A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 152

Ning Jin was summoned to the palace by Emperor Renzong yesterday and didn't return until late at night. He was preoccupied and didn't fall into a deep sleep until the fourth watch. The eunuch who delivered the message this morning called softly a few times at the door, but seeing no response, dared not disturb him. Although Mo Yan was a constable in Kaifeng Prefecture, she was, after all, just a constable, and it wouldn't be worth disturbing Prince Ning's sleep for her sake.

Ning Jin slept until almost noon before getting up. While leisurely washing up, he heard a eunuch report beside him: "Your Highness, Chief Constable Mo from Kaifeng Prefecture arrived early this morning, saying he's here to investigate a theft case."

"She arrived early this morning!" Ning Jin exclaimed with delight, throwing on his outer robe and heading outside. "Where is she?"

"They're waiting in the small side hall."

Ning Jin walked briskly, but slowed down as he approached the side hall. He gestured to his servants not to make a sound. Perhaps because she had been waiting for too long and was exhausted from patrolling the streets all night, Mo Yan had unknowingly curled up in her chair and fallen asleep. Occasionally, raindrops drifted in from outside the window, slightly dampening the robes on her shoulders.

He gestured toward the window, signaling the servant to close it. He then quietly sat down opposite Mo Yan and watched her intently. He vaguely remembered their first meeting, which was at Hanshan Temple in Suzhou. That night, he and Zhan Zhao were playing chess by candlelight, and she was curled up in a chair, fast asleep.

If he had treated her better back then, would things be different now? Ning Jin thought wistfully, and couldn't help but sigh.

A gust of wind swept by, whipping up raindrops that pattered against the window. Mo Yan was slightly startled, opened her eyes, and saw Ning Jin across from her.

Ning Jin stared at her with a half-smile: "What did you dream about?"

Mo Yan seemed not to have come to her senses yet. After a moment of stunned silence, she looked around and then remembered where she was.

"My apologies, Your Highness." She stood up, straightened her clothes, and, noticing the coldness on her shoulders, ignored it and hastily bowed to Ning Jin.

Seeing her bow, Ning Jin merely gave a cold snort and deliberately ignored her.

Mo Yan didn't mind, sat down, and then said, "May I go and take a look at the room where the Jade Snow Rabbit paperweight is missing?"

"Someone, take her to the study." Ning Jin beckoned to the outer room, and a servant entered to lead Mo Yan to the study. Another servant entered and respectfully asked Ning Jin, "Your Highness, would you like to have lunch directly or breakfast first?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan stopped in her tracks and asked in surprise, "Lunch? What time is it now?"

"Just past noon."

Clearly taken aback, Mo Yan immediately disregarded all etiquette and glared at Ning Jin, saying with displeasure, "You actually slept until now?"

"Aren't you the same?" Ning Jin shrugged, starting to lie through his teeth. "Besides, I got up a long time ago, just so you could sleep a little longer."

Mo Yan calmly exposed his lie: "If you got up early, why haven't you had breakfast yet? Also, my shoulders and clothes are quite wet, so this window was obviously closed when you came in."

Lying in front of a constable, especially one like Mo Yan, was incredibly embarrassing. The servants around Ning Jin felt awkward for him, but Ning Jin wasn't offended at all, smiling as he looked at her: "How did you know I would close the window for you?"

Mo Yan shrugged and replied matter-of-factly, "This is how it should be done to treat guests." With that, she walked towards the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Ning Jin thought she was leaving.

"Study." She didn't even turn her head.

Ning Jin was relieved and smiled. He instructed his servants, "Prepare lunch quickly. Officer Mo will eat with me."

"Yes." The attendant acknowledged the order and left.

Mo Yan quickly toured the entire study, inside and out, asking the maid who was in charge of cleaning it a few questions, as well as the servants who came and went in the study regularly.

"So, any leads?" Ning Jin asked casually, sitting behind the table.

"It must have been done by a traitor within the family."

Mo Yan's words made all the servants inside and outside the house uncomfortable.

Ning Jin was neither surprised nor surprised, and laughed, "What a coincidence, just as I thought." He beckoned to Mo Yan, "What are you standing there for? Sit down, sit down. At this hour, you won't even get leftovers if you go back. Just eat your lunch here."

Indeed, she had been hungry for a long time, so Mo Yan did not refuse and sat down opposite Ning Jin.

Ning Jin beckoned to a maid to bring in the rice, then looked up at Mo Yan and asked, "Since it's a traitor within the family, how should we investigate?"

"If it's a thief from within, you can interrogate him yourself at home. Maybe you can find out." Mo Yan took the rice bowl that the maid brought over, and without any politeness, scooped up some fish soup broth and poured it over the rice before eating it in big mouthfuls.

"I don't know how to conduct a trial like this."

"First, question everyone who can enter and leave the study... then ask them one by one. Since this isn't the first time... has the family suddenly struck it rich?" Mo Yan mumbled, her mouth full of food.

Ning Jin gestured to the servant beside her to ladle a bowl of soup for her.

"What's your rush? You really don't want to stay here?" His tone was already tinged with annoyance.

Mo Yan swallowed the rice in her mouth and shook her head, saying, "No, I have to rush to the rice shop this afternoon to check on the situation. I've been keeping watch for a few days, and if there's no further news, I can let my men leave."

Ning Jin pursed his lips impatiently: "What's the big deal? Why rush? Eat slowly, I have something to tell you."

"What is it? Tell me, I'm listening." Mo Yan picked up some food and started shoveling food into her bowl.

"Would you like to take a trip to the Liao Kingdom?" he asked casually.

Mo Yan paused with her chopsticks in her hand, looked up at him, and after a long while, shook her head and lowered her head to eat again.

"Why?"

"For no reason, I just don't want to go."

"The princess is about to hold a grand wedding ceremony with Yelü Hongji. Don't you want to go and see her?"

Mo Yan paused for a moment, but still shook her head and said softly, "...The princess doesn't actually like Yelü Hongji at all."

"How did you know?" Ning Jin asked.

Mo Yan didn't answer, her expression somewhat wistful, and she stopped eating, seemingly having suddenly lost her appetite.

Yesterday, Emperor Renzong summoned Ning Jin to the palace for this very reason: firstly, to have Ning Jin escort this year's tribute, and secondly, to attend Zhao Yu's grand ceremony. Zhao Yu had been away from home for three years, and although his letters were always filled with expressions of peace and joy, Emperor Renzong remained somewhat uneasy. Ning Jin and Zhao Yu had been close since childhood, so it was most appropriate for his young uncle to go and check on him.

Ning Jin had no objection to the trip to Liao, but he added his own selfish motives.