21 It's her!

A strong, oppressive aura emanated from the wealthy man even as he finished talking, his dark eyes drilling a hole in the owner's skull. Although there was a counter between them, the owner felt as if a single wrong move would mean the end of his life. Thinking this, his hands started shaking uncontrollably.

"My lord, I-I don't understand..."

"Youn don't?" Tang Lu sneered when his master didn't react. "Being this stupid, are you even the real owner of this shop or just a small uneducated clerk? My master is looking for a gift for the Emperor! With a counterfeit like this one, how would he be able to show his face in the future?"

The word 'emperor' had always been one that carried a lot of weight. No matter who, commoners and nobles, poor and rich, all couldn't help but feel fear and awe for the one sitting on the dragon throne. After all, with just one word from him, one could end up on the gallows or become a lowly slave.

The owner was no exception. Hearing this, his legs lost all their strength and he fell onto his knees, wailing and begging for mercy. To be able to present a gift to the emperor, the customer wasn't simple at all.

He was only the little owner of a shop! He didn't want to die!

"Please, my lord! Have mercy and spare this lowly one's life! I never meant to cheat you!"

It was true that the painting wasn't old enough. The owner knew his stuff better than Tang Lu and was certain the painting was made sixty-eight years ago. However, because he was knowledgeable, he was also aware that the signature was truly Ouyang Cao's. Same for the painting! From the style to the colors used, every detail pointed at the mysterious Ouyang Cao. How exactly this was possible, that much he had no clue. Nevertheless, just branding this piece of art as a mere counterfeit felt cruel and a big loss of money.

"Then..." the lord said quietly, his voice as cold as the white snow in winter, "did you plan to rebel?"

Behind the man and his servant, Bai Yue lowered her head and balled her hands into fists, her heart still racing. The fear and anxiety were still warring inside her heart, along with a growing sense of disdain. Using words like 'emperor' and 'rebel', the duo sure knew how to terrify people and make them feel as if they were about to go to the netherworld. Was there a need to act like this? What giving this painting to the emperor? Even from where she stood, it was obvious the painting was too recent. Only an idiot would fail to notice it. Although the owner was wrong in trying to sell a counterfeit, there was no need to involve the emperor.

"R-r-rebel? I-"

The lord didn't think like Bai Yue and coldly explained, "'Sunlight shining on the warrior's victory' was made for the last emperor of the previous dynasty. Naturally, only another emperor is worthy of it. Yet... even though you say it's the real one, you never sent it to the palace. Instead, you decided to step on the emperor's face and tried to sell it to me. If not rebellion, then, tell me, what is it?"

Such words left Bai Yue speechless for a brief moment before she sucked in a breath. Raising her head, her eyes swept over the figure whose voice was so familiar and then widened in fright.

There was nothing wrong with the words the man said. Yet, Bai Yue was aware that very few people actually thought like that. Facing such an object, no one pondered on who was worthy and whether keeping it was a sign of rebellion. Betrayal, rebellion, and the like were usually associated with weapons or letters from other countries. Certainly not art.

Only the imperial family and very high-ranked officials could afford to think like that and link the Emperor's face with a painting. Since the voice was familiar, Bai Yue guessed the man was a member of the family. Taking into account his posture, his elegant gestures, and his ability of sending the emperor a gift when it wasn't the latter's birthday, the man was probably a prince.

Not the future emperor Ji Mo Zhen, though, because his voice and cruel expressions were carved onto her heart like words onto a stone. She would recognize that man even with her eyes closed.

But then, who?

After fear and disdain, a feeling of disgust crept into her heart. In this life, she never wanted to meet a member of the imperial family ever again! Especially a prince!

Stumbling back, the noise drew the attention of the three people in front of her. The owner didn't dare to get up and look but the same couldn't be said for the two others. Noticing the coarse garments, Tang Lu quickly dismissed Bai Yue. Many girls and women tried to seduce his handsome and powerful master but Ji Mo Yuan had always been cold and treated them as a simple way to pass the time and warm his bed at night. Or he did until he decided to get rid of the entirety of his harem months ago. Not that Tang Lu blamed the Crown Prince, seeing as some of his women were actually spies. As for the others, well, they used to scheme and plot against each other, doing everything they could to discredit their opponents in front of His Highness.

Truthfully, the inner courtyard was never this quiet before.

For this outing, the Crown Prince chose to go incognito and the girl behind them had yet to see Ji Mo Yuan's face. Therefore, Tang Lu concluded she was just an unfortunate, scared, little girl.

And all it took to reach this conclusion were three blinks of his eyes.

Ji Mo Yuan thought differently. The face was hidden by a veil, with only her two beautiful eyes visible. And even so, they swiftly shifted away, not daring to meet his.

However, it was already too late and Ji Mo Yuan felt his body freeze. Thick roots seemed to have erupted from the floor and wrapped themselves around his ankles, keeping him immobile. The expression on his face became colder and only himself knew of the pounding of his heart and the million thoughts fighting in his head.

His temples throbbed and his mouth dried up. The girl looked frail and malnourished. So different from the one in his memory. Yet, Ji Mo Yuan had no doubt. This was Bai Yue, his father Emperor's soon-to-be favorite concubine.