The only one unaffected was You Weixing, who jumped up joyfully and rushed toward Tie Ci. “A’Ci, you came!”

A hand appeared out of nowhere, catching him and lifting him up. Murong Yi’s voice didn’t sound very pleased. “Yes, I came.”

This little brat had grown so much taller in the past half year, now looking like a proper youth, yet he still dared to take advantage of Tie Ci while his mind wasn’t clear?

And calling her A’Ci?

You Weixing didn’t have much impression of Murong Yi. After all, Murong Yi’s beauty held no appeal for him. He struggled in Murong Yi’s grip, forcibly flipping a somersault around Murong Yi’s wrist.

Tie Ci was torn between laughter and tears, reaching out to pat his head as she said gently, “Yes, I came. Don’t worry, what I promised you, I will definitely fulfill.”

Murong Yi suddenly tilted his head as well.

Through long companionship, they had developed an understanding. Tie Ci very consciously reached out to pat his hair too.

This fellow—when ruthless, he was like a demon king, but sometimes he was just like a child.

Murong Yi set You Weixing down. You Weixing didn’t even glance at him, only focused on showing off to Tie Ci. “A’Ci, A’Ci, I can trace back much further now. Much further.”

“Saying it once is enough. I’m listening. Weixing is the most capable.”

Tie Ci held You Weixing’s hand and turned to look at You Jun.

You Jun had already regained his composure, frowning. “What kind of supernatural sorcery is this?”

Tie Ci said, “It’s just making things that happened but were attempted to be buried reappear.” She smiled at You Jun. “Minister You, shouldn’t you fulfill our agreement now?”

Everyone quietly looked at You Jun, thinking that earlier Minister You had controlled the situation, pressuring the Crown Princess into making this wager. Who would have thought the Crown Princess’s methods were mysterious beyond comprehension—now he had truly lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet.

You Jun could still smile at this point, unhurriedly taking out a candied fruit to eat. While chewing the candied fruit, he said, “The eldest young master appearing here—I still don’t understand it. After all, since Your Highness has mastered such divine arts, there must surely be an expert behind you. Perhaps you used some ghost-summoning transportation technique to move the eldest young master from the villa outside the city to this place, even casting spells to confuse the guards’ minds and make them commit such acts of betraying their master.”

With his words, those guards who had been stunned on the spot came to their senses. Someone immediately knelt down with a thud, sweating profusely. “Sir! We don’t know what happened either. We were patrolling properly in the back courtyard when suddenly a strange wind blew, and our minds went fuzzy… What happened after that, this humble one doesn’t know!”

Suddenly applause rang out. Everyone turned to see Murong Yi clapping, saying to You Jun while applauding, “Truly worthy of being subordinates trained by Minister You—singing, acting, reciting, and fighting come naturally. I imagine if Minister You ever runs out of money in the future, organizing a theater troupe would certainly cause a sensation in the capital. When that time comes, this humble one will definitely attend to cheer Minister You on.”

You Jun smiled. “Young Master flatters me. Young Master can abandon his Liaodong family business to follow Your Highness daily—you must also be quite the romantic figure. This humble one thanks Young Master for your favor in advance.”

His words were no less sarcastic and mocking than Murong Yi’s. Murong Yi laughed. “Look at that sharp tongue of yours—it really suits my taste. I don’t fancy the beauty of brothel girls; I just like that teapot energy of yours. Later I’ll have the most skilled turtle from Cangxiang Pavilion in Ruzhou come to Kunzhou to learn from you as master.”

With a “clang,” the guards and attendants behind You Jun all drew their swords halfway.

Murong Yi clasped his hands behind his back, laughing. “Can’t argue so you curse, can’t curse so you fight—this move must be learned too. When fighting starts and the waters get muddied, that’s another new trick.”

You Jun waved his hand to signal the guards to retreat. Tie Ci had already laughed. “I didn’t order a stage to be set up. Who gave you permission to perform?”

Wan Ji kicked away the several guards who were kneeling and acting.

Tie Ci said, “This is the eldest young master’s territory. If anyone should speak, it should be the eldest young master first.”

You Jun coldly smiled without speaking.

You Weixing said, “I’ve always lived here. My room wasn’t like this before.”

The people slowly reacted, with someone suddenly exclaiming, “The eldest young master can speak!”

People began whispering.

“He doesn’t look crazy…”

“His speech is quite clear, and he recognizes people.”

“Then how can they say…”

The smile on You Jun’s face finally became somewhat difficult to maintain.

All the people’s previous reactions had been frank because of trust. But when loud voices turned to whispers, it meant the people had begun to doubt him in their hearts.

You Weixing pointed at the room’s furnishings. “No bed, no table, no chairs, no cushions, no shelf… none of it, none.”

He pointed at the wall. “I drew many pictures on the wall with radishes. Now they’re gone.”

Tie Ci said, “Wasn’t it blood from you hitting people?”

You Weixing slowly shook his head. “I remembered your words—when hitting people, hold back strength. No blood.”

“When did you hit people?”

“They wanted to take away all my people. Granny Xia, Uncle Zhang, Nanny He…” You Weixing counted on his fingers. “Little Xiu, Little Cao.”

