Qin Zheng glanced suspiciously at the prince before finally opening the rolled-up piece of paper.

There were only seven words written on it: “April seventh, Yungang Temple.”

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her eye.

What difference did it make whether she looked at it or not?

Expressionless, she handed the paper back to the prince. “Are you playing dumb riddles with someone, Your Highness?”

The prince took a glance at the handwriting on the paper and replied in an even tone, “It’s about the power of the Lu family in Ying Prefecture.”

It took Qin Zheng a moment to realize who the “Lu family” he mentioned was.

The Lu family of Ying Prefecture, the prince’s maternal family, was a century-old prominent clan.

For many years, they had been entrenched in Ying Prefecture.

With a queen originating from their family, their clan gradually moved to Bianjing.

However, the main branch of the family still resided in Ying Prefecture.

When Rebel Prince Li Xin rebelled in Qixian and marched north towards Bianjing with his army, their departure from Bianjing coincided with the besieging of the prince’s maternal family, the grand Tutor’s Manor and the Qin State Duke’s Manor, Qin Zheng’s main family.

Ying Prefecture was south of Qixian, so the main branch of the Lu family hadn’t suffered any unforeseen circumstances yet.

Qin Zheng suddenly realized that the prince had already established contact with the Lu family?

For such important information, he… didn’t keep it from her?

The feeling of palpitations that had just subsided returned, even stronger than before.

Qin Zheng coughed lightly and asked, “When did you communicate with them, Your Highness?”

He had only received the paper and ink from the old physician the day before yesterday, and the pen had been made only yesterday.

There were no carrier pigeons in the stronghold, so how could he have received a reply from the Lu family so quickly?

The prince replied, “I requested it from Mr. Chen on the merchant ship.”

The real reason he agreed to ensure the safe arrival of Mr. Chen in Wujun wasn’t the ten taels of silver Mr. Chen offered but rather the need for someone to help deliver the letter.

That night, when they left the capital, there were only a few ships.

After the rebels searched the capital in vain, they would realize that they had escaped by water.

He had anticipated that their escape wouldn’t be smooth sailing.

By having an outsider deliver the letter, they could avoid the rebels’ scrutiny and increase their chances of success.

Qin Zheng frowned slightly, “Mr. Chen seems astute. Your Highness, entrusting him to deliver the letter to the Lu family might expose our identity?”

The prince explained, “The Lu family has various industries in Ying Prefecture and often communicates with Bianjing. Letters that might be at risk of being intercepted on the road aren’t sent to their main branch but rather to other tea houses or inns under different names to avoid suspicion.”

With that explanation, Qin Zheng understood.

The prince could simply fabricate a reason, asking Mr. Chen to deliver the letter to a tea house collecting information in Bianjing, without revealing their true identity.

Mr. Chen was a businessman, undoubtedly motivated by profit.

The martial arts the prince displayed when he speared fish on the ship were probably the only bargaining chip he could present to Mr. Chen at the time.

Mr. Chen knew that by helping him out, he could reap benefits in the future, which was why he agreed to deliver the letter sincerely instead of merely paying lip service.

However, they were on Mr. Chen’s ship at the time.

Yet the prince still asked Mr. Chen to deliver the letter, indicating that he was preparing for contingencies in case they couldn’t reach Wujun smoothly.

Thinking of this, Qin Zheng couldn’t help but admire the prince’s meticulous thinking.

He had been planning all of this since they escaped from the capital.

But the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was off.

With the prince’s intelligence, how could the Chu Kingdom have fallen? Are we sure the original book’s plot wasn’t forcibly suppressed?

Although very puzzled, Qin Zheng still had one question unanswered: “How did the Lu family know we were at Liangyan Mountain?”

After all, when the prince wrote the letter, they were still on Mr. Chen’s ship.

Could the prince have foreseen it, knowing they would come to Liangyan Mountain?

Facing her question, the prince surprisingly seemed patient. “It wouldn’t be difficult to find out that Mr. Chen’s ship was raided in Qing Prefecture.”

Qin Zheng understood the implied meaning of this sentence.

Once the Lu family received the prince’s letter, they could easily inquire and find out that he was in Qing Prefecture.

