The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Interrogation

The moon was bright, the stars sparse.

WHOOSH—BANG!

A dazzling firework suddenly burst across the pitch-black night sky.

Then a second, and a third... They bloomed one after another, overlapping in a dazzling, festive display.

Han Yao had been sitting in his courtyard, drinking in sullen silence. The noise made him rise to his feet, unable to resist a look.

It was a sight that would bring joy to anyone, yet it only made Han Yao more irritable.

Everything grated on his nerves these days, and he naturally found the fireworks to be nothing but a racket.

”Who is that? Setting off fireworks this late at night!?” Han Yao snarled.

The servant waiting on him hastily explained, ”Young Master, that... I believe those are the Ye Family’s fireworks...”

Han Yao’s frown deepened. ”The Ye Family?”

”Yes. It seems... Miss Ye bought them specially for her younger brother’s birthday. She spent a fortune to make it a grand and festive occasion.”

At the mention of Ye Chutang, the servant’s voice dropped several notches.

Just as expected, Han Yao’s expression soured further. He gripped his wine cup so tightly he nearly crushed it.

He had been relentlessly berated by his father for the past two days, while Ye Chutang, on the other hand, was clearly having a wonderful time!

Han Yao downed the wine in his cup, his voice laced with unconcealed resentment.

”She must be so pleased with herself right now!”

He had once been genuinely captivated by Ye Chutang’s beauty and had even considered marrying her. Now, however, all he felt for her was bitter resentment.

’If only Ye Chutang hadn’t saved Su Pei’er and her son, he wouldn’t have been reduced to this!’

Suddenly, a grim, cold voice cut in.

”Of course she’s happy. The entire Ye Family is hers now. Who can possibly compare?”

Han Yao spun around in alarm. When he saw who it was, his arrogant demeanor instantly vanished, and he instinctively lowered his head. ”Father, what are you doing here?”

He was genuinely afraid of facing Han Tong now.

Han Tong couldn’t help but frown at the sight of him. ”What? Am I not welcome?”

Han Yao was left speechless and quickly tried to change the subject. ”Father, that’s not what I meant. I was just wondering... what did you mean by that?”

He had been confined to the residence for the past two days and had no idea what was happening outside.

Han Tong briefly explained the situation, his voice dripping with ice. ”She has the Eldest Princess backing her now, so of course she’s confident. I blame myself for misjudging her, for thinking she’d be easy to manipulate. The girl may be young, but she is deeply cunning. Even Ye Heng fell into her trap!”

He shot a look at Han Yao. ”And you... you became the perfect tool for her to get rid of Ye Heng!”

”That...” Han Yao was stunned, finding it hard to believe. ”It must have been a coincidence, right? She’s only seventeen. How could she be that calculating!?”

Han Tong couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on him.

”You’re incapable of learning her ways, but I ordered you to lie low at home for the time being. Make sure you remember that! Once the dust settles, it won’t be too late to settle this score.”

Han Yao’s eyes lit up as he caught the implication. ”Father, are you saying...”

Han Tong stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes.

”The man who drugged the horse at the polo match has been found. And more importantly, he has identified the mastermind: Zhao Hanguang.”

...

「Prince Qi Mansion.」

Xiao Chengxuan’s expression was grim.

”Who gave Han Tong the nerve to go after Zhao Hanguang?!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man standing before him dropped to his knees. ”Your Highness, please quell your anger,” he said respectfully. ”This matter may not be related to Han Tong—”

”He’s the one who benefits most from Zhao Hanguang’s fall!” Xiao Chengxuan was so furious he laughed. ”And he actually thinks he pulled it off flawlessly?”

Others might not have known Zhao Hanguang was his man, but Han Tong was perfectly aware.

Now that he’s brought Zhao Hanguang down, his intentions are plain as day!

The middle-aged man remained silent for a long moment.

The room was dimly lit, and he was shrouded in shadow, his features indistinct.

After a while, he finally sighed. ”Your Highness sees all with perfect clarity; of course Han Tong’s little tricks could never fool you. But given the current situation, I urge Your Highness to make a decision quickly. With both witness testimony and physical evidence, I’m afraid Zhao Hanguang won’t be able to clear his name. More importantly, Feng Zhang is also part of the investigation this time. If he interrogates Zhao Hanguang, many things...”

His voice trailed off, and the room plunged into a dead silence.

The candle wick suddenly sputtered, flaring with a spark.

Xiao Chengxuan looked up, his eyes dark and heavy, his voice steeped in a bone-chilling cold.

”Zhao Hanguang has done much for me over the years. After his death, see to it that his widow is well cared for.”

The middle-aged man replied, ”Yes.”

He then rose to his feet. Just as he took a step back, Xiao Chengxuan spoke again. ”Right. Han Tong has also had his share of troubles recently. Let him stay put at home for now. After all, there will be many matters at the Guanglu Temple that will require his attention.”

The middle-aged man understood the implication perfectly.

”Your Highness is magnanimous.”

...

「Heavenly Prison.」

The dim, cramped cells were filled with the thick, nauseating stench of blood.

Wails and soft sobs echoed intermittently, like the shrieks of ghosts in the night, chilling one to the bone.

The heavy drag of foot chains scraped across the floor.

Zhao Hanguang was in a daze.

Barely a single hour had passed between the moment he learned he’d been exposed and his imprisonment in the Heavenly Prison.

And in that short span of time, his life had been turned completely upside down.

He didn’t know why a subordinate he had always trusted would suddenly frame him, pushing him into this desperate plight. He didn’t know how he could have been so thoroughly convicted when he was innocent.

CLANG—!

Suddenly, a prisoner in the next cell threw himself against the bars, thrusting out hands caked with dirt and blood and screaming frantically.

”Let me out! Let me out! I’m innocent! I really didn’t do anything!”

Before Zhao Hanguang could even react, the prison guard behind him lashed out with a club.

”Stay quiet!”

The man cried out in pain and snatched back his trembling hand. It was only then that Zhao Hanguang noticed the man’s right hand had only three fingers.

A numbness spread through his heart as a chill swept over him.

The prison guard raised his club to strike again but was stopped by another guard.

”Forget it. He’s about to be exiled. He won’t last more than a few days anyway. Why bother?”

The guard reluctantly lowered his club, then kicked Zhao Hanguang.

”What are you looking at! Get moving!”

Zhao Hanguang averted his gaze and walked forward with his head down.

Finally, he was thrown into a cell at the very end of the corridor. The door was locked behind him. Dragging his aching legs, he started toward a corner to rest.

But he had barely taken a step when his eyes fell on a pair of black boots and the hem of an azure robe.

’Someone’s here!?’

Just as Zhao Hanguang started to look up, a hand clamped over his eyes from behind!

THUD!

Someone kicked him sharply in the back of the knees, and he instantly fell, his knees slamming hard onto the ground.

”Zhao Hanguang.” It was the voice of the very prison guard who had led him in!

”If you want to live, you will answer every single question I ask.”

Zhao Hanguang nodded stiffly.

The prison guard glanced to the side, looking cautiously at the man next to him.

Shen Yanchuan used a finger to slide a thin sheet of paper forward. A single line of text was written on it.

The prison guard took one look, and his heart leaped into his throat.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he asked Zhao Hanguang in a cold voice:

”The battle at Tongtian Pass three years ago... it was connected to the Second Prince, wasn’t it!?”