Chapter 77: An Opportunity for Exile

Chapter 77: An Opportunity for Exile

Even with the ice and medicine applied, Yao Su could still feel the burning pain and swelling on her cheeks.

When she was first hit, her entire face was stinging, making it impossible to speak. Now, although the swelling had subsided enough for her to talk, Yao Su still did not want to open her mouth.

She was also grateful for the injuries on her face, which spared her from having to deal with the insincere inquiries of the Third Prince.

The Third Prince did not truly care about her and planned to petition for her replacement with his father in the coming days. Why should he pretend to be concerned now?

Due to Yao Su's lack of cooperation, the Third Prince's inquiries became even more perfunctory.

Li Fuyin found the situation awkward and tried to ease the tension by saying,

"Miss Yao has also been frightened. Your Highness, why don't you send Miss Yao back first?"

Yao Su wanted to wait for the results of the investigation by the Jinyiwei, but Li Fuyin knew that the traffickers would not easily confess. He said,

"If they are caught, they will receive severe punishment. It is hard to get them to talk without torture. Moreover, we need to break through their defenses one by one and verify the information. Miss Yao should go back first."

With the matter handed over to the authorities, Jian Yunyao and Jian He were preparing to leave, as were Fu Jiaze and Lin Yingxue.

Yao Su solemnly bowed deeply to all of them, knowing that Jian He and Lin Yingxue had helped her the most today. She vowed to repay them well in the future.

After Yao Su nodded, these esteemed figures finally left, and Li Fuyin breathed a sigh of relief. He planned to investigate the trafficking case with the Jinyiwei, and this year's performance evaluation would surely be excellent due to the capture of the traffickers.

With a passionate heart, Li Fuyin turned and headed to the prison, intending to interrogate the traffickers under severe conditions.

/

As the sun set, two carriages stopped at the entrance of the Yao residence, one after the other. The first was the carriage of the Third Prince, and the second belonged to Miss Yao, who had left the house early in the morning.

The gatekeeper recognized them and immediately reported to Grand Tutor Yao and his second wife, Lady Wang.

Lady Wang, who was talking to Second Miss Yao Ting, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why is the Third Prince with her?"

Yao Ting was somewhat nervous. The Third Prince was originally betrothed to her elder sister. Could it be that her elder sister was giving up on finding her younger sister and reuniting with the Third Prince?

Lady Wang immediately understood her stepdaughter's thoughts and smiled, holding Yao Ting's hand, "What is yours will always be yours. Your father has already decided on this matter; you don't need to worry about it changing. Since you recognize me as your mother, I will treat you sincerely."

Yao Ting whispered, "Thank you, Mother."

"Let's go and see."

Just as they stepped out of the courtyard, they saw Grand Tutor Yao. Yao Ting, who was usually somewhat afraid of her father, retreated behind her stepmother.

Surprisingly, Grand Tutor Yao did not ask his second daughter to leave and said, "Ting'er, come with us."

The beauty of these three girls was breathtaking, each surpassing the last. If Yao Su had a delicate and refined charm, Second Daughter Yao Ting possessed a captivating allure, and Third Daughter Yao Jin had a beauty that could topple kingdoms. Unfortunately, due to her mother's death during childbirth, Yao Jin was born frail and often appeared pale, making her beauty comparable to her second sister's.

Today, not going to the palace gave Grand Tutor Yao an uneasy premonition. He planned to introduce the Third Prince to his second daughter and finalize the arrangement sooner.

When the three of them saw Yao Su's appearance, they were shocked. Yao Ting's gaze darted between the Third Prince and her elder sister. Was this related to the Third Prince?

Yao Su's nose and face were bruised, and she smiled sarcastically, fully aware of what was happening in the family.

The Third Prince said, "Miss Yao has returned safely. I won't disturb you further."

"If it weren't for the Third Prince, my eldest daughter might have suffered even more," Grand Tutor Yao said.

"The Grand Tutor is too kind. It was the wife of this year's top scholar in the capital city's autumn examination, Fu Jiaze, who saved your daughter. I just happened to be at the magistrate's office."

After delivering Yao Su, the Third Prince wanted to leave quickly. If not for the fact that Yao Su was still nominally his fiancée, he wouldn't have entered the Yao residence at all. He casually exchanged a few words and mentioned that he had other matters to attend to.

Everyone noticed the Third Prince's intention to leave, and Lady Wang pushed her stepdaughter, "Since the Third Prince has important matters, Ting'er, please see him off."

Grand Tutor Yao also nodded, "That's right."

Zhao Ting couldn't refuse, but when Yao Ting came to see him off, he walked so fast that she couldn't keep up.

In the end, Yao Ting called out to the Third Prince.

Under the setting sun, Zhao Ting simply turned around, "Second Miss, this is far enough."

He had no intention of marrying Yao Ting and naturally wanted to keep his distance from her.

Yao Ting's face burned, and her eyes reddened. How could she not know that something was wrong with the Third Prince's attitude? Without going to her parents, she rushed to Yao Su's room first.

Yao Ting's eyes were bloodshot, "What did you say to the Third Prince? Is he going to break the engagement?"

