TRBDM -Chapter 164 The Fifth Prince’s Residence

The next evening, Xie Yu and Xie Lan arrived at the Qin family dessert shop as usual.

The shop doors were open, but Boss Qin was not there.

Xie Yu’s heart skipped a beat—something had indeed happened at Boss Qin’s house; otherwise, her mood wouldn’t have been so low the day before.

Today, a woman was serving the desserts to Xie Yu. She was of ordinary appearance, but her movements were practiced and skilled.

“May I ask where Boss Qin is?” Xie Yu asked.

“Boss Qin has some matters at home, so she won’t be coming for a few days. She hired me to watch over the shop. Oh, are you Fourth Master Xie?”

“Yes.”

“Boss Qin asked me to convey that you needn’t worry. She just has a few household matters to handle. It won’t take long, and she’ll be back soon.”

Though reassured by these words, Xie Yu couldn’t calm his heart.

“Fourth Master Xie, Boss Qin said that while she’s away, all the desserts here are free for you. You can choose whatever you want, and I’ll serve it to you.”

Xie Yu looked at the wide variety of tempting desserts but suddenly lost his appetite.

He randomly pointed to two items. The woman exclaimed softly, then efficiently packed two jars and handed them over.

Although Boss Qin said they were free, Xie Yu couldn’t just accept them without payment. He had tasted every dessert in the shop before and knew the prices well.

“Here, this is the payment.”

“Oh no, Fourth Master Xie, it’s unnecessary. Boss Qin said it’s on the house for you.”

Of course, Xie Yu wouldn’t agree. He dropped the silver, picked up the jars, and returned to the carriage, feeling a little dejected.

“Third Brother, something happened at Boss Qin’s home. I want to help her. Can we find someone to find out where she lives?”

Xie Lan remained silent.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help, but the Princess’s Mansion wasn’t a place just anyone could enter.

The Eldest Princess, humbly concealed in a small dessert shop in the bustling city, did so merely to see Xie Yu every day.

Xie Lan was often moved by the weight of that maternal love.

“Third Brother, can we?” Xie Yu pouted.

“Don’t go. Trust Boss Qin. She said she’d be back in a few days, and she will be.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Xie Lan’s words took effect. Xie Yu no longer mentioned going to Boss Qin’s home. “We’ll come again tomorrow. Maybe she’ll be back by then.”

“All right.” Xie Lan agreed.

At the Eldest Princess’s Mansion, Zhao Lingchen frowned while listening to a report from her secret guards about Xie Yu’s every move.

“He still wants to go to her house to find me?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Lingchen felt both happy and bitter, her heart being tugged painfully in two directions.

Feeling this pang, she immediately thought of the culprit, Zhao Jingrui.

“Investigate Zhao Jingrui’s spies. Any news?”

“Your Highness, the spies only discovered that the Fifth Prince bought a residence in the western suburbs. He goes there once every half month, never stays overnight, and returns to the palace the same night.”

Buying a house outside could either mean hiding a woman or concealing some unspeakable secret.

“Go check what’s in that residence.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Zhao Jingrui’s men had staked out the alley for several days but found no trace of the Eldest Princess, so Zhao Jingrui withdrew them.

Concubine Ling worried that if the Eldest Princess discovered this action, she would create trouble again.

“Rui’er, you must be extremely cautious when acting outside the palace. You absolutely cannot let the Eldest Princess find out again.”

Zhao Lingchen was capricious and indulgent; with a single word, she could cut off palace allowances at Liuxiao Palace. Concubine Ling truly feared him.

Yet Zhao Jingrui believed he was engaged in a significant mission: “Mother, if I can find the child of Zhao Lingchen and Fu Wei, no matter how arrogant she is, I’ll have her completely under my control.”

Concubine Ling asked, puzzled, “But putting aside whether she has a child, even if she does, where would you look?”

Zhao Jingrui glanced around, then leaned close to Concubine Ling and whispered, “According to informants from the Northern Borders, Zhao Lingchen did indeed give birth to a child. But for some reason, the child was thrown into a mass grave. Later, someone among the refugees saw that the child was still alive and took it away.”

“And then?” Concubine Ling asked. “Where did that person sell the child?”

“To the capital.”

“Can this information be trusted?”

“It can. That’s why, Mother, I sent people to follow the Princess, hoping to find her child. But unexpectedly, we lost both resources and men, and so far we haven’t found any useful leads.”

Concubine Ling sighed. “Jingrui, even if you find her child, what can you really do?”

Zhao Jingrui’s expression darkened. “I will bring you and the people from Liuxiao Palace in the Northern Borders back home.”

Concubine Ling had been trapped in Liuxiao Palace in the imperial city, longing day and night to return to the Northern Borders. She lacked the ability herself, so she naturally entrusted it to her son Zhao Jingrui.

“Jingrui, your mother supports you, but you must be careful. Don’t let Zhao Lingchen catch you and gain the upper hand.”

“Rest assured, Mother. I am acting covertly and won’t be discovered.”

At the same time, outside a two-courtyard, two-gate residence in the western outskirts, Jiang Yuelin appeared at the gate with two guards.

“Sir, we traced this place—it’s the Fifth Prince’s residence. He comes here once every half month; he was here five days ago, so he definitely won’t come today.”

“Let’s go in.”

They vaulted over the walls and entered the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn’t large. Jiang Yuelin said coldly, “Search.”

“Yes, sir.” The guards split up to search.

Jiang Yuelin’s expression was grave as he examined the residence.

The house was an ordinary two-courtyard, two-gate structure, but the interior layout and decoration were full of Northern Borders style.

The Fifth Prince had half Northern Borders blood, but his surname was Zhao—he was a prince of the Dachong Dynasty. To secretly decorate a house in Northern Borders style outside the capital would naturally arouse suspicion. Could he have ulterior motives?

In the courtyard, various exotic flowers bloomed, filling the air with a strong fragrance.

Jiang Yuelin crouched to inspect them. The flowers were brilliantly colored, unlike anything commonly grown in the capital, closely resembling the exotic flowers described in books from the Western Regions.

What exactly is the Fifth Prince planning?

After a careful search, apart from the exotic flowers, nothing unusual was found inside the residence.

“This can’t be,” Jiang Yuelin thought. “It must have a secret room.”

Just as he was about to continue searching, faint sounds came from outside.

“Sir, there’s someone outside.” A guard tensed, listening intently.

“Hide first, then act according to the situation.”

They dispersed, each finding a place to hide.

Through the window, Jiang Yuelin saw several men in armor scaling the wall in the same manner.

He recognized one—they were from the Princess’s household.

Jiang Yuelin had been ordered by the Princess to investigate two cases: the poisoning of the Tenth Prince and the framing of General Fu Wei. Since these newcomers were from the Princess’s house, he no longer needed to hide.

When he stepped out and revealed his identity, the guards from the Princess’s household relaxed their vigilance.

“Sir, it seems we share the same objective.”

“Mm. We’ve already searched the residence but found no useful clues. I suspect there’s a secret room, perhaps underground.”

“Understood. We’ll search right away.”

The guards split up and carefully inspected every room, finally discovering a lead.

“Sir, there’s something wrong with the bed in the Fifth Prince’s bedroom.”

Jiang Yuelin immediately entered the room.