Chapter 16 — The Heir to the Throne with the Wicked Face

Almost Revealing Your Truth

To celebrate the successful completion of the peace treaty negotiations with the Three Kingdoms of Western Liang, the court held a large banquet at the palace garden, inviting all civil and military officials and major trade associations to contribute to the logistics of welcoming the envoy, including Thông Bảo Trang.

Nhược Hi attended the dinner party as a merchant, wearing the most splendid clothes, keeping a calm demeanor despite knowing clearly that this would be an evening full of hidden dangers, when both Khưu Bá Trạch and Cận Bá Tuyên would be present, their eyes searching without leaving anyone suspected.

In the middle of the party, when the wine was drunk, Cận Bá Tuyên suddenly stood up, raised his cup towards Nhược Hi, his voice rang out meaningfully in front of a large number of guests.

"I heard that master Thông Bảo Trang recently had a quite close relationship with the Western Liang envoys, especially with the female assistant who just suffered a sudden serious illness," he said, his eyes as sharp as a scowling knife looking straight at Nhược Hi. "I wonder if master can share a few things about this relationship for everyone to hear?"

The whole banquet table suddenly fell silent, all eyes turned to Nhược Hi. She felt the tension enveloping the space, but still maintained a surprisingly calm expression.

"Your Excellency is too complimentary." Nhược Hi smiled, her voice gentle but not wavering. "Thông Bảo Trang has a long-standing business relationship with many commercial associations in Western Liang. Visiting someone when someone is sick is also common sense in business. I wonder what else you mean when you ask this question?"

"I'm just curious." Cận Bá Tuyên took a sip of wine, his eyes still not leaving her. "Recently, there have been many rumors about owner Thông Bảo Trang having some connection with the great thief Ghost Face Demon Girl. As a famous businessman in the capital, the owner should also clarify these false rumors, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Nhược Hi clearly felt the weight of that question, knowing that this was not an idle question but a purposeful test. If the reaction is too harsh, it will make people even more suspicious; If you are too calm, it can also be considered fake.

"You must know, sir, that there is never a shortage of rumors among the people, especially for those who are doing well in business like Thông Bảo Trang," she replied, her voice still calm, her eyes looking straight at Cận Bá Tuyên without any fear. "If you have any specific evidence, please present it to the Criminal Investigation Department clearly. I believe justice will prove Thông Bảo Trang's innocence."

That tough but not provocative answer made Cận Bá Tuyên pause for a moment, unable to find any reason to continue causing trouble in front of a large number of guests without specific evidence in hand.

Sitting not far away, Trường Phong in Vũ Lâm Trung Lang General's armor had to restrain himself to keep a calm expression, his hand clenching the wine cup so tightly that it almost cracked the fragile porcelain layer. He did not dare to intervene directly, because any action of defense at this time could be misunderstood as a shady connection. He could only silently observe, ready to respond if the situation became worse.

Uất Nguyệt Hàn, sitting in a position of honor with several former concubines of the First Emperor, also watched the conversation with a mixture of curiosity and vigilance. She had never met the owner Thông Bảo Trang directly before, but through the way she cleverly responded to Cận Bá Tuyên's dangerous question, she could not help but silently assess that this was a character who was not ordinary, even though she could not determine whether there was any real danger hidden behind that appearance or not.

"This girl has an unusually dignified demeanor for a common merchant," she whispered to the female mandarin standing next to her. "Do you know the origin of owner Thông Bảo Trang?"

"Your Majesty, according to records, owner Thông Bảo Trang comes from a small merchant family in the south, and went to the capital to establish business a few years ago." The female official replied. "There is nothing unusual in the declared background." Uất Nguyệt Hàn nodded slightly, but still couldn't completely get rid of that vague feeling of insecurity, as if some instinct was telling her that the young woman sitting not far away was not as simple as what the profile showed.

Just when the tension reached its peak, Khưu Bá Trạch suddenly spoke up, his voice calm as if he were conciliating. "Sir, today is a party to celebrate peace and filial piety between the two countries, not a place to interrogate court affairs. Master Thông Bảo Trang has contributed a lot to the logistics of welcoming the delegation this time. We should be grateful instead of suspicious."

Those words, although conciliatory, made Nhược Hi even more wary. She knew Khưu Bá Trạch was not a kind person. His defense was probably only because he did not want to cause a scandal at this important party, not because he had dismissed doubts.

After the party, when Nhược Hi and Trường Phong found a quiet corner to have a quick chat, both could not hide their worry.

"Cận Bá Tuyên has begun to openly doubt Her Highness right in front of the officials," Trường Phong said, his voice full of tension. "If he finds any more evidence, no matter how small, the situation will become extremely dangerous."

"I know." Nhược Hi nodded, her hands tightening her shirt. "But I also realized one thing, perhaps Khưu Bá Trạch did not completely believe in Cận Bá Tuyên's doubts, otherwise, he would not have stood up to defend me in such a crowd. Perhaps he still had doubts, not sure whether I was really dangerous or not."

"However, we cannot be subjective," Trường Phong reminded. "Every action from now on must be much more careful, especially in this sprint period."

Nhược Hi looked towards the brightly lit palace behind her, where the party was still going on, thinking to herself, the time she could hide safely was shrinking day by day, and the only thing she could do now was race against time, completing the last pieces of the puzzle before the veil of mystery was lifted in the most unfavorable way for her.

On the way back to Thông Bảo Trang that night, Nhược Hi sat in the palanquin, her mind constantly analyzing every detail of the party. She realized that Uất Nguyệt Hàn's reaction, although discreet, could not hide the scrutiny in his eyes, a sign that even when there was no specific evidence, the instincts of those who had committed crimes always made them unusually sensitive to anything that could threaten their position.

Upon arriving, she immediately called Tang Dịch Phong to discuss strengthening Thông Bảo Trang's cover. "We need to prepare a few more backup plans, in case Jin Bá Tuyên or Khưu Bá Trạch decide to investigate further into my background," she said. "I would like to have a few more false witnesses who can confirm the southern merchant family that my profile has created, in case the need arises."

"The old man will arrange it immediately," Tang Dịch Phong replied, his eyes full of worry. "But master should also consider the worst possibility, that if his true identity is discovered before we can complete the evidence, we need to have a safe escape plan."

"I thought about that." Nhược Hi nodded, her eyes determined even though she contained a lot of anxiety. "But I will not back down just because of a little danger. Having come to this step, I have no way to turn back anymore, I can only move forward, no matter how dangerous that path is."

It was late at night, but Nhược Hi still couldn't sleep. She sat by the window, looking at the moonlight hanging high in the sky of the capital, thinking about the faces that appeared at tonight's party - Cận Bá Tuyên's searching eyes, Khưu Bá Trạch's fake calmness, and Uất Nguyệt Hàn's secret vigilance. The three people who together, or separately, contributed to bringing her entire family into tragedy, are now facing the risk of having what they have been hiding for many years exposed.

"Not much longer," she whispered to herself, her eyes shining with steely determination. "Just a little more time, a little luck, the truth will be revealed, and you will have to pay for everything you have done."