109 She Disappeared Because of Me (1/2)
Jiang Xiao Tian was traveling to the Northern part of Da Cheng when he received the Crown Princess' summon to enter the palace immediately. He was following a lead on missing person's story when he accepted the letter from the Princess. When he saw the urgency, Jiang Xiao Tian had no other choice but to turn back to the capital city.
When Jiang Xiao Tian entered the Crown Princess' palace, Princess Lingchen was walking back and forth in her garden as if something was occupying her thought. Jiang Xiao Tian immediately went before the Princess and offered his greetings.
”You're finally here,” Princess Lingchen said.
”I come as quickly as I can,” Jiang Xiao Tian said. He lifted his head and saw the black rim under the Princess' eyes. ”Your Highness, what happened to you? Are you unwell?”
”I did not sleep well,” Princess Lingchen admitted. ”I was waiting for you to return.”
Jiang Xiao Tian's expression grew serious. ”Something happened?”
The Princess glanced at her maidservants and waved a hand to dismiss them. Once the maidservants had retreated until they were out of their earshot, Princess Lingchen spoke, ”I met Prince Lu Wei of Qian Rong a few days ago. He told me something about the Shadow Grass.”
Jiang Xiao Tian's expression grew dark, but he quickly calmed down before the Princess could notice his change. ”What did the Prince say to you?”
”The Prince told me stories of how a person vanish just like that,” the Princess said. She moved towards a stool and sat down. ”He told me that in a few places, some people believed that Shadow Grass would appear only when a strong supernatural power was around.”
”You believe in supernatural things, Your Highness?” Jiang Xiao Tian tried to control his emotion.
They have agreed to keep this matter a secret from the Princess. However, Jiang Xiao Tian did not expect that a Prince from Qian Rong would know of this legend. After all, he had investigated the Shadow Grass for years before he met the old man who then told them his stories.
”You know that I don't really believe in them,” the Princess lowered her gaze. ”But, when Mingyue disappeared, an eclipse occurred.”