A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 25

Ning Jin stared at her without saying a word, already so angry that he had no temper left.

The two faced off for a long time. Ning Jin realized that his dignity as a prince was meaningless in front of this girl. Mo Yan not only did not take him, the prince, seriously, but also had no sense of being a prisoner.

"Where is Zhan Zhao?" Ning Jin asked. He wasn't stupid; since this girl was here, Zhan Zhao must be nearby.

"We've probably arrived at the inn by now. Do you still want to play chess with him? Or I can go to the trouble of calling him over for you." Mo Yan said smoothly, "That Guard Wu has been working hard all night and is injured. Let him rest."

How did you know he was injured?

Ning Jin found it strange that Zi Chu hadn't told him he was injured, and from his appearance, he couldn't tell that Zi Chu was injured.

Mo Yan did not answer, but continued, "The other party is not only a master swordsman, but also his friend. Your Highness, it is not very kind of you to force him to fight his own friend."

Ning Jin's expression was grim: "What else do you know?"

“Actually,” Mo Yan sighed softly, “this case of embezzlement in Jiangnan can be considered a big deal or a small deal. Your Highness, you also have your own difficulties. You have to do the work, but you also have to take Kaifeng Prefecture into consideration—it’s really not easy.”

Her words were cryptic and ambiguous, leaving Ning Jin with many doubts. Zhan Zhao, lying on the beam, couldn't help but smile; he knew Mo Yan was playing a trick.

Could it be that Kaifeng Prefecture already knew? Ning Jin frowned: Just how much does this girl know?

"Your Highness, won't you eat something else?"

"……Um?"

“Those lotus seed soups were reheated, so they probably won’t suit your taste. How about I make some peanut sweet soup instead?” Mo Yan said with a smile. “Remember to add sugar after the peanuts are cooked; that way it will taste better.”

At this moment, Ning Jin looked at her as if she were a monster.

Wu Zichu gently knocked on the door of the outer room.

"Come in," Ning Jin said irritably.

Whether he didn't hear clearly or was hesitant about Ning Jin's tone, Wu Zichu knocked a few more times.

Ning Jin slammed his fist on the table impatiently: "Come in, come in, come in! Didn't you hear me?!"

Sensing that the prince was in a terrible mood, Wu Zichu entered with his head bowed and said, "Your Highness, we have searched the surrounding area, but we haven't found that...that stray cat."

Ning Jin looked him up and down, making Wu Zichu feel uneasy all over. After a long while, he asked, "Are you injured?"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

Where is the injury?

"It's an internal injury, nothing serious. I'll go back to my room and practice my breathing for a while and I'll be fine."

Ning Jin stared at him with a strange look in his eyes.

"You recognize them, don't you?"

Wu Zichu was taken aback for a moment, then realized who Ning Jin was asking about. He nodded with a troubled expression, "I've met them a few times before, it was just a coincidence. I didn't expect it to be them."

"How good are their swordsmen?"

Wu Zichu was greatly surprised. How could Ning Jin even know how they used swords? "...They are all experts in swordsmanship."

"Alright, go and rest." Ning Jinshen exhaled a sigh of frustration, his face growing increasingly grim. "Perhaps it was my fault; I shouldn't have let you do this job."

"Your Highness?" Wu Zichu was terrified, not knowing what he had done wrong.

"Go down."

Ning Jin clearly didn't want to say anything more, while Mo Yan beside him laughed carefree. Wu Zichu, unaware of the situation, glanced at her suspiciously and had no choice but to leave the room as instructed.

The room was deathly silent. Ning Jin stared at Mo Yan as if he were deciding to bury her alive in a secluded, overgrown place under the cover of darkness.

"Since you already know, then Zhan Zhao..."

“Of course he knows.” Mo Yan shook her head happily.

Ning Jin naturally assumed that Zhan Zhao must know more than Mo Yan.

"What a bunch of lousy jobs!" Ning Jin cursed under his breath, then said helplessly, "This cat was putting on quite a show in front of me. Where is he?"

Zhan Zhao observed his expression and discerned his thoughts. After a moment's hesitation, he flipped over and jumped down.

"Zhan Zhao greets Your Highness."

This startled not only Ning Jin but also Mo Yan. However, while Ning Jin was shocked and angry, Mo Yan was pleasantly surprised; she hadn't expected Zhan Zhao to be right above her.

"When did a dignified fourth-rank imperial bodyguard become a thief?" Ning Jin calmed down slightly and snorted coldly.

"I had no choice; Zhan Zhao was rash. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"Please forgive me, please forgive me..." Ning Jin originally wanted to maintain his princely composure, but with his anger still burning inside, he finally couldn't help but shout angrily, "How can I forgive you! One of you fell off my roof, and the other fell off my beam. What do you take this place for? Even if you are from Kaifeng Prefecture, you can't be so arrogant!"

"If Your Highness hadn't deliberately deceived me, Zhan Zhao would never have acted this way." Zhan Zhao's tone was gentle and calm.

"You mean, this is still my fault?!"

Zhan Zhao did not answer, his gaze gentle yet firm.

"Yes, I originally intended to keep it from you." Ning Jin felt somewhat deflated under his gaze, his voice gradually softening. "Anyway, you all already know, so there's no point in hiding it any longer. I'll just be frank." He glanced at Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan, a mixture of annoyance and helplessness in his eyes. "Who told you people from Kaifeng Prefecture to be so stubborn! Led by Bao Zheng, including all of you... If you're going to investigate a case, then investigate a case; if you're going to seek justice, then seek justice. Everyone knows Kaifeng Prefecture is an upright and just government, but even if Kaifeng Prefecture is incorruptible, it still has to give the Emperor some face, right?"

Zhan Zhao remained silent.

Ning Jin thought he hadn't understood, so he continued, "Last time, without saying a word, he beheaded the imperial son-in-law; the time before that, he imprisoned the emperor's brother-in-law without blinking an eye; and the time before that, and the time before that, and the time before that..." Mo Yan chuckled, but Ning Jin glared at him, "No matter how good the emperor's temper is, the imperial family's reputation must always be maintained."