Prefectural Office.
The carriage slowly stopped outside the mansion.
Wang Cheng walked quickly to the front of the carriage and lifted the curtain.
"Your Highness, we're here!"
Lin Jiangnian stood up and stepped out of the carriage, looking up. He saw a towering and majestic palace gate, beautifully decorated, and the three characters "Taishou Mansion" inlaid with gold, exuding an air of majesty.
"As expected of the Xunyang Prefecture, it is truly extraordinary."
Lin Jiangnian glanced around a few times, hinting at something.
Wang Cheng pretended not to hear and lowered his head to speak, "Your Highness, the governor has been waiting at the mansion for a long time and has prepared wine and food to welcome you."
Lin Jiangnian looked at him with a smile on his face, then looked at the door without saying anything.
Have you been waiting for a long time?
Outside the huge prefectural mansion, there was no one except a few guards.
In name, it was a welcoming banquet, but the Xunyang prefect's attitude seemed like a way to intimidate him?
Since it is a banquet, then the guests are here. The guests are already at the door. As the host, how can the prefect treat the guests in this way?
He, the prefect of Xunyang, is really arrogant!
Seeing this scene, Lin Jiangnian's smile became even wider.
"Okay, Your Excellency, the Governor is so thoughtful. I will have a good talk with you, Your Excellency!"
After saying that, Lin Jiangnian was the first to step into the prefect's mansion.
Wang Cheng followed behind him, his eyes narrowing slightly when he heard the Crown Prince's words. Everyone had heard that the Crown Prince Lin was an apathetic, brittle, and easily angered person... But seeing him today, something seemed off.
He wasn't angry?
Wang Cheng quickly concealed the doubt in his eyes and followed closely.
Inside the prefectural government office.
Lin Jiangnian walked in front, followed closely by Wang Cheng, and Lin Qingqing and Xiaozhu also followed closely behind.
The little maid blinked curiously and looked around, while Lin Qingqing stared at the surroundings intently, without slacking off at all.
The Xunyang prefect invited Your Highness to a banquet for no reason. He probably has some unspeakable secret, so we must be on guard.
"Your Highness, we're here!"
After passing through the pavilion and corridor, we soon arrived at a courtyard gate.
Wang Cheng stopped and bowed his head, saying, "The governor has been waiting for Your Highness for a long time."
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes and looked inside the door.
At the same time, a hearty laugh came from inside the door.
"His Royal Highness has arrived?"
Then, a middle-aged man walked out of the courtyard quickly and his eyes fell on Lin Jiangnian: "You are His Royal Highness the Prince of Lin, right?"
"This humble official greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
The middle-aged man bowed.
"You are too polite, Your Excellency!"
Lin Jiangnian looked at the middle-aged man in front of him. He had a restrained aura and was in high spirits. There seemed to be a hint of fatigue in the corners of his eyes. He guessed something in his mind.
"I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince would pass through Xunyang City on his way to the capital, so I specially ordered my servants to wait for a long time and invite His Highness to gather at his residence. I hope Your Highness will forgive me if I disturbed His Highness."
Wang Shiquan spoke with a smile on his face.
Lin Jiangnian also smiled broadly, "Your Excellency, that's not true. This prince has just arrived, and Your Excellency, you took time out of your busy schedule to meet me. I should trouble Lord Wang!"
"Your Highness, that's not a problem. It's not a problem at all!"
“…”
Lin Qingqing and Xiaozhu stood aside, quietly watching the Prince and the Xunyang Governor exchanging pleasantries. Both of them had a smile on their faces, like old friends who had known each other for a long time, and they exchanged pleasantries one after another.
Passionate but hypocritical!
The little maid tilted her head and blinked. Lin Qingqing lowered her head slightly, but her eyes were always fixed on the Xunyang governor...
So passionate, there's a problem!
Wang Shiquan looked at the young, handsome and good-looking Prince in front of him, and a hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes.
He seemed to have underestimated His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!
After a brief encounter with the Crown Prince, he immediately formed a judgment...
This Prince Lin is far from being as simple as he seems!
He was neither humble nor arrogant, and knew when to advance and retreat. He was at ease in the conversation with him, without showing any fear or the arrogance of the Prince Lin.
It's extremely rare for someone so young to have such a temperament and mind. There are rumors that Prince Lin is unlearned and unskillful, but I'm afraid this rumor is wrong!
Has this Prince Lin been hiding his abilities all along?
Wang Shiquan, who had made a judgment, felt a little depressed and put away the last trace of contempt in his eyes.
"Your Highness has come a long way. Would you like to wash up and rest first to wash off the dust and dirt? I have prepared a feast and food to welcome you!"
