The sound of the jade tablet falling and shattering was soft, yet it caused the entire scene to fall silent.
Lu Dexin’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. He practically stumbled as he climbed down from his horse and threw himself onto the pile of jade fragments.
The few little eunuchs following him were also frightened out of their wits, asking with trembling voices: “Master, what should we do now?” Destroying an imperial bestowed object was truly great disrespect—none of them had enough heads to lose for such an offense.
The jade tablet was shattered beyond repair. Lu Dexin clenched his fists to stop his hands from trembling, then suddenly raised his head, his sinister gaze fixed deadly on Mu Hu, who had already retreated five or six steps away.
Mu Hu reacted extremely quickly, immediately speaking loudly with righteous indignation before Lu Dexin could open his mouth: “Don’t you dare blame this general! Everyone present can testify that this general didn’t even touch your jade tablet. Looking at your expression, that tablet seems quite important. Tsk… Look at yourself—if something’s important, you should keep it safe instead of holding it while swinging a whip to hit people. If this were an imperial bestowed tablet as you claimed, then with your negligent attitude, that would be a capital offense!”
Lu Dexin was so enraged by these words that he nearly rolled his eyes. He had indeed planned to frame this dark-faced general, but after being preemptively rebuked like this, he lost the initiative. He knew today’s matter absolutely couldn’t end well, so he tried to calm himself down and think of other ways to shift the blame.
Just at this moment, a group of people approached. Lu Dexin had no time to pay attention to what was behind him, but Mu Hu spotted them first and hurried forward to pay respects.
“Subordinate Mu Hu greets Second Young Master.”
Hearing this, Lu Dexin turned around and saw Xiao Jingxi approaching with several guards.
Everyone knew that the Yanbei Prince’s mansion’s Second Young Master was weak and sickly, but even so, it couldn’t conceal this person’s otherworldly elegance. Though he wore only the most ordinary dark everyday robes, he was someone who commanded attention at first glance, yet made people not dare to look too long. Even Lu Dexin, who was accustomed to seeing all kinds of beauties in the palace, had to admit that Young Master Xiao’s appearance was truly rare in this world.
“What happened here?” Xiao Jingxi looked at them and asked gently.
“Second Young Master, your timing is perfect. He…”
Lu Dexin had barely begun to speak when his effeminate voice was drowned out by Mu Hu’s booming voice: “Replying to the Young Master, this subordinate was executing official duties and had cordoned off this area. This person suddenly rushed out, claiming the jade tablet in his hand was an imperial-bestowed object, demanding that this subordinate make way. Though this subordinate hasn’t seen much of the world, I know that imperial bestowed objects are extraordinary things. If not offering three sticks of incense morning and evening, at least one shouldn’t casually take them out without even dismounting from one’s horse, right? Does he take His Majesty’s tablet for a common rash? With such a disrespectful attitude, only a fool would believe that was some imperial bestowed tablet! As this subordinate predicted, this big radish… this jade tablet was tossed about while he was showing off with his whip and fell from his horse, shattering!”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxi raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze following where Mu Hu pointed to the ground. Several large jade fragments had been picked up by the eunuchs, while some pieces too small to collect remained scattered on the ground.
Xiao Jingxi glanced at the cold-sweating Lu Dexin: “Eunuch Lu, may I ask what you just shattered?”
Lu Dexin was nearly choked speechless by Mu Hu’s words, but the jade tablet had indeed shattered in his hands. Even if he tried to bite back now, with so many people having witnessed it, he couldn’t pin the blame on this dark-faced general in front of Xiao Jingxi. He could only file an imperial complaint after returning to the capital. For now, he needed to first stabilize things with Xiao Jingxi, then send a secret memorial to bite back at them.
“What shattered just now was only an ordinary jade tablet.” In his desperation, Lu Dexin only wanted to extricate himself first, otherwise, the Yanbei Prince’s mansion could immediately charge him with the crime of shattering an imperial bestowed object.
However, though Xiao Jingxi appeared very reasonable and never aggressive, he wasn’t easy to fool either. He continued good-naturedly: “Then where is the real tablet?”
“The tablet is naturally kept safe! How could it be casually taken out?”
Mu Hu made sarcastic remarks from the side: “In this subordinate’s opinion, he doesn’t have any tablet! Second Young Master, he’s deceiving you! Just like he tried to deceive this subordinate earlier. Fortunately, this subordinate didn’t easily believe his smooth talk.”
Lu Dexin glared fiercely at Mu Hu, thinking that these two had now formed a grudge—this person had better not fall into his hands!
“What are you standing around for? Let’s go!” Lu Dexin said to his people. He wanted to immediately return and write a memorial to file complaints, not wanting to get further entangled.
But he hadn’t taken two steps before being blocked by the two guards behind Xiao Jingxi.
Lu Dexin’s expression changed as he looked at Xiao Jingxi: “Second Young Master Xiao, what is the meaning of this?”
Xiao Jingxi smiled: “Eunuch Lu, please produce the tablet for inspection.”
“There isn’t one! This official didn’t bring it!” Lu Dexin replied testily.
