Chapter 639 - 642: Relic

Chapter 639: Chapter 642: Relic

Li Liao asked sternly.

"Who told you that Ji is the Saint’s illegitimate son?"

Hua Manman replied sullenly, "A lot of people say that."

Li Liao scoffed. "What utter nonsense! The Commandery Princess and I shared a deep bond. How could she possibly have had an affair with the Saint?"

Still, Hua Manman felt something wasn’t right.

’If Li Ji isn’t the Emperor’s illegitimate son, why does the Emperor treat him that way?’

’Even though the Emperor intentionally suppresses Li Ji, he never hesitates to defend him when outsiders attack him.’

’It was as if—’

’I can discipline my own son, but no one else is allowed to lay a hand on him.’

"Don’t let me catch the person spreading these rumors, or I’ll cut out their tongue!" As Li Liao spoke, he suddenly threw a punch, slamming it into the trunk of a nearby tree.

A sharp CRACK followed.

The tree trunk snapped where it was struck and came crashing to the ground.

Hua Manman jumped in fright.

Even the horse, which had been grazing quietly, was spooked and shied away a few steps.

The commotion was loud enough to attract the attention of others.

Li Ji strode purposefully toward them.

Without so much as a glance at Li Liao, he grabbed Manman’s hand and walked away without looking back.

Li Ji was tall and long-legged, and one of his strides was equal to two of Hua Manman’s.

She had to practically jog to keep up as Li Ji pulled her along.

When they neared the carriage, Hua Manman quickly reached out and grabbed its shaft, planting her feet and pulling back with all her might.

"Let go of me!"

Li Ji stopped and looked back at her. "Didn’t you say you were going to the river with Yue Niang to wash fruit?"

Hua Manman avoided his gaze and argued defensively.

"I did go to the river! I just happened to see your father nearby, so I went over to say hello. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Li Ji: "What were you two talking about just now?"

Hua Manman’s eyes darted about evasively.

"We weren’t talking about anything."

Li Ji grabbed her chin and forced her to face him, making her meet his gaze.

"Tell me the truth!"

Hua Manman knew about his Mind Reading Technique. She couldn’t lie in this situation.

She had no choice but to tell the truth.

"I just wanted to know why you two were fighting! He told me some things about you, that you’re the current Saint’s nephew..."

Hua Manman paused at that.

She started counting on her fingers, trying to sort out the relationships.

"If you’re the Saint’s nephew, doesn’t that make the Lord Duke the Saint’s older brother? But the Lord Duke and the Saint look nothing alike. Could they be long-lost blood brothers from different mothers?"

’What kind of nonsense is this?!’

Li Ji couldn’t listen anymore. His face darkened as he said,

"It’s not what you think."

Hua Manman pressed, "Then what is it?"

Li Ji: "Do you really want to know?"

Hua Manman nodded vigorously.

"Of course I have to know something this important!"

Li Ji pulled her into the carriage and closed the door and windows.

The two of them were alone inside.

Li Ji leaned close to her ear and quietly gave her a rough account of his true origins.

The more Hua Manman listened, the more astonished she became. Her mouth fell open wider and wider until her jaw had nearly hit the floor.

Li Ji reached out, lifted her chin, and reminded her,

"You’d better close your mouth before you start drooling."

Hua Manman slapped his hand away and said irritably, "How can you be worried about drool at a time like this? Let me ask you, if you’re really former Crown Prince Li Shu’s son, doesn’t that mean Empress Ji, who used to live in Chaoyang Palace, is your biological grandmother?"

Li Ji nodded. "Yes."

Rumors had long circulated in the palace that Chaoyang Palace was haunted, precisely because Empress Ji had set fire to it and immolated herself there.

After that, Chaoyang Palace was sealed off, becoming a true Cold Palace that no one dared to enter.

It was not until Prince Wu Zhang, Li Ying, came to power and ordered Chaoyang Palace to be renovated that it saw some life again.

Hua Manman had even lived there for a while.

Later, she was forced to hide in a secret passage in Chaoyang Palace, where she saw a portrait of Empress Ji.

At this thought, Hua Manman couldn’t help but grab Li Ji’s arm and ask nervously,

"After I died, what did you do with my belongings?"

Li Ji answered truthfully, "I stored them all away."

Hua Manman: "Among my belongings, did you see a token?"

She gestured with her fingers to show its size.

"It was about this big, made of metal, with the two words ’Xuan Armor’ carved on it."

She had found a token in a hidden compartment in Chaoyang Palace and had originally intended to ask Li Ji to take a look, to see if they could find its true owner. But then so much happened that she completely forgot about it.

’Thinking back on it now, that Mystic Armor Order was clearly something left behind by Empress Ji.’

As Empress Ji’s only descendant, Li Ji should be the rightful heir to her belongings.

Li Ji thought back carefully.

"When I was sorting through your belongings, I did see a token like that."

He hadn’t known what the token was for, so he had just glanced at it before tossing it back into the box and never touching it again.

Hua Manman: "That belonged to Empress Ji. It must be very useful. You have to find the Mystic Armor Order when we get back to Tianjing."

At this, she slapped her forehead in annoyance.

"I should have asked your father just now. He used to be the Crown Prince’s confidant, so he must know what the Mystic Armor Order is for."

Li Ji frowned. "Don’t have anything to do with him from now on."

Hua Manman glanced at him. Seeing the coldness in his eyes, she knew he was still angry.

She scooted closer, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her face against his chest, soothing him in a soft voice.

"I know you’re angry because you were deceived. That’s completely normal; I’d be angry too if it were me. But the most important thing right now is to get back to Tianjing and find Gou Dan. As for you and your father..."

Li Ji cut her off. "He’s not my father anymore."

Hua Manman had no choice but to correct herself.

"Just set aside the grudge between you and the Lord Duke for now. Once all our other problems are sorted out, you two can slowly resolve your personal feud. How does that sound?"

Li Ji’s hand caressed her waist as he said in a deep voice,

"Even if I’m willing to set aside our grudge for now, he might not be willing to let me go."

Hua Manman looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

Li Ji: "Duke Zhen kept this secret for so many years. For him to suddenly choose to tell me now can’t be a coincidence. I have a feeling he’s scheming something else."

Hua Manman’s little face contorted into a woeful expression as she complained indignantly,

"Is this crap ever going to end?!"

’Why is it so hard to live a peaceful life?!’

Li Ji pulled her into his arms and chuckled softly.

"I’ve always lived like this, so I’m used to it. Thankfully, I have you now. Otherwise, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it."