Reborn to marry, the short-lived prince lived a hundred years

Meng Tingyue's eyes leisurely fell on the bed, gently locked on Erquan, caught his slightly trembling eyelashes, and whispered: "I know you are awake."

Upon hearing this, Erquan pretended to have just woken up and slowly opened his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Erquan slowly opened his eyes, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep, with a hint of deliberately created surprise.

He got out of bed, knelt on the ground and said, "This servant greets the Crown Princess."

Meng Tingyue did not delve into his little "trick", but just smiled indifferently, raised her hand and gently stroked the subtle wrinkles on the edge of her skirt, her movements elegant and calm.

"Do you know who wants to kill you?"

Erquan's expression remained calm, as if he had already put life and death aside. "If my guess is correct, it must be the work of Butler Zheng."

Meng Tingyue nodded slightly. "Your guess is correct. It is indeed him. But what evidence have you found that could have forced him to act so hastily?"

Erquan said, "I have indeed found some clues. At first, I was not sure whether they were related to the strange fire at the Chen family, but now it seems..."

Having said that, Erquan's lips curled up into a faint, mocking smile. He then slowly raised his eyelids and looked at Meng Tingyue sincerely, "I am willing to present this evidence to the Crown Princess without reservation."

His answer was clear and concise, without any dragging, which saved Meng Tingyue a lot of trouble.

Meng Tingyue opened her red lips and made a solemn promise, "I will give the Chen family a satisfactory answer. When this matter is settled, you can leave the Prince's Mansion and return to your ordinary life."

"That crucial item is currently in the possession of a girl named Shi Xiaoyue in Beiyuan. Furthermore, I've learned that there's another woman in Beiyuan named Qiao Lige, who has a close relationship with the housekeeper Zheng. There might be a hidden secret between the two of them. The Crown Princess might be able to find clues from her, or she could start with her."

After returning from the simple farmhouse and returning to the prosperous capital, Meng Tingyue went straight to the West Garden without stopping for a moment.

"Tingyue, you are finally here." The gentle voice of Grandpa Xiao came from inside the house. He looked through the window lattice and saw Meng Tingyue walking out of the yard with his eyes full of joy.

"Grandfather, where is my uncle?" Meng Tingyue did not see Xiao Huaifeng after entering the house, so she asked softly.

"He just went to the city to inspect the shops." Old Master Xiao answered with a smile, while taking Meng Tingyue's hand and leading her to sit at the table.

Then he turned and walked towards an antique little cabinet beside him, as if looking for something precious.

Not long after, Mr. Xiao appeared in front of Meng Tingyue again, holding a small and exquisite box tightly in his arms. He carefully placed the box on the table and gently pushed it towards Meng Tingyue.

"Grandpa, what is this?" Meng Tingyue looked at the box curiously.

"Open it and take a look." Old Master Xiao looked mysterious.

Meng Tingyue gently opened the lid of the simple box with her fingertips, and a touch of ink came into view. It turned out to be an exquisite brocade handkerchief with simple yet elegant embroidery.

A hint of confusion flashed across her eyes. She looked at the elderly but sharp-eyed Mr. Xiao beside her and asked softly, "Grandfather, what is this handkerchief?"

Old Master Xiao spoke slowly, his voice thick with the passage of time: "When you were young, there was a time when you disappeared for several days for no apparent reason. When you were found, you suddenly fell ill with a fever... I'm afraid you've forgotten about it."

Meng Tingyue nodded slightly: "Madame Qin once told me."

Seeing this, Old Master Xiao's words became more serious: "Did she ever mention the jade pendant hanging around your neck that day?"

Hearing this, Meng Tingyue couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her chest. She slowly said, "Madam Qin said that the jade pendant was given to me by a wandering monk when my mother took me out when I was young. Unfortunately, it accidentally broke into pieces, and now only half of it remains, accompanying me."

Old Master Xiao's eyes were deep as he spoke slowly, "Since you returned from your disappearance, you have been holding tightly in your hand that intricately embroidered handkerchief, and that half of the jade pendant was carefully sandwiched within it."

"We all speculate that during the time you were missing, you might have been fortunate enough to meet a noble person who helped you. That person might have taken the other half of the jade pendant from your hand as a token of trust, and this brocade handkerchief is probably what that person left behind."

"We once sent people to investigate the owner of the handkerchief and express our gratitude to him, but without exception, our efforts fell on deaf ears."

Meng Tingyue listened very carefully.

Old Master Xiao sighed softly, "Originally, we planned to bury this past deep in our hearts and not let it disturb your peaceful life. However, after thinking it over for a while, I still feel that I should tell you the truth."

"You are now in a prominent position. If you can use the power of the Crown Prince's Mansion to find the owner of the handkerchief, it should not be difficult. Our Xiao family will remember this kindness and will do our best to repay it."

Meng Tingyue had no idea there was such a connection. Hearing this, she nodded slowly, her eyes serious. "Grandfather is right. The debt of gratitude for saving my life is as deep as a mountain. I must find this person and reward him handsomely."

Her eyes fell on the brocade handkerchief in the box. The handkerchief was of delicate texture and embroidered with intricate cloud and water patterns. Every stitch and thread revealed extraordinary craftsmanship. It was obviously made by a master and must be owned by the rich and powerful.

Just target the high-ranking officials in the Great Zhou.

Seeing her seriousness, Mr. Xiao's eyes showed a hint of relief. "I'm glad you think so."

Meng Tingyue asked, "Grandfather, do you know where I disappeared? Jincheng?"

Old Master Xiao shook his head. "At the beginning, your mother was taking you to Hengcheng for a trip, and you disappeared on the way to Hengcheng."