The Foolish Agent

Chapter 60

Leng Jie continued, "As a result, the Second Prince was surrounded and pursued by numerous assassins as soon as he left the palace. Did the late Emperor know about this?"

"Yes, the late emperor had been secretly protecting the second prince. But he didn't expect that the crown prince would discover his intentions. He actually struck first and poisoned the late emperor as well. However, the crown prince didn't know that every emperor and empress of Jinghe would take a magical wine that made them immune to all poisons during their enthronement ceremony. So, the late emperor used this as a pretext, pretending to be poisoned, to see what the crown prince was up to," the Prime Minister stated calmly.

"But the truth was something he never expected. Although the late emperor wasn't poisoned by the crown prince, he was nearly driven to death by the prince's rage. Who would have thought that the crown prince would collude with a neighboring country that was already eyeing Jinghe with hostility, deliberately provoking war? His aim was to use them as a tool to kill his own brother. He forged an imperial edict, ordering the second prince, who was on his way back to the palace, to lead 5,000 soldiers to the border to resist an invading enemy force of 50,000. By the time the late emperor received the news, the second prince had already reached the border. Moreover, the situation at the time didn't allow the second prince to retreat. Because if they didn't resist, Jinghe would be opening the gates and letting the wolves in. That incident made the late emperor completely lose faith in the crown prince."

However, just as the late emperor issued an edict to depose the crown prince and punish him for treason, the crown prince's palace was engulfed in flames. In the end, only the corpse of a man wearing the crown prince's token was found.

Since the late Empress's passing, although the late Emperor outwardly maintained his carefree and romantic ways, his longing for her had long since become an obsession. First, he was nearly driven to death by the Crown Prince, and his anger hadn't subsided. Then, the Crown Prince suddenly died; although he deserved to die, he was still his own flesh and blood. The grief of a parent outliving their child added to his heartache. Adding to this, the Second Prince's fate was unknown on the frontier. These successive blows left the late Emperor exhausted, and he never lived to see the Second Prince's triumphant return.

So the reason she wasn't poisoned wasn't because of her inner energy, but because she had taken a spirit wine that made her immune to all poisons! But why didn't Xuanyuan know that? If he had known, he would have surely taken her life in a different way, wouldn't he? Thinking of this, Leng Jie couldn't help but shudder and blurted out, "Does the current emperor know that he has taken a medicine that makes him immune to all poisons?"

Leng Xiang shook his head and replied, "Actually, that kind of elixir is the blood of the late emperor. Legend has it that the first Emperor Jinghe was the incarnation of a dragon, so his blood can cure all poisons. And when his descendants drank wine containing dragon blood, they were also immune to all poisons. This secret, like the secret service, has been passed down from generation to generation. But only the emperor himself has ever known about this; even the empress doesn't know. And I am the only outsider who knows about this."

Therefore, the late emperor made my most precious daughter one of his own. When the second prince returned from the frontier, he received the devastating news of the simultaneous deaths of his father and brother. Furthermore, I was not only the last person to see his father, but also, on the surface, the one who benefited most from the late emperor's edict. He must have wanted to skin me alive then, right? Given the circumstances, if I had told him that, would he have drunk that cup of blood wine? Besides, even if he had been willing to drink it himself, he wouldn't have let Rui'er drink it! So, I, as his father, also had some selfish motives at the time.”

"So you're not worried about your little sister's danger in the palace? But even if she's immune to all poisons, there's no guarantee that others won't try anything against her." Leng Yangtian said suddenly.

"There's no need to worry about that. Rui'er is the Empress. Furthermore, the late Emperor left a decree that the Empress would never be deposed, so even the Emperor wouldn't dare to openly harm her. Besides, there were no other concubines in the harem at that time. And Empress Dowager Leng would absolutely not dare to harm Rui'er," said Prime Minister Leng.

"Oh, right!" Leng Jie suddenly realized that the Empress Dowager had never actually caused trouble at the Eastern Palace, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why do you say that Empress Dowager Leng wouldn't dare to harm my sister?"

