She thought so, but didn't say so, for fear of affecting their investigation. If her guess was wrong, the real mastermind would go free.
Time passed by when Qingyan went to Xue Minghua's house and entered the palace to accompany the queen. Soon it was the first day of winter and the plum market in the capital began.
In the past two days, many traders from other places came over, either in a caravan or in a single carriage. Local people not far away also came over with burdens and carts to occupy space.
Plum Market is located in Fangshi in the south. There is a lot of open space over there and the area is large. Of course, there are a lot more vendors on the east side. Many people who finally come to the capital will definitely want to go shopping.
In addition to the inner city near the palace, there are stalls in the outer city and the middle city. However, those who can enter the middle city are relatively powerful merchants, and most retail merchants are in the outer city.
Qingyan specially made an appointment with Xue Minghua, and she was accompanied by Zhao Rixin, Zhao Defang, and Xue Minghua's youngest son Yang Zongze.
Yang Zongze is very familiar with Zhao Defang. He often goes to the palace with his mother. The two often meet and play together.
He Linling also wanted to come and visit, but the palace was busy these two days, so he could only stay in the palace.
There were five people in the group, and the two younger ones were walking in front. It would be safer for them to watch from behind. In such a crowded place, bad people would inevitably take advantage of the loopholes. There was the kidnapper, who specialized in kidnapping other people's children on such days.
They all had a tacit understanding not to take anyone with them, but when there were servants, they were more likely to be careless. After all, everyone has a dependent heart, and they feel that they won't take care of them if they see them.
There are guards, and they are all following them not far away. If anything happens, they can come up to protect them.
Of course, for Zhao Rixin and Xue Minghua, they trust Qingyan's skills more.
Zhao Rixin had experienced it personally, while Xue Minghua felt that she was better than her master.
Because it was the first day, the stalls had just been set up, and the flow of people visiting was not at its peak yet. It would take two days before the largest number of people came. By then, people from the surrounding area would all come, and the inns in the capital would be full.
The plum market mostly sells plum blossom products, including plum blossom wine, plum blossom cakes, plum blossom honey, and directly pickled plum blossoms.
Of course, in addition to these food and drinks, there are also paintings and calligraphy about plum blossoms, embroidery, bonsai, and even wood carvings.
Qingyan couldn't help but buy some, but the last few people couldn't take them anymore and asked the guards to send them back twice.
Other people didn't buy that much except for some snacks. After all, they can come every year. Unlike Qingyan, I don't know if they will have a chance after this time.
Fortunately, apart from being a little tired at the end of the day, nothing happened and I returned home having a great time.
Qingyan went by herself the next day, and the others were no longer interested. Zhao Rixin wanted to accompany her, but Prince Jin called her away, saying that there was some suspicion about the assassination.
By the way, he took Yuanbao away with him. It is said that King Jin knew that Yuanbao could not stay in the capital for a few days and wanted to get closer to him.
Naturally, Qingyan would not refuse. She originally wanted to go shopping by herself and buy more things, but she directly refused Uncle Liu's gift and drove a carriage pulled by a big bear to the edge of the market.
Store the carriage there, surround it there, and have special people watch over it. Just give it a few copper coins.
Qingyan used the carriage as a cover to sneak into the storage bag. Whenever she bought something that she couldn't carry anymore, she would take it to the carriage and put it into the storage bag.
They were all snacks and specialty crafts, which were not particularly valuable. There was no need to worry about anyone trying to pick the lock of her carriage just for this reason. Besides, there was a big bear watching.
I went out shopping in the morning until three or four o'clock in the afternoon. I didn't eat lunch, so I used snacks to buy everything I had tasted but not bought yesterday.
If they were all packed in a carriage, they would be packed to the brim. Fortunately, she was driving in front so no one else could see inside.
I only put a few small things in the carriage to hide my eyes from others, just some small things such as carved wooden hairpins, and a few sets of embroidered plum blossom dresses suitable for spring. I bought them in several colors and planned to give them back to grandma and grandma. , aunt, mother and the others.
When I returned to the Prince's Mansion, Yuan Bao had already returned. After asking, I found out that Zhao Rixin sent it back and then went out again, saying that he was going to the Court of Punishment.
Qingyan pretended to be tired and wanted to rest, and asked Chou Chou to take her and Yuan Bao into the space.
When she got to the yard, she immediately put out all the things she bought today. Chou Chou quickly put the food and drinks in the fresh-keeping area, and she started to sort out the rest.
