Chapter 367: "How Important Is It?

The carriage felt quite crowded. The Purple Fox scooted aside slightly. It noticed the Rabbit Clan girl was reading the newspaper with intense focus.

"You know about this?" Li Yuan asked.

Yu Zhizhi, lost in her reading, nodded lightly before shaking her head. "I’ve heard about it, but I wasn’t entirely sure."

’Back when I was at the Duke Mansion, I only heard that Miss Jin She was the future Duchess.’

’Only now, after reading the newspaper, can I be sure. The rumor was true after all.’

’The Duke is really getting engaged?’

The Purple Fox stared at her for a moment. ’This rabbit from Valoran... choosing to come to the Moon Rising Empire at a time like this...’

’I wonder what her true purpose is.’

The carriage swayed gently.

Yu Zhizhi had her hands braced on the floor of the carriage. Only after she finished reading did she slowly get up and return to her seat.

Aside from that news, the rest of the paper was about the Moon Rising Empire.

A quick glance revealed the word "smuggler" several times. It wasn’t just the Deep Sea and Valoran; the Moon Rising Empire faced the same problem.

The fox used its paw to turn to the next page.

They had finished reading the unimportant news from the past couple of days.

Yu Zhizhi placed the books she had brought on the seat.

Because of the fox’s Beast Form, the carriage was a bit crowded. After a moment of thought, she also changed into her Beast Form and curled up beside the books.

Yu Zhizhi gradually fell asleep.

With the swaying of the carriage, her rabbit form gradually slid to one side. She suddenly tumbled, landing right on the fox’s back.

The Purple Fox’s body stiffened. It felt a small, furry ball slowly slide down, and it wrapped its tail around her, preventing this disguised lop-eared rabbit from falling onto the carpet.

Yu Zhizhi suddenly felt very warm.

She snuggled deeper.

The Purple Fox simply let the little rabbit snuggle into its embrace. It shifted a paw, making sure it wouldn’t put any weight on her.

The little rabbit had never shown her Beast Form in front of him before.

’She’s even smaller like this. Her creamy-beige fur looked like it would wash white.’

Its pale violet eyes narrowed slightly as it stared at the little rabbit for a good while.

In the end, it decided not to wake her.

The Purple Fox lay down and slowly closed its eyes.

Yu Zhizhi woke up in a daze to find herself in the Purple Fox’s embrace. Startled, she quickly scrambled out.

Meanwhile, the Little Octopus had also slipped into the carriage and fallen asleep on a seat.

She gathered herself, then with a sudden leap, hopped over to the red Little Octopus’s side.

She chose a comfortable spot and settled down to sleep.

At some point, she shifted into a new position.

The Little Octopus was too sleepy to open its eyes. Sensing the movement beside it, it lifted a tentacle and patted the little rabbit’s head.

The journey was peaceful and long.

Yu Zhizhi remained in her Beast Form for the rest of the journey. She only changed back to her human form after they entered the Moon Ascending Imperial City.

The carriage drove directly into the State Guesthouse.

This was the place where foreign dignitaries stayed.

After settling the little rabbit there, the fox went to the Royal Palace alone.

Yu Zhizhi had been personally brought by the Moon Ascending State Master, so the guesthouse staff didn’t dare slight her. They inquired in detail about all her preferences, doing their utmost to arrange her accommodations to her liking.

Lately, many distinguished guests had arrived at the guesthouse, apparently because a great, joyous occasion was about to take place in the Moon Rising Empire.

The female bee attendant assigned to care for her said softly, "In a few more days, our Third Prince will be marrying the Little Princess of the Valoran Empire."

’Ah, the arranged marriage they decided on before.’

Yu Zhizhi remembered hearing about this.

The Valoran Empire had only one princess, adopted from the Snake Clan.

’I saw her before, back in the Valoran Imperial City. I can’t believe it’s such a coincidence that I’ve arrived in time for her wedding.’

"Then..." she quickly asked, "Will the Crown Prince be attending the wedding?"

At the mention of the Crown Prince, the bee maid shook her head. "I’m not sure. The Crown Prince isn’t in the Imperial City at the moment, so I don’t know if he’ll come back."

’Hmm... If only he came back. Maybe I could see him at the wedding.’

Yu Zhizhi pressed her lips together and asked again, "Your Crown Prince, what are his preferences? For example, what does he like to eat or drink?"

The bee maid’s face went pale. "I-I don’t know."

She was only a servant in the guesthouse; how could she possibly know the Crown Prince’s preferences? As for what he liked to eat or drink... the bee maid would never dare gossip about such things.

She was afraid of being punished.

Seeing she was a little scared, Yu Zhizhi didn’t press the matter further.

’Compared to the other Princes, this Crown Prince really is more mysterious.’

’Is that why I was given an extra month for this mission?’

Yu Zhizhi changed into a long, formal Moonrise gown. The bee maid was also very curious about this Miss Ear-down Rabbit’s identity; after all, she had been personally brought by the Lord State Preceptor.

’She must be here for the wedding, right?’

’Maybe she’s Lord Li Yuan’s date for the ball.’

The bee maid served her with even greater diligence.

It wasn’t until night fell that Li Yuan emerged from the Royal Palace and came to the guesthouse.

He had already reverted from his Beast Form when he went to the Royal Palace during the day.

He appeared outside Yu Zhizhi’s room.

The bee maid bowed and said, "Lord Li Yuan."

Hearing the commotion, Yu Zhizhi also came out to greet him. Just as she reached the doorway, she saw a tall, slender shadow standing in the darkness, and her expression froze for a moment.

’The Purple Fox...’

’He turned into a person?’

’His spiritual power must be mostly recovered by now,’ she thought. Yu Zhizhi gave a slight bow. "Lord Li Yuan."

The man stood at the door, showing no intention of entering.

He said to the bee maid at his side, "You are dismissed."

"Yes."

The bee maid left.

Yu Zhizhi stood in the doorway, looking at him with some confusion—

’It’s so late. Did the fox come all this way for a specific reason?’

Li Yuan looked at the Rabbit Clan girl before him, his tone calm. "I went to the Royal Palace today and learned that the Crown Prince left for the Ice Wall last month. He isn’t expected to return for another six months."

Yu Zhizhi froze on the spot.

’...Six months?’

Li Yuan continued, "You can stay in the guesthouse for as long as you like. Tell me if you need anything. When the Crown Prince returns, I will take you to see him at the first opportunity."

"I can’t!" Yu Zhizhi blurted out without thinking.

’Six months is too long!’

’If I wait six months, I’ll fail my mission!’

Yu Zhizhi hurriedly stepped out of the room. She came before Li Yuan and anxiously grabbed his sleeve. "I need to see him sooner. Lord Li Yuan, can I go directly to the Ice Wall?"

Li Yuan lowered his gaze to her, his pale violet eyes tinged with shadow in the night. "No."

The Crown Prince is at the Ice Wall. No one can go there.

"But it’s urgent, I have to find him..." Yu Zhizhi couldn’t bear the thought of waiting six months. She was truly starting to panic, and her voice trembled.

"How important?"

Li Yuan could see the panic in her eyes; it didn’t seem like an act.

He asked in a low voice, "Are you willing to risk your life for it?"