Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

Given the strength of the Golden Feather Guards, finding someone in the capital city wouldn't be difficult.

Moreover, Pei Yong was quite lucky; things started to look promising in just one day.

However, the result surprised him.

This person was connected to Ren Fengjue, the young master of the Renxuan Marquis's mansion.

Now, even if Pei Yong had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to continue investigating.

So, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and tell King Yu, Zhao Xing, what had happened.

Zhao Xing was also surprised when he found out.

Ren Fengjue has become a prominent figure in the court in recent years. Since he took over the Ministry of Justice, one old case after another has been brought to light.

Many people in the court were afraid of him.

Even Zhao Xing was somewhat wary of it.

However, it is said that Ren Fengjue was upright and never got close to women. It was precisely this gentlemanly demeanor that made Princess Ding'an completely infatuated with him.

If it weren't for his existing marriage contract, An Ding would probably have already asked his father, the emperor, to issue an edict summoning him to be the emperor's son-in-law.

But now, he's suddenly hiding a woman in his house?

Could it be his rumored fiancée?

Even if it were true, it would be improper for the two to live together before they were married.

Thinking this way, Zhao Xing suddenly had an idea.

-

Princess Ding'an, Zhao Ruozhen, was Emperor Qingkang's most beloved youngest daughter.

Her birth mother was also Emperor Qingkang's favorite concubine, but unfortunately, she died young, passing away from illness not long after giving birth to Ding'an.

Therefore, Princess Ding'an, who lost her mother at a young age, was even more favored by the emperor. Not only did she receive a title early on, but she was also granted special permission to hold a birthday banquet in the Imperial Garden every year on her birthday.

Ren Fengjue got up very early that day, but to his surprise, Xia Ximo got up even earlier.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, she disguised herself as the young marquis's personal servant and accompanied him to the palace banquet.

Under Tian Qing's skillful hands, Xia Ximo's "servant's makeup" was quite lifelike.

The only drawback is that her facial features are too delicate.

She was so beautiful that no amount of ink could conceal the femininity in her eyes and brows.

However, despite this, as long as Ren Fengjue was present, entering the palace was still very smooth.

Around 9:00 AM, the guests entered the Imperial Garden one after another and took their seats.

Because of Princess Ding'an's special care, Ren Fengjue's seat was not only in the front but also very close to the princess.

He had anticipated all of this.

However, no sooner had they sat down than a girl in pink came running over, surrounded by palace maids.

"Brother Wind, do I look good in my dress today?"

Despite the many eyes watching her, Princess Ding'an made no attempt to hide herself. Holding onto her skirt, she twirled around in front of Ren Fengjue a few times, her eyes sparkling and her smile radiant.

The guests dared not look at the scene for long and quickly rose to their feet to pay their respects: "Greetings, Princess Ding'an."

Before Ren Fengjue could speak, a hearty laugh followed.

The guests recognized the emperor's voice and immediately performed the "Long Live the Emperor" salute.

"Ruozhen, today is your fifteenth birthday. Have you forgotten what you promised your father yesterday?"

Facing his most beloved youngest daughter, Emperor Qingkang abandoned his usual stern demeanor, his face beaming with smiles and his tone full of doting affection.

Princess Ding'an simply turned around, stuck out her tongue, and walked directly to Ren Fengjue's side. She affectionately tugged at his sleeve and whispered sweet nothings.

"Brother Wind, you still haven't answered me?"

A quick glance out of the corner of her eye caught sight of the servant standing behind Ren Fengjue, and she was filled with curiosity.

"Who is this person? I've never seen him before?"

Ren Fengjue quietly pulled his sleeve away from the princess's hand, then replied calmly, "I have never brought her into the palace before, so Your Highness has naturally never seen her."

Upon hearing this, Princess An Ding carefully examined Xia Ximo.

Her eyes were clear and bright, with a touch of innocence.

"He's really handsome, much better looking than all the others."

"..."

Ren Fengjue covered his mouth and coughed lightly, then secretly glanced at Xia Ximo.

She remained indifferent when praised.

They didn't give the princess any face at all.

With the arrival of the emperor and princess, the banquet officially began.

The first round involves guests presenting gifts and reciting congratulatory messages.

To win the princess's favor, this segment was truly spectacular.

Unnoticed, Xia Ximo quietly left the scene, and even Ren Fengjue only noticed it a while later.

The inner palace grounds are so vast that the numerous passageways within the Imperial Garden alone are overwhelming.

After avoiding the crowd, Xia Ximo took out the Soul-Crossing Lamp and asked Wuyou to find Meng Zhiyuan's ghost.

With the help of a wisp of "ashes" on the ghost, it quickly found its approximate location.

Southeast corner.

It seems my guess was correct; Meng Zhiyuan's main soul is indeed in the palace.

Having determined his destination, Xia Ximo immediately headed towards the southeast corner.

However, at a fork in the road, two people walked towards them.

Before leaving, Ren Fengjue gave a general overview of some palace regulations.

But she didn't have much patience to listen, and only remembered two words—avoid people.

Hearing footsteps, she immediately stepped aside and lowered her head to wait for them to pass.

However, as the two passed by her, the person behind her clearly paused, as if he had noticed something.

Fortunately, they were on their way to the princess's birthday banquet and did not linger.

Only after hearing the footsteps fade into the distance did Xia Ximo continue walking.

After leaving the Imperial Garden, Wuyou deliberately chose secluded paths, but she still inevitably encountered eunuchs and palace maids.

However, since it was the princess's birthday banquet, these people were so busy that they barely had time to spare and had no time to pay attention to others.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Wuyou said, "We're getting closer. It should be here."

Xia Ximo looked up and saw a palace in front of him, with the three characters "Dongsheng Hall" engraved on the plaque.

"I've heard that this is where the emperor summons his ministers to discuss matters."

Wuyou explained to her.

Xia Ximo didn't care where they were; she only asked, "Have you seen Meng Zhiyuan's main soul?"

Wuyou sniffed the air carefully before pointing inside the hall.

"It should be inside."

Xia Ximo was about to go inside when she noticed two guards standing at the door.

It seems there's another hurdle to overcome before we can even get in.

Her fingers, hidden in her sleeve, twitched, but Wuyou immediately stopped her and volunteered, "Leave these two to me. You'd better use your soul power sparingly."

Xia Ximo immediately loosened her grip and turned to look at it.

Wuyou transformed into a wisp of white smoke, drifted to the two guards, and gently blew a breath at them.

The two guards froze, their eyes widening in shock as they stood rooted to the spot.

"That's fine."

Carefree and smug, he waved to her.

Xia Ximo narrowed his eyes, a rare hint of interest in his expression: "What kind of trick is this now?"

Wuyou chuckled, "It's just inviting them inside the lamp to play for a while, but it won't last long, we have to hurry."