The daughter of the Marquis is too delicate, the abstinent prince pinches her waist and loves her

Chapter 146 Sending a Master

Inside the house, Zhi Xing had just woken up, her face pale. She swayed as she got up and heard noises coming from outside.

"Your Highness wishes to take a look?"

A light ignited in Zhi Xing's eyes, and she couldn't help but smile. She hurriedly ran to the bronze mirror, looked at her pale lips, frowned in dissatisfaction, and carefully applied rouge to her lips.

Ye Jingnian's gaze darkened slightly, his slender fingers gently caressing the jade pendant at his waist, and he said indifferently, "No need."

Zhi Xing's heart skipped a beat. As she listened to the two footsteps fading into the distance, her once bright eyes dimmed, and the corners of her lips that had been raised fell.

As Ye Jingnian stepped out of the courtyard, he stopped and turned to Yan Chuan, saying, "Go to the storeroom and fetch some of the finest bird's nest and ginseng, and deliver them to her courtyard."

Yan Chuan bowed his head and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

With a creak, the maid who brought the meal pushed open the door and said, "Sister Zhixing, please have your meal."

She opened the food box, revealing plates of exquisite dishes on the table, and said, "The Crown Princess has sent us Longevity Thousand-Layer Cake, which is said to be a gift from the Empress Dowager to everyone because Your Highness is pregnant."

Zhi Xing didn't even look up. Bai Muling was so favored, so naturally she was disliked.

Four days ago, on the night of the full moon, she summoned the Golden Crow Feather Spirit within Ye Jinchen's body, which nearly killed her. Ye Jinchen wasn't much better off. Even after all that, was Ye Jingnian still not satisfied?
After thinking it over, she clenched her fist somewhat unwillingly and said, "Is Your Highness in a bad mood today?"

The maid was taken aback for a moment, then said, "How did you know, sister... Just now, His Highness and the Empress were watching a play in the backyard when Zhang Mama, the Empress Dowager's maid, came and said that the Empress Dowager was required to copy scriptures and pray for blessings every day to cultivate her character. His Highness then left his seat."

Upon hearing this, Zhi Xing guessed most of it; the only person who could make the Empress Dowager punish Bai Muling was that person.

She closed her eyes, slowly lowered the hand holding the rouge, took a deep breath, and sighed wistfully.

Three days later, night fell.

The mansion was completely silent, save for the gentle tinkling of the wind chimes on the eaves.

A dark figure scaled the wall and skillfully avoided the night patrol guards, heading straight for Sheng Yunqing's boudoir.

The window frame was silently pried open with a thin blade, and the man in black slipped inside, reaching for the dressing table by the moonlight.

Sheng Yunqing lay on her side behind the bed curtains, toying with a white jade chess piece with her fingertips, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Su Lan frowned alertly, about to get up, when Sheng Yunqing looked up at her and gently shook his head.

Su Lan was somewhat puzzled, but she still followed Sheng Yunqing's instructions, focusing her gaze on the chessboard and picking up a jade chess piece to place.

The man in black quickly pulled out a star-patterned jade pendant from a hidden compartment in the dressing case, his eyes flashing with wild joy.

He carefully stroked the edge of the jade pendant; the star pattern and the warm texture of the jade matched the description. After getting his hands on it, he quickly climbed out the window and left, completely unaware of the cold glint in Sheng Yunqing's eyes behind the bed curtains.

After he left, Sheng Yunqing glanced at the dressing table and said, "They sent a master."

Su Lan walked towards the dressing case, paused for a moment when she saw the jade pendant inside, picked it up and quickly walked to Sheng Yunqing: "Fairy Sister, this..."

Sheng Yunqing picked up the jade pendant and examined it carefully in the candlelight beside the chessboard, saying, "It's not bad, but it's not as good as ours."

Su Lan nodded knowingly: "So it was a fake..." She frowned in confusion and said, "Although ours was also a fake, it could have been used to defend against it, so why did we let her get it?"

Sheng Yunqing slowly stroked the jade pendant in his hand and said, "The time has come."

"Princess, the item has been obtained!" The man in black knelt down and presented the jade pendant.

Mu Jiyue snatched the jade pendant, finally revealing a triumphant smile. After living in fear for so many days, thankfully Sheng Yunqing hadn't discovered the pendant's secret yet; this time, she had no leverage over Sheng Yunqing!
She examined the jade pendant carefully, then took out her own moonstone jade pendant to compare it, and the corners of her lips that had been raised quickly fell back down.

"No!" she suddenly shouted, slamming the jade pendant to the ground.

With a "crack," jade dust flew everywhere, revealing the inferior jade powder mixed in with the jade inside.

This is actually a meticulously crafted counterfeit!

She raised her hand and slapped the man in black hard, saying, "Useless! You actually stole a fake!"

The man in black subconsciously looked up, met her furious eyes, then lowered his head in frustration, clenched his fist and said, "Your Highness, please understand. I have investigated for a long time, and the jade pendant we want to take back is this one. There is no other star-shaped jade pendant in the entire Marquis's mansion."

"Sheng, Yun, Qing!" Mu Jiyue's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on her tightly clenched hands were bulging.

She slammed her fist on the table, nearly grinding her white teeth to powder.

I wasted nearly a month of my time, only to be tricked by Sheng Yunqing!

Could it be that the real jade pendant is still in Ye Jinlan's hands?

The following day, at Prince Xian's residence.

When Sheng Yunqing stepped into the mansion, Ye Jinlan was brewing tea in the courtyard.

He looked up and saw her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Miss Sheng, what brings you to my humble abode today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of her.

Sheng Yunqing gracefully took her seat, revealing an understanding smile: "Thank you."

She took a sip of the delicate jasmine tea and said, "Your Highness, I've come to fetch something."

Ye Jinlan paused slightly as she poured the tea, then looked up at her and asked, "Oh?"

“The Starry Jade Pendant.” Sheng Yunqing looked directly into his eyes.

Ye Jinlan's eyes flickered slightly. He put down the teapot and said, "Miss Sheng, it's not that I'm stingy, it's just that I have no right to give that jade pendant to anyone."

Sheng Yunqing slowly placed the teacup on the table and said, "That day, I discussed with Prince Xian and made a replica to place in the Marquis's residence. So many days have passed, and the owner has not come to visit."

Upon hearing this, Ye Jinlan paused slightly, then lowered her eyes and murmured, "Isn't it something I care about..."

A hint of disappointment lingered in his eyes, but the only chance to find that girl lay with the jade pendant…

He suddenly raised an eyebrow, looking at Sheng Yunqing with curiosity in his eyes: "Why does Miss Sheng want this item? Could it be that, like me, you want to get to know the owner?"

Sheng Yunqing smiled faintly and said, "Yunqing and Your Highness are different. However, Your Highness keeping it will only bring unnecessary trouble."

"Oh?" Ye Jinlan raised an eyebrow. "For example?"

“For example…” She raised her eyes and looked meaningfully towards the direction of the mansion gate, “Princess Qinxue’s people are probably already on their way to Prince Xian’s mansion.”

Ye Jinlan frowned slightly, puzzled, and said, "Princess Qinxue? She..."

Sheng Yunqing lowered his eyes and said, "I don't know why Princess Qinxue wants the jade pendant. However, my target is her. She stole the fake last night, and now she probably knows where the real jade pendant is. It's safer to entrust it to Yunqing for safekeeping."