Chapter 776 The Whole Family Might Be Doomed

Chapter 776: The Entire Family Is Probably Doomed

"My friend intercepted evidence of Xi Yi people disguising themselves as Southern Barbarian squads causing chaos within Great Xia's borders. As a result, he was hunted down and forced to hide his tracks in the mountains. Prefect Pang, why did you assist those Xi Yi people in turning around to hunt my friend? What was your intention?"

Xingxing's voice was soft, not particularly heavy.

Yet Pang Ruhai seemed to be pressed down by an invisible force, his knees slamming onto the ground, his pallid face dripping with cold sweat: "Princess, please see reason, please see reason! I—I was only helping an old family friend capture a domestic thief. I truly didn’t know he... he was like this!"

"So, to capture a domestic thief, you deployed layers of troops along key routes?" Yu Yonggui sneered coldly from the side. "Do you think we’re idiots?"

Pang Ruhai wiped his sweat. "That... that was to investigate an Imperial fugitive..."

Yu Yonggui scoffed. "Fine, then let me ask—which Imperial fugitive? Where did they appear? Who were the witnesses? Are there any case records?"

Pang Ruhai was the local strongman in Anjiang. He had merely borrowed the pretext of capturing an Imperial fugitive to seize people, never expecting anyone to investigate him. How could he have prepared for this?

Pang Ruhai was immediately left stammering by Yu Yonggui's questions, sweat nearly dripping into his eyes.

"The evidence is ironclad," Yu Yonggui said with disdain and impatience. "Stop spouting nonsense. To be frank, I have a stack of sworn statements in hand. Don’t worry—they’re airtight. I’ll hand them all over to the Board of Punishments later. You’d better start thinking about how to explain yourselves to them."

Pang Ruhai and Luo Shi both looked ashen, realizing their entire family was probably doomed.

Their legs gave way, and they collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, however, Pang Jinkang suddenly broke down and rushed toward Xingxing. Wei Shiyan, who had been sitting nearby, instantly rose, his sword half-drawn. But Pang Jinkang only fell to his knees at a distance from Xingxing.

Despair filled Pang Jinkang as he bowed his head repeatedly to Xingxing. "Princess, we were wrong. We shouldn’t have looked down on you, thinking you were just a merchant's daughter. We shouldn’t have harbored such vile thoughts of making you a concubine... Princess, in your boundless mercy, don’t hold it against us. I kowtow to beg for your forgiveness... I beg for your forgiveness!"

It took Xingxing a moment to process—was Pang Jinkang under the impression that everything she had done was because the Pang family had offended her, and she was now taking revenge?

What could she say?

He really thinks highly of himself.

Luo Shi had been paralyzed with fear, but seeing her son kowtowing and pleading with Xingxing, she somehow found the strength to struggle up and began kowtowing as well, sobbing uncontrollably. "...Princess, Princess, it was all our doing—my husband and I! My son had nothing to do with it! He... he knew nothing... Please, out of respect for the past friendship he once shared with you and your brother, spare him. I beg you!"

Yu Yonggui, furious, stepped in front of Xingxing. "Enough! How dare you speak of 'friendship'! Forcing my sister to be his concubine, sending soldiers disguised as bandits to ambush our caravan—is this what you call 'friendship'? Spare me the nonsense!... If my sister weren’t a princess, if she were really just Feng Yongyong, the merchant's daughter, I can’t even imagine what kind of life she’d be living now! Imprisoned, humiliated, subjected to endless torment?!"

Yu Yonggui grew angrier the more he spoke.

In the face of matters concerning the nation, Yu Yonggui hadn’t even planned to bring up the Pang family’s crimes against them. After all, the single charge of aiding Xi Yi’s treasonous plots was enough to send their entire family to their doom.

But he couldn’t stop them from bringing it up themselves!

Wei Shiyan’s expression was cold, his blade halfway drawn.

Xingxing quickly pressed the hilt, sheathing it again.

She turned to Pang Jinkang. "Didn’t I just spell it out what your family has done? Do you truly not understand, or are you pretending? Let me repeat—your dear 'Uncle' Tuo Bachi had people disguise themselves as Nanman to sow chaos in Great Xia. My friend obtained evidence of his treacherous designs but was hunted for months by Tuo Bachi and your father. I came here under the orders of His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress to find him. Now that we’ve reunited, my brother holds detailed evidence. Not only Tuo Bachi—your entire family will be dragged to the capital to stand trial. Understand?"

