Chapter 129 I think I'm sick

Bai Xiuming raised his eyes: "How do you know they will receive the punishment they deserve?"

Ah Chan shook their clasped hands, her eyes crinkling: "Because you're the one investigating the case."

"Flattery and sycophancy."

Ah Chan leaned closer to him, her long eyelashes fluttering gently: "Do you like listening to this?"

"Didn't you say I'm a corrupt official?" Bai Xiuming said tenderly, "A corrupt official... naturally I like him."

Their eyes met, and Achan's heart suddenly raced, her cheeks burning. She unconsciously avoided his gaze.

She felt that something was wrong with her body; was she sick?

Bai Xiuming didn't miss a single subtle expression on her face. When he saw Achan avoid his gaze, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

"What about the Yu family?" Her heartbeat calmed down a little, and Achan moved her fingers, her slender fingers gently scratching his palm twice, as if urging him on.

Bai Xiuming chuckled. He was truly impatient and stingy, demanding a reward after only a few words of coaxing.

He grabbed her mischievous little hand: "If you want me to let her go, you should at least tell me the truth first, right?"

Ah Chan recalled the past stories that Yu Dajia had told her and slowly recounted them to him.

My experiences over the past ten years can be summed up in just a few words.

Achan spoke in great detail, telling Bai Xiuming almost every detail that Yu Dajia had told her.

From Yu Dajia's perspective, she was suddenly harmed by Xu Zecheng and Han Xiaotong. She never thought that the two of them had a past relationship. After all, Han Xiaotong was just an inconspicuous country girl at that time.

Ah Chan's perspective perfectly matched the testimony Bai Xiuming had obtained earlier, with only one slight difference.

"Was it Han Xiaotong who committed the murder?" Bai Xiuming confirmed with A Chan.

“It was said by Master Yu himself, so it can’t be wrong,” Achan affirmed.

"I underestimated her." Bai Xiuming narrowed his eyes slightly. There weren't many people who dared to lie to him in the town prison.

Achan, on the contrary, felt that this was a good thing: "If it had been Xu Zecheng who made the move back then, I'm afraid none of this would have happened today."

The strength of men and women is different. The fact that Yu Dajia was able to survive was entirely due to a series of coincidences. If there had been even one deviation, she would have been nothing but an unidentified corpse.

After she finished speaking, Achan looked at Bai Xiuming expectantly: "I've told you everything I know. Yu Dajia is, after all, your relative. She's in such a terrible situation, isn't it worth helping her out a little?"

"A small favor?" Bai Xiuming chuckled. "Last time your small favor was letting two death row inmates go. This time it's helping you deceive the emperor."

Achan pouted. So what if it's deceiving the emperor? We're already good at it, what's wrong with doing it again?

Then she heard Bai Xiuming say, "There will be no next time."

"No, no..." Ah Chan's eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately realized: "You agreed?"

"This will not be repeated."

Achan's lips curled up: "Really?"

"As long as she doesn't wander around in front of me, I can pretend she's disappeared."

“How could that be? Didn’t you already guess? She’s already left the capital.” Achan said sincerely.

Bai Xiuming chuckled lightly: "I did say she would leave the capital, but I never said she wouldn't come back."

He held Ah Chan's fingers and said slowly, "Those who seek revenge will not be satisfied with just their enemy being caught. They will definitely want to see their enemy's fate before they are satisfied. Besides, this is not just her revenge."

Achan was taken aback, but immediately understood what he meant: "You even asked that?"

"She wouldn't be unmoved just by seeing the confession of the Xu family's servants and learning that her child had died."

No, it's true.

Achan didn't tell him that everyone in the Yu family already knew, but facing the truth again was still unbearable for her.

That day at the Prince Ying'an's residence, she, Lin Sui, and Yu all heard Han Xiaotong's words. Han Xiaotong told her daughter firmly that the child would never come back.

Considering the entire process of how Yu Dajia's face was swapped, how he was drugged, and how he was silenced, it's easy to see that they wouldn't let that child, who might have been the one to die, survive.

However, this truth was never confirmed by word of mouth. It wasn't until this morning that Ms. Yu confirmed with others that her child had died long ago, and she lost control of her emotions once again.

