He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Jiang Bingning's heart sank.

She knew that the wolf-sacrificing dance would attract attention, but she didn't expect Ji Chengyun to be so impatient.

They can't even wait one night.

Fortunately, she was prepared.

Facing Ji Chengyun's aggressive gaze, Jiang Bingning showed no sign of panic.

She turned and walked to the row of rosewood bookshelves.

Ever since Ji Chengyun came that day, she has read through almost every book here.

The princess had a wide range of interests, and for her, reading was a good way to pass the time in the palace.

Jiang Bingning reached out and took down a slightly worn nanmu box from the top shelf of the bookshelf. Inside was a scroll of notes wrapped in brocade.

She took out the note and turned to hand it to Ji Chengyun.

"Everything the Crown Prince wants to know is here."

Ji Chengyun frowned slightly and took the note with a hint of suspicion.

He slowly unfolded it, and the familiar handwriting instantly came into view.

His gaze softened instantly.

Moonlight streamed through the window, and for a moment, only the soft sound of turning pages filled the study.

Jiang Bingning looked at him, noticing the unconscious affection on his face, and sighed inwardly.

After a long while, Ji Chengyun finally finished turning the last page of the journal.

He closed the note and handed it back to Jiang Bingning, nodding.

"This is indeed my mother's handwriting."

His voice was a little hoarse.

"The above records her research and textual research on the 'Wolf Sacrifice Dance'."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Ji Chengyun's lips.

"You may not know what this dance means to the Northern Di."

He paused, then looked out the window.

"This is a sacrificial dance that was passed down among various tribes before the founding of the Northern Di Kingdom."

"We offer sacrifices to the wolf god and pray for a bountiful harvest."

"only……"

His voice trailed off.

"A hundred years ago, my Northern Di Kingdom was weak and plagued by internal and external troubles. Even the ancestral temples and altars were almost lost. This dance... was lost."

Ji Chengyun withdrew his gaze and looked at Jiang Bingning again.

"My mother dedicated her life to restoring this dance."

"She sought out many elders in her clan who had seen the dance, but they either had vague memories or were not skilled in the dance and could not reproduce it completely."

"Furthermore, with the current strength of the Northern Di state and the desire for change among its people, they have lost the reverence they once had for these traditional ancient rituals."

He took a step forward and pressed down on him again.

"The dance steps recorded in Mother's notes are incomplete and far less impressive than the dance you performed today."

His eyes were fixed intently on Jiang Bingning.

"Now please explain what exactly happened?"

coming.

Jiang Bingning thought to herself.

She knew that a single notebook wouldn't be enough to fool anyone.

Although the Crown Prince of Xin was younger than me, he was very shrewd.

Jiang Bingning lowered her eyes and gently bit her lip.

She raised her head again and said softly, "Your Highness is unaware of this."

"This 'Wolf Sacrifice Dance' may have been lost in the Northern Di."

"But it spread widely in my Great Zhou Dynasty."

"What?"

Ji Chengyun was clearly not expected to receive this answer, and his face was full of astonishment.

Jiang Bingning continued, "Whenever our Great Zhou Dynasty holds grand ceremonies such as sacrificial rites to Heaven or military parades, this dance is often performed to add to the festivities."

The shock on Ji Chengyun's face slowly froze.

He stared blankly at Jiang Bingning, and after a moment he suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"I see."

"A hundred years ago, my Northern Di were in decline, while your Great Zhou was at its peak. It must have been your Great Zhou army that captured my Northern Di people back then."

"Then, force them to dance this sacrificial dance of our faith at your victory celebration, to demonstrate your military prowess and to humiliate us, the defeated."

"Yes and no?"

When he uttered the words "present prisoners," his eyes practically blazed with fury.

Jiang Bingning remained silent.

Ji Chengyun interpreted her silence as tacit agreement.

He clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

The two remained locked in a stalemate, neither speaking again.

I don't know how much time passed.

Jiang Bingning finally broke the suffocating silence.

"Your Highness."

"Your filial piety towards the Queen and your sincere devotion to the Northern Barbarians are truly moving."

Ji Chengyun snorted coldly and turned his head away, clearly not wanting to hear her say anything more.

Jiang Bingning, however, didn't seem to care and continued, "But I would like to ask the young master a few questions."

"Have you ever wondered why the princess is so fond of an ancient dance?"

"Have you ever wondered why she went to such lengths to revive this 'Wolf Sacrifice Dance'?"

She took a step forward, her voice carrying a strange guiding quality.

"Most importantly, there's this journal left by the princess, and those handwritten notes she left in that Book of Songs..."

"Do you really understand what she's trying to tell you?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Chengyun's face turned as cold as ice.

"What exactly are you trying to say!" He practically forced the words out of his throat.

Jiang Bingning was not afraid at all; she just stared intently into Ji Chengyun's eyes, her gaze full of sincerity.

After these few encounters with Ji Chengyun, she could basically conclude that this Prince Xin was far from being as cold and ruthless as Jiang Yuerong had described; on the contrary, he was a person of deep feelings and genuine character, someone she could befriend.

In the past few days, she had tried to find an opportunity to mention visiting her mother to the Dowager Empress, but the Dowager Empress always changed the subject, which made Jiang Bingning a little suspicious.

Although she didn't doubt the Dowager Empress and Prince Xin, she was always concerned about her mother's affairs.

But tonight at the banquet, she felt an urgent sense that she could not rely entirely on the Dowager Consort until Prince Xin returned and her mother entered the palace.

Because Lin, the concubine, looked at him as if she wanted to kill him.

If it was true that the maid accidentally spilled mare's milk on her skirt, it wasn't intentional. However, after she finished performing the wolf-sacrificing dance, not only did Ji Chengyun's expression change, but Consort Lin's expression was also quite off.

Jiang Bingning saw the murderous glare in his eyes.

She now needs to find an ally she can speak to.

Jiang Bingning also took out the Book of Songs and waved it in front of Ji Chengyun.

"Your Highness, I also flipped through the Book of Poetry that you were reading the other day."

"You!" Ji Chengyun was somewhat angry. How dare she touch this book?

The next moment, he suppressed his temper again, after all, he hadn't said he wouldn't let her see it.

After all, she is currently living in Jinse Courtyard.

Jiang Bingning gently placed the Book of Songs on the table. Her tone was sincere: "I've been looking through the book these past few days and I've discovered that the Princess Consort seemed to have passed away in a hurry, so she probably didn't have time to tell the Crown Prince many things."

Ji Chengyun snorted coldly: "Everyone in Beidi knows about this. My mother passed away from a sudden illness, within three months."

"Has the Crown Prince ever suspected that the Queen might not have died from illness?"

Jiang Bingning stepped forward, almost nose to nose with Ji Chengyun.