The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Yun Jin cursed inwardly, reached for the teacup and took a big gulp, but she choked and coughed repeatedly because she drank it too fast.

Xiao Jingyan quickly reached out and patted her back, his tone carrying three parts helplessness and seven parts doting: "Drink slowly, no one is going to take it from you."

Yun Jin finally calmed down, wiped away the tears that had welled up from her sobs, and glared at him: "Isn't it all because of you?"

"Because of what?" Xiao Jingyan raised an eyebrow, asking a question he already knew the answer to, his smile barely concealed.

Yun Jin opened her mouth, angrily slammed the teacup on the table, turned her face away, lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and pretended to look at the scenery outside the window.

But the burning gaze behind her made her ears burn.

"Stop looking." Xiao Jingyan's voice suddenly came from behind, tinged with laughter. "It's cold outside, be careful not to catch a chill."

Yun Jin suddenly turned her head and glared at him, then lowered the carriage curtain, leaned against the carriage wall, poured herself a cup of tea, and lowered her head to ease the embarrassment in her eyes.

Xiao Jingyan pressed his fist to his lips, coughed lightly, and stopped teasing her, getting down to business: "Let's get down to business. What do you plan to ask today? Could you tell me your thoughts in advance?"

Yun Jin then raised her head, lifting her gaze from her teacup, and said solemnly, "Your Highness,"

As soon as she spoke, she saw Xiao Jingyan's expression change, so she quickly corrected herself, "Ayan."

Xiao Jingyan nodded in satisfaction.

Yun Jin continued, "You know my background. I was switched at birth by my good father, Yun Heting, and his mistress, Liu Zhixue. But who did it back then, the midwife or someone else, has never been found out. The midwife from back then has never been found, and she is probably no longer alive. We can only try to find a way out from other places."

Xiao Jingyan nodded, not interrupting, but simply watching her quietly.

"And... the physician Du in the manor, together with Granny Sun and Granny Qian who serve Lang, poisoned Yun Lang. Both of them said they were instructed by Liu Zhixue. But where did the poison for Lang Lang come from? After my mother gave birth to Lang Lang, she was also given an extremely cold medicine by Yun Heting, but where did that medicine come from? I can't ask Yun Heting about this, and I certainly can't ask Liu Zhixue. I can only ask Physician Du; perhaps he will know."

She paused, then looked up. "And then there's Zijuan. She was my mother's head maid. She helped Yunheting steal my mother's dowry. Who did they give the money to? I suspect it was Liu Zhixue and Yunheting. But what about my dear grandmother? Was she involved? I need to find out all of this today."

After listening, Xiao Jingyan remained silent for a moment.

He didn't rush to answer, but instead reached out and gently took her fingers, which were resting on her knees. He said in a serious tone, "Leave this to me."

Just as Yun Jin was about to speak, the carriage stopped, and the driver called out, "Your Highness, we've arrived."

Xiao Jingyan then released his grip, and Yun Jin got out of the car. She looked up and was slightly taken aback.

She had thought that the "separate courtyard" he mentioned was just an ordinary suburban courtyard, but she never expected that it would turn out to be such a large mansion.

The white walls stand tall, extending far to both sides. Stone lions in front of the gate bar their teeth and claws, and an ebony plaque hangs above the lintel, but without any inscription.

"This was a gift from His Majesty," Xiao Jingyan said casually when he saw her staring blankly at the gate.

The gatekeepers, having heard the sound of the carriage, had already opened the gate.

Xiao Jingyan went in first, followed by Yun Jin. After crossing the courtyard gate, they were greeted by a blue stone screen wall. After going around the screen wall, their view suddenly opened up.

The courtyard is larger than it appears from the outside, complete with a main hall, east and west wing rooms, and covered corridors.

Xiao Jingyan led Yun Jin further inside, turning to ask her, "Would you like to rest for a bit?"

Yun Jin shook her head, and Xiao Jingyan stopped trying to persuade her. They continued walking forward and finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous side room.

From the outside, the room looked no different from the other rooms. Two guards stood at the door, and when they saw him coming, they bowed and whispered, "Your Highness."

"How is he?" Xiao Jingyan asked.

A guard replied with his hands at his sides, "They're all inside, very well-behaved."

Xiao Jingyan nodded: "Open the door, let's go down and take a look."

The guard pushed open the door in response.

The room was simply furnished with just a table, a chair, and a couch; it looked like an ordinary guest room.

The guard walked to the innermost wall, reached out and pressed on an inconspicuous brick. With a soft click, the entire wall silently slid open to one side, revealing a stone staircase leading downwards.

Copper oil lamps were embedded in the walls on both sides, illuminating the textures on the stone steps clearly.

The air was not damp, nor did it have the musty smell often found in dungeons; on the contrary, it was quite dry, indicating that it had been ventilated.

Xiao Jingyan stepped into the passage first, took two steps, turned back and reached out his hand to Yun Jin, whispering, "I'll hold your hand, the path inside is a bit winding."

Yun Jin nodded, placed her hand in his palm, and followed him down the steps.

The stone steps were not steep; after walking about ten steps, we reached the bottom.

Below is a long, narrow corridor with stone chambers on both sides, each with a small, palm-sized window. The soundproofing is excellent, so you can't hear anything from next door.

Yun Jin glanced at the tightly closed stone doors and immediately understood that they were separate doors to prevent collusion.

The guard led them to one of the stone chambers, gestured inside with his chin, and whispered, "The one surnamed Du is in this room. The young girl is at the far end, and the two old women are locked up side by side in the middle."

Xiao Jingyan released Yun Jin's hand and turned to look at her: "Who should we ask first?"

Yun Jin's gaze swept between the stone doors. After a moment of silence, she said, "Let's ask Doctor Du first."

Xiao Jingyan waved his hand, and the guards immediately stepped forward, opened the iron door at the end of the corridor, and brought the people inside out.

The physician, surnamed Du, was led through the corridor and into a room specifically for interrogation.

This room was twice the size of the stone chamber from before, and various instruments of torture hung on the four walls, gleaming coldly in the dim light of the oil lamp.

In the center of the room was a stone table and two chairs, one a wooden chair and the other a round-backed chair covered with a gray squirrel fur rug.

Xiao Jingyan pulled Yun Jin to the round-backed chair covered with a quilt, pressed her down to sit, and then sat down on the wooden chair next to her.

The physician, surnamed Du, was shoved in by the guards. He was kicked in the back of the knee and fell to his knees with a thud.

He looked up, and upon seeing the person sitting in front of him, he immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Second Miss! I've said everything I could, please let me go!"

Xiao Jingyan raised his hand.

The guards escorting the physician from the Du family immediately bowed and retreated, the iron gate slamming shut behind them.

Yun Jin saw this and her heart stirred slightly, knowing that he was protecting her privacy.

Suppressing her emotions, she turned to Physician Du and asked calmly, "Dr. Du, I have a question for you. What's wrong with my mother's health?"