Facing Sima Qing's pensive look, Qiu Dongfang gave a start and dared not crack any more jokes. He quickly composed himself and said, "My lord, last night I made a slight probe, and it seems that Jiu Yue is... in a state of amnesia."
He just didn't know whether it was real or feigned.
Qiu Dongfang repeated all the words he had exchanged with Jiu Yue the previous night.
Sima Qing fell into deep thought. He had only one doubt now.
If Jiu Yue had really lost her memory, did Prince Ping know about it?
If it was a fake amnesia... what on earth was Prince Ping up to?
Prince Ping had been quiet for a long time.
Qiu Dongfang couldn't help asking, "My lord, do you really want to keep Jiu Yue by your side?"
There were too many unknown factors. Qiu Dongfang was still worried. "Why not just kill her to avoid future troubles and a bunch of headaches."
Sima Qing was thinking more comprehensively.
To Prince Ping, Jiu Yue was no ordinary pawn... It was no wonder that the emperor was wary of Prince Ping.
In this situation, he actually had a countermeasure.
Play along with the scheme.
Perhaps, he could even present Prince Ping with a big "gift."
"It's okay," he said with a faint smile. "You just need to keep an eye on her."
Qiu Dongfang was good at light - footed skills and using hidden weapons. He could move more nimbly than Mo Jin and the others.
"Just follow her?" Qiu Dongfang could hardly believe it. Why was his lord so soft - hearted this time? In the past, it would have been a simple matter of giving an order to behead someone!
Sima Qing gave him a look.
Qiu Dongfang immediately lowered his head obediently. "This subordinate knows his mistake. This subordinate will definitely keep an eye on her and will never act on his own and ruin the lord's plan."
"You can go now. Call Jiu Yue to see me later," Sima Qing said.
"Yes," Qiu Dongfang turned and left.
After having breakfast, Jiu Yue was summoned to Sima Qing's study and received her first task!
"Within three days. If you can't do it..." Sima Qing looked up at her.
His eyes clearly showed four words: Deduce your pay.
Jiu Yue: "..."
Jiu Yue looked solemn. "Don't worry, my lord! I guarantee to complete the task!"
Sima Qing didn't want to look at her anymore. He always felt that she somehow made him angry... This was also a kind of "ability."
"Then get out. Qiu Dongfang will assist you," Sima Qing waved his hand to dismiss her.
But Jiu Yue didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, she opened the note Sima Qing had given her right in front of him.
Sima Qing: "…?"
Having had the previous experience, this time, Jiu Yue was determined to confirm, double - confirm, and triple - confirm the task right in front of Sima Qing!
There were still just a few simple words on the note: Capture Ma Dachun.
Jiu Yue put her hand on her forehead. Well, as she had guessed, she knew this task was vaguely described again!
So, under Sima Qing's somewhat puzzled gaze, Jiu Yue took a deep breath and asked three questions in a row.
"My lord, who is Ma Dachun? Where does she live?"
"How am I supposed to capture her? Do you want her alive or dead?"
"After capturing her, should I bring her back for you to see or not? Do I need to do the cleaning this time too?"
Sima Qing: "..."
Sima Qing was at a loss for words to describe his mood for a moment.
Haha, it had been a long time since he had met such a stupid subordinate.
So Sima Qing got angry and stood up.
Jiu Yue didn't sense the speechless anger in the expressionless lord at all. When she saw Sima Qing suddenly stand up, she even exclaimed in admiration, "My lord! You stood up again! This is simply a miracle!" Jiu Yue smacked her lips, and then looked at him with a cute expression.
Her face was full of "I'm looking forward to your answer."
Sima Qing closed his eyes and finally forced a smile.
Jiu Yue listened attentively.
Sima Qing said, "Get out."
Jiu Yue: "..."
Mo Jin in the dark: "..."
In the end, Jiu Yue was personally pushed out of the door by the lord with a disability but a strong will.
The door closed just an inch in front of her nose. Jiu Yue twitched the corner of her mouth, turned around, and tidied up the stray hairs that had been blown by the wind. She couldn't help but complain in her heart about this grumpy "yin - yang master."
Why was he so prone to getting angry every day?
Wasn't he just waiting to deduct her pay because she asked about the details of the job?
Jiu Yue grumbled in her heart but still rushed to find Qiu Dongfang.
When she showed the note to him, Qiu Dongfang's first reaction was one of surprise. "My lord is actually considerate of newbies. The task notes we get usually have no more than three characters."
Jiu Yue: "?"
Jiu Yue couldn't understand. "Is it possible that the lord's hand is also disabled?"
As if his hand would break if he wrote a few more words?
Qiu Dongfang: "… Well, not really. It's just for safety reasons. The more you write, the easier it is to leave evidence. At this time, we often need to rely on our understanding."
Jiu Yue was greatly shocked and then humbly asked, "So, in your opinion, how does the lord want me to capture this Ma Dachun?"
When it came to business, Qiu Dongfang put away his casual attitude. He pointed his finger at the note and first asked, "Do you know who Ma Dachun is?"
Jiu Yue shook her head.
Qiu Dongfang: "… She is the madam of Yanyu Tower."
Jiu Yue looked blank. "Yanyu Tower?"
Qiu Dongfang was surprised. "It's the biggest brothel in the west of the city."
Jiu Yue suddenly remembered. "I remember... I almost got scammed by the girl at the door when I passed by last time! They are so bad."
"…" Qiu Dongfang's expression became a bit complicated, but he continued, "Do you know whose person this Ma Dachun is?"
Jiu Yue looked serious and asked, "Whose person?"
Qiu Dongfang said, "Prince Ping."
Jiu Yue's eyes widened in an instant. "Prince Ping?!"
Qiu Dongfang's eyes flickered. "Why are you reacting so strongly?"
Jiu Yue immediately took out the token with the words "Prince Ping" written on it from her body. Qiu Dongfang's face also changed. He asked in a flat tone, "What's this?"
Jiu Yue frowned, with disgust in her eyebrows. "My enemy."
Qiu Dongfang: "…"
Qiu Dongfang, who had imagined all kinds of intrigues: "???"
"E - enemy?" Qiu Dongfang was completely thrown off. "Why is Prince Ping your enemy?"
Wasn't he supposed to be your master? Did you turn against each other?
Jiu Yue sighed and shook her head. "You're still young. You won't understand."
Qiu Dongfang: "…" He understood! He understood everything!
But since Jiu Yue didn't seem willing to say more, Qiu Dongfang didn't want to press the issue. So he forced himself to change the topic. "Prince Ping seems gentle and harmless on the surface, but he actually does all kinds of evil deeds secretly."
Jiu Yue understood. "A hypocrite, two - faced, a heartless scoundrel in human clothing!"
Qiu Dongfang: "… Right, exactly. This Ma Dachun is one of his pawns. Relying on the cover of Yanyu Tower, she has secretly sent concubines to many ministers and officials, trying to win them over for Prince Ping. Recently, she has even gone so far as to target young children."
Jiu Yue was shocked. "Young children?"
Qiu Dongfang nodded and asked her, "So, how do you think we should capture this person?"
