Before long, Yue Yulong personally came out to greet her.
The new Gang Leader of the Cao Bang was dressed in Profound Black Martial Attire today, a Silver Spear hanging from his waist. Though very young, he already carried the air of someone in a position of power.
But the moment he saw Song Yuyan, a flicker of stunned admiration and confusion crossed his eyes. He did not recognize the person before him.
"Gang Leader Yue, please forgive my sudden visit." Song Yuyan nodded slightly.
Yue Yulong cupped his fist in a salute. "You are too kind, Madam. I wonder, who is the old acquaintance you mentioned...?"
Song Yuyan did not answer directly. Instead, she took a Jade Pendant from her sleeve and offered it to Yue Yulong.
The Jade Pendant was crescent-shaped and emerald green. The front was carved with a lifelike jade dragon soaring through clouds and mist, while the back was inscribed with the character for "Peace" in Ancient Seal Script.
Yue Yulong’s entire body trembled when he saw the Jade Pendant.
He was all too familiar with this Jade Pendant. It was one of the objects his father, Yue Zhan, had cherished most in life. He had said it was a personal gift from the Crown Prince, symbolizing "peace and safety."
The Jade Pendant had vanished without a trace, and he had long thought it lost. He never expected to see it again.
"This Jade Pendant... Madam, where did you get this?" Yue Yulong asked, his voice trembling with emotion.
"Decades ago, General Yue entrusted this Jade Pendant to my care," Song Yuyan said softly. "He told me that if he were to ever meet with misfortune, I was to give this pendant to his children and tell them that the Crown Prince had never forgotten the Yue Family, nor would he treat them poorly."
Yue Yulong’s eyes instantly turned red. Suddenly, a person came to mind.
He took the Jade Pendant and clenched it tightly in his palm, as if he could feel the lingering warmth from his father.
After a long moment, he took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Are... are you the master of Song Building?"
"I am. Back then, I served the Crown Prince alongside your father. But the world is fickle. The Crown Prince was framed by treacherous villains, and he has been in a state of decline ever since." A look of sorrow appeared on Song Yuyan’s face.
The two went to the study in the Headquarter, and their forms of address for each other changed.
Having confirmed Song Yuyan’s identity, Yue Yulong naturally began to call her "Aunt Song," while Song Yuyan addressed him as Yulong.
The pitter-patter of rain could be heard outside the window as sandalwood incense smoke curled up inside the room.
Yue Yulong dismissed his attendants and personally poured tea for Song Yuyan.
He couldn’t help but ask, "Aunt Song, the Crown Prince you mentioned is...?"
"Naturally, it is the Crown Prince, the very one you are thinking of. He is still the master of Wenhua Hall." Song Yuyan lifted her teacup but did not drink, merely watching the tea leaves drift within it. A hint of sorrow surfaced on her exquisitely picturesque face.
Yue Yulong fell silent. In recent days, he had wondered countless times about the identity of the mysterious master who had saved him and his sister and helped them take control of the Cao Bang.
But he had never imagined it could be the elder Crown Prince, a man everyone regarded as a waste.
"Aunt Song, are you saying that the senior who saved us was the Crown Prince?" he asked with difficulty, his face full of doubt.
Song Yuyan set down her teacup. "I have no proof regarding this matter. But if my speculation is correct, then that person is inextricably linked to the Crown Prince. Perhaps they are an old retainer from the Crown Prince’s Mansion."
She looked up at Yue Yulong, her eyes—a mixture of demonic charm and sacred purity—seeming to see right through him. "You and your sister failed to assassinate Zhao Tianxiong and were thrown into the Water Prison. You were on the verge of being executed when you were rescued by that mysterious master the night before. I had a similar experience. We are all old retainers of the Crown Prince’s Mansion. In all of White Jade City, who else could deploy such a master to rescue me, then you two, and Mo Qianqiu as well?"
Yue Yulong’s heart trembled as he stared at her in astonishment. "Aunt Song, you had a similar experience? And Master Mo, Mo Qianqiu, as well?"
