Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

"He's afraid—is Qi Yu's death related to them?"

Zhao Mingyue asked Gui Yao, "What do you plan to do now, Miss?"

If the Prince of Shu doesn't allow Gui Yao to see his wife, then he won't be able to find Qi Yu, and if he can't find Qi Yu, he won't be able to find her child.

Zhao Mingyue was anxious, and the power of her will grew stronger.

Feeling the continuous flow of willpower into her body, Gui Yao glanced at the magnificent Shu County Prince's Mansion again, "Let's go back first."

First courtesy, then force.

Since reasoning is not an option, then we must resort to military force.

Back at Xuanji Tower, Gui Yao encountered a servant from Prince Jin's residence delivering meals outside the door. Gui Yao was carrying a food box home.

As night fell, she went out again, this time dressed in black without a tasseled hat, only a square scarf covering her face.

The Prince of Shu's Mansion.

Dressed in magnificent attire, with a serene expression, the Princess Consort appeared in the Prince of Shu's study. "What happened?"

He cared for her the most in his daily life, and when he learned that she was not in good health, he wished he could stay by her side at all times.

He wasn't there for lunch or dinner today. After putting the child to sleep, she came looking for him.

The Prince of Shu reached out and pulled her into his lap. "Are you feeling any better?"

Although he had driven the people away, he still had to give Zhao Mingyue's dowry list to the emperor. After leaving the palace, he made some arrangements and didn't have time to spend with his wife and children.

"It's just that I didn't sleep well, why are you making such a fuss?"

The princess cupped his face in her hands. "You haven't answered my question yet. We agreed before that our marriage was hard-won, and we should face everything together. You can't hide anything from me."

She looked directly at the Prince of Shu, her eyes filled with unwavering affection and trust.

The Prince of Shu loved her tenderness the most and was often captivated by it, so he had no choice but to tell the truth: "The woman who came with Zhao Mingyue today said she was looking for Qi Yu."

His eyes were filled with worry. "She said she knows mystical arts and found it in you."

The princess's body stiffened, and her already pale face became even more bloodless.

"Don't be afraid."

The Prince of Shu quickly reassured her, "Her goal is to find the child that Qi Yu took away."

He recounted in detail the visit of Zhao Mingyue and Gui Yao.

"I have sent them away for now. Once I have a lead on the child, I will invite them back to the mansion."

The princess's eyes widened. "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Prince of Shu pressed his finger against his lips, his eyes resolute.

"I will not let anyone hurt you, I will not let anyone destroy our home, never."

Gui Yao hid in the shadows, quietly watching this scene, feeling that the Prince of Shu's words had a hidden meaning.

If he didn't know any clues about the child, he should have just told him. Why wait until he had clues about the child?

Furthermore, he refused to admit during the day that the Princess Consort and Qi Yu were acquainted...

Could it be that he wants to give her false clues?

The couple didn't say another word about the matter and went back to their room to rest.

After the Princess Consort fell asleep, Gui Yao gently turned his fingers and injected a wisp of Yin energy into the Princess Consort's brow.

The princess did not react at all, letting the evil energy flow into her brow. After a moment, she fell into a nightmare and began to feel uneasy.

The Prince of Shu noticed something was wrong and quickly pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back. "Don't be afraid, I'm here..."

Gui Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. People who practice magic are extremely sensitive to Yin energy, and resistance is instinctive for them.

Does she really not know magic?

The next instant, Gui Yao took out a long sword from his spatial storage and thrust it straight at the Prince of Shu.

Sensing danger, the Prince of Shu leaped from the bed, carrying his princess consort, shouting, "Guards! There's an assassin!"

When the first thrust failed, Gui Yao thrust again, this time aiming his sword at the Princess Consort.

The woman, startled awake from her nightmare, was horrified by what she saw.

Suddenly, Gui Yao's sword flashed, its fierce attack aimed straight at the heart of the Prince of Shu.

"Be careful!"

Princess Consort's eyes were bloodshot with rage. She spread her arms to shield Prince Shu, using her body as a shield, her face showing a resolute determination to die.

Just then, the bell on Gui Yao's foot trembled silently, a signal that Mao Dan was looking for her.

Gui Yao's actions tonight were also a test, so when the Prince of Shu barely managed to avoid the attack while carrying his princess, and when the guards arrived, Gui Yao exchanged a few blows, pretended to be outnumbered, and took the opportunity to retreat.

Upon exiting the Prince of Shu's residence, Mao Dan greeted him, "Master, the farmhand says there's news."

Xiao Huaijin waited outside Xuanji Tower with two guards. Gui Yao returned under the cover of night, her face still covered by a square scarf.

