The situation reached a critical juncture, yet Li Weiyang merely smiled faintly and stepped forward proactively, saying gently, “Imperial Physician, may I see Princess Nankang?” The imperial physician immediately recognized that this young lady dressed in fine garments was the daughter of Duke Qi’s household. After pondering for a moment, he nodded and said, “That is naturally possible, though Miss Guo is currently unable to provide any answers.”
Li Weiyang clearly didn’t mind, maintaining a warm smile. “I naturally understand this well, the Imperial Physician needn’t worry.” With that, she and Madam Guo quickly walked toward the guest room, while Prince Xu, Yuan Lie, also followed at this time.
Wang Zijin saw this scene but didn’t follow to join the commotion. She merely turned to face the assembled guests, her face bearing a gentle smile. “Since Princess Nankang is not yet able to identify the perpetrator, I must trouble everyone to wait a while longer.”
Pei Bi said coldly, “Does this mean that if the Princess cannot speak for a day, we cannot return home for a day? Can the Wang family afford to maintain all of us here?” His voice carried infinite mockery.
Wang Zijin’s gaze fixed directly on him as she spoke slowly, “You need not concern yourself with this, Lord Pei. Since the Wang family could invite so many guests here, we naturally won’t let you go hungry or thirsty. Please return to the main hall to rest for a moment. Once we reach a complete conclusion, we can allow everyone to leave.”
Hearing this, the crowd couldn’t help but whisper among themselves. Recently, for some unknown reason, such gatherings always seemed to result in incidents. Princess Nankang had been sitting properly in the bridal chamber when she was kidnapped by a troupe of actors. That wasn’t all—her throat had been injured, leaving her unable to speak or write. The perpetrator clearly wanted to silence her, making it difficult to identify the mastermind. Yet the more this was the case, the more everyone wanted to know who could be so audacious as to attack Princess Nankang in the heavily guarded Wang residence.
Wang Zijin was also pondering this matter secretly. On the surface, this appeared to be a simple kidnapping case, but the guards in this residence were all highly skilled in martial arts and carefully trained. Moreover, the entire courtyard’s furnishings and layout were arranged according to the principles of directional patterns and transformations. Anyone who didn’t understand formations would find it impossible to escape if they entered. Yet the perpetrator had not only abducted Princess Nankang right under her nose but had also successfully hidden her in the theater troupe…
At this moment, Wang Guang also walked to her side, saying softly, “Zijin, this matter…” All the guests had already returned to the banquet, except for Prince Jing, Yuan Ying, who glanced back at them as he crossed the threshold. Wang Guang’s voice interrupted Wang Zijin’s thoughts. She looked up at him and said, “I understand what you mean. The mastermind behind this cannot be more than five people.” Wang Guang nodded. Among these guests, how many could have broken into the Wang residence and successfully cracked Wang Zijin’s formations? Counting them all, there were only a handful.
Meanwhile, Li Weiyang had already entered the guest room. The imperial physician said to her in a low voice, “Miss Guo, Princess Nankang’s throat is injured and will need a month to heal. As for when she’ll be able to move, that’s even harder to say, because I currently cannot determine what poison was used. I’ll need to work on an antidote slowly.”
A flash of understanding crossed Li Weiyang’s face as she asked softly, “Is Princess Nankang’s life in danger?” The imperial physician shook his head, saying, “Fortunately, she was discovered in time. If those criminals had transported her out of the residence without proper medical treatment, her life would truly have been at risk.”
A blade-like coldness flashed in Li Weiyang’s eyes, while Madam Guo’s face was already covered in tears. Yuan Lie, seeing Li Weiyang’s displeased expression, couldn’t help but comfort her gently, “Don’t worry, Princess Nankang has heaven’s protection and won’t suffer serious harm.”
Li Weiyang nodded. Actually, at such an occasion, as a man, Prince Xu Yuan Lie shouldn’t have been present. But given the current chaos, who would specifically come to manage him? The only person who noticed this was the imperial physician.