Xiao Jingxi pretended to think, then smiled slightly: “Then I must apologize.”
Before Lu Dexin could react, Mu Hu had already led those personal guards to surround them, capturing Lu Dexin and all the people he had brought.
Lu Dexin shouted angrily: “Xiao Jingxi, what are you doing? Do you want to rebel?”
Mu Hu, who had long found him displeasing, immediately kneed him hard in the stomach upon hearing this. The blow was heavy, causing Lu Dexin’s vision to blacken and leaving him unable to even cry out.
“Arresting you counts as rebellion? Are you the Emperor? How dare you show disrespect to His Majesty—you’re simply tired of living!” Mu Hu grinned.
Xiao Jingxi stopped Mu Hu from further violence against Lu Dexin, saying calmly: “You have no tablet yet repeatedly used fake tablets to interfere with military affairs, not only violating military regulations but also deceiving the sovereign. The Yanbei Prince’s mansion will today eliminate treacherous officials for His Majesty.”
Lu Dexin was in too much pain to speak, while the little eunuch beside him cried out in fright: “It’s not a fake tablet! The one that shattered just now was real!”
Xiao Jingxi remained unmoved: “Shattering an imperial bestowed object and still daring to conceal it? Your crime is compounded!” With that, he waved his hand, signaling Mu Hu to take all of them away to await judgment, not sparing them another glance.
After that group was dragged away wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves, Mu Hu ran back to ask for instructions: “Young Master, should we lock them in the prefectural prison?”
“No, hand them over to Xiao Shun.” Xiao Jingxi said calmly.
Mu Hu was stunned upon hearing this. Xiao Shun managed the Prince’s mansion’s secret prison, mainly handling punishments and interrogations. Though his martial arts couldn’t match his elder brother Xiao Hua, his methods of torture were enough to make people’s faces change color at the mention. Anyone who fell into his hands would find death preferable to life. Mu Hu figured that Eunuch Lu must have somehow severely offended their young master.
However, Mu Hu wasn’t concerned about that right now. After receiving the order, he asked: “Young Master, do we still need to station people here?”
Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment: “Have Xiao Hua bring people to guard in secret. Just leave a few of your men to watch the gate—don’t frighten the people in the mansion.”
After hearing the orders, Mu Hu hemmed and hawed, reluctantly expressing: “Young Master, perhaps this subordinate should continue guarding here. Xiao Hua has always been responsible for guarding the Prince’s mansion, and besides, he’s not as good-looking as this subordinate—he’d frighten people if he came out.”
Xiao Jingxi raised an eyebrow, looking at him noncommittally.
Knowing his master wasn’t easy to fool, Mu Hu blinked pitifully and told the truth: “This subordinate just saw Miss Hongying. Young Master, well… this subordinate is twenty-three this year and should take a wife.” Mu Hu said with a red face.
Xiao Jingxi glanced at him and smiled peacefully: “Your master hasn’t married yet—which of his subordinates dares to marry?”
“Huh?” Mu Hu blinked, wondering why these words sounded so infuriating yet… familiar?
Xiao Jingxi walked away calmly, leaving behind one sentence: “If you want to take a wife, first figure out who’s who.”
Mu Hu stood in place, stroking the stubble on his chin, pondering Xiao Jingxi’s words and muttering: “Figure out what? Could I not even recognize my wife?” Mu Hu felt his master was underestimating him.
After coming to his senses, Mu Hu saw Xiao Jingxi heading toward the Ren family and hurried to follow, planning to pester his master some more for a chance to work alongside the person he liked.
Just then, Nanxing emerged from the Ren mansion and walked to Xiao Jingxi to report something. Mu Hu stopped in his tracks, standing a dozen steps away and gazing at “Hongying” with a foolish grin, thinking he truly had good taste—Miss Hongying was beautiful, especially when she had a cold expression while kicking people. Mu Hu felt blissful in his heart.
Xiao Jingxi was asking Nanxing about the situation in the Ren mansion. Hearing that Ren Yaoqi hadn’t been frightened, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Nanxing asked: “Young Master, aren’t you going in?”
Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment and shook his head: “I won’t go in.”
It would be somewhat inappropriate for him to enter now—it might disturb the Ren household. Moreover, quite a few people were watching him now, so he needed to be more careful before achieving his goals.
Just then, a maid ran out from the Ren mansion. Without orders, the maid dared not step beyond the threshold. Standing inside the Ren mansion’s main gate, she spotted Nanxing at a glance but didn’t see Xiao Jingxi, so she called out loudly: “Sister Nanxing, Miss is looking for you.” When she turned and saw Xiao Jingxi, the maid was startled and became tongue-tied, not daring to speak.
Xiao Jingxi paid no mind and said to Nanxing: “Tell her ‘don’t worry’ and also… ‘wait for me.’ You may go in.”
Nanxing bowed and withdrew. When entering the mansion, she glanced toward where Mu Hu was standing and saw that person staring at her with wide eyes and a thunderstruck expression. Nanxing pressed her lips together and entered without looking back.