Upon seeing Xiao Huaijin, she raised an eyebrow. "You knew I went to the Prince of Shu's residence?"

"It's no secret that the girl was kicked out by the Prince of Shu during the day."

Hsiao Huai-Chin stated that he did not deliberately stalk her.

"I think that given the young lady's personality, if she didn't succeed during the day, she would probably try again at night. I just happened to find out some information that might be useful to her, so I brought it to her."

Unexpectedly, the bird called him back, which further confirmed his previous guess that the hairy bird was not just intelligent.

The handsome man is kind and generous; how could Gui Yao refuse him?

"What did Your Highness find out?"

"The Princess Consort was originally engaged to a man, and the two had a very good relationship. However, when they were discussing marriage, the man's family committed a crime and was exiled."

The marriage was thus called off; it was the groom who initiated the annulment. A month later, the Princess Consort married the Prince of Shu.

Gui Yao nodded. "I also found out about this, but right now she and the Prince of Shu are deeply in love."

Reflecting on what she had just witnessed, she asked, "Is it possible for someone to fall in love with another person again within a month?"

Even after her fiancé, unwilling to be a burden to her, took the initiative to break off the engagement.

Xiao Huaijin thought about it seriously for a moment, then said, "I'm not sure."

He has never been in love.

Gui Yao didn't understand love either, and she looked at the lamp-bearer and the sword-wielder.

Holding his sword, he shook his head. What is love? Can it be exchanged for silver to buy famous swords from all over the world?

He loved to read storybooks in his spare time, and replied, "The Prince of Shu is handsome and powerful."

If he is also chivalrous and considerate, he would indeed be a very good husband for a woman, and falling in love with him might not be difficult.

There are stories of love at first sight in folk tales, and it's not impossible for someone to fall in love with someone else within a month.

"I don't think that's love."

Gui Yao shook her head. "That was a choice made after weighing the pros and cons."

The Princess Consort had just risked her life to protect the Prince of Shu, so it must be true love.

Xiao Huaijin glanced at him in surprise; Gui Yao had said exactly what he was thinking.

Four bachelors who knew nothing about love couldn't figure it out, so they returned to the main topic.

"Anything else? The prince must have come late at night to deliver more than just these messages."

Xiao Huaijin smiled, "The young lady is clever."

If it were just this basic information, there would be no need for him to send it.

He continued, "Qi Yu has had a photographic memory since childhood. He was able to read the Four Books and Five Classics by the age of six. This is the last generation of the Duke of Qi, so he carries the prosperity of the family and is very much loved by his parents."

However, he broke his leg in a horse accident after achieving the highest rank in the imperial examination, ruining his chances of a career in government. Afterwards, the Duke of Qi constantly beat and verbally abused him, which these girls must have known.

Gui Yao nodded.

"Does the girl know who he was riding with when he fell off his horse?"

Gui Yao tentatively asked, "The Prince of Shu?"

She hadn't noticed this before, but after the recent test, she thought of another possibility.

Xiao Huaijin's eyes showed a hint of appreciation. "That's right. I found out that the Prince of Shu treats Qi Yu very well in private, and Qi Yu, under the pressure of her parents for many years, is also very dependent on the Prince of Shu."

After Qi Yu died, the Duke of Qi whipped his corpse and scolded him for not studying hard and ruining his future for love that went against the world.

The relationship between the Prince of Shu and his wife improved after Qi Yu's death, and the Princess Consort's estrangement from her family also began after Qi Yu's death.

Gui Yao nodded in understanding. "That makes sense."

Zhi Jian went to investigate Qi Yu's matter, but he was completely confused by what he heard.

"What is the connection between her change and Qi Yu's death?"

Gui Yao explained, "There are people or ghosts who use mystical arts to strengthen themselves by devouring other people's souls. At first, I suspected that the Princess Consort had devoured Qi Yu's soul."

But I inquired and tested her; the Princess Consort was not a sorcerer. I also felt her pulse that night; she was not a ghost.

Therefore, devouring Qi Yu's soul would be useless to her, and she couldn't do it.

"The primordial spirit is naturally condensed in the bones, and the bones will not mistake their own primordial spirit."

He still didn't understand, or perhaps he found it unbelievable and didn't dare to think about it too deeply.

Xiao Huaijin then said, "If the body inside the Princess Consort is no longer that of the Princess Consort, then she naturally has no feelings for her maternal family."

If it's not the Princess Consort, then who could it be?

Zhangdeng's eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, "It's Qi Yu? Even storybooks wouldn't dare to write something like that!"

Gui Yao nodded. "If it's a case of possession, it can indeed conceal the soul."

She glanced at the sky and smiled faintly, "I still need to verify this."