Chapter 775 Starting with the Feng Siblings

Chapter 775: Beginning with the Feng Siblings

Tuo Bachi had still been captured alive.

When forced to kneel on the ground, Tuo Bachi looked broken and defeated, beyond even struggling.

After all, at this point, he knew he had lost completely.

His opponents had played the long game, slowly tightening the net step by step, while he had only realized their true identity at the very last moment.

If it had been anyone else, he might have held onto hope that his so-called good elder brother would dare risk execution to save him.

But now, his opponent was the commandery princess!

This could only mean one thing: the imperial court was fully aware of everything he had done!

At this moment, Tuo Bachi truly felt his heart turn to ice.

...

Whether Tuo Bachi’s heart was cold or not was none of Xingxing's concern. Right now, she scrutinized Wei Shiyan, confirming that the blood on him wasn't his own before finally sighing in relief.

Wei Shiyan was likewise checking if Xingxing had been injured. Seeing her unharmed, with only some blood staining her longbow, he also let out a small breath of relief.

Yu Yonggui ordered his subordinates to bind Tuo Bachi tightly. As he walked toward Xingxing and the others, he grew irritated at the sight before him.

*I say, Second Prince, your eyes are practically glued to my sister!*

*Weren’t you supposed to be cold and distant with people?!*

*Seems like you’re very interested in my sister!*

Qing Shuang quickly approached Yu Yonggui. "Are you hurt?"

Yu Yonggui’s scowl disappeared instantly, replaced by complete satisfaction.

He grinned, not missing the chance to boast. "Of course not. Who do you think I am? How could I possibly get hurt? Every last one of them could die, and I wouldn’t have a scratch."

Qing Shuang nodded seriously. "Logical."

Then she turned and walked away.

Qing Shuang was busy.

She still had to help secure the battlefield and check if any enemies had escaped.

Yu Yonggui blurted out "Ah—," reaching out toward Qing Shuang’s departing figure. "Wait—"

But Qing Shuang had already strode off quickly.

Yu Yonggui’s expression instantly soured.

Meanwhile, Xingxing also came over. "Fourth Brother."

Yu Yonggui: "Why didn’t you ask if I was hurt?"

Xingxing looked puzzled. "But didn’t you just tell Sister Qing Shuang that they could all die and you wouldn’t have a scratch?"

Yu Yonggui: "..."

He felt as if his heart was lacerated and bleeding.

...

As the dust settled here, An Zhenzhen and Luo Qingrou tremblingly lifted the carriage curtain, their faces instantly turning pale at the sight of unrecognizable attire among the standing figures. They let fall the curtain in panic, clinging to each other, shaking too violently to even weep.

Yet, after a long wait, no violent end came. Instead, they faintly heard Xingxing's voice outside.

Gathering what little courage remained, An Zhenzhen and Luo Qingrou with trembling hands lifted the curtain again. This time, they saw Xingxing standing unscathed, her skirt slightly stained with blood, conversing with a man whose beauty seemed celestial.

Both women stood transfixed.

An Zhenzhen reacted first, tumbling out of the carriage in terrified haste and stumbling toward Xingxing.

"Your Highness!"

But the preternaturally beautiful man frowned, stepping protectively in front of Xingxing and fixing her with a cold glare.

An Zhenzhen jerked to a stop, rooted to the spot—his beauty was undeniable, but his aura was utterly terrifying... She dared not approach further.

Too afraid even to cry now, she scrambled backward several steps, putting distance between herself and this intimidating figure, stammering, "Your Highness..."

Xingxing popped her head out from behind Wei Shiyan. "What's wrong?"

Never had An Zhenzhen found Xingxing's voice so heavenly!

Like an angelic chorus!

Her lips quivered, tears welling up again.

Xingxing soothed her, "It's alright now. Everything's over. You're safe."

An Zhenzhen bobbed her head through tears, wiping her cheeks.

Luo Qingrou, pale-faced, finally descended from the carriage.

Only then did she notice Tuo Bachi, hogtied like a criminal and kneeling on the ground.

Her heart nearly stopped—she almost fainted on the spot!

She recognized Tuo Bachi, of course.

Knew he was her uncle's "closest friend."

Luo Qingrou hurried to a spot about three meters from Xingxing, still too intimidated by the young man's presence to come closer.

With a thud, she collapsed to her knees, knocking her forehead against the ground repeatedly, her voice hoarse with terror: "Your Highness, please understand—this, this has nothing to do with us!"

