Chapter 126

Chapter 126 After finishing the discussion about Consort Yun, Xie Run asked about the servant girl locked in the woodshed. "How is that girl doing? Has she said anything useful?" Dantao's expression turned sour at the question. "She's a fool too—easily fooled by a few words from someone." "She was a menial servant girl just assigned to our courtyard. Someone gave her a string of coins, and she actually believed that the eldest master of your family had met with an accident. She rushed in eagerly to report it to you and claim credit..." "She believed whatever she was told. When I went to see her, she even asked me whether you, mistress, were going to reward her?!" Dantao found it utterly absurd. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't have done something like this. Of all the people in Spring Mountain Courtyard, this one fool was exactly the kind of person they managed to find. "Did you get any useful information out of her?" Dantao shook her head. "She said she was guarding the side gate when a unfamiliar-looking servant girl grabbed her and gave her a string of coins, saying the Princess Consort ordered her to come quickly and inform you that the eldest master of your family had fallen and broken his leg." "She thought she'd received an order, so she panicked and ran in shouting at the top of her lungs." Dantao had personally interrogated the girl. She was certain the girl wasn't lying—she was genuinely stupid. So stupid that when Dantao questioned her, she felt nothing but helplessness. Xie Run asked, "How did such a dim-witted girl end up being assigned to our courtyard?" Dantao replied, "I looked into it." "Her father is Manager Zhang, who oversees the prince's storerooms. He paid money to Mama Liu, originally hoping to have her assigned to our courtyard for light duties like guarding the gate and sweeping." Even the gate-keeping and sweeping duties in the courtyard of a favored Concubine Consort were highly sought after. Easy work with extra income—plenty of people fought for the position. And since this girl wasn't clever, guarding the gate and sweeping didn't require much thinking anyway. Who could have imagined she'd cause such a huge disaster?! Xie Run said, "Manager Zhang certainly cares for his daughter, but we definitely can't keep her here anymore." Dantao nodded. "I was thinking the same. I just wanted to ask how you'd like to handle it, mistress." Xie Run replied, "She was assigned to us by the Princess Consort, so we should send her back for the Princess Consort to deal with." "That's also what the household rules dictate." By the explicit rules, she, as a Concubine Consort, had no authority to punish a low-ranking servant girl. Apart from her own dowry maids, all authority over servants rested with the Princess Consort. By sending the girl back to the Princess Consort for punishment, Xie Run was both following the household rules and showing respect to the Princess Consort. Likewise, out of consideration for Xie Run's face, the Princess Consort would not let the girl off lightly. Dantao said, "That's true. And with the Princess Consort's abilities, she might even be able to trace something through her!" "I've learned my lesson this time." "From now on, I can't just manage the senior maids serving in the courtyard. The matrons and young girls doing rough work all need to be carefully vetted!" "The courtyard is large, so mistakes are bound to happen." Xie Run was more easygoing about it. "You're just one person, and you've done remarkably well guarding the inner courtyard for me. I can't expect you to guard the outer courtyard too." Dantao smiled. "I do hope Xiaoshu comes back soon." "Soon." Xie Run smiled along. "Honestly, I miss her too." While the two were talking, Xie Jing had done something momentous. With his silver tongue, he had won over Fang Huaian and brought him before Prince Jing. Prince Jing looked at Fang Huaian kneeling on the ground, feeling somewhat unsettled. All in all... not very pleased. Fang Huaian said, "There is absolutely no improper relationship between this commoner and Concubine Xie. All the rumors were fabricated out of jealousy by fellow students!" "That handkerchief was a gift from a woman I was involved with on my way to the examinations—the orchid on it is her name." "As for the letters, Concubine Xie had academic questions in her youth and wrote specifically to seek my guidance." "I beg Your Highness to see the truth clearly!" These were the words Xie Jing had helped him smooth over before coming. Fang Huaian wasn't a fool either, and he recited them fluently and naturally. Prince Jing sneered. "Oh? If she had academic questions, why didn't she ask her own brother instead of coming to you?" Sweat beaded on Fang Huaian's forehead. "To answer Your Highness—the Xie family values Brother Xie greatly and never allows the women of the household to disturb his studies." "At that time, Concubine Xie was young and shy, and didn't dare to trouble her brother!" Fang Huaian gave a bitter smile. "If I may speak somewhat out of turn—this commoner is five years older than the Second Miss. If there were any childhood romance to speak of, it would have been with the Eldest Miss." Prince Jing's mood improved slightly at Fang Huaian's words. But he still couldn't stand the sight of him. Even though he had already learned everything from Xie Jing, he deliberately made things difficult for Fang Huaian anyway. Prince Jing asked, "Then why did you come knocking at the prince's residence yesterday?" Fang Huaian complained, "This commoner was coerced and threatened!" "I was at home reviewing my studies in preparation for the upcoming examinations. But suddenly someone abducted me from my home without a trace and brought me all the way to the capital." "He told me to insist firmly that I had an improper relationship with Concubine Xie, and to come to the residence yesterday to make this claim... but how would I dare?!" Fang Huaian looked like he was about to cry. "Either way, it's death. At least I'm a scholar—I want to die with my honor intact!" With that, he stiffened his neck with a look of utter resignation, closing his eyes as if waiting for Prince Jing's blade to fall. Prince Jing gave a light snort. "Enough. I'm not such a petty man." Beside him, Shi'an handed over paper and a brush. Prince Jing said, "Write down everything that happened when you were captured—who you met, what happened. If we can catch the person behind this, I will spare your life." "If we can't catch them..." A hint of cruelty flickered in Prince Jing's eyes. "Then you'll pay with your life!" Fang Huaian opened his eyes and, without a word, picked up the brush and began writing. Prince Jing waved his hand. "When he's done writing, take him to the dungeon first. We'll wait until Jing Wu uncovers the truth." Fang Huaian held the brush, feeling a sense of despair beyond grief. In truth, the targets were just the few princely mansions outside. Jing Wu, having obtained Fang Huaian's confession, investigated quickly. By the time the results were delivered to Prince Jing's desk, Prince Jing flew into a rage. In his fury, he smashed a corner of the inkstone on the table. "I considered the third and the fifth, but never him!" "How dare he reach into my household?!" Prince Jing's eyes were red with anger as he gritted his teeth. "He is my own elder brother!" The thought that his own elder brother had reached into his household, intending to kill his beloved concubine and child, made Prince Jing burn with fury. Jing Wu quickly tried to soothe him. "Your Highness, please calm your anger. Though my investigation points to Prince Su, I still have doubts." "Prince Su is ambitious and cunning. With his heart and mind set entirely on the Eighth Prince and the Seventh Prince, why would he move against you?!" "Ambitious and cunning" meant that Prince Su harbored great ambitions, fixated on contending for that throne. Currently, the only ones Prince Su perceived as threats were the Seventh Prince, born of the legitimate empress, and the Eighth Prince, favored by the Emperor. Since the struggle for succession had not yet erupted into the open, Prince Su would not 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 up trouble, he would likely target Your Highness directly. Only women of the inner court would resort to such petty, underhanded methods—and so viciously cruel at that..."