Chapter 384: No Progress with Basic Necessities
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The two of them went to find Crown Prince Qi Tianyou.
Qi Tianyou was busy with official duties and was currently reporting to the Emperor in the palace.
They changed their path and headed towards the palace.
This time, they had achieved great success, and even the palace attendants treated them with much respect.
One of the palace attendants went to inform him.
Before long, Qi Tianyou emerged from the palace, still wearing the armor he had on during the city’s defense, clearly too busy to change.
“Mr. Lan, Miss Gu, what brings you here?”
Gu Qingluan stated their purpose.
Qi Tianyou furrowed his brows upon hearing this, “Well… Xiao Jingye is currently a criminal of the court, detained in the royal dungeon. Without my father’s permission, no one is allowed to see him.”
Gu Qingluan calmly explained, “We’re here to inquire about Yin Qing’s situation. He has escaped. If we don’t capture him soon, we can’t predict what he might do. He might try to rescue Xiao Jingye, or worse, he might take matters into his own hands. Do you trust leaving such a dangerous person outside?”
Qi Tianyou furrowed his brows in surprise, “Yin Qing has escaped? This is a matter of great significance, and we need to act swiftly. Here’s what we can do: you can take this palace token and interrogate Xiao Jingye in the dungeon. I’ll inform the Emperor immediately.”
He removed a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Gu Qingluan.
“Very well.”
Gu Qingluan accepted the jade pendant and set off immediately.
Qi Tianyou rushed into the palace to inform Emperor Xuanzong.
Inside the dungeon.
Xiao Jingye was held in solitary confinement in one of the cells.
Gu Qingluan and Feng Tianlan were led to the cell by a jailer. When they saw the young man lounging inside the cell with his legs crossed, Gu Qingluan teased, “Well, it appears that Young Master Yun is having a rather relaxed time here in Chengyuan Country’s dungeons.”
Xiao Jingye recognized Gu Qingluan’s voice. He turned his head, looking at them from inside the cell.
“It’s indeed quite relaxing here. Miss Gu, would you like to come in and experience it? Of course, if you’d like to stay, there’s plenty of space. 1 wouldn’t mind making room for you.”
The cell was surprisingly well-furnished, resembling a guest room. Chengyuan Country had treated this enemy and “spy” from another nation remarkably well.
Gu Qingluan stood outside the cell and replied calmly, “No need. I prefer my own accommodations.”
Xiao Jingye turned his head back and gazed upwards, a piece of straw dangling from his mouth. “Oh, then why are you here? You’re not a court-appointed official, so there’s no need for you to conduct the interrogation, is there?”
“Yin Qing has escaped.”
Xiao Jingye chuckled. “Isn’t that great? Are you here to check if I ran away with him? Don’t worry; he won’t take that risk. The dungeon is not an easy place to break out of.”
“No, we want your assistance in capturing him.”
Xiao Jingye spat out the straw from his mouth, sat up, and couldn’t believe his ears. He rubbed his own ears, “Did 1 hear that right?”
“You heard correctly. We want your help in capturing Yin Qing.”
“Why should I help you?”
Gu Qingluan looked at him and calmly said, “To offset your deeds.”
Xiao Jingye sneered and glanced at both of them, “Is this your idea, or is it that old man Xuanzong’s idea? If he wants me to betray Yin Qing to seek leniency for myself, shouldn’t he send Crown Prince Qi at least? Moreover, 1 am also a victim here. The Duke of Dingbei, who was the supreme commander of millions of troops in your Chengyuan Country, abducted me from the Kingdom of Dingyang. We haven’t settled the score with your Dingyang Kingdom yet! Do you think Chengyuan Country dares to harm me?”
Gu Qingluan raised an eyebrow.
So, this was the reason he felt so confident?
“Everything you’re saying is just your side of the story. Duke Dingbei is no longer here, and there’s no concrete proof. However, the fact remains that you led the Dingbei Army in the attack on Tianjing. Even if representatives from Dingyang Kingdom were to arrive, they wouldn’t be able to clear you of your involvement.”
Xiao Jingye shrugged. “That’s a matter for the envoys to worry about. I only need to spend some time in the dungeon. I’ll be free sooner or later.”
With his nonchalant attitude, it seemed like he was completely unaffected by the situation.
Gu Qingluan silently stared at him for a while.
Xiao Jingye’s eyes sparkled with cunning. “What do you think of my previous proposal? If you agree to go to the Kingdom of Dingyang, I can tell you everything I know about Yin Qing.”
Gu Qingluan responded with another question, “Aren’t you afraid of dying now that Duke Dingbei has poisoned you?”
Xiao Jingye’s expression slightly stiffened.
Gu Qingluan scrutinized him with a piercing gaze. “Or perhaps, Duke of Dingbei never poisoned you at all. Are you just making up stories?”
Xiao Jingye immediately retorted, “Of course, he poisoned me. If you don’t believe it, come in and feel for yourself.”
He extended his hand forward.
Gu Qingluan motioned for him to come closer.
Xiao Jingye remained seated on the bed. “If you want to come in, go ahead. With that man behind you, I doubt I could escape even if I wanted to.”
His gaze shifted to Feng Tianlan, and suddenly he became enthusiastic, “Hey, what’s your name? Do you have any intention of serving our Kingdom of Dingyang? We offer the best treatment to Saints…”
Gu Qingluan couldn’t help but smirk. This guy was always trying to gain an advantage.
He actually wanted Feng Tianlan to serve the Kingdom of Dingyang?
Could their Kingdom of Dingyang afford it?
She was curious to see Xiao Jingye’s reaction once he learned about Feng Tianlan’s identity.
But she couldn’t see it for now.
Feng Tianlan paid no attention to Xiao Jingye’s recruitment efforts and spoke indifferently, “1 heard that Consort Yun is critically injured, bedridden and unable to get up. Despite inviting countless doctors, they are powerless to treat her illness. If you stay in Chengyuan Country for a while longer, you might not even get to see her one last time.”
Gu Qingluan looked at Feng Tianlan in surprise.
How did he know all this?
Could he have investigated it beforehand?
No, he had been with her all this time. There was no way he could have found out about Xiao Jingye’s situation.
Was he bluffing?
The smirk on Xiao Jingye’s face disappeared abruptly, and he asked, “What did you say?”
(T/N: Crown Prince Qi tian You will be rewritten as Qi Tianyou from this chapter onwards.. i’ll separate his first and last names for better recognition)