Chapter 35 What are "irregulars"? Husband Wei Qin…

After Jiang Yinyue left, the princess couldn't help but reminisce about the past. Back then, in her youth, she wasn't yet the frivolous and unrestrained princess. She too had once been filled with love and her heart was full of a man.

The man laughed and said that he preferred a young lady from a scholarly family.

There is a difference in social standing between scholarly families and prestigious families. She didn't believe that an ambitious and refined nobleman would give up shortcuts and bow down to unrealistic petty love.

The man went to great lengths to marry the girl he loved, but was repeatedly rejected. He became more determined with each setback and eventually won her heart. After his wife passed away, he preferred to be labeled a widower rather than remarry or take a concubine.

He constantly proclaimed that a true man should prioritize power over love, but he didn't practice what he preached; he was hypocritical.

The Jiang family, a prominent and distinguished clan, produced a romantic.

The lover had another stubborn daughter who wouldn't give up until she hit a brick wall.

He hit a brick wall and refused to turn back.

The princess rose and gracefully walked to the bamboo grove on the opposite bank of the pool, where she sat down in front of a patch of precious Xiangfei bamboo.

The elaborate and colorful dresses were layered upon each other, like blooming roses.

"Did Your Highness hear me clearly?"

Leaning against the Xiangfei armchair, Wei Xichen stroked the small tabby cat held in his palm and said with a faint smile, "Auntie, please speak frankly."

"The plums have fallen from the branches and been soaked in someone else's wine. They will no longer suit Your Highness's taste. If Your Highness forces them to open the wine and taste it, you will only find it bitter. It would be better to grow plums that are only suitable for you."

The eldest princess raised her hand, "Come, present His Highness with a portrait."

Two maids stepped forward and unfurled portraits of beautiful women, all of whom were the legitimate daughters of powerful figures in the capital and local lords.

"The Empress plans to select a Crown Princess immediately after Your Highness returns to the capital. Your Highness may wish to take a look at these women and see if any of them catch your eye."

Wei Xichen glanced at the portrait spread on the ground.

This was the real purpose of the Empress Dowager's visit to Yangzhou: to persuade him to fill the Eastern Palace and consolidate and expand his power.

It seems that the third prince, supported by the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Justice, has grown increasingly powerful and has become a thorn in the side of his mother and aunt.

Wei Xichen placed the little tabby cat on the first portrait, letting it hop around on the connected portraits.

"Chen'er!"

Wei Xichen smiled, resting one hand on the low table, displaying the rebellious and lazy air that comes with his age. "Let it be."

"Your Highness is twenty years old."

"Auntie isn't in a hurry either."

The eldest princess was speechless. No wonder the empress and the chief minister were always helpless whenever they talked about the selection of the crown prince.

Why the stubbornness?

"We all agree that the daughter of the Minister of Personnel is the most suitable."

"I don't think it's appropriate."

"A talented and beautiful young lady isn't suitable, but Yan Zhuyi is?"

The daughter of that minor official was just one step away from becoming the Crown Prince's principal wife, but fortunately, the Empress and the Grand Secretary strongly opposed it. But what happened afterward? The Crown Prince didn't seem to dote on that woman much, nor did he show any intention of making her his official wife.

"Could it be that Your Highness foresaw all along that Yan Zhuyi would not become the Crown Princess? Your Highness went to great lengths to pave the way for her, only to avenge the Jiang family's daughter who had stabbed him in the heart, while in reality still reserving the position of Crown Princess for her, but did not expect that a poor girl would suddenly appear halfway through?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Xichen's faint smile faded.

Her clear, bright eyes were veiled by the morning mist of the bamboo forest.

**

Since the raid on Yan Hongchang's residence, the Salt Transport Bureau has conducted several reconciliations, and the accounts differ significantly from those in the confessions of the arrested salt merchants.

His Highness the Crown Prince ordered that they dig three feet into the ground to find the remaining stolen goods hidden by Yan Hongchang.

