Chapter 351

Chapter 351: Silencing Witnesses "There's no need for that trouble," Steward Lin said hastily. "General Xie, please go rest. There's no need for you to be involved." This General Xie had quite a temper—if he discovered anything amiss, it would spell disaster for Jing'an Hall. Xie Yunting cast a glance at Steward Lin, further confirming that something was off here. "Very well, then you go ahead." Xie Yunting looked at Prince Rong once before turning and leaving. He pretended to return to his room, then secretly followed Steward Lin. Steward Lin led his men and searched Jing'an Hall from top to bottom, but found no one. Finally, a messenger from Prince Rong arrived, saying they'd found the person near the latrine. Fearing the nobles would pursue the matter, Steward Lin pushed forward a scapegoat. She returned to her room, where a young maidservant brought hot water. "You've been at it all night. Dawn is approaching—why don't you sleep a bit more?" "Sleep?" Steward Lin snorted coldly. "With those big shots still here, how can I sleep? What a nuisance. I don't know why they're so fixated on this matter!" "From what that Lady Cui said, it sounds like Madam Zhao committed something heinous," the young maidservant said as she deftly helped Steward Lin wash up. "That Zhao woman never looked like good news. When she first arrived at Jing'an Hall, she gave us no end of trouble. Enough about that. I can't sleep anyway—are the new arrivals behaving themselves?" Steward Lin asked. "To answer you, ma'am, one of them has a family member who's an official, and she's been placed in the six-person room like the others. Of the other three, one is quite sensible and has already been taught how to receive clients. The other two are crying that they've been wronged and refuse to agree no matter what—they've been starved for two days now," the young maidservant said. Not everyone sent to Jing'an Hall was fair game for their schemes. Only those whose families were poor and powerless, and who had some beauty, would Jing'an Hall set their sights on. If they were disobedient and got hurt or died, it didn't matter—since they'd been sent to Jing'an Hall, would their families even care? "Fine, let's go take a look." Steward Lin had the young maidservant lead her to a courtyard at the back of the mountain. The young maidservant carried a lantern. As the door opened, the two women inside immediately shrank back. "Ma'am, please, I beg you, let us go! We're both respectable women! After my husband died, my brother-in-law tried to force himself on me. When I refused, he had me sent here by force!" said the fuller-figured of the two women. Steward Lin remembered the woman's name. "Zhang Hehua, you've entered Jing'an Hall—how can you call yourself respectable? I'm telling you both, if you don't follow our arrangements, you'll end up in some nobleman's bed anyway. Better to cooperate obediently and spare yourselves the suffering." "I won't receive clients. I'd rather die than receive clients! Aren't you afraid someone will expose what you're doing?" Zhang Hehua was an ordinary farmer's wife. Her family had a few acres of land, and while her husband was alive, they'd lived a happy life. "Afraid? If I were the type to be afraid, would you even be here?" Seeing that reasoning was useless, Steward Lin turned to leave. "Give them steamed buns tomorrow. Once the clients arrive, dose them directly with aphrodisiacs. Once they've started, there's no turning back!" In the darkness, merciless cold wind poured into the room. Zhang Hehua trembled in despair. She never imagined she'd fallen into a den of wolves. Could such things truly exist in this world? While Zhang Hehua wept, Xie Yunting had already melted into the shadows. He had followed Steward Lin all the way to a courtyard on the edge of Jing'an Hall. The decor here was far more luxurious—clearly out of the ordinary. "Guard this place well. Don't let anyone get anywhere near here," Steward Lin instructed as she walked. Having roughly understood the situation here, Xie Yunting went to find his subordinate. "Return to Bianjing at top speed. Have Cui Zeyu go to my residence and bring a squad of elite troops. Not a single person from Jing'an Hall is to be let off!" Only after giving these orders did Xie Yunting return to his room. By now, the sky was faintly lightening. Thinking of what had happened last night, Xie Yunting felt as though he could still catch a faint trace of feminine fragrance at the tip of his nose. The effects