Undercurrents

He took two emotion orbs from his sleeve and toyed with them for a moment, murmuring, "I wonder if my demon core can absorb these?"

On this side, Wan Ru was still reprimanding Xue Lan for his foolish actions.

"Impersonating the deceased is not a good thing. It is best to let everyone know the truth."

Xue Lan said resentfully, "The Princess is truly thoughtless. If I leave now, you wouldn't even be able to defeat a mosquito."

She burst into laughter, turning to leave, but did not forget to deliver a resounding slap to Xue Lan.

"Next time, I won't use your squad of Daoist Masters anymore."

Shocked by her move, Xue Lan flew into a rage and said, "Fine! When you're about to be swallowed by those ghosts, don't you dare call for me."

Seeing that she didn't turn back, he departed in another direction.

As for her, she had her own calculations: *Though I say that, Xue Lan is still very useful. Besides, I currently have no evidence to expose him. Let it be. Ah, I must also tell Brother Qian to cancel his recuperation.*

During that period of rest, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived.

Qing Yan was chatting excitedly with her.

"Princess, do you know? Today, the Crown Prince somehow got a Tianshan Snow Lotus to gift you!"

She was lying on a bamboo bed in the early morning, basking in the sun. Hearing this shocking news, she bolted upright and said, "What? A Tianshan Snow Lotus? Isn't he so poor that he doesn't have a single coin in his pocket? How could he have a Tianshan Snow Lotus in his possession?"

"This servant does not know. His eunuch just brought it over. When I opened the gift, I was so shocked I fell flat on the ground!"

"Summon Xiang Tian and that eunuch here."

"Yes."

Qing Yan left. As she sat leisurely sipping tea, a steady voice spoke from behind, "Greetings, Princess."

She reacted quickly, turning around instantly. Before her stood Grand Preceptor Yi Sheng.

She quickly stood up and bowed. "You are my master, so there is no need for the Grand Preceptor to bow to me."

"I came here to check on the Princess's illness before departing. I thought the Princess was busy with a hundred matters since you haven't attended class for a week. Fortunately, the Crown Prince informed me of your illness, which is why I came so abruptly."

She smiled bashfully, not expecting Grand Preceptor Yi Sheng to care about her so much. "The Grand Preceptor did not need to go to such trouble for me. I am almost recovered and can return to class the day after tomorrow."

"That is good. I hope the Princess returns soon because an exam is coming up. If you are absent, I will not know how to answer to the Emperor."

It turned out she was just a self-deluded fool who thought Grand Preceptor Yi Sheng cared about her: *So he only cares about how to answer to Royal Father regarding my studies? How annoying, I really can't stand this attitude of his.*

Wan Ru said in disappointment, "Yes, I understand."

She thought Yi Sheng would leave now, but he stood there like a statue, refusing to budge.

His hesitant expression made her want to laugh, but to maintain her dignity, she said, "Does the Grand Preceptor have any other business?"

Yi Sheng stared at her, hesitated for a moment, and said, "One cannot visit a sick person empty-handed, correct? I present..."

She quickly interrupted, saying politely, "The Grand Preceptor's presence is already a joy for this student. There is no need for gifts."

In Yi Sheng's hand was a handkerchief. For some reason, he clenched it tightly and said, "I have already sent it inside. It would not be fitting for me to travel all this way only to take the gift back, Princess."

Seeing the Grand Preceptor's stiff attitude, she clicked her tongue and said, "Of course, I will accept the Grand Preceptor's gift."

The Grand Preceptor saw her agree to accept the gift, so he quickly bid her farewell.

Watching the Grand Preceptor's retreating figure, Wan Ru slumped onto the bamboo bed and muttered, "So tiring. I don't want to go to class at all."

She had only been lying down for a short while when Qing Yan returned with Xiang Tian and the eunuch.

"This servant has summoned the two of them here."

To save time, she said, "Eunuch, how have you been keeping watch over the Crown Prince?"

The eunuch said submissively, "Reporting to the Princess, this servant has monitored the Crown Prince for some time and noticed he often goes out at night. Once, when I caught him, he made the excuse of being unable to sleep and went out for a stroll."

She tilted her head, emphasizing her question, "Is that all?"

"Yes, there was nothing else unusual."

"Why didn't you follow him to the end?"

"Ah, yes. Every time I followed him, whenever he went into a secluded spot, the Crown Prince would vanish without a trace. I kept losing his tail. It is all due to this servant's carelessness."

She rested her chin in her hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "Very well, you may leave."

Before he left, Qing Yan handed the eunuch a pouch of silver coins. He happily accepted it and departed stealthily.

A moment after the eunuch left, she asked, "Xiang Tian, what have you investigated?"

"There is some information regarding the new Empress. Would you like to hear it?"

She waved her hand and said, "I can just ask my brother about that later. So, there is truly no information about Xing Mei or those rebels?"

Xiang Tian nodded. She pondered and said, "Every time the Princess departs, almost everything goes silent. I suspect their actions revolve around the Princess."

Her eyes widened as she looked at Xiang Tian. Wan Ru seemed to realize something and said, "Very well, you may leave."

Xiang Tian departed. She slowly lifted her teacup and took a sip, staring into the distance: *Of course, why didn't I think of this? I am the key element in their plans.*

She calmly set the teacup down: *Bai Xiao is using my identity as a princess to approach those with rebellious intentions in the palace. They undermine the trust of the officials to draw them to their side, ultimately aiming to obtain the secret weapon of Ya Nan. What a cunning bunch.*

*If I ruin their plans, it will surely throw them into disarray for a time, or force them to switch to another, perhaps riskier, plan.*

While she was deeply lost in thought, Qing Yan spoke, "Princess."

"Huh?"

"This servant must also inform you that the Grand Preceptor gifted you a black ginseng and several rare, health-boosting plants. He also seems to have gifted the Princess some precious books."

She nodded and said, "Oh, you can stew them all for me to eat tomorrow."

"Also, it seems the squad of Daoist Masters also gifted you some items for nourishment. And do you know, the Second Brother even gifted you a Sawtooth Shengchong, along with a top-grade peach wood sword."

She grimaced, thinking: *Where did that fox get so much money?* "What is this, a gift-giving festival? I'm not about to die, so why give so much?"

Qing Yan giggled and said, "Everyone wishes for the Princess to recover quickly."

Afterward, she put on an indifferent face and said, "Let's go to Brother Qian's place."

"Yes."