Facing Wang Shiquan's enthusiasm, Lin Jiangnian remained calm and said with a smile, "Alright, thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Wang!"
“…”
Prefectural Office.
Side courtyard.
After taking a shower and changing his clothes, Lin Jiangnian felt refreshed and sat at the table. Xiaozhu followed him and helped him tidy up his clothes and hair.
The little maidservant served His Highness very seriously and meticulously.
Lin Qingqing appeared at the side of the room, looking worried, "Your Highness, this Xunyang governor might have some hidden agenda. He's here with ill intentions, so be careful!"
Lin Jiangnian opened his eyes, looked at himself in the mirror, and said lightly: "This prince knows."
He naturally knew that there was something wrong with the Xunyang prefect.
If someone is being too nice to you for no reason, there must be something fishy going on!
"Then Your Highness, I need your subordinates to go..."
"Not for now."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly, looking in the mirror with a half-smile: "Let's take a look first to see what his purpose is."
"After all, this is the Xunyang Prefecture's residence. Even if Wang Shiquan is very brave, he wouldn't dare to attack this prince!"
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes, feeling confident.
Now that the news has spread that Prince Lin has been admitted to the prefectural governor's residence, Lin Jiangnian is not only safe, but also safe.
If anything happened to him here, Wang Shiquan would be blamed. No matter how bold Wang Shiquan was, he would never dare to go against the Lin Wang Mansion.
He can't afford the consequences.
"But……"
Lin Qingqing hesitated. Although this was true, no one knew what Wang Shiquan was trying to do. Now that His Highness had gone deep into the prefectural governor's mansion, his safety was not guaranteed.
"Don't worry, I know what's going on!"
Lin Jiangnian smiled faintly: "Wang Shiquan keeping me here is exactly what I want!"
"This scene, this prince must watch carefully!"
“…”
On the other side, the backyard.
"Sir, what do you think of the Prince of Lin?"
Zheng Chang appeared in the backyard and came to Wang Shiquan's side.
Wang Shiquan put his hands behind his back, frowned, and said solemnly: "This boy should not be underestimated!"
Zheng Chang was startled, then he concentrated and asked, "Sir, are you saying...that Prince Lin is hiding his abilities?"
Wang Shiquan narrowed his eyes: "It's possible!"
Zheng Chang's expression changed slightly as if he had thought of something. "If that's true, then they... Prince Lin and his son, are probably playing a big game?!"
Wang Shiquan seemed to be thinking of something, and said in a deep voice: "Over the past decade or so, with Lin Hengzhong's enthronement as king, his influence in the south has grown, and has become a threat to the safety of the dynasty..."
"If the Prince of Lin really is playing dumb and acting like a dandy in order to dispel the imperial court's concerns... it's not impossible!"
"Lin Hengzhong's power is enormous and poses a serious threat to the dynasty's security. If the son of Prince Lin is a man of both civil and military talents, a talent for a general, I'm afraid those in the court will have trouble sleeping."
Thinking of this, Wang Shiquan narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming more serious. "I've never understood it before. It's not surprising that the court wants to marry into the Lin family in order to win over Prince Lin, but why would the object of the marriage be that princess?"
"The eldest princess possesses both talent and beauty, and her martial arts are unparalleled. She is a rare talent in the world today. In time, the eldest princess has the potential to become a great master. Your Majesty has many daughters, so why did you choose to marry the eldest princess to the Lin family?"
Zheng Chang seemed to realize something: "Sir, what you mean is..."
"The court has probably seen through this long ago. Prince Lin is a man of both civil and military talents, a man of great ambition and vision. How could his son be so mediocre? Rumors spread among the people are naturally not to be believed. The court has probably long suspected that Prince Lin's son is feigning madness and stupidity, but is actually hiding his incompetence!"
Wang Shiquan said expressionlessly, "Marrying into the Lin family and marrying the eldest princess to them is probably to monitor and control the Lin family!"
"The only one who can do this is the eldest princess!"
Zheng Chang took a deep breath, "Your Excellency is indeed wise, to be able to guess this..."
His Majesty the Emperor really thinks far ahead.
But then, Zheng Chang thought of something else and wondered, "If the court was trying to spy on the Lin family, how could Lin Hengzhong not realize this? Why would he allow Lin Jiangnian to come to the capital to marry the princess?"
"Isn't that like inviting a wolf into the house?"
"That's not clear."
Wang Shiquan shook his head. "Perhaps he has other motives, or perhaps...that Prince Lin is disdainful of him."
Zheng Chang was silent.
