dognovel Chapter 83 Seal Beads
Chapter 83 Seal Beads
Jiang Li gave a cold smile: "Your Highness is a smart man. Actually, my condition is very simple. I just want Jiang Wan to not become a princess."
Ning Zhi did not agree, but left room for maneuver, saying, "That depends on whether what the young lady brings out is truly substantial."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li slowly took out a piece of silk cloth from her sleeve.
Her movements were unhurried and deliberate, deliberately whetting Ning Zhi's appetite.
"Your Highness, please take a look."
The moment the silk cloth was lifted, a crystal-clear object was revealed—
It is perfectly round, with a slight orange-red sheen, like a drop of solidified honey. Its surface is delicate and smooth, yet under the light, faint concentric rings of patterns appear.
Jiang Li raised her chin slightly, her voice tinged with smugness: "This amber stone is the only thing Xiao Hengzhi has. I'm certain he didn't have any golden jade talisman on him at the time. Haven't many people tried to impersonate him?"
Ning Zhi ignored her words, her gaze fixed on the object, her breath hitching, but she still maintained her composure.
This thing...
Where is this amber stone...?
He reached out and picked it up, placing it by the window. Sunlight filtered through the stone, casting a faint glow that made the fine lines even clearer.
He had seen it before; this thing was clearly the seal bead that only the Red Slaves possessed.
"Are you sure this thing belongs to Xiao Hengzhi?" His voice was extremely low, with an undisguised tremor.
"It's true."
Suddenly, a flood of fragments rushed into Ning Zhi's mind, like a burst dam—
Xiao Hengzhi rode his horse along the riverbank, drawing his bow with swift, powerful movements; the arrow pierced the air, aiming directly at its target. And then there was the fire at the lantern festival, the unintentional yet precise technique he displayed when rescuing Jiang Mian—swift and accurate…
These vague clues have now yielded a surprising answer.
Xiao Hengzhi disappeared without a trace before he was eight years old, and Lu Fang couldn't find any clues no matter what he did... Could it be because his true identity is... a Red Slave?
Ning Zhi gripped the seal tightly, his mind a jumble of confusion, almost unable to believe his own guess.
Seeing Ning Zhi remain silent for a long time, Jiang Li knew that what she had must be useful.
"Your Highness, please do not forget the promise you just made."
Ning Zhi came to his senses: "This matter still needs to be investigated, but I greatly admire the young lady's heart that is of royal blood."
After leaving Yueminglou, Ning Zhi sat in the carriage, gently twirling the smooth bead in his hand, his thoughts drifting back to a long time ago.
He saw the Red Slave Beast Ground when he was a child.
At that time, Duke Wen and the Grand Tutor went to Qingfeng Bamboo Pavilion to discuss matters, and he went out with them. Wen Ziyuan happened to be there as well.
Wen Ziyuan was playful by nature, and Ning Zhi, who was only five years old at the time, was led by him to play and laugh up and down the stairs.
While playing hide-and-seek, he hid in an empty room, but lost his footing and fell down. He then discovered that there was another floor in between, but all he could hear was a noisy din, and he didn't know where it was coming from.
The guards were about to take him up, but he waved them off and carefully traced the source of the sound.
Finally, through the gaps in the wooden planks on the ground, he saw the scene below, like an underground city, hollowed out in the middle, like a sand pit surrounded by a fence, with a circle of people standing around it, their voices boiling and exploding, the sound coming from here.
Then they saw a shirtless boy emerge from a tall, enclosed iron cage. He was covered in blood, his lean but muscular frame marred by gruesome wounds. Opposite him was an enraged beast, its gaping maw still spewing fragments of raw flesh.
However, the boy moved with lightning speed, pouncing on the beast like a bolt of lightning, holding only a rough iron fork in his hand, which he stabbed accurately into the beast's neck.
A bloodcurdling scream accompanied the beast's fall, and the boy knelt down, panting.
The onlookers erupted in a thunderous roar, and some even threw in pieces of silver and copper.
That scene is still etched deep in Ning Zhi's mind—wild, cruel, and filled with the aura of death.