However, Qing Prefecture was vast.

Even if the Lu family found out that Lin Yao and the others had taken back the cargo ship from the river bandits, how could they be sure that she and the prince were also at Liangyan Mountain?

Her clear black and white eyes looked at the prince, conveying all her questions.

The prince raised an eyebrow slightly. “Do you think I didn’t have a conversation with the chief that night?”

Alright, now Qin Zheng fully understood.

Once the Lu family had locked him down in Qing Prefecture, if he leaked a little information through Lin Yao’s people, it wouldn’t be surprising that the Lu family could find him.

She was somewhat surprised. “Has the chief already learned of our identity?”

Looking at Qin Zheng’s face as fair as the moon, the prince’s eyes flashed with a hint of admiration.

She was even smarter than he had imagined.

She could guess the meaning behind his words with just half of them said.

He replied, “I haven’t told him yet, but how he guessed it remains unknown.”

Qin Zheng stood under the pear tree, lost in thought.

Lin Yao was a clever man who wouldn’t believe they were ordinary merchants. But he was discreet.

Even if he knew something, he wouldn’t let it slip since he had agreed to cooperate with the prince.

“Is April seventh at Yungang Temple your rendezvous point?” Qin Zheng voiced her speculation.

The prince nodded approvingly. “After all, Qing Prefecture is the territory of the rebels.

The Lu family is also afraid that this might be a trap set by the rebels to lure them in, so they don’t dare to take risks.

On April seventh, I will meet with the Lu family at Yungang Temple.”

The power of Qiyun Stronghold was definitely incomparable to that of the Lu family in Ying Prefecture.

After hesitating for a moment, Qin Zheng asked, “Does Your Highness intend to go directly to Ying Prefecture then?”

The prince smiled faintly and asked her, “Why do you think so?”

Qin Zheng was puzzled. “The Lu family has great influence in Ying Prefecture.

Wouldn’t it be better for Your Highness to go there?”

No matter what, the Lu family was the prince’s maternal family, and they would surely support his restoration of the kingdom.

Wasn’t that obvious?

The prince’s smile deepened. “Do you know why dynasties change while aristocratic families endure?”

Qin Zheng suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

She had watched quite a few historical dramas and read many political novels.

Although she only had a little understanding of aristocratic families, she knew that the offspring of aristocratic families were sheltered by their clans during their upbringing.

Once they grew up, they would contribute to the family’s prosperity, which was the foundation of aristocracy.

“Ying Prefecture borders Wujun, and Wujun is under the jurisdiction of Prince Huaiyang.

If the Lu family wants to hold onto Ying Prefecture, they can only seek help from Prince Huaiyang.

Before the rebels besieged Bianjing, a legitimate daughter of the Lu family had already married into Prince Huaiyang’s mansion.”

The prince’s voice was as clear as before, and his expression was calm, as if he was talking about something irrelevant to him.

“If I were to go to Ying Prefecture, regardless of whether the Lu family is still willing to use all their strength to assist me, just being caught between Prince Huaiyang and the rebels would be a checkmate.”

After hearing this, Qin Zheng felt a chill down her spine.

She thought it would be good if the prince established contact with the Lu family, but she didn’t expect there would be so many conflicts of interest involved.

No wonder the prince initially used Mr. Chen to deliver the letter to the Lu family, because he never intended to go directly to seek refuge with them!

Aristocratic families have always been adept at manipulating situations.

With the Lu family enjoying the protection of Prince Huaiyang, they could support the prince to some extent.

This way, regardless of who ultimately triumphs—Prince Huaiyang or the Crown prince—neither would benefit.

Qin Zheng suddenly felt a bit sympathetic towards the crown prince.

If even aristocratic families treated their own flesh and blood so indifferently, one could only imagine the treatment from the royal family.

He could analyze these matters with her as if he were an outsider.

Perhaps he had been dealing with deceit and intrigue for so long that he no longer took such things seriously.

After the crown prince finished speaking, he looked at Qin Zheng with an affectionate gaze, somewhat puzzled.

Just then, a servant carrying a basin of hot water entered the backyard. “Dinner will be ready soon, madam. Why don’t you wash your face?”

