Chapter 1470: 718 Tricky Princess (Second Update)

The arrival of the Jingzhao Residence’s delegation disrupted the climax of the grand opera, with guests grumbling in discontent, yet despite their complaints, with the Jingzhao Residence wielding an official document and a legitimate reason, even someone with Prince Ming’s status dared not openly demand their departure.

Prince Ming sat in a private room on the first floor, his face gloomy, “What’s going on? Why have people from the Jingzhao Residence come? Could they have detected my movements?”

A trusted guard replied, “It shouldn’t be the case. We’ve been careful all along, and besides, we haven’t done anything wrong; it’s not for the Jingzhao Residence to intervene.”

“Exactly, this prince is merely waiting for someone…”

Only the timing was terribly off.

With the Han Family having just encountered major trouble, for him to come out to the Opera House to handle affairs — who would believe he was there for business? Most would likely think he was out to chase love and seek pleasure.

Deeply troubled, Prince Ming fretted, “Will the man Father mentioned really appear? But why has there been no news despite waiting for so long?”

The trusted guard suggested, “How about… I first escort Prince Ming away and come back after the Jingzhao Residence’s people leave?”

Prince Ming frowned, “What if that person does come?”

The guard assured, “Even if he comes, it’s no cause for worry. The Jingzhao Residence is searching Tianxiang Pavilion; he won’t be able to get in. I’ll keep watch across the street, and if I really spot a suspicious person, I’ll interact with him.”

Prince Ming was tempted but hesitantly shook his head after a moment, “This matter has been repeatedly stressed by Father; he instructed me to personally bring the person back to the Crown Prince’s mansion. Forget it. I won’t go far; if he arrives, you come and notify me.”

“Yes!”

The guard opened the door, vigilant of the outside noise. At the moment, people from the Jingzhao Residence were checking every single guest, likely to confirm there were no traces of disguise.

Both men and women were searched.

Strange.

Prince Ming, with little experience in counter-surveillance, did not think to disguise himself with a mask and a bamboo hat, so he could only try to minimize his presence and leave through the back door.

But just as he reached the backyard, a group of government soldiers also burst in through the back door.

Prince Ming’s complexion changed, and he hurried back into a side room within the Grand Hall!

“What’s going on? Why have people from the Duwei Prefecture come too?”

Prince Ming clenched his fists in secret.

The Duwei Prefecture answered directly to the sovereign, holding the military power of Dayan Country; its officials were appointed directly by the sovereign without going through the cabinet.

There was no Duwei Prefecture in the former dynasty; the current sovereign of Dayan established it to strengthen his absolute position at Court.

The Chief Duwei was Wang Ren, maternal uncle to Consort Wang; the one who came today was Wang Xu, Wang Ren’s legitimate son. He held the position of Guanduwei in the Duwei Prefecture, mainly in charge of the regulation of personnel entering and leaving Shengdu.

Wang Xu rode on horseback, commanding the two groups of soldiers by his side, “You guys, secure the gate. Not even a fly is to escape! The rest of you, follow me inside to search!”

Searching again?

Who exactly were they looking for?

When the Jingzhao Residence arrived, Prince Ming was somewhat uncertain whose orders they were following, but with Duwei Prefecture mobilized, it must be his grandfather searching for someone.

Prince Ming also remembered something else — this Wang Xu had been ordered a few years earlier to guard the Imperial Mausoleum and was said to have taught martial arts to the Imperial eldest grandson there, though the grandson was disabled and didn’t manage to learn much at all.

“Prince, there’s a cellar here!” the trusted guard discovered the tea room’s secret cellar.

Prince Ming’s eyes brightened, and he quickly hid with the guard in the cellar.

…

After descending, Gu Jiao went to the partitioned area of Tianqiong Academy.

Yuan Xiao was anxious, “Sixth, where did you go? You were gone so long! I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

Gu Jiao replied calmly, “Oh, I went to the latrine.”

Zhao Wei asked, “Then did you fall into the latrine?”

The opera had been halfway through!

“Sixth,” Gu Xiaoshun pulled out a chair, motioning for Gu Jiao to sit.

He knew Gu Jiao had gone to look for Gu Chengfeng but was unsure why Chengfeng was performing on stage or why his sister had taken so long.

Gu Jiao sat down next to Gu Xiaoshun and took out a garishly flamboyant peacock mask to wear from within.

The group was nearly blinded by her audacious move.

“What are you doing?” Yuan Xiao looked at her as if she were simple-minded.

Gu Jiao stated seriously, “I’m worried they’ll be blinded by our beauty.”

Yuan Xiao: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Gu Xiaoshun leaned in close to Gu Jiao and whispered a question only the two of them could hear, “Who are they looking for, sister? They aren’t here looking for Gu Chengfeng, are they?”

