Ji Jinmo held the historical records and studied them repeatedly, his brows furrowed so tightly that flies could be crushed. He couldn't understand why historical records would cause Nan Shiying's emotions to near collapse.
He pressed his throbbing temples and sought out Xuanyi.
Xuanyi had initially scoffed at what Princess Huian had told the Consort that day – soul possession and rebirth. How could such absurd things exist in the world? He hadn't specifically reported it to the Prince. Now that the Prince inquired, he recounted everything truthfully.
Ji Jinmo was slightly taken aback. He had considered every possibility, but never expected to hear such a preposterous tale.
Soul possession and rebirth… it was simply…
As if a thought struck him, Ji Jinmo suddenly picked up the historical records and reread the page Nan Shiying had repeatedly looked at that day.
The fall of the Great Yuan.
Soul possession and rebirth…
The hand holding the historical records tightened slightly, the paper emitting a crisp sound. Xuanyi glanced at the creased pages clutched in his hand, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
He couldn't help but wonder, what's wrong with His Highness?
Ji Jinmo, however, thought of everything about Nan Shiying, of her rumored appearance, of the way she had presented herself to him. All these moments connected, and Ji Jinmo's breathing quickened.
Could it be like this?
He quickly flipped through the historical records again, his gaze finally landing on the large characters: Empress Nan Fengluan of the Great Yuan.
The doubts in his mind remained unanswered, becoming even more chaotic.
Is this… possible?
After a moment of silence, he suddenly lifted his head and solemnly instructed, "Xuanyi, do not mention the matter of soul possession and rebirth to anyone!"
Xuanyi was slightly taken aback, wondering if His Highness was being too overly anxious.
Even if such a thing were mentioned, wouldn't it be treated as a huge joke? Unless, Your Highness believes such things can actually exist?
If that were the case, then gods and Buddhas would also be real?
Despite these thoughts, Xuanyi still solemnly agreed.
Ji Jinmo held the historical records in his hand, lost in thought. Xuanyi felt a sense of unease from his slightly lowered phoenix eyes.
…
In recent days, nothing significant had happened in Linyuan. After the families buried their deceased loved ones, apart from the suitable young masters and ladies whose marriages might be delayed due to the mourning period, there were no other repercussions.
However, some news from the black market had surfaced concerning the Jade Masked Gentleman.
"I told you before that human skin masks are not common, and those like the one Qingyuan had are even rarer. But this Jade Masked Gentleman..."
He was called the Jade Masked Gentleman because, since he became famous until now, no one had ever seen his true appearance. Every time he appeared, he wore a human skin mask.
It was said that in his youth, he was taken as a disciple by a villain known as the 'Human Skin Drum' and learned the skill of making human skin masks. The Human Skin Drum was so named because he exclusively used human skin for the drum surface. The Jade Masked Gentleman, however, surpassed his master. His skinning techniques were first-rate, and he no longer wished to waste human skin on drums, instead making them directly into human skin masks.
Recently, someone had paid a large sum of money to buy a human skin mask from him.
"Who?"
Nan Shiying's eyes lit up.
The Prince's manor's information network in the capital was quite effective. Had it extended into the black market, or was this black market established with the Prince's tacit approval?
Nan Shiying couldn't help but overthink, but these were unimportant now. What mattered was who had bought the human skin mask from the Jade Masked Gentleman.
Rumors had been rampant some time ago, but the Shadow Guards had not found the mastermind. Tracing the source, they only found the Liu family, the Minister of the Central Secretariat. The Shadow Guards had been secretly monitoring the Liu family these past few days; she wondered if their manpower was sufficient.
"Someone from the palace."
"A wet nurse from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau."
The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau again?
Nan Shiying had not forgotten that the palace maid who had accused her of murdering the wife of Marquis Xunyang was from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau.
What, has the entire Imperial Wardrobe Bureau been compromised?
"For that Gu master from the Lan family?" Nan Shiying asked, but her tone was extremely confident.
"If there are no accidents."
Who in the palace needed this human skin mask at this time? Apart from the Gu master from the Lan family who had been rescued, there was no one else.
"But speaking of this, there's another interesting matter."
Ji Jinmo played with the prayer beads in his hand and said with a smile, "Over the years, the Jade Masked Gentleman has recorded the people who bought human skin masks from him and the times. Before my Imperial Brother died, someone bought a human skin mask from him."
As Ji Jinmo spoke, his expression was calm, his lips curved in a smile, yet Nan Shiying felt that beneath his cool demeanor lay a palpable malice, like a monstrous wave capable of swallowing and submerging anyone.
Nan Shiying understood his meaning.
Someone had bought a human skin mask and was hiding it in the imperial palace.
The death of the former Emperor likely had another reason.
"Is the person at the manor?" Nan Shiying asked.
Since Ji Jinmo knew about the ledger, he must have brought the Jade Masked Gentleman back.
Ji Jinmo nodded. "He's not a tough bone. Jia Huan didn't use much torture, and he spilled everything he should and shouldn't have."
The Jade Masked Gentleman was indeed not a tough bone, and the Prince's manor people saw his face beneath the mask for the first time.
It was an ordinary face, one seen anywhere.
Nan Shiying hummed in response. She wasn't particularly concerned about the Jade Masked Gentleman himself, but rather his skill in creating human skin masks. However, human skin… Nan Shiying harbored no saintly compassion. She merely found the idea of wearing the skin of the dead on one's face to be somewhat unsettling.
"His hands are ruined."
Ji Jinmo seemed to know what Nan Shiying was thinking. He said, "Human skin masks require skin to be peeled off while alive!"
It seemed to maintain some kind of vitality, and human skin masks were difficult to make. Several pieces of human skin might not be enough to create a high-quality mask. Moreover, there were very high requirements for the skin used to make human skin masks, so most of those whose skin he had flayed alive were young women.
Without skin, a person could still live, but how many girls could truly survive?
Nan Shiying's brows furrowed, and deep disgust surfaced in her eyes. They had always been ruthless towards their enemies, but towards such villains, they held no affection whatsoever.
Nan Shiying let out a cold laugh. This kind of person was actually a coward?
"Then there's no use keeping him alive."
A cold glint in her eyes, her words chilled one to the bone: "Have Jia Huan bury him in the ground, leaving only his head exposed. Make a hole in his head and turn mercury into liquid for me to pour in. Likes to peel skin? Then let him taste what it's like to be flayed."