I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 511 Xie Jingchun's Storyline: Erotic Pictures

The guest rooms were small, but they were kept extremely clean.

There is an old apricot tree directly in front of the window. When the wind blows, the pink petals fall down, reflecting the lamplight inside the room, creating a serene and elegant scene.

Xie Jingchun entered the room, put down his bundle, and without a moment's delay, thoroughly inspected every corner of the room.

They even pulled on the scroll hanging on the wall to make sure there was no hidden hole behind it.

Only after confirming that everything was alright did he feel relieved and put the bundle against the wall.

Nan Nan then walked to the tea table, took out her small silver needle, and tested the teapot, cups, and even the tea in the pot one by one.

After a while, she looked up at Xie Jingchun and whispered, "It's not poisonous."

The two sat down at the table.

Xie Jingchun lowered his voice and asked, "How did you know they would believe what you said at the town gate just now?"

"Do you still remember those three missing couples?" Nan Nan looked up at him, her tone calm.

Xie Jingchun nodded: "I remember."

“I carefully reviewed their files, reading them three times from beginning to end.”

Nan Nan slowly said, "I noticed a detail: before they disappeared, they all stayed briefly at some temples."

"The three couples went to Qingyu Temple in Xijing, Lingguang Nunnery in Xiangjun, and Baoyuan Temple at the foot of Taihang Mountain respectively."

“These temples seem unrelated, but after checking their incense records and the main deities they worship, I found that they are all temples for praying for children.”

Xie Jingchun was slightly taken aback, his gaze gradually becoming serious.

"You mean these couples were lured to Yuanzhen because they wanted to have children?"

Nan Nan nodded slightly. "I think so."

As Xie Jingchun listened, his gaze darkened inch by inch.

He excels at changes in battle formations, the terrain, and can decipher the enemy's intentions through strategic deduction.

But these things—observing people's hearts and paying attention to trivial details—are what he's least good at.

His gaze toward Nan Nan grew brighter and brighter, and his tone carried undisguised admiration.

"Nan Nan, you are so meticulous."

Nan Nan felt her ears turn red when he looked at her like that. She turned her head away and coughed lightly.

"Stop praising me, we still need to find out what's going on here."

Xie Jingchun nodded, his gaze becoming calm.

“You’re right, we need to investigate more.”

The two immediately changed into their outer clothes and quietly pushed open the door to go out.

A babbling brook flows under a stone bridge, and several couples are chatting and laughing in the pavilion in the backyard of the inn as they brew tea.

Xie Jingchun and Nan Nan exchanged a glance and casually walked over.

I sat down on a stone bench a little further away, basking in the sun while listening to them talk.

"You just arrived this month, right? What a perfect timing."

"Yes, I heard it's coming at the end of the month. We've been looking forward to the Mandarin Duck Festival for a whole year."

"I heard that as long as a couple attends the festival together and is sincere, they will be able to have a child. Last autumn, that old couple both had one... Isn't that amazing?"

"Of course it's a god, otherwise who would travel thousands of miles to celebrate here?"

Mandarin Duck Festival...

Upon hearing this word, the two looked up and exchanged a glance.

Night had fallen, and the town of Yuanzhen was completely silent, save for a few chirping insects under the apricot tree in the backyard of the inn.

Xie Jingchun and Nan Nan circled back into the house from the backyard.

Upon entering, I closed the windows and fastened the door latch.

“The Mandarin Duck Festival is at the end of the month,” Nan Nan said softly. “If it really is the day of change they are talking about, then the disappearance of those couples is most likely related to this festival.”

Xie Jingchun nodded, his expression calm. "We must go and see. Participating once might help us find some clues."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a soft knock on the door.

"Esteemed guests, the innkeeper has instructed that some tea and snacks be brought to you."

It was the innkeeper's voice.

Xie Jingchun raised an eyebrow, got up and walked over.

"Squeak-"

With a soft click, the door opened, and the servant, with his head bowed and eyes downcast, handed over the tray.

"The shopkeeper said that you have had a long journey today, so he specially instructed the kitchen to prepare this."

The servant finished speaking with a smile and bowed respectfully, "If you have any other instructions, please call me from the second floor."

"Okay." Xie Jingchun said calmly, taking the tray and closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Nan Nan came out from the inner room.

She wore a light gray jacket, her hair was loosely tied in a bun, and her eyebrows and eyes were clear and bright.

Seeing that he was still holding a tray, she asked softly, "What are they bringing?"

Xie Jingchun frowned slightly. "Snacks and tea, but strangely, they also gave us an extra book."

He walked to the table and put down the wooden tray. Nan Nan also took a few steps closer and stood beside him.

The tea was still hot on the tray, and the pastries were as usual.

The book was strange.

There was no inscription or design on the book cover.

Nan Nan glanced at the book. "There are no words on the cover. Could there be something hidden inside?"

"Just look at it and you'll find out."

Xie Jingchun made a decisive move and immediately opened the cover.

The two froze instantly.

When the pages were turned, they revealed a series of extremely explicit erotic illustrations.

The painting style is extremely detailed, with the figures half-undressed, their postures tender and affectionate, and the lines are so vivid and lifelike that they make one blush.

"..."

"..."

The air suddenly became stagnant.

Xie Jingchun's ears turned bright red, and her hand trembled instantly.

He opened his mouth, but after a long pause, he managed to stammer out, "What... what is all this...?"

Nan Nan's cheeks flushed red as if she had been burned, and she took a small step back.

Their breathing became slightly erratic.

Xie Jingchun immediately closed the book, his ears turning so red they looked like they could bleed.

"What kind of nonsense is this..."

Nan Nan lowered her head, but her hands, hanging by her sides, secretly clenched the hem of her clothes, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"The people here are all here because they want children... Maybe, just maybe this way, it will make it easier to have children..."

Xie Jingchun was already incredibly famous, but after being hit by her words, he almost froze on the spot.

He was skilled in warfare, horsemanship, and strategizing.

But at this moment, he couldn't use a single move, like a weapon rusted to death in its sheath.

The room was so quiet that only the soft crackling of the burning candle could be heard.

Xie Jingchun abruptly looked away, grabbed the book, and said, "No, this kind of thing can't be left in the house."

As he spoke, he rushed to the window.

Nan Nan was startled. "What are you going to do?"

Xie Jingchun then realized that there might really be clues hidden inside.

He held the book in his hand for a moment, then reluctantly stuffed it into the bottom of his bundle and weighed it down with his clothes.

Xie Jingchun said in a dry voice, "Let's leave it like this for now."

Nan Nan stood to the side, her fingertips fiddling with her cuffs, looking just like a little rabbit hiding in a corner.

Xie Jingchun glanced at her, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem... Go to bed early tonight."

He stood up, glanced at the small room, and then at the small couch with only a thin quilt on it.

"I'm healthy, I'll sleep on the floor, you sleep on the bed."