Within two days, an official in charge of the case discovered a huge hidden chamber on the floor of the woodshed in the Yan residence. It was crisscrossed with grooves and made of steel. The guards tried their best, but they could not break open even a crack.

"This hidden cabinet must have been made by a skilled craftsman."

"Yan Hongchang was tortured until his teeth were broken, but he still refused to explain how he opened the secret door. It seems that most of the stolen goods were inside."

Having recovered from his illness, Wei Xichen turned to Wei Qin, who had come with him, and smiled after hearing the official's report. "Has the second-place scholar figured out the mystery?"

Wei Qin glanced at the crisscrossing grooves on the hidden door and guessed, "It might be a mechanism."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Prefect Lin Yu, who was walking forward with the Crown Prince and Wei Qin, stroked his beard and said, "Then we will need to invite a reclusive master skilled in mechanical arts to solve the problem. Your humble servant will post a notice to recruit talented individuals."

We need to recruit widely... There may not be anyone within a hundred miles who has mastered the art of mechanisms, and the craftsmen who built this hidden pavilion either dare not show themselves or have already been killed.

Wei Xichen waved his hand, signaling Lin Yu to do it immediately.

Lin Yu bowed and stepped back before turning around and taking a step. He accidentally stepped into a groove and fell forward uncontrollably.

Seeing this, several nearby officials stepped forward to help them up. In the midst of the chaos, someone accidentally touched something, and the hidden door suddenly spun like a top, throwing everyone off balance.

Wei Xichen and Wei Qin, who were standing in the center of the dark pavilion, lost their footing and fell into it.

"Bang!"

The hidden door closed, and everything returned to normal.

The two men have disappeared without a trace.

"Your Highness!!"

Terrified cries echoed through the desolate mansion. Lin Yu scrambled and pounded on the hidden door, calling out to the Crown Prince along with the other officials. No one paid any attention to Wei Qin, who had disappeared with them.

When Jiang Yinyue arrived, she was stopped outside the mansion by the yamen runners.

"No unauthorized personnel allowed!"

"What are these 'unnecessary people'? My husband, Wei Qin!"

The prefect's adjutant recognized Jiang Yinyue's identity and immediately invited her in.

This was an extraordinary woman who dared to issue orders to the prefect while holding the emperor's waist token, so the adjutant dared not neglect her.

Jiang Yinyue asked as she ran, "Where?"

"The woodshed."

Upon arriving at the woodshed, Jiang Yinyue was startled by the sound of chisels and axes, which made her ears ring.

Unable to find a master of mechanical arts, Lin Yu was frantic, like an ant on a hot pan, and was directing several incredibly strong warriors to violently hammer away.

Jiang Yinyue ran to Lin Yu's side and carefully examined the patterns in the grooves, but even if she had read hundreds or thousands of books, she still didn't understand mechanical arts.

Just when everyone was at a loss, a general swung his iron hammer, and the hidden door spun around again.

Lin Yu was overjoyed and stepped forward, calling out, "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

The echoes reverberated within the dark chamber.

The hidden door kept rotating, and just as it was about to close, a long sword was inserted and pressed against the slot.

But then, the longsword broke.

The sword tip remained in the slot, leaving a narrow gap in the hidden door.

The generals stepped forward, intending to lift it together, but instead touched another hidden door that rotated.

Jiang Yinyue and Lin Yu were caught up in it.

"Ah, the prefect has fallen!"

Jiang Yinyue wasn't sure if she was lucky or unlucky. She fell on the cold brick surface, becoming Lin Yu's cushion.

She pushed the person away forcefully, rubbed her aching back, and struggled to get up, but she was not injured.

The noise from above was blocked out, and was faint and unclear.

It must be said that Yan Hongchang went to great lengths to hide the stolen goods, almost to the extent of secrecy surrounding the dragon vein treasure in the storybooks.

She kicked the unconscious Lin Yu, but didn't have the energy to take care of her. She leaned against the wall and explored forward in the dark.

