Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Once they were done talking about Shufei Yun, Xie Run asked about the maid locked in the woodshed.

"How is that girl doing? Has she revealed anything?"

Dan Tao's face fell at that. "She's an idiot, easily taken in by a few smooth words."

"She's a scullery maid who was just assigned to our courtyard. Someone gave her a string of coins, and she actually believed that the head of her family's household had met with an accident. She came running to you all excited, hoping to score some credit..."

"She'll believe anything anyone tells her. When I went to see her, she even asked if you were planning to reward her?!"

Dan Tao thought it was ridiculous.

No one with half a brain would pull a stunt like that.

And wouldn't you know it, the other side managed to find the one fool in Spring Courtyard.

"Did you get any useful information out of her?"

Dan Tao shook her head. "She said she was guarding the corner gate when an unfamiliar maid grabbed her and gave her a string of coins, saying the Princess Consort had ordered her to rush over and inform you that the head of the family had broken his leg."

"She thought she'd been given a direct order, so she panicked and came running in, yelling her head off."

Dan Tao had questioned the girl herself.

She was sure the girl wasn't lying—she was just plain dumb.

So dumb that trying to question her just left Dan Tao feeling totally helpless.

Xie Run: "How did a girl this dumb even end up in our courtyard?"

Dan Tao: "I did some digging."

"Her dad is Manager Zhang, the guy in charge of the manor's storerooms. He slipped Nanny Liu some money to get her assigned here for easy work like gate duty and sweeping."

Gate duty and sweeping in a favored Shu Fei's courtyard? That's a cushy gig.

Easy work, plus extra perks—people were lining up for it.

And since this girl wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, gate duty and sweeping didn't exactly require brainpower.

Who would've thought she'd cause such a huge mess?!

Xie Run: "Manager Zhang sure loves his daughter. But there's no way we can keep her here now."

Dan Tao nodded. "That's what I figured. I just wanted to check how you wanted to handle it."

Xie Run: "She was assigned to us by the Princess Consort, so we should send her back and let her deal with it."

"That's the proper procedure according to manor rules."

Officially, as a Shu Fei, she had no authority to punish the lower-ranking maids.

Except for her own dowry maids, all disciplinary power over the servants belonged to the Princess Consort.

By sending the girl back, Xie Run was both following the rules and showing the Princess Consort proper respect.

And the Princess Consort, out of respect for Xie Run, wouldn't go easy on the girl either.

Dan Tao: "True. And with the Princess Consort's skills, she might even dig up something from this lead!"

"I've definitely learned my lesson this time."

"From now on, I can't just keep an eye on the senior maids in the courtyard. I need to screen the matrons and junior maids doing the grunt work too!"

"The courtyard's big, so mistakes are bound to happen." Xie Run was more easygoing. "You've done a great job holding down the inner courtyard all on your own. I can't expect you to watch the outer courtyard as well."

Dan Tao smiled. "I really hope Xiaoshu gets back soon."

"Soon." Xie Run smiled as well. "Honestly, I miss her too."

While the two were chatting, Xie Jing had pulled off something big.

He'd used his silver tongue to win Fang Huaian over and brought him to see Prince Jing.

Prince Jing looked down at Fang Huaian kneeling there, feeling a bit off about it.

All in all... not exactly thrilled.

Fang Huaian: "This humble one has absolutely no improper relationship with Shufei Xie. All those rumors were made up by jealous classmates!"

"That handkerchief was a gift from a sweetheart I met while traveling to the imperial exams. The orchid embroidered on it stands for her name."

"The letters were from when Shufei Xie was a child and had questions about her studies—she wrote to me for guidance."

"I beg Your Highness to see the truth of the matter!"

Xie Jing had helped him rehearse all this before they came. Fang Huaian wasn't stupid, so he answered smoothly and naturally.

Prince Jing sneered. "Oh? If she had questions about her studies, why didn't she ask her own brother? Why come to you?"

Sweat started to bead on Fang Huaian's forehead. "To answer Your Highness, the Xie family holds Xie-gongzi in high regard and never lets the women of the house disturb his studies."

"Back then, Shufei Xie was young and shy, and didn't dare bother her brother!"

Fang Huaian gave a bitter smile. "If I may speak out of turn, this humble one is five years older than the Second Miss. If there were any childhood sweetheart thing going on, it would've been with the Eldest Miss."

Prince Jing listened and felt a little better.

Still, he couldn't stand the sight of the guy.

He'd already gotten the full story from Xie Jing, but he still went out of his way to make things hard for Fang Huaian.

Prince Jing: "Then why did you come to the manor yesterday?"

Fang Huaian complained: "This humble one was coerced and threatened!"

"I was at home reviewing my lessons in preparation for the upcoming examinations. Suddenly, someone kidnapped me from my home without a trace and brought me all the way to the capital."

"He told me to insist that I had an illicit relationship with Shufei Xie, and to come to the manor yesterday to make this claim... But how would I dare?!"

Fang Huaian looked like he was about to cry. "Either way, it's death. I may be a mere scholar, but at least I want to die with a clean name!"

With that, he stiffened his neck, looking like he had nothing left to lose, and closed his eyes waiting for Prince Jing's verdict.

Prince Jing gave a light snort. "Enough. I'm not such a petty man."

Beside him, Shi An handed over paper and brush.

Prince Jing said, "Write down everything about your capture—who you encountered and what happened. If we can catch the mastermind behind this, I'll spare your life."

"And if we don't..." Prince Jing's eyes turned fierce. "Then you'll pay with your life!"

Fang Huaian opened his eyes and, without a word, grabbed the brush and started writing.

Prince Jing waved a hand dismissively. "Once he's done, send him to the dungeon. We'll hold him until Jing Wu gets to the bottom of it."

Fang Huaian gripped the brush, feeling a despair deeper than grief.

The real targets were just a few of the princely mansions out there.

Jing Wu got Fang Huaian's statement and moved fast on it.

When the findings landed on Prince Jing's desk, he flew into a rage.

He was so furious he chipped the corner of the inkstone on his desk.

"I thought about the Third and Fifth Princes, but him? Never!"

"How dare he stick his nose into my household?!"

Prince Jing's eyes went red with rage, and he ground his teeth. "He's my own flesh and blood—my elder brother!"

The idea that his own brother had reached into his household to hurt his favorite concubine and child made Prince Jing's blood boil.

Jing Wu hurried to soothe him. "Please, Your Highness, don't be so quick to rage. Even though my investigation points to Prince Su, something doesn't add up."

"Prince Su's got big ambitions, and right now he's got his eyes locked on the Eighth and Seventh Princes. Why would he come after you?!"

"Ambitious" referred to Prince Su's great aspirations—his single-minded pursuit of that throne.

Currently, the only ones who posed a threat to Prince Su were the legitimate Seventh Prince and the Emperor's favored Eighth Prince.

The succession struggle hadn't erupted into the open yet, so Prince Su wouldn't be foolish enough to strike first at his own younger brother.

Prince Jing also calmed down. "What are you suggesting?"

"If Prince Su wanted to stir trouble, he'd likely target you, Your Highness. Only the women in the inner court would stoop to such petty, sneaky tricks—and with that kind of venom..."