Chapter 413: Chapter 409: Explanation

Explain what?

Tang Xiaobai was momentarily confused.

But she quickly understood.

“This morning, A-jie sent someone to say she’s going to the palace…”

Tang Xiaobai guessed he wanted to understand the whole process, so she started from the morning and spoke in great detail.

“…The Imperial Guard reported… Yao He… Li Shu… Brother Tao…”

“…Met Xue Shaojian at Yong’an Gate—” This part was a bit complicated, so Tang Xiaobai paused to think before continuing, “Xue Shaojian said that Xue Shaoqin’s death was the work of the Wang Family.”

Xue Shaoqin’s death had always been under Yao He’s investigation.

At first, they thought it was caused by the factional struggle.

But gradually they discovered some oddities, though they hadn’t begun to suspect the Wang Family.

After Wang Maozhao’s death, the main branch of the Wang Family returned home for mourning, and the family members who stayed in the Capital City did not hold important positions. It appeared as if they were in decline, yet secretly, they were plotting and even stirring up war in the Northwest.

“What do you think the Wang Family wants to achieve by instigating the chaos with the Turkic?” Tang Xiaobai asked.

Li Mu’s eyes darkened, and he responded with a question instead: “How does Xue Shaojian know it was the Wang Family?”

“He didn’t say,” Tang Xiaobai hadn’t had the chance to ask at the time, “I suspect it has to do with Zhen Su.”

Zhen Su’s entrance into the palace was surely supported or even directed by someone.

Thinking it over, Tang Xiaobai concluded that Xue Shaojian was the most likely candidate.

“He also said that Luo Xiong was one of Wang Maozhao’s men, possibly from even before he entered the academy, he was already with Wang Maozhao.”

The establishment of Jianhun Tian Academy, rivaling the Observatory and Imperial College, was Li Mu’s first major action.

They always knew there were many watching eyes within the academy, and they had some ideas which ones were related to Wang Maozhao.

But they hadn’t considered Luo Xiong, whose background was too clean.

After learning this information, Tang Xiaobai visited Luo Xiong’s home and deduced the direction where Tang Jiaojiao was being hidden after being kidnapped, based on scattered clues left by Cheng Zi.

However, when she left the city and met Luo Xiong, he pointed her in a different direction.

So from the start, she suspected that Tang Jiaojiao was not in that manor.

The manor should have been a trap set against her.

Using her sister to lure her into a trap, the ultimate aim should be to deal with Li Mu, right?

Luckily nothing happened!

Tang Xiaobai breathed a sigh of relief, only to meet the cool gaze of the Crown Prince.

As if saying, I’m still waiting for your explanation.

“I’ve finished explaining…” Tang Xiaobai said, sounding unsure.

Sure enough, the Crown Prince gave a cold smile.

Tang Xiaobai was bewildered again.

Wasn’t she supposed to explain this?

Then what was she supposed to explain?

She thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with anything.

Seeing the Crown Prince still waiting with an aloof expression for an explanation, Tang Xiaobai became unhappy and kicked toward him: “What exactly do you want me to say?”

This kick not only failed to land but got caught by him.

He lowered his head, held her calf, took off her boots soaked with snow and mud, and through the socks, grasped her cold toes and gave them a squeeze.

Tang Xiaobai embarrassedly tried to withdraw her foot but was held by him.

He then lifted the hem of his shirt and tucked both her feet into his arms.

Tang Xiaobai was stunned, instinctively kicking her feet a bit.

Through the socks and the inner garment, her feet touched something firm yet uneven… abs?

How embarrassing!

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but rub her foot against them.

“Don’t move!” he ordered in a low voice.

Tang Xiaobai didn’t mean to provoke him and immediately stopped moving, but her toes, with a mind of their own, made small grasping movements.

She usually had this involuntary little habit of grabbing with her toes when nervous, but who would notice her toes gripping at this moment? Instead, it grasped at a different kind of “ground”…

The Crown Prince’s ears suddenly turned red, and he lifted his eyes to look at her deeply: “Are you trying to—”

“No! I’m not trying to!” Tang Xiaobai shook her head decisively.

“Cough, cough…” He coughed several times before his tone returned to its indifferent state, “Why take the risk?”

An apparent inquiry.

Tang Xiaobai was momentarily stunned, then realized that this little ancestor was annoyed at her for putting herself in danger.

“I didn’t intend to take risks, just didn’t expect someone to act now—”

In her estimation, they would choose one of two timing issues: either when the front lines were tense, to do something to distract Li Mu or Li Xingyuan, or wait till Li Mu was about to reach the Capital City, to use leverage against Li Mu or Li Xingyuan.

“I thought you wouldn’t be back in the capital until next month, who would have thought…” Tang Xiaobai snorted lightly, “Things I don’t know, others are quite aware of!”

It must have been the leaked news of Li Mu and Li Xingyuan’s early return to the capital that led to this unexpected kidnapping.

“Had it been a day later, I would have sent A-jie to the palace, no matter what they tried, I wouldn’t have left the city!” Tang Xiaobai declared confidently.

Yet, the Crown Prince’s attitude remained unchanged: “You didn’t take anyone out of the city?”

Tang Xiaobai blinked: “I did! Didn’t I take Xuan Yi Guard and Mo Ji?”

She felt fortunate that she recalled Mo Ji after discovering the clue at the Luo Family, otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain.

Even so, it wasn’t very easy to explain.

“Qin Xiao, Yao He, Tao Fen, Zhong Chuchu—”

“I have Mo Ji, that’s enough!” Tang Xiaobai quickly interrupted him.

The Crown Prince’s face immediately darkened.

How infuriating did those words sound?

“I’m out in the open, while A-jie is in the dark, so I need more experts there to ensure we rescue her first; as for me, I won’t fall into the opponent’s trap, it’s not that dangerous, Mo Ji and Xuan Yi Guard are enough to protect me fully!”

Tang Xiaobai explained, but still didn’t see the little ancestor’s expression soften, realizing that, although reasonable, emotionally she couldn’t win him over.

Thinking quickly, she changed tack: “I’m unsure about A-jie, but as for me, I always believe you’ll come to my rescue for sure!” She looked into his eyes with sincere conviction, “Just like the time with the wolves in Turkic lands, it seemed impossible, yet you still came!”

Her words were illogical, but the Crown Prince’s complexion visibly brightened.

Tang Xiaobai, seeing his change, pressed her lips to hold back, but in the end, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The Crown Prince didn’t display any further displeasure. He quietly gazed at her for a while, drawing her into his embrace.

“I hope, I can always be on time.” He said softly.

Tang Xiaobai laughed even more merrily: “Shouldn’t you hope I’m never in such situations again?”

As soon as she said it, she fell silent.

No such thing as being on time; it’s not about strategies.

Li Mu kissed her on the forehead and softly said, “Yes, I hope you’ll never encounter such things again.”

Tang Xiaobai encircled his waist, smiled once more: “I want to posthumously honor her!”

“Alright, when I ascend the throne in the future, we can honor her once more.”

“She was also your classmate!”

“Then let’s decide on a title for an honorary title, granted by the Ministry of Rites.”

“Won’t the Ministry of Rites reject it?”

“If I say approve, they approve.”

“Tsk…”

Their murmured conversation, through the door, sounded tender with a hint of romance.

The Eunuch hesitated repeatedly, finally, seeing Qin Xiao leaning against a pillar with an urging look, made up his mind and gently knocked on the door.

The murmurs inside abruptly stopped.

“Your Highness, Vice Commander Qin seeks an audience. The main culprit has been apprehended, awaiting your orders—”

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