She had already decided to leave the capital, but hesitated for a long time before coming to find Achan and saying that she didn't want to leave anymore.

Even if it might expose her identity, she wanted to see those two people's fate with her own eyes.

Achan understood her choice and still gave her the gift she had prepared.

When Achan bought the black flint, she also bought a lot of materials, a small portion of which she used to make a kind of glue.

The glue made primarily from tiger-dragon tails won't harm delicate skin and can last for a long time. If Yu Dajia chose to use the glue to stick her face in place, it probably wouldn't fall off until she died.

After that, Achan didn't inquire about the plan or what kind of face she wanted to change to; she simply asked Huiniang to escort the other person to the city gate.

But she thought that everyone in Yujia would definitely come back.

However, by then, she had probably changed her appearance and had a normal face like everyone else. If she didn't want to, it would be difficult for others to recognize her.

Bai Xiuming's guess was so accurate that Achan dared not continue the topic and had to awkwardly change the subject.

She asked, "What will the emperor do with those two people?"

Bai Xiuming didn't expose her little scheme and replied cooperatively, "Confusing the royal bloodline is enough to sentence them to death."

The important thing in this matter is not what kind of grievances Princess Xin'an suffered, but that someone dared to impersonate a member of the royal family, which is what angered the emperor.

Didn't the Prince of Ying'an's family plead with the emperor for leniency?

They could ignore all the doubts surrounding Han Xiaotong and have loved her like their own daughter for over a decade. Han Xiaotong must be the most perfect daughter in their hearts, and they shouldn't be willing to let her die.

"Please."

"Then what?"

"Then His Majesty sent them back to their residences."

Ah Chan looked disappointed: "That's it?"

"On their way out of the palace, the Prince of Ying'an and his family happened to encounter Han Xiaotong, who was being escorted back to the Mingjing Division." Bai Xiuming said in a calm and unhurried tone, "Unfortunately, they saw her face and heard that Princess Ying'an had fainted from fright."

"It seems Princess Ying'an has a rather weak tolerance for hardship." Achan sighed. "I thought they had a deep mother-daughter bond, and Princess Ying'an could accept whatever Han Xiaotong became. It turns out it depends on looks too."

Rather than saying that Princess Ying'an liked her daughter, it would be more accurate to say that she liked a daughter who met her requirements.

From behavior to appearance, they are probably all within the standards of measurement.

Yu Dajia was unqualified before, and now Han Xiaotong, who has lost his face, has probably lost his qualification as well.

Bai Xiuming sat with Achan for almost an hour before getting up to leave. When Achan saw him off, she suddenly remembered something and tugged at his sleeve.

"What's wrong?" Bai Xiuming stopped and turned to ask her.

“I just remembered something,” Achan said, her tone uncertain. “A while ago, I received an invitation from the Prince of Ying’an’s mansion to a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. It was then that I saw Master Yu again.”

"What's the problem?"

"Xue also went that day. She was invited by Han Xiaotong. When she met me, she proudly told me that the Marquis of Jinyang was alright." At this point, Achan looked at Bai Xiuming, "When the Marquis of Jinyang was released, who in the court spoke up for him?"

When she asked about this, Bai Xiuming recalled the events of that day and said, "Indeed, there were officials who tried to exonerate the Marquis of Jinyang during the morning court session, and I remember Xu Zecheng was among them."

When Bai Xiuming first mentioned a thorough investigation of the Marquis of Jinyang, His Majesty was in a fit of anger and naturally said that a thorough investigation was necessary.

Later, some censors and officials believed that it was inappropriate to detain a marquis without evidence, and even impeached Bai Xiuming for using his position to settle personal scores. Only then did His Majesty relent and allow him to release the man.

Looking back now, why did those civil officials target this matter?

"Does Xu Zecheng have any prior relationship with the Marquis of Jinyang?" Achan asked again.

In Ji Chan's memory, the Marquis of Jinyang's residence and the Vice Minister's residence had never interacted.

"No," Bai Xiuming affirmed.

"Since they have no relationship, then it must be the relationship between Xue and Han Xiaotong? What kind of relationship could be so deep that Xu Zecheng would go to such lengths for the Marquis of Jinyang? Xue has only been the wife of the Marquis of Jinyang for a year. Is a year enough for a former mistress to build such a deep relationship with the Princess of Xin'an?"

