"He said he was from the Eagle Kingdom's royal family and asked me to find an opportunity to kill Prince Matthew. I refused, so he planned to silence me!"
Jiang Yi stated directly.
"From the Eagle Kingdom's royal family?"
Tracy's brow furrowed slightly, her expression complex. It was clear she had strong doubts about their identities. Jiang Yi saw the look on Tracy's face and knew she had also noticed something amiss, but she simply wasn't going to voice her suspicions.
"You don't think they are from the Eagle Kingdom's royal family?"
Jiang Yi deliberately asked.
"I didn't say they weren't from the Eagle Kingdom's royal family. The Eagle Kingdom's royal family has always wanted to deal with my foster father. It's not strange for them to do something like this!"
"Don't worry, I will report this matter to my foster father. He will definitely investigate thoroughly and find and eliminate that masked man from earlier. You are the only one who can cure my foster father, and he will definitely find a way to ensure your safety!"
Tracy said.
Jiang Yi nodded and remained silent. He planned to continue playing along, pretending to be unaware. Otherwise, given Prince Matthew's suspicious nature, he would surely become suspicious of him.
"Let's go see Prince Matthew!"
Tracy said, then glanced at the large tree blocking their path and took a deep breath. "It seems we'll have to walk to the Grand Lord's Manor!"
Afterward, Jiang Yi, Tracy, and Ning Yan began their walk.
At this time.
Inside the Grand Lord's Manor.
Prince Matthew was sitting on the sofa in the main hall, listening to several nobles report on events happening in the capital. Leading them was a bearded man with fierce eyes, clearly not a good sort.
"Prince Matthew, you have been in Simon State for a long time. The Eagle Kingdom's royal family has taken this opportunity to secretly plot and prepare to eliminate your forces in the capital. Everyone here is waiting for you to return and take charge of the situation!"
The bearded noble said with a solemn expression.
"I've waited for so many years, just waiting for the Eagle Kingdom's royal family to make a move! Don't worry! Everything is within my grasp. If the Eagle Kingdom's royal family dares to act, they will pay a heavy price!"
"The reason I left the capital before was not only for treatment, but also to provoke the royal family into action. I have already set a trap, and it all depends on whether they are smart enough!"
Prince Matthew wore a playful smile.
The nobles heard this and immediately understood. Prince Matthew had been planning all along, setting a trap for the royal family. Once they made a move, they would fall right into his snare.
"What should we do then?"
The bearded noble asked respectfully.
"You don't need to do anything. Go back and wait for my orders! Only act when I tell you to. Without my command, no one is to act rashly!"
Prince Matthew said sternly.
"Yes!"
The nobles quickly responded in unison.
Just then, two bodyguards helped a masked man walk in from outside the hall. The masked man was covered in injuries, clearly having been beaten, and the assailant had been quite ruthless. This masked man was none other than the one who had troubled Jiang Yi in the woods earlier.
"Foster Father..."
The masked man removed the mask from his face, revealing a face that looked like a pig's head. This was Prince Matthew's adopted son, Charles. Everything Jiang Yi had guessed was correct! Prince Matthew had arranged this entire scenario to test Jiang Yi's loyalty. Prince Matthew had expected Charles to retreat unscathed, but he hadn't anticipated that not only would all the men Charles brought be lost, but Charles himself would be beaten into such a state.
"It seems Jiang Yi is indeed not ordinary, even you fell into his hands!"
"Jiang Yi is a talent!"
Prince Matthew wasn't angry; instead, he began to sigh with emotion.
"Foster Father, Jiang Yi isn't that capable. My defeat this time was purely an accident!"
Charles wore an expression of clear dissatisfaction.
"An accident? You took so many men and still fell into Jiang Yi's hands, and you have the nerve to call it an accident?"
Prince Matthew's brow furrowed. "I know you're not convinced, but this matter ends here. No one must know that I sent you to test Jiang Yi!"
"Yes!"
Charles quickly agreed. Although Charles didn't say it aloud, he secretly swore he would never let Jiang Yi go. He had already realized that Prince Matthew greatly admired Jiang Yi. If he didn't eliminate Jiang Yi, Jiang Yi would eventually replace him and become Prince Matthew's most trusted person. At that point, he would have no standing.
"Tell me what happened, word for word. I want to know if Jiang Yi is loyal to me!"
Prince Matthew said.
"Yes!"
Charles responded and then recounted the events. Charles dared not conceal anything or exaggerate the details. Prince Matthew listened and was quite pleased.
"It seems Jiang Yi truly has no connection with the Eagle Kingdom's royal family. More importantly, he did not choose to betray me, which puts my mind at ease!"
Prince Matthew nodded with satisfaction. "However, Jiang Yi is too calculating; I can barely see through him. I will have to keep a close eye on him. If he can be used by me, that would be good. If not, after he cures my illness, I will have to get rid of him to avoid him ruining my plans later!"
Prince Matthew was very cautious. Although this test revealed no issues with Jiang Yi, Prince Matthew was still uneasy.
"Foster Father, I noticed a very beautiful woman accompanying Jiang Yi earlier. This woman is also from China and possesses remarkable skills. If she is someone the royal family has placed by Jiang Yi's side, then it would be troublesome!"
Charles said.
"Send people to investigate and find out the background of this woman!"
Prince Matthew said.
"Yes!"
Charles responded. Prince Matthew looked at Charles.
"You are quite injured. Go to the backyard and recuperate properly. Do not leave the courtyard until your injuries have fully healed. I don't want Jiang Yi to know that I was testing him!"
Afterward, Prince Matthew had Charles taken to the backyard.
Just then, a bodyguard walked in from outside the hall and informed Prince Matthew that Jiang Yi and Tracy had returned!
"You all go back to the capital first!"
Prince Matthew said to the nobles.
"Then we shall take our leave."
The nobles responded, then turned and left. They did not leave through the front door but departed the Grand Lord's Manor from the rear. At this moment, Jiang Yi, Tracy, and Ning Yan walked into the hall. Jiang Yi examined Prince Matthew and found that his condition had indeed relapsed, with signs of skin ulceration.