After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Hearing the sound of the teacup shattering and the princess's voice suddenly rising, the two trusted old nannies guarding the door tensed up and instinctively pushed the door open and entered.

Princess Yongning raised only one hand and made a gesture to stop her.

The two old women immediately held their breath, retreated to their original positions, and guarded the door.

Jiang Dusheng seemed oblivious to Princess Yongning's threat.

She said, "It's understandable that the princess doesn't believe it. There are plenty of people in this world who are deliberately mysterious and deceitful."

She abruptly changed the subject, her gaze falling once more on the waist of the ghostly figure, "But... that man had an old purse tied around his waist."

She squinted slightly, as if carefully examining the details: "The style is quite ordinary, with a base of fine blue cotton cloth, and the edges are already worn and faded."

"The embroidered pattern is not the usual flowers and birds, but a few bamboo stalks with few leaves, but the brushstrokes have a rather slender and elegant style."

"The embroidery skills are not the most exquisite, and in some places the strokes are even a bit clumsy and rushed, but the dedication... cannot be hidden."

"The purse was tied with a faded dark blue silk ribbon, with a small green jade bead at the end."

As soon as she finished speaking, Princess Yongning stood up again.

This time, she could no longer maintain her balance and her body swayed violently.

If I hadn't managed to grab the back of the chair behind me in time, I probably would have stumbled and fallen to the ground.

The color drained completely from her face, even her lips turned ashen, her chest heaved violently, and her breathing became rapid and unsteady.

Those phoenix eyes were wide open, filled with shock, pain, and a burning hope that almost overflowed from them.

Every word Jiang Dusheng described was like a key, unlocking the box she had locked in the deepest part of her heart.

That purse, and those few bamboo stalks she had painstakingly sketched from memory and with her clumsy embroidery skills.

That dark blue silk ribbon, that jade bead she strung on herself…

That was the year she came of age. She kept it a secret from everyone and stayed up for three whole nights, unraveling the embroidery and re-embroidering it, until the purse was finally barely formed.

There were no spices inside; I just secretly slipped in a small piece of tender bamboo leaf from my own yard.

She gave it to that person.

That person kept it tied around their waist until…

Until he disappeared.

Over the years, she thought that apart from herself and the person who was no longer there, no one else in the world would remember the existence of this purse, let alone its exquisite details!

This Jiang Dusheng... she really can see!

"He..." Princess Yongning's voice was terribly dry, with an undisguised tremor.

Her gaze eagerly followed the point where Jiang Dusheng's gaze had fallen, but there was still nothing there for her.

"Is he really still here? Is he... is he alright? No... he..." She stammered, realizing that the other person was now a spirit, so there was no way he could be alright.

Overwhelmed by grief, her eyes quickly reddened and welled up with tears.

Princess Zhaohua had never seen her mother so distraught and vulnerable. She was so frightened that she clutched her mother's sleeve tightly, her face turning pale as she looked at Jiang Dusheng with worry.

Seeing Princess Yongning's sudden breakdown and forced suppression of her emotions, Jiang Dusheng knew that the time was ripe.

She did not immediately respond to Princess Yongning's urgent question; instead, she changed the subject, her voice returning to its previous calm:

"Princess, I can see him, and I can let you see him. But... there are no free opportunities in this world."

She slightly raised her eyes, looking directly into Princess Yongning's eyes, which were still wet with tears but had quickly hardened with wariness. "I want to make a deal with the princess."

"A deal?" Upon hearing these two words, Princess Yongning was as if she had been doused with ice water.

She was, after all, a royal princess who had weathered many storms. Even though her heart was in turmoil, when it came to exchanging interests, her survival instincts in the palace immediately took over.

She took a deep breath, pulled her hand away from the tight grip of Princess Zhaohua, and gently patted her daughter's hand to comfort her.

Then, making a concerted effort to maintain his composure, he returned to the seat of honor.

Although his face was still pale, his eyes sharpened, concealing his previous vulnerability and replacing it with the calmness of someone in a position of power.

"Tell me about it." Princess Yongning's voice was still a little hoarse, but much steadyer, and her gaze was fixed intently on Jiang Dusheng.

Jiang Dusheng was not surprised by her reaction.

Those in high positions are most afraid of having their weaknesses exploited, but at the same time, they are also the most adept at using all available resources.

"It's very simple," Jiang Dusheng said, his words clear and logical. "First, I need the princess to acknowledge and affirm my abilities on an appropriate occasion."

"There's no need to publicize it. Just mention briefly to ladies of high standing that I've solved a minor problem for you."

"Let certain people in the Changling City circle know that I, Jiang Dusheng, am not just the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, but also possess some... abilities that they might need to use, or perhaps need to be wary of."

She planned to use Princess Yongning to create momentum for her future departure from the Jiang family.

She wanted everyone to know that she was not just the eldest daughter of the Jiang family who had just returned from the Buddhist temple, but a special person with extraordinary abilities.

This can attract potential customers and also make people like the Censor's wife, who want to easily manipulate her, think twice.

"Second..." Jiang Dusheng continued, "When I need it, please, Princess, understand my decision to leave the Jiang family, or at least... do not obstruct me or join the crowd in criticizing me."

That was her real purpose.

Escaping the Jiang family was a crucial step in her plan. However, in this world of strict social norms, a woman's voluntary departure from her family was nothing short of shocking and would inevitably draw immense criticism.

If she had someone of such high status as Princess Yongning, even if they only showed tacit approval or neutrality, it would be a great help to her, enough to offset many open and covert attacks.

Upon hearing this, Princess Yongning narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, instantly understanding Jiang Dusheng's full intentions.

He would use her influence to establish his reputation, and then use that reputation and influence to break free from the Jiang family's control.

Although she didn't understand why Jiang Dusheng wanted to leave the Jiang family, she had to admit that this woman was shrewd and had great courage!

That's straightforward enough...

"You have quite the appetite," Princess Yongning said slowly. "My influence is not so easily borrowed."

"Besides, how can you prove that you truly have the ability to resolve this princess's troubles? With just a description of a purse?"

She deliberately emphasized the word "solution," but her heart tightened slightly.

They both longed to believe and feared that it was just a more sophisticated scam.

Jiang Dusheng didn't say anything more, his expression turning focused and solemn.

She raised her right hand, her index and middle fingers joined together, with a faint glimmer of light flowing from their tips.

Using her finger as a brush, she quickly drew lines in the air, outlining a golden talisman that subtly conveyed a sense of Zen.

The moment the talisman took shape, the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment, and even the light was slightly distorted.

"Concentrate your mind and manifest your form, temporarily connecting Yin and Yang!"

"Show!"

With a clear shout, the golden talisman seemed to come alive, drifting towards the void beside Princess Yongning and silently disappearing into it.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Dusheng swiftly formed a Soul-Solidifying Seal with his left hand, and a wisp of solid, gentle, pale golden spiritual power shot out, enveloping that void.