Chapter 91

The weather was gloomy and muggy, as if it were about to rain.

Qin Sang brought a round fan with her when she went out, and asked for directions along the way before she finally found the way to Xie Xiao's courtyard.

As you approach, the garden becomes rugged and expansive. There are no artificial hills or flowing water, no delicate flowers or beautiful grass. The paths are paved with pebbles that make a soft rustling sound when you step on them. On both sides are tall poplar trees, just like the one in Aunt Jiang's yard.

Previously unaware of the tree's origin, after hearing Ning'an King's words yesterday, I suddenly understood that it was transplanted from the former Night Owl Kingdom.

Even walking under the shade of the trees, the air was still stuffy and dry.

Qin Sang recalled the imperial edict issued by the emperor, which coincided with the guess of Prince Ning'an. Sure enough, the corpse was to be whipped and not allowed to be buried; it could only be dumped in a mass grave.

Qin Sang had only met that lady once, and she felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing the imperial decree; how much more so would she feel for her own son?

Upon reaching the courtyard gate, one sees the words "Qingfeng" (meaning "gentle breeze") written on it, and two soldiers stand guard at the entrance.

She found it ironic; what was the difference between this and guarding prisoners?

Instead of asking who sent him, Qin Sang simply asked, "Is Fourth Master Xie inside?"

The officers replied, "She fainted early this morning, and we carried her in. She was making a lot of noise just now, but she's quiet now, so she must be asleep."

Qin Sang nodded and stepped inside, but was stopped.

Qin Sang looked at the two men, and one of them explained, "His Highness ordered that they be kept under strict guard."

"Who are you watching over? Master Xie? He hasn't done anything wrong." Qin Sang was puzzled, but she knew they were just following orders, so she didn't argue with them much. Instead, she reasoned with them, "Besides, if you're watching over him, I'll go in and watch over him too. It won't bother you in any way."

The two looked at each other and lowered their hands.

Qin Sang walked in, and for some reason, she felt a sense of desolation and bleakness. Perhaps it was because the weeds in the yard were too lush, or perhaps it was because the leaves blown down by the wind last night had not yet been swept away.

Perhaps it's simply because I'm feeling down.

The house has three doors, with the main room door and windows closed.

Qin Sang knocked on the door, but no one answered. Remembering what the person outside had said, that they might be asleep, she knocked twice, then hesitated to knock further, afraid that they had indeed just fallen asleep and that she would be disturbing them.

She stood in the corridor for a while, alone, and said, "There isn't a single servant."

“Yes,” Qin Sang sighed, “it’s even more heartbreaking than my life.”

But then it dawned on me: "Wait a minute, every time I see him, he always has a servant with him..."

Lingding: "Perhaps the servant is asleep too."

Qin Sang looked at her and said, "That's true. The servant has been with you for a whole day and night. He must be tired."

As she was about to leave, something flashed past her and fell from the eaves, then crashed to the ground with a loud bang and shattered into pieces.

It's a tile.

Qin Sang looked up; why were the tiles falling down for no reason?

At this moment, the two soldiers outside also heard the commotion and ran in. One asked, "What's wrong?" while the other looked up at the roof and stood there dumbfounded.

Qin Sang carefully stepped out from under the corridor and looked up following the other person's gaze. She had to stand a little further away to see clearly that there were many tiles piled up on the roof!

So I knocked on the door, knock knock knock, but no one answered.

The two gatekeepers' faces darkened. One of them, who had a short temper, kicked the door open and burst in, then both gasped in shock.

In the center of the main room lay a pool of blood, and in it lay a dead cat. The cat's limbs were bound by ropes and tied to four stools. The noises the two people at the door had heard were the cat struggling and screaming in pain, its body covered in cuts. It had bled to death and, for some reason, could not make a sound; it had probably been poisoned and rendered mute.

Apart from this dead cat, everyone else is long gone.

"Quickly, go and report to the Prince!"

The officers and soldiers panicked. One turned and ran, while the other stayed behind, looking at the dilapidated roof, the devastation on the ground, the irregular circle of light on the ground, and finally at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang said seriously, "You saw it, I couldn't even get in, so it definitely wasn't me."

The soldier felt incredibly unlucky; he couldn't even keep an eye on a single person. Anxious and thinking about how to make amends, he began flying onto the rooftops to trace the trail.

Qin Sang was also taken aback. Xie Xiao had run away. Why did he run away? Where did he go?

***

At the funeral, the Xie family erupted in celebration upon learning that Xie Xiao had run away.

Xie Zhiyuan sighed, his face grim and his eyes narrowed, "Now that things have come to this, it's not that I'm disregarding brotherly affection and expelling him from the Xie family to save us all. After all, the sins of the mother are to be repaid by the son, and we must show our attitude to the officials..."

“But his mother has already been punished, the fault is not his, so why should he expel his fourth uncle from the family?” Xie Sui’an knelt upright in the middle of the mourning hall to observe mourning for Xie Zhongxu. His face was pale and his eyes were dark, indicating that he had not slept all night.

With so many major events happening in the Prime Minister's residence, it would be a miracle if he could sleep.

This was the first time he truly understood the meaning of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," and the first time he felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. His father was stubborn and arrogant, his uncle was gentle and unassuming, and although Xie Jingze seemed alright, he was too sentimental and dwelling on the past.

Whether the Emperor's decision to send him to the Imperial Guard was a gesture of goodwill towards the Xie family or had ulterior motives, he didn't yet know. But allowing him to continue as a carefree playboy was probably out of the question.

