Chapter 97 Charming Spring Addiction

Chapter 97: Addicted to Entanglement

Qin Jiao: "?"

Qin Jiao and Jiang Qingrong turned around in shock and surprise, only to see not just Luo Yue but also Xie Nai and even Luo Bei, who had gone to Nan Prefecture earlier on business, sitting in the tea pavilion not far from them.

"Your Highness, why are you all here?" Qin Jiao asked doubtfully.

"Shen Fuqing invited me to discuss matters," Xie Nai explained. "When I got here, I saw you chatting with Prince Jiang, so I didn't interrupt."

"I see."

As he spoke, Qin Jiao gave Xie Nai a slow, careful look. Today, he might have come back from the military camp outside the city, as he had a beautiful silver longsword strapped to his waist.

It was the first time Qin Jiao had ever seen him wear a sword day-to-day, and he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Xie Nai, in turn, stared right back at Qin Jiao, not hiding his gaze at all.

Qin Jiao felt uncomfortable under that stare and quickly looked away.

Jiang Qingrong caught the "eye flirting" and couldn't help but tease them. "Okay, is it that interesting? Are we gonna talk about this old lady or what?"

"Alright, alright, shut it," Qin Jiao secretly pinched Jiang Qingrong. Ever since they were kids, this guy always knew how to make everyone uncomfortable.

Qin Jiao: "Luo Yue, you just said she was deceiving me. What do you mean?"

"Young Master, that old lady does have a paralyzed man who loves gambling with her, but he's not her son—he's her lover."

When they were in Nan Prefecture, Qin Jiao had said he used to work at a tavern. After that, Xie Nai sent Luo Yue to check into the people around Qin Jiao and the specific reasons for his move to Nan Prefecture. That Nanny Chai was one of the people he looked into.

Qin Jiao's face changed instantly upon hearing Luo Yue's words: "Nanny Chai, is what he said true?"

Faced with Qin Jiao's interrogation, Nanny Chai remained silent, which was pretty much an admission.

Qin Jiao felt a sudden heaviness in his chest, so heavy it made it hard to breathe.

Jiang Qingrong was also furious: "Nanny Chai, you, you're out of your mind! Stealing from your master for a lover and ruining your whole life!"

Nanny Chai had been a respected matron in the Qin Mansion before. If this hadn't happened, she could've had a bright future. This is a textbook case of penny wise, pound foolish.

"Wuwuwu, he said he loved me and would marry me. Young Master, please have some pity on us..." Since the truth was out, Nanny Chai no longer felt ashamed and shamelessly begged Qin Jiao.

Qin Jiao couldn't take it anymore. "Take her away. Send her to the authorities."

"Yes!"

Without further orders, the Marquis's guard captain immediately gagged Nanny Chai and dragged her away.

"Forget it. Don't waste your energy on a snake like that." Jiang Qingrong patted Qin Jiao's shoulder to comfort him.

"I know."

Qin Jiao could let it go, he just needed a minute to process it.

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's end our tea session here. My mom made a point of telling me to get home early," Jiang Qingrong, perceptive as ever, found an excuse to leave when the matter was settled. Qin Jiao didn't keep him and saw him out himself.

When Qin Jiao returned, Xie Nai was still drinking tea alone. "Lord Shen still hasn't shown up?" he asked.

Xie Nai: "He sent word that something urgent came up at the Court of Judicial Review and he couldn't come."

Qin Jiao nodded.

"Sit down. Have Luo Bei give you the report on Nan Prefecture."

"Alright."

Qin Jiao sat down across from Xie Nai, and Luo Bei came forward to begin his report.

"Your Highness, Young Master, during this trip to Nan Prefecture, I found out..."

Days ago, the capital had gotten a "spring snow." The heavy white snow had clung to the land for a few days, only beginning to melt slightly today.

Now, with the snow clearing and the skies brightening, the mist receded. Looking out, the pavilion's lattice windows were half-open. Beneath the eaves with their upturned corners, a single green bamboo stalk stood tall, its leaves dotted with jade-like remnants of snow that sent a chill.

Though the weather was cold, it was nothing compared to the chill of what Luo Bei said.

"Young Master, that's how it is. Li Xiaohu and Zuo Mengmeng are the missing victims from that murder case in Nan Prefecture. One came from a merchant family in Nan Prefecture, the other from a farming family in Wuyuan County. I confirmed it with the local authorities."

"Did you meet their relatives?" Qin Jiao asked.

"No." Luo Bei paused. "Li Xiaohu's parents died of grief a year ago searching for her. Zuo Mengmeng's family moved away and left no trace."

Qin Jiao: "So it seems that the Second Prince is probably the one behind the Embroidered Tower."

But he didn't know if Zuo Mengmeng and the others stayed with Xie Chengyi willingly or were forced to.

Qin Jiao continued: "What about Qin Chaole and Miao Mao? Did you find out anything?"

After Qin Jiao asked, Luo Bei didn't answer immediately. He glanced at Xie Nai first. "Just tell it like it is," Xie Nai said.

"What, is there some shocking news?" Qin Jiao couldn't help but laugh at their little exchange.

"The news is pretty shocking, Young Master. Brace yourself," Luo Bei's voice was somber.

This only made Qin Jiao more curious: "It's fine. Go ahead."

"Young Master, the Third Young Master of your mansion and the Second Prince have been secretly meeting for years, carrying on with each other in all kinds of dirty ways."

Without further hesitation, Luo Bei spilled everything he and Luo Ri had found out over the past few days.

"And Miao Mao also works for the Second Prince. According to my investigation, Qin Chaole and other courtesans and male entertainers from the Second Prince's mansion are sent to Miao's residence every few months, supposedly to rest and recover, but in truth, it's to inject 'Charming Spring' into their bodies.

I asked the Military Doctor Hou, and he said that if too much 'Charming Spring' enters the bones, it becomes addictive, kind of like an opium-like powder. It's very hard to quit in later stages, and ordinary antidotes won't work. Only a special method can cure it."

"Qin Chaole and Xie Chengyi?" Qin Jiao was stunned. "How is that possible?"

Although Qin Jiao had little contact with Qin Chaole, he knew him to be meticulous and calculating. Xie Chengyi was clearly a malicious villain. Why would Qin Chaole throw himself into that mess, just for some fleeting riches and fame?

"How could it not be! One is scheming, the other is venomous and cruel. They're two of a kind, rotten to the core," Luo Yue muttered on the side.

"Luo Ri found out that Qin Chaole has been frequenting the Second Prince's mansion for years, going almost every day, especially at the busiest times." Luo Bei's voice paused suddenly. "And it's not just Qin Chaole and the Second Prince who are colluding. Young Master, your father has also long defected to the Second Prince."

"I'm not surprised that my father has sided with the Second Prince."

Earlier, during the Revenue Bureau case, Qin Yuanshan had pleaded for Xie Chengyi in court despite the backlash. From then on, Qin Jiao had suspected that Qin Yuanshan was part of the Second Prince's faction.

"And Vice Minister Qin also started to stammer again as he spoke."

Qin Jiao was puzzled: "What else did my father do?"

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