Chu Qianli felt much better after resting for a day.
Today was a bit strange; she had slept through the entire afternoon, yet no one had come to disturb her.
It was said that everyone wanted the princess to rest more, so while there was chaos outside, her residence remained quiet.
However, upon entering the Emperor's palace courtyard, one could feel the tense atmosphere.
With Chu Lingyang absent, Chu Wang and Chu Jiangnan were still discussing something.
Seeing Chu Qianli arrive, Chu Wang remembered that the Emperor had not yet had his dinner and immediately instructed Xiao Shunzi to prepare the meal.
Xiao Shunzi was already prepared and soon had a table full of delicacies sent over.
But besides Chu Qianli, Chu Wang and Chu Jiangnan seemed to have little appetite.
"Why aren't you eating?" Chu Qianli gulped down a large bowl of rice, her stomach practically full, only to realize that the dishes in front of the two elders had barely been touched.
Hearing this, Chu Wang quickly picked up his chopsticks and said, "Eat, eat! How can we not eat? We need to eat to have the strength to do things."
But as he moved his arm, his brow couldn't help but furrow, a purely instinctive reaction.
The wound had pulled and hurt!
"Fourth Uncle, you're injured?"
Chu Qianli immediately put down her chopsticks, intending to take his pulse.
Chu Wang quickly said, "It's nothing, nothing. It's just that on the way back, I was slightly harassed by some martial artists. It's nothing serious."
"It's the 'Heaven and Earth Lock' causing trouble again." Chu Qianli's eyes darkened slightly as she pondered something.
Chu Wang reassured her, "It's really nothing. It's just a rumor. As time passes, everyone will give up."
It was a baseless matter. With time, if people couldn't get what they wanted, would they continue to gather in the imperial city?
Most would have gone their separate ways.
Chu Qianli moved her lips, a hint of hesitation still lingering in her heart.
However, she didn't know how to begin.
After an unknown amount of time, she finally asked, "Is there really a treasure map inside the Heaven and Earth Lock?"
In fact, the Heaven and Earth Lock was in her spatial artifact, the Qiankun Chain.
But she had studied it several times. The lock was solid, and there was no way to open it.
Did she need some tool to split it open?
It had no keyhole, clearly not the kind that could be opened with a key.
After thinking about it, she couldn't figure out how to open it, let alone how to find the treasure map inside.
Chu Qianli's question plunged Chu Wang and Chu Jiangnan into thought.
"In fact, this is just a rumor. I've only heard about it. As for whether the rumor is true, no one..."
"It's true." Chu Jiangnan suddenly spoke, interrupting Chu Wang.
His voice was light, not heavy, and lacked any particular seriousness.
But, whatever came from his mouth, both Chu Qianli and Chu Wang believed it.
"Imperial Brother, is there really a treasure map?" Chu Wang asked with curiosity.
The secret of the Heaven and Earth Lock had been passed down for a long time, generation after generation, but in reality, no one had ever seen the so-called treasure map.
Even now, while many were still fixated on the legendary treasure that could overturn a nation,
some people doubted the legend was false.
The question was asked by Chu Wang, but Chu Jiangnan was looking at Chu Qianli at this moment.
"What about you? Do you believe it?"
Chu Qianli felt his gaze was somewhat complex.
Initially, she wanted to shake her head. She truly couldn't see any secret in the Heaven and Earth Lock. No matter how she looked at it, it was just a piece of solid iron.
But her Imperial Father's gaze inexplicably made her feel complicated.