Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Xiao Chenlin sat on his horse, his brows furrowed with a sinister arrogance.

He handed the exquisite bow in his hand to his subordinate to put away, feigning innocence.

"I am truly sorry, everyone. The forest was so lush with vegetation that I was momentarily blind and mistook a scurrying rabbit for the jade dove we were looking for in the competition."

Was it really just for shooting jade doves?

Liu Wenying didn't think she was overthinking things.

The prince's arrow was shot at a tricky angle, aiming to kill two birds with one stone.

It aimed at the rabbit while also targeting her back.

If the three gentlemen hadn't spoken up at the same time, giving her time to react, that arrow would already be embedded in her body.

Her fate will be the same as the mother rabbit's—she will die on the spot.

But she lowered her eyes and didn't say anything.

She was of low status and her voice carried little weight; she could not speak for herself, but there were others who would speak for her.

"Your Highness has excellent archery skills."

Pei Yaojun stepped forward, offering praise in name only but criticism in reality.

"To mistake a rabbit for a jade dove and almost injure someone from my manor—such keen eyesight is truly admirable."

Xiao Chenlin recognized him, especially since he had performed the cauldron trick on stage yesterday, stunning everyone present, leaving a deep impression on him.

"A mere servant deserves such protection from Young Master Pei? What, have you never seen anything good before?"

Pei Yaojun's expression changed, and he took a step forward, about to lash out.

"Third brother, you may step back now."

Pei Dingxuan stepped between him and the Crown Prince in time and bowed to Xiao Chenlin.

"My third brother is young and impetuous, and his words are offensive. Please forgive him, Your Highness."

Xiao Chenlin narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "I've heard that Young Master Pei is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and is known for his impartiality. Yet, he seems quite protective of his brother."

He glanced at Pei Yaojun, the fierceness in his eyes slightly subsiding.

"Fine, I won't pursue this matter. But with Young Master Pei's temperament, if he were to enter officialdom in the future, he probably wouldn't amount to much."

"How can someone who is completely ignorant of even the most basic social etiquette shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the court and share His Majesty's burdens?"

Just as Pei Dingxuan was about to counter his move, a cheerful voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Your Majesty, you are mistaken!"

Under the shade of the trees, the Second Prince Xiao Yiheng rode a white horse and strolled over, exuding an air of refined elegance and composure, his movements measured and measured.

"Isn't Young Master Pei currently overseeing affairs at the Ministry of Works? The Ministry of Works specializes in mechanical arts and crafts, and spends its days figuring out how to improve machinery, build water conservancy projects, and benefit the people—all actions that benefit the country and its people."

They are completely different from those officials who specialize in interpersonal relationships and navigate the complexities of court politics. How can one claim that they are inept at interpersonal relationships?

It is common knowledge in both the court and the public that the Crown Prince and the Second Prince have always been at odds in their positions and political views.

It's not surprising that Xiao Yiheng spoke up for Pei Yaojun in public today, directly confronting the Crown Prince.

Xiao Chenlin increased the force of his grip on the reins, but refrained from doing so because of the presence of others.

He had no choice but to suppress his displeasure, force a fake smile, and pretend to be a brother.

"So it's my second brother. What a coincidence! You must also be here looking for that jade dove because of the Northern Barbarian competition, right?"

Xiao Yiheng smiled slightly: "Of course, the Northern Di people set up this scheme because it concerns the dignity of both countries, so how could your subject dare to be negligent?"

Xiao Chenlin changed the subject and looked at the three Pei brothers.

"Young Master Pei, Second Young Master, and Third Young Master, are you all gathered here to search for the Jade Dove?"

Pei Dingxuan's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this.

Their original intention was to catch rabbits, but if they told the truth, it would be suspected of disregarding the prestige of the Great Wei Kingdom and would easily give others grounds for criticism.

Pei Dingxuan remained calm and composed, and readily replied, "Your Highness, that's right."

