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Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu came to the fishing ground dock to secretly observe and search for clues about the mysterious force. They disguised themselves as ordinary fishermen's families, applying black powder to their faces to make themselves look more ordinary, blending into the crowd so as not to attract too much attention, and then lingered near the dock.

This fishing ground wharf is usually bustling with activity, boats coming and going, fishermen busily carrying goods, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining filling the air.

However, beneath this seemingly ordinary scene, Jiang Chaoyu keenly sensed something unusual. Unfamiliar faces were frequently appearing at the dock, hurrying about with wary eyes, deliberately keeping their distance from those around them, as if concealing some secret.

Just as Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu were secretly observing, a low murmur of conversation suddenly caught their attention.

They looked in the direction of the sound and saw several men dressed in black huddled together, talking nervously. Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu exchanged a glance, secretly thinking that these men were likely connected to that mysterious force.

They crept closer, trying to overhear their conversation. But just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind them: "Second Miss, how have you been?"

Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu were startled and quickly turned around, only to see the Second Prince standing behind them, his face cold and his eyes scrutinizing. Jiang Chaoyu inwardly groaned; she never expected to encounter the Second Prince Zeng Chenhua here. She quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Second Prince. We were just here at the docks; we didn't expect to run into Your Highness."

Zeng Chenhua nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over them as if he were sizing them up. Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu felt that his gaze was like a sharp sword, making them afraid to look directly at him.

After a moment, Zeng Chenhua slowly spoke, "What a coincidence! I heard that a fisherman caught the biggest fish of all day. Could it be that you're here to see this too?"

Although Jiang Chaoyu had doubts, she didn't dare to ask too many questions. Thinking that this person was actually giving her a way out, she could only reply, "Yes, I came out alone out of curiosity, but I was worried about damaging the reputation of the Prime Minister's Mansion, so I disguised myself. I hope the Second Prince will keep it a secret. But we've finished looking around, so we'll take our leave." She wanted to get closer to hear more clearly, but unfortunately Zeng Chenhua was nearby, so it seemed that this plan was not going to work.

"No problem."

Watching Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu's departing figures, a complex expression flashed in the Second Prince's eyes. He turned to the group of men in black and asked in a deep voice, "How did things go?"

The man in black quickly stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, everything is proceeding according to your instructions, and the goods have been safely delivered to the designated location."

The Second Prince nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself that thanks to Leng Huashan's information and the secret letter from his eldest brother, this matter would be flawless.

After leaving the fishing ground dock, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu still had some doubts. They didn't understand why the Second Prince had appeared there, nor did they know what kind of connection he had with that mysterious force. But they knew that this matter was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.

However, seeing that Jiang Chaoyu seemed to have met Zeng Chenhua several times, Li Yuanxiu asked, "Xiaoyu, what about you and the Second Prince?"

When Jiang Chaoyu heard Li Yuanxiu ask, she told him in detail what had happened when she met Zeng Chenhua before, and then added, "Actually, I only met him a few times, but I always felt like he could read minds."

Upon hearing about mind reading, Li Yuanxiu pondered, "I've only ever seen mind reading in the secret books of the Crescent Moon Sect, but that was hundreds of years ago, and such a secret technique has long been lost. No one should possess it."

Hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu felt relieved. She was always worried that Zeng Chenhua might have overheard her thoughts, which was why things always went so wrong when she encountered him.

"Miss Jiang!"

Unsure of where the voice was calling her, Jiang Chaoyu didn't turn around immediately, but instead covered her face.

This trip was originally a secret trip, and she only wore black powder to save trouble, but she didn't expect to be recognized again. If it weren't for the side effects of that medicine, she would definitely use it every time she went out.

The voice that called out to her sounded like Xie Yunyin's voice from before. She slowly turned around, only to be met with a pair of surprised eyes.

"It really is you, Miss Jiang!"

Seeing Xie Yunyin's delight, Jiang Chaoyu felt a little strange and looked at Xie Yunyin, who was some distance away from her, with a puzzled expression.

"Who are you?"

Standing to the side, Li Yuanxiu also felt something was strange.

"Little fish, I am little fish." He said, making a swimming motion with his hands. This action seemed to remind Jiang Chaoyu of the boy who almost drowned himself while trying to catch fish by the lake.

I used to laugh at him, saying he jumped into the lake because he wanted to become a fish, so I called him Little Fish. I never expected that he would be Xie Yunyin, the young master of the Xie family.

"It's you! How did you recognize me?"

