So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Xie Yan stayed in the villa that night. He stayed in a guest room not far from the main courtyard and didn't sleep a wink all night.

When he woke up the next day, the steward said that Xie Xun had not returned yet, so he wandered around the mansion. Seeing that it was almost time for court, he had no choice but to go to the palace first.

Xie Xun arrived late for court, and the two didn't have much of a chance to talk until after court, when he finally found an opportunity to stop him.

I went to your villa last night, but I didn't see you. Where did you go?

Just as he stepped out of the Xuanzheng Hall, where all the officials and courtiers were emerging, Xie Xun slowly walked down the steps, his voice gentle, "What brings you here, elder brother?"

Xie Yan walked alongside him. "These past few days, Father has been saying that you've been neglecting your studies because of women, and he wants you to move back to the ancestral home."

"understood."

Seeing that he was about to leave again, he asked, "How do you know that woman in your villa?"

"My brother seems to have asked twice already. He said he found it at the temple."

"Which temple houses respectable women?"

"Big brother, are you interested in my woman?" He glanced sideways and smiled. "Want one?"

Xie Yan's face darkened. "Don't talk nonsense."

Xie Xun raised an eyebrow and walked forward on his own.

Xie Yan stood on the steps, watching him get into the carriage, his brows furrowing slightly.

Could it be that he guessed wrong?

"A-Zhou".

After leaving the palace gates, A-Zhou led the horse over and, upon hearing the prince's question, replied, "Our people have discovered that Qinghe did not return to her hometown; she vanished into thin air at the Ning family's residence."

"My subordinates went to investigate, but no one from the Ning family knows where they went; it's as if they've vanished."

"Back then in Mozhou, no one knew where the governor was, and we couldn't be sure whether he went to Mozhou at that time."

A series of useless messages came back, and Xie Yan rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Have all the rebels been brought back?"

"After interrogation, they are indeed rebels from Ji Province."

If the person behind such a meticulous arrangement is still alive, they must be a very dangerous individual.

Xie Yan couldn't help but recall the rumors circulating in the mansion, and Ning San, who was imprisoned in jail. When he rescued Ning San, he heard that Ning San had offended some important figure and was being held captive and not allowed to be interrogated.

If she didn't die, then her fall from the cliff was a meticulously planned scheme. Who took her away, and where was she imprisoned?

"Come closer."

Upon hearing the instructions, A-Zhou paused for a moment, then nodded immediately upon seeing who it was, saying, "Your subordinate understands."

---

"Have you found out who that slut is?"

Prince's Water Courtyard.

Princess Huayang saw the maid enter, paused while poking at the incense ash in the incense burner with a silver stick, then turned her head and asked a question.

The maid knelt nervously on the ground, her head pressed tightly against the ground. "Your Highness, they said it was in the Governor's villa. That's all I could find out."

Princess Huayang's eyes turned cold. She took out a silver stick and stabbed it into the maid's body. "Useless thing."

The maidservant's eyes widened in pain, and she curled up, not daring to make a sound. The princess had a bad temper, and would beat and scold her servants if anything displeased her.

The louder they cried out, the angrier the princess became, and the harsher the punishment. Eventually, they dared not cry out anymore and silently endured it to avoid further punishment.

Having vented his anger, Hua Yang threw down a piece of broken silver and cursed, "Take your things and get out."

The maid's eyes were filled with tears of fear. She picked up the silver and rolled away, her body twisting like a pretzel. This sight calmed Hua Yang's anger considerably. He snorted and sat down in a chair.

One vixen, Ning Yu, left, and another seductive enchantress arrived; they're all scoundrels.

She was initially happy to hear that Ning Yu, that bitch, had fallen off a cliff and died. However, a few days later, she went to the Xie family's ancestral home to visit the old lady. When she didn't see Xie Xun, she gave a set of fine jewelry to the gossipy third wife.

While the two were chatting, she subtly inquired about what the governor had been up to lately. The third wife, perhaps to annoy her, said that the governor had recently found a new lover and rarely came back to the mansion.

She thought it was a rumor, but the Third Madam said that the old lady kept mentioning the Governor, and Xie Liu jokingly said at the dinner table that the Second Brother had a woman, and that's how they found out.

She didn't dare show anything at the time, but she was furious when she got back.

With their wedding imminent, he never showed any concern, nor did he ever visit his father. He didn't care about the betrothal gifts or anything like that, and even kept a woman in his villa before the wedding.

This is a blatant slap in the face; they clearly don't respect the royal family at all.

However, the Xie family was the head of the council of elders and controlled most of the court. She dared not cause trouble or offend the Xie family. Her father said that if she could not marry into the Xie family, other princesses would take her place, and she should not be jealous.

"Princess, that woman is just a mistress, without any status or title. Why bother getting angry with her?" The old nanny beside you comforted you gently.

Hua Yang originally wanted to teach that woman a lesson, but that would be too embarrassing.

Hearing what the old woman said, he gritted his teeth and said, "You don't understand the governor. He is cold-hearted and rarely has women around him, let alone women he keeps outside. That woman must have a place in his heart."

"I am a princess born into royalty, a favored daughter of heaven, but has he even glanced at me? The marriage has been delayed for so long, all arranged by the elders of both families. He has never come to see me once. He doesn't care at all; he only wants my family to marry me."

Hearing this, she became angrier and angrier. Who was this shameless woman who dared to steal her husband?

"Can't you find out where this woman is from?"

"The governor's villa should be heavily guarded. If the princess wants to know where this woman comes from and what she looks like, she should go to the villa herself and see for herself, so as to avoid worrying at home."

These words struck a chord with her, and Hua Yang's expression softened. She needed someone to speak her mind and give her a legitimate reason to visit his villa.

"Go get my invitation and give it to Miss Xie the Fifth. Tell her I'm inviting her to join us."

"Yes."

In the secluded courtyard.

After Xie Xun went to court, Ning Yu slept for a long time, not getting up until the sun was high in the sky.

After washing up, she dismissed everyone around her and went to the guest room where Xie Yan had stayed the day before. Everything inside had been changed, and nothing was left behind.

She sat on the stool with her eyes downcast. Xie Yan was already beginning to suspect that she was not dead, but if he knew about her affair with Xie Xun, she didn't know how furious he would be. She dared not let him know. How could she escape from this villa?

Xie Yun was too impulsive. He told Xie Yan that his brother was keeping a woman, and then told Xie Yan that she was not dead. Wasn't he deliberately trying to make Xie Yan suspicious of them?

Thinking of how kind he had been to her in the past, she felt so ashamed that she couldn't sit still and covered her face.

This matter must absolutely not be known to Xie Yan, nor to the Xie family.

"Oh, Princess, Princess, you can't go in here! You can't barge in! The Commander isn't here."

In the corridor, several matrons and stewards hurriedly followed behind, trying to stop the woman who had barged in. As soon as she entered the main courtyard, they strode forward and blocked her way.

Princess Huayang paused, glanced at Xie Ling, who hesitated, and said, "If Second Brother isn't here, let's go."

She really didn't dare to trespass on her second brother's villa. If there really was a woman there, who would she side with if a fight broke out?

Useless stuff.

Princess Huayang was furious, but she remained outwardly calm and said, "The guards at the gate let me in on the governor's orders. Why are you stopping me?"

They didn't let her in; she barged in. The governor is engaged to her, which is why they didn't dare to use force.