Chapter 97 Dongzhu "Pei Yanxing! Don't push your luck!"...

When Xie Jingqiu woke up again, she felt sore all over. She had grown up in luxury since childhood and had never suffered such hardship of sleeping directly on the ground.

A few rays of light pierced through the cracks in the wooden planks, barely illuminating the room. The walls were bare, the windows were sealed shut, and the air was damp and stuffy, filled with a musty, musty smell that made one want to vomit. A pale-faced boy leaned against the corner.

"Young Master Shen? Are you alright?" she called softly.

Shen Xiaoshan opened his eyes upon hearing the sound. His arm wound had been simply bandaged, and although his face was still a little pale, his spirits had improved considerably. He had developed a fever last night, and Xie Jingqiu had insisted on getting medicine for his injury from someone outside. Fortunately, he had been strengthening his body over the years and had a solid constitution; otherwise, who knows what might have happened.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, Miss." He struggled to stand up.

"Sit down quickly." Xie Jingqiu waved his hand, disregarding all etiquette, and sat down directly opposite him on the ground, with his hands wrapped around his knees, frowning in thought. "They went to great lengths to kidnap us, yet they didn't harm anyone and were even willing to give us medicine... What are their true intentions? To hire assassins with such skills, it must not be as simple as just seeking money."

Shen Xiaoshan pursed his lips, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, "Perhaps...it has something to do with Commander Yuan."

"Commander Yuan?" Xie Jingqiu was taken aback. "He has always been on good terms with my family, and he has always been very polite to my grandfather. He even came to our residence for tea a few days ago. How could this be..."

“Miss Xie, this involves an important case, and I shouldn’t say anything, but given the current situation…” Shen Xiaoshan took a deep breath, “Do you know what Commander Yuan is doing?”

"He colluded with the Cui family to illegally set up a mine outside the city, forcibly taking people as slaves and making them work day and night until they died. Lord Pei's trip south this time is precisely to investigate this case. There is one of their mines in the Xiuyai Mountain area."

Xie Jingqiu instantly understood everything. No wonder there was a commotion at Xiuyai Mountain that day, but no one could explain what had happened. Her cousin and her sister Lingyao were both vague in their explanations.

"So he kidnapped me to coerce my grandfather?" She quickly realized the truth, her pretty face darkening. "You've really miscalculated! My grandfather is the most upright man; he would never associate with such a despicable person!"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly remembered something, and her voice lowered, "Then our lives..."

Seeing that her face was pale, Shen Xiaoshan changed the subject, "Miss Xie, have you noticed that this house is a bit strange?"

Xie Jingqiu snapped out of her daze and looked up at him.

“This room is very damp.” Shen Xiaoshan pointed to the corner of the wall and the gaps in the window. “Look at these marks, they are left by long-term moisture. We should be by the water.”

Xie Jingqiu took a closer look and found it to be just as he had said. The wooden planks in the corner were somewhat blackened and rotten, and there were traces of moss in the cracks of the window frames. She nodded, "I also feel that it's very damp here, and my clothes are sticking to my body."

Shen Xiaoshan licked his dry lips and said, "I heard some noises in the early hours of the morning."

"You're burning up with fever, why aren't you resting? What are you listening to?" Xie Jingqiu glared at him, annoyed. "What if you damage your brain? Wouldn't your sister Lingyao blame me?"

Shen Xiaoshan lowered his eyelashes shyly, his ears turning slightly red. "...It's my duty." He paused. "The sound was first a loud bang, followed by a screeching and colliding sound, which lasted for a while."

Xie Jingqiu tilted his head and thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, "A boat! It's the sound of a boat docking!"

“Exactly.” Approval appeared in Shen Xiaoshan’s eyes. “My hometown is Suzhou, where waterways crisscross the area. I’m very familiar with this sound. That rumbling sound is the stone ingot being thrown into the water as an anchor, followed by the sound of the iron chain being lowered and rubbing against the hull of the boat.”

Xie Jingqiu often sneaked out to the docks to watch the excitement, so she was naturally familiar with these things. She nodded and said, "So, we're near the docks right now?"

"Very likely," Shen Xiaoshan analyzed. "Nanjing has a well-developed canal system and many docks. Does Miss Xie know which ones they are?"

