Proofread by Nie Qiao
“Ling’er, do you remember that Liang Yi almost ran into someone in the street at the Lotus Lantern Festival?” Liang He asks this seemingly irrelevant question.
“Of course I remember that he was in a hurry, as if he was going to leave the capital…” Although Yan Ling doesn’t know why Liang He asks this all of a sudden, she also knows that there must be some reasons.
“After I went back home that night, I sent some people to check. Liang Yi did leave the capital, but they didn’t follow him further for having no order. So I don’t know what he went for.” Liang He says with an uncertain look.
Seeing that Yan Ling doesn’t understand, Liang He continues, “In those days, Liang Yi never appeared. The last time I saw him was the Lotus Lantern Festival five days later.”
Yan Ling begins to think what the connection between these things is. Noticing that she is thinking, Liang He doesn’t directly speak out his doubts, but stands aside silently.
After a while, Yan Ling gets the point suddenly. Liang Yi, the Third Prince, would not go out of the capital for no reason for five days on end. So in this period of time, he must have done something important.
This jade pendant is not an ordinary one. If it’s found in or near the capital, she must have heard some news.
According to these two things, it’s not hard to guess that Liang Yi must have gone to find the jade pendant in those days when he quietly came out of the capital.
However, since Liang Yi gave this jade pendant to the Emperor, and the Emperor ordered them to retrieve it, there’s no need for Liang Yi to rob the jade pendant at this time.
“However, if the Third Prince sent someone to rob it, it seems not reasonable.” Yan Ling speaks out her doubt.
Liang He didn’t expect that Yan Ling would doubt Liang Yi and he thinks that’s funny.
“I didn’t say that Liang Yi robbed the jade. He is not so stupid. Now we are looking for this jade pendant everywhere. Didn’t he make trouble for himself if he sent someone to rob it now?” Liang He says with a smile.
Looking at Yan Ling’s strange eyes, Liang He says his guess: “Liang Yi wants to please Father with this jade pendant, so the origin of this jade pendant may not be simple. As for how he got such a good jade pendant, I have no idea.”
“You mean that the Third Prince stole this jade pendant from other people, then the owner of the jade pendant took it away again?” Yan Ling is surprised.
“It’s a reasonable guess whether it is the case or not. In fact, it doesn’t have to be a theft. If Liang Yi really stole the jade, I’m afraid the owner wouldn’t be here. Maybe he robbed the jade pendant or tricked the owner.” Says Liang He confidently.
Seeing Yan Ling’s disgust for Liang Yi increases, Liang He suddenly feels more comfortable after he has been robbed of the jade pendant.
“It’s late today and we cannot do anything more. Ling’er, go back to have a rest. I will also go back home, waiting for more report. We will discuss the details tomorrow.” Liang He asks Yan Ling to go into her room now that it’s late and cold.
Not long after Liang He returns home, his subordinate comes back to report.
“Didn’t you say that you can definitely catch the thief? Where is he now?” Liang He looks coldly at the kneeling man.
“Please forgive us, Your Highness. It’s not that we didn’t work hard, but…” A captain of his subordinates looks pale, trying to explain for themselves.
“You can’t do this little thing well. What else do you want to explain?” Liang He is obviously angry.
“Please calm down, Your Highness. We were going to catch up with that man. But, he ran to the Princess’s House. We can’t go in and search, so we have to come back.” Says the woman next to the captain.
“Princess’s House! Princess Zhaoyan?” Liang He asks her in surprise.
Liang He really doesn’t understand. What would this matter have to do with Princess Zhaoyan? Princess Zhaoyan has never been involved in these things. According to her temper, she can’t put up with things like this.
“We can’t believe it, either, but it’s true.” The captain hastily adds.
“The Princess is involved. Did you leave someone to watch?” Asks Liang He with a frown.
“Yes, Your Highness. I left five men there to watch any movements around the Princess’s House. We dare not rush and come back to report.” The captain says unwillingly.
The brocade box was snatched from him earlier today. He wanted to catch the robber and give vent to his anger, but he didn’t expect the robber’s escape. What’s more, he failed twice in a row, which makes him angry.
“It’s really not your fault this time.” Liang He says lightly. He always metes out the proper awards and penalties, and will not transfer his anger on them because of this.
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.” The subordinates say together with a little surprise. They thought that there must be some punishment for failing to achieve two things successively.
“But the jade pendant is another thing. You cannot escape from punishment for that. I did give you a chance. Watch carefully around the Princess’s House tonight. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be held responsible!” Liang He orders.
The next day, Liang He and Yan Ling take a group of soldiers to the Princess’s House.
Princess Zhaoyan is so angry that she almost blow him out when she hears that Liang He doubts that the jade thief is hidden in her house.
However, it is Liang He who is more experienced and astute. He angers Princess Zhaoyan with just a few words and allows them to search.
Yan Ling is relieved, but couldn’t help sighing at the same time that it was really a good way to stir people.
Liang He’s subordinates, who watched outside last night, naturally won’t make the same mistakes again and let the thief disappear under their eyes.
Then, the thief who came in yesterday must still be in the Princess’s House. However, what everyone didn’t think of is that the soldiers searched the whole House but found no clue, not to mention a living man.
Liang He’s face is becoming more and more serious. Last night, the men who watched outside look very pale too and they seem eager to bury their heads under the ground. At the same time, they also feel strange.
It’s okay if only one man didn’t find the thief had slipped out, but there were at least ten masters of martial arts lying in an ambush outside the House last night. If no one finds the thief, does that man run through the underground?
“We found something, Your Highness.” Suddenly, someone comes to report.
“What? Show it.” Liang He says angrily. Things are getting more and more troublesome now that the Princess is involved.