Seeing Yuan Lie show such concern for Li Weiyang, the imperial physician couldn’t help but recall the rumors he’d heard, his heart filled with extreme astonishment. The current Prince Xu was known for his handsome appearance and exceptional talents. Even setting aside his princely status, if he had been born into an ordinary family, countless noble young ladies would still be devoted to him. Yet he’d never been known to favor any particular young lady. Now at an age that wasn’t exactly young, he still hadn’t become engaged, causing ministers to gossip behind his back. In the capital, there were many outstanding young ladies—Pei Baoer was incomparably beautiful, Wang Zijin extraordinarily talented—yet Prince Xu had never shown them any special attention. Why had he become so devoted to Miss Guo? The imperial physician couldn’t help but slightly raise his eyelids to steal a glance at this young lady from the Guo household. He saw her knitting her long, elegant eyebrows, her appearance indeed beautiful, though not to the degree of breathtaking beauty. Moreover, this person was gentle yet not weak, and in those cold eyes lay a hidden killing intent. Occasionally, when her gaze swept by, it made one’s heart turn cold. The imperial physician quickly lowered his head.
Li Weiyang’s gaze grew increasingly cold. “It seems the perpetrator has no intention of letting us discover who harmed Princess Nankang.” Yuan Lie sighed and said, “Naturally. Since he dared to act in front of everyone’s eyes, he must have made thorough preparations.” Li Weiyang disagreed. “Unfortunately, things may not go as he wishes.” Yuan Lie couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows, looking at her with a half-smile. “Oh? Do you have a solution?”
Li Weiyang was about to speak when she suddenly glanced toward the imperial physician. Yuan Lie turned and immediately discovered the imperial physician was secretly watching them. He said angrily, “Instead of properly treating the patient, what are you doing watching us?”
The imperial physician had only wanted to see what was so captivating about this Miss Guo, never expecting to anger Prince Xu. He was greatly alarmed and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, “Your Highness, please calm your anger. This humble subject was only…” How could Yuan Lie not know what he was thinking? He merely gave a cold laugh, “Have you seen enough?”
The imperial physician broke out in a cold sweat, thinking how this fierce person wouldn’t even allow him to look. “This… this…”
“You’re merely curious,” Yuan Lie finished for him, then said coldly, “If you have time to concern yourself with others, why not think about how to improve your medical skills? Otherwise, at this critical juncture, you’re completely helpless—truly useless!”
The imperial physician saw the extreme sharpness in his eyes, which even revealed a trace of killing intent. He was already trembling all over, frightened. For some reason, he always felt that Prince Xu Yuan Lie had a suppressed violent energy about him. Usually it was bearable, but today this violent energy had fully erupted, almost frightening people to death. Unknowingly, it reminded one of a certain person of supreme status…
Li Weiyang shook her head at Yuan Lie, indicating this wasn’t the place to lose his temper. Yuan Lie snorted coldly—today he was just unhappy and venting. “Forget it, I won’t argue with you. Get out!” The imperial physician felt relieved and scrambled out of the guest room.
Just then, Madam Guo exclaimed, “Princess Nankang is awake!” Li Weiyang quickly went over and saw Princess Nankang’s small face deathly pale, her eyelashes moving slightly as she indeed opened her eyes. A thread of hope arose in Li Weiyang’s heart as she asked, “Princess, are you feeling better?”
Princess Nankang struggled slightly, seeming to want to nod, but unfortunately couldn’t move at all. Even the nodding motion was almost imperceptible. Li Weiyang sighed—it seemed the imperial physician was completely correct. Princess Nankang was indeed severely injured. The perpetrator was determined not to let her identify anyone. What should they do now? Should they pretend ignorance even knowing who the culprit was, allowing them to swagger out of the Wang residence while the Guo and Wang families fought to the death?
Li Weiyang’s mind turned. “Nankang, I’ll ask you questions. If you know the answer, blink once. If you don’t know, blink twice. Do you understand?”
Princess Nankang heard this and was slightly startled, then gently blinked once. Li Weiyang immediately asked again, “The person who kidnapped you—do you know them?” Princess Nankang blinked once—that meant she knew them. Madam Guo couldn’t help but ask, “Was it Nanny Song from my household?” Princess Nankang blinked once again. Madam Guo was now completely stunned. Could Nanny Song have truly betrayed her? No, that was impossible. Nanny Song had been with her for decades and could never betray her. What was going on? She couldn’t understand it at all.
Li Weiyang now had some insight. She said in a low voice, “Mother, since that person could enter the residence, they must be skilled in disguise. It’s not strange that they disguised themselves as Nanny Song. Moreover, the Princess has only met Nanny Song a few times and wouldn’t be very familiar with her appearance. Even if there were some differences in details, she wouldn’t recognize them.” Madam Guo nodded deeply in agreement. No matter what, she couldn’t believe Nanny Song had betrayed her.