Yao Su's wet nurse was applying eggs to her mistress's face and quickly said, "Miss is so injured, how can she speak? Second Miss, how could Miss know about the Third Prince's intentions?"

Yao Ting's voice was tinged with tears, "We had everything settled before, why did it suddenly change!"

Yao Su beckoned Yao Ting to come closer.

Yao Su's voice was weak, and every time she moved her mouth, it hurt, but she still said, "I didn't speak to the Third Prince today. I don't know what he's thinking. I swear on the safety of our third sister."

Yao Ting bit her lip. She had even refused to acknowledge her third sister for the sake of this marriage, and now the Third Prince didn't want her anymore. "Elder Sister, what should I do?"

Yao Su looked at Yao Ting. She had done her best for her second sister, and whatever happened to her was no longer her concern.

Yao Ting understood the look in her elder sister's eyes and felt embarrassed, "You only care about the third sister."

"You said it yourself, she is the third sister," Yao Su replied. "Even though she was kidnapped and there was no news, you all abandoned her."

Yao Ting's face burned as if she had been slapped. She hurried away, knowing that her elder sister wouldn't offer any advice, but her father and mother would still value this marriage.

Seeing Yao Ting rush off, the wet nurse continued to apply eggs to Yao Su's face.

"Rest well, Nurse," Yao Su held the nurse's hand, "I'm feeling much better."

"How could it be better when it’s swollen so badly?" the nursemaid disagreed, muttering about Yao Su's recklessness.

How could Yao Su not know her own recklessness? Fortunately, she and the nursemaid were unharmed, and they eventually caught the kidnapper.

The entire Yao residence was in turmoil due to the Third Prince's agitation, while the central figure of the incident had already arrived at a teahouse not far from the Weiwu Marquis Mansion.

/

In a private room, the Third Prince met Lin Baozhen.

The Third Prince had once mocked this wife of the Weiwu Marquis in his heart, finding it amusing when the Weiwu Marquis failed to secure an imperial decree. Now, he solemnly bowed to Lin Baozhen.

"Madam, your wisdom is truly remarkable. I am extremely impressed."

The setting sun cast a glow around Lin Baozhen, adding a mysterious aura to her. She held a cup in her hand. "So, Miss Yao..."

"She was indeed kidnapped, but your sister rescued her."

Hearing the word "sister," Lin Baozhen's heart tightened. "It's her again."

Lin Baozhen couldn't help but think of Yan Ji's death. Fortunately, she had managed to stop Lin Yingxue at the time, or things would have gone terribly wrong.

Lin Yingxue.

Thinking of this person made Lin Baozhen's head ache. In the past, there was a hint of jealousy, but now she no longer envied her; she just found Lin Yingxue annoying.

And yet, she had married Fu Jiaze, with such a powerful uncle, protected by the Ninth Thousand Years.

"Is she against you?" The Third Prince even considered for a moment whether to eliminate this person, but quickly dismissed the thought. Not only did Lin Yingxue have the backing of Fu Bin, capable of standing up to Lin Baozhen, but she wouldn't be an easy opponent.

"Yes." Lin Baozhen said irritably, "Because of her presence, my plans are always ruined."

The Third Prince fell into deep thought. "If Fu Jiaze were sent on an external posting, as his wife... that wouldn't work either. If the place of posting is too poor, she might choose to stay in the capital."

Lin Baozhen immediately became excited upon hearing this. "No, as long as we force her to follow him, 'a wife follows her husband wherever he goes.' Besides, my father and mother can persuade her."

Lin Baozhen felt confident that taking the path of the Third Prince was the right choice. She said, "If Fu Jiaze ranks in the top three of the imperial examination, can he also be sent on an external posting?"

"I'll find a way," Zhao Ting said.

Lin Baozhen instantly felt relieved. If Fu Jiaze were sent to a remote place like Tongwu County, where he died, the poor and backward region would naturally lead to his demise again.

Lin Baozhen's joy was evident, making Zhao Ting smile slightly. "Madam, you sought me out because..."

Lin Baozhen nodded emphatically, "Yes, there's no need for more words. I trust you, and you trust me."

Zhao Ting clenched his fist and swung it heavily, then couldn't resist asking softly, "And..."

What Zhao Ting most wanted to ask was how many years his father had left, but it wasn't appropriate to ask in this simple teahouse.

Zhao Ting swallowed all his words, "I want to ask, since Miss Yao is no longer kidnapped, should I still marry a daughter of the Yao family?"

Lin Baozhen shook her head vigorously, "Not suitable. You saw how the eldest daughter acted for the third daughter. The second daughter and the third daughter are sisters, but their characters are quite cold. Neither would be suitable as the Third Prince's consort."

Regarding the matter of the third daughter of the Yao family, Lin Baozhen felt it wasn't appropriate to discuss today. Some things needed to be handled gradually to see if any benefits could be gained.

To break off this marriage would greatly offend Grand Tutor Yao, the Third Prince thought. But Lin Baozhen was right; if he were to ascend to the throne, a daughter of the Yao family would not be suitable as empress.

"I understand." The Third Prince stood up, "It's getting late. I'll escort you back to your residence."

The Third Prince escorted Lin Baozhen back to her residence. With Xie Jingzhi's cover, the news didn't reach the old madam's ears or Xie Yuan's.