Palace maid Shuoning

(One)

Xie Mansion Gate

Zhou Zhengyin led a large contingent of guards from the Prince's Palace to stand in front of the Xie Mansion, their armor and weapons gleaming.

"Xie Jinghuai! Hand over my concubine immediately! Otherwise, tonight I will slaughter your entire Xie family!"

His eyes were filled with anger, and he spoke through gritted teeth, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard.

Xia Kun glanced at Bao Zhong, then quietly stepped back, as if watching a good show.

Bao Zhong's hands, clasped tightly behind his back, remained calm as he sneered:

"Your Highness has quite the audacity! To say you've massacred my residence—whether this reaches the ears of the Crown Prince or the Emperor, they'll surely ask you, Your Highness, 'On what grounds?'"

A fierce glint surged in Zhou Zhengyin's eyes. He took a step forward, his black cloak billowing in the night wind, his voice as cold as iron:

"Because your wife, Zhao Xiaodie, invited my concubine to Xiangmanlou tonight, and Shuoning was subsequently kidnapped! This whole affair started at your Xie residence, so naturally I must demand your release!"

Bao Zhong raised an eyebrow slightly and replied calmly:

"Your Highness, my wife did have an appointment with the concubine, but after the two argued during the meal, my wife left Xiangmanlou first."

The concubine's kidnapping occurred after that. My wife was merely involved in an argument; she had no ability to secretly arrange kidnappers. For the prince to order his troops to surround the mansion and demand punishment based solely on a verbal altercation is far too arbitrary.

"Arbitrary?" Zhou Zhengyin sneered, his palm resting on the sword at his waist. "The mahogany box, the ambushers—everything is interconnected; it's clearly a pre-arranged trap! Zhao Xiaodie deliberately provoked Shuo Ning to stall her, giving the mastermind behind the scenes a chance to act. You dare say your Xie family knew nothing about it?"

Bao Zhong's gaze darkened; he too was beginning to have doubts.

He had just learned about the dispute at Xiangmanlou from Xiaodie. He knew nothing about the kidnapping beforehand, but the timing was too coincidental, which made it impossible for others not to be suspicious.

He paused, then steadied his voice:

"If Your Highness has any doubts, you may enter the residence to interrogate my wife. But I have something to say for Your Highness to consider. If the Xie family really wanted to harm the concubine, why would they be so foolish as to choose to have my wife personally attend the appointment, leaving obvious evidence?"

"Can't Your Highness see through this clumsy attempt to frame someone? Someone is deliberately using my wife's conflict to shift the blame onto the Xie family."

Xia Kun stood to the side, eyes lowered, remaining silent and secretly observing every change in Zhou Zhengyin's expression.

Zhou Zhengyin was filled with rage. It wasn't that he didn't understand the reasoning, but with Shuo Ning's life hanging in the balance, he was already in a state of panic and couldn't suppress his anxiety.

He stared at Bao Zhong and said in a deep voice, word by word, "Whether it's true or false, I will know once I have searched the mansion."

Having said that, he turned to Shan Hengzhe and his men and ordered, "Go in and search, don't miss a single spot!"

Shan Hengzhe immediately accepted the order and led his guards to enter the mansion.

Bao Zhong stepped forward to block the way, his body as immovable as a mountain.

Shan Hengzhe frowned and said in a deep voice, "Lord Xie, please step aside! If there are no concubines hidden in the manor, what are you afraid of in this obstruction?"

Bao Zhong's lips curled into a cold smile as he retorted loudly:

"What if we can't find the person? Your royal residence has trespassed on the private residence of a court official, ruining my reputation! If this gives rise to accusations that I am keeping a concubine and having an affair, I will never bear such a stain!"

Shan Hengzhe stared intently at Bao Zhong, a chill spreading in his eyes. The brotherhood they once shared seemed to have shattered in an instant.

"Your Highness!"

Xiaodie, supported by her maid, stumbled out, knelt down, and wept bitterly.

"I did indeed have a secret rendezvous with the concubine, but I had absolutely no intention of kidnapping her!"

Bao Zhong glanced down at Xiao Die kneeling on the ground, his chest heaving with anger, but he forced himself to suppress it. He reached out and pulled her up to his side, then said in a deep voice to Zhou Zhengyin:

"The concubine has not yet been found, yet Your Highness is so eager to convict her? This standoff will only delay the rescue, and if the concubine is lost, Your Highness will regret it later!"

Zhou Zhengyin clenched his fists, glaring at Bao Zhong. Just as the tension was about to escalate, a soft, childlike voice suddenly rang out:

"Father..."

Suddenly, Ya Ya ran out from the side, hugged Zhou Zhengyin's leg, and looked up at him with her little face:

"Mommy isn't home. Why is Daddy taking so long? Yaya misses Daddy, Daddy, hug me."

Her small body stretched out her arms, looking adorable and charming, her bright round eyes full of anticipation.

Zhou Zhengyin froze, his anger seemingly abruptly cut off by that childish call.

He looked down at Ya Ya, who was clinging to his leg, and the surging anger in his eyes froze instantly.

(two)

Huo Xiao issued an order, commanding his men to seal off all streets, intersections, and docks throughout the city, and to conduct a thorough, carpet-style search, leaving no corner unchecked.

He personally led Zhan Qing back to Xiangmanlou, went straight to the counter, his expression cold and stern, and questioned him layer by layer.