Although Pei Yaojun was unruly and mischievous, he understood the importance of things and didn't expose him with a cold snort.

Pei Zeyu nodded without adding any further words, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"Since everyone has come here to find the jade pigeon, why don't we share information to save time?"

Xiao Chenlin spoke first: "I searched along the route north of the hunting grounds and found no trace of the jade pigeon."

Xiao Yiheng also truthfully replied, "My brother came from the south, and he also could not find any trace of him."

Pei Dingxuan remained unfazed: "We came from the east, and we saw nothing along the way."

"So, if we've found nothing in the north, south, and east, then only..."

"The west side," Xiao Yiheng replied.

"That's perfect. I propose that we go to the west together to investigate, work together to find the jade dove, live up to the Emperor's expectations, and prevent the Northern Di from looking down on our Great Wei."

For the sake of the Great Wei's reputation, no one had any choice but to agree.

With the agreement reached, the group headed west towards the hunting grounds.

What started as catching rabbits has evolved into finding the jade pigeon.

Liu Wenying pressed her twitching eyelids, feeling a sense of foreboding.

Hopefully she's overthinking it...

Their group searched westward, their horses' hooves pounding through wild grass and forests, as the sun gradually set in the west.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of Wei officials and aristocratic scions who were also searching for the jade dove. After exchanging information that they had found nothing, they went their separate ways.

Half a day had passed in vain, and as sunset approached, the jade pigeon remained nowhere to be found.

If they still can't find it, Great Wei will lose, and its reputation will truly be damaged.

The Crown Prince's subordinate rode forward, bowed his head and asked, "Your Highness, if I may be so bold, could it be that the Northern Di are playing tricks on us?"

The hunting grounds aren't that big, but they're not that small either. We've searched everywhere, inside and out, but there's no jade pigeon to be found."

As soon as he said that, the people around him nodded in agreement.

"Yes, let alone the jade pigeon, we haven't even seen a single pigeon feather."

"Could it be that the Northern Barbarians deliberately set a trap to make us work for nothing all day?"

Whispers began to rise, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Xiao Chenlin was about to sternly shout at them to be quiet.

Xiao Yiheng remained calm and composed, suppressing the restlessness.

"Don't worry, everyone. The Northern Barbarians wouldn't dare to play any tricks on this."

"This situation concerns the dignity of both countries. Although the Northern Barbarians harbor provocative intentions, they dare not play any tricks."

"Everyone, think carefully again. Have you missed any clues along the way? Don't let the truth be hidden from view."

Is it the case that the darkness is under the lamp?

The group looked at each other, trying to recall everything that had happened along the way and find out what details they had overlooked.

Liu Wenying stood at the edge of the crowd, with the old man's back in front of her and the third man to her left.

She remembered the cage that the Northern Di people had been carrying that she had accidentally seen the night before.

She only exchanged brief messages with the Second Master on this matter.

Since the Northern Di people dared to set up a trap with jade doves, they certainly wouldn't hide it too obviously.

However, they had searched all around the hunting grounds but found no trace of it, which was too strange.

If the jade dove is an inanimate object, a dove-shaped object carved from jade, even if it is hidden well, there are still traps to deceive it.

Although the Xishan hunting grounds are large, the group split up to search, traversing every nook and cranny of the grass, rocks, and ancient tree branches, and there was no reason why they couldn't find it.

If it were a living creature, the iron cage that the Northern Di people carried last night was so large and heavy, and its design was hardly a waste of its potential to hide the jade pigeon.

Perhaps it is possible that the jade pigeon was carried by a large, living creature that could move, making it difficult to search for.

After figuring it out, Liu Wenying looked up and happened to meet Pei Zeyu's gaze.

In the instant their eyes met, no words were needed; the unspoken thoughts hidden in their hearts resonated silently.

The two were of one mind and thought of the same thing at the same time.

…………