"Since we've already come this far, I'll tell you all at once." Leng Xiang thought for a moment before replying, "You all know that the late emperor once swore to the late empress that he would only have children born to her in this life! Because the emperor has dragon blood in his body, the curse he casts is very effective, so the late emperor could not have any other children."

"Who is the Third Prince?" Leng Jie asked incredulously. "Could he be the Crown Prince's son?"

Leng Xiang nodded and smiled, "Hehe, Xiao Jie guessed right. The late emperor kept the child in Consort Shui's womb precisely because the Crown Prince's line had no heir. However, he didn't want to expose the Crown Prince's licentious behavior in the harem. So he had no choice but to reluctantly adopt his grandson as his son and give her the title of Empress Dowager, hoping she could raise the child peacefully. The late emperor told me this in front of Consort Shui, wanting me to help the Second Prince restrain her as Empress Dowager and the Shui family for Rui'er's sake. Therefore, even if she had a hundred times the courage, she wouldn't dare to provoke my Rui'er." As he spoke, Leng Xiang suddenly became somber, "It's just a pity that Father still can't protect Rui'er. For three years, Father has tried his best to protect the Emperor. But he would rather believe the Shui family's instigation than my loyalty."

Leng Jie understood her father's feelings and comforted him, "Father, the Emperor has long regretted it. He also knows the true nature of the Shui family. If you had told him everything about the late Emperor and the Crown Prince back then, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many misunderstandings between you."

“I want to tell him too! First, there’s no way he can prove it with his life, he won’t believe me. Second, I promised the late Emperor I wouldn’t tell the Second Prince about the Crown Prince’s affair. The late Emperor didn’t want the Second Prince to be heartbroken. Third, his dissatisfaction with Rui’er is completely written on his face. But in my opinion, he’s not good enough for my Rui’er at all. So, I’m also angry with him,” Leng Xiang said helplessly.

"That's why Father immediately put down his responsibilities after the three-year term and went home to enjoy his retirement!" Leng Jie replied with a smile.

"Yes! Father regrets being too loyal back then, not opening that edict to read it when the late emperor was critically ill. If I had known that the edict would involve my innocent Rui'er, I would have preferred to die with the late emperor rather than let that edict remain in the world," Leng Xiang said resolutely.

Hearing these words, Leng Jie couldn't help but be moved. To be honest, she had previously suspected that Prime Minister Leng wanted power and wealth, and that he had used his mentally challenged daughter as a bargaining chip to send her into the palace to become Empress. Because in this ancient society that favored sons over daughters, such a thing was absolutely normal. Moreover, she was just a mentally challenged daughter.

It was unexpected that Leng Xiang would be so devoted to his daughter. However, based on her understanding of the family over the past few days, and from their words and expressions, she could tell that what he said was entirely true. They all cherished their simple-minded daughter like a treasure, and even towards her, their adopted daughter who had practically taken over, they treated her sincerely.

Leng Jie unconsciously placed her hand in Leng Xiang's large hand and solemnly promised, "Father, don't worry, I promise I won't let Sister Rui'er get hurt in any way. She will definitely live a very, very happy life."

Leng Xiang held his daughter's small hand and sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, Xiao Jie! You are simply a lucky star sent by heaven to my Leng family. Your mother and I have received such a daughter in this life, what more could we ask for!"

"Uh!" Even Leng Jie, who usually has a thick skin, couldn't help but feel her cheeks getting hot.

Leng Yangtian retorted, not to be outdone, "Yes! Rui'er and I are also blessed to have a sister like you!"

Leng Jie not only felt her face burning, but her undershirt was also soaked with sweat. She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Father, don't worry, I will report these things to the Emperor truthfully. I believe that after he understands the truth, he will personally invite you back to court."

Leng Lian hurriedly said, "I'm telling you all this so you can understand the Crown Prince's character. That way, you can gain the upper hand in your struggles with him. As for the Emperor, you'd better not tell him about these things for now, especially about you becoming a daughter of the Leng family. Don't tell him that. Although the Emperor is not a bad person, his years as a monarch have made him suspicious and distrustful of everything. I'm afraid that he won't even trust you anymore."

