Chapter 144
Ye Li brought a collection of poems back to her room and started to read at ease . Princess An Xi didn’t become the inheritress of Nan Zhao for nothing . At least the men she sent to watch Ye Li didn’t make her uncomfortable, so Ye Li didn’t bother to say anything about it . If Princess An Xi did believe her, she would have questioned her intelligence .
“Miss, Princess An Xi has left the manor . ” Secret Guard No . 2 came in and said in a low voice .
Ye Li nodded and said below her breath: “That princess isn't easy to deal with . Don't stay too close to her and don’t give her any reason to be suspicious . ”
Secret Guard No . 2 frowned and looked outside as he said: “She doesn’t believe us at all . If we stay here, we can do nothing and can’t get away easily either . ”
Ye Li shook her head . “She must know where big brother is . Even though she can’t find him at the moment, she doesn’t worry about his safety . What has big brother been doing after he’s here? Can you find that out?”
Secret Guard No . 2 nodded . “I’ll hand it to you before tomorrow, Miss . ”
Nodding, Ye Li stared at the book she had with a frown, however, her mind had already left for somewhere far away . Apparently, big brother wasn’t taken by someone but went to somewhere himself . However, he didn’t come back by the time he promised Princess An Xi . Since he doesn’t have any enemies here, it could only be Princess An Xi’s . If so . . . in the light that big brother has inherited big uncle’s wisdom to plan very carefully with every conceivable possibility taken into account, he should have left clues behind . Clues . . . Where are the clues?
Unfolding a paper, Ye Li took out a crayon and started to write quickly . She stayed up to read all the information about Nan Zhao sent by secret guards which spun in her head now as she drew a structure of all the powers in Nan Zhao as well as their relations . In no time, the paper was filled with all kinds of symbols and strange characters .
Secret Guard No . 2 looked curiously at things he didn’t understand, however, he didn’t ask anything about it .
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Ye Li put down the crayon and paused as she looked at it . She didn’t intend to conceal it from anyone since nothing on it was a secret . She just put what she read last night in order . Looking at the paper with at least four languages, she sighed inwardly . To be honest, she missed the life she had in the previous incarnation . She could be a perfect princess but she didn’t want to so after leaving the capital she chose to avoid protection from Mo Xiu Yao and proceed in a more dangerous way .
Getting rid of all the disturbing thoughts, she gazed at the paper for a long time before she asked with a frown: “Why isn't there any information of the Holy Princess of Nan Zhao?” The graph showed clearly they knew little about the Holy Princess, a very important figure in Nan Zhao . Where the Holy Princess was mentioned, there were just a few words of her basic information, age and name without even anything about her appearance, only infomation Ye Li already knew back when she was in Great Chu . If the Holy Princess was fighting openly with the inheritress of Nan Zhao and maneuvering covertly in order to usurp power, there couldn't have been so little information about her .
Secret Guard No . 2 answered: “The Holy Princess is regarded as the guardian of all clans in Nan Zhao . She serves in the Holy Princess Shrine two miles away from here . She doesn’t leave there except for major events and festivals . Usually, only 36 maids who were selected to take care of her can get near her . ”
Shu Man Lin, the current Holy Princess inherited her title when she was 15 . She only left the shrine ten times in eight years, having worn a mask each time . It was said nobody knew what she looked like except her predecessors in seclusion .
Ye Li shook her head . “Impossible . The current Holy Princess doesn’t need to teach the next Holy Princess . Then who teaches and brings up a Holy Princess when she is little? Who are her parents? Besides . . . if nobody knows what she looks like, then . . . who can tell if it is indeed the Holy Princess of Nan Zhao under the mask?”
“Well . . . ” Secret Guard No . 2 hesitated with a frown .
