Ma Yongfu’s messages had always been reliable. Since he said he had already found the person and was preparing to escort him to the capital, then it was time to deal with Estate Owner Huang.

Song Chuyi donned her cloak and, using the excuse of visiting the Cui residence, left the estate. She first made a round through the Cui residence, then changed to another carriage at the Cui residence’s east corner gate and made her way all along to Stinking Water Alley.

There was a small incident in between. Ye Jingchuan happened to be accompanying the Princess Consort of Zhennan and Madam Guo, who had just returned to the capital yesterday, on a visit to the Cui residence. When he saw Song Chuyi’s manner of doing things, he made such a fuss insisting that he must come along.

When she first met this profligate young master in Tongzhou, she had assumed he was a steady and shrewd person like Ye Jingkuan. Only after interacting with him did she learn that this future great general was actually still a warm-hearted young knight-errant.

Song Chuyi was pestered by him until she had no choice but to agree to let him come along, but she forbade him from riding a horse—the legitimate second young master of the Prince of Zhennan’s household, although he could only be considered a minor branch compared to Ye Jingkuan, still held a distinguished status. How many eyes were watching him?

Fortunately, Ye Jingchuan didn’t care about such things at all. As long as he could follow along, that was enough.

After getting off the carriage, Ye Jingchuan looked left and right, and his brows couldn’t help but furrow. “This place… why did you suddenly think of coming here? If you’re looking for someone, I can help you find them just as well.”

When he became serious, his appearance was rather intimidating. Luyi was startled and instinctively tugged at Song Chuyi’s sleeve. “Miss, why don’t we have the person brought to another place for questioning? Young Master Ye is right—this isn’t a place you should come to.”

Song Chuyi’s glance swept over them, and Qing Tao stepped forward and knocked on the door five times.

The one who opened the door was a tall, thin man with a pockmarked face. Even in such cold weather, his face was greasy. When his small eyes narrowed, he looked especially frightening.

Ye Jingchuan became even more confused. He wanted to say a few more words but was afraid of annoying Song Chuyi and being driven away, so he could only suppress the doubts in his heart and follow Song Chuyi into the house.

Inside the courtyard stood a banyan tree, beneath which was placed a table with an incense altar, presumably used for moon worship in the middle of the month. Ye Jingchuan’s eyes roamed around, and he became even more certain that this was exactly that kind of place. He didn’t know what Song Chuyi had come here for.

When they entered the main room and saw the fat man bound hand and foot, thrown to the side on the ground, he finally asked Song Chuyi, “Who is this?”

Ma San cast him a sidelong glance, then looked at Song Chuyi, wanting to say something but ultimately keeping silent. Although they had only been in contact for a few short days, Song Chuyi, whom he had originally thought to be a pampered young lady, was far beyond his expectations. Every task she had them handle was something unheard of and unseen. Seeing how her expression remained unchanged even in such a place, and considering that she had an uncle of great power and authority, he weighed the pros and cons and naturally didn’t dare to speak disrespectfully before her.

Although she hadn’t originally planned to have Ye Jingchuan come along, now that he had followed, it was an unexpected benefit—he could be of help. Song Chuyi didn’t hide anything from him and told him everything about Song Yi’s situation in detail, then added, “Just finding this person alone took so much effort. I finally managed to track him down.”

As she spoke, she signaled Ma San to remove the foul cloth stuffed in Estate Owner Huang’s mouth, though the cloth over his eyes remained in place.

Having had his mouth stuffed all night, Estate Owner Huang felt like his jaw was dislocated. When he closed his mouth, it made clicking sounds. After adapting for a while, he began to bluster, “Who on earth are you? Do you know who I am?! If you don’t release me, you’ll suffer the consequences in the future!”

Ma San went up and kicked him mercilessly, and only then did he become obedient.

Qing Tao and Luyi took handkerchiefs to pad a chair. Song Chuyi sat down and waited leisurely until cold sweat appeared on Estate Owner Huang’s forehead before asking him, “I heard you accused Magistrate Song of seizing your land and occupying your house, and even abducting your daughter, causing your daughter to defend her chastity by dashing her head to death?”

The veins on Estate Owner Huang’s forehead twitched. Although his hands and feet were still bound and his body was fat, he still shrank his neck and shuffled backward, then laughed once. “Oh, so you came for this matter. That’s right, hasn’t this case already been sent to the Ministry of Justice?”

He opened his mouth and laughed for a while. “I wondered why I was kidnapped in the capital when I had no grudges or enmities with anyone. So it was for this matter. Well, aside from the famous Changning Earl’s household, who else would come here specifically for this? You’re covering my eyes—isn’t that unnecessary?”

Song Chuyi didn’t take his bait. She gave Ma San a look, and Ma San stomped hard on the root of Estate Owner Huang’s thigh, making him scream in pain.

“I remember your complaint stated that your second daughter died, the one called Huang Zhen’er, who was even entered into the family register. Am I correct?” Song Chuyi took a sip of the red date tea that Luyi brought out from the carry box. Seeing that Estate Owner Huang seemed dazed, she continued, “But I don’t know where the mistake occurred—someone said that not only did your daughter not die, she even married the village head of a rural area under Zhuzhou. How strange this is. Could there possibly be two Huang Zhen’ers from the same clan?”

Estate Owner Huang fell silent, craning his neck warily as he retreated further backward. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Song Chuyi laughed softly. This laugh sounded like nothing to others’ ears, but to Estate Owner Huang, who had a guilty conscience, it was no different from thunder on level ground, startling him so much that his heart skipped a beat.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. It’s enough if your wife and your eldest son know.” Song Chuyi’s voice was clear and cold, making Estate Owner Huang shiver involuntarily. “However, I don’t know whether Estate Owner Huang cares or not. I heard that the two you’re keeping in this courtyard, you plan to buy them back as concubines in the future. Perhaps they might bear you other sons. As for that one, although he’s already grown to fourteen years old and has taken the county examination, it’s nothing special. Sons, after all, can be born and raised for seven or eight years—there might be others more outstanding than him. Estate Owner Huang is a person who does great things. You won’t care about such a single son, right?”

Ye Jingchuan watched with his eyes wide open, utterly amazed, feeling that Song Chuyi could truly turn the dead into the living and the living into the dead with miraculous skill.

Since Estate Owner Huang couldn’t bear to let even a daughter truly die, how could he possibly bear to let his son come to harm? Song Chuyi’s words just now were clearly stabbing at Estate Owner Huang’s heart.

Sure enough, Estate Owner Huang became so agitated that his face twisted and deformed. While struggling, he shouted loudly, “Don’t touch my son! This matter has nothing to do with him. He doesn’t know anything about it!”