The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Waiting for Someone

Prince Qi Mansion.

Xiao Chengxuan’s face was grim. ”What did you say? Say it again!”

The Hidden Guard knelt on one knee, his body tense. ”Your Highness, please calm your anger! Although the operation failed and we were unable to eliminate Zhao Hanguang, we sent a Death Warrior. He will absolutely not leak a single bit of information!”

A vein throbbed on Xiao Chengxuan’s forehead. ”You know we sent a Death Warrior? It was just a simple assassination in the Heavenly Prison, and you couldn’t even manage that! What use do I have for you all?”

The Hidden Guard lowered his head. ”This subordinate was incompetent. Whether you want to kill me or torture me, I will accept whatever punishment Your Highness decrees!”

Xiao Chengxuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

’It’s useless to talk about this now.’ He was more worried that there was something suspicious about the Death Warrior’s demise.

Zhao Hanguang knew no martial arts. Logically, assassinating him should have been a simple matter, but now...

”Go and investigate! Find out exactly what happened inside the Heavenly Prison today, and how Zhao Hanguang managed to escape this fate!”

The Hidden Guard breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said respectfully, ”Yes!”

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

Xiao Chengxuan glanced at the Hidden Guard, who quickly rose and vanished silently into the darkness.

It was as if he had never been there.

”Enter.”

Xiao Chengxuan said in a low voice, his expression having returned to normal in an instant.

A middle-aged man walked in, his usually calm face showing a rare hint of anxiety.

Xiao Chengxuan frowned, an inexplicable sense of unease rising in his heart.

”It’s so late. What matter brings you to me?”

The man’s face was pale. ”Your Highness, that Zhou You has recanted his testimony! Just now, Su Wei from the Ministry of Justice stormed the Han Family estate and took Han Tong away!”

Xiao Chengxuan shot to his feet. ”What did you say!?”

He had planned to kill Zhao Hanguang today and bury those secrets forever, but not only had the assassination failed, Han Tong had now been arrested!

If either of them said anything, then...

”Your Highness, what do we do now?” The man clearly understood the stakes and was deeply worried. ”Perhaps... this humble servant should pay a visit to the Ministry of Justice? Ask them to be lenient—”

Xiao Chengxuan immediately shot down the idea. ”Absolutely not!”

Many people knew Han Tong was his man, but if he were to plead for Han Tong now, wouldn’t that be tantamount to publicly tying himself to him?

”Han Tong’s crime can be seen as major or minor. If I get rashly involved, it will only displease my Imperial Father.” Xiao Chengxuan pondered for a long time, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. ”Ultimately, this was Han Tong acting on his own. It has nothing to do with anyone else, and the blame cannot be pushed onto others! He made his own mistake, so naturally, he should bear the consequences himself. We’ll just wait and see what happens.”

The middle-aged man was taken aback. ’Does the Second Prince mean... he’s just going to abandon Han Tong like that?’

Xiao Chengxuan paced back and forth a couple of times, then asked, ”Has there been any movement from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion lately?”

The middle-aged man snapped back to his senses and shook his head.

”That person has been recuperating from his injuries ever since returning to the Capital City. He doesn’t seem to care about anything. I heard that in a few days, he’s planning to go to Wulan Mountain to escape the summer heat.”

Xiao Chengxuan looked up. ”Wulan Mountain?”

...

The next morning, Ye Chutang took Xiao Wu to the city gate.

The early morning mist had not yet completely dispersed, and a cool dampness lingered in the air.

Xie Anbai was about to ride his horse out of the city when he saw a vaguely familiar, graceful figure in the distance. He hesitated and slowed his pace.

When he got closer, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

”Miss Ye?”

Hearing his voice, Ye Chutang turned her head and was also slightly taken aback to see Xie Anbai. ”Mr. Xie?”

Xie Anbai dismounted decisively, looked around, and asked with great curiosity, ”What are you doing here so early?”

He lifted his chin. ”And you brought Xiao Wu?”

Xiao Wu pressed her lips together in a small smile at him.

Xie Anbai’s heart instantly melted, and he couldn’t resist gently pinching Xiao Wu’s cheek.

”The morning mist is thick. Can her little body handle it?”

”Thank you for your concern, Mr. Xie.” Ye Chutang smiled. ”Xiao Wu may be young, but she isn’t delicate.”

Xie Anbai was a little skeptical.

’That Little Milk Group is four years old and still can’t speak. She looks so pitiful; how could you say she’s in good health?’

But that wasn’t something he could say out loud, so he didn’t press the issue and changed the subject. ”Are you two... waiting for someone here?”

Ye Chutang affirmed, ”Yes.”

Xie Anbai’s interest was piqued. ”Who are you waiting for this early?”

The Ye Family’s affairs had been causing a huge stir these past few days. Everyone knew that Ye Chutang and Ye Heng’s family had already had a complete falling out and gone their separate ways.

’Ye Chutang says she’s waiting for someone, but she and her siblings seem to know so few people in the Capital City. Who could possibly be worth her waiting here so early in the morning?’

Ye Chutang paused, then lowered her voice slightly.

”Sun Lian’an.”

Hearing the name, Xie Anbai took a few seconds to react.

”...The former Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Sun Lian’an?”

Now it was Ye Chutang’s turn to be surprised. ”Mr. Xie, you know him?”

Xie Anbai flicked open his fan with a SHWIP and let out a soft ”tsk.” ”The Tongzhou river embankment corruption case from a few months ago... this man alone embezzled a full thirteen thousand taels of silver. His name is infamous. Who doesn’t know him?”

That case had caused a huge uproar at the time. More than thirty officials were stripped of their posts, from top to bottom, and Sun Lian’an was particularly notorious among them.

This was because he was very young—only thirty-seven this year—and had already been promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Industry, with a promising future ahead of him. It was also because the amount he embezzled was enormous. I heard that when they confiscated his property, they dug up his entire backyard and unearthed countless riches.

That’s why Xie Anbai recognized the name.

However...

”What are you waiting for him for? If I recall correctly, he’s still locked up in the Heavenly Prison, isn’t he?” As Xie Anbai spoke, he suddenly remembered something and tapped his head with his fan. ”Oh! I almost forgot! He’s supposed to be exiled! Don’t tell me... it’s today?”

Ye Chutang nodded, not bothering to hide it.

”Uncle Xu mentioned it before. It is indeed today.”

’Xu Fengchi? Why on earth would he tell Ye Chutang about this?’

Xie Anbai was puzzled. ”Why would he tell you about that?”

Ye Chutang hesitated for a moment before explaining, ”A long time ago, he and my father were close friends, but they lost contact later due to certain matters. When my father was alive, he mentioned more than once that he always felt there had been a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, later... he never had the chance to ask about it himself. So my coming here today is, in a way, to resolve one of my father’s lingering wishes.”

Xie Anbai understood.

”So that’s how it is...”

As an outsider, he naturally wasn’t very clear on these matters, but seeing Ye Chutang’s calm and composed expression, he didn’t ask any more questions.

Just then, a series of footsteps approached from behind, accompanied by the sound of heavy shackles dragging on the ground.

Ye Chutang lifted her gaze.

A line of prisoners, dressed in prison clothes and looking gaunt and haggard, were tied together by a rope and shuffled forward with numb expressions.

The man at the very end of the line was exceptionally thin. His right hand, which had only three fingers, trembled uncontrollably.