said, "Your Majesty, I obey your order. I will work with General Yang Xu to properly handle the matter of Qiuluo Mountain, and I will also care about the situation of the Saint Girl on behalf of Your Majesty. But I still have many concerns in my heart, and I hope Your Majesty understands." There was a hint of helplessness and worry in his tone. He felt pressured by the upcoming task and was entangled in the complicated relationship between him and Yun Shuang.

Qin Rongchen was fully aware of the reason for sending Yang Xu with him, though he simply didn't point it out. He was simply worried that Yang Xu might covet the treasure and, in turn, recruit troops and plot a rebellion. "Royal brother, oh Royal brother, every step between you and me has always felt like a threat, always wary of me. I don't know when, but since when has our relationship become one of mere profit, with no trace of kinship left."

"Go see the Saint before you leave. I'm afraid that after you go, including the round trip, you will never see each other again." Qin Ronghuan was reminding him that if he left, he might not see Yunshuang when he came back, the woman who made him anxious that day.

"I obey your order. When General Yang is ready to go, please send someone to inform me. I will take my leave." When Qin Rongchen walked out of the imperial study, he happened to run into Yang Xu who walked in. Yang Xu saluted him, and Qin Rongchen nodded slightly in response.

"I am General Yang Xu, and I pay my respects to the Emperor!" Yang Xu's voice was loud, and his upright posture when he saluted showed that he did not look like someone who coveted treasure.

"General Yang, excuse me. I have summoned you for no great cause. You must immediately gather your troops and follow the Sage King to Qiuluo Mountain to investigate the hidden treasure. If there truly is a treasure, anyone who dares to seize or covet it will be slain. Anything discovered in my Great Qi belongs to my Great Qi treasury."

"The general will obey the order."

"Also, always keep an eye on the Sage King's movements. Go down and prepare."

"I understand." Yang Xu saluted and retreated.

"What? The emperor sent the Sage King to the Jinyu Courtyard?" In Ninghua Palace, Kou Jing was quite dissatisfied with this matter.

"Yes, Chief Steward He told me, and I couldn't have heard it wrong. I'm afraid the Sage King is almost here by now."

"I haven't seen him go look for Yunshuang these days, so I thought he had figured it out long ago. How about Rong Huan... has the imperial physician he sent replied?"

"I was just about to report that the Jinyuyuan refused to see the imperial physician they sent, claiming that the Saint Lady did not need treatment."

"I kindly asked the imperial physician to treat me, but the Saint refused. What's this Saint up to? Does she really want to die in my Great Qi country?"

Queen Mother, there's no need to worry. In my opinion, this Saint Lady isn't grateful because she doesn't trust me, Da Qi. Having been assassinated within the palace, she must be terrified. Didn't the Sage King tell her the day he took her away that she had a renowned physician with her Yun State Division? With a renowned physician, as long as no one in the Jinyu Courtyard reports a death, we needn't worry. The Queen Mother has shown her care by sending the Imperial Physician daily. Refusing treatment is her right, so why should we be concerned about her condition?

"You're right. I've already brought your care."

"Empress Dowager, there is one more thing. The Emperor has sent General Yang Xu to accompany the Sage King."

"Yang Xu? The emperor still doesn't trust Rong Chen. Rong Chen is now in name only, and he poses no threat to him within the capital. But once he leads his troops outside the capital, if the treasure is true, he will become a threat. I mentioned Rong Chen's leading troops to him beforehand, and now the emperor probably thinks that Rong Chen and I have reconciled. No wonder he sent Rong Chen to Jinyuyuan. Rong Chen has already arrived at Jinyuyuan, so why hasn't there been any news from there?"

"I will go and investigate right away." Nanny Liu left quickly.

Jinyuyuan.

"You said you came here on orders, but why did you bring me here?" Su Yijing held his forehead helplessly.

"Only when you get close to them will you believe me whether they are the same person."