Her voice cracked with fear. "Cousin Kang is still in the carriage! With blades flying, how could my aunt and uncle be involved in such matters?"

Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Xingxing leveled a steady gaze at Luo Qingrou. "Whether you're involved isn't for you to decide. Get up now. We'll reckon the debts after investigating thoroughly."

The phrase "reckon the debts" nearly made Luo Qingrou collapse where she knelt.

She folded like a ragdoll to the side.

An Zhenzhen, reading the room, quickly distanced herself from Luo Qingrou—though they'd clung together moments ago in the carriage, now she wanted no part of her in the slightest.

An Zhenzhen was dying to cling to Xingxing right now.

But the young man beside Xingxing, though more gorgeous than a heavenly immortal, had such a stone-cold, unreadable stare that it was utterly terrifying.

An Zhenzhen could only tag along like a kicked puppy, keeping a careful three-yard distance from Xingxing, not daring to get closer nor to leave.

Xingxing knew An Zhenzhen only dared to poison herself, so she didn’t bother with her and let her be.

Meanwhile, Qing Shuang was leading the mopping up after the battle.

The main tasks were checking if any enemies had escaped and if any allies could still be saved.

Thanks to Qing Shuang’s meticulousness, she discovered Qiu Yuansang, who had been slashed earlier, pinned beneath the corpse of a maid, hanging on by a thread.

Xingxing quickly patched her up and gave Qiu Yuansang a heart-preserving pill.

She also tended to the other wounded, significantly improving their chances of survival.

By the time the authorities arrived, Xingxing had already wrapped things up.

Anjiang Prefect Pang Ruhai all but fell off his horse in his haste.

Not daring to spare a glance at Tuo Bachi, he rushed straight to Xingxing: "My Lady..."

Wiping cold sweat, Pang Ruhai stammered, "Your servant arrived too late! You—you’re unharmed, thank goodness! These damned villains dared to assassinate you! Fortunately, My Lady is blessed by fortune and emerged unscathed. Otherwise... otherwise, this official truly wouldn’t know how to explain to His Majesty!"

Xingxing gave Pang Ruhai a wry half-smile. "Prefect Pang should indeed think carefully about how to explain to His Majesty."

The words made Pang Ruhai’s heart skip a beat. "...My Lady..."

Xingxing didn’t elaborate further, only saying, "This assassination left many wounded. Though I’ve provided emergency treatment, it’s not a permanent solution. Let’s first send everyone back to the city, and we’ll sort out today’s mess properly."

Pang Ruhai could only bow in agreement.

Before leaving, Xingxing sought out Yu Yonggui and whispered, "Fourth Brother, have your people keep a close eye on Tuo Bachi. I fear he might take his own life."

Yu Yonggui, who had just been comforted by Qing Shuang with a gentle handhold, had his battered heart fully restored and was now strutting like a proud peacock.

Hearing his sister’s request, he pounded his chest dramatically. "Don’t worry! Have you forgotten what your fourth brother does? Keeping folks breathing is what we do best!"

*Xingxing gave him a strange look.*

Yu Yonggui found her gaze odd. "Xingxing, what’s wrong?"

After a pause, Xingxing said, "Fourth Brother, you're practically glowing? Your voice sounds so cheerful, like you’re about to walk on air."

Instead of blushing, Yu Yonggui puffed out his chest even more proudly and said meaningfully, "Sis, you’re still young. You wouldn’t understand."

Xingxing didn’t press further and simply shrugged. "Alright."

Wei Shiyan approached and whispered something to Xingxing.

Her eyes smiling crescents, she replied softly, and the two walked away together.

Yu Yonggui frowned, a sinking feeling in his gut.

...Would his little sister catch on way too fast?!

...

Upon arriving in Anjiang City, the injured were properly settled, while the rest gathered at the prefect's office.

Pang Ruhai had been a nervous wreck the whole way. He desperately wanted to send a message to Tuo Bachi, urging him to "take his own life to avoid blame" and avoid implicating them. However, the guards watching Tuo Bachi were of unknown origin—too slick to pin down—leaving him no chance to even get a word in with the prisoner.

Pang Ruhai was climbing the walls.

Luo Shi was equally frantic. Slipping in through the back, she scanned the crowd but found no trace of her son.

Her knees almost buckled. Had that bastard Tuo Bachi killed her boy?!