Li Weiyang took another step forward and asked softly, “Princess, besides Nanny Song, was there someone else?” Princess Nankang blinked once—there was indeed an insider. Li Weiyang continued asking, “Was it an actor?” Princess Nankang paused for a moment but showed no response. A flash of understanding crossed Li Weiyang’s mind as she said, “So that means there’s more than one insider?” Princess Nankang indeed blinked once.
Li Weiyang furrowed her brow. The dead actor counted as one, Nanny Song as another, and there was a third person providing assistance. This person must still be in the residence. Li Weiyang said with certainty, “Your Highness the Princess doesn’t know that person, correct?” Princess Nankang seemed extremely exhausted but still forced herself to blink once. Madam Guo quickly grasped her hand and said, “If you’re too tired, rest for now. We’ll come ask you later.” Princess Nankang struggled to hold on but ultimately couldn’t resist the sleeping medication the imperial physician had given her and fell deeply asleep. Li Weiyang looked at her as countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Finally, she made up her mind and turned to walk out.
Yuan Lie said in a low voice, “Have you found a way to expose the mastermind?” Li Weiyang smiled faintly. “When you entered the bridal chamber earlier, did you smell anything?” Yuan Lie furrowed his brow. What smell? He sniffed carefully but shook his head. “No.”
Li Weiyang smiled slightly. “This shows your sense of smell isn’t keen. The moment I entered, I smelled a soft yet crisp fragrance, like the scent of flowers, yet different from flowers. Initially, it makes one’s mind waver, feeling as if one has entered a garden.”
Yuan Lie couldn’t help but pause, saying, “Are there fresh flowers in the room?” Then he turned to look around, but apart from some elegant paintings in the guest room, there were no flowers as decoration. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow, then quickly thought of something. A smile appeared on his handsome face. “I understand—it truly is a good method!”
Li Weiyang smiled. “Since you understand, hurry and prepare. This time I’ll need your people to help.”
Yuan Lie showed his bright white teeth, his smile more brilliant than the sun in the sky. He said confidently, “In that case, leave this matter to me with complete confidence. I absolutely won’t disappoint you.” Li Weiyang watched Yuan Lie leave before exiting the room herself, bringing Zhao Yue as they turned through the corridor. Madam Guo had already said she would stay to accompany Princess Nankang, while Li Weiyang’s most important task now was to capture the culprit and absolutely not let them escape unpunished.
Having walked just two steps, she encountered Rixun head-on. When this maidservant saw Li Weiyang, she only performed a perfunctory bow, her gaze carrying a trace of disdain, extremely disrespectful. Seeing this situation, Zhao Yue’s face darkened. No one could offend her young lady!
Rixun raised her fair chin and said coldly, “Miss Guo, my young lady requests your presence in the front hall for a meeting.” Li Weiyang seemed not to notice and nodded. “Lead the way then.” Rixun showed a displeased expression. “Miss Guo, the hall is right ahead. Can you not see it? This servant has other matters to attend to and won’t accompany you!” Zhao Yue angrily rebuked, “How dare you speak to our young lady this way!”
Rixun snorted coldly. Her own young lady possessed such beauty and talent. Originally, when His Majesty bestowed her in marriage to Prince Xu Yuan Lie, it was a perfect match made in heaven. But suddenly, out of nowhere, this Miss Guo appeared. If she were truly stunning in appearance, it would be one thing, but compared to their young lady, she was merely ordinary. The maidservants following Wang Zijin were all talented and beautiful, each feeling they surpassed this Miss Guo. Seeing Wang Zijin publicly rejected by Prince Xu, which of them could swallow this indignity? Moreover, in the previous competition, Rixun had inexplicably lost to Zhao Yue. She was frustrated with nowhere to vent, and just now, overhearing maidservants gossiping about how Prince Xu was so tenderly devoted to Miss Guo, how he’d sent countless gifts and treasures, and saying Wang Zijin was humiliating herself and didn’t know her place—hearing such words, Rixun became extremely angry, which was why she deliberately showed attitude toward Li Weiyang.
In wealthy households, masters were masters and servants were servants. Rixun was overstepping her bounds.
Hearing Zhao Yue rebuke her thus, Rixun’s expression became even more contemptuous. She raised her eyebrows and said, “Your young lady may be pretty enough, but she absolutely shouldn’t be compared with my young lady. Everyone with eyes knows my young lady is talented and beautiful, knowledgeable about everything under heaven and earth. Your young lady doesn’t know her own measure, insisting on competing with her—even I, a servant of humble origins, must laugh behind her back.”
