Song Xingzhi rode swiftly back to Baiqu County and immediately reported the matter to Zhou Jin.
"Wangye, this is everything Luo Qiang confessed. I have already helped bury his body."
Zhou Jin slowly rotated the sandalwood beads in his hand. He never expected that the mastermind behind the Jiu Lan Mountain bandits would be him.
Truly unexpected.
"Xingzhi, proceed according to plan."
If the mastermind was indeed him, then it would be inappropriate for him to take action personally. This matter should be handed over to the Crown Prince.
The two exchanged a knowing smile, their scheme thus settled.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, whose face had now healed, couldn't care less about the bandit affairs. He was soaking in a massive bathing pool, indulging in pleasures with young men and women.
Ugh, what a wretched place—so shabby and impoverished.
If he hadn't come prepared, he would have died of boredom.
The Crown Prince lay naked, with beautiful men and women massaging his shoulders and feeding him watermelon.
He squinted with pleasure.
Xu Yu'er, standing nearby, rolled her eyes in disgust. What a useless fool. This was the perfect opportunity to steal credit from Duan Wang, yet the Crown Prince had arrived and immediately started scouring for beauties like a bandit.
His brain must be located between his legs.
"Your Highness, it's time. We should go interrogate the Jiu Lan Mountain bandits now," whispered the Crown Prince's trusted eunuch, leaning close to his ear.
"Can't you see I'm enjoying myself? I don't want to see them today. We'll deal with it tomorrow."
Tomorrow after tomorrow—if the Crown Prince kept delaying like this, the Emperor would surely become furious.
"Your Highness, only by extracting useful information early can we leave Baiqu County sooner. I've heard a new entertainment venue has opened in the capital."
"More thrilling than the ones we've visited before."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince's interest was piqued. He pushed aside the beautiful men and women around him.
"Beauties are trouble! All of you, get away from me! Don't interfere with important matters."
Xu Yu'er watched as the Crown Prince climbed out of the pool naked, his flabby flesh jiggling, and nearly vomited from disgust.
But there was nothing she could do. She and the Crown Prince were tied together like grasshoppers on a string—she had no choice but to endure it.
The Crown Prince and his entourage arrived at the prison, where many serious offenders from Jiu Lan Mountain were held. The jailers had already selected one for the Crown Prince to interrogate.
"I am the Crown Prince. You'd better confess everything truthfully. If you refuse, my methods are far more severe than Duan Wang's."
The Crown Prince paced back and forth, his expression arrogant. He had long heard about Duan Wang's ruthless tactics at Jiu Lan Mountain and envied him greatly.
If this bandit before him refused to cooperate, he would make an example of him and show off his power.
The soldier disguised as a bandit felt utterly speechless inside. Thank heavens he served under Duan Wang and not this incompetent fool.
"I confess! I'll confess everything!"
"Your Highness is wise and mighty. I am utterly impressed and will hold nothing back."
The bandit's submissive attitude greatly satisfied the Crown Prince's vanity, his delight evident in his expression.
The bandit proved quite talkative, even producing all the evidence of his crimes.
When the Crown Prince saw the evidence in his hands, he was overjoyed.
Who would have thought that the seemingly honest old man had such grand ambitions?
Using bandits to hoard weapons and provisions, eliminating dissidents—now he had caught him red-handed.
"Excellent! Well done! I shall reward you handsomely."
Clutching the evidence tightly, the Crown Prince was ecstatic. He knew he had accomplished a great feat this time, completely overshadowing Duan Wang.
What use is Duan Wang's bandit suppression? He's nothing but a brute—how could he compare to him, so clever and wise?
"A-San, did you miss me?"
Song Xingzhi was dressed in black, his white jade jeweled hair ribbon fluttering in the wind. His upturned peach blossom eyes exuded a youthful aura.
"Here, I brought this for you."
The pastries from Xun Bao Zhai were famously delicious. Xu Bao'er hadn't expected that, amid such a tight schedule, Song Xingzhi would still find time to bring her pastries.
"Red bean filling—I know you like it."
"I rushed back on horseback to bring them. Try one quickly."
Xu Bao'er opened the box. Inside the rosewood container, the pastries were shaped like peach blossoms, looking both delicate and delicious.
"Thank you, it's very tasty." Xu Bao'er took a bite. The pastry was soft, the red bean filling rich and grainy, with a fragrant aroma that filled the air.
"A-San, you know what? On my way back this time, I heard a story about a woman disguising herself as a man to join the military camp. Don't you think that's ridiculous?"
"A woman dressing as a man—anyone could tell at a glance."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Xingzhi glanced at Xu Bao'er, as if casually remarking, "A-San, you're so good-looking, I almost thought you were a woman disguised as a man too."
Avoiding Song Xingzhi's gaze, Xu Bao'er swallowed the last bit of pastry in her mouth.
"How could that be? I've always hated it since childhood when people say I look feminine—I would want to punch them twice."
"Today, since you're my brother, I'll let it slide."
"Enough talk. I'll bring some pastries for Wangye to try."
Watching Xu Bao'er's retreating figure, Song Xingzhi lowered his head to hide the disappointment in his eyes and muttered self-deprecatingly, "If only you were really a man."
Song Xingzhi recalled that night when he went to find Xu Bao'er and saw her passing through the bamboo grove. Accidentally, a bamboo branch caught her hair ribbon, and her dark hair cascaded down like a cloud sea.
The woman bent down to pick up the hair ribbon from the ground, her smooth hair falling to her waist. Her eyes shimmered like clear water, her lips naturally red without a trace of rouge, resembling a fairy of the woods.
Song Xingzhi's thoughts suddenly grew chaotic, his heart pounding like a drum.
A-San… was actually a woman.
At this thought, Song Xingzhi tightened his grip on the hibiscus jewel hairpin in his hand, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.
He had lost.
Xu Bao'er did not take the pastries to Zhou Jin. If even she could see Song Xingzhi's feelings, how could Zhou Jin not notice?
Sitting on the rooftop, Xu Bao'er took another bite of pastry when she heard arguing below. She immediately lay flat on the roof to eavesdrop.
More gossip? Let her listen in.
"Father, I don’t want to go to the Crown Prince’s residence."
Oh, so it was the County Magistrate of Baiqu County and his daughter.
This Crown Prince is truly despicable. He already has so many concubines in his residence. Instead of focusing on official matters during this trip, he’s busy collecting beauties.
"This is not up to you. The Crown Princess has already given the order. Tomorrow, you will be taken to the capital."
Xu Yu'er? What is she up to? Wasn’t she always the one who hated new women entering the Crown Prince’s residence? Why is she so actively bringing beauties back today?
"The Crown Princess—she wants me dead!"
"Father, it’s only because I saw her sneaking into Duan Wang’s study in the middle of the night that she came up with this idea."
"If I really enter the Crown Prince’s residence, I won’t survive."
Hearing his daughter’s words, the County Magistrate of Baiqu County immediately scolded her to be silent.
"Such words must never be spoken."
"If this gets out, our entire family could lose their heads."
The County Magistrate’s daughter wept, her voice choked with sobs. "But I already have a marriage agreement with Zhao Lang. I don’t want to enter the Crown Prince’s residence."
The County Magistrate of Baiqu County was also in a difficult position. His daughter and the Zhao family's second son had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, and were soon to be married. Who could have imagined such a situation would arise?
"For the sake of the whole family, I can only wrong you."
The County Magistrate of Baiqu County had no choice. If his daughter didn't leave, their entire family would surely suffer disaster. The Crown Princess was not someone they could afford to offend.