He later told Duan Zhi'an what he had seen. Duan Zhi'an told him that those were Red Slaves, born lowly and cold-blooded, who were only there to provide thrills and amusement for people. They were raised like beasts from a young age and had no humanity. During training, they were given countless drugs, and anyone who dared to escape would die.
He picked up a bead there, and Duan Zhi'an said it was the seal bead of the Red Slave...
Just like the one he's holding in his hand right now.
Ning Zhi closed his eyes, unable to suppress the image of the beast arena superimposed onto Xiao Hengzhi.
If he really was a Red Slave, then did he also survive such slaughter?
Thinking of this, Ning Zhi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
The Red Slaves are wild and territorial. Even if you win the fight for Jiang Mian with such people, you're unlikely to have a good ending.
Amidst the swaying of the carriage, his thoughts were in disarray, yet he clearly remembered that he had heard of the Red Slave's origins...
If Xiao Hengzhi is indeed a Red Slave, then he could never be the Empress Dowager's grandson.
......
A breeze squeezed in through the window cracks, bringing a touch of coolness.
Ning Zhi gently stroked the seal bead, a complex expression in his eyes.
What exactly is Xiao Hengzhi's intention in seizing the identity of the Empress Dowager's grandson?
He couldn't figure out why, but he felt that it was too dangerous for this person to stay in the palace, so close to him.
"Lu Fang," he called softly.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Tell the secret guards to be on high alert for Xiao Hengzhi. Also, send a few trusted men to Qingfeng Bamboo Pavilion to inquire if anyone has heard of a man named Xiao Hengzhi."
"Subordinates take orders."
......
Time flies, and the palace in late autumn already has a touch of desolation.
Today, all the princes and officials are dressed in their official robes and are waiting outside the main hall.
The ceremony of bestowing the title was about to take place. The Court of Ceremonies was ordered to follow the rites for newly conferred royal titles. The main hall was decorated with red silk and gold ornaments, making it magnificent and solemn.
All officials entering the palace were subject to rank restrictions. They had to take three steps, sweep their whisks, kneel and bow, and wait respectfully outside the hall.
This ceremony was actually too grand. The Prince of Beiqin was not of royal lineage, and Xiao Hengzhi was merely inheriting the title; there was no need for such a lavish ceremony.
However, the Emperor was filial, and although the Empress Dowager was not his biological mother, he had received her care and protection since childhood. Therefore, he attached great importance to the ceremony of bestowing a princeship upon his nephew, and the ceremony was arranged with great care and thoroughness.
Looking out from the steps, one sees the Court of Ceremonies officials standing in rows.
Amidst the sounds of ceremonial music, Xiao Hengzhi slowly stepped into the palace gate, wearing a dark robe with gold thread patterns that accentuated his tall and aloof figure. The jade pendant and belt at his waist swayed slightly, reflecting a cool luster.
He walked along the steps to the Phoenix Terrace, where the Court of Ceremonies announced and read the rites aloud.
The courtiers outside nodded in agreement, their words filled with polite flattery.
"He truly has the bearing of the Prince of Beiqin."
"His eyebrows and eyes really resemble those of the Prince of Beiqin."
"Commander Jiang has truly made a great contribution this time."
"..."
Inside the main hall, Ning Zhi sat upright on the right, calmly gazing outside, but secretly on guard.
A few days ago, he had dispatched a large number of people to investigate Xiao Hengzhi's origins, but to no avail. Qingfeng Bamboo House had long been abandoned, and the underground city that could previously be seen through the cracks in the floorboards had also vanished without a trace.
Now it seems the most direct way is to test him in court. In front of the emperor and empress dowager, he will surely reveal his weakness.
Following the procedure, Xiao Hengzhi slowly entered the hall and solemnly kowtowed to the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of affection as she stared at him intently, as if he were her most precious treasure.
After Xiao Hengzhi finished his formalities, Ning Zhi asked, "Now that you've regained your identity, will you be using your original name again? I remember you weren't called Xiao Hengzhi before, you were called... what was it again?"