A Qi looked at Bai Ke with an expression as if looking at a fool. "What are you talking nonsense about? Marriage? Well, haven't you heard that getting married is like stepping into a grave with one foot? I've never even thought about getting married."
Bai Ke just smiled without saying a word. Then the two of them walked out of the Regent's Mansion with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Meanwhile, Mu Shengze had his men search the Prince Rui's Mansion for a whole day and night, but still couldn't find the imperial jade seal. This made him even more confused. One person after another said the seal was in his mansion, but he just couldn't find it.
"Outrageous! Are these two guys making a fool of this prince?" He kicked a stone bench in anger.
"Ouch!" He covered his foot and walked around in circles for a while. Then he returned to his room and prepared to write a letter to Consort Yi.
After finishing the letter, he was just putting it into an envelope. Before he could even stand up from the desk, the door was kicked open with a "bang".
"Bold! You..." He pointed at the door and was about to curse when a black cloud - climbing boot stepped in.
Then Mu Yanming, dressed in black, walked in. He coughed and said, "What wind has blown Your Highness here?" He glanced at the guards standing in two rows with swords in their hands and couldn't help shivering.
But soon he came to his senses. He had already had his men search every corner of the mansion. If he couldn't find it, Mu Yanming's men might not be able to either.
No, it wasn't that their men couldn't find it. It was that the imperial jade seal simply wasn't here. He had nothing to fear from a search.
"What do you think?" Mu Yanming sat down at the table on his own. After sitting down, he straightened his clothes and looked at Mu Shengze with a smile. "What on earth is the Prince Rui searching for in such a grand manner?"
Mu Shengze walked from behind the desk to Mu Yanming. "Your Highness, this prince won't beat around the bush. I've heard about the loss of the imperial jade seal. Moreover, I've heard that after the investigation, the seal was supposed to be in this prince's mansion. I was really surprised, so I'm just trying to find out where the seal is."
Mu Yanming let out a soft laugh, then stood up and walked into the courtyard. Mu Shengze followed closely behind him and walked out of the room.
Mu Yanming stopped and looked at Bai Ke. "Since the Prince Rui has already searched, Bai Ke, just conduct a symbolic search."
Mu Shengze's face changed. He stepped in front of Bai Ke. "Your Highness, it's not that this prince is defying your order. But you can't just search this prince's mansion without giving a reason. That's not appropriate, is it?"
Mu Yanming shook his head, and the smile on his face deepened. "Does this prince need a reason to search your mansion?"
As he said this, his smile froze. Bai Ke bowed and said, "Forgive me." Then he bypassed the Prince Rui and started the search.
After searching every corner of the mansion, Bai Ke walked up to Mu Yanming. "Your Highness, we didn't find it."
The Prince Rui snorted coldly and angrily sat down at the stone table with a flick of his sleeve. "Your Highness, what if it can't be found?"
Before Mu Yanming could reply, a guard ran over holding a wooden box. "Your Highness, we've found it."
The wooden box was still dripping with water. Mu Yanming looked over when he heard the words. The guard held the box high. Before Mu Yanming could reach out his hand, Mu Shengze snatched the box away.
He muttered to himself, "Impossible! This can't be true!" He opened the box with a trembling hand, praying in his heart that it wasn't the imperial jade seal.
But when the box was opened, he was completely stunned.
He dropped the box and took several steps back.
Bai Ke quickly caught the imperial jade seal, preventing it from falling to the ground.
The imperial jade seal was a supreme treasure. Since ancient times, it had been well - preserved. Even when a dynasty fell, the succeeding dynasties would never show disrespect to it.
Mu Shengze, who had taken several steps back, rushed up to Mu Yanming and grabbed his sleeve tightly. Mu Yanming withdrew his sleeve with a look of disgust.
"Your Highness, it wasn't me! I didn't take the imperial jade seal. I don't know why it's in my mansion!"
Mu Yanming took a step back and said in a deep voice, "You don't need to explain this to this prince. Save your explanation for your father."
He looked at Bai Ke. "Bai Ke, take him away."
With that, he turned around and walked towards the gate of the Prince Rui's Mansion. The person who had been secretly monitoring the mansion's movements in the dark saw this scene, raised the corners of his lips proudly, and then disappeared into the darkness.
"Your Highness, you must clear my name! I didn't take the imperial jade seal! Really!"
Mu Yanming ignored him and directly took the person to the palace.
Bai Ke put the imperial jade seal and the box together on Mu Yanming's carriage.
Mu Yanming sat in the carriage and glanced at the box of the imperial jade seal from the corner of his eye.
He rubbed his temples irritably.
The carriage traveled for a long time and finally stopped steadily at the palace gate.
Mu Yanming got off the carriage. Bai Ke carried the box and followed Mu Yanming step by step towards the imperial study.
Mu Shengze behind them was still shouting at the top of his voice. His voice attracted many people to stop and watch. A little maid at the back of the crowd saw this scene. After looking at Mu Shengze, she ran towards Consort Yi's courtyard.
The guards escorted the person all the way to the imperial study. He struggled and refused to kneel.
Crying, he said, "Father, you must make the decision for your son! Your Highness found the imperial jade seal in the Prince Rui's Mansion, but your son swears with his life that this matter has nothing to do with him."
Concubine Li leaned half - way in Mu Linyi's arms. When she saw Mu Shengze, her almond eyes were full of smiles, but the words she said made Mu Shengze shiver. "Your Highness, the Prince Rui, why don't you kneel when you see the Emperor? Such disrespect. I wonder what crime it should be?"
The Emperor took Concubine Li's hand. He adjusted his posture from lying half - way to sitting upright. He looked at Mu Yanming and his servant standing below, as well as the disheveled Prince Rui.
He said in a deep voice, "Stop crying like a child. Regent, tell me what happened?"
The Prince Rui lowered his head and stopped talking, but still stood there without kneeling.
Mu Yanming glanced at the Prince Rui from the corner of his eye and only said, "This prince has found the imperial jade seal. As for the rest, this prince doesn't know."
Mu Linyi was so angry that his chest heaved up and down, but he still had to keep a smile on his face. "The Regent means that you only care about finding the imperial jade seal, and don't care how it was stolen or who the culprit is, right?"
Mu Yanming glanced at Mu Shengze. Noticing his gaze, Mu Shengze finally knelt down with a thud.
"Father, your son is wronged. Your son requests a thorough investigation of this matter!"
Mu Linyi glared at Mu Shengze and said in a deep voice, "Fine. Who do you think is more suitable to conduct the thorough investigation?"
Several candidates flashed through Mu Shengze's mind.
Mu Yichen was on good terms with him on the surface but actually not in harmony. This younger brother of the same mother might not really help him.
As for his uncle, he might not be on his side either.
The Prefect of the Capital was Mu Yichen's father - in - law. After thinking for a long time, all the people that came to his mind were rejected by himself.
At this moment, he felt that there was not a single person who could help him.
Seeing that Mu Shengze didn't say anything for a long time, Mu Linyi suddenly looked at Mu Yanming. "Regent, I'll leave this matter to you for investigation. What do you think?"