"With a mother who doesn't know her own limitations, he was born wrong!" Xie Zhiyuan raised his voice slightly and cursed Xie Sui'an. "And if he wasn't wrong, why is he running away? You hang out with him all day long, what has he taught you that makes you so protective of him?!"

"Father, have some tea. Be careful not to upset yourself." Xie Lin gently brought the tea to Xie Zhiyuan. Xie Zhiyuan's anger subsided slightly, and he drank the tea.

He actually said, "If only you were a boy, you would be obedient and sensible, saving me so much trouble."

Cen Biyun, her face ashen, had been holding back for a while, but finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Master, have you lost your mind? Even favoritism has its limits. My son is now a member of the Imperial Guard, personally appointed by His Majesty. This girl's mother is still confined to her courtyard because her family members were secretly buying and selling disaster relief grain. Who knows if this incident wasn't the trigger for the disaster that befell our Xie family today?" Biyun's face was flushed, and she became more and more angry as she spoke. She said, "In my opinion, this girl's mother should also be sent away. A gecko should cut off its tail to survive; if you're going to cut it off, you should cut it off cleanly!"

"How can these two be the same?" Xie Zhiyuan glared. "Wan Niang didn't do anything wrong!"

"What's the difference? It's your saying, sir, that a son should pay his mother's debts, and it's only natural that a daughter should pay her father's debts! Tan Wan's father has been doing business under his name for a long time now. Where does the money that she and her mother wear gold and silver with every day come from? Doesn't your father have any idea at all..."

"Enough!" Xie Zhiyuan interrupted Cen Biyun, "We're talking about the fourth brother right now, why are you bringing up other things?!"

"Father said that Fourth Uncle's mother made a mistake and that the son should pay for the mother's debts, while Mother said that Aunt Tan's father made a mistake and that the daughter should pay for the debts. It's clearly the same thing, not something else." Xie Xiao's childish voice was clear and calm. "Father loves Aunt Tan, so even if her father made a mistake, Father is willing to forgive her. But when Grandfather was alive, he also loved Aunt Jiang very much. Perhaps Grandfather's spirit in heaven is also willing to forgive Fourth Uncle. Father, are you going against Grandfather's last wishes?"

No one spoke, but they all looked at Xie Zhiyuan.

Xie Lin's eyes welled up with tears, and with a blink, the tears streamed down her fair cheeks.

Over there, the exhausted eldest brother Xie Tiao let out a long sigh: "Enough, stop arguing. This matter is ultimately not the fourth brother's fault, and the emperor has not issued any decree to implicate anyone. Let's just leave."

Xie Zhiyuan snorted: "Womanly compassion, just wait and see."

Xie Sui'an got up and left in a huff.

***

Qin Sang carefully wandered around Xie Xiao's room. His room wasn't luxurious, but it was always unique, just like the decor of his carriage, which had a rugged, exotic feel. She didn't understand it before, but now she did.

What did his mother tell him? She told him about their country and the hatred caused by the destruction of the Namo Kingdom.

What was he thinking? Did he hate the Kingdom of Namo, the Prime Minister, or himself?

It's difficult for both of them. What business is it of his to deal with past grievances?

No wonder I always felt a strange melancholy in his eyes whenever I saw him. When did this sense of helplessness, regret, or hatred begin to weigh on him?

She entered his bedroom. The quilt was neatly folded, and there was still some untouched tea on the octagonal table. The tea soup was clear.

Suddenly she remembered those clean, slender hands... She picked up the teacup, brought it to her nose, and smelled it.

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice rang out from the doorway.

Qin Sang turned around and saw Xie Sui'an.

It felt like ages since we last met, even though it had only been a day or two.

He had a bluish stubble on his chin, and his eyelids were folded into three layers. He was half-squatting to look at the dead cat on the ground.

Qin Sang put down her teacup: "How long has it been since you slept?"

Xie Sui'an ignored her: "What is Your Highness doing here? Are you very familiar with my fourth uncle? Come to think of it, you are really likable. You seem to know everyone else better than me."

That was a sarcastic remark, and it was hard to respond.

Qin Sang put down her teacup and changed the subject: "Besides feeding the fish, what other hobbies does your fourth uncle have? Where does he like to go for leisure?"

Xie Sui'an looked up at her, his eyes filled with doubt.

Qin Sang explained to him, "I think he couldn't bear such a cruel blow and couldn't think straight, so he ran away. If we find him before the Prince... Speaking of which, why did the Prince of Ning'an send people to keep an eye on him?"

When Xie Sui'an heard her mention Prince Ning'an, her face darkened even more. She lowered her head and said irritably, "How would I know why? Shouldn't you know better than me, Your Highness?"

"You're not officially married yet, don't call me that."

Xie Sui'an's heart was already at rock bottom, and now it had fallen into an endless abyss.

This woman is heartless. She's a womanizer. Has she forgotten the close bond they shared in Quzhou? How come she's become a completely different person in the capital, only caring about climbing the social ladder...? Perhaps, this is just who she is, only interested in climbing the social ladder.

Not knowing whether to laugh at her or at herself, Xie Sui'an felt a tightness in her throat, her throat was dry, and the corners of her eyes were red.

"Qin Sang," he called her name.

Qin Sang had only thought he was teasing her and was just teasing him a little, but now that he was calling her that, she felt very uneasy.

"Hmm?" she answered.