After careful analysis, Achan became increasingly convinced that her thinking was correct. When she looked up, she saw Bai Xiuming staring at her.

It was that piercing gaze again. Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes darted around: "Did you hear what I just said?"

"I heard you." Bai Xiuming raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips gently touching her cheek. He told her, "Investigate when we get back."

Upon receiving a satisfactory reply, Achan was immediately delighted.

After dropping him off across the street, Achan turned and walked back into the shop. She even stepped into the snow for a while on the short walk, but finally, she seemed to get a little cold before returning to the shop.

Bai Xiuming stood across the street watching her play, his eyes filled with a tenderness that no one else had ever seen.

An hour passed after Bai Xiuming left before Chen Hui returned in his carriage.

Hearing the noise outside the door, Achan pushed open the door and came out. Chen Hui had just parked the carriage and got off.

She opened the carriage, which was filled with various ingredients, including two cleaned whole chickens and a whole sheep.

When Achan saw the sheep, she was dumbfounded: "Why did you bring back so much stuff?"

Eating mutton once in a while is fine, just as a treat. But does she expect to eat mutton every day for the next few days? No way!

Seeing her pouting and unwilling look, Chen Hui couldn't help but laugh: "It's not for you to eat. Boss Xu has been watching the shop for us for so long, so half a sheep is a gift for him."

"What about the other half?" Achan wasn't so easily fooled; she could only accept a plate of mutton at most.

"Boss Lü likes to eat mutton. When she heard that sheep were being slaughtered in the village, she specially asked me to bring some back. She bought them at the market price."

Upon hearing that it was Boss Lü who wanted it, Ah Chan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After they returned from Xiling, they discovered that the shop on the other side had changed hands. A new antique shop had opened next door, and the owner was a woman who had recently divorced her ex-husband.

This lady had frequent contact with Chen Hui, but A Chan was not very familiar with her, only knowing that the lady seemed to be in poor health.

"Alright." After hearing Chen Hui's reasonable explanation, A Chan finally stopped worrying about the sheep.

It took the two of them three tries to move the contents of the carriage back to the backyard. Then Chen Hui went to the kitchen to cut up the mutton.

After dividing the mutton for Boss Xu and Boss Lü, Chen Hui took the remaining leg of lamb and began slicing the meat.

Achan sat on a low stool, watching her work and helping her tend the fire.

After stuffing two pieces of wood into the stove, Achan sat there in a daze, resting her chin on her hands. The flickering firelight in the stove made her cheeks look rosy.

Chen Hui noticed that she seemed rather quiet today, turned to look at her, and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

"Bai Xiuming came by just now."

Chen Hui paused, a hint of wariness in her expression: "So fast? Are you here to investigate Master Yu?"

"Um."

"Then... what did he say?"

Seeing Chen Hui's alarmed expression, A Chan couldn't help but laugh: "It's alright. I told him about Yu Dajia's situation, and he promised not to look for Yu Dajia's whereabouts. Although even if he were to look for her, he might not be able to find her."

Seeing how casually Achan spoke, Chen Hui felt a mix of emotions.

That Lord Bai is probably only this easy to talk to when he's dealing with Achan.

He dared to cover up such a big incident that occurred at the emperor's birthday banquet.

"What were you thinking about just now?" Chen Hui asked, pulling her thoughts back from their wanderings.

"I feel like I'm sick." Achan looked troubled and touched her cheek. "My face has felt very hot all day."

"Hmm?" Chen Hui put down the kitchen knife in her hand, went to the side to wash her hands and wiped them clean with a towel before placing her hand on A Chan's forehead.

After taking a while, Chen Hui finally removed her hand: "No fever."

After she finished speaking, Chen Hui, still not satisfied, asked again, "When did you feel your face getting hot?"

So Achan told Chen Hui about the two previous abnormalities, and after she finished, she asked worriedly, "This has happened several times already, should I see a doctor?"

The human body is so fragile. She was afraid that she might have contracted some hidden disease and that she might give up before finding a way to live a long life.

Chen Hui's expression was very complicated. After a long while, she sighed softly, "You're not sick."

"Then what's wrong with me?" Achan asked, puzzled.

"You might... have fallen for Bai Xiuming."