Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 534 - 460: Take it Back, Business Xiao 9

Chapter 534: Chapter 460: Take it Back, Business Xiao 9

This was originally supposed to be a cellar.

The Yu Family’s estate also has similar cellars, meant for storing wine.

To prevent fire hazards, the Yu Family’s cellars strictly prohibit torches and rely on Luminous Pearls embedded in the walls for illumination.

The cellar before her was also adorned with numerous Luminous Pearls, though not as large as those in the Yu Family’s estate.

Out of caution, Meng Qianqian donned her silver thread gloves and gently stroked the Luminous Pearls on the wall.

A surging wave of intense familiarity washed over her mind.

"One pearl, two pearls, three pearls..."

A soft, childish voice echoed from deep within her soul.

She had been here before, she had even counted the pearls on the walls.

Who brought her here?

What had happened here?

Meng Qianqian tried her best to recall, but each time she attempted to recover fragments of memories from her past life, it felt as if a sharp awl was relentlessly stirring her brain.

Her head throbbed painfully, tiny beads of sweat trickling down her cheeks.

She withdrew her hand from the Luminous Pearl and removed her silver thread gloves.

Then, she began studying her surroundings with meticulous care.

Aside from the Luminous Pearls, the walls were pasted with strange Talisman Papers, and the floor was marked with equally bizarre vermilion patterns.

These were unfamiliar to her.

This suggested that during her last visit to this place, there were neither Talisman Papers nor vermilion patterns.

Meng Qianqian didn’t know their purpose but made a mental note of them, intending to ask Ji Li and Mr. Zimu about it later.

"A cellar adorned only with Talisman Papers and vermilion patterns, yet Xiao Rong’er stayed here for half an hour. What was she doing? Meditating?"

Meng Qianqian sat cross-legged in the center of the vermilion pattern.

"This doesn’t seem like a place for meditation, though."

She furrowed her brows just as a fleeting shadow skimmed past her vision.

She looked up and spotted two lanterns hanging from the beam, resembling twin celestial stars gazing across the distance.

She stood up and leapt upward, first removing the lantern on the right.

It was a six-sided palace lantern, a style popular in the previous dynasty and still in circulation, not particularly rare. What was peculiar was that all six panels bore no illustrations, only a birth chart written upon them.

"Year of Renzi, September 7th, third quarter of the Zi hour. All six sides... Whose birth chart is this?"

Meng Qianqian muttered quietly to herself.

She cast her gaze toward the other lantern and thought, "Could this one also have a birth chart written on it?"

She hung the lantern back in place and was about to grab the one on the left when noises arose from outside the courtyard. Judging by the footsteps, it seemed Xiao Rong’er had returned.

Meng Qianqian had to abandon her investigation for now.

She quickly glanced at the birth chart written on the other lantern before leaving the cellar ahead of Xiao Rong’er’s arrival.

By now it was getting late, and Meng Qianqian decided to head to the Crown Prince Mansion, planning to revisit the cellar another day to delve into its secrets.

Lu Yuan and Liu Qingyun were still residing in the main courtyard, while Lu Zhaoyan stayed in Prince Ming’s quarters.

Since the familial ties were acknowledged, Lu Yuan no longer had Ji Feng follow him everywhere, but instead openly kept Yu Zichuan by his side.

The Hunting Eagle tapped its beak against Yu Zichuan’s window.

"Chirp!"

The lady of the house has arrived!

Yu Zichuan didn’t seem to understand.

The Hunting Eagle: "..."

Comrades proved unreliable, so the Hunting Eagle had to find the scoundrel itself.

Meng Qianqian waited for Lu Yuan in the courtyard where she last met Liu Qingyun.

Lu Yuan arrived accompanied by Mr. Zimu.

Mr. Zimu wore an expression of deep resignation: "Couldn’t you at least respect the elderly a little?"

Dragging someone out of bed in the middle of the night—it’s truly impolite!

Meng Qianqian’s gaze rested on the older man. An unassuming elder, plainly dressed without even a hint of celestial demeanor, yet upon closer inspection, there was a calm purity between his brows that spoke of someone who had returned to simplicity.

"Mr. Zimu."

She clasped her hands and bowed.

Mr. Zimu squinted at Meng Qianqian: "You know of me?"

Meng Qianqian replied respectfully, "I have long admired your reputation. I am Meng Xiaojiu. If it’s not too much trouble, you may call me Little Nine."

Mr. Zimu faintly nodded: "You’re quite pleasant with words, child."

"Please, sir, have a seat."

Meng Qianqian invited the old gentleman to the main seat and then asked Lu Yuan, "There won’t be anyone coming here, will there?"

Lu Yuan replied, "Everything’s arranged."

"That quickly?"

Meng Qianqian was slightly surprised. "Seems you’re getting along well with your father."

Lu Yuan let out a grunt.

Ever since the father-son relationship was brought to light, Lu Zhaoyan no longer kept such a tight watch on him; all the spies sent to monitor him had been withdrawn.

He could do whatever he wanted, and Lu Zhaoyan rarely interfered anymore.

But as for "getting along," one harbored ambitions to overturn the heavens, while the other sought to put their house in order.

Meng Qianqian noticed the defiance in his demeanor and curved her lips into a knowing smile. "Fine, I won’t mention it anymore."