A master of metaphysics is farming.

Chapter 210 Sudden News

Xiang He revealed her identity, and all her family members except Xiang Yun were aware of it.

This terrified Xiang Huiying. She never imagined that Xiang He was not "Xiang He".

"You...you mean, Uncle and Aunt both know?"

Xiang He nodded slightly, "This is a Taoist robe, which is very important to me. It has important talismans on it, so I can't change it."

Looking at the black robe she was wearing, the patterns on the hem and edges were something she had never seen before.

Xiang Huiying's gaze fell on the two demons again. Their appearances were excessively alluring, and coupled with their sudden change of appearance just now, Xiang Huiying was completely convinced.

"Since you were planning to keep it from me anyway, why are you telling me tonight?"

Xiang He sat down beside her, took her hand and patted the back of it gently. "I've been very busy lately, so you must remember to have someone with you wherever you go."

"Is it very dangerous?"

"It's not dangerous, it's just going to the palace."

"what?"

Xiang He told her about the Imperial Preceptor, and even though she didn't quite understand, she still nodded seriously.

Now that things have been discussed openly, Xiang He is finally relieved of her burden and no longer needs to hide her discomfort.

Xiang Huiying pulled Xiang He aside and asked her many questions, which Xiang He answered one by one. She also gave her a talisman to wear close to her body.

Just as everyone had finished their conversation, there was a loud knocking on the gate of the mansion.

Xiang He immediately turned her head and exchanged a glance with He Suian, "It's so late..."

Xing Ji stepped forward and opened the door. A maidservant hurriedly reported, "The princess has a message."

The two hurried to the courtyard. Xiang He immediately recognized her as a maid from the Prince's mansion and frowned as she looked at her. "Does the Princess have something to say?"

The maidservant bowed gracefully. "His Majesty has suddenly fallen ill, and the Princess has gone to the palace with the Prince and Princess."

The news was so sudden that it shocked everyone present.

Xiang He tightened his grip on the umbrella and looked directly at He Suian. "So suddenly? Did you notice anything unusual when you went to court today?"

"No, His Majesty is still the same as yesterday, and seems to be in good health."

Within just a few hours, he suddenly fell ill.

Seeing that the four of them were deep in thought, and that the matter was indeed of great importance, Jiang Xinyue felt that staying here would not be of any help and would only disturb their conversation, so she pulled Xiang Huiying up.

"Seventh Sister and I will go back first. I will prepare breakfast tomorrow morning. You should not chat too late and should get some rest."

Xiang He nodded slightly, her heart filled with unresolved worries, and she couldn't care less about the two of them.

As Xiang Huiying was being pulled away, a frown crept onto her face. She kept turning back to look at her, realizing there was nothing she could do to help with such a serious matter, and that she could only leave her alone...

The maidservant lowered her eyes and bowed to the side, "Miss, is there anything you need to convey?"

The fingers holding the umbrella twitched slightly, and Xiang He raised an eyebrow, "Once the princess leaves the palace, have her send someone to guard this place."

"Yes, the slaves retire."

The courtyard fell silent. Jinghua Shuiyue sat to one side, her face clouded with worry.

The country already had many worries, and now the ruler of the country has suddenly fallen ill, which must be related to the imperial advisor.

"girl……"

Xiang He looked down at her toes, trying to sort through the events of the past few days. Each and every one of them seemed connected, yet also seemed completely unrelated.

What exactly is that carefree imperial advisor plotting...?

--"quack"!

A black crow flew down from the tree, landed on Xiang He's shoulder, and pecked at the scar on her face. Its eyes trembled slightly, instantly pulling Xiang He back to reality.

"Four demons, heed my command!"

Four streams of yin energy instantly materialized before them, standing respectfully and silently.

"Start patrolling tonight. Wake me up at the slightest sign of trouble, and pay special attention to the outer alley."

"Yes!"

The four ghosts disappeared quickly, and hearing Xiang He's curt tone, Jinghua Shuiyue's heart jumped.

The two demons linked arms, and Jinghua frowned. "Miss, could it just be a minor illness...?"

"It's always good to be safe than sorry," Xiang He said, noticing the panic in her eyes. A smile broke through the icy expression on her face. "Maybe I'm just worrying unnecessarily. Don't be afraid, just stay put and don't run around, okay?"

"understood……"

The smile didn't reach her eyes, and anyone who saw it would feel tense.

Her lips quickly straightened, and Xiang He gripped the large umbrella tightly with both hands. A warm, large hand grabbed her wrist, forcing her to release the umbrella.

Looking up, He Sui'an's gentle gaze reflected the vast starlight, which was truly captivating.

"Don't worry too much," he placed a cup of warm tea in Xiang He's palm. "Whether it was the Grand Preceptor or not, I will still attend court tomorrow. I will observe the situation then and come back to explain it to you."

The warmth of her palms dispelled the coldness in her fingertips. Xiang He finished her tea, exhaled a breath of stale air, and laughed, "I must have scared you. Perhaps I was just overthinking it. After all, the Grand Preceptor only contacted me yesterday. It's not consistent with his seemingly calm personality that he's already taking action so quickly."

Seeing that she looked a little more relaxed, he took her hand and pulled her up to walk towards the back of the mountain. "Let's go up the mountain and get some fresh air, and see if there's anything unusual around us."

"Yes, I've been too stressed these past two days, which has made me a little dizzy."

"Did the princess come looking for you this morning?"

Speaking of this, Xiang He quickly stepped forward and walked alongside him, "You did this on purpose, didn't you? You made me get the princess's promise."

"Since you're planning to visit Longguang Temple anyway, why not use that as leverage to exchange some benefits with the princess?"

Hearing him speak so casually, Xiang He lowered her eyes and smiled, "You make scheming sound so easy. If the princess knew that I originally intended to go in and used it as a bargaining chip, she would cry."

A soft laugh rang in her ears, and He Sui'an's tense nerves relaxed. She turned her head and smiled gently at her, "The princess also intends to protect you. It's not unreasonable to take advantage of her a little."

His eyes and brows became increasingly gentle, making even the moonlight pale in comparison to his gaze. His usual aloofness towards others was gone, and the edges of his pupils softened with a gentle light.

The gaze was so tender that Xiang He almost lost herself in it.

The black crow on her shoulder bumped her cheek, then suddenly looked down, a hint of helplessness in its eyes. "Using everyone available, just like when I came, we gained their protection, and everyone's business is booming."

To gain a foothold in Beijing, one still needs connections.

Now they are using these connections to achieve their own goals.

"That's just how the capital is, full of deceit and exploitation."

His words carried a calm coldness. He turned his head to look at Xiang He, his handsome profile appearing very gentle in the moonlight, unlike the sharpness he showed to others.

"By the way, have you spoken to the Grand Tutor in court? I have a feeling he's targeting you at every turn."

Xiang He had met He Maode once. He didn't have a sharp face, but the fact that he could be so calculating showed how incredibly narrow-minded he was.

"He never spoke; when he was in court, he only talked about state affairs, and he didn't say anything extra."

"Oh……"

The two chatted idly for a while and soon reached the top of the mountain.