A warm current surged from her heart to her entire body. It seemed that her goddaughter was being treated no worse than a biological daughter! Leng Jie smiled excitedly, "I didn't tell the Emperor about my kinship. However, the matter of the Crown Prince cannot be kept from the Emperor. Therefore, this matter is of great importance. If the Emperor doesn't see the Crown Prince's true character, I'm really worried that, given his nature, he might directly hand over the throne to him after finding the Crown Prince."

“Father knows the Emperor’s personality, that’s why he told you not to tell him! Don’t you have the golden token to execute first and report later? You’d better find the Crown Prince and execute him directly before informing the Emperor,” Yang Tianwei analyzed for Leng Jie.

Is it really that serious? Leng Jie stared at Leng Xiang in astonishment.

"Based on my understanding of him, he really would do that. These past few years as emperor have been incredibly unpleasant and agonizing for him. If he knew the crown prince wasn't dead, he would definitely quit. Think about it again, when he asked you to investigate the crown prince's whereabouts, did he show any intention of bringing him to justice?"

She hadn't received his order to investigate the Crown Prince's affairs, so how could she possibly know his attitude? However, since Prime Minister Leng shared her thoughts, then that so-called Crown Prince truly couldn't be allowed to live. Leng Jie nodded resolutely, "Alright! Xiao Jie understands. No matter what, I will not allow that treacherous Crown Prince to return to the palace and meet the Emperor." Leng Jie then asked, "Father, are you really not planning to return to court?"

"Jie! What did you just say?"

Before Leng Jie could finish speaking, a dangerous, questioning voice rang out from the study doorway. Startled, Leng Jie involuntarily shuddered! She hurriedly tried to reason with Madam Leng, who was approaching her, saying, "Mother! You must have misheard! I didn't say anything!"

Having stopped beside Leng Jie, Madam Leng raised her hand and tapped Leng Jie on the head, angrily scolding, "Your mother isn't deaf! I heard everything you said. Did you just try to kidnap your father and offer him to that brat Emperor? I'm telling you, no way! That brat kidnapped my Rui'er, and then he didn't treat her well at all, actually marrying that little vixen from the Shui family. Humph! If your father and brother hadn't desperately stopped me, I would have already torn down his palace and castrated him..."

"Madam!" Seeing his wife's words becoming increasingly absurd, Leng Xiang quickly intervened to stop her.

Leng Jie and Yang Tian both chuckled after hearing Madam Leng's insults towards the Emperor. However, to Leng Jie's surprise, her father simply called out to her mother, and her mother, who had been hurling insults, immediately fell silent. She then put on a smiling face, patted Leng Jie's head, and said gently, "Alright, for the sake of him giving us another lovely daughter, I won't hold it against him."

Suddenly, she turned to Leng Jie seriously and said, "But Jie, since the young emperor trusts you so much, could you talk to him and ask him to let your sister come back?"

As she spoke, tears welled up in Madam Leng's eyes, and her voice choked with emotion.

"Mom misses her so much! She doesn't understand anything, and without family by her side, what will she do if she gets bullied!"

Hearing Madam Leng's words, Leng Jie unconsciously thought of the image she saw in the mirror when she first arrived and the memories obtained through hypnosis. An indescribable sorrow welled up in her heart, and then her nose stung, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

"Wow!..." She suddenly threw herself onto Madam Leng, hugging her waist tightly and bursting into tears.

What's going on? The three members of the Leng family exchanged bewildered glances. Madam Leng, who had been weeping, stared in astonishment at Leng Jie wiping her tears and snot on her clothes. After a moment, she came to her senses and gently touched Leng Jie's forehead. She then looked at her husband with pleading eyes. But her husband simply shrugged helplessly at her, then pulled their son away.

Madam Leng patted Leng Jie's back and whispered soothingly, "Little Jie, be good! Don't cry!"

"Waaaaah..." But Leng Jie's sobs were like a river bursting its banks, unstoppable. The louder and louder they became, the more heartbroken and desperate they grew. Even Madam Leng couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears along with her. The two men waiting outside the study for the rain to stop finally returned, pulling the mother and daughter, who were crying uncontrollably, apart. Leng Xiang held his wife tightly in his arms, letting her sob against him.