After exploring for an unknown amount of time, I was startled by a cat's meow.

"Hmm?"

As her mouth was covered and she was pulled to the side, her calf was entangled by something furry.

"Don't kick it, it's a cat!"

Wei Xichen's voice rang in my ears.

As Jiang Yinyue regained consciousness after being terrified, she began to struggle violently.

"Let me go..."

Her lips were covered, and she spoke indistinctly, her restrained body filled with resistance.

Wei Xichen pressed her against the wall and covered her mouth tightly to stop her from screaming, lest she trigger the hidden traps.

"Don't make a sound, okay?"

Jiang Yinyue nodded emphatically. The moment the man let go, she pushed him away forcefully, then grabbed the kitten on her lap and held it in her hand.

"Why are there cats here?"

"It is my lingering thought."

Wei Xichen, who had been pushed aside, stood still and replied calmly.

Jiang Yinyue released the cat, letting it land at her feet.

Niannian... How could he even think of that?

Where is Wei Qin?

They didn't fall into the Dark Pavilion together!

Wei Xichen's tone turned cold. "They went to find an exit."

"Where did he go? Is he injured?"

Jiang Yinyue was eager to see Wei Qin, and her concerned words came out without her noticing.

Wei Xichen didn't answer. He picked up the little tabby cat and put it in his sleeve, then pulled Jiang Yinyue along to look for the exit.

"Let me go!"

"In this critical moment, when circumstances dictate actions, you want me to abandon you?"

Jiang Yinyue's wrist ached from being gripped so tightly. She twisted her wrist, but couldn't overcome the other person's strength. She sneered, "Prefect Lin is still lying there. Your Highness shouldn't abandon him."

The once gentle girl had become sharp-tongued. Wei Xichen's handsome face turned slightly pale. He increased his strength and pulled Jiang Yinyue forward.

"Danger lurks everywhere here, don't lose them."

"Let me go! Have some self-respect!"

Wei Xichen did not turn around. The darkness concealed the emotions in his eyes, which then flowed to his clenched fingertips.

Even in the midst of the crisis, the Crown Prince's concern for the officials' families was indeed excessive, and he should have been more self-respectful. He was fully aware of all this, but he just couldn't let go of the thin wrist bone he was holding onto.

He had held her wrist like that before, with a very light touch, but the woman holding his wrist wished he could hold it tighter, even tighter.

"If you don't hold my hand tightly, I'm going to run away."

Her clear, slightly reproachful voice, intertwined with his cold, distant tone, pierced his old wound in his heart like an arrow.

Wei Xichen suddenly gripped his fist and pulled the person to his side.

"Keep up."

Jiang Yinyue stumbled forward and kicked his shin. In her anger, she forgot her status and bent down to bite his hand.

Wei Xichen frowned, feeling the pain in the back of his hand, but he still didn't let go of her until Wei Qin's voice came faintly from the darkness.

"Your Highness has frightened my wife."

"Wei Qin!"

Jiang Yinyue straightened up and forcefully shook off Wei Xichen's hand, unexpectedly breaking free easily. She ran towards the sound, but before she could get close to the "source of the sound," Wei Qin grabbed her around the waist.

Her body fell uncontrollably into the man's chest.

The familiar, chilling aura put Jiang Yinyue's mind at ease.

Are you injured?

In the pitch black, Jiang Yinyue could only use her small hands to explore Wei Qin's body.

Wei Qin did not stop him. His narrow eyes pierced through the darkness and landed on the Crown Prince ten steps away. Gone was the awe that a subject should have. His gaze was cold and sharp.

After a moment, he looked away, then down at his wife's blurry silhouette, and whispered, "Don't worry, she's not hurt."

"Let's keep looking for an exit." Wei Xichen gathered his sleeves, feeling neither guilt for offending his wife nor remorse, and even a slight anger that shouldn't have arisen, all of which disappeared in his extremely restrained rationality.

Restraint and indulgence are separated by a single thought.