"Why don't you just believe in the woman you like? What does it matter if I believe it or not? You should think about how to deal with the matter of Qiuluo Mountain. I really think it's ridiculous that the Crown Prince is in Qiuluo Mountain and the Emperor doesn't even know about it."

"It's okay. I know he's definitely not in danger."

"It's not him who's in danger, I'm talking about you. You're going with General Yang Xu this time, and you know what kind of person General Yang Xu is. Although he's upright, he obeys the emperor. If there really is a treasure in Qiuluo Mountain, even if you didn't take it, he'll directly say you did, and you won't be able to explain it away even if you talk all your mouth off."

"I say, Yijing, you know the situation at Qiuluo Mountain, do you also believe there is a treasure there?"

As they were talking, the female historian of the Yun Kingdom came out, bowed slightly and said, "Sage King, Prime Minister Su, the Holy Maiden is ill and cannot see guests. I hope Your Majesty and Prime Minister will understand."

"How is her health? Has she gotten better?" When Qin Rongchen heard that Lin Bingshuang was ill, he immediately felt worried. His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes were full of concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The Saint is doing well. The Saint said thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. She appreciates it and will come to express her gratitude after she recovers." The female historian responded respectfully.

"Thank you." Qin Rongchen nodded slightly, but he was still a little worried.

"Your Highness, Prime Minister, please do as you please." The female historian said this and walked into the Jinyu Courtyard. Qin Rongchen and Su Yijing turned and left.

"It's fine if the imperial physician refuses to see you, but why doesn't she even see you?" Su Yijing was puzzled, rubbing his chin as he walked. "This saint's actions are really unpredictable."

Qin Rongchen lowered his eyes slightly, thought for a moment and said, "What's so strange about that? She has her reasons for not seeing me." There was a hint of helplessness and understanding in his tone.

"Aren't you curious about the reason?" Su Yijing raised his eyebrows and looked at Qin Rongchen.

"If she wants to say it, she will let me know. If she doesn't want to say it, why should I force her?" Qin Rongchen looked calm and continued to walk forward.

"You go back now. General Yang Xu is waiting for me at the city gate." Qin Rongchen turned to Su Yijing and said.

"You are such a good guy, Qin Rongchen. You come when you need me, and send me away when you don't." Su Yijing pretended to be dissatisfied and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Qin Rongchen turned and looked at Su Yijing, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a teasing smile, and said with a gesture of invitation: "How about you come with me?"

"No," Su Yijing quickly waved his hand in refusal. "Qiuluo Mountain isn't a good place. I don't want to get involved in this mess." With that, Su Yijing walked away in the opposite direction. Qin Rongchen looked at his back, shook his head helplessly, and turned to walk towards the city gate.

If the Prime Minister and the Sage King lead their troops out of the capital, it would be strange if the person in the palace didn't chase them out.

"Rongchen was also rejected?" Inside Ninghua Palace, the Queen Mother was surprised to hear that Qin Rongchen had been rejected from the Jinyu Courtyard. She frowned slightly, her eyes revealing confusion and thought.

"Yes, the prince went with Prime Minister Su, bearing the emperor's order. Logically, he shouldn't have been refused. But this saint's actions are beyond my comprehension," Nanny Liu replied respectfully, her face filled with confusion. "This saint's actions are truly unpredictable. The prince clearly came to visit under the emperor's order, yet he was turned away. I truly wonder what she's thinking."

The Queen Mother sighed slightly and said slowly: "If she could be guessed so easily, she would not be the Holy Maiden of Yun Country. She has only been here for a few days and she has already bewitched Rong Chen so much that he dared to rebel against me and even said that he wanted to be buried with me. She is quite scheming. Rong Chen has agreed to leave the capital this time. I just hope that the Holy Maiden of Yun Country will leave quickly before he comes back. Otherwise, who knows how many more troubles will arise." The Queen Mother was worried and was very wary of the Holy Maiden of Yun Country.