He interrogated them in great detail, leaving no stone unturned. He meticulously verified the physical appearance of the four kidnappers, the time they entered the building, the length of their stay, and their departure location. He even examined the size of the wooden box, the material of the wood, the method of transport, and the pattern on the silver used for the final payment.

The shopkeeper had never seen the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review personally investigate a case overnight. He was so frightened that his legs went weak. He dared not conceal a single word and reported the truth in a trembling voice.

According to his recollection, the moment Jiang Shuoning stepped into Xiangmanlou, four men followed him into the restaurant and booked the private room next door. It was clear that they had planned this in advance and had been tailing him all the way there.

All four were tall and upright, with steady steps and restrained auras, clearly not ordinary idlers from the marketplace; they were obviously people who had practiced martial arts for many years.

They brought over a heavy, solid mahogany box beforehand. The box was wide and sturdy, and looked extremely heavy. It was just big enough for a person to curl up and hide inside.

Throughout the entire process, the four people spoke very little, their expressions cold and strange. As soon as the commotion next door subsided, they quickly sealed the box and carried the person away, their movements swift and practiced, without the slightest hesitation.

As they were leaving, one of them casually tossed out a whole silver ingot, showing generosity without lingering.

Then, the four of them boarded the carriage that was already waiting at the entrance of the restaurant and sped away.

Huo Xiao stroked the leftover silver coin with his fingertips, his gaze growing increasingly deep and cold.

Zhan Qing's expression was solemn as he made a deep judgment:

"My lord, this is no spur-of-the-moment rebellion; it was a premeditated kidnapping. The perpetrators were meticulous in their division of labor, efficient in their actions, and had their escape routes completely cut off. It was clearly a scheme laid out in advance."

Huo Xiao stepped out of the restaurant and walked slowly in the direction the innkeeper pointed out, with Zhan Qing following closely behind.

Snowflakes fell heavily, blanketing the streets in white. The snow crunched underfoot, and the cold wind howled all around, casting a somber and oppressive atmosphere over the entire capital.

Huo Xiao didn't stop walking, his mind rapidly reviewing all the events of the night, not letting go of even the slightest flaw.

Currently, the court and the public are locked in a standoff, with only two factions openly vying for power: Prince Jingchen, Zhou Zhengyin, and the Crown Prince.

If it were truly the Crown Prince who abducted Jiang Shuoning, the logic simply doesn't hold water.

The Crown Prince was always patient and cautious, always seeking stability and never daring to leave any evidence against him.

Now that he and Zhou Zhengyin are locked in a stalemate, the situation is delicate. He would never use assassins to kidnap a concubine from the Prince's mansion in the bustling city of the capital, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

This move is too foolish, too hasty, and too flawed. Once exposed, it would be a serious crime of treason and framing a prince, directly destroying the foundation of the crown prince.

The Crown Prince would never make a move at this time.

But apart from the princelings, who has the guts, the power, and the meticulous methods to set up such a clean trap right under the emperor's nose?

They were able to mobilize professional thugs, make a seamless withdrawal, lay in ambush in advance, and even deliberately erase their identities when paying bills.

This person is no ordinary court official; there must be a hidden force supporting him.

Upon realizing this, Huo Xiao's mind suddenly sharpened, and countless fragmented clues from the past instantly connected and converged, taking shape in his mind.

He recalled that Jiang Shuoning had mentioned before that Ye Wan was her younger sister.

Thinking of Ye Wan's father, Ye Yishan, who secretly colluded with the Mengtuo Luo secret faction, his influence was extremely deep.

Recalling a previous case, Ye Wan cried and played the victim in front of the emperor to gain everyone's sympathy. She seemed innocent and weak, but in the end, it was the crown prince who took the initiative to take over the case and ensure the safety of the Ye family.

Even more unusually, after the storm subsided and the facts of the crime became obscured, Ye Yishan, who should have been implicated and punished, was instead promoted to the position of prefect of Zheyuan County.

From beginning to end, it went too smoothly, too deliberately, and was so perfect that it defied all logic.

All the seemingly scattered coincidences have now been pieced together into a huge, intricate web.

No one in the Ye family was punished; instead, they were promoted. Ye Wan attached herself to the Crown Prince and gained his trust.

Thinking of this, Huo Xiao felt his blood suddenly turn ice-cold, and a chill ran down his spine.

It wasn't the Crown Prince who made the move.

They are the ones hiding behind the crown prince, concealed beneath the most innocent facade.

It's Ye Wan!

She resented Jiang Shuo for upholding justice and refusing to show favoritism and protect the Ye family.

She appears weak, pitiful, and indifferent to worldly affairs, but in reality, she is cunning, shrewd, and malicious.

Instead of taking matters into her own hands and giving others grounds for criticism, she used the power of the Crown Prince to set up this flawless scheme.

The kidnapping of Jiang Shuoning incited Zhou Zhengyin to lose his temper and become out of control, forcing the prince to fight among court officials, turn against the Xie family, and completely break with the Crown Prince.

She doesn't need to personally take a single step; she can simply watch the court descend into chaos, using others to settle her personal grudges and pave the way for her and the Ye family's future.

This game of chess was calculated to an terrifying degree.

Huo Xiao's gaze suddenly turned cold, his eyes filled with a chilling ruthlessness.