Pang Jinkang trembled violently. He wanted to speak, but his body failed him, collapsing limply to the side.

He didn’t look well.

Luo Shi screamed in terror, "Jinkang! Jinkang!"

Yu Yonggui glanced over and tsked in disapproval.

Xingxing, however, wasn’t the least bit surprised.

She had previously administered a heavy dose of knockout drug, and now with the added blow of the destruction of his family, it was hardly surprising that Pang Jinkang, overwhelmed by the intense shock, couldn’t handle it.

As long as he survived, that was all that mattered.

...

Xingxing authoritatively commanded the soldiers she had summoned from the border using her princess’s jade authority token, sealing off the entire Anjiang Prefect’s office compound.

Apart from Tuo Bachi and Anjiang Prefect Pang Ruhai’s family, all the local officials were temporarily detained in prison, awaiting further investigation.

For a time, the families of officials in Anjiang City were all terrified.

Qiu Yuansang’s father, who served as a Scribe in the yamen, was also detained. Despite her severely injured and weakened state, Qiu Yuansang knelt outside the yamen, pleading for her father’s release.

An Zhenzhen also had an uncle who worked as a low-ranking clerk in the yamen and was imprisoned.

She also came to the yamen gates, though hesitantly.

Seeing Qiu Yuansang persistently kneeling there to plead, An Zhenzhen didn’t dare step out of the carriage. Instead, she peeked out from behind the carriage curtain to assess the situation.

An Zhenzhen thought the princess was merciful—after all, even when she had poisoned herself and was caught, the princess had gone easy on her. Perhaps she and Qiu Yuansang could really plead for mercy for their families...

But An Zhenzhen still didn’t understand Xingxing.

Xingxing was compassionate, but she also had principles.

Qiu Yuansang’s wounds were still bleeding, yet she defiantly came to plead for her father—wasn’t this a form of pressure?

But as the Scribe, could Qiu Yuansang’s father truly have been unaware of Pang Ruhai’s actions?

That couldn’t be true.

Xingxing didn’t show herself, only sending Qing Shuang to pass on a message to Qiu Yuansang—if her father was truly innocent, then there was no need to plead.

But if he was indeed involved, then by pleading, was she trying to use her connection with the princess to interfere with justice?

Qing Shuang, naturally aloof, looked even colder when she wasn’t smiling: “The princess asks you—do you want to end up in prison with your father?”

Qiu Yuansang shuddered.

In the end, leaning on her maid, she staggered away.

An Zhenzhen was too scared to even step out of the carriage.

Yet Qing Shuang seemed to see through something, glancing toward An Zhenzhen’s carriage.

Her gaze met An Zhenzhen’s peeking eyes through the carriage curtain.

Startled, An Zhenzhen immediately retreated into the carriage and hurriedly told the coachman to leave.

Seeing Qiu Yuansang leave and An Zhenzhen flee, Qing Shuang nodded in satisfaction.

These young girls had better stay out of trouble and not trouble her princess.

...

When Yu Yonggui entered, Xingxing was kneading Wei Shiyan’s leg, checking the recovery of his bones.

The moment Yu Yonggui stepped in, he couldn’t help but hiss, his brows furrowing.

Xingxing had her back to Yu Yonggui and was fully focused on examining the healing progress of Wei Shiyan's leg injury, so she didn't notice Yu Yonggui had entered the room.

Wei Shiyan, however, saw him, but his face betrayed no emotion.

Xingxing continued to ask Wei Shiyan with concern, "...Does it hurt when I press like this?"

Wei Shiyan didn't flinch. "No."

Xingxing applied a bit more pressure. "...What about now? Does it hurt?"

Wei Shiyan still showed no reaction. "No."

Xingxing pressed a few more spots and even looked up to observe Wei Shiyan's expression. Seeing that he truly wasn't in pain, she lit up with happiness and stood up from in front of him. "You're recovering really well!"

Wei Shiyan straightened his robes and murmured an "Mm." "Thanks to you."

"It's because His Highness has a naturally robust physique, and those dried fish you brought back also help promote wound healing," Xingxing said. "Speaking of which, I’ll have the kitchen whip up some dishes using that dried fish tonight. Many guards were injured—I hope they recover soon..."

As she spoke, Xingxing turned to pour herself some tea, only to find Yu Yonggui standing silently behind her, making her jump.

"Fourth Brother, when did you get here? You scared me!" Xingxing clutched her chest.

