Chapter 355: Taking Leave

Chapter 355: Taking Leave

"Father-in-law, what I am about to tell you might seem unbelievable, so please prepare yourself mentally."

Seeing his son-in-law's serious demeanor, He Yuanming also became solemn.

"What is it?"

"Nan Qi is not the Emperor and Consort Yuan's biological child; the true prince is someone else..."

Mo Jiuye quickly explained to his father-in-law how Nan Qi and Fei Nanyu were switched, hoping he could ponder how to handle the situation in the future.

Indeed, for He Yuanming, this was shocking news.

"It seems the Great Shun Empire truly faces numerous challenges, even allowing any stray cat or dog to become a prince."

Mo Jiuye knew his father-in-law was loyal to Great Shun, so he decided to share everything he knew.

"There is one more thing. Nan Heng colluded with the Queen of Southern Frontier and has now been killed. Prince Rui took Consort De away from Imperial City, living incognito elsewhere. Therefore, who will inherit the throne of Great Shun in the future is something you should keep in mind."

For He Yuanming, each piece of news Mo Jiuye brought was more shocking than the last.

Seeing his father-in-law in a daze, Mo Jiuye couldn't afford to explain further because someone was knocking on the door.

"Lord He, I have prepared your clothes."

He Yuanming quickly composed himself, acting as if nothing had happened, and opened the door himself.

Just as he was about to take the clothes from the steward, he saw the previously lively steward, along with the porcelain bottle still in his hand, suddenly collapse to the ground.

Immediately after, He Yuanming was forcefully pulled back by Mo Jiuye.

"Be careful," Mo Jiuye whispered.

Before He Yuanming could understand what was happening, Mo Jiuye had already caught a bug with his bare hands.

Since the incident was sudden, Mo Jiuye didn't have a small porcelain bottle with him, and the bug struggled in his hand.

If he hadn't wanted to leave some evidence against the Ninth Prince for his father-in-law, he might have crushed the bug immediately.

Although He Yuanming had never seen a bug like this before, seeing his son-in-law's tense expression, he guessed that the steward must have been sent by the Ninth Prince to plant a bug on him.

Seeing his son-in-law still holding the disgusting bug, he hurriedly fetched a teacup from the table and handed it to Mo Jiuye.

Mo Jiuye took the teacup, placed the bug inside, and covered it with the lid.

"I didn't expect the Ninth Prince to act so quickly."

Mo Jiuye suspected that Fei Nanyu had only recently learned about this matter. Even if he and Nan Qi were planning to resist it, they would need time. Some ministers might already be affected.

Fortunately, he had brought his father-in-law here and he hadn't left yet. Otherwise, such an event would have been impossible for his father-in-law, a scholar without any physical strength, to avoid.

Thinking about this, Mo Jiuye felt a wave of fear. If his father-in-law had been bewitched while he knew about it, he wouldn't know how to explain it to his wife when he returned to Northwest.

"Father-in-law, keep this bug safe; it might be useful in the future."

He Yuanming knew how terrifying these bugs were and worried that a single teacup might not contain it. He quickly took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped the teacup tightly.

"Thankfully, you were here to help me escape this danger."

Mo Jiuye didn't have time to say much more. He went to the door and dragged the steward into the room.

"Father-in-law, I believe the Ninth Prince's Mansion will soon be in chaos. It's best for you to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible," Mo Jiuye sincerely advised.

He Yuanming nodded. "I will go to the palace and report this to the Emperor."

Mo Jiuye knew his father-in-law was a man of discretion and would only mention the events at the Ninth Prince's Mansion without revealing Fei Nanyu and Nan Qi's identities.

As for how he would choose to act in the future, his father-in-law would surely find a better opportunity based on his experience.

With his father-in-law's crisis resolved, Mo Jiuye had no intention of staying longer.

"Father-in-law, I cannot linger here. I bid you farewell."

He Yuanming, seeing Mo Jiuye leaving, was reluctant. "Son-in-law, coming to Imperial City is not easy. Why don't you visit Minister Mansion and let your mother-in-law see you?"

Mo Jiuye declined. "I have important matters to attend to. When there's a chance, I will bring Ranran and our child to visit you and my mother-in-law."

"Since that's the case, I won't hold you back. Please be cautious in your actions; Ranran is waiting for you in Northwest."

Actually, He Yuanming had another reason for inviting Mo Jiuye home.

He wanted to give Mo Jiuye some money. When they left Imperial City, it was sudden, and he had only managed to bring a small amount of money for his daughter.

This time, he intended to give his son-in-law more money, but unfortunately, he rarely carried banknotes with him.

Given today's events, He Yuanming was embarrassed; he had nothing valuable to give his son-in-law.

However, He Yuanming did not give up.

"Son-in-law, can you provide the address where you are in Northwest?"

Mo Jiuye didn't think much of it.

It was reasonable for his father-in-law to want to know where his daughter lived. He had suggested that He Zhiran write a letter to reassure her family, but she was concerned about the impact of her current identity on them and didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble. Thus, she refrained from writing.

Now that he had met his father-in-law, he naturally shared the address clearly.

"Father-in-law, we now live in Xiling Village, Yun City, Northwest."

He Yau-ming repeated the address several times in his mind, memorizing it, before he and Mo Jiuye walked out of the house one after the other.

As a guest, He Yau-ming could walk out of the Prince's mansion openly, but Mo Jiuye had to use his lightness kung fu to leap over the wall to leave.

Having already restored his original appearance, to prevent being recognized by acquaintances, he headed straight to the nearest market upon leaving the mansion and bought a straw hat to wear.

Leaving the city went smoothly without any special incidents; the guards at the city gate rarely questioned anyone unless there was a reason.

Mo Jiuye quickly met up with his two elder brothers.

At this point, Mr. Si Meng still showed no signs of waking up, making it inconvenient to travel with him. The brothers decided to settle down temporarily in this place.

With Mo Jiuye around, Fifth Brother could go out to buy food supplies with peace of mind, as they needed to eat something simple for dinner.

Just after Fifth Brother left, whether due to Mr. Si Meng's unusual weight or some other reason, he woke up more than an hour earlier than expected.

Mo Jiuye was currently worried about his father-in-law, unsure if Emperor Shunwu would believe him when he took that gu worm into the palace.

At that moment, Sixth Brother's voice echoed in his mind.

"Ninth Brother, come here quickly."

Hearing Sixth Brother's call, Mo Jiuye hastily collected his thoughts and returned to the room where Mr. Si Meng was being watched.

Mr. Si Meng stared wide-eyed at Sixth Brother.

"Are you Mo Jinnian?"

Sixth Brother snorted coldly. "Hmph, didn't expect us to meet like this, did you?"