Ye Li took the crayon and wrote something down heavily . “Look into the imperial family of Nan Zhao and the Holy Princess again . Don't miss any details . ”
Secret Guard No . 2 answered immediately: “As you command . I’ll send men after this at once . Miss, are you suspecting that . . . the Holy Princess . . . ”
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Playing with the crayon in her hand, she smiled thinly: “If the Holy Princess seldom leaves her shrine, how does she get in touch with Prince Li? Several years ago, when Prince Li was on a diplomatic mission here, the Holy Princess didn’t show up . Then . . . ”
Secret Guard No . 2’s eyes lit up and said: “They have met in private . Prince Li can’t have sent someone else to negotiate an alliance with her . Besides, it wouldn’t be easy to meet her . ”
Ye Li nodded and pondered as she leaned on the chair . “Holy Princess . . . what a strange position . Pushing a girl whose identity and ability nobody knows about into a shrine, is it that people of Nan Zhao are particularly naive?”
Secret Guard No . 2 shook his head and shrugged as he said: “If we find someone in Great Chu and title him the prince, even with His Majesty’s weighty words, it can't convince the masses . ”
“Is the history of Holy Princess as old as that of Nan Zhao?”
“No . Before Nan Zhao established, each clan had their own rules . There wasn’t a Holy Princess . After its establishment, its priest selected the first Holy Princess . ” Secret Guard No . 2 recalled with his head lowered .
Ye Li's brows rose . “It sounds like a priest carries out the same function as a Holy Princess so there wasn’t a priest after there was a Holy Princess . ”
Secret Guard No . 2 nodded . He pondered for a while before he said: “A priest wasn’t as restricted as a Holy Princess but performs a similar duty . However, in the mind of Nan Zhao, a Holy Princess is more worthy of its devotion . ”
“Compared to an old man who travels a lot, people are bound to prefer a mysterious beautiful young girl . ” Ye Li agreed .
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In the morning, after having the breakfast brought by a maid, Ye Li was about to leave with Secret Guard No . 2 when she met Princess An Xi who was obviously going out too at the gate .
“Miss Chu, are you going out?”
Ye Li walked up to her with an expectant yet uneasy smile .
“Sister princess, do you have any news about Brother Qing Chen?”
Princess An Xi shook her head in remorse as she said: “Sorry, Miss Chu . I don’t have any news of him for now . ”
Ye Li lowered her head in dismay and said in a small voice: “It’s okay . He is going to be fine . I’m going to look for him with Lin Han . I believe I’ll find him soon . ”
“Miss Chu, you are new here, unfamiliar with this place and the people . Where are you going to find him?”
Ye Li twiddled her fingers at a loss and said below her breath: “I . . . I’ll look everywhere . Perhaps I can find him . ”
Princess An Xi can't help smiling and said: “Miss Chu, if you are bored you can walk around the city . If there’s anywhere you want to go ask someone from the manor to guide you . However, there are many dangerous places here, please don’t get yourself in danger or Mr . Qing Chen will worry about you . ”
Ye Li nodded as she answered: “I see . Thank you so much, sister princess . You will find him soon, won't you? Or, or perhaps I can write to Uncle Xu . Brother Qing Chen told me Uncle Xu is the most intelligent person in this world . He must know how to find Brother Qing Chen . ”
“Are you talking about Mr . Hong Yu?” Princess An Xi paused and said softly .
Ye Li nodded vigorously and smiled: “Sister princess, you know Uncle Xu too? Was it Brother Qing Chen who told you about him?”
Princess An Xi nodded slightly and said with a smile: “Miss Chu, don't worry . I promise I'll find Mr . Qing Chen soon . It takes a difficult journey here . Don't get Mr . Hong Yu worried too . Mr . Qing Chen will be troubled if he knows, right?”
Ye Li blinked . She stared at Princess An Xi as if she didn't quite understand her and nodded after a good while . “You are right, sister princess . ”
Watching Princess An Xi leave, Ye Li followed with a smile . “Send men after Princess An Xi . ”
“As you command . ”