restless

Xiao Diting was awakened by the noise outside the window.

Just as dawn was breaking, the courtyard of the inn was filled with the clatter of tables and chairs being overturned, mixed with men's angry curses and women's screams, making it impossible for anyone to sleep.

She barely slept a wink last night, and her eyes were covered with faint dark circles. When she reached for the sword under her pillow, her fingertips were slightly stiff.

"What's going on?" She threw back the covers, got up, walked to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain.

In the courtyard downstairs, several burly men in short-sleeved shirts were shoving and jostling a peddler carrying a load on a shoulder pole. The leader, a man with a fierce face, was playing with an iron ring in his hand, his eyes menacing: "Are you blind? Can't you see I'm drinking here?"

The peddler turned pale with fright, his load overturned on the ground, and the fruit that rolled off was trampled to pieces: "Sir...sir, spare my life! I didn't mean to..."

"Didn't it on purpose?" The burly man kicked the peddler in the back of the knee, then grinned maliciously as he watched the man kneel on the ground. "You bumped into my table, and you think you can just let it go with a 'didn't it on purpose'? Pay up!"

The surrounding guests were so frightened that they huddled to the side, not daring to make a sound. The innkeeper ran out trembling to plead for mercy, but was shoved aside by the burly man: "Get out of the way! This place is now under my control!"

Xiao Diting frowned slightly, leaned forward and looked out the window. He looked up at the guards crouching on the third floor.

The guard shook his head, signaling her not to act rashly.

So Xiao Diting patiently remained still, watching the group of people at the entrance of the inn. From the moment she stepped into Huaizhou, there were many suspicious points. She had already sent some of her personal guards to inform Shangguan Lin, so there were even fewer people who could protect her.

Putting aside the fact that this inn is near the Yang residence, and the imperial court is currently encouraging business, the Yang family should be able to offer some assistance. How could they allow such a bully to run rampant here?

As she was pondering this, the burly man seemed to find the peddler's crying and wailing an eyesore, and raised his foot to kick him.

Now Xiao Diting could no longer stand idly by. The incident had happened right under her nose, and she was worried about where to cause trouble for the Yang family.

"stop."

A cool voice came from the second floor; it wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of confidence.

The burly man paused for a moment, then looked up at the building and saw a young woman dressed in a tight-fitting outfit. He immediately sneered, "Where did this little wench come from, daring to meddle in my business?"

Xiao Diting ignored his foul language, only glancing at the peddler on the ground and the messy yard, and said in a calm tone: "He bumped into your table, so he should compensate you. But if he hit someone, then it's your fault."

"What about me?" The burly man spat on the ground as if he'd heard a joke. "Pah! I'm beating someone up in Huaizhou City, do you, a little brat, have a say in that? If you know what's good for you, get lost, or I'll take care of you too!"

His henchmen also burst into laughter, their eyes darting around Xiao Diting with unrestrained lewdness.

Xiao Diting slowly tightened his grip on the sword at his waist.

She didn't want to cause trouble, but the other party had already gone too far, and it wouldn't be in her nature to back down.

She turned and walked down the stairs. The captain of the guard, who knew what she was up to as soon as he saw her disappear through the window, rushed over to protect her, but was stopped by a look from her.

"I'll say it again." She walked up to the burly man, a head shorter than him, but her aura was in no way inferior. "Let him go, and we'll call it even."

Seeing that she was not only unafraid but also dared to approach, the burly man became enraged: "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty cup! What are you all standing there for, you brat? Take her down!"

Several henchmen grinned and pounced on him. Xiao Diting swayed his body, dodging the first one who rushed at him, and then swung his elbow backward, hitting the man squarely in the chest.

With a scream of agony, the man clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up for a long time due to the pain.

The others were stunned for a moment, not expecting that this seemingly slender woman was actually a martial arts expert.

The burly man cursed "trash" and charged forward, fists clenched.

Xiao Diting dodged the fist to the side, then flipped his wrist and precisely seized the man's pulse point. With a slight exertion, the burly man howled in pain, and the iron ring in his hand clattered to the ground.