Yu Yonggui said pointedly, "Little sister, I know you’ve studied medicine since childhood and have keen senses. But I’ve been here for a while, and you didn’t even notice me. What does that mean? It means your attention was entirely on His Highness just now..."

For some reason, Xingxing’s ears grew hot at his words.

She stammered and explained softly, "...His Highness's condition is special. I have to be fully focused when examining him."

Yu Yonggui gave her a knowing look.

Xingxing avoided his gaze and made a show of pouring tea.

Just then, Qing Shuang returned, announcing as she entered, "...I’ve seen Miss Qiu off. I noticed Miss An lurking about watching for a while, and as soon as Miss Qiu left, she made herself scarce too."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qing Shuang noticed Yu Yonggui was also there.

She paused. "You're here too."

Her voice unconsciously softened.

Yu Yonggui broke into a grin. "Yeah. I came to find you."

Qing Shuang asked naturally, "What is it?"

Yu Yonggui glanced at Xingxing and Wei Shiyan, then caught Qing Shuang’s hand. "...Let’s talk outside."

Qing Shuang: "...Alright."

Both kept straight faces, but their ears were burning red. Holding hands, their steps were equally stiff, almost forgetting how to walk.

Xingxing: "..."

She whispered to Wei Shiyan, "Your Highness, maybe we should be the ones to leave instead?"

Wei Shiyan didn't argue. "Alright."

While Yu Yonggui and Qing Shuang stood there awkwardly at the doorway, staring at each other, Xingxing and Wei Shiyan slipped past them—one from the left, the other from the right—and stepped outside.

Xingxing tactfully suggested, "You two can talk inside. Your Highness and I will take a walk."

Yu Yonggui snapped out of his thoughts slightly—why was his sister going off alone with him again?

But he was still holding Qing Shuang's hand. He thought, *Whatever, if she wants to go out with the Second Prince, fine.*

At least they weren’t holding hands!

At that thought, Yu Yonggui’s gaze couldn’t help but drop to his and Qing Shuang’s intertwined hands.

Neither hand was particularly soft, both bearing calluses from years of martial training.

Yet, Yu Yonggui felt that Qing Shuang’s hand was so, so soft—so soft it made his heart melt.

The two stood frozen in front of the threshold, staring dumbly at each other for a long while. Finally, Qing Shuang, her face burning red, turned away awkwardly. "...Should we go inside to talk?"

Yu Yonggui jolted back to reality and stammered, "Huh? Oh... yeah, sure..."

Only then did the two clumsily make their way inside—though their hands never parted.

...

Xingxing and Wei Shiyan walked out of the courtyard, once they were farther away, Xingxing stuck out her tongue. "My fourth brother is so silly."

Wei Shiyan kept a straight face but agreed. "Mm."

"Looks like we’ll be gaining a sister-in-law when we return," Xingxing couldn’t help but laugh. "What a lucky guy."

Wei Shiyan wasn’t familiar with Qing Shuang, so he didn’t say anything.

Fortunately, Xingxing had grown up playing with Wei Shiyan and later spent over half a month living with him in a cave. She was used to this dynamic by now.

Xingxing turned to face Wei Shiyan. "Are you nervous about returning to the capital?"

Wei Shiyan nodded expressionlessly. "Nervous."

Xingxing stared at him for a moment before snorting with laughter.

He looked completely unruffled.

Still, he had left home—and his parents and siblings—as a child. Now, at eighteen, with his death curse finally lifted and his fate altered, his return to the capital would bring plenty to deal with. Xingxing knew he wasn’t lying—she’d be nervous too in his place.

"His Majesty and the Empress truly miss you," Xingxing mused. "When I was in the capital, I could tell how warmly they treated me—probably because they knew we’d known each other since childhood."

Wei Shiyan didn’t respond this time.

After a pause, Xingxing generously offered, "If you don’t want to stay in the palace, I have my own residence in the capital. You can stay there! ...Though it’s been empty for a while. If you want to move in, I’ll have it cleaned and furnished first."

Only then did a faint smile touch Wei Shiyan’s eyes, subtle but brightening his whole demeanor.

After a moment, he replied, "Alright. Anywhere’s fine."

He had lived in the mountains for over a decade—he’d lived through worse.

Xingxing remembered Grand Gongfeng Qin. "Speaking of which, is your master coming back to the capital with you? I haven’t seen the old Taoist in forever."

"I already wrote to him," Wei Shiyan said. "But he hasn’t replied. He’s probably been out searching for me this whole time and never received the letter. I told him in it that I was going to the capital."