The Red Mansion in its bustling glory

Although he had some guesses, they were all too absurd. Even though he knew that this world was not only inhabited by mortals, but also by gods, he was not sure. He just had other plans in mind.

"Let's go."

He spoke to the man holding the sword and carrying the book.

The two agreed.

The three of them each rode a horse out of the Jia mansion and left.

However, the direction was not towards the Zhao residence.

When Zhao Xing sent someone to deliver the message, he gave them a different address.

The address was neither familiar nor unfamiliar to Jia Jue. It was a small courtyard in the western part of the capital.

Jia Jue dismounted outside the gate, nodded to the gatekeeper who greeted him, and went inside.

Upon entering, it was discovered that Zhao Xing was not the only one present; many other young noblemen were also seated there.

After thinking for a moment, Jia Jue guessed most of it.

He thought to himself that dealing with the royal family really required caution.

Jia Jue counted; besides himself and Zhao Xing, there were eight other people present.

Two of them were people Jia Jue had only met recently; they had taken the same exam.

Jia Jue remained calm and sat down as Zhao Xing had arranged.

Looking around, he realized that his seat was right below Zhao Xing's. It seemed that even among so many outstanding young talents, the Third Prince held him in high regard.

Jia Jue guessed that the seating arrangement everyone was taking now reflected their importance in the Third Prince's mind.

Based on his status and the talent he displayed, he could be considered the number one person after Zhao Xing.

"ha."

Jia Jue smiled to himself.

She secretly recalled the Third Prince's usual behavior. Although he was generally cautious and steady, he did not always act in a contradictory way.

A ruler chooses his ministers, and ministers also choose their rulers.

After all, his connection with the Third Prince in court wasn't very deep yet. He should observe the situation further before deciding whether to withdraw.

Jia Jue thought to himself.

What he was thinking was naturally unknown to everyone.

Zhao Xing had summoned everyone to his residence for a reason.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, he said, "Gentlemen, we are all acting for His Highness and are all like-minded people, so let's get straight to the point."

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, he said, "As you all should have heard, His Highness has resigned from his post in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, saying that he is going to study."

Everyone present nodded, clearly having heard about it.

Zhao Xing continued, "I believe this is merely a polite remark; there are things behind it that neither you nor I know."

To Jia Jue, this statement was utter nonsense; it was merely a statement of facts, and who among those present didn't already know it?

While Zhao Xing was speaking, Jia Jue was also secretly observing the people around him.

They were all young nobles and sons of officials; none of them were court officials.

Is it that they have no intention of inviting someone, or that they simply cannot invite someone?

Jia Jue thought to himself.

He thought the latter was more likely, since Zhao Xing was quite intelligent in his mind and wouldn't be so clueless as to not know the uses of officials in the court.

If it's impossible to invite them at all, it can only mean that Zhao Xing doesn't have effective control over the officials and talents under the Third Prince.

After all, the Third Prince is currently indifferent to worldly affairs, and they can be considered leaderless. If they are to take action now, they must have a leader.

Judging from Zhao Xing's demeanor, he seems to want to play this role.

Because of the Third Prince's supposedly clever division and appeasement, everyone present only now realized that there were so many people involved, which actually provided Zhao Xing with a convenient opportunity.

However, compared to the officials in the court, these noble sons were negligible in terms of their power regarding the Third Prince's goals, and they were simply incapable of accomplishing anything.

Jia Jue sighed – Is this pirate ship really reliable?

At the time, the Third Prince made a fairly good first impression on me, and I was thinking of observing him for a while longer.

As a result, he was not given a chance to observe or refuse. Inside the carriage, there were only three people, one of whom was the Third Prince, and the other was his subordinate. Outside, there were his guards. Under such circumstances, could he still refuse?

That's why Jia Jue spoke so decisively in the carriage that day.

I never expected the Third Prince to act like this...

"well--"

Jia Jue sighed inwardly, having basically given up all hope for these people.

"Jade Brother."

Zhao Xing suddenly asked him, "You are extremely intelligent, what's your opinion on this matter?"

Jia Jue sighed again, and said while thinking, "There are only two possibilities in this matter—one is that, as rumored, His Highness resigned voluntarily to pursue further studies; the other is that he was forced. I presume everyone here believes it is the latter. So who could have made His Highness resign from his post? And who could have kept His Highness from leaving the palace for so long?"

Who else could it be? Naturally, it would be either His Majesty or the Emperor Emeritus.

However, the fact that he was removed from his post indicates that he made a significant mistake.

If the retired emperor were to follow his own temperament, he would probably have already granted the third prince a title and sent him away from the capital.

Therefore, the probability of His Majesty being the one to inherit the throne is still higher.

Of course, Jia Jue didn't say any of this; he was testing everyone present.

Some people can understand this, while others cannot.

Those two who took the exam with me have probably figured it out.

After looking around, Jia Jue fell silent.

To put it bluntly, this gathering was Zhao Xinglai's way of consolidating his position in the Third Prince's camp.

Therefore, Jia Jue did not utter the question he most wanted to ask—"So, do you all still think we can be of any use?"

Seeing that he didn't speak, Zhao Xing spoke again.

Jia Jue wasn't really listening to what he was saying; he was already thinking about the possibility of escaping.

By the time Zhao Xing finished speaking, it was already quite late.

Everyone got up and prepared to go back.

However, one person approached Jia Jue.

He recognized the man; he was the one who had gone down the field with him, a year older than Jia Jue, named Sima He.

When Sima He passed by Jia Jue, he quietly handed him a note.

Jia Jue understood immediately and didn't make a fuss. He only opened the book after he had left and was about to reach Ningrong Street.

An address is written on it.

Jia Jue turned his horse around and said to the man with the sword and book, "Come with me to another place."

The two agreed and followed Jia Jue back.

The crystal water is considered a scenic spot in the capital.

A river running from the northeast corner to the southwest corner of the capital city divides the city into two sections.

Every year during the Lantern Festival, the Liuli River is filled with lanterns.

At this moment, Jia Jue arrived at the Liuli Water.

Sima He was here.

"I thought Brother Jia wouldn't come," Sima He said with a smile.

"Since Brother Sima invited me, I naturally cannot refuse," Jia Jue said.

"Brother Jia, when I was young, I traveled all over the country with my father and crossed many rivers. Although the Liuli River in the capital is beautiful, it is not as turbulent as the great rivers."

"Brother Sima has a wealth of experience, which I greatly envy," Jia Jue said with a smile.

"Brother Jia, do you know when we should board a boat if we travel by the Yellow River?"

"when?"

"If it's sunny," Sima He said with a smile, "if it rains, the waves will be raging, and it will be difficult to escape."

He turned to look at Jia Jue, "Just like you and me now, we should have disembarked long ago."