Rixun had been at Wang Zijin’s side for many years, learning much alongside her. Over the years, many suitors who felt their status insufficient and were ashamed of themselves came to request marriage to her young lady’s attending maidservants. Over time, Rixun became somewhat conceited. In her view, compared to those noble young ladies, she was inferior only in birth, not in any other aspect. At this moment, seeing Li Weiyang’s calm expression, her words carried even more contempt.
Li Weiyang understood perfectly—some people who didn’t know the rules shouldn’t be given face. So she merely smiled faintly and said, “Zhao Yue, let’s go.” Unfortunately, Rixun had an explosive temper and completely failed to hear that Li Weiyang didn’t wish to argue with her. She actually laughed coldly and said, “This world has plenty of people without eyes, thinking they’re something special. They’re merely toys for Prince Xu’s momentary amusement, yet they truly believe they can rise to become his consort.”
Zhao Yue’s expression changed, and she suddenly turned to slap Rixun. Caught off guard, Rixun was struck so hard that half her face swelled up. She immediately flew into a rage, rebuking, “You—how dare you!” Zhao Yue merely turned her face slightly, smiling charmingly. “As a servant, you dare speak disrespectfully to my young lady. Truly, like master, like servant—not knowing your own measure!”
Rixun had never suffered such humiliation. For a moment, her voice and expression were severe. “Miss Guo actually bullies others by abusing her power—don’t you see where you are!”
Li Weiyang hadn’t originally paid her any attention, but hearing this, she slightly raised her eyelids, her gaze looking at her with a half-smile. Rixun had never seen such cold eyes. For a moment, her heart felt somewhat timid. She stumbled back to the doorway, still putting on a fierce front as she said, “What do you think you are? Will Prince Xu definitely marry you? One day he’ll surely marry my young lady!”
Li Weiyang’s bright eyes glanced sideways, mockery sweeping through her gaze, yet she merely smiled faintly and turned to leave.
Zhao Yue saw Li Weiyang’s expression showed no anger, and her heart jumped. Having followed Li Weiyang for a long time, she knew she was an extremely reserved person who refused to discuss anything with others. Afraid she was too angry, she quickly consoled her. “Miss, this lowly maidservant is truly excessive. This servant will properly teach her a lesson!” Li Weiyang smiled gently. “It’s not your concern.”
Zhao Yue grew increasingly uneasy. She stole glances at her young lady’s expression—though there was some cold mockery in her eyes, she was completely calm, impossible to read.
Upon returning to the hall, Li Weiyang sat quietly drinking tea. Wang Zijin said gently, “Miss Guo, in your opinion, how should this matter be resolved?”
Li Weiyang smiled faintly and looked around the hall. Sitting here were all elite members of the Wang and Guo families. Presumably, Duke Qi and Wang Qiong were discussing countermeasures in a room right now. Wang Zijin had gathered them together at this time, undoubtedly wanting additional support. It seemed she wasn’t completely foolish—she knew the mastermind was waiting to watch them turn against each other. Li Weiyang’s eyes swept like silk threads before she lowered them, quietly drinking tea. Each lift of her wrist, each focused gaze carried an indescribable charm.
Guo Dao laughed. “Doesn’t Miss Wang know divination? Why not cast a divination?”
Wang Zijin’s expression darkened slightly. She couldn’t stand this Fifth Young Master Guo’s frivolous manner, especially when this matter was no small affair. Neither the Guo residence nor the Wang residence could escape responsibility, yet he was still smiling broadly—was he deliberately causing trouble? Her expression became stern as she said coldly, “Master Guo, don’t think this matter only concerns my Wang family. Think carefully—if we can’t find the culprit, I’m afraid the Guo family will bear the final blame.”
A flickering light appeared in Guo Dao’s eyes, his smile deepening. “Is that so?”
Wang Zijin found him increasingly disagreeable the more she looked at him, especially seeing those perpetually amorous peach-blossom eyes that carried three parts mockery when looking at her. It truly made her blood boil. She was usually a calm person, but even clay figurines have some temperament, let alone when today’s events were so unexpected. She was skilled in military formations but not in understanding human hearts, especially unable to fathom this Miss Guo’s thoughts. She truly wanted to know what Miss Guo was thinking at this moment, how she planned to clear the Guo residence of suspicion.
But no matter how pressing Wang Zijin’s gaze, Li Weiyang only sat quietly drinking tea, neither moving nor speaking, not smiling nor angry, without even the slightest expression. Wang Zijin grew increasingly puzzled. She looked toward Wang Guang beside her, both showing surprised doubt in their expressions. At this moment, Wang Yan could no longer restrain himself and slammed the table, shouting angrily, “If your Guo residence cannot give us an explanation, this matter will absolutely not end well!”
