Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Is he going to lock himself up here? ...

A resounding voice suddenly echoed through the quiet chamber.

Fu Huaiqing: "..."

He lowered his eyes to look at Biezhi, whose almond-shaped eyes sparkled. She would occasionally stealthily raise them to look at him, only to drop them again when their eyes met, though she could still catch the thirst for knowledge surging from their depths.

Fu Huaiqing's face was helpless: "No."

Biezhi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

She knew exactly how her master could order people to hunt her down and protect her at the same time, but... thinking about it, Biezhi's mind suddenly became tense.

"Senior Brother, he—" She raised her eyes and frowned, glancing at the turmoil in the man's deep eyes. Her voice hesitated, even trembling. "Traitor?"

"Spy." Fu Huaiqing didn't hide it from her. He walked to the table, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of water, and turned to hand it to her: "A wanted warrant has been issued."

Biezhi's pupils suddenly shrank, and her mouth parted slightly, but for a moment, no sound came out.

How could Senior Brother be a spy?!

"He was adopted by a Xilan Kingdom couple as a child, then infiltrated our dynasty and happened to meet Ling Feng." Fu Huaiqing didn't rush when she didn't answer, holding the phone in his palm until she came to her senses. "The reason he brought people to hunt you down is still unknown."

"Master, do you know?" Biezhi's voice trembled.

Fu Huaiqing patiently replied, "I've sent someone to inform them."

Biezhi opened her mouth, speechless.

If Master knew, he would be devastated.

Fu Huaiqing watched her shoulders slump suddenly. The air around her was filled with a gloomy atmosphere, devoid of her usual energy. He calmly changed the subject, "Don't you doubt my words?"

"Huh?" Biezhi was startled by his question and shook her head. "No."

If she were perfectly normal, she would have been suspicious, but her senior brother was clearly on the verge of losing control. Remembering his last words, "When he sent me away, he told me not to show my true face to the world..." She paused, raised her chin to meet his gaze, and wondered, "What's wrong with my face?"

His fingertips tightened on the cup. Fu Huaiqing's gaze scanned the girl's luminous, clear features thoughtfully, seeing nothing amiss. His expression remained solemn for a moment, and he said, "I'll have someone investigate this matter."

As he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.

Jiang Yue, who had been guarding the door, entered and leaned in to whisper.

Fu Huaiqing's eyes gradually darkened, and he glanced at him with a sidelong glance.

Suddenly, Jiang Yue felt the pressure mount.

However, Master Qin had said in person that if His Highness didn't see him tonight, he wouldn't leave and would wait outside the palace. The guards outside were really a little overwhelmed.

Jiang Yue had just gone out to persuade Qin Xiao that it wouldn't be too late to talk about it tomorrow, but he still refused to leave. It was obvious that he came because of Bie Zhi's matter.

Fu Huaiqing withdrew his gaze and fell on the petite figure under the candlelight. She didn't look as energetic as usual and seemed exhausted.

After a moment of silence, he said, "I still have things to take care of. You will live here from now on. If you have anything, tell Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin and they will make arrangements for you."

Bie Zhi was stunned.

What does it mean to live here from now on!?

A huge wave of waves surged in her heart, and the surging waves hit her hard, making her dizzy and unable to speak. She watched the man leave in a daze.

Is he going to lock herself up here?

Biezhi blinked several times and hurried forward to chase, but before she even stepped out of the bedroom, the guards on both sides suddenly stretched out their hands to block her way.

It was obvious that they had received orders, and she was not allowed to come in or out as she pleased.

Under normal circumstances, Biezhi would have taken action, but now she had to bow her head under someone else's eaves, not to mention that the other party was the current regent. If she took even half a step away from here, she would be taken back.

Being locked up here is still a thousand times better than being locked up in a prison.

Biezhi pondered for a moment, nodded heavily, and told herself that she should be thankful!

In just half a breath, the fighting spirit that had risen halfway fell sharply again.

Who can come to save her!

He is a magnanimous man, he shouldn't bring up the past, right?

But if he doesn't bring up the past, why did he scare her just now? It was obvious that he was slowly torturing her. Biezhi couldn't count how many bad things she had said about him.

He is so idle!

Aren't the affairs of the court enough for him to be busy? Not only could he manage Xianyun Tower's affairs, but he could also occasionally disguise himself as Ji Ran and watch him act up.

Recalling his own arrogant words over the past two years, Biezhi felt that he was actually quite good-tempered. He hadn't killed him on the spot, which was a bit different from the rumors. He

'd heard that when he personally executed a relative, blood splattered everywhere, his eyes didn't even blink.

The sound of footsteps echoed in his ears, and Biezhi's attention was subconsciously startled. He caught a glimpse of Hua Chao entering with a wooden table, looking at her with disbelief.

Hua Chao bowed, "Young lady."

"Why are you here?" Biezhi stared, stunned, his eyes trembling as she moved. Before she could answer, he understood. "Did the prince arrange for you to be by my side?"