Indeed, this was a game between the dynasty and the king of a different surname, and no one knew what the final outcome would be. And they, the ministers, were caught in the middle, facing this ever-changing situation, walking on thin ice and acting with extreme caution.
"By the way, sir, have you heard any news about the young master?"
When this matter was mentioned, Wang Shiquan's face darkened and he said coldly: "Not yet."
Zheng Chang said in a deep voice, "If Prince Lin is really hiding his abilities, then this possibility cannot be ruled out..."
Wang Shiquan's eyes turned cold: "If Qin'er's disappearance is really related to him..."
He didn't continue speaking, but the coldness in his expression never faded.
“…”
Night falls.
Prefectural Office.
"Your Highness, I offer you a toast!"
In the private room.
The table was filled with rare seafood and fine wine.
Several pretty maids stood around the room, carefully serving and pouring wine.
Wang Shiquan raised his wine glass and toasted Lin Jiangnian: "Your Highness has come from afar, and I don't have much to offer you. Please don't be disgusted!"
"That's not true, Lord Wang. I will remember your hospitality today. If Lord Wang visits Linjiang City in the future, I will definitely treat you well."
"Then I would like to thank Your Highness for your kindness."
After three rounds of drinking.
Inside the room, the two men had a more drunken look on their faces.
After Wang Shiquan toasted again, he sat down and sighed deeply.
Lin Jiangnian glanced at him, his eyes seemed a little drunken: "Why are you sighing, sir?"
"I remembered some troubles!"
Wang Shiquan hesitated to speak, then waved his hand again: "Forget it, I'd better not trouble Your Highness!"
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian sneered in his heart.
Retreat to advance, is this what the old man is doing to him?
"Oh well."
Lin Jiangnian nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Now it was Wang Shiquan's turn to be stunned.
That's not right!
According to the previous routine, shouldn't Prince Lin continue to ask questions at this time?
Why don’t you ask anymore?
Lin Jiangnian refused to cooperate, which made him feel a little embarrassed.
However, Wang Shiquan was the prefect of Xunyang after all, so this accident naturally had no impact on him.
He sighed deeply again: "Your Highness, you may not know that a big thing has indeed happened in my family in the past two days!"
"My only son, Wang Qin, left home two days ago and has disappeared. He hasn't returned home yet!"
"oh?"
Lin Jiangnian looked amused, "Young Master Wang is missing?"
"yes!"
Wang Shiquan nodded. "This rebellious son is always a worry to me. He's uneducated and loves to run around outside... He's been missing for a few days now, and I'm deeply worried!"
At this point, Wang Shiquan suddenly looked at Lin Jiangnian and said, "By the way, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has just entered the city. I wonder if he has seen any trace of the rebellious son along the way?"
"Why did you suddenly ask me, my lord?"
Lin Jiangnian looked at Wang Shiquan, smiling, "Does your Excellency think that this prince has kidnapped Young Master Wang?"
Wang Shiquan's eyelids twitched suddenly. He had never expected Lin Jiangnian to be so blunt. He had wanted to test him, but he had not expected Lin Jiangnian to expose him so bluntly.
"Your Highness has misunderstood!"
Wang Shiquan suppressed his discomfort and said, "I just happened to remember that His Royal Highness passed through Xunyang County, so I asked... This is my only son, and I love him dearly. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!"
"Lord Wang loves his son deeply, and this prince naturally understands."
Lin Jiangnian nodded slightly: "However, this prince has indeed never met Prince Wang!"
"Then please excuse me, Your Highness!"
Seeing that he couldn't get any more information out of his question, Wang Shiquan waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Since today is a welcome for His Highness, I won't mention my family affairs."
Lin Jiangnian smiled without saying a word, quietly watching the old man in front of him perform.
It really is a test!
Wang Qin disappeared, and this old guy suspected him!
In that case...
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes and decided to add fuel to the fire.
"Young Master Wang has been missing for two days, so Lord Wang is understandably worried."
Lin Jiangnian said, "However, it is indeed unusual that Young Master Wang has disappeared for two days. Has your Excellency gone to look for him?"
Wang Shiquan said in a deep voice: "I've looked everywhere, but there's no news."
He glanced at Lin Jiangnian inadvertently.
"In that case, perhaps something did happen to Prince Wang..."
Seeing Wang Shiquan's slightly gloomy face, Lin Jiangnian casually asked, "Sir Wang, have you tried to find out from those around Young Master Wang? There's no way Young Master Wang would disappear for no reason... Find out what he's done recently, where he's been, who he's been in contact with..."
"Perhaps, we can find some clues?"
Looking at Wang Shiquan's gradually silent expression, Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes and felt happy.
The good show is about to begin!
“…”