Xie Jingqiu counted on his fingers, "Shitoujin, Chapu, Xintingjiang, Liezhou..."

“Liezhou is too far away. Given the time we were abducted, it’s impossible for us to have reached there.” Xie Jingqiu frowned and thought carefully. “The remaining few are all possible.”

She closed her eyes, trying to recall the geography of Jinling and the snippets of conversation she had overheard with Miss Yuan during those days. Suddenly, she opened her eyes. "It should be Chapu Wharf!"

“Miss Yuan once told me that her father often went to Chapu to inspect the canal transport. Chapu is a wharf on the southern extension of Shitoujin, mainly used for the handling of ordinary commercial goods. Unlike Shitoujin, it is a royal wharf, used by both the military and civilians, and its management is extremely strict. If anyone wanted to do something shady, Chapu would be the most convenient place.”

Shen Xiaoshan nodded. "Miss Xie is very thoughtful."

Xie Jingqiu smiled bitterly, "But what good does it do to know? We're trapped here, unable to send any messages out, and the people outside have no idea where we are."

“Not necessarily.” Shen Xiaoshan pondered for a moment. “Since they want to use you to blackmail the Xie family, they will definitely make you do something, such as handing over some personal belongings as proof, so that the Xie family will believe that you are indeed in their hands. At that time, we may be able to make some trouble with those items.”

“Worrying now is useless.” Shen Xiaoshan leaned against the wall, his voice weak but steady. “It’s better to conserve our energy and wait and see.”

Xie Jingqiu felt a sense of peace. She nodded, rested her chin on her hand, and silently sorted out her thoughts, waiting for the turning point that might come at any time.

"Pei Yanxing! Don't push your luck!" Xie Chong'an slammed his hand on the rosewood desk, making the brushes on the brush holder jump. "Do you really think I wouldn't dare to touch you?"

Outside the study, the servants stood silently, exchanging glances, all seeing fear in each other's eyes. The old master hadn't been this angry in a long time.

Inside the study, Pei Xu stood tall and elegant, his face calm and composed, as if the thunderous rage was not directed at him. He slightly cupped his hands, "Grandpa, please calm your anger. It is my duty to act in accordance with the law. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me."

"Duty? According to the law?" Xie Chong'an's beard trembled with anger, his finger almost touching Pei Xu's nose. "I didn't investigate Xie Rong's matter because you're young! Now you're setting your sights on my Xie family. Do you really think my Xie family is a soft persimmon for you to manipulate?"

Meng Lingyao, who was standing to the side, stepped forward at the right moment and gently advised, "Grandpa, please calm down, Lord Pei, he..."

"Meng girl, you don't need to speak up for him!" Xie Chong'an interrupted her, his tone becoming increasingly agitated. "This Jinling City is not for a mere child like him to point fingers! My Xie family has been established here for a hundred years; what storms haven't we weathered?"

Pei Xu lowered his eyelids slightly. "Your Excellency is too kind. Everything I have done is for the service of the court and to speak out for the people. If the Xie family has acted uprightly, why should they fear my investigation? Could it be... that there is some unspeakable secret?"

"Insolence!" Xie Chong'an laughed in anger, flicking his sleeve and knocking over a celadon teacup on the corner of the table. The crisp sound of it shattering was particularly jarring. "Get out! Get out of here! My Xie family does not welcome a disrespectful and arrogant person like you!"

"In that case, I shall take my leave." Pei Xu bowed again, then turned and left the study.

Meng Lingyao watched Pei Xu's departing figure, then looked at Xie Chong'an, who was still furious. She bit her lip and finally caught up with her fiancé.

"Get out, all of you get out!" Xie Chong'an roared. "Old Li, keep your eyes open from now on, and don't let just anyone into the house!"

Yes, yes.

This commotion quickly spread through the mouths of those with ulterior motives. The next day, Xie Chong'an stormed into the garrison headquarters, demanding to see Yuan Chengde.

Looking at Xie Chong'an's gloomy face, Commander Yuan secretly felt pleased and personally poured him tea. "The old master's presence truly honors my humble abode. Is it because of yesterday's unpleasant encounter with Pei Shaoqing?"

