The affair between the King of Yu and Su Yueyue had already been the talk of the town. If Su Yueyue were to be pregnant without marrying the King of Yu, one could only imagine the malicious gossips that would spread.
If the King of Yu were to become the crown prince in the future, he couldn't afford the scandal of being irresponsible to a woman. Su Mingyu believed that the King of Yu must have been well - aware of this, which was probably why he agreed to the marriage so readily.
Having been seen through by Su Mingyu, the King of Yu wasn't angry. Instead, he found it amusing. "I'll keep your secret, but from today on, you owe me a huge favor."
Su Mingyu pursed her lips. After a long moment of thought, she nodded. "Fine! I promise to do anything for you within my capabilities."
The King of Yu raised an eyebrow. "You're quite straightforward!"
Saying so, the King of Yu stood up and smoothed his robe. "Then let's go back to the front hall quickly. They'll start to worry and come looking for us soon."
Su Mingyu nodded. "Your Highness, please go first. I'll follow later."
There were so many pairs of eyes in the front hall. If she and the King of Yu were to return together, who knew what malicious speculations those with ill intentions would come up with.
So, to avoid trouble for both of them, it was better for Su Mingyu and the King of Yu to leave separately.
"You've thought it through quite well," the King of Yu raised his eyebrows and flicked his sleeve before turning away.
Watching the King of Yu's departing back, Su Mingyu's innocent - looking face suddenly turned gloomy. How much did this King of Yu really know?
By the time Su Mingyu returned to the front - hall banquet, everyone had almost finished eating and drinking.
Su Yueyue's eyes were always on Su Mingyu. As soon as Su Mingyu returned after being away for so long, she immediately stepped forward curiously and asked, "Sister, where did you go? It took you so long to come back."
Su Mingyu didn't try to hide it. "I went out for some fresh air. I met Concubine Chen and asked her to take me to see the little prince, so I came back late."
"The little prince is like a precious gem," Su Yueyue said with obvious hostility in her tone. "Sister is really dedicated to be able to see him."
Su Mingyu just twitched the corner of her mouth in a half - smile. "Have you eaten enough, sister? These dishes are all made by the imperial chefs in the palace. They're very rare. You should eat more."
With Su Mingyu so obviously changing the topic, Su Yueyue didn't know what else to say.
The banquet was just for the emperor to show off the prince, so it didn't last long. On the way back to the Prince Ruixian's Mansion, Su Mingyu told Gu Ruobai everything that had happened that day in the carriage.
There was nothing to worry about regarding Concubine Chen. The real problem was the King of Yu. How much of her story did he believe today? How many of her secrets did he still hold?
Seeing the solemn look in Su Mingyu's eyes, Gu Ruobai frowned. "I think he might have believed you."
Su Mingyu looked at Gu Ruobai suspiciously. "How did you come to this conclusion?"
"Although I went to Pingshi County with you, I left a body - double in the capital. And after he put on the mask, he looked exactly like me. I specifically told the secret guard to let my body - double show up in a crowded place at the busiest time."
As he spoke, Gu Ruobai still frowned. "The problem now is that Mo Wenyuan has disappeared from the capital. Even if the King of Yu wants to investigate, he won't find many clues."
"Anyway, he's a living person. He can't disappear without a trace. So the only flaw in this matter is that Mo Wenyuan came and left so quickly."
Su Mingyu didn't know that Gu Ruobai had a body - double. She leaned forward in front of Gu Ruobai. "My lord, can I see your body - double?"
Gu Ruobai raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "What do you think?"
Su Mingyu shook her head in confusion. "I heard that a body - double and the original person can't appear in front of others at the same time."
"How do you even know this?" Gu Ruobai was a bit helpless. How did Su Mingyu seem to know a little bit about everything?
Since she had guessed correctly, Su Mingyu raised an eyebrow. "Because I've read a lot of books."
Gu Ruobai gave her a sidelong glance, clearly not believing her.
Su Mingyu pouted. "Let's not talk about this. Do you have any ideas about what to do about Mo Wenyuan?"
"Maybe. It depends on how deeply the King of Yu digs into Mo Wenyuan's matter," Gu Ruobai frowned. "Concubine Chen has been provoked by you. She should contact that person soon. All we can do now is wait."
Su Mingyu nodded. "When I mentioned Leng Ziyue to Yan Shiqi today, her face immediately froze. It seems that she knows that Leng Ziyue has some of her dirty secrets, which is why she reacted so strongly when she heard his name."
However, despite saying so, Su Mingyu was still a bit worried. "What if Yan Shiqi never goes to find that person? Won't we be in a passive position?"
"From what you've said, Yan Shiqi doesn't seem to have much ability," Gu Ruobai squinted his eyes. "A few words from you were enough to change her complexion. How did she manage to get to where she is today if she's so impatient?"
After Gu Ruobai said this, Su Mingyu also thought that although Yan Shiqi seemed quite shrewd, neither her words nor her actions showed that she was a very scheming person.
In fact, her reaction to a crisis was even worse than Su Yueyue's.
If Su Mingyu had said those bluffing words to Su Yueyue, Su Yueyue would only have sneered and counter - attacked.
But Yan Shiqi just stood there, stunned and speechless.
This reaction speed didn't seem like that of a scheming person.
When they returned to the Prince Ruixian's Mansion, Leng Ziyue came over.
Although he didn't say anything, Su Mingyu knew that he wanted to ask about Yan Shiqi.
Su Mingyu told Leng Ziyue everything that had happened that day and also shared her and Gu Ruobai's suspicions.
Leng Ziyue squinted his eyes. "You mean the father of Yan Shiqi's child is the mastermind behind all this?"
Although it was a question, there was not much doubt in his tone.
Su Mingyu nodded. "So do you have any clues?"
After all, Leng Ziyue had been with Yan Shiqi for a longer time, so he might know who was really helping Yan Shiqi behind the scenes.
Leng Ziyue frowned. "During the time I was with Yan Shiqi, she didn't get close to anyone. I left after she got pregnant."
Su Mingyu bit her lower lip. "But what if Yan Shiqi lied to you? You didn't know that she was the daughter of Jiang He who had been living outside, and you also didn't know about her connection with Shi Minglong."