"Yes." Hua Chao dropped the wooden table, picked up the food, and placed it on the table. He explained, "I'm a secret guard in the palace. I heard that Madam Qin was planning to find someone to stay with you, young lady. Guard Jiang ordered me to go there to facilitate your business."

Biezhi choked.

No wonder, the Qin family has many servants. She disappears from time to time and no one says anything. Now it seems that someone is behind the scenes making plans.

His eyes have long been everywhere around her.

It's like a dragnet that fell when she was unaware, shrinking in little by little until it shrunk to this courtyard, making it impossible for her to escape.

The more Biezhi thought about it, the more goose bumps he got.

She had been angrily scolding him for nine and a half days out of ten. A scolding wouldn't hurt her, so why bother to spend so much effort on herself.

If it doesn't work, just scold him back!

The aroma slowly entered his nose, and Biezhi's eyes moved half an inch, slowly landing on the steaming fish soup.

Now that things have come to this, let's eat first.

Otherwise, he won't have the strength to escape.

In the study of the prince's mansion, the crisp scent of sandalwood rose in the air. Fu Huaiqing, who was walking slowly, glanced at the man standing in the middle of the study. The man turned around and bowed at the sound.

Fu Huaiqing walked past the man slowly and walked to the desk and sat down. He casually flipped open one of the memorials without looking up: "I heard that Master Qin would not leave if he did not see me tonight. Do you have something important to report that you did not hesitate to come at night?"

"I will go to my younger sister's grave tonight." Qin Xiao brushed his clothes and knelt down, his back straight, his eyes fixed on the ground, and said: "I have committed the crime of disrespect by prying open my younger sister's coffin, but I can't find her body. I wonder if there is any trouble, so I came here to report to Your Highness."

Fu Huaiqing put down the pen in his hand and looked at him with a heavy eye.

Su Ci, who had rushed over after receiving the news, happened to witness this scene. The coldness in the man's dark eyes almost emanated from him. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurried over the threshold to greet him.

"Get up," Fu Huaiqing said in a light voice.

Su Ci stood up, glanced at Qin Xiao who was still kneeling on the ground, and frowned: "What happened? It's so serious?"

Fu Huaiqing turned to the next memorial and said nonchalantly: "Our Dali Temple Shaoqing is so bold that he went to the cemetery in the middle of the night to pry open the coffin of his little sister."

Su Ci: "..."

He looked at his friend in surprise: "Are you crazy? Today is only the seventh day, and you went to pry open the coffin in just half a day. You don't intend to let her rest in peace--"

"There is no body in the coffin." Qin Xiao interrupted him and looked up at the figure who was reviewing memorials behind the desk. Others didn't know but he knew it well in his heart. On the day Biezhi was in trouble, the first person to arrive was Fu Huaiqing. If he didn't know Biezhi's whereabouts, no one else would know. He retracted his gaze and said, "She is not dead."

Su Ci suddenly became speechless and subconsciously looked at the man behind the desk.

"She's not dead," Fu Huaiqing glanced at him, then returned to the memorial. "What do you want to do?"

Qin Xiao bowed again, neither servile nor arrogant. "If she's not dead, then take her home."

His brushstrokes paused for a moment as he heard her words. A faint smile flickered across Fu Huaiqing's eyes as she looked up at him. "She's not your sister, so how can you take her home?"

Su Ci thought it sounded familiar.

He quickly shifted his gaze between the two, slowly understanding the reason for their argument tonight. Unsure who to support, he waved his hand, "Fight it yourselves."

"Whether she's my sister or not, that's what everyone thinks now," Qin Xiao said.

"Pretending to be dead?" Fu Huaiqing chuckled coldly. He half-leaned in his armchair, his bony knuckles slowly tapping the table. "She has her own life. You don't know her. Your so-called love at first sight is just wishful thinking. Why bother disturbing her life?"

Qin Xiao's face paled.

Su Ci, standing nearby, shook his head and silently tutted, thinking his words were too harsh, piercing his heart.

Fu Huaiqing didn't want to discuss the matter further. "She's definitely not dead. Right now, I have more important matters to attend to, so I can't show up. And we need you to firmly declare that she is the Qin family's second daughter, murdered seven days ago. The Dali Temple is conducting a thorough investigation."

The coldness in his words clearly stemmed not from jealousy of his rival, but from the solemnity of speaking business. Su Ci and Qin Xiao exchanged glances, understanding his meaning and realizing that there must be something else behind the scenes that they were unaware of.

After a moment's silence, Qin Xiao asked, "Was it Xu Wen Che?"

Su Ci instantly understood. The scene of Biezhi's accident that day was precisely the Xu family's back hill. They had only claimed to have been murdered while traveling through the capital's secluded streets. "There's no hatred or grudge between them, so how could—" He paused, realizing something. "She showed up at the Xu family's house, was she stalking Xu Wen Che?"

Fu Huaiqing's eyes fluttered. "Yes."

Hearing his voice, neither loud nor soft, Qin Xiao understood. He and Biezhi must have known each other for a long time, and their relationship was trustworthy.

Thinking of this, Qin Xiao's eyes darkened, and he exhaled.