Guo Dun merely laughed coldly. “This is truly throwing a meat bun at a dog—gone without return. A perfectly fine Princess Nankang—how is it that once she marries into your family, something happens, and she’s kidnapped right under your noses? Doesn’t your Wang family need to bear responsibility? You want to push everything onto our Guo family? You should know Nanny Song is dead, so the so-called evidence has been destroyed. Those palace maids only said they saw her enter but don’t dare confirm it was truly Nanny Song herself. What other evidence can you produce?”
Hearing this, Wang Yan became even more furious. He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and slap Guo Dun. Previously, Guo Dun and he could be considered evenly matched—both rather impulsive people, not particularly valued in their families. But now the one similarity had a significant difference. He clearly realized Guo Dun was starting to use his brain, becoming increasingly sharp-tongued, which couldn’t help but infuriate him greatly. He said through gritted teeth, “In front of everyone’s eyes, are you still going to deny it?”
Guo Dao suddenly opened his fan with a flourish. The four gilded characters “Difficult to Understand When Confused” were dazzlingly eye-catching. He fanned twice with a half-smile. Wang Zijin found him increasingly disagreeable and simply turned her face away. Guo Dao pretended not to notice, maintaining his composed expression as he said, “Someone behind the scenes is provoking conflict between our two families—can the bridegroom still not see this?”
Hearing this, Wang Yan’s brow tightened. He suddenly turned his head, his gaze pressing upon Guo Dao. “What do you mean by these words?”
Guo Dao’s smile was warm, his expression even more calm. “Actually, Miss Wang and Master Wang both understand perfectly well, otherwise why summon us to discuss?” Wang Guang nodded, while Wang Zijin beside him wouldn’t even glance at Guo Dao, her heart growing increasingly annoyed with this person for some reason. Perhaps it was his confident tone that she found so disagreeable, or perhaps she simply disliked such self-important people who thought they saw through everything. The more she looked, the more she disliked him—even more odious than that Miss Guo.
Guo Dao was completely unconcerned, asking with a smile, “Miss Wang, am I not correct?” Since he specifically asked her, Wang Zijin couldn’t not answer. Her gaze swept over as she said indifferently, “You are correct.” She had quite the bearing of looking at him coldly and dismissively.
Hearing this, Wang Guang quickly persuaded Wang Yan, “Don’t be impulsive. Think everything through carefully. Have you forgotten Father’s instructions?” Wang Yan certainly hadn’t forgotten. It was just that he had finally married the Princess, yet before he could even enter the bridal chamber, the Princess had inexplicably disappeared and been injured. How could he bear this? Thinking of this, his expression grew increasingly dark. Actually, everyone present knew the Guo family couldn’t possibly have kidnapped Princess Nankang, but what would outsiders think? They would believe the Guo and Wang families were at odds, so the Guo family deliberately abducted Princess Nankang right under the Wang family’s nose. No, perhaps in their eyes, it was Princess Nankang and the Guo family acting out a play together, aimed at the Wang family, accusing them of failing to protect her, ensuring the marriage couldn’t proceed while also damaging the Wang family’s reputation in the Emperor’s eyes.
With deliberate manipulation by interested parties, they could come up with any preposterous reasoning.
Precisely because of this, Wang Zijin had invited the Guo family members to sit here. Someone was deliberately provoking conflict between the two great families—this was an undeniable fact. She could put on an act in front of outsiders, but internally she must cooperate with the Guo family. Thinking of this, Wang Zijin couldn’t help but glare at Guo Dao again. From the moment he suggested she cast divination, she had taken great offense. She studied directional patterns and transformations, not fortune-telling at street stalls. What divination should she cast at a time like this?
The true time for divination was when one couldn’t determine which choice to make. Moreover, divination wouldn’t tell her whether the culprit was still in the residence or who the culprit was. Most importantly, her teacher had once said divination should only be learned halfway—once you mastered the other half and knew where you’d stumble going out, where difficulties lay in life, living would become pointless. And Guo Dao was clearly deliberately teasing her… Since returning to the capital, Wang Zijin felt nothing had gone smoothly. First, she encountered a Prince Xu who adamantly refused the marriage, now she met this dandy Guo Dao. Where was her brilliant future, where was her ideal husband? Were these two sent by heaven as trials? Thinking of this, her eyes showed some melancholy.