Gu Jiao glanced at the group of officials who had come in earlier and then at another group that had entered through the back door. She wasn’t familiar with the official uniforms of Yan Country and didn’t realize the second group was from the Duwei Prefecture.

But judging by their aura and demeanor, they were certainly no less in status than those from the Jingzhao Residence.

“It’s probably not.” She whispered back.

Gu Chengfeng was merely a fugitive slave from the Han Family’s mine; if someone wanted to capture him, it would be the mine’s private soldiers, not such a large-scale official force.

Soon, the officials from the Jingzhao Residence reached the partition where Tianqiong Academy was located.

Gu Xiaoshun was the first to be inspected, and surprisingly, there was a female official among this group.

It didn’t seem like she was a real official inspector, rather like an ordinary woman who had put on an official inspector’s clothes.

The female official inspector pinched Gu Xiaoshun’s face as if to check whether he was wearing a human skin mask, then she pressed on Gu Xiaoshun’s chest, leaving Gu Xiaoshun utterly dumbfounded: “What are you doing!”

The female official inspector shook her head at the other people from the Jingzhao Residence.

Gu Jiao understood.

They were looking for a woman.

Gu Jiao wore a mask just to show Xiao Hen how thoroughly these people were searching, but she had never expected that they would check so invasively.

It looked like it wasn’t Xiao Hen who was at risk of exposure but herself.

The people from the Jingzhao Residence searched the Grand Hall, while those from the Duwei Prefecture went upstairs.

Wang Xu had seen the Emperor’s grandson before.

In fact, both Xiao Hen and Gu Jiao were at risk of exposure.

Everyone from the Tianqiong Academy took their turns being inspected, with everyone unspokenly leaving Gu Jiao for last. They didn’t know why, as they were unaware that Gu Jiao was a woman; they just subconsciously felt that they should go before her.

Zhou Tong was second to last.

“Their inspection is a bit rough, but they mean no harm, don’t worry, don’t get angry,” Zhou Tong said, looking back at Gu Jiao.

He was worried that Gu Jiao might again stand up for her companions and end up beating up the official inspectors.

Gu Jiao pondered whether it would be better to be discovered and taken away, or to beat up the official inspectors and make a run for it.

On the other side, Wang Xu arrived at the room next to Gu Chengfeng’s chamber.

After checking the guests in the room and saying “Excuse me” politely, he turned and left the room.

“Sir, this is the last room,” said the accompanying guard.

The door was slightly ajar.

Those with high martial arts skills can discern people by their breathing.

There were two people inside.

Wang Xu raised his hand and slowly pushed the door open.

Meanwhile, everyone else from Tianqiong Academy had finished their inspections, leaving only Gu Jiao.

The female official inspector took off Gu Jiao’s mask and pinched her facial skin.

Frankly, the absence of mask lines was obvious enough, but to be sure, they still wanted to check her body.

What kind of sly woman would drive the Official Government to such lengths?

Gu Jiao clenched the silver needle in her hand.

To expose or not to expose?

— Creak —

Gu Chengfeng’s room door was pushed open.

Wang Xu stepped into the room.

Suddenly, a foot kicked out at him, straight at his chest, sending him flying out of the room.

He flew over the balustrade of the second floor and crashed heavily down into the Grand Hall below.

Fortuitously, his martial arts were decent, and he managed to flip mid-air and steadied himself as he landed.

But he still caused quite a stir.

Everyone looked up together, even the female official inspector who was about to inspect Gu Jiao paused in her movements.

The woman approached the balustrade, looked down at the crowd from her high position, and then she took off running!

The female official inspector hurriedly said, “Prin…Quick, chase her! It’s her!”

Everyone went after her.

Gu Jiao: That was close, I was almost exposed.

The woman ran down the stairs in one breath; with both the front and back doors blocked, she was doomed to be unable to escape.

Prince Ming sat quietly on the cellar floor, waiting for the search to pass.

His trusted guard said, “Your Highness, listen! It sounds like they’ve found her, they’re shouting, ‘That’s her, chase her!'”

Prince Ming sighed in relief, “That’s great, they should leave now, they indeed weren’t here to find me… After they’re gone, there’ll be no issue, my reputation is preserved… I haven’t messed up the task Father King entrusted to me–”

Before he could finish speaking, the cellar door was pulled open.

A small figure rushed down, swift as an arrow, Prince Ming didn’t have the chance to kick the person out, and the small figure was already crouching in front of him.

Then, they stared at each other, eyes wide open.

Shangguan Yun raised her hand in greeting and said with a grin, “Nephew, long time no see.”

Let’s go back home, auntie will take you flying.

Prince Ming: “…!!”