Chapter 153: Secret

After saying this, Li Xiao lowered his head once more to pluck the strings, resuming the melody that had just been abruptly cut off.

"Previously, when you were residing at the Tan Residence, I was still able to visit you there. But later, you moved into the Prince Duan Residence. That place is heavily guarded, with numerous hidden guards and secret agents concealed within. While I am capable of infiltrating it, I am unfamiliar with the layout of the Prince Duan Residence and cannot guarantee that I wouldn't alert the enemy."

"Therefore, I was left with no choice but to resort to this unorthodox measure and invite you here."

Tan Qingjiu blinked. "Did Sixth Master summon me for something urgent?"

The music ceased once more. Li Xiao lifted his head, fixing his deep gaze upon Tan Qingjiu. "I mentioned to you before that Shen Yingjue is an extremely elusive and unpredictable man, yet you chose to take up residence in his manor anyway?"

Tan Qingjiu lowered her gaze. "Sixth Master, I truly have a compelling reason for having to live in the Prince Duan Residence."

"My return to the capital is not merely for the sake of revenge."

Li Xiao nodded. "Not merely for revenge, I could tell."

"To you, revenge is no difficult task. If your sole purpose was revenge, you would not provoke Shen Yingjue, nor would you use him as a stepping stone to gradually gain access to the imperial family and the people within the palace."

Li Xiao's eyes remained fixed on her. "You are doing this for Xingqi, aren't you?"

Tan Qingjiu shifted slightly, remaining silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

Li Xiao was her master, and having spent three full years in the Miraculous Hand Valley previously, he was well-informed about her affairs, including the secret concerning Xingqi.

Yet at that time, she had no idea that Li Xiao was actually the current Imperial Preceptor.

Lowering her eyes to conceal her emotions, Tan Qingjiu spoke in a measured, unhurried tone, "The former Imperial Preceptor once prophesied: 'When the seven stars fall into place, the star of calamity shall descend, and all under heaven shall become one.'"

"It was said that whoever bears the birthmark of the Seven Stars Alignment would become the world's calamity, causing the collapse of the dynasty, the downfall of the Qingning State, and the unification of the realm. Sixth Master is the current Imperial Preceptor, as well as the disciple of the man who made that prophecy. You must be quite familiar with it, are you not?"

Li Xiao nodded. "I am indeed familiar with it, but..."

"My master prophesied the appearance of the Seven Stars calamity over twenty years ago, and at that time, he stated that this calamity would certainly manifest within three years."

Li Xiao pressed his lips together slightly and lowered his voice. "Although Xingqi also bears the mark of the Seven Stars Alignment, he was born nineteen years later. There is simply no way this prophecy of calamity could apply to him."

Tan Qingjiu let out a cold laugh. "Who can say for sure? The former preceptor prophesied that the calamity would emerge within three years, yet His Majesty has searched painstakingly for all these years without ever finding anyone with the Seven Stars birthmark. If it were discovered that Xingqi bears this birthmark, given His Majesty's foolish and suspicious nature, he would inevitably harbor doubts."

"Should he adopt the mindset of rather executing the innocent than letting a potential threat escape and attempt to take Xingqi's life, what would I do?"

Tan Qingjiu raised her chin slightly. "I am not one to sit back and await my doom. Although I have always believed that the prophecy of the Seven Stars calamity is utter nonsense, too many people unfortunately believe in it."

"Therefore, I cannot afford to leave things to chance. I must resolve this matter early on, so I do not have to live in daily anxiety, terrified that Xingqi's secret will be exposed."

Li Xiao gently stroked the strings of his guqin. "How do you intend to resolve it?"

How to resolve it?

Tan Qingjiu pressed her lips together slightly, her gaze growing deeper. "Either I find a way to track down the true calamity—the one born within three years after the prophecy was made—or I simply eliminate those who believe in this prophecy."

Li Xiao lifted his eyes. "Do you know who in this world believes this prophecy the most? It is the Emperor. Because that calamity threatens his throne, and he is both suspicious and fiercely protective of the hard-won imperial power. Back then, he practically scoured the earth, yet failed to find that person. To this day, the Emperor still dispatches countless hidden guards every year to search for them. Do you truly believe you can find them? Or do you think you are capable of assassinating the Emperor?"

Tan Qingjiu lowered her eyes. "Whether I can or cannot, I will simply have to wait and see."

"At any rate, one can only know by trying."

"So when you approached Shen Yingjue, was your plan to use him to get close to the Emperor, or were you planning to eliminate the Emperor directly?"

Tan Qingjiu smiled. "Both, though there is more to it. The former preceptor's prophecy stated that the calamity would overthrow the Qingning State and unite the realm. I have given it thought: although I do not know whether this prophecy is true or false, the person capable of seizing the throne and overthrowing a nation is, nine times out of ten, a member of the royal family."

"Although, logically speaking, since the Emperor is already part of the royal family, he should have thoroughly investigated everyone within it long ago. But what if there is a loophole? What if someone slipped through the net?"

What Tan Qingjiu left unsaid was that Xingqi's inheritance of the Seven Stars birthmark was very likely genetic.

The hereditary transmission rate for birthmarks and moles is remarkably high.

Thus, her primary goal was to first track down the father of Xingqi and her other children.

The person she currently suspected the most was the Heir of Prince Ding.

Originally, her plan was to use Tan Yunge to get close to the Heir of Prince Ding.

Man proposes, but heaven disposes; through a twist of fate, she had instead entered the Prince Duan Residence. Fortunately, however, the relationship between Prince Duan and the Heir of Prince Ding seemed quite amicable.

That could work as well...

Moreover, according to Prince Duan's plan, when the time for his usual toxin flare-up arrived shortly, he would leave the manor and the capital to attend to critical matters.

When that time came, Prince Duan would undoubtedly need someone to impersonate him.

Under normal circumstances, disguise techniques were enough to fool ordinary people without issue.

However, if the Emperor, or Prince Duan's maternal grandparents came to visit, nine times out of ten, they would thoroughly inspect him to see if he was wearing a disguise.

Naturally, these were the people who cared most about whether Prince Duan lived or died.

At that juncture, Prince Duan would most likely summon the Heir of Prince Ding to disguise himself and handle the situation.

By then, she could seize the opportunity to obtain a sample of blood or hair from the Heir of Prince Ding and take it to her spatial laboratory to conduct a paternity test.

Tan Qingjiu's scheme was meticulously calculated, yet Li Xiao merely looked at her, his gaze profound. "You were willing to risk your life by entering the Prince Duan Residence, willing to choose the most difficult path, and even considered assassinating the Emperor. Have you ever thought of taking a different route—starting with me instead?"

Tan Qingjiu blinked, her eyes filled with confusion. "Start with Sixth Master? How so?"