Yang Tian also lent his shoulder to his younger sister, letting her cry until she was done. Then he handed her a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears. Leng Jie sobbed as she took the handkerchief and wiped her own tears. After crying, Leng Jie felt extremely relieved.

As for why she cried just now, Leng Yangtian considerately didn't ask. He was afraid that if he asked again, she would start crying again, which would be troublesome. However, Leng Jie herself felt that it was probably just her subconscious Rui'er being affectionate with her mother!

Because Leng Jie had inexplicably burst into tears, she stayed in her room for the entire day. They didn't disturb her. She took the opportunity to write to Xuan Yuan about what she had learned from Leng Xiang, explaining that since her master said he insisted on staying in this world, she didn't want the ruler of this world to be that kind of person.

After writing the letter, she began preparing for her meeting with the members of the Dark Guard that evening, even though she had already memorized the entire manual on breaking the curse. However, for better management in the future, she needed to devise new codes and passwords for the Dark Guard. Furthermore, she didn't want the members of the Dark Guard to recognize her true identity. Therefore, she prepared another identity for herself. Once everything was ready, night fell.

After a few knocks, two loud voices came from the door.

"Miss! Yuan Zheng (Yangpu) is here to report back."

Leng Jie instructed through the door, "It's good that you're back. The safety of the Leng residence tonight is in your hands. You two better be on your best behavior!"

"Yes! Miss, are you going out now? But our mission is to protect you! You..." Yang Pu said fearlessly. He wanted to say something more, but Yuan Zheng stopped him in time.

"So you don't want to listen to me? If that's the case, we'll only listen to Miss's orders. But Miss, you must be extra careful when you go out alone."

A sly smile crept across Leng Jie's face. She knew these two wouldn't be easy to deal with; she had to be tough on them to keep them in check. She would need to maintain frequent contact with the Dark Guard, and if they disobeyed, it would cause trouble. So, she needed to win them over first.

Chapter Ninety-Five: A Wonderful Night

Because the members of the Dark Guard each had their own roles and responsibilities, and didn't know each other, Leng Jie couldn't gather them all together for unified command. She could only go door-to-door according to the marks they had left behind. Fortunately, there were only three Dark Guard leaders in Qizhou who could directly contact the Emperor: one was the largest salt merchant in Jinghe; one was a cloth merchant who controlled Jinghe's silk fabrics; and one was the Marquis of Jing, appointed by the Emperor.

Although none of them lived within Qizhou City, they all owned properties and residences there. Leng Jie lifted the curse on each of them, arranged their future contact information, and assigned them their respective tasks. She also instructed them to return and prepare all the ledgers of her subordinate secret units, awaiting her dispatch of people to verify them.

When she dragged her weary body out of the last house, it was already past midnight. She didn't head straight back to the Leng residence. Instead, she went to the Qixin Inn. Based on the timeline, the Duanmu siblings should arrive the next evening. She wanted to leave them a letter first, in case they arrived and couldn't find her and were worried.

Not wanting to disturb the innkeeper, she went directly down from the roof to the backyard. Then she entered the room she had booked through the window. But the moment her feet touched the ground, something cold pressed against her neck. The room was pitch black; she couldn't see anything. Had she gone to the wrong room? That was Leng Jie's first thought. Her second thought was how to turn the tables. Just as she was about to act, a soft, familiar voice rang out:

"Where did this little thief come from? How dare he try to take advantage of me?"

"Stars and Moon! I didn't expect them to arrive so quickly." Leng Jie mimicked her tone and replied in a male voice:

"Sister Xingyue, you'd better hold on tight. Don't accidentally take my neck off!"

"You know me?"

Xingyue was startled. The sword against Leng Jie's neck hadn't been withdrawn; instead, it pressed even closer. At the same time, another tall figure flew in through the window. The same sharp blade was now pressed against the other side of Leng Jie's neck.