She refused to give up, gripping the scabbard and pushing it forward. The burly man staggered back a few steps and landed hard on the overturned table, wincing in pain.

"You...you dare hit me?" The burly man was both shocked and furious.

Xiao Diting picked up the iron ring from the ground, weighed it in her hand, and then casually tossed it aside. She slowly drew her sword from its sheath, pointed the tip at the burly man, and said coldly, "Why don't you dare? Say one more word and I'll take your head."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling intensity that made the burly man's heart pound with fear, rendering him speechless for a moment.

The surrounding guests were also stunned, never expecting that such a thin woman could be such a formidable character.

"Get lost," Xiao Diting uttered a single word.

The burly man dared not linger any longer and fled with his followers, forgetting even to pick up the iron ring that had fallen to the ground.

The innkeeper hurriedly stepped forward to express his gratitude: "Thank you so much, young lady, otherwise my inn would be finished today..."

Xiao Diting waved his hand, signaling his guards to help the peddler up from the ground, and then had someone fetch some silver for him: "This little bit of money is to compensate you for your loss."

The peddler left, thanking him profusely, and the courtyard gradually returned to peace.

The captain of the personal guard stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, those people just now looked like servants of the Yang family."

Xiao Diting's eyes darkened. She knew that this kind of local bully must be closely related to local forces.

First they sealed off the city, then they sent people to monitor her, and now they're even allowing their servants to cause trouble at the inn. It's obvious they don't want her to have any peace.

"I understand," she said calmly. "Go prepare some breakfast, and we'll go to the Yang residence after we eat."

The guard said with some concern, "Your Highness, the Yang family's attitude suggests they have ulterior motives..."

"The more ill-intentioned they are, the more we should go." Xiao Diting's lips curled into a cold smile. "Aren't they going to hold a funeral? I'd like to go and see how they plan to put on this show."

After breakfast, Xiao Diting changed into a plain-colored outfit and went to the Yang residence with two personal guards.

As soon as I arrived at the gate, I saw that the Yang mansion was covered with white banners, and mournful music was playing, making it look like a funeral.

Yang Li was already waiting at the door, her face bearing just the right amount of sorrow. Upon seeing Xiao Diting, she hurriedly came forward: "Miss Xiao has arrived, please come in... Mother is already waiting in the mourning hall."

Xiao Diting nodded and followed him inside.

Passing through the front yard, you can see that a mourning hall has been set up in the main hall, with a pitch-black coffin in the center, and two white candles lit in front of it, with incense smoke swirling around.

Madam Yang, who had recently spoken ill of her daughter-in-law in the middle of the night, was dressed in mourning clothes and sitting on a prayer mat. When she saw Xiao Diting, she merely raised her eyelids and even stopped crying.

She knew how to put on a good show in front of others, but Xiao Diting looked down at the half-real tears in the corners of her eyes and sneered inwardly.

“Miss Xiao, this is Shuangqiao’s coffin.” Yang Li pointed to the coffin, his voice choked with sobs. “She has been married into the Yang family for many years. Although she has been a bit cold-hearted, she is still a member of the Yang family. It is truly heartbreaking that she has suffered such a misfortune.”

Xiao Diting walked to the coffin, feigned a bow, but his gaze swept over the coffin. The coffin was newly made, the lacquer was still very shiny, and the lid was tightly sealed, making it impossible to tell whether there was anyone inside.

"Young Master Yang, please accept my condolences." She said calmly, "Would it be possible to open the coffin so that I can see Madam one last time? That way, Lord Shangguan can have an explanation."

Yang Li's expression changed slightly, and he quickly waved his hand: "I'm afraid that's not appropriate... Shuangqiao fell off the cliff and was completely disfigured. I really can't bear to let people see it anymore."

Yang Li met Xiao Diting's expressionless face, wiped away imaginary tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve: "Besides, there are rules for encoffining; how can we open the coffin at will?"

"Oh?" Xiao Diting raised an eyebrow. "Young Master Yang is quite considerate. I heard that the young mistress and the young master have been married for many years and have always treated each other with respect. They must have a deep affection for each other. How come they are unwilling to even see each other one last time?"