Of course he knew who Mo Qianqiu was. Alongside his father, they had been the Crown Prince’s left and right hands, one a civil servant and the other a military man, who together had propped up the entire Crown Prince’s Mansion.
Unfortunately, after that incident all those years ago, his own father had died, and Master Mo had suffered successive demotions and constant suppression.
"If I hadn’t had a similar experience, why would I have sought you out? But this matter must not be spread. Otherwise, it could very well implicate the Crown Prince in the palace," Song Yuyan said in a serious tone.
Yue Yulong nodded heavily. "The Yue Family has etched the Crown Prince’s past kindness into our hearts. We will naturally not speak carelessly. You can rest assured, Aunt Song."
A long silence fell over the study, broken only by the pitter-patter of the rain outside, sounding as if it were knocking on something.
After a long while, Yue Yulong finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "If it really is the Crown Prince, why would he hide his identity? Why wouldn’t he reveal himself to us?"
"Because the time is not right. Besides, I cannot be certain if all this was done by the Crown Prince himself, or by an old retainer from the former Crown Prince’s Mansion. Even if it really is him, think of the infamy the Crown Prince has endured for decades. Dim-witted, incompetent, debauched, a waste... The whole world laughs at him, insults him, and even wishes for his early death. If he were to expose his power now, what do you think the consequences would be?" Song Yuyan gazed out at the curtain of rain, her eyes profound.
Although she was quite certain that Xia Wuyang had been there because of their encounter, Song Yuyan couldn’t be sure if he was the one who had saved her and helped her break through to the Super Grade.
The only thing she could be certain of was that the matter was related to Xia Wuyang. The specific details remained unknown.
That being the case, she wouldn’t reveal too much. She would even help continue to conceal Xia Wuyang’s identity to prevent the matter from being exposed and causing trouble for him.
Yue Yulong then imagined it: an elder Crown Prince, considered obsolete for decades, suddenly revealed as an unparalleled master of the Celestial Human Level who also secretly controlled the Cao Bang. The entire Great Xia would probably be turned upside down.
"At that time, many a Prince and Princess would stop at nothing to eliminate him. Those who harmed the Crown Prince in the past would join forces to crush him, preventing him from making a comeback. Furthermore, if this wasn’t the Crown Prince’s doing but that of an old retainer from the Crown Prince’s Mansion, it could very well bring a fatal disaster upon him. Therefore, this secret must be strictly kept, no matter what," Song Yuyan said softly.
Yue Yulong’s heart pounded with fear as he listened. He had never considered these things.
He only knew about getting revenge and taking back the Cao Bang. He had no idea that such a far-reaching game of chess was being played behind the scenes. That the elder Crown Prince, who had long resided in the Deep Palace and was scorned by the world, could possibly be the one who had saved him and his sister and helped them.
"Then, Aunt Song, your reason for coming today is..." He seemed to realize something.
Song Yuyan rose and walked to the window, looking at the old locust tree swaying in the rain in the courtyard. "I just came to have a look, and to confirm a few things. To see how General Yue’s descendants are faring. And to see if the person chosen by that mysterious master is worthy of trust."
She turned, her gaze falling upon Yue Yulong. "It seems you are doing well. The reorganization of the Cao Bang is showing initial success, the grain routes are clear, and the common people in the area speak highly of you. General Yue’s spirit in heaven can now be at ease."
Yue Yulong stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Aunt Song."
"You don’t need to thank me." Song Yuyan shook her head. "If you must thank someone, thank that mysterious master. He is the one who saved you, and he is the one who gave you this opportunity."
She paused, then added, "Do not tell anyone that I was here today, including your sister. Since that mysterious master has chosen to hide his identity, he must have his reasons. We just need to do what we ought to do and wait for the right time."
"Yulong understands," Yue Yulong said solemnly.
Song Yuyan nodded slightly, opened her oil-paper umbrella again, and stepped out into the rain.
She did not go to see Yue Yufeng. That girl had a fiery personality and couldn’t keep a secret. It was better that she didn’t know. When the time was right, she would tell her of her suspicions, or perhaps the truth she might discover later on.

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