After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Chapter 422: A Secret Passage Was Hidden

"This, this, there's a secret passage here?!" The Empress Dowager pointed at the secret passage, her expression somewhat unpleasant.

A secret passage was installed behind the Buddha statue, making it seem like he was engrossed in the Buddhist temple every day, but in reality, no one would know what he was doing through this secret passage.

Junlan sent people in to investigate.

After a while, the guards brought out the guards who had been killed inside.

Several corpses were laid out in front of the crowd.

"Your Majesty." The nanny beside the Empress Dowager blocked her way, glancing disdainfully at the guards on the ground before saying, "Quickly find a cloth to cover these people up, lest they offend Your Majesty."

After Xie Xing came to this world, the most he saw were human corpses.

Even though I see her often, she doesn't look well.

No one paid any attention to the nanny beside the Empress Dowager. A guard from Jun Lanjin's side came to Jun Lanjin's side and whispered, "These people all had their heart meridians broken by internal force. The person who came is extremely skilled in martial arts."

Princess De'an's face turned deathly pale.

She said, "Yes, I saw that man carry the old princess and turn to the Buddha statue, and then he disappeared."

The truth is clear.

When the old princess and the thief realized their affair had been exposed, they fled through a secret passage out of jealousy.

Jun Lanjin remained expressionless. He turned around and ordered, "Someone, go and find the secret passage and see where the exit leads."

Hua An quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness!"

Immediately, Hua An went down to give the instructions.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager followed Jun Lanjin and said, "Jin'er, you should go to the palace with your aunt to meet the Emperor."

Jun Lanjin stood behind the Empress Dowager. Upon hearing this, he turned to look at her and said, "Does Your Majesty not doubt my bloodline?"

The Empress Dowager naturally had no doubts.

She had sent someone to perform a blood test to verify kinship, and besides, no one knew the old prince's health condition better than her.

Would she not know whether the old prince was able to have children?

The old prince was very old and had never been able to have children. Even if Jun Lanjin was not his bloodline, he was still the emperor's bloodline. The emperor was her biological son. So, rounding up, how could he not be considered a direct descendant of the Jun family?

The Empress Dowager spoke up: "It's obvious that someone is targeting the Jun family. I don't believe Jin'er wouldn't notice."

"Jin'er, your aunt will always be on your side. No matter what the emperor says, you'll be in a panic."

Jun Lanjin's relationship with the Empress Dowager was not actually that good; he didn't even usually call her "aunt."

In public, the Empress Dowager could do as she pleased; in private, she would refer to herself as her aunt.

Although they were both of imperial blood, the Empress Dowager favored Jun Lanjin especially because he single-handedly shouldered the burden of the Jun family.

He also cared a great deal about Jun Lanjin's offspring.

Xie Xing followed Jun Lanjin, watching Jun Lanjin and the Empress Dowager leave. She silently followed behind Jun Lanjin. Although his words seemed to make some sense, upon closer examination, she still felt that they were somewhat strange.

So, what exactly was Jun Lanjin's purpose in bringing her to the Prince's mansion?

For some reason, Xie Xing had a nagging doubt: could it be because Jun Lanjin could hear her thoughts, which was why he was so perceptive?

But this conclusion sounds somewhat absurd.

This is ancient times, not the world of cultivation, so where would such special abilities come from?

Jun Lanjin isn't a mind reader.

Despite thinking this, Xie Xing still asked the system again, unwilling to give up:

There shouldn't be anything like mind reading in this world, right?

The system replied: "Of course not. This is a low-level martial arts world. The most powerful abilities here are only lightness skills and internal energy. How could there be mind-reading?"

Xie Xing: [I found it a bit strange. I clearly didn't get involved in the plot much, so why did such a big change happen?]

[One second I was thinking of the Second Elder, the next second Jun Lanjin was already suspecting him. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?]

Although Jun Lanjin followed closely behind and also explained his reasons for doubting the Second Elder, Xie Xing's sixth sense still felt that something was a little strange.

The system was silent for a moment.

Wait a minute, let me check and see what's going on.

The conversation between the two individuals, without exception, entered Jun Lanjin's mind once again.

Jun Lanjin paused in his steps.

This girl is incredibly perceptive; even though he later covered it up, she still noticed something amiss.

They arrived at the palace.

The Empress Dowager gave Xie Xing a warning look, "Since you already know so many things you shouldn't know, you should also know that only by remaining mute can you survive."

"I hope you know what you should say and what you shouldn't say."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xing quickly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I know nothing about this today."

The Empress Dowager was satisfied and followed Jun Lanjin to the Emperor's palace.

Xie Xing frowned as he watched the two people hurry away.

It remains to be seen whether Jun Lanjin will be imprisoned in the Star-Picking Tower this time, just like in the story.

[I heard that the Star-Picking Tower was built by the emperor for his concubine. In the story, why was Jun Lanjin imprisoned in the Star-Picking Tower?] Xie Xing asked the system curiously.

System: [The novel doesn't recount every single detail; it's primarily told from the perspectives of Luo Hanfeng and Xie Mingzhu.]

In order to eliminate Jun Lanjin from the story, the book only mentions that he was imprisoned in the Star-Picking Tower, but doesn't specify why.

"Ok."

Xie Xing gave up asking questions.

She turned and walked toward the Fifth Princess's palace.

While passing by the Imperial Garden, they bumped into the two of them.

One of them was the second princess, who was accompanied by an unfamiliar girl.

Xie Xing bowed to the Second Princess: "Xie Xing greets the Second Princess."

The second princess glanced at Xie Xing with a cold expression, then said, "Get up."

"I suppose this is the Fifth Princess's favorite." Xie Xing was about to leave when he heard the gentle woman beside the Second Princess speak.

Xie Xing paused, turning his gaze to the woman who had spoken.

The woman's figure and voice looked extremely familiar, but her face was unfamiliar.

Xie Xing then said, "I dare not accept the title of 'celebrity.' May I ask who this young lady is?"

The woman lowered her eyes and smiled, saying, "I am the daughter of the Duke of Zhou."

"The Duke's Mansion?"

Xie Xing compared this person's face with the faces of the noble ladies he had seen before, and felt as if he had never seen this person before.

So the woman said, "I have been traveling through mountains and rivers, and only recently returned to the Duke's mansion."

"Upon my return, I heard of your illustrious reputation, and thus wished to make your acquaintance."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Second Princess said with dissatisfaction, "She's just a young girl, a greenhorn, without a single shred of cunning. She just plays around with Fifth Sister. What value is there in befriending her?"

The second princess's words were extremely impolite, openly showing disdain for Xie Xing.