Five years have passed, and although there haven't been many changes, I have grown a lot.

Jiang Chaoyu smiled as she looked at Xie Yunyin approaching her. She never expected that the person who laughed at her for not being able to catch fish back then would now be a head taller than her.

"You haven't changed at all."

However, Jiang Chaoyu felt that Xie Yunyin had sharp eyes, managing to recognize her even in this situation. But then she noticed a hint of mockery in Xie Yunyin's expression.

"Really? I used to be just as dark-skinned, and I still am. You can still recognize me."

Xie Yunyin waved her hands as if she had said something wrong, and hurriedly explained, "No, no, your eyebrows and eyes are unchanged, you're even more beautiful. Looking at your face, it must be black powder."

Jiang Chaoyu's smile was hidden at the corner of her mouth as she looked at Xie Yunyin, who was busy explaining himself. This contrasted sharply with the cold Xie Yunyin she had seen yesterday.

"Just kidding, but what are you doing here?"

I saw Xie Yunyin during the last mission, so he must be here with a mission this time too. But let's see how Xie Yunyin explains it.

Xie Yunyin seemed to have anticipated Jiang Chaoyu's question and had already prepared an answer.

"Wander around."

Jiang Chaoyu looked around, pointing at the surroundings, as if to say, "Do you really want to walk around?"

Xie Yunyin understood Jiang Chaoyu's meaning and nodded slightly.

"Alright, then we'll take our leave now, see you next time."

After saying that, Jiang Chaoyu pulled Li Yuanxiu away, while Xie Yunyin watched Jiang Chaoyu's retreating figure and silently said, "See you next time."

"How much longer will Young Master Xie be watching?"

Before anyone knew it, Zeng Chenhua had already stood next to Xie Yunyin and suddenly said something.

Xie Yunyin recognized the speaker's voice and retorted, "Of course I want to see it for a lifetime."

Unexpectedly, Zeng Chenhua intended to persuade Jiang Chaoyu to return, but instead, Jiang Chaoyu ended up meeting Xie Yunyin.

“Some things are more likely to happen the more you try to stop them.” Xie Yunyin was naturally referring to his chance encounter with Jiang Chaoyu.

"Oh, really? We'll see."

After returning to the Red Mansion, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu told Xinniangzi about their experience at the fishing dock.

Upon hearing this, Lady Xin frowned slightly and pondered, "It is indeed strange that the Second Prince appeared at the fishing dock. This matter is quite complicated, and we must proceed with caution."

Jiang Chaoyu nodded, knowing in his heart that he must find out the truth about this matter.

A few days later, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu returned to the fishing ground pier.

This time, they decided to investigate further to see if they could find more clues about the Second Prince and that mysterious force. They carefully observed the area near the docks and discovered some suspicious signs.

Some ships frequently entered and left the dock, but never unloaded their cargo, instead sailing directly into the distance. Jiang Chaoyu's heart stirred, and he guessed that these ships were likely related to that mysterious force.

She and Li Yuanxiu decided to follow these ships to see where they were headed.

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, the two escaped into the storage compartment. The ship, in the darkness, seemed to be rocking violently. After an unknown amount of time, the ship finally stopped rocking.

After the ship docked, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and quietly ran out of the storage compartment, found a secluded place to hide, and observed every move on the shore.

According to Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu, the people on these boats were busy unloading some goods.

While on the ship, the cargo was tightly wrapped, making it impossible to see what was inside. Jiang Chaoyu pondered to herself that this cargo was likely what the Second Prince and that mysterious force were truly hiding, but what exactly it was?

Just then, they saw the Second Prince step off a ship, accompanied by several men in black.

The Second Prince's expression was grave, as if he were pondering something important. Jiang Chaoyu was startled; so the reason she had been stopped was because this matter was related to him. She had to seize this opportunity to find out the Second Prince's true purpose.

She and Li Yuanxiu crept closer, trying to overhear their conversation. However, just then, a man in black spotted them and shouted, "Someone's there!"

Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu were startled, not expecting that the people around the Second Prince would be so vigilant, able to know their actions even in such a situation.

The two realized they had been exposed. They immediately turned and ran. Jiang Chaoyu didn't dare look back, afraid that the men were too close and would catch up if she turned around. Just as Jiang Chaoyu expected, the men in black pursued them relentlessly, while Zeng Chenhua stood quietly, watching the cat-and-mouse game.

At this critical moment, Jiang Chaoyu suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She pulled Li Yuanxiu and ran towards the sea.