The ornaments were first placed in the room in this space. There is a formation in the room, so there is no need to light a stove or make a fire bed. It is very spacious, and a few ornaments can be placed just for decoration.
Some small items are packed and placed in boxes. You can take them back later to play with or give away to others.
Chou Chou and Huang Xiao Wu both came over to help. They were a little moved when they looked at the things on the ground and listened to Qing Yan's talk about the excitement of the market.
Although Chou Chou used his spiritual sense to look outside and see it, it was still different from being there. He decided to turn into a human form and go out with Huang Xiaowu tomorrow.
Qingyan didn't plan to go. The market was so big that there was no need to go there every day. She planned to rest for a day, go to the palace the day after tomorrow, go to Xue Minghua's place to say goodbye, and leave the capital the day after tomorrow.
When Zhao Rixin came back in the evening, someone came over and asked her to go to the front hall to finish the meal.
Qingyan guessed that she had something to say, otherwise they wouldn't have eaten dinner in front of them.
When he arrived at the front hall, Zhao Rixin was holding his gray civet cat in his arms again. He didn't know what he was thinking about, but his hands were constantly following the cat's fur.
Qingyan said hello to him, and Zhao Rixin came back to his senses.
"But what happened? If possible, why not talk to me, maybe I can help."
Qingyan asked directly.
Zhao Rixin did not shy away from talking and replied directly: "There is something that may cause trouble to my sister. The emperor found out some clues and made a plan to lure the snake out of its hole.
It's just that the people under him can't use it. If you use the words of a confidant, it's easy to see the clues. If you are not a confidant, you can't believe it. He heard me say that you are highly skilled in martial arts, so he asked me to ask you if I can help you.
It’s just that this matter may be dangerous. If my sister has concerns, we can give orders and think of a solution..."
Qingyan interrupted him directly, "Okay, just tell me what you need me to do. I don't have any worries. Anyway, I won't stay in the capital anymore. Even if there are remnants, they won't be able to find me."
Zhao Rixin sighed and said: "I'm just worried about your safety after leaving the capital. Although you have great martial arts skills, tigers doze off sometimes. If something happens to you somewhere else, I'm beyond my reach."
Qingyan waved her hands indifferently, "You don't have to worry about this. Not only do I have the power, but also Yuanbao is here. When we rest outside, Yuanbao will keep vigil for me, so you don't have to worry about safety.
I also went to find my parents this time. My parents are better at martial arts. Once we find them, it will be more difficult for others to touch me. You'd better tell me what the plan is and how I can cooperate. "
Zhao Rixin sighed and told his uncle's plan.
In fact, it is very simple. If Zhao Rixin goes out again, the opponent will probably not take action again in the capital. It is difficult to catch the opponent. It is better for Zhao Rixin to go out to run an errand, and the opponent will probably take action on the way.
The last time they encountered an assassination, because Qingyan was more agile, she killed everyone, leaving only one alive and captured them. The location chosen by the opponent at that time was relatively hidden, and people on both sides were... She could only hear the sound, not the eyes, so her side was not exposed.
As long as Zhao Rixin did what he did last time, he would just pick up an errand and pretend to be alone and go out incognito, without any bodyguards and only a woman by his side. The other party would definitely not think that this was a trap set for them.
After all, he is the prince of a country, and he cannot make fun of his own life. As long as the other party cannot find out and thinks this is an opportunity, he will definitely take action again.
Qingyan doesn't need to arrest anyone this time, she just needs to protect Zhao Rixin's safety. Of course, she can kill everyone at critical moments, putting her own safety first.
The most critical part of their plan was not on Zhao Rixin's side, but mainly on King Jin's side.
King Jin already has suspects on his side, and he will send people to keep an eye on those people. As long as they keep a close eye on them, as long as those people take action, they can catch the evidence.
Qingyan asked when this plan would be implemented. If the waiting time was too long, her departure date would be postponed.
Fortunately, Zhao Rixin said that in these two days, the Mei market was open and the capital was bustling, so he told the other party that he deliberately went out at this time, just in time to confuse the audience.
And this time he didn't go far, so he went to Yingtian Mansion. The distance was neither far nor close. It would take two or three days to walk. There were mountain roads in the middle. If the other party saw him leaving the capital, they would send someone to take action. It shouldn't take more than a day or two to resolve.
Of course, if the other party doesn't take action, the most they can do is make a trip and come back.