of the drug seemed not to have worn off—he wanted her again, so badly it was driving him mad. As for Cui Lingrong in the next room, she hadn't slept all night. Just thinking of Xie Yunting holding her in his arms... an indescribable shame washed over her. Nanny Qiu asked a few questions, but her mistress refused to say anything. The mistress and servant watched the sky grow light. Nanny Qiu thought about fetching some hot water, but feared the things at Jing'an Hall weren't clean. "Mistress, why don't we head back first?" Without the letter from the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, Jing'an Hall wouldn't dare release them. Cui Lingrong nodded. "Then I'll go fetch General Xie." Nanny Qiu was about to leave when her mistress grabbed her. "Don't." Cui Lingrong didn't know how to face Xie Yunting right now. The relationship between them was no longer what it had been. "Mistress, about last night, you and General Xie..." Nanny Qiu didn't finish the sentence, but seeing her mistress like this, she figured something must have happened. "It's really not a problem. You and General Xie are both unmarried—even if something did happen, no one can say a word against you. General Xie has had much dealings with us; it's not as if he could simply cut off all contact." Nanny Qiu was about to suggest that if her mistress had any interest, she might as well accept General Xie. A knock came from outside, and upon hearing it was Prince Rong's men, Cui Lingrong, recalling the drugging incident, immediately told Nanny Qiu to open the door. "Our prince says your mistress may have money or shop fronts as she wishes. Spare where you can and stop holding a grudge. Who knows, you might still need our Rong Commandery Prince Mansion's help someday." Before Nanny Qiu could speak, Cui Lingrong stepped forward. "Go back and tell your prince—he and Zhao Susu know full well what filthy deeds they've done. For me to let this go? Absolutely impossible!" "Why are you so stubborn? We've already offered compensation—isn't that enough?" The servant grew impatient. "Who cares about your Rong Commandery Prince Mansion's money? Get lost!" Cui Lingrong had just finished speaking when she saw Xie Yunting emerge from the adjoining room. Their eyes met, and Cui Lingrong immediately felt her face grow hot as she averted her gaze. Xie Yunting, by contrast, was perfectly at ease. He came over, greeted her, then grabbed the servant by the collar and tossed him backward. "Go back and tell Prince Rong—not just his paltry bribes, but even his entire mansion, we wouldn't spare a second glance!" "You... you'll regret this!" The servant fled back and embellished the encounter to his master. "Ungrateful wretches!" Zhao Zhongren gnashed his teeth in fury. "Father, it seems we won't be taking Sister home today. Why don't we return first and plan further later?" Prince Rong's willingness to offer money meant he had no other recourse, so for now they could only head back. As father and son stepped out, they happened to run into Cui Lingrong and Xie Yunting. Zhao Zhongren snorted and walked ahead. "Father, the carriage is ready. Please board." Prince Rong nodded, his gaze lingering one last time on Song Shulan. Song Shulan immediately shrank his neck. On Cui Lingrong's side, just as she was about to board her carriage, one of the men Xie Yunting had sent to tail Madam Bai last night suddenly returned with a woman in tow. "General, something major has happened!" Hearing this, Xie Yunting hurried over to ask what was wrong. Prince Rong, catching wind of this, signaled his driver to wait—he wanted to see what was going on. Bai Shuang knelt before Xie Yunting's attendant. "Please, General, save me! That Madam Bai wanted me to take the place of Madam Zhao at Jing'an Hall, but Madam Zhao refused, and Madam Bai tried to silence me!" "Madam Bai wanted to kill you? Why?" Xie Yunting asked. "Because I overheard that Madam Zhao is Madam Bai's real daughter. I learned that over thirty years ago, Madam Bai and the Rong Prince Mansion gave birth at the same time, and to take revenge on Princess Consort Rong, Madam Bai deliberately swapped the two families' daughters. That's the secret she wanted to kill me over!" Bai Shuang had been on edge all night, afraid to sleep too deeply. When she cracked her eyes open and noticed something amiss, she barely dodged the daggers of Madam Bai and her maid. Still, her arm had been grazed. If Xie Yunting's men hadn't arrived in time, she would have met her end last night!