Seeing her expression, Guo Dao couldn’t help but laugh even more heartily. Wang Zijin, unwilling to see him so pleased, turned toward Li Weiyang and said, “Miss Guo, why do you remain silent?” Zhao Yue beside her said sullenly, “My young lady was angered by someone and cannot speak.”
Wang Zijin’s expression darkened. “Did someone behave disrespectfully toward Miss just now?” Zhao Yue snorted coldly. “You should ask Miss Wang’s maidservants about that.”
Hearing this, Wang Zijin’s beautiful eyes swept backward. The four maidservants behind her simultaneously knelt on the ground. Wang Zijin’s gaze swept over each of their faces, finally settling on Rixun. She said coldly, “What did you say to Miss Guo just now?”
Rixun’s heart jumped. She had always known her young lady was extremely strict with servants. If she learned what Rixun had said earlier, she would certainly be angry. Thinking of this, she quickly kowtowed, saying, “This servant… this servant…”
Wang Zijin noticed the redness on her face and darkened. “What happened to your face?” Rixun lowered her head without speaking. Wang Zijin furrowed her brow. “Take her out and give her twenty strikes.” Then she looked toward Li Weiyang, her eyes sparkling brilliantly. “Is Miss Guo satisfied?”
Li Weiyang said nothing, merely sitting quietly, her expression extremely indifferent, as if she hadn’t heard at all.
Guo Dao’s gaze momentarily narrowed, though he smiled faintly.
Wang Guang couldn’t help but clench his fists. Though the maidservant Rixun was indeed quite proud, it was precisely this quality that made her temperament even more distinctive. Wang Zijin had always cherished these maidservants and never punished them lightly. Yet now, for this Miss Guo, she was invoking house discipline. He said angrily, “Miss Guo, I advise you to show mercy when you can.”
Li Weiyang merely glanced at him, then lowered her eyes with a smile, composed and making no indication whatsoever.
Complex emotions flashed in Wang Zijin’s eyes. “Sixty strikes.” Hearing this, Rixun’s face turned deathly pale. After sixty strikes, she would likely lose her life. Yet Li Weiyang still showed no reaction, not even a flicker of emotion.
Wang Zijin finally understood—the other party was unwilling to easily forgive someone. In that case, she must continue until she did forgive.
“What does Miss Guo require?”
Li Weiyang’s jet-black eyes turned, carrying a faint smile. “Miss Wang’s meaning—please forgive me for not understanding.”
Wang Zijin said coldly, “This servant is so ignorant, having offended Miss Guo. Flogging is too lenient for her. Take her down, cut out her tongue, sew her mouth shut with fine thread, so she can never open it again. Consider it satisfaction for Miss Guo.”
Li Weiyang’s expression remained normal as she said indifferently, “Miss Wang need not force herself.”
Wang Zijin understood her meaning. She waved her hand. “Take her down.” Rixun was about to beg for mercy but no one paid her any attention. In moments, one of the close attendants who had served at Wang Zijin’s side was gone. Everyone watching was extremely frightened—no one had expected Wang Zijin would mete out such horrifying punishment.
Li Weiyang merely smiled faintly. Cutting out the tongue and sewing shut the mouth actually saved her life. If she had fallen into Li Weiyang’s hands, it would likely have been far worse. Wang Zijin still couldn’t bear to hand over her maidservant for punishment, so she used this method instead. Very well.
Everyone should know their position and keep their place. If they didn’t know, Li Weiyang would simply have to wake them up.
Wang Zijin observed her expression, saying implicitly, “Please Miss Guo quickly think of a method to expose this mastermind. Otherwise, once His Majesty learns of this, neither of our families can escape punishment.”
Li Weiyang smiled faintly and stood gracefully. “Since Miss Wang has repeatedly requested with sincerity, I shall respectfully comply.”
Wang Zijin’s eyes lit up with a smile—the other party indeed had a plan. At this moment, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy. When Prince Xu refused the marriage, she had perhaps felt three parts displeasure but no real heartache, because she had never been devoted to Prince Xu. Later, seeing Prince Xu deliberately disguise himself as unambitious to refuse her, though she was angry at his lack of progress, she also felt some relief. After all, she had no need to compete with other women for a man whose heart belonged elsewhere. But now, seeing that Li Weiyang truly had a plan to prove who the culprit was, Wang Zijin couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. This was perhaps due to a very subtle psychology—from the beginning, she had been contemplating how to expose the culprit but couldn’t find a reliable method. What was Li Weiyang planning to do? She truly wanted to know.
Wang Yan, however, laughed coldly. “I advise you not to make empty boasts. Otherwise, if you can’t catch anyone later, your Guo residence will have to bear the blame.”