The study fell silent, the only sound remaining as the brush rustled across the memorials.

Having received the answer he sought, Qin Xiao had no further requests. He had never expected Prince Su to reveal Biezhi's whereabouts; he had simply come to confirm her safety.

He had a case to attend to at the Dali Temple, so he bowed and withdrew without further delay.

It wasn't until the man disappeared from the academy that Fu Huaiqing raised his eyes slightly, glancing at the empty courtyard for a moment, then turned to Su Ci, who was standing there in silence, and asked, "Why are you staying here if you don't leave? Do

you have something to ask me?" "Not really." Su Ci poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. "I was hurriedly summoned by the palace guards, and they didn't even allow me to have a sip of tea before leaving?"

"If you want to drink, take it back." Fu Huaiqing fetched a new memorial without even raising his eyelids.

Su Ci laughed and immediately picked up the teapot and walked out. Before he reached the door, he was stopped again. He turned around and said, "You know my—"

"Where is Fang Tingzhi?" Fu Huaiqing asked.

Su Ci hesitated slightly. "Why are you asking her?"

Fu Huaiqing raised his eyes thoughtfully and looked into the courtyard. He guessed that she had come tonight disguised as a man and was waiting outside. "When you have time in the future, bring her to the palace often."

"What do you want to do?" Su Ci's eyes sternly scanned the man's silent smile behind the table, feeling a little unhappy. "She's been placed by my side now. She must have a mission and can't just wander around."

With just a glance, Fu Huaiqing could tell what he was thinking.

He looked at him wordlessly. "Get out."

Su Ci couldn't have asked for more, and he quickly got out.

He walked into the courtyard, and Fang Tingzhi, who was waiting under the treetops, hurried over.

Su Ci stopped and waited, his eyes sizing her up. Fang Tingzhi was tall enough, and except for her slightly more delicate face, she looked like a man in every other way when she was silent.

Fang Tingzhi, who hadn't gotten a good night's rest in days, ran over and yawned, "Master."

"Your hair is getting darker now. Where were you wandering around last night?" Su Ci asked as they approached.

"I wasn't wandering around. I've been drinking too much tea lately and can't sleep at night." Fang Tingzhi denied it flatly, but she couldn't help but curse inwardly. If he hadn't ordered her to disguise herself as a man and go in and out of his mansion every day, why would she have to sneak into his study at night to read news, causing her to sleep poorly every night? She couldn't help but ask, "Master, why did

you ask me to disguise myself as a man?" Su Ci glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I heard you're a housewrecker, so I took you out for a walk to cool off your energy."

Fang Tingzhi: "...?"

Who was the shameless one who spread rumors about her!

And...

it seemed a bit like describing some animal?

Seeing her eyes wide with anger, Su Ci raised the corner of his mouth slightly, slowed his pace, and waited for her to come up.

He watched the two figures disappear into the academy, and Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin walked in.

Cheng Jin bowed, "Master, Qinghe Court reports that the young lady has gone to bed."

Fu Huaiqing raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled silently.

You could say she's timid, but she's also very bold. You could say she's bold, but at first glance she seems a little timid, and her courage fluctuates on different things.

But - Fu Huaiqing thought, the smile in her eyes faded a little.

She was indeed still a little afraid of herself.

Fu Huaiqing put down her pen, her eyes fixed on one place.

The two hadn't heard a sound for a long time. When they raised their eyes, they saw the master staring intently at a certain place. After looking at each other for a moment, Cheng Jin tentatively asked, "Master, are you thinking about another young lady?"

Fu Huaiqing glanced at him lightly.

Cheng Jin understood, and asked again, "Don't you know how to win her heart?"

Hearing this blunt question, Jiang Yue took a deep breath, fearing the prince would throw them out if he disliked them.

Unexpectedly, his master remained silent for a long time. It was clear that Cheng Jin's suspicion was correct.

However, they were helpless. Of the hundreds of guards in the palace, most were unmarried. He and Cheng Jin had been by the prince's side year-round. He often worked on government matters until late at night, and they were always with him. Neither of them had ever touched a woman's hand, let alone a woman's.

"Many women in the capital love to read novels," Jiang Yue thought. He suddenly thought of something, thinking it would be a good place to start. "I wonder if other young ladies like novels. If so, the prince could learn from them and learn the methods men use to pursue women."

Fu Huaiqing remembered that he had visited her compound over half a month ago and had indeed found traces of novels inside.

He calmly picked up his pen and said, "Go and find some storybooks."

Cheng Jin hurriedly obeyed.

Seeing that the master had no other instructions, the two of them looked at each other and retreated silently. When they retreated to the courtyard, Cheng Jin immediately said, "I'll take people to search now. If anything happens..."

Jiang Yue: "She may not like the methods of the men in the novels you find."

Hearing what he said, Cheng Jin's thoughts fell, and he frowned and asked, "What should we do?"

"Are you stupid?" Jiang Yue glanced at him helplessly, his eyes fell on Qinghe Courtyard not far away, and said, "The answer is ready in the courtyard. Just go and ask and you'll know."