freenovelworld Chapter 692 His suspicions were confirmed.
Chapter 692 His suspicions were confirmed.
Qian Zhenyun didn't investigate the person; he just stared at the pebble.
By the candlelight, he used a small copper tweezer to hold the pebble and repeatedly compared it with a book called "Records of Strange Stones of the World".
Finally, he found it.
This type of bluestone with dark red spots is not native to the capital city; it is produced only from an abandoned mine on the outskirts of Chengdu.
It is a place rarely visited by people, and ordinary people have no way of obtaining it.
Qian Zhenyun put down his book, picked up the small pebble, and his eyes turned cold.
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.
This is the place where Lin Jiayou, Gu Lu, and Gu Lanxin lived for ten years.
His suspicions were confirmed.
This matter was by no means due to the negligence of the servants, nor was it a frame-up.
There must be a secret between Lin Jiayou and Gu Lanxin that no one knows.
Qian Zhenyun did not immediately tell Gu Qingchen about this discovery.
He knew that she wouldn't listen to anything right now.
He ground the ink, picked up his pen and wrote a secret letter, detailing the origin of the stone and his own speculations, and then sealed it with sealing wax.
He summoned his trusted aides and ordered in a deep voice, "Send it to the Eastern Palace immediately and personally hand it over to His Highness."
To expose Lin Chia-yu's true colors, we need stronger evidence and a more opportune moment.
On the day of the autumn hunt, the Xishan hunting grounds were filled with flags, and the sound of horns could be heard from afar.
Gu Qingchen, dressed in a fiery red riding outfit, looked even more beautiful than the flowers, adding to her heroic spirit.
Lin Jiayou, sitting on his horse beside her, was dressed in a blue scholar's robe. He looked slightly reserved, which seemed out of place with the atmosphere of war and battle around him.
The two, one strong and the other gentle, rode side by side, attracting quite a bit of attention.
"Oh, isn't this Qingchen, my little sister?"
A sweet yet sharp voice rang out.
Wang Ruoyu, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, led several noble ladies on horseback and stopped them.
Wang Ruoyu's whip drew a beautiful arc in the air, seemingly unintentionally, but precisely feinting in front of Lin Jiayou's horse's head.
Startled, the flame hissed and retreated.
Lin Jiayou's face immediately turned pale, his body swayed, and he gripped the reins tightly, looking terrified as if he was about to fall.
Wang Ruoyu covered her mouth with a round fan, laughing so hard she was shaking.
"Oh dear, this young master looks unfamiliar, and he's quite timid."
She looked Lin Jiayou up and down, her words laced with disdain.
"Qingchen, is this your playmate from Chengdu? She looks so frail, I hope she doesn't get scared by a wild boar in the hunting grounds."
The surrounding ladies chuckled softly.
Gu Qingchen's face instantly darkened.
Just as she was about to speak, Lin Jiayou reached out, gently tugged at her sleeve, and shook his head at her.
He then spurred his horse forward, dismounted, and bowed deeply to Wang Ruoyu and the others.
"I am Lin Jiayou, a newcomer to the capital. I am unfamiliar with the etiquette and have disturbed the ladies. I hope you will forgive me."
He was humble and sincere, taking all the blame upon himself.
This retreat, however, made Wang Ruoyu appear aggressive and unbecoming of a well-bred lady.
Some of the noble sons who had initially been watching the spectacle now looked at Lin Jiayou with more approval.
Seeing that he had suffered a great injustice, yet still thought of her, Gu Qingchen felt a surge of anger rising to the top of her head.
She spurred her horse forward, shielding Lin Jiayou behind her, and flicked her whip, the tip pointing directly at Wang Ruoyu's face.
"Wang Ruoyu, you have no right to interfere with my guest!"
"Keep an eye on your horse, don't let it run wild!"
Wang Ruoyu's face turned red and white as she was scolded, and she was about to retort.
"What are you all doing here?"
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an's carriage had arrived at some point.
He lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Gu Qingchen.
"Qingchen, Miss Wang was just joking with you, why get angry?"
He changed the subject, looking at Lin Jiayou with a gentle tone.
"Young Master Lin, on the other hand, is composed and at ease; he truly deserves to be Gu Lu's student."
With a single sentence, the Crown Prince effortlessly extricated Wang Ruoyu from her predicament, elevated Lin Jiayou's reputation, and clarified his relationship with Gu Lu.
This weight is enough to make others dare not underestimate it.
Wang Ruoyu glared at Gu Qingchen resentfully, and could only retreat to the side unwillingly.
Qian Zhenyun stood beside the prince's carriage and witnessed the entire scene unfold.
He could see clearly that when Wang Ruoyu startled the horse, Lin Jiayou appeared flustered, but his legs were firmly planted, and there was absolutely no danger of him falling off the horse.
It was all an act.
"Woo——"
The horn sounded, signaling the official start of the hunt, interrupting the undercurrents in the arena.
Unable to swallow her anger, Wang Ruoyu spurred her horse to catch up with Gu Qingchen and loudly made her suggestion.
“Qingchen, hunting only ordinary rabbits and pheasants is rather boring.”
"I've heard there's a rare white fox deep in this hunting ground. Why don't we have a contest and see who can hunt it down first?"
She paused, then glanced defiantly at Lin Jiayou.
"As for the prize, how about we bet that Young Master Lin's entire catch today belongs to the winner?"
Wang Ruoyu's words were ostensibly provocative, but in reality, they were an insult.
She used Lin Jiayou's prey as a wager because she was certain that he, a scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken, wouldn't be able to hunt anything at all. The wager was practically meaningless; she just wanted to embarrass Gu Qingchen.
Gu Qingchen is most susceptible to stimulation.
She gave a cold laugh, and the riding whip in her hand cracked crisply in the air.
"Okay! It's a deal!"
She turned around and gave Lin Jiayou a reassuring look, a look that clearly said: Watch me win back your winnings.
Lin Jiayou frowned at just the right moment, his voice low, "Qingchen, there's no need for you to do this for me..."
His hesitant, retreating-in-the-treads-advance demeanor fueled Gu Qingchen's anger and fueled his fighting spirit.
Qian Zhenyun rode his horse to Gu Qingchen's side and lowered his voice.
"The terrain deep within the hunting grounds is complex, and that white fox is extremely cunning; there may be a trap."
Gu Qingchen, upon hearing this, assumed that Gu Qingchen was afraid of losing and felt somewhat impatient.
"Don't worry, Gun Gun, a mere fox is no match for me." She waved her hand, her gaze already fixed on the entrance to the dense forest in the distance.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an remained silent until now, when he gestured with his eyes to a commander of the Imperial Guards beside him.
The commander immediately understood, and withdrew without making a sound, selecting a few elite soldiers to follow at a distance.
After doing all this, Zhao Chen'an gave Qian Zhenyun a wink.
Qian Zhenyun nodded and quietly urged his horse to follow behind the main force.
"Qingchen, please!" Wang Ruoyu called out loudly, taking the lead.
Gu Qingchen was not to be outdone. He squeezed his legs against the horse's flanks, and his fiery red figure followed closely behind.
Two figures, one in red and one in green, sped into the depths of the dense forest, quickly leaving the main force far behind, and the sound of hooves gradually faded away.