Li Weiyang’s eyes sparkled with brilliance, her smile warm. “Master Wang needn’t worry about that. What you should worry about is how to handle things after catching the culprit.” Hearing her speak this way, Wang Yan showed an inexplicable expression. In his view, this Miss Guo must be making empty boasts. After all, everyone now believed this matter was definitely related to the Guo residence. How could she prove their innocence?
Guo Dao looked toward Li Weiyang, the light in his eyes quietly subduing. “Jia’er, are you prepared?” Li Weiyang nodded, her smile becoming even warmer. “Fifth Brother, if you don’t believe me, follow me.” With that, she had already quickly walked out. Zhao Yue hurriedly followed, with Guo Dao behind her. But just as Guo Dao reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back to look at Wang Zijin, smiling. “Miss Wang, I have a question to ask.”
Wang Zijin couldn’t help but feel angry, seeing this person still wouldn’t leave her alone. Her expression darkened. “Are you asking me to cast divination?”
Guo Dao indeed shamelessly nodded, his smile becoming even more brilliant. “Naturally. Doesn’t Miss Wang excel at divination? Then divine whether I intend to enter or exit this door.”
Wang Guang shook his head and sighed. This Guo family young master was truly interesting. If his younger sister said he wanted to enter, he would certainly step out. If she said he wanted to exit, he would definitely step back in. This person was clearly trying to embarrass his younger sister. To think there was such a fellow—truly unbelievable. Especially at a time like this, he still had such idle thoughts. Truly his heart was extraordinarily broad. No, perhaps he simply trusted that Miss Guo greatly. Thinking of this, Wang Guang’s mind filled with even more doubt.
Wang Zijin’s expression was extremely ugly. She glared at Guo Dao and said coldly, “I predict Master Guo will either enter or exit the door.”
Guo Dao paused, then laughed heartily. This Wang Zijin was not only clever but had quick wit. Indeed, he would either exit or enter—this was a fifty-fifty possibility. Could anyone say she was wrong? Just somewhat opportunistic. He smiled faintly, then stood with both feet upon the threshold, turning to say, “Unfortunately, Miss Wang is still incorrect. I’m neither entering nor exiting—I’m standing on the threshold.”
Wang Zijin laughed coldly and, without acknowledging him further, strode past him.
Wang Guang and Wang Yan followed closely. Wang Yan glared viciously at Guo Dao, thinking he was deliberately making fun of his sister. Guo Dao’s smile only became more composed. Wang Guang sighed mournfully—he truly didn’t know what kind of fate bound the Guo and Wang families. Looking at these people, it was simply inexplicable. At such a critical time, they still had the mind to joke around.
After they all left, Guo Dao’s smile finally faded. He turned to ask Guo Dun, “Do you think Jia’er truly has confidence in this matter?” Guo Dun shook his head, also extremely worried. “I think this matter isn’t so simple. I’m afraid exposing the mastermind won’t be easy.”
Guo Dao tapped his fan handle against his palm, a smile reappearing on his face. “No, I believe Jia’er definitely has her own method. Let’s wait and see.” With that, he had already quickly caught up.
When Li Weiyang returned to the hall where everyone had gathered, Princess Ali hurried forward. She asked, “Jia’er, have you thought of a solution?” Li Weiyang’s smile was brilliant, possessing a heart-shaking beauty as she said slowly, “Naturally I’ve thought of one, but I still need to wait for someone to arrive.”
Princess Ali couldn’t help but pause. “Wait for someone? Wait for whom?” Just as she was speaking, everyone else had already gathered in the hall. The Crown Prince spoke up, asking, “Seeing everyone’s expressions, it seems you already have a solution. May I take the culprit back to report to Father Emperor?”
Hearing the Crown Prince speak this way, he clearly intended to take someone from the Guo family to interrogate. Li Weiyang smiled faintly. “Your Highness the Crown Prince needn’t be anxious. In a little while, I will naturally hand over the culprit to you personally. Please rest assured.” The Crown Prince’s expression changed. Could Li Weiyang still have some method to prove the Guo residence was uninvolved? He didn’t believe it. This matter had been done without anyone’s knowledge. Even if the Wang family didn’t believe it was related to the Guo residence, everyone else had personally witnessed Nanny Song from the Guo residence dead in the lake behind. Who wouldn’t believe it? Thinking of this, a trace of dark amusement appeared in his eyes.