The two jumped into the sea, and the people behind them followed suit.

Faced with the pursuers behind them, the two dared not relax, and they dared not even stop.

They swam for a distance in the sea, and when they saw a boat ahead, they swam faster towards it.

Quietly climbing onto a passing fishing boat, and after gaining a foothold, seeing people still swimming in the sea or even those trying to climb onto the boat, Jiang Chaoyu checked the boat for anything and then threw some random objects at them.

It smashed down on the head with such force that the seawater turned red.

finally······

Those people didn't chase after us.

Jiang Chaoyu finally felt a chance to catch her breath and slowly sat down, looking at Li Yuanxiu. At this moment, the black powder on their faces had been washed away by the seawater, leaving only their fair and flawless cheeks.

The two entered through the back door of the Red Mansion, found Xin Niangzi, and told her what had happened.

Lady Xin's expression tightened as she pondered, "So this matter is related to the current Second Prince?"

Jiang Chaoyu nodded. "Yuanxiu and I both saw him at the time, and it seemed like he was hiding something before that?"

Xin Niangzi wanted to say something, but then seemed to think of something, and stopped speaking, instead saying, "It's not appropriate for me to get too involved in this matter, but I think Xiaoyu, your master seems to know something."

Xin Niangzi looked at Jiang Chaoyu with a serious expression. Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu became even more curious, but judging from her master's previous attitude, he was sure he wouldn't say anything.

Therefore, she stopped inquiring further, and presumably Lady Xin would not tell her master.

In the days that followed, Jiang Chaoyu and Li Yuanxiu dared not continue their investigation near the fishing grounds and docks.

After some thought, Jiang Chaoyu decided to use her identity to infiltrate the Second Prince's inner circle and find an opportunity to uncover his secrets.

She knew it would be a dangerous game, but she was willing to take the risk in order to find out the truth.

Through connections within the Crescent Moon Sect, Jiang Chaoyu successfully entered the Second Prince's residence and became a maid. She also consumed a transformation pill from the Medical Pavilion, transforming herself into an ordinary servant.

The last time I entered the Second Prince's residence was to steal his jade pendant, and now I've entered again. This time, however, I seem to know the Second Prince's residence very well; everything seems to have a direction in my mind, and I know exactly what to do next.

She moved around the mansion cautiously, trying her best not to appear in front of Zeng Chenhua during the day, while secretly observing the Second Prince's every move.

Sometimes she noticed that Zeng Chenhua was often alone in his study, seemingly pondering something important.

Jiang Chaoyu knew she couldn't just sit and wait to die, so she decided to sneak into the study with a cup of tea in her hand, hoping to find some clues. Under the cover of night, she quietly arrived at the study door.

The study door was ajar. She knocked lightly and went inside, where she heard a low, resonant voice. Jiang Chaoyu was overjoyed, knowing this was a rare opportunity.

She gently pushed open the door and saw Zeng Chenhua sitting at his desk, holding a map in his hand, his brows furrowed, seemingly deep in thought about something important. Jiang Chaoyu thought to herself, this map must be related to that secret.

Meanwhile, behind the screen, there seemed to be a painting hanging, which, in a hazy view, appeared to depict a woman.

She quietly approached, placed the teacup on the table, and was inexplicably drawn to the painting, so much so that she wanted to see the person in the painting more clearly.

However, at that moment, Zeng Chenhua suddenly looked up and noticed Jiang Chaoyu's presence. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he asked in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"

Jiang Chaoyu was startled, realizing she was being suspected, and pretended to be a maid who had committed a crime.

She quickly knelt down and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I only came to bring you tea and did not mean to disturb you."

Zeng Chenhua nodded slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. Looking at the cup of tea on the table, it was indeed as the maid had said. He said, "Raise your head."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaoyu was shocked, but then she remembered that she had taken the transformation pill and her appearance had changed drastically, so she shakily raised her head, but dared not look directly at Zeng Chenhua.

Zeng Chenhua looked at the maid, whose face was covered with freckles and whose left cheek was scarred. She was trembling all over. He said, "You can go now. You are not allowed to enter the study without my permission."

Jiang Chaoyu was somewhat pleased, as it seemed that the prince had not recognized her. She then replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Just as Jiang Chaoyu was about to leave the room in high spirits, Zeng Chenhua stopped her, saying, "Wait, let me see your eyes."

Jiang Chaoyu stopped and turned around, secretly worried.

Zeng Chenhua looked at those eyes and felt like he'd seen them somewhere before...