“How long had all these people been with you?”

“Since I first knew them, a very long time. When I couldn’t see them, I was very scared, so I hit people… A’Ci, sister, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Others wronged you first. Knowing you fear strangers, they suddenly replaced all the people you were close to and familiar with, deliberately provoking you. The other side stopped being human first—beating them to death would be justified.”

“They were driven away… Uncle Zhang wanted to take me away and was beaten to death…”

“Were there always just these few people around you?”

“Mm. Others didn’t want to come. And Yousi…”

From the crowd behind, Yousi joyfully rushed forward. “Young Master, Young Master, I’m Yousi! I’ve been thinking of you for so long…”

Only then did You Weixing slowly finish his sentence. “…but she didn’t want to stay by my side. She brought people to beat me.”

Yousi froze at You Weixing’s feet, her face changing from white to red to purple.

You Weixing stepped back and pulled out his boot. The surrounding crowd, looking at her, also stepped back in unison.

A master-betrayer, condemned by all.

Tie Ci said coolly, “So the only eldest young master of Yannan Prince’s manor had no more than five or six people around him, including menial servants. I wonder how many people serve Minister You’s own children?”

No one spoke.

Just You Weinan’s travel entourage of paired boys and girls carrying fans and water basins numbered eight people.

Earlier, You Weiqing had also been followed by a long string of people.

You Weixing walked to the secret passage entrance, poked his head in to look, then reached into the wall beside the passage and very familiarly retrieved a fire starter.

He lit the fire starter, which gave off a ghastly green light.

Tie Ci asked, “Weixing, did you hide this fire starter there yourself?”

“No. It was already there.” You Weixing gestured. “I was scared, grabbed the door edge, and felt it. At first it was placed very low.” He bent down to show the position, then slowly straightened up. “Later it got higher, then higher…”

As he gradually raised his waist, the position where the fire starter was placed gradually rose.

Tie Ci said, “So this fire starter was deliberately placed here by someone, placed where you could reach it when you were afraid. Starting from when you were very small, so it was placed low, then very ‘thoughtfully,’ as you grew taller, the position got higher and higher.”

You Weixing stiffly nodded.

The people didn’t understand, with someone even nodding. “So meticulous, truly thoughtful.”

“Thoughtful and meticulous?” Tie Ci laughed ambiguously. “Then let’s go in and take another look.”

Someone said, “There’s nothing inside. I already looked…”

“Earlier there was no eldest young master in the main hall either!” someone said.

Everyone fell silent, then followed into the secret passage.

As soon as they entered, someone said, “What’s that smell!”

Earlier, being somewhat afraid, those who entered had rushed back and forth without noticing, or if they noticed, didn’t pay attention. Now entering again, many people detected a very strange odor in the secret passage—the irritation of lacquer and lime, a faint smell of rust, and even a somewhat cloying fragrance.

All mixed into an unbearable smell.

In the dark secret passage, the ghastly green light of the fire starter made everyone’s faces glow eerily like ghosts, making the tunnel appear deep and winding, as if endless ghostly realms lay ahead.

Even though everyone knew there was nothing there, just looking at the people beside them and ahead was frightening enough.

Someone muttered, “What kind of damned fire starter is this! It could make anyone look like a ghost even when there’s nothing wrong—scared me to death!”

After saying this, they suddenly realized.

Everyone looked at each other.

This fire starter had ill intentions!

In the secret passage, Tie Ci’s mellow voice rang out leisurely. “Mm, our Minister You, who loves his nephew dearly and specially made this secret passage to tuck him in, would travel through this strangely-scented secret passage every night with this ghostly fire starter to cover his nephew. This makes me wonder—is he a masochist?”

Someone couldn’t help but snicker, but more people couldn’t laugh.

With things developing to this point, the smarter people already knew what was what.

When You Weixing was small, because a doctor had once advised that he needed more human contact and couldn’t be raised only among silks and brocades, the old prince, who had once placed great hopes on his eldest son, would personally take his son to walk among the common people when not busy with official duties. Yannan Prince’s manor had always been close to the people, and many of the people present still remembered You Weixing’s adorable appearance as a child—remembered that he didn’t speak, was kind-hearted, liked to watch ants for a very long time, and wouldn’t even let people step on his ants.

Such a child, whom everyone had watched grow up and who wouldn’t even harm ants, compared to the You father and son who controlled Yannan Prince’s manor and were full of shrewd calculation—the people’s hearts immediately leaned toward him.

When Tie Ci faced off against the You father and son, the You father and son became the weak ones oppressed by those in power, and the Yannan people naturally chose to believe and support them. But now, with You Weixing in the picture, the You father and son had become like Tie Ci’s role.

Someone sighed and said softly, “After all, he’s only an uncle…”

Others retorted, “Even so, there’s nothing in the secret passage…”

Before the words were finished, bright light filled everyone’s vision as Tie Ci lit a torch and held it up. “I have another magic trick to show everyone.”

You Jun hadn’t entered, standing with his people at the secret passage entrance. Hearing the phrase “magic trick,” his face twitched.

You Weinan waved his fan and said melancholically, “We don’t fear the Crown Princess’s anger—we fear the Crown Princess’s magic tricks.”