Chapter 165 Is It Fun Being Held Hostage?

Chapter 165: Was Being Held Hostage Fun?

Seeing that he didn’t seem intent on pursuing the matter, A Chan immediately seized the opportunity: "Then, when we return to the city, my lord, could you take me along?"

"Didn’t you enjoy roaming outside? Why go back to the city now?"

Tsk, that tone—clearly still a bit displeased.

A Chan sidled closer to Bai Xiuming, playing the obedient role: "Of course, I want to follow you, my lord. Wherever you go, I’ll go."

"Oh." Bai Xiuming’s tone was indifferent. "I’ll think about it."

At that moment, the two stood close but did not touch. A Chan subtly reached out to hook her fingers around his, but he deliberately avoided her twice. On the third try, she finally succeeded.

She swayed their intertwined fingers lightly: "Please, my lord, take me with you. There are still three corpses lying in the manor—it’s terrifying. Just one more glance, and I’ll have nightmares."

"Is that so? That scared?"

"Mhm." A Chan nodded vigorously. "Absolutely terrifying."

"A few more glances and you’ll get used to it."

A Chan sniffed, her eyes instantly reddening again, her voice trembling slightly, sounding heartbreakingly pitiful: "If that’s your order, my lord, I’ll obey."

She released Bai Xiuming’s hand, edged two steps forward, then another two.

"Come back."

A Chan immediately turned and hurried back to Bai Xiuming’s side.

"This official will make an exception for you—just this once."

"Thank you, my lord." A Chan brightened immediately, then turned and spotted the tallest black horse among the many dragon blood horses.

She darted over to it, stroking its face and coaxing it to look at her.

The horse gave her a dismissive glance before turning its head away, as if to acknowledge her. Undeterred, A Chan circled to its side, grabbed the saddle, and climbed onto its back effortlessly.

To prevent this man from suddenly changing his mind, she had to secure her ride back first.

No sooner had A Chan settled in than someone nearby snapped their fingers, and the horse beneath her clip-clopped obediently toward the sound.

"Slow down—I’m not properly seated yet," A Chan complained unhappily.

The black horse snorted, probably annoyed by her fussiness.

Had the distance been any longer, the two might have ended up bickering.

The horse stopped beside Bai Xiuming, who swung up effortlessly, one hand habitually gripping A Chan’s waist. He then ordered his subordinates, "Go to the manor to recover the Northern Wilderness King’s Consort’s body. Keep it quiet—don’t disturb the tenants."

"Yes."

He then turned to Liang Yan, who stood rooted to the spot: "Lord Liang."

Liang Yan seemed distracted, answering after a pause: "...What are your orders, Lord Bai?"

"How did you discover the Northern Wilderness King’s Consort’s body?"

Relieved it was just this question, Liang Yan answered truthfully: "This official found traces of the Consort and the Zhao family’s servants in a ruined temple halfway up the mountain opposite the manor. Following the clues left there, we arrived at the manor and discovered the bodies."

"Lord Liang is quite skilled at tracking."

"You honor me, Lord Bai."

"Heard that?" Bai Xiuming glanced at Jiang Kai, who stood nearby.

"This subordinate will take men there at once."

Since Bai Xiuming had taken over the case, the Bright Mirror Bureau naturally had to investigate the scene to prevent discrepancies in the records later.

After Jiang Kai left with his team, the remaining Bright Mirror Bureau Guards secured Liang Yan’s subordinates. As for Zhao Hongliang, his leg injury granted him the courtesy of being carried, while two men also stood behind Liang Yan.

Though neither was as skilled as him, Liang Yan didn’t dare resist in the slightest.

"Circumstances compel us. My apologies for the inconvenience, Lord Liang," Bai Xiuming’s voice came from above.

Liang Yan hurriedly replied, "Not at all."

Each word from above tightened his nerves.

He didn’t dare look up at the man on horseback, but his gaze inevitably fell on the sight of pale green orchid-embroidered skirts overlapping with the crimson hem of Bai Xiuming’s official robes.

It would’ve been laughable—Liang Yan had heard of Bai Xiuming’s amorous reputation long ago.

What stuck in his memory most was the incident where Bai Xiuming had knocked on the palace gates in the middle of the night for a woman. Back then, he’d wondered what kind of woman could capture the attention of someone like Bai Xiuming.

He’d even made inquiries and learned that the woman was the disowned daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang’s household, surnamed Ji, and that Bai Xiuming had offended the marquis’s family for her sake.

At the time, he’d only wanted to know Bai Xiuming’s taboos to avoid accidentally crossing him. Never did he imagine he’d actually meet the man—and not only fail to recognize him but also earn his deadly wrath.

Bai Xiuming noted Liang Yan’s tension but let it pass unremarked.

Once matters here were settled, he turned his horse around and led the rest of his men back to the city.

Throughout the journey, A Chan sat obediently in Bai Xiuming’s arms. Only after entering the city, when their pace slowed and the hoofbeats softened, did she whisper, "Where’s Hui Niang? Why isn’t she with you?"

Bai Xiuming breathed against her ear, "Filing a false report—jailed."

"Liar!" A Chan wouldn’t buy it.

The next moment, she felt heat brush her earlobe. Before she could react, his teeth closed on it—not too hard, but enough to make her jump.

"Hey! What are you doing?" A Chan yelped, raising a hand to cover her ear, only for it to be intercepted.

Bai Xiuming closed his hand around her wrist and asked, "Was being held hostage fun?"

He’d seemed so unfazed that A Chan had assumed she’d already placated him. Turns out, he’d been biding his time.

