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He Mu Ming, who was watching over Muer, casually glanced back and inadvertently caught sight of the seal that should not have been there.
His gaze instantly sharpened like that of an eagle, fixating on the seal as if he could see through all its secrets. His tone turned unusually grave, "Where did you get this? Did he give it to you?"
Was General He referring to Xiao Feng? Ye Chen's heart tightened. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly nodded and replied honestly, "Yes, he said that if I handed this to the general, the general would give me One Hundred Taels of Gold. I'm just a messenger. General, you see I've been in the Military Camp for so long; can I…"
"No." He Mu Ming coldly interrupted Ye Chen.
Seeing Ye Chen's shocked wide-eyed expression, he immediately added, "Very few people know about my dealings with him. But how can you guarantee that he didn't give you this seal under duress?"
"That…" Ye Chen was suddenly at a loss for words, cold sweat pouring down his back.
It dawned on him that Xiao Feng had never intended for him to survive. Once this token was delivered, even if he spoke the truth, to protect Xiao Feng, He Mu Ming would not hesitate to dispose of him.
"Where is he?" He Mu Ming pressed on.
At these words, Ye Chen froze in place, his mind going blank. He was torn inside—should he say anything? What if he revealed it and He Mu Ming really killed him?
Ye Chen lowered his head, unable to meet He Mu Ming's gaze, his heart racing. But before he could hold out much longer, He Mu Ming's deep and oppressive voice urged again, "Since he gave you this seal, where did you last see him?"
Caught in an internal struggle, Ye Chen pondered for a moment and decided to take it step by step. After all, he was now Pei Guanjing's disciple; surely that gave him some leverage against Regent's Adopted Son. He had to weigh the consequences before He Mu Ming acted against him.
Just then, it felt as though a lock had suddenly been opened in his mind.
He suddenly thought of Xiao Feng! The royal surname of the current dynasty seemed to be Xiao, and with the crown prince missing—Xiao Feng's age, the seal, Lu Ying, and his various attempts to seek help from General He… Could it be that Xiao Feng was the missing crown prince?
Pei Guanjing was the Regent's Adopted Son; how could he have become his master? Was it possible that Pei Guanjing took him as a disciple not because of his knowledge of herbs but for another reason… Yet that didn’t make sense either—how would Pei Guanjing know about Xiao Feng?
If Xiao Feng is indeed the Crown Prince, then everything seems to make sense. Now that I am a disciple of Pei Guanjing, even if I present this seal, He Mu Ming might not believe me.
Could it be that all of this is part of Pei Guanjing and the Regent's scheme? The thought sent a shiver down Ye Chen's spine; human hearts are inscrutable, and that is truly terrifying!
"You..." Ye Chen lowered his head, his body trembling slightly as if he were afraid of something.
Seeing this, He Mu Ming furrowed his brows, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Aren't you going to speak? Are you waiting for something?"
"I..." Ye Chen slowly raised his eyes, his expression tense and hesitant. "The last time I saw Xiao—no, the Crown Prince—was at the Mountain God Temple on the border of Lan Prefecture and Cangzhou. At that time, he was being chased by someone, and I saved him. He gave me the seal and told me to find you and meet him at the Mountain God Temple. But..."
Ye Chen's heartbeat quickened under He Mu Ming's imposing pressure as he struggled to continue. "However, it has been a month since I have been in the military camp, and I haven't found an opportunity to contact General He. I was afraid of raising suspicions, so I could only look for chances..."
His voice grew softer; he knew very well that leaving the Military Camp without permission was a grave offense, so he dared not say it outright.
"Later, while transporting supplies with General Xiao Lou through the Mountain God Temple, I secretly visited there. But the Crown Prince was nowhere to be found; all I saw was a corpse."
"What?" Upon hearing the word "corpse," He Mu Ming abruptly stood up, looking down at Ye Chen with shock and urgency in his eyes. "Are you saying the Crown Prince..."
Ye Chen had only been speculating before, but seeing He Mu Ming's reaction made him truly despair.
So Xiao Feng really is the Crown Prince; I have unwittingly become embroiled in this struggle for imperial power. With this thought, a mix of emotions swirled within him.
"The Crown Prince is fine; it seems his hiding place was discovered, forcing him to relocate without leaving any tokens behind. All I could do was leave behind a rough sketch of the seal as proof."
In truth, it was merely a resignation letter from himself.
"Very well, whether what you say is true or not, I will send someone to investigate. But why would Pei Guanjing..." As he spoke, the suspicion in He Mu Ming's eyes deepened.
"It is because, when I was delivering food at the Medical Camp, Doctor Pei discovered that I recognized some herbs, which is why he took me into the Medical Camp as an apprentice to learn medicine."
"I see."
It was unclear whether this had alleviated He Mu Ming's doubts, but at least his expression no longer seemed so terrifying; he didn't look like he was about to skin him alive at any moment.
Naturally, Ye Chen wanted He Mu Ming to fulfill his promise regarding Xiao Feng, but it was clear that now was not the time to negotiate.
Grinding his teeth, Ye Chen held back his words. Compared to his life, staying in the Military Camp was the most suitable option. Once He Mu Ming sent someone to investigate the places he mentioned and found traces of Xiao Feng, it would naturally prove the truth of his words. He wasn't in a hurry!
Muer stirred slightly, her beautiful brows furrowing, showing signs of waking up. Seeing this, He Mu Ming waved his hand for Ye Chen to leave.
Ye Chen stepped out of the tent and took a deep breath.
He had finally completed what Xiao Feng had entrusted him with.
Had he known it would be this troublesome, he would never have agreed to come here in the first place.
Now that he was on this ship of thieves, it seemed difficult to get off. Fortunately, for now, He Mu Ming wouldn't easily harm him. It appeared that he still needed to build a good relationship with Pei Guanjing; perhaps one day his master could help him out with He Mu Ming.
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