Zhao Rixin didn't just set traps for people. He really had an errand to go there, and he had to do a full show. If the person behind the scenes was a minister of the DPRK, a casual check would tell whether he was on an errand.
He left the capital without receiving an errand, and he had just been assassinated. It was obvious at first glance that something was wrong and that he was setting a trap for someone.
But if something really happened, it was quite important. The other party would only think that he wanted to express himself as a prince.
After all, he has not been crowned the king since he left the cabinet. He wanted to express himself and do more errands and be crowned the king as soon as possible. This reason makes sense.
As for the fact that he was incognito and unprotected all the way, it was because the distance was not far and he had to go back quickly.
In addition, a little girl who seems to be helpless is following him, and the other party will just think that he is trying to deceive others.
As for Qingyan's identity, it was easy to tell the outside world. It was said that she went to the palace every day these days, and even went to Xue Minghua's side without anyone behind her back. People who were interested would probably have known about it for a long time.
Her identity was also normal. She was the daughter of Xue Minghua's cousin. Her mother was the queen's close friend before she got married. She came to the capital to visit her two aunts. It was normal for her to leave the second prince and see her off later.
As for whether the queen had any close friends before she got married, who knows? The queen did not marry directly into the palace, and her family background was not revealed back then. Besides, after all these years, there is no one to check her.
Moreover, the He family and the Xue family were both in Hedong before, and they were related by marriage, so it was normal for them to know each other since childhood.
As for Xue Minghua's cousins, there are several, no matter how close they are to each other, no one can tell which cousin's family this niece belongs to.
In this way, it was reasonable for her and Zhao Rixin to go together. If she hadn't wanted to protect Zhao Rixin when he came back, Qingyan could have left directly, which happened to be the direction she wanted to go.
It's a pity that it doesn't work. She still has to send Zhao Rixin back to the capital safely. For safety reasons, she can only make one more trip.
After finalizing the matter with Qingyan, Zhao Rixin hurried out again without resting after dinner.
He was going to go to Prince Jin's Mansion to tell his uncle that they could start making arrangements. It would be best to leave tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
Qingyan deliberately said that you are going to see Prince Jin this late at night. If those people are watching you, the plan may be exposed before it even begins.
However, seeing that the other party was in a hurry to finalize the plan and had already run out the door, she did not stop him. Instead, she sent a message to Chou Chou, asking him to cover his surroundings with his spiritual consciousness to see if anyone was watching here.
Her own consciousness knew that if someone was hiding secrets, she might not be able to discover them. But Chou Chou was different. Even if the other person was hiding under the ground, it would be able to dig it out for him.
Let him take a look at the vicinity of Prince Jin's Mansion by the way, and if someone is watching, let him help cover it up.
Chou Chou has recovered a lot now. It is still possible to use some small spells. For example, it can be done by making a gust of wind blind people, or making the opponent temporarily lose consciousness for a while.
Now we definitely can't kill the other party directly. If we do that, it will be easy to alert the enemy. This will keep the other party's attention, just enough for the other party to send back false information, which is more conducive to the progress of the plan.
Chou Chou explored the streets on both sides and in the middle, and sure enough he saw a few people, two on the side of the Prince's Mansion and five on the side of Prince Jin's Mansion, hiding in different places outside the mansion.
Because the Prince's Mansion and Prince Jin's Mansion are both small and have long walls, and the nearest neighbor is a hundred or ten meters away, so if the other party wants to monitor them, they can only hide on the surrounding walls or trees. If they want to live directly in the neighbor's house, It's impossible.
The trees in the Prince's Mansion are all inside the courtyard and there are none outside. There are fewer places to hide people, so there are only two people hiding.
One is at the corner of the alley opposite, between two walls. It is possible to hide people at night, but not during the day.
One is on the right corner, which is the only way to go out to the street from the Prince's Mansion. Keep an eye on it and you can see it whenever Zhao Rixin goes out.
There are more places to hide people on King Jin's side. There are many big trees opposite and on both sides of his mansion, which can hide people.
According to Qingyan, Chou Chou made those people temporarily lose consciousness when Zhao Rixin passed by, just like taking a nap suddenly. They would wake up after a while and not notice anything strange.
Just wait until Zhao Rixin comes back from King Jin and do it again. It stared over there and told Qingyan what it found.
Qingyan felt that it was fortunate that she and Chou Chou were there, otherwise Zhao Rixin's plan would have had no chance of succeeding.
(End of chapter)