Wavering between truth and lies, A Chan finally admitted, "Not very fun. A bit dangerous."

The man who’d fought Shang Yin had been formidable—she’d nearly been hurt several times.

Thinking of this, she added, "That guy flung concealed blades at me multiple times. So sneaky—clearly ruthless, the type who kills without a second thought."

Even now, she couldn’t resist making her case. Bai Xiuming nearly snorted in frustration.

He tipped up her chin and growled, "Wasn’t that your own fault? If there’s a next time, I’ll lock you in the dungeon’s deepest cell."

"Will you stay with me, then?" A Chan peered up through her lashes.

Bai Xiuming did not answer. For some reason, his gaze suddenly darkened.

A Chan, unaware of his strange demeanor, kept pressing, "You never answered me—where did Hui Niang go?"

"Feng Yang took her on another route to your estate."

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" A Chan grumbled. Had she known, she would have gone straight back to the estate.

"Wasn’t it you who said you were afraid of seeing corpses and begged me to take you back to the city?"

A Chan was silenced by her own words. She snorted and stopped arguing with him.

Their party returned to the Bright Mirror Bureau. Bai Xiuming let A Chan down from the horse and called Jiang Kai over.

"Your orders, sir?" Jiang Kai hurried forward.

"Record her testimony, then escort her home."

Jiang Kai glanced at A Chan and quickly nodded in assurance. "Rest assured, sir. Your subordinate will ensure Miss Ji returns home safely."

"Mm." Without another word, Bai Xiuming wheeled his horse around and left.

The Consort of the Northern Wilderness King had been killed in the capital, and he had also taken personnel from the Military Command into custody without orders. He needed to report to the emperor immediately.

When Bai Xiuming entered the study, the emperor was speaking with the crown prince. The imperial father and son seemed to be discussing something pleasant, as both still wore smiles.

His eyes shifted slightly—he could guess what they were happy about. The crown princess was due to give birth within the next two months.

Upon seeing Bai Xiuming, the emperor beckoned him over casually. "What wind brings you to the palace today?"

Though Bai Xiuming hated to ruin their good mood, he had no choice but to report truthfully. "Your Majesty, the Consort of the Northern Wilderness King is dead."

The emperor and the crown prince both had their faces fall. The emperor asked coldly, "Who's responsible?"

"The suspect is Shang Yin, the consort’s grandson."

The statement was loaded. The emperor remained composed, but the crown prince looked astonished. "The King of Northern Wilderness never married, did he?"

The emperor shot his son a glare and coughed lightly. "What do you mean by 'suspect'?"

"I rushed to the palace before formally interrogating the case. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness."

The emperor waved a hand. "You didn’t come just for this, did you?"

If it were a minor matter, Bai Xiuming, ever cautious, would never have come to see him without first investigating the case.

"Indeed. According to Shang Yin, twenty years ago, the massacre of the Shang family was orchestrated by the King of Northern Wilderness and the Zhao family, with the consort being one of the masterminds. The two families divided the Shang family’s wealth, and half of it remains hidden in the Zhao family’s secret vault.

He committed the murder to seek justice from Your Majesty and to expose the treacherous ambitions of these two families."

"The Shang family massacre?" The emperor pondered briefly. "The family that controlled ghosts? I remember it made waves at the time."

Bai Xiuming nodded. "Exactly. After the massacre, the ghost gates burst open, plaguing nearby districts and counties, resulting in many deaths."

"How was the Shang family connected to the consort?"

"The consort’s eldest son’s wife was from the Shang family. At the time, the Bright Mirror Bureau also investigated the consort but found no evidence. The Zhao family lacked the means to carry out such an act back then, so the investigation was not pursued further."

The emperor narrowed his eyes. "If I recall correctly, shortly after that, the King of Northern Wilderness petitioned to install a new principal wife?"

"Yes."

This consort of the Zhao family was not the original wife of the previous King of Northern Wilderness. However, since this consort was not only previously married but had borne children, the emperor remembered her particularly well.

"Impressive. They schemed right beneath my eyes." The emperor’s voice turned icy. "Investigate. I want the truth."

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Tutor’s shadow still looms. If I investigate the Zhao family now, I fear the court will be buried in impeachment petitions by tomorrow morning."

The emperor glared at him irritably. "If you don’t go, I’ll have a pit dug for you right now."

The emperor held no affection for the Zhao family. Zhao Qi had been the late emperor's favorite, not his.

The honors he bestowed upon the Zhao family were merely for the late emperor's sake.

However, if this matter truly involved the Residence of the King of Northern Wilderness, it could actually work in our favor.

"By your will." Bai Xiuming hesitated. "There is one more matter..."

"Speak."

"Today, Zhao Hongliang, the eldest son of Zhao Qi, brought Liang Yan, the Capital Military Commander, and others to surround and kill Shang Yin and meant to eliminate him. They also heard Shang Yin’s testimony. Fearing the leak of information, I detained them at the Bright Mirror Bureau and await Your Majesty’s decree."

The emperor sneered. "I've underestimated our Imperial Tutor. Even the Capital Military Commander does his bidding."

At best, this could be written off as the Zhaos seeking aid to locate the consort. But now, it stands as proof of their ambition. Without deliberate cultivation of connections, how could they have compelled Liang Yan to act for them?

Were they not plotting treason, why would the Zhao family befriend officials from the Military Command?

By comparison, Bai Xiuming’s detention of them pales in comparison.

The emperor glanced at Bai Xiuming. "You've handled this well. Tell Shang Yin that as long as he cooperates in locating the secret vault, I will grant him justice."

"Your Majesty's wisdom shines."