Chapter 229: Bizarre Rumors

Chapter 229: Bizarre Rumors

Dai Ze soon noticed Xin You.

"Miss Kou, I was just looking for you."

Xin You entered, her voice cool and collected. "What do you need, Young Master Dai?"

"I—" Dai Ze glanced at the elderly lady, completely losing his previous arrogance, "Could we speak in private?"

Xin You gave a slight bow to the elderly lady. "Grandmother, I’ll take Young Master Dai to the side room for a talk."

The elderly lady’s face remained expressionless as she reluctantly said, "Go ahead."

Given the recent commotion caused by the son of Count Gu Chang, if she tried to stop them, it would only draw more attention.

In the side room, Xin You signaled Xiaolian to stand guard at the door before turning to Dai Ze.

In just a dozen days or so, the arrogant and reckless young man had disappeared, replaced by a haggard youth.

His eyes, however, were bright as he stared unwaveringly at Xin You. "My father's death is indeed related to King Qing. Miss Kou, you were right about everything!"

My cousin's imprisonment in the Imperial Clan Court means he committed a serious crime, which implicated my father.

"And what does Young Master Dai want from me?"

Dai Ze’s gaze was fervent. "Miss Kou, can you take a look for me? Will something happen to me? I can't afford to have anything happen to me. My mother fainted when she heard that King Qing had been imprisoned. If something happens to me, she certainly won't be able to bear it."

As he continued, tears began to fall from the young man's eyes.

Xin You pressed her lips together, pausing for a long moment before speaking. "The fortune I can see only extends to immediate fortune or misfortune; anything beyond that, I cannot foresee."

"So, you mean I will be fine in the near future?"

Xin You gave a slight nod.

"Thanks," Dai Ze managed a weak smile, but it quickly faded. He pulled off his money pouch and tried to hand it to Xin You.

There was no way Xin You would accept the money. "Young Master Dai, you should head back soon. You are still in deep mourning, and running around will cause people to talk."

When Dai Ze returned to the elderly lady, he was much more respectful. "I apologize for the disturbance today, please do not hold it against me, Elder Lady."

The elderly lady dared not say a word, happier to see him leave.

Once Dai Ze had left, the elderly lady dismissed the attendants and looked at Xin You with a heavy expression. "Qingqing, what exactly is going on between you and the heir of Count Gu Chang?"

Xin You’s expression was open and honest. "He has a request of me."

The elderly lady’s first reaction was disbelief. "What could a young master possibly ask of you, a young girl?"

"Then what do you think, Grandmother?" Xin You smiled slightly. "Do you really think it’s more likely that the son of Count Gu Chang and I have something going on, rather than him just needing help?"

The elderly lady gasped. "Qingqing! Is that something a young lady should say?"

Xin You was indifferent. "If I can think it, why can’t I say it?"

"It’s not that I think this way, it’s that I fear the gossip of others, which could harm your reputation."

"As long as no one from Shaoqing Mansion mentions it, outsiders won’t know the son of Count Gu Chang came to see me."

The elderly lady was so furious that she nearly fainted.

If this news got out, it would still reflect badly on Shaoqing Mansion.

"Don't worry too much. Compared to Count Gu Chang's execution and King Qing's imprisonment in the Imperial Clan Office, this is just a minor issue." Xin You comforted her with a cheerful smile.

The elderly lady was left speechless, though she was "comforted" by Xin You's words.

After a moment, the elderly lady noticed Xin You's outfit. "Did you go out?"

"Yes, I went for a stroll."

The elderly lady started to scold her but thought better of it.

After Xin You left, the elderly lady ordered the head maid to reprimand the gatekeepers.

It was clearly stated that no one should leave the mansion without permission, so why did no one notice the young miss's departure?

The gatekeepers admitted their mistake honestly but immediately sent the news to Evening Serenity Abode.

Xin You once again felt the "advantages" of having inadvertently won over most of Shaoqing Mansion.

In the following days, officials and nobles were on high alert, constantly checking for updates from the court.

Meanwhile, a rumor suddenly spread in the streets: the rumor claimed that Songling had stopped writing for Qingsong Bookstore, which was why he hadn't been seen. The owner, Miss Kou, had secretly imprisoned him and forbidden him from going anywhere except to write.

When Xiaolian mentioned this rumor, she was both angry and amused. "This is too absurd; some people can really make things up."

But Xin You felt that something wasn't quite right.

Ever since the rumor that Songling was the missing Queen began, things had seemed off.

By now, it was almost certain that these rumors were being spread intentionally.

Who was behind it?

Was it the interest group centered around King Qing, or was there another force?

"Go tell the people outside to pay more attention to the rumors."

It seemed she would have to stay in Shaoqing Mansion a bit longer.

Meanwhile, contrary to the speculations of the court, what Emperor Xingyuan was most anxious about was not the defection of Wu Yanting, the commander of the capital garrison, nor the investigation of He Qingxiao's team into Dingbei.

Those were visible and tangible issues.

What he was most anxious about was that there had been no sign of Songling.

With no one in the palace he could confide in, Emperor Xingyuan turned to Sun Yan, the chief eunuch.

"Could it be that I guessed wrong? Is Songling not in the capital?"

If he wasn't in the capital, how could anyone find him in such a vast world, especially if he was hiding?

Sun Yan's expression was a bit unusual, hesitating to speak.

"What is it?"

Sun Yan hesitated for a moment. "Now there's a rumor about Songling outside the palace. I don't know if I should say it—"

"Speak." Upon hearing it involved Mr. Songling, Emperor Xingyuan's expression turned serious.

"It is said that Miss Kou imprisoned Mr. Songling to force him to write books."

Emperor Xingyuan chuckled dismissively. "Ridiculous."

For one, it didn't make sense that a girl who had generously donated 50,000 taels of silver to disaster relief would do something like this. Plus, there was the Jinlin Guard.

Qingsong Bookstore was closely tied to Mr. Songling, and the Jinlin Guard was always watching. If something like this had really happened, how could it have gone unnoticed?

"I also find this rumor hard to believe—"

Noticing that Sun Yan hesitated, Emperor Xingyuan frowned. "Is there something else?"

"This servant also heard that the Changle Marquis is on good terms with Miss Kou."

Sun Yan could not say more than that.

Emperor Xingyuan's eyes narrowed, his mood darkening.

Like most rulers, Emperor Xingyuan was naturally suspicious. Could He Qingxiao's connection to Miss Kou have something to do with why they hadn't found Mr. Songling yet?

To Emperor Xingyuan, nothing mattered more than finding that boy.

After a brief contemplation, he gave an order: "Summon Commander Feng Nian of the Jinlin Guard to the palace."

Feng Nian quickly arrived at the palace. "Your humble servant greets the Emperor."

"I previously assigned a task to Commander He of the Pacification Office. Now that Commander He is heading to Dingbei, I am concerned that this task might be affected. Do you have a recommendation for someone to take over temporarily?"

Feng Nian wisely refrained from asking about the details. After a moment of thought, he said, "I believe that Xiao Lengshi, the commander of the Southern Pacification Office, can temporarily take over this matter."

The Jinlin Guard was a vast organization, its main duty being to protect the imperial procession. It had both Northern and Southern Pacification Offices; the Northern Pacification Office handled investigations and prisons, while the Southern Pacification Office managed the Guard's legal matters and military craftsmen.

While the Northern Pacification Office was known for its power and notoriety, the Southern Pacification Office operated quietly in the background.

Upon receiving this task, Xiao Lengshi quickly brought his trusted aides to the Northern Pacification Office.