A sudden shock shot through her heart.
A previous scene flashed across her mind.
An unkempt old man with slightly graying hair and powerful spiritual energy.
His limbs were chained.
The old man who told her to leave and not enter when she stepped into that barrier.
A pair of cloudy eyes emerged in her mind.
Zhao Shuning clutched her head.
It was buzzing.
Could the old man she had accidentally seen before be her grandfather?
Zhao Shuning quickly composed herself and tiptoed to the outside of the room.
While the black - clothed man was fighting with the people inside, Zhao Shuning looked around to see if there were any secret chambers for detaining prisoners in the Chengxun Palace.
During this period, she ran to many places and couldn't help but gasp for breath.
However, despite her efforts, she found nothing.
When Zhao Shuning returned to the outside of the room, the black - clothed man had already been subdued.
At this moment, a maid from the Chengxun Palace was walking in with tea.
Zhao Shuning knocked the maid unconscious and quickly changed into her clothes.
Coincidentally, the maids in the Chengxun Palace all wore veiled hats because they were not allowed to look directly at their master.
This Gu Hanxun really had a lot of strange temperaments.
Zhao Shuning lowered her head, carried the tea tray, and entered the palace.
After placing the tea on the table, seeing that the people's attention was not on her, she slowly retreated to the back.
With a turn, she hid under the table.
From this angle, Gu Hanxun's back looked quite good.
However, on the memorial day of his elder brother's death, why didn't such an important person like him go?
The black - clothed man was tied to a pillar, and his black mask had long been removed.
At first glance, Zhao Shuning thought this person looked familiar. He even bore a slight resemblance to the Eastern kid.
"I've said before that the disappearance of the grand councilor was not my doing."
The grand councilor? It should refer to her grandfather, Ye Feng.
She had heard from her mother before that her grandfather held an official position in the Cangwu Kingdom and was in charge of very important things.
"Bah! Do you think I'll believe your words, you villain? Back then, Lord Ye built various barriers for your palace. He disappeared right after finishing this task for you. You were even willing to harm your own elder brother, let alone our Lord Ye."
"The grand councilor is my teacher. I won't touch him. You are his subordinate, and I won't kill you this time. But if there's a next time, I'll surely have you lingered to death."
Zhao Shuning couldn't see Gu Hanxun's expression.
But she guessed that he must be extremely displeased.
When he spoke, one could tell how much anger he was suppressing.
"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be?"
Zhao Shuning suddenly thought of a question.
Her mother had said that on the day of her full - month celebration, her grandfather, who had never shown up before, gave her a piece of paper with her birth date on it.
Moreover, coincidentally, she was able to enter the alchemist's barrier previously set up in Changle Town. Did this mean that the secret key to that barrier was her birth date? With her birth date and bloodline sacrificed together, was that why she could enter the barrier set by the alchemist?
"This prince doesn't want to waste words with you. Shadow, throw him out."
"Gu Hanxun, you useless wretch! An ungrateful villain! One day, those I've killed in the Thousand - Machine Sect will surely settle the score with you."
The man was dragged away.
A man in the guise of a guard stepped forward and said, "Second Prince, are you really not going to kill him? He's not the first one to provoke you. Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys would let them know that our Chengxun Palace is not a place they can come and go as they please."
Gu Hanxun just gave him a look, and the man immediately knelt down.
"Your subordinate is guilty."
"Remember, the grand councilor is my teacher. No one can disrespect him."
Gu Hanxun's tone didn't seem to be feigned.
After a while.
A rustling sound came from outside.
A maid lowered her head and came in.
"Second Prince, someone from the Queen Mother has come."
"Let them in."
Gu Hanxun leaned on his wheelchair.
Soon, Zhao Shuning heard a shrill voice.
"This old servant pays respects to the Second Prince."
"Eunuch Su, please rise."
"Second Prince, this old servant is here today to convey the Queen Mother's order. Please don't get angry."
Gu Hanxun frowned slightly.
"Speak."
That woman had given him a hard time more than once.
"The Queen Mother said that today is the memorial day of the Crown Prince's death. As his younger brother, it's unreasonable for you not to attend. It goes against propriety."
Hearing this, the guard beside Gu Hanxun angrily spoke up.
"The Queen Mother clearly knows that our Second Prince has difficulty moving. He would surely have to kneel and kowtow if he goes. What? Does she want our Second Prince to make a fool of himself in front of the officials?"
This was indeed a reasonable point.
It seemed that even for brothers, they had to kneel and kowtow on the memorial day.
Zhao Shuning felt that she had learned something new at this moment.
"But the Queen Mother told this old servant to convey this message."
"Concubine Xiao also agrees."
Concubine Xiao?
Wasn't she Gu Hanxun's biological mother?
Zhao Shuning had heard Qi Yue say before and thought that Concubine Xiao loved her son very much, so she hoped her son would find a powerful and influential woman to be the imperial concubine. But now it seemed that there was more to it.
A mother who could watch her son being humiliated like this and still agree... Zhao Shuning was really speechless.
"Shadow, don't say anything. Since Mother Concubine has said so, I will surely go."
"Second Prince, what about your legs?"
"You don't have to worry about this. The Queen Mother said that if there's a woman who can support you at that time, she can kneel and kowtow with you."
This was even more of an insult.
Everyone in the Chengxun Palace and the palace knew that the Second Prince hated women. Since his legs were crippled, the looks of those women towards him were full of ridicule. None of the high - ranking officials' daughters were willing to marry into the Chengxun Palace.
It was rumored that Gu Hanxun was not only cold - tempered and eccentric but also incapable of sexual intercourse since his legs were crippled.
"Thank you for the Queen Mother's concern."
The nails of Gu Hanxun's hands had dug into the wood of the wheelchair.
Just looking at it, Zhao Shuning felt the pain.
Eunuch Su trembled and said, "Then this old servant will take his leave first, Second Prince. Please set off quickly. You'll be the last one to pay respects if you go now."
"I understand."
Eunuch Su quickly led his people out.
Zhao Shuning let out a soft sigh.
He was already so pitiful, yet he still had to endure such humiliation. It seemed that being a member of the royal family was not so easy.
"Second Prince, do we really have to go?"
"Go, of course we have to go."
"Bang—"
The teacup on the table was smashed to the ground.