"Your Majesty, I discovered several coffins on the other side, most of which contained the ashes of the craftsmen who built this secret chamber."

It may also contain a large amount of gold, silver, jade, and silk.

Out of safety concerns, Wei Qin did not open it for inspection; afterwards, a coroner would be arranged to examine it.

Wei Xichen took a deep breath. Yan Hongchang had gone mad in order to keep the news from leaking out. No wonder he dared to murder Wei Qin to silence him.

He continued walking forward, ignoring the young couple behind him.

Wei Qin didn't follow, but led Jiang Yinyue to a wall to the side. "Are you alright?"

Jiang Yinyue rubbed her wrist. "I bit him."

The tone was as if he were showing off how intimidating and petty he was.

Wei Qin took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped her lips, again and again, saying, "Don't bite others next time."

"pain."

Did I use force?

Jiang Yinyue felt the silky texture of the handkerchief; it was indeed neither painful nor itchy. But what was the purpose of Wei Qin wiping it again and again?

"Then I'll bite you."

"Um."

"......"

Jiang Yinyue turned her face away, regretting her quick wit.

Wei Qinhuan did not loosen his hand around her waist. He led her to sit against the wall, propped up one leg, closed her eyes and waited, as if she had given up her chance to survive.

Jiang Yinyue leaned against him. The heat outside was getting stronger, and it was damp and cold inside. It was warmer to be close together. "Aren't we going to look for an exit?"

"Judging from the structure of the secret chamber, apart from the rotating hidden door, there are no other exits."

It's futile to try, so it's best to conserve our energy and wait for rescue.

"You know about mechanisms?"

I know a little about it.

Jiang Yinyue laughed, "How come you know a little bit about everything?"

Wei Qin looked down at her, even though he couldn't see her clearly, he couldn't bear to look away. "Are you proud?"

"What am I proud of?" Jiang Yinyue realized what was happening and wanted to laugh even more. Her almond-shaped eyes were clear and sparkling even in the dim light.

"What if we can't get out?"

"Won't."

"That's good. I don't want Father to be sad." Jiang Yinyue secretly rubbed her wrist, which had been gripped red, and her heart was no longer filled with anxiety.

With Wei Qin around, she always felt at ease.

When Wei Xichen turned back, Jiang Yinyue leaned against Wei Qin's shoulder, having lost her interest in teasing him.

“There are dozens of chests of gold over there.” Wei Xichen leaned against the wall opposite the two of them. Even the crown prince, who had some knowledge of mechanical arts, gave up the opportunity to find the exit.

The little tabby cat peeked out from his sleeve and nestled quietly against his lap.

While the people above were still chattering and discussing rescue plans, the three people in the dark chamber were unusually quiet, each conserving their strength.

Their first challenge is the dampness and thirst of tonight.

In the darkness, Wei Xichen half-lifted his eyelids and looked directly at the man and woman opposite him. The predicament he was in was not as suffocating as the cage around his heart.

The sharp-tongued woman hadn't lost her gentle side; it's just that the person she was facing was no longer him.

Wei Xichen raised his lips and smiled.

Once she regained consciousness, Lin Yu rubbed her aching body, groaning, and immediately approached the figure in the shadows.

In the blurry vision, the figures of the two men on the left and right were surprisingly similar.

After mistaking the person for someone else, Lin Yu moved to the other side and said, "This humble subject made a mistake unintentionally. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"

Wei Xichen leaned his head against the wall, "So noisy."

Lin Yu immediately covered her mouth, not daring to displease the Crown Prince any further.

Jiang Yinyue, sitting opposite, rubbed her arm. After sitting for a long time, her body was beginning to succumb to the dampness and cold.

Wei Qin took off his outer garment, wrapped it around her, and sat her on his lap.

To insulate her from the cold air of the ground.

Wei Xichen glanced at them sideways. He, who always preferred peace and quiet and disliked getting entangled with others, suddenly wanted to pull the two apart.