Chapter 257: Chapter 257 “I Don’t Understand

Xiang Ying pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.

“It’s okay, we are at a disadvantage now, it’s normal that we can’t protect the object.”

After opening the box.

Joy burst in the eyes of the Prince first, followed by astonishment, and then astonishment appeared on the faces of all those around.

“How can this be?”

“Yes! Why are there so many?”

Taking advantage of everyone gathering around the box, Jie Chen pulled Xiang Ying to the side.

He lowered his voice: “Let’s go.”

Xiang Ying shook her head: “No, I can protect myself. I have said before, I intend to enter the Imperial Palace.”

Jie Chen frowned, about to speak, when he heard the Sixth Prince beside him exclaim in surprise: “How come there are so many Jade Seals!?”

Jie Chen moved forward to look.

In the five boxes, at least four were filled with Jade Seals of various colored jade stones.

The fifth box was only half-filled because Xiang Ying had not finished carving.

The engraving machine in her space was working day and night, nearly exhausted, and had been oiled twice.

Fortunately, the operation was simple. Xiang Ying took the design of the Jade Seal that Jie Chen possessed, placed it in the machine, and it could carve out a 1:1 replica.

The Prince picked out one after another, mumbling in disbelief: “Which one is the real Jade Seal?”

The Sixth Prince came to his senses, looking at Xiang Ying.

“How dare you trick us?”

Xiang Ying had a calm and cold expression: “I’ve already said, I don’t know the whereabouts of the Imperial Jade Seal because I do not know which one it is.”

“When Father escaped, he said the Imperial Jade Seal was with me, but only half of that was true, the Imperial Jade Seal was taken by him and buried on our way to Nanyue.”

“I knew the location, so I dug it out, but I didn’t expect Father to be so cunning, actually preparing five boxes of Imperial Jade Seals. If you want to know which one is the real Jade Seal, you have to ask him in person.”

The Prince suspiciously looked towards the Sixth Prince: “Sixth brother, you followed them all the way here, is it really as she said?”

Li Fengcheng hastily said: “It’s true, Xiang Ying was often taken out in the middle of the night by Jie Chen.”

“These five boxes were also brought back after they were out all night last time.”

The Prince looked at Jie Chen with a dangerous scrutiny in his eyes.

“Jie Chen, you are the Vice General of the entire team, how could you know we were looking for the Jade Seal and not report it?”

Jie Chen bowed his hands: “We haven’t gone out in the middle of the night, everyone can testify.”

Skinny Monkey and others also hurriedly chimed in: “Yes, Your Highness, the Vice General has to manage a team of nearly three hundred people, he wouldn’t have free time for frivolous things.”

“I have heard that some people have improper intentions, fraternizing with prisoners. Last time I heard the Vice General reprimanding him a few times, he probably holds a grudge for that, hence slandering in front of Your Highness.”

Li Fengcheng suddenly frowned: “Skinny Monkey, are you cursing me?”

Skinny Monkey looked at him sideways: “I didn’t name names, how do you know I am talking about you? Ridiculous!”

Seeing they were going to argue, the Prince sternly rebuked.

“Enough!”

His eerie gaze swept over Xiang Ying’s calm and beautiful face.

“From now on, the entire Exile Team is under my command, everyone must follow my orders.”

“The first step, pack up now, we will depart for the capital in two hours.”

“The second step, a criminal is a criminal, they must not retain anything on them, everyone must hand over their possessions, including the five boxes belonging to Xiang Ying.”

Xiang Ying suppressed a cold sneer at the corner of her lips.

She guessed that the Prince probably believed what she had said.

Take them, so many Imperial Jade Seals, specially carved for their use.

In any case, they would eventually return to her own hands.

The Prince had people guard them, and Li Fengcheng, with his obvious desire to make a contribution, took the initiative to bow and say, “Please, Prince, give me the chance to guard these treasure chests.”

“You?” The Prince had some concerns, “Can you ensure that you will fulfill your duty?”

Li Fengcheng nodded heavily: “I understand these people’s habits, and I can certainly guard them properly.”

The Prince patted his shoulder: “Alright, I’ll leave them temporarily in your care, if you manage well, when we reach Father, I will definitely acknowledge your merit.”

“Yes!” Li Fengcheng accepted the order, his face showing a smirk of triumph.

People around dispersed one after another, Jie Chen pulled Xiang Ying, insisting that she stay within his sight, otherwise, he could not be at ease.

At this moment, Li Fengcheng approached Jie Chen on his own initiative.

Four guards left by the Prince were behind him, all under his command.

Li Fengcheng, thinking he had the Prince’s backing, did not take Jie Chen seriously anymore.

“Jie Chen, I actually really dislike you,” he said straightforwardly.

Jie Chen slightly raised an eyebrow, his gaze coldly fixed on him.

Li Fengcheng continued, “What did my brother do wrong? You had him tied to a tree and let the Snow Beast devour him, leaving no remains.”

“But afterwards, you wouldn’t even build him a tomb; that was when I swore that I would make you regret it.”

“Now is my chance, no matter if you beg me or kneel for forgiveness, it’s too late, I will find the opportunity to firmly trample you two underfoot.”

Jie Chen pulled Xiang Ying behind him and faced Li Fengcheng’s hateful gaze, remaining expressionless.

“Hate me if you wish, because many people hate me and I don’t care about adding one more. But I still must say, your brother made mistakes, his death was deserved.”

“You!” Li Fengcheng’s eyes nearly burst with fury, yet he managed to restrain himself.

Without making a scene, he simply flung his sleeve: “Just you wait.”

Xiang Rongrong stepped up, attempting to demand justice but was pushed away by Li Fengcheng as he turned to leave.

Fortunately, Lin Lingxiang reached out to support her in time to prevent her fall.

Xiang Ying watched Li Fengcheng’s retreating figure, scoffing twice, “Very impressive, I hope he can keep such a stiff backbone forever, in case one day he comes pleading before me…”

Jie Chen looked at her, “What would you do then?”

Xiang Ying smiled and said no more.

Xiang Rongrong sobbed heartbreakingly, her tears unstoppable.

She knelt before Xiang Ying, bowing her head in repentance, “Big sister, I’m sorry, I should have listened to you at the beginning, I shouldn’t have trusted this man so quickly… he stole my key, before this I really thought he loved me.”

Xiang Rongrong wept bitterly: “I can’t understand why he would do this.”

“In that case, there’s no need to understand,” Xiang Ying decisively said.

Seeing Xiang Rongrong lifting her tearful, puzzled eyes toward her, Xiang Ying’s beautiful face was expressionless.

“Women always obsess over understanding why men don’t love them;

Understanding why they betray their true feelings, and why they lie;

But actually, understanding these things is pointless, what we need to do is to defeat them, then let them figure out why we treated them this way.”