She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Behind the hidden door was a narrow, long passageway, filled with a stench of decay and dampness that seemed to engulf you.

Cui Jinrong ran wildly along the passage, disregarding everything. The stone slabs under his feet seemed to drag him down, while the shouts of the guards behind him followed him closely, like a relentless pursuit of his soul.

He didn't know how long he had been running, but just when he was almost completely exhausted, a faint glimmer of light finally appeared ahead.

He mustered his last bit of strength and rushed out, only to find himself in a secluded corner of a garden within the mansion when he looked around.

Cui Jinrong leaned against the wall, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, his heart filled with a mixture of emotions.

Although no conclusive evidence of identity was obtained from the family genealogy this time, the glaring alterations were like a thunderclap, revealing the truth.

At this moment, Cui Jinrong dared not relax. He knew that the guards in the mansion would definitely follow the clues and come here. This place was definitely not a place to stay for long.

Despite his exhaustion, he carefully made his way back to his own yard from the edge of the garden.

The slightest breeze or rustling along the way could make his heart almost stop beating.

Having finally returned to the courtyard, he had barely stepped inside the house and hadn't even caught his breath when he heard faint voices coming from outside: "This is the Third Young Master's courtyard. Do you really want to search it?"

"Hmph! Didn't you hear what the Duke said? Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we can't let any corner of the manor go unchecked!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Jinrong didn't have time to think it through. He quickly entered the inner room, grabbed the blanket, and lay down inside.

"Third Young Master, are you inside?"

Cui Jinrong did not answer. He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and tried to make his breathing sound steady and natural, as if he had been asleep for a long time.

At this moment, even the slightest tremor could expose him completely, plunging him into an abyss of no return.

"Third Young Master?" The voice came from outside the door again, accompanied by light footsteps, and the door was slowly pushed open.

Cui Jinrong's heart pounded like thunder, his fingers instinctively gripping the corner of the blanket, his palms already soaked with sweat.

The guard stopped at the door and scanned the room. By the moonlight, he could vaguely see that the furnishings inside were simple and tidy, and there was nothing unusual about them.

Cui Jinrong lay motionless on the bed, seemingly immersed in a dream. However, the muscles of his body, hidden under the covers, were tense, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any moment.

After a long while, the guard seemed not to have noticed anything amiss. He gave a soft hum and slowly withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Cui Jinrong remained vigilant until the footsteps completely disappeared outside the courtyard. Only then did he slowly open his eyes, let out a long sigh of relief, and secretly rejoice that he had escaped a disaster.

However, the brief peace did not allow him to relax for long. The current crisis was only temporarily resolved, and a greater predicament awaited him ahead.

He knew that he not only had to deal with the assassination mission assigned by his father, but also had to uncover the mystery of his own origins amidst these numerous crises.

If I were truly a descendant of the Meng family, killing Chu Zhiyi would be an unforgivable crime. Even if it were later discovered that the Meng family had been wronged, I would never be able to redeem myself.

Moreover, Chu Zhiyi, as the eldest prince of the Crimson Flame Clan, is not only highly skilled in martial arts but also has many guards around him, so I'm not sure I can kill him.

But if they didn't assassinate him, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves to the Duke of Xingguo, and he would also face annihilation.

Now he faces two paths, each fraught with peril, and a single misstep could lead to his utter destruction.

Cui Jinrong sat up, his eyes revealing determination and resolve, the kind of determination a cornered beast would fight to the death.

He began to carefully analyze the recent events, trying to find a way to survive in this desperate situation and uncover the truth.

After much thought, Cui Jinrong decided that he should find Shen Man, tell her about his research into the family genealogy, and hear her opinion.

After all, she was one of the few people who knew about her background, and Meng Zhuo trusted her greatly, so she should be a trustworthy person.

Moreover, judging from the last visit to the military camp, Chu Zhiyi cared about her a lot; the concern and protectiveness in his eyes were impossible to hide.

If he wanted to reconcile with Chu Zhiyi, perhaps he could find a glimmer of hope by having her mediate between them.

After thinking things through, he lay down to rest again.

Although he had only met Shen Man twice, for some reason, he inexplicably believed that Shen Man would help him.

In the days that followed, he actively prepared for the assassination of Chu Zhiyi in his residence, pretending to gather intelligence and select weapons so that others would not notice anything amiss. At the same time, he sent people to secretly investigate the whereabouts of Chu Zhiyi and his group, so that he could meet Shen Man before they arrived in the capital and seize what might be their only lifeline.

Several days later, Cui Jinrong's men finally brought back definite news: Chu Zhiyi and his party would arrive in the suburbs of Shangjing in three days.

He felt both apprehensive and somewhat expectant about meeting Shen Man, as this meeting might determine the course of his future.

Over the next three days, Cui Jinrong became increasingly cautious in his actions within the mansion.

During the day, he pretended to actively discuss the details with the people involved in the assassination plan, pointing at the map of the capital and analyzing Chu Zhiyi's possible route to the capital. He also seriously selected sharp daggers, crossbows and other weapons. The ruthlessness that occasionally flashed in his eyes made others believe in his determination.

But whenever he was alone in his room late at night, the blurred, altered characters on the Cui family genealogy would flash through his mind again and again. He would weigh the pros and cons repeatedly, thinking about how to start a conversation with Shen Man and how to gain her trust and help to the greatest extent possible.

Finally, the day arrived when Shen Man was about to arrive in the outskirts of Beijing.

Cui Jinrong found an excuse, avoided everyone's attention, and secretly slipped out of the Duke's mansion. Then he disguised himself as a merchant and left the city.

He sped towards the suburbs, his figure disappearing into the bustling crowd.

He came to a secluded mountain path, a route he had scouted out that Chu Zhiyi and the others would take to enter the capital. He hid behind the bushes by the roadside, his eyes fixed on the end of the road, his heart pounding faster than usual.

Before long, the sounds of horses' hooves and wheels gradually approached.

Cui Jinrong took a deep breath and lay down on the roadside, his body still twitching.

A moment later, Chu Zhiyi and his entourage arrived at the scene, and a sharp-eyed guard spotted Cui Jinrong lying on the ground.

"Your Highness, there is someone lying on the ground who seems to be very ill!"

"Oh, go and see what's going on," Chu Zhiyi instructed.

"Please, please save me! I'm just a traveling merchant, going from village to village. When I got here, I suddenly felt dizzy and then my body wouldn't obey me..."

Shen Man, who was walking in the middle of the group, heard that someone had fallen ill and collapsed on the ground, so she quickly spurred her horse forward to check on the situation.