Unable to hold back, Luo Shi rushed out from the rear yamen, her voice frantic: "Where’s Kang’er? Where is my Kang’er?"

As she searched, her gaze landed on Luo Qingrou, whose face was white as a sheet as she stood trembling in the crowd.

Luo Qingrou only paled further and lowered her head.

Taking this the wrong way, Luo Shi felt the world spin around her. Had Pang Ruhai not steadied her in time, she would have collapsed.

Princess Fusui lounged coolly in the chair Pang Ruhai had arranged for her. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "No need to panic, Madam Luo. Your son is right here."

She clapped her hands, and the guards dragged forward Pang Jinkang—now untied but still unconscious.

Luo Shi’s initial relief turned to fury at the sight of the princess’s guards manhandling her son.

But then she noticed something off. Though Pang Jinkang’s complexion was still flushed, not like a dead man, why was he unconscious again?

Breaking free from Pang Ruhai’s grip, Luo Shi lunged for him: "Kang’er! Kang’er, what’s wrong with you?!"

Princess Fusui smiled gently. "Magistrate’s Wife, there’s no need for excessive worry. Your son merely tried something shady toward me, so I fed him some knockout drug. That’s all."

Pang Ruhai and Luo Shi stiffened.

Luo Qingrou also froze, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.

Pang Ruhai forced a tight smile. "...Your Highness must be joking. My son... my son would never do such a thing. There must be some misunderstanding."

Luo Shi also managed a weak smile. "Yes, it must be a misunderstanding—Qingrou! Qingrou, weren’t you with Her Highness the whole time? Speak up! Isn’t there some mistake here?!"

When called upon, Luo Qingrou staggered forward like a zombie.

She suddenly dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead to the floor, shaking too violently to speak.

What could she say?!

What was there left to say?!

The princess knew everything—everything!

Luo Qingrou lay in despair, praying her groveling wouldn’t further provoke the princess’s wrath.

Seeing Luo Qingrou’s apparent admission of guilt, Luo Shi’s forced smile faltered. "—Qingrou?! Get up and explain properly to Her Highness—was it you? Did you do this to my Kang’er?!"

Luo Shi, losing it, lunged to grab Luo Qingrou.

Princess Fusui cut in. "Magistrate’s Wife, there’s no need for this."

She handed Qing Shuang a pill, which was then jammed into Pang Jinkang’s mouth. Before long, Pang Jinkang coughed and awoke.

Luo Shi was caught between relief and dread—joy that her son had finally awakened, sorrow that, given the circumstances, his awakening might just make things worse.

Pang Jinkang was sprawled on the ground in a coughing fit so violent it seemed earth-shaking. He could feel someone patting his back—the voice sounded like his mother’s.

Once the coughing subsided slightly, Pang Jinkang froze. He lifted his head and slowly scanned his surroundings, realizing he was in the courtroom. Xingxing sat calmly in an armchair nearby, studying him with amused detachment.

The memories of what had happened before he lost consciousness flooded back, and Pang Jinkang’s face turned ashen, like a man with one foot in the grave.

Seeing her son like this, Luo Shi felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Xingxing said, "Though your son has awakened, his attempt to assault me is still a minor matter. We'll table that for now and discuss something else."

Luo Shi and Pang Ruhai went white as sheets.

If plotting against the princess was considered a "minor matter," then what could the "something else" she intended to speak of possibly be—

Xingxing tapped her chin in thought. "Let me think... where should I begin?"

She smacked her palms together. "Ah, let’s start with the Feng siblings."

At the mention of "Feng siblings," Pang Jinkang reacted most violently. His head jerked up, his eyes filled with unreadable emotions as he stared at Xingxing.

Xingxing nodded. "Yes, just as you suspect. I pulled some strings, adopting the alias Feng Yongyong, while my fourth brother and I passed ourselves off as the Feng siblings to come to Anjiang City in search of someone... As for whom we were searching for, Prefect Pang should know very well."

Pang Ruhai’s face turned as lifeless as a corpse, yet he forced himself to remain composed. "Your Highness, this lowly official is completely in the dark—"

"How could Prefect Pang not know?" Xingxing countered. "Didn’t you send numerous men into the mountains to track someone for days?"

At these words, Pang Ruhai and Luo Shi’s brains short-circuited.

Only two words echoed in their thoughts:

We’re done for!