Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 435 I Want to Take You to a Place

"Who is there?" Hearing this, Qi Yu finally stopped dwelling on it, looked up, and asked Li Mingjue.

Li Mingjue felt like a fisherman, needing only to toss a little bait to hook the fish.

He subtly curled his lips and said, "Elder Gu."

"Elder Gu?" Qi Yu looked at him puzzled, "Why have I never heard of this man before?"

Li Mingjue explained, "Elder Gu had retired many years ago, built the Yiran Pavilion on a mountain outside the capital city, and lived a life free as the clouds and wild cranes. Apart from a few old friends from years past, he sees no one."

With just a few words, Qi Yu had conjured an image of an old immortal with a white beard in her mind, but she still wondered, "If he has already retired, what use is there in asking him to come out of retirement?"

"When the late emperor was alive, Elder Gu was already famous throughout the world for his erudition, had served as an official for decades and established countless merits. My father also greatly respected him—if he were willing to come out of retirement, who in the court could contend with him?"

Five years ago, Li Mingjue had once visited Elder Gu and spent an entire day and night in deep conversation with him, from which he had gained much.

If he could be persuaded to leave retirement and stabilize the court situation, it would be a good thing for the people throughout the land.

"However, Elder Gu is a proud and principled person, and it is not easy to persuade him to leave his retirement," said Li Mingjue with a hint of regret.

Qi Yu was not surprised; people like Elder Gu who do not covet power are the hardest to persuade; money cannot sway them, only appealing to their emotions and reasoning might stand a chance.

Li Mingjue rubbed his forehead, speaking in a somewhat weary tone, "I have already written a letter and sent someone to Yiran Pavilion, but Elder Gu might not agree to come out of retirement."

Seeing the worry between his brows, Qi Yu knew he was overthinking, so she took him back to his room without explanation and let him rest for a while, "Let’s talk about this tomorrow."

Li Mingjue wanted to say something more, but Qi Yu had already taken out calming incense, easing him gradually into a deep sleep.

The night air was cool; Qi Yu did not light any candles, but leaned against the window, gazing at the moonlight on the horizon.

She had already caught up on some sleep during the day and wasn’t the least bit sleepy, so she decided to go over what had transpired in the illusion and figure out why Jiutu was setting a trap for her.

The story began over a month ago when she and Li Mingjue were taken away by envoys from Tulan, only to accidentally enter an illusion called Ghost City.

In Ghost City, they met a city lord clad in red and a ghost envoy named Ning Yue dressed in black.

Later, they learned that these two were actually the Princess of Luoyue Country, Yin Wanning, and her maid, Ning Yue.

That day, Ning Yue led them to an underground palace and transported them back a hundred years to Luoyue Country.

Their time in Luoyue Country was short, as soon thereafter, Yin Wanning married Cang Ming, the Crown Prince of Tulan, becoming the Crown Princess Consort.

The subsequent events were recorded in the history books, but not in entirety.

All they knew was that after Cang Ming destroyed Luoyue Country, he killed the people of an entire city and turned Luoyue City into a stronghold for the Tulanese.

They behaved like bandits, seizing another country and becoming its rulers.

In the records of the Tulanese, they did not consider this shameful; on the contrary, they viewed it as a testament to Tulan’s strength.

But that was as far as the historical records went; everything about Luoyue Country was buried in the sands of time.

After that, it was all about how the Tulanese glorified their own brilliance.

Qi Yu was not overly indignant about this, but merely felt regret for the people of Luoyue.

However, what she really cared about was, why the princess who perished with her city later stayed by Cang Ming’s side for a lifetime?

And Ning Yue, what role did she play in all this, and how did she become the Saintess of Tulan and spread the Tulan Ancestors’ Witchcraft Technique?

It was clear that Ning Yue had regrets.

Otherwise, she would not have gone through great lengths to create the illusion just to let her princess live on.

However, the City Lord she had seen in the Ghost City was nothing like Yin Wanning’s temperament.

What exactly was the relationship between the City Lord and the Ghost Envoy?

As Qi Yu thought about these questions, she furrowed her brow.

Invisibly, it seemed like a thread was linking these questions together, but just as she tried to grasp it, all the clues broke off and became disjointed.

She gazed at the hanging moon on the horizon, squinting her eyes, as the incomplete moon image gradually became fuller, resembling a silver disk.

In the stillness, she suddenly heard faint footsteps crossing the corridor, slowly approaching her.

Qi Yu quickly closed the window, walked to the bed, and grasped the hand of the still-sleeping Li Mingjue.

Should the situation turn dire, she would immediately take Li Mingjue into the space with her.

But the footsteps walked for a long time, always maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close from her.

Qi Yu swallowed hard, her mind’s strings taut.

Finally, the footsteps stopped at the door.

The person was holding a lamp, raised their hand, and gently knocked.

Qi Yu’s pupils suddenly narrowed, her heart nearly stopping, but she still managed to maintain her composure.

She certainly wanted to escape, but she had too many doubts, and she was just one clue away from connecting all the dots.

Therefore, she did not want to miss this opportunity.

Not hearing a response, the person was not discouraged and continued to raise their hand, knocking twice more on the door. The action was gentle but made one’s heart pound like thunder.

Eventually, Qi Yu let go of Li Mingjue’s hand, stood up, and stepped towards the door.

She had a premonition that this person would definitely bring her some unexpected news.

Her hand was already on the latch, but Qi Yu did not immediately open the door.

Through the door that did not soundproof, she asked with a slightly trembling voice, "Who is it?"

Quickly, the response came from outside: "It’s me."

This voice...

It sounded somewhat familiar; Qi Yu thought for a moment and once she figured it out, her pupils widened.

She blinked rapidly several times, her expression somewhat bewildered.

After a long time without a response, the person outside was still not in a hurry, continuing to wait patiently.

Qi Yu gritted her teeth and, with a burst of courage, opened the door and found herself face to face with the person standing outside.

The lamp in that person’s hand cast a soft light, making their face not so clear.

But that face, Qi Yu could not possibly mistake it.

She stared at the other for a while, half curious and half horrified, and asked: "You... are you Ning Yue?"

"No." The person smiled and shook their head, speaking to her gently, "I am Yingruo."

Qi Yu looked at the face that was identical to Ning Yue’s, her mind racing with countless thoughts, but ultimately, she said nothing and asked, "What do you want from me in the dead of night?"

Yingruo gazed steadily at her and slowly began to speak, "I want to take you to a place."

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