Prince Jing Yuan Ying, however, was extremely worried at this moment. He felt this was a conspiracy against the Guo residence. No, perhaps the other party had already set a trap, waiting for them to fall into it. Though the scheme seemed crude, it was extremely vicious. Kidnapping a princess was a capital offense—who could escape that? Even if the Emperor believed the Guo family wouldn’t do such a thing, they had no sufficient evidence to prove their innocence. After all, Nanny Song was dead, there was no witness, so what could be done?
At this moment, Yuan Lie strode quickly through the door with a smile. “Lizi, today it’s all up to you!” Just after calling this name, everyone heard two dog barks. People paused, then saw Yuan Lie holding a thick chain with a wolf-dog half the height of a person following him into the hall, its fur snow-bright, strutting arrogantly all the way.
A timid young lady immediately stood up, saying, “What… what is this?” This wolf-dog was not only tall and large, but its eyes were fierce, even showing its fangs—it looked quite terrifying. Yuan Lie smiled slightly. “This is a dog I raised, but its mother is a wolf, so it has some wild nature. When I hunt, I always bring it along.” The Crown Prince’s expression darkened. “Prince Xu, at a time like this, what are you talking about?”
Yuan Lie’s smile became even more ill-intentioned. He looked toward Li Weiyang. “Now you can teach me how to catch the culprit.” Li Weiyang nodded. “Now I’ll personally expose this culprit for everyone.” With that, she instructed Zhao Yue to come forward. Zhao Yue held half a sleeve in her hand and let the wolf-dog smell it. The wolf-dog, originally quite calm, suddenly began barking wildly. Then, like an arrow released from its bow, it flew forward rapidly, suddenly pouncing toward a corner.
Pei Bi saw the wolf-dog racing quickly toward his direction and his expression changed. Who would have expected that in a flash, the wolf-dog clawed over his shoulder and leaped behind him, biting onto a servant’s pant leg in one bite. The servant screamed and fell backward, desperately kicking, trying to shake off the wolf-dog. But this wolf-dog was fully half the height of a person and pressed down heavily on him. Moreover, it twisted its head and bit into his shoulder. Everyone screamed in succession, and countless ladies and misses stumbled backward in fright. They had never seen such a fierce dog. When it bit people, its expression was not only ferocious but it kept drooling—it looked truly too frightening. In less than a moment, a large piece of bloody flesh had been bitten from the gray-clothed servant’s shoulder. Blood flowed profusely, and he nearly fainted.
Pei Bi shouted loudly, “Miss Guo, what are you doing?” Li Weiyang smiled slightly. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, did you see? The culprit has now been found.”
The Crown Prince said coldly, “What do you mean by this?” Li Weiyang’s expression became even more calm and composed. She pointed at the gray-clothed servant. “Doesn’t everyone see? That servant is the culprit.”
Pei Bi’s voice and expression were severe as he said ominously, “Without evidence, don’t speak nonsense.” Li Weiyang smiled calmly and looked toward Prince Xu Yuan Lie. Yuan Lie’s smile became even warmer. He stepped forward and patted the wolf-dog’s head, then said, “Just now we let it smell the Princess’s sleeve, so it pounced on this servant. This is sufficient proof that this person had contact with Her Highness the Princess earlier.”
Pei Bi laughed coldly. “Nonsense. Based on just one dog, what can you prove?”
Yuan Lie smiled. “We’re not relying on this dog, but rather the fragrance on the Princess.”
Princess Ali said in surprise, “Fragrance? What kind of fragrance?”
Yuan Lie said indifferently, “Because the Princess was to be married, Noble Consort Hui specifically ordered the powder makers to use eighty-one types of flower stamens as the powder base, combined with twelve types of flower frost, and mixed with winter snow stored in cold jade mortars. So this fragrance is called ‘Cold Jade,’ possessing a spacious and crisp clarity. Because the cold was too heavy, warm fragrance was specially added to balance it. There is absolutely no second scent like this in the world. Most importantly, anyone who suddenly smells this fragrant powder will feel their mind waver, then it becomes faint and tasteless, but finally their whole body becomes wrapped in this scent. Even someone who only contacted the Princess once would have this scent on them. If you don’t believe it, you can examine them thoroughly—you’ll definitely find traces.” Actually, proving this matter was simple. The palace maids near the Princess, the dead Nanny Song, the actor, and that servant—everyone close to the Princess would have the fragrance remaining on them. A single investigation would reveal everything…
Wang Zijin looked at this scene in shock, her eyes showing disbelief. No, that wasn’t right. If the Princess had such a fragrance on her, she would have discovered it long ago!