After the servant left, Qin Zheng suddenly remembered that she needed to borrow a comb from Lin Zhao.

She rubbed her messy hair and said, “Look at me, I forgot to ask Ah Zhao for a comb while talking to you.”

The Crown prince was sitting by the stone table.

As Qin Zheng walked past him, he reached out and gently grabbed her wrist through her sleeve, but his grip was light, as if it were caught by the wind.

He let go as soon as Qin Zheng stopped, and spoke in his usual calm tone, “Didn’t I say I had something for you?”

He handed her a small, delicate wooden comb.

The comb was new, with neatly arranged teeth that were smooth and rounded at the tips.

The most eye-catching part was the carved night-blooming cereus flower on the handle, half in bloom, vivid and lifelike.

Qin Zheng took it with some surprise and examined it carefully. “It’s beautiful. Where did you buy it?”

As soon as she said this, Qin Zheng felt something was amiss.

The prince had never left the mountain. Where could he have bought a comb for her?

Thinking of him using a file to make pens in the yard yesterday, Qin Zheng suddenly looked up. “Did you make this yourself?”

The prince simply said, “Just make do with it for now. We can buy a new one later.”

Qin Zheng hurriedly flattered him, “You can’t find anything as beautiful as this in the market. Your Highness, you’re really skilled. I’ll use this one!”

In Qin Zheng’s view, although the prince had a calm demeanor, he was still a proud person.

Although he pretended not to care about the Lu family, he might still feel upset deep down.

If she praised him more, it might divert his attention.

As Qin Zheng combed her long hair with the wooden comb, she smiled inwardly, giving herself a big thumbs up.

Look at her, so gentle and understanding!

The prince watched Qin Zheng’s smiling face as she combed her hair, seemingly lost in thought:

Could a simple comb make her so happy?

After a few strokes, Qin Zheng found that the comb was indeed of good quality, with silky smooth teeth that didn’t tug at her hair at all.

She was very satisfied.

After combing her hair into a bun according to the hairstyle she had learned from Aunt Lu, Qin Zheng looked at her reflection in the water.

Perhaps because the prince had been watching her all along, Qin Zheng was unusually clumsy today.

After she finished the bun, a few strands of hair kept falling out.

She had to redo it several times, and her hands began to ache.

As her patience was wearing thin, a large hand took the wooden hairpin from her, and the prince’s usually cold voice seemed to soften slightly: “Let me do it.”

When the prince took the hairpin, his palm inadvertently brushed against the back of her hand.

After Qin Zheng withdrew her hand, she subconsciously rubbed the back of it, as if trying to erase the warm touch he left behind, so her heart wouldn’t flutter.

“Th…thank you,” she said dryly.

With one hand securing her bun, and the other holding the wooden hairpin, the prince carefully inserted it.

As he adjusted her hair, Qin Zheng felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.

To keep herself from getting distracted, she decided to focus on the reflection in the basin.

In the water, she could see not only herself but also the flowering pear tree next to the stone table, with the prince amidst it all.

However, the constant ripples caused by the wind made it difficult to see clearly, and Qin Zheng couldn’t make out her own reflection, let alone the prince’s.

But precisely because it was unclear, she felt that the moment reflected in the water seemed rather beautiful.

“All done.”

When the prince’s clear voice sounded, Qin Zheng snapped back to reality.

The wind had stopped, and the reflection in the basin became clear.

Qin Zheng looked at her reflection in the basin and touched the bun that the prince had helped her make.

It actually looked quite nice.

Afraid of him making fun of her, Qin Zheng said, “If you hadn’t been watching, I would have finished it already.”

At his words, the prince lowered his gaze to her, his dark eyes deep and mysterious. “Why does my presence affect your skill?”

Qin Zheng was crouched by the basin for a clearer view.

After the prince finished fixing her hairpin, he stood upright, leaning against the pear tree with his arms crossed, and looked down at her.

His gaze was even more penetrating.

His eyes had always been gentle yet cold, but at this moment, Qin Zheng felt as if she couldn’t move at all, except for her heart, which was beating uncontrollably.

Oh heavens, how should she answer such a question?