Xie Chong'an took the teacup but did not drink it. He just looked at him with a deep gaze. "Commander Yuan, I don't like beating around the bush. My granddaughter Jingqiu has not returned home for two days."

Commander Yuan looked surprised. "Is that so? Miss Xie is very lucky. Perhaps she went to stay at one of her sisters' houses for a while and forgot to send a message back?"

"Is that so?" Xie Chong'an gently placed the teacup on the table. "Then I must have been overthinking it. In that case, I will go and inform the prefect and ask him to issue a warrant for arrest and to search with all his might. There should be no one in Jinling City that my Xie family cannot find."

He made a move as if to get up, his posture defiant.

A sinister glint flashed in Yuan Shoubei's eyes. He knew this old fox was using a feigned retreat to force him to reveal his trump card. He quickly raised his hand to stop him, "Grandpa, please wait! This matter... can perhaps be discussed further."

He pondered for a moment, then took out a butterfly hairpin from his sleeve and pushed it in front of Xie Chong'an. "Does this look familiar, sir?"

That was Xie Jingqiu's favorite hairpin. Xie Chong'an's pupils contracted slightly as he stared at the hairpin, his hand, resting on his knee, slowly clenching, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He raised his eyes, his gaze icy, "Yuan Chengde, what do you mean by this?"

“This junior has no ill intentions.” Commander Yuan leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. “I just ask Miss Xie to stay as a guest for a few days. If only the old master would be willing to keep a low profile while Pei Xu is investigating the case, or… do him a favor at certain crucial moments.”

Xie Chong'an sneered, "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare." Although Yuan Shoubei said he wouldn't dare, his tone was full of coercion and enticement. "I just feel that Pei Xu may not be very respectful to your Xie family. Back then, Xie Sanlang only had a minor offense, but he dared to break into the mansion and arrest people. It is clear that he does not take you, an elder of Jinling, seriously. This boy is young and arrogant because he relies on the emperor's favor. This is a good opportunity to make him stumble and learn some manners."

He observed Xie Chong'an's expression, seeing that his face was ashen, and then threw out an even heavier bargaining chip, his voice extremely low, almost a whisper, "To be honest, my actions were tacitly approved by the Third Prince. Now that the situation is clear, you must have your own plans regarding who will become the Crown Prince. The Xie family's century-old foundation should be approached with even greater caution now, lest... one wrong step lead to total defeat."

Xie Chong'an remained silent, his expression shifting. After a long silence, he finally sighed in despair, reached out and snatched the hairpin, clutching it tightly in his palm.

"This matter...is of great importance, and I need to consider it further."

“Of course.” Commander Yuan knew he couldn’t push too hard, so he pretended to be magnanimous. “Please consider it, sir. But… time waits for no one. If Pei Xu makes his move first, and I can’t even protect myself, I’m afraid I won’t be able to guarantee Miss Xie’s safety.”

Xie Chong'an gave him a cold glance, said nothing more, and left in a huff.

"Jingqiu is indeed in his hands." Xie Chong'an took out the hairpin and placed it on the table. There was no hesitation on his face, only cold sharpness.

Several people at the center of controversy in Jinling City have gathered at a secluded residence.

Pei Xu took it and examined it carefully. Meng Lingyao also stepped forward and examined it closely in the lamplight. Her familiarity with jewelry far surpassed that of the men present. Her fingertips gently traced the butterfly wings and antennae, examining it with utmost care.

“No,” she suddenly frowned, pointing her fingertip to the base of the butterfly’s wing. “There should have been a tiny pearl, about the size of a grain of rice, embedded here, but it’s gone.”

"Eastern pearl?"

Meng Lingyao nodded, pondering, and said, "Jingqiu once showed me this hairpin. The hairpin is exquisitely crafted, and all the other gemstones and beads are tightly inlaid. There's no reason why it was that one pearl that fell out. Perhaps... Jingqiu wanted to tell us something through this."

“Pearls are all born in water, Eastern pearls… Eastern pearls… Eastern? Could it be the east?” She looked at Old Master Xie and Pei Xu, “East of Jinling City, a place by the water…”

The two exchanged a glance and instantly understood.

“Chapu Wharf,” the two said in unison.

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Author's Note: Hello everyone reading this! It's a nasty Saturday at work [angry]