After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Xie Xing leaned out the window and looked down, where he could see a large number of people coming and going.

"Where should I look for Luo Hanfeng?" Xie Xing asked the system, his hands on the windowsill as he looked down.

The system said: [Wait a little longer; this will probably be when the true courtesan is chosen.]

Behind them, Xie Yuhe and Xie Yuze exchanged a glance.

The box had a great location; Xie Xing could see the stage on the first-floor deck.

The girl named Yue'er was especially popular, with silver notes flying everywhere – it was the ultimate luxury. Xie Yuhe stood by the window for a while and suddenly said, "Xing'er, don't run around here."

"Although it's a beauty pageant, there are many people and all sorts of eyes here. We don't know who might be there. If we accidentally bump into someone, we might be in mortal danger," Xie Yuhe said gently.

Xie Yuze was standing right behind Xie Xing. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "This coward shouldn't be running around, right?"

Xie Xing: "..."

She did indeed plan to make an excuse to pee later.

Xie Yuhe didn't let her reply. He was about to say something more when Xie Xing suddenly looked out the window with a puzzled expression, as if she had seen something.

I think I just saw Xie Mingzhu?

The system replied: "Yes, the remnants of the previous dynasty intend to have Xie Mingzhu meet the other members of the previous dynasty today."

Xie Yuhe suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction Xie Xing was staring at.

There was a huge crowd over there, but when I looked around, I couldn't find Xie Mingzhu anywhere.

Xie Yuze's expression also changed slightly.

Shouldn't Xie Mingzhu be at home at this time?

"Xing'er, what are you looking at?" Xie Yuhe asked tentatively.

Xie Xing looked away and shook his head, saying, "I think I saw someone familiar just now, but upon closer inspection, I realized I was mistaken."

Xie Yuze was impatient. Hearing Xie Xing say this, he wished he could immediately grab Xie Xing's hand and make her tell him where she saw the pearl.

Why didn't either of them see it?

It's incredibly frustrating to know everything in advance but end up grasping nothing and only witnessing the outcome.

Xie Yuhe stopped Xie Yuze before he could speak.

With a smile on his face, Xie Yuhe pulled Xie Yuze aside and said to Xie Xing, "I saw a few colleagues. Xing'er, you wait for me and Lao San in this room."

"Do not move around unnecessarily."

Xie Xing couldn't wait for the two to leave, and nodded obediently upon hearing this: "I understand, brother."

Xie Yuhe turned around, the smile on her face fading, and pulled Xie Yuze out.

The door closes.

Xie Yuhe found a secluded spot and said with a stern face, "You can't alert them."

Xie Yuze said anxiously, "But she said she saw a pearl!"

"Could Mingzhu really have made contact with those people from the previous dynasty?"

How could Xie Yuze not be anxious?

Xie Yuhe told him to calm down, "You follow Xie Xing secretly now, without letting her find out, and see what's going on."

"And you?" Xie Yuze asked Xie Yuhe.

Xie Yuhe pursed his lips and said, "I'll go back to the manor to see if Mingzhu is actually there."

He needs confirmation.

Xie Yuze remained silent.

Indeed, Xie Yu and a civil official had no way to hide their presence by Xie Xing's side, so they might as well go and see if Mingzhu was in the mansion.

After the two brothers discussed it and agreed, Xie Yuze began to keep watch.

The ship was bustling with activity, filled with singing and dancing.

Xie Xing rested his chin on his hand and watched from the windowsill for a long time. When the girl named Yue'er lifted her veil and revealed her stunningly beautiful face, as lovely as a little rabbit, a sudden scream erupted from below.

Immediately afterwards, Xie Xing spotted several people dressed in black slowly moving through the crowd.

Suddenly, swords flashed.

"what!"

The once lively occasion suddenly descended into chaos.

Dozens of veiled men in black suddenly leaped out of the water, their swords gleaming coldly, and began searching through the crowd. Swords have no eyes, and the appearance of these men threw the entire ship into chaos.

Xie Xing straightened up slightly.

These men in black seemed to be searching for someone; as soon as they saw someone who looked like them, they grabbed them and slit their throats.

Outside.

Xie Yuze, who had been hiding in the shadows waiting for Xie Xing to leave, was shocked by this turn of events.

Who on earth was so bold as to make a move in this situation?

Could it be an assassination attempt?

Xie Yuze glanced into the room, gritted his teeth, and hid back in the shadows.

Meanwhile, in the next room.

Jun Lanjin stood by the window, looking down at the view below.

"Your Highness, they are not our people."

The ghost mask gleamed coldly in the moonlight. Jun Lanjin stood with his hands behind his back and said coldly, "These people have already alerted them. Make your move and capture them all."

"Yes!" The guard left silently.

……

the other side.

Xie Mingzhu was feeling sentimental in her boudoir when she was startled by the person who suddenly barged in.

This man was the one who had frequently sneaked into the General's Mansion to find Xie Mingzhu.

"Princess," the man knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said to Xie Mingzhu, "They all wish to see you, Princess. Would you like to come with us to meet them today?"

Xie Mingzhu was taken aback: "You mean?"

The man looked up at Xie Mingzhu: "The dog emperor is tightening his grip, making it difficult for us to move forward in Shengjing. We plan to leave Shengjing and secretly cultivate our power elsewhere."

"Before they left, they wanted to see the princess, for she was our only hope for restoring our kingdom."

Xie Mingzhu was somewhat moved when she heard this.

She has been suffering terribly every day in the general's mansion lately. Although her treatment is the same as before, she can clearly feel that the people who used to dote on her are gradually drifting away from her.

The extreme pampering they once received has ultimately amounted to nothing more than this.

Xie Mingzhu sometimes felt lost, like a rootless leaf with nowhere to go.

But now, the man's appearance tells her that she is not without options.

There are so many people behind her.

It's just a meeting, nothing serious should happen.

After much hesitation, Xie Mingzhu finally agreed.

Fortunately, it was already evening, and her eldest and third brothers had already gone out. Xie Tongchen was in the military camp, so Xie Ansheng and Madam Xie wouldn't come looking for her at this hour.

It shouldn't expose us.

With that in mind, Xie Mingzhu agreed.

The man's name is Lai Xiao.

Lai Xiao led Xie Mingzhu out of the General's Mansion and arrived at the riverbank in Shengjing.

At that time, there were many steamships on the river, making it a lively and bustling place.

With so many people around, Xie Mingzhu was afraid of being discovered, so she covered her face with a veil and was led onto the ship by Lai Xiao.

As soon as the two boarded the ship, there was a commotion on board.

Xie Mingzhu turned pale with fright and looked at Lai Xiao in a panic.

Lai Xiao also looked grave. He protected Xie Mingzhu while hiding in a dark corner.

Who exactly are these men in black?

Could it be that they've been discovered?

The more Lai Xiao thought about it, the more serious her face became.

He shielded Xie Mingzhu behind him and said solemnly, "Princess, our people have probably been discovered. To avoid any accidents, we cannot go to them now."

To avoid being wiped out in one fell swoop.

Lai Xiao misunderstood; these people weren't chasing them, but rather pursuing Luo Hanfeng.