The servant from Yong’an Wangfu scrambled in such disarray that the previously composed Princess Yong’an suddenly became like an ant on a hot pan, restless and uneasy.
Xia Yuruo felt vaguely uneasy and tried to have her maid slip away unnoticed, but Yi Zichuan’s guards spotted them: “Where do you think you’re going?”
All eyes immediately turned to them. Xia Yuruo’s face turned extremely pale, but she forced a smile uglier than crying: “I’ve been out for quite some time and was worried my mother might be looking for me, so I thought to have my maid go back and inform her!”
Those who could emerge from the dragon’s pool and tiger’s den of the imperial palace were all shrewd. Song Taifei only needed one glance at her to know this girl was up to no good: “Then let’s invite your mother over as well!”
Xia Yuruo’s face shifted through various shades of pallor. While she was still thinking of how to argue, Yi Zichuan had already spoken: “Someone, go invite Lord Xia and Xia Madam over!”
Yi Zichuan glanced at Xia Jianxi before him, then said with a smile: “By the way, before I came here, I had heard rumors about Miss Xia’s disappearance. At the time, I found it somewhat unusual – even if they were just rumors, they shouldn’t have spread so quickly. So I sent people to investigate. Unexpectedly, we actually caught a few snakes and rats. Why don’t we bring them over too!”
Watching Xia Yuruo’s face grow progressively paler, Xia Jianxi couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
She recalled how she had been deceived by those letters that appealed to reason and emotion one after another. But when she returned against all odds after narrowly escaping death, the letters she had kept in her dowry had all disappeared, leaving her unable to defend herself and allowing Princess Yong’an to pin the blame on her.
Looking back now, her former self was truly laughable. That Xia Yuruo had clearly been entangled with Kang Muze long ago, yet she had been foolish enough not to notice at all, step by step falling into their trap.
Xia Maoshan looked at the frighteningly pale Xia Yuruo before him and already had some suspicions in his heart. Though furious, he suppressed his anger, unwilling to create a scandal in public: “The wind and dust outside are strong. Please, everyone, come inside for a short rest!”
This time, Princess Yong’an didn’t dare to stop them, as this matter involved rebels – something that could cost them their heads.
The main hall of the general’s residence wasn’t particularly large, but with the hurriedly arrived Yong’an Wang and the Xia couple who had been summoned back from their offices taking their seats, the room was filled to capacity.
Though young, Yi Zichuan, as the emperor’s uncle, had to take the seat of honor, forcing even Yong’an Wang to sit in a lower position.
Just as the freshly brewed tea had cooled enough to drink, and before the hastily arrived Yong’an Wang could even take a sip, someone escorted his son’s personal attendant, Shu Tong, into the room.
Yong’an Wang hurriedly put down his teacup, his eyes full of confusion: “What does the Prince Regent mean by this?”
Yi Zichuan sat calmly in the upper seat, leaning back slightly with a faint smile in his eyes: “When Princess Yong’an sent someone to invite you, Wang Ye, didn’t she explain the situation?”
Prince Yong’an had gone to court early in the morning. Just after leaving the palace, before he could even collect his thoughts, he was swiftly brought over by a fast horse, completely unaware of what was happening.
Princess Yong’an glanced at Yi Zichuan seated above, then with a grim expression, leaned close to Prince Yong’an’s ear and whispered.
“Foolish!” Prince Yong’an exclaimed, slamming the table beside him after hearing Princess Yong’an’s explanation, his voice filled with anger. “The marriage between the Xia and Kang families was decided during the late emperor’s reign! How could you act so recklessly!”
Princess Yong’an, publicly rebuked, looked extremely displeased, and her tone carried a hint of impatience: “What’s urgent now is not this matter…”
Yi Zichuan, unusually patient, waited for Princess Yong’an to explain the entire situation before speaking: “Since everyone here knows more or less about this matter, today, as an outsider, I will step in to find out exactly who is tarnishing Miss Xia’s reputation!”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone stepped forward and removed the gag from the Shu Tong’s mouth: “The one seated here is the Prince Regent! If you dare lie, don’t blame us for being merciless!”
The Shu Tong, who usually followed Kang Muze, had never witnessed such a scene. He was immediately terrified, his face ashen and his body trembling uncontrollably. All the deceitful thoughts in his mind spilled out in one go.
“Those letters from the Heir were all forged by me, imitating the Heir’s handwriting! I was just paid to do it—I had no idea it would cause such a disaster!” The Shu Tong spoke cautiously, glancing nervously at Kang Muze beside him. “Since childhood, I’ve helped the Heir with many of his assignments, so I could perfectly imitate his handwriting in those letters. No one would have been able to tell the difference!”
Kang Muze’s expression shifted repeatedly, clearly embarrassed: “You said you were paid to do it. Who paid you, and for whom were you working?”
The Shu Tong cautiously looked up, scanning the room before his gaze settled on Xia Yuruo: “It was the Second Young Lady! It was Yuting, the maid by Second Young Lady Xia’s side! She gave me fifty taels of silver to write those letters and deliver them to the General’s residence!”
All eyes turned to Xia Yuruo, whose face was pale with fury.
Xia Yuruo hesitated for only a moment before immediately kneeling: “I didn’t do it! I knew nothing about this, and I had no idea someone sent letters to Elder Sister. He’s slandering me!”
“Whether it’s slander will be clear once Yuting is brought here!” Xia Madam, seated to the side, suddenly sneered. “A maid from the inner courtyard casually producing fifty taels of silver? If no one ordered it, then Second Uncle’s courtyard must have been robbed, allowing a maid to freely use the treasury’s silver!”
The head of the Second Branch of the Xia family was Xia Maoshan’s younger half-brother, who had toiled his entire life without achieving anything notable. He could remain in Bianjing only because Xia Maoshan had pulled strings.
Xia Ershu, who relied entirely on his elder brother to survive in Bianjing, dared not offend his brother and sister-in-law. He immediately shouted, “Quickly, send someone to tie up that Yuting and bring her here!”
“Lord Xia, there’s no need to rush!” Yi Zichuan slightly raised his eyes, and immediately, someone dragged a bloodied figure in from outside.
Xia Yuruo narrowed her eyes and peered closely, but upon clearly seeing who it was, she immediately collapsed to the ground: “Yu, Yuting!”
“When I heard the rumors in the streets, I felt something was amiss, so I had someone keep an eye out. Soon after, we saw this girl whispering with a few street thugs, spreading news about Miss Xia being kidnapped by bandits!” Yi Zichuan chuckled lowly. “She’s quite resilient—her bones were beaten segment by segment before she finally admitted she was from the Xia residence.”