Chapter 360: Hua Zhi's Speculation
Chen Qing nodded, "This official thanks the young lady for your understanding. Speaking of which, I have another matter to request your assistance with."
Haoyue's expression shifted briefly before she smiled radiantly, "Please speak, Your Excellency."
Chen Qing pressed a slip of paper onto the table, containing three lines of text - the birth dates and characters of three individuals.
"Might I ask what this means, Your Excellency?" Haoyue's smile faded as soon as she glanced at it. Though her position had allowed her to learn many things, details about specific individuals were impossible unless they were particularly prominent figures.
"These are the birth dates of the Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, and Sixth Prince. I ask the young lady to carefully examine them - any insights would be appreciated, the more detailed the better."
Haoyue felt relieved internally, but didn't perform the divination immediately. "This humble girl has already completed three divinations today and cannot perform more. Please return tomorrow for the results."
"That will do. I'll trouble you for today, and I will investigate the matter you mentioned as soon as possible." Chen Qing stood up, cupped his hands in salute, and strode away. Reaching a corner, he concealed himself and watched Haoyue walk out with light steps, clearly very satisfied with today's events.
A servant gestured from nearby. Chen Qing emerged from the corner and entered an adjacent room, closing the door and removing his mask. "Your Highness."
"What were her final words?"
Chen Qing took a deep breath and bowed his head. "She said... the Purple Forbidden Star appears dim beside it, showing signs of shifting position."
Before Gu Yanxi could respond, Hua Zhi stood up abruptly, losing her composure. "She said shifting position, not falling to another?"
Chen Qing found this strange. While these two phrases seemed similar, their actual meanings were vastly different. Shifting position merely meant a change in placement while maintaining fundamental position, whereas falling to another indicated imperial power transferring to someone else's hands.
After glancing at the Heir, Chen Qing confirmed.
Gu Yanxi pulled A Zhi back to sit down. "Whether it shifts position or falls to another isn't up to her. You don't need to—"
"Yanxi, don't underestimate her." Hua Zhi interrupted him, her tone unusually grave. "Don't think that just because everything she said today were events that have already occurred and are developing favorably means she lacks ability. That's not the case at all. Presumably you've already investigated her network. Even if she truly had thousands of followers, she absolutely shouldn't know about Wu Yong's critical condition. Tong Yi's matter is even less known. She dares to place herself in your hands because she must have something to rely on."
Gu Yanxi hadn't actually underestimated Haoyue - he simply disliked her. Hearing this, he adjusted his attitude. "Do you think she's truly skilled in prophecy?"
"Whether she is or not, as long as the results benefit us, we should welcome it. Take advantage of her current desire to prove herself and make good use of her. By the way, were those birth dates really the princes'?"
"They're all fake."
Hua Zhi wasn't surprised - princes' birth dates couldn't be easily revealed. But then she heard Yanxi continue, "This was an intentional test. Haoyue might well be aware of it - we'll see how she responds."
"If she figures it out, will you give her the real ones?"
"Two real, one fake."
"Little Six's is fake." Hua Zhi stated this as fact. The more one understood Gu Yanxi, the more one realized how protective he was of those under his care. Since he had taken Little Six under his wing, he wouldn't give anyone the chance to harm him. Even if he didn't believe in metaphysics, he would never give out Little Six's birth date.
This clearly demonstrated his attitude toward the other two princes.
"Let me think."
Gu Yanxi signaled for Chen Qing to wait quietly, not disturbing A Zhi.Hua Zhi immersed herself in this tangled mess as if no one else was around. If all this was based on Haoyue being a reincarnated soul, then her previous identity must have been quite high-ranking. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known about Wu Yong or matters of the imperial palace.
Suppose, just suppose, she was the daughter of a noble family in the capital… No, that couldn’t be right. If she were the daughter of a noble family, she should have been reborn into one, not into her current identity. Judging by her current status, it was more likely that she had some knowledge of the Celestial Master’s arts to begin with. Perhaps she even used this skill to catch the attention of someone influential or gain someone’s favor, gradually making her way into the capital, earning recognition, or… entering the palace.
But if that were the case, it still didn’t add up. She had lived a full life before, and her experience, demeanor, and other qualities were far beyond those of her peers. At the same time, she had lost the innocence, enthusiasm, and naivety typical of her age. If she had truly entered the palace through her own abilities and experienced the scheming and struggles there, she should have been exceptionally shrewd and calculating. Yet, from what Hua Zhi observed today, Haoyue seemed far too impatient and naive.
Moreover, there were certain things that even a young lady from a duke’s household wouldn’t know. From this, it was certain that Haoyue’s previous identity must have been extremely high-ranking.
Then, looking at it from another angle, Haoyue’s mindset was still very youthful, meaning she must have died quite young in her previous life—no older than twenty. So young…
Hua Zhi turned to Yan Xi and asked urgently, “How old is the Fourth Prince? Is he married?”
Gu Yanxi asked no questions and answered directly, “He’s sixteen this year. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll soon be selecting his consort.”
“What about the Fifth Prince?”
“Twelve. It’s still too early for him.”
So, only the Fourth Prince was of marriageable age. Could it be…
“When giving her the birth dates again, give her the wrong one for the Fourth Prince.”
Gu Yanxi didn’t know what A Zhi had thought of, but he nodded and signaled for Chen Qing to follow her instructions.
If Haoyue was connected to the Fourth Prince, she couldn’t possibly become his principal consort. Although the selection was called “choosing a consort,” the principal consort would inevitably come from one of the designated families. However, a secondary consort could be someone the prince favored personally. For Haoyue, achieving that shouldn’t be too difficult.
If this assumption held true, as a secondary consort to a prince, she would have access to a great deal of information. And if she were a favored secondary consort, she would know even more.
The Purple Star had shifted—had it shifted to Yan Xi? That would explain why she was so eager to establish a connection, even if the timing was inappropriate. It made sense; Yuan Shifang was an excellent stepping stone.
Hua Zhi let out a deep sigh. “My speculation is a bit far-fetched, and I need to observe a bit more to confirm whether it’s correct. I’ll tell you when I’m sure.”
Gu Yanxi naturally agreed to everything she said.
“Steward Chen, could you find an opportunity to ask Haoyue about the Hua family? There’s no need to mention me deliberately. Just guide her to talk about the various members of the Hua family.”
“Yes.”
On the way back, Hua Zhi remained silent, clearly still lost in her thoughts. Gu Yanxi watched her with a smile, not disturbing her. He was quite pleased with A Zhi’s reaction. Bringing her to listen in the first place was to leverage her sharp mind to uncover some clues. Haoyue’s existence was too unpredictable, and every time he thought of her, he felt the urge to silence her permanently. After all, only the dead were truly safe."By the way." Hua Zhi suddenly remembered something and looked up at Yan Xi. "Ying Chun mentioned the mushroom yield at the manor has become quite substantial. The people we previously assigned there are now fully trained. It's time to expand this business."
"I'll have Chen Qing coordinate with your housekeeper."
Hua Zhi rested her chin in her palm and smiled. "Chen Qing truly is capable both inside and outside the household."
"Your maids are quite competent as well."
The feeling of exchanging compliments like this was simply ridiculous. Neither could hold back their laughter.
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