"That's it, there's no fun left." Calmly reverting to her female voice, she said:

"Hey, you two siblings, that's enough! You actually came to my room and tried to hold me hostage with a sword!"

"elder sister?"

"Xiao Jie!"

Two surprised voices rang out simultaneously, followed by the sound of two swords returning to their sheaths with a "whoosh! whoosh!"

Leng Jie's neck was finally freed. She unconsciously reached up and touched her neck. In that instant, Xing Chen had already turned on the light.

Duanmu Xingyue immediately exclaimed:

"Vixen!"

Xingchen followed Xingyue's astonished gaze and saw Leng Jie dressed in a silver-gray fox fur robe, wearing a silver-gray fox mask on her face, revealing only a pair of cunning and alluring eyes that resembled those of a fox. Although she was dressed as a man, one glance would still make anyone call her a "vixen." Xingchen unconsciously furrowed her brows.

Leng Jie was very satisfied with Xing Yue's reaction. She took off her mask and smiled at Xing Yue:

"Hehe, Xingyue is so clever. My new identity is called 'Silver Fox.' In the future, a mysterious Silver Fox will appear in the martial world. And the only people who have seen the true face of this fox are you two siblings! You must remember this: even with a knife to your throat, you can't say you've seen the true face of Silver Fox."

Xingyue asked in disbelief:

"Sister! Why are you dressed like this? Don't you know that 'fox spirit' is an insult? If you don't do any bad things, you'll be categorized as a demon."

"Hehe! This is exactly the effect I wanted, sister! Otherwise, how can I lead the Green Robe Cult, the gang of gang leaders!" Leng Jie teased Xingyue with a smile, then turned to Xingchen, who had remained silent:

"You guys came really fast! When did you arrive?"

Her gaze swept over the brother and sister, noticing they were still impeccably dressed, radiant, and as spirited as ever. They showed no trace of the lingering sleepiness one might expect from someone who had just gotten out of bed, nor did they appear listless like she had been from staying up all night. She couldn't help but ask:

"You guys aren't already up, are you? It's still not dawn!"

“We arrived half an hour before you.” Xingchen crossed her arms and gazed at Leng Jie, replying softly, “We found this inn according to the instructions in your letter, but we didn’t find you, so we had to have my little sister wait in your room.”

"Where were you just now?"

She didn't even notice him when she came down from the roof! And he came in through the window, and so quickly.

Xingchen pointed to a bare tree in the yard and said:

"Well, I was in the tree. Although I saw you, your lightness skill was too fast, and I couldn't stop you from entering the room."

She hadn't even noticed such an obvious target. Leng Jie felt her vigilance seemed to have lowered. Could it be that enjoying the warmth of family makes one become complacent?

"Are you really going to enter the martial world dressed like this?" Duanmu found the fox fur coat utterly displeasing, especially the fox mask. He asked in an extremely displeased tone, as if he would make her regret it if she dared to answer yes!

Leng Jie looked at the meticulously crafted smiling fox in her hand with satisfaction, then tilted her chin up to meet Duanmu's displeased gaze. She raised an eyebrow and asked:

"What? Is there something wrong with this outfit?" A sly glint flashed in his eyes. His lips unconsciously twitched into a wide grin. He dropped a bombshell with a smile.

"This is a gift I carefully prepared for you! You won't refuse it, will you?"

"What?" Duanmu Xingchen was taken aback and blurted out in surprise.

Xingyue unconsciously touched her delicate ear and asked, "Sister! Did I hear wrong?"

Leng Jie pulled Xingyue close and shoved the mask over her head. She answered affirmatively:

"You, you didn't hear wrong!"

Xingyue immediately reacted as if she had seen a ghost, taking off her mask and throwing it back to Leng Jie. She then quickly retreated several steps.

"Is this the urgent matter you mentioned?" Duanmu Xingchen quickly composed himself and asked calmly, "Do you know that after receiving your letter, we were so anxious that we ran two fast horses to their deaths before finally arriving in Qizhou? Please don't tell me that your so-called urgent matter is this generous gift."

Leng Jie said seriously, "Not entirely, but it's pretty much true."