Yang Li's eyes flickered, and he forced a smile, saying, "It is precisely because of our deep affection that I cannot bear to let her appear in public like that... Miss Xiao, please don't make things difficult for me."

Xiao Diting didn't press him, but turned to look at Old Madam Yang: "Old Madam, what do you think?"

Only then did Madam Yang speak, her voice hoarse: "Li'er is right, let Shuangqiao go in peace. If Miss Xiao truly cares for her, she should find out the truth as soon as possible so that she can rest in peace."

These words were perfectly worded, both silencing Xiao Diting and steer the conversation back to the investigation.

Xiao Diting sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "What the old lady says is true. But I wonder when the lady's body was transported back to the manor? Was the journey smooth?"

"We arrived in the early hours of the morning," Yang Li replied. "The journey was fairly smooth, but... well, let's not talk about it."

"That must have been hard work for Young Master Yang." Xiao Diting changed the subject. "Speaking of which, I haven't congratulated Young Master Yang yet."

Yang Li was taken aback: "Congratulations on what?"

"Congratulations, Young Master Yang, on your impending release." Xiao Diting looked at him with a half-smile. "With Madam gone, Young Master Yang can marry another girl who suits his taste. Isn't the Old Madam hoping for that too?"

These words struck a nerve with Yang Li, and his face instantly turned bright red: "Miss Xiao, what do you mean by this? Shuangqiao and I were husband and wife, her body is barely cold, how can you say such a thing?"

"I'm just telling the truth," Xiao Diting said calmly. "Just now at the inn, I heard that Young Master Yang had some complaints about his wife, saying that she was strong-willed and not like a docile woman... I suppose that's how the relationship between husband and wife is."

Yang Li was taken aback to learn these things from the common people and panicked, stammering, "I...I was just talking nonsense in a fit of anger..."

"Is that so?" Xiao Diting pressed on, half-truthfully bringing up what she had overheard in the middle of the night to test him, "But I also heard that Madam has been married into the Yang family for many years without having any children, and Young Master Yang has quite a few complaints about this, is that true?"

"You..." Yang Li was speechless, her face turning pale and then red.

Xiao Diting sneered; that meant she had tricked him correctly.

She had gained the upper hand in her argument with the Yang family, and she needed to let them know that she was a tough nut to crack. The questions she casually asked them to answer now actually confirmed her previous suspicions.

Ji Shuangqiao and Yang Li were at odds, and their relationship was very delicate.

Seeing this, Old Madam Yang quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Miss Xiao, these are all family matters of the Yang family, so there's no need for you to worry about them. Investigating the case is the priority, investigating the case is the priority."

Xiao Di, having heard this, stopped pressing the matter: "Since the old lady says so, then I won't ask any more questions. But there is one more thing I'd like to ask: I heard that the new prefect of Huaizhou was also transferred from Jiangzhou?"

Yang Li was taken aback, not expecting her to ask this suddenly, and mumbled, "Yes...yes, his surname is Liu, his name is Liu Cheng, and he just took office a few days ago."

"Oh? I wonder what the relationship is between this Prefect Liu and the Yang family?" Xiao Diting asked again.

Yang Li's eyes flickered: "We're fairly... fairly familiar. Prefect Liu had some connections with my father when he was in Jiangzhou, and it's fate that he's been transferred to Huaizhou now."

Xiao Diting nodded and didn't ask any further questions: "In that case, I won't bother you any longer. I'll go back to the inn first, and we can contact each other anytime if anything comes up."

Yang Li was eager for her to leave, so he quickly said, "I'll see Miss Xiao off."

"No need." Xiao Diting waved his hand, turned around and left the Yang residence with his personal guards.

After leaving the Yang residence, the captain of the personal guards couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, what do you think of what's inside this coffin...?"

"It's hard to say," Xiao Diting said, "but one thing is certain: the Yang family has something to hide... The more they try to cover it up, the more it shows they have something to hide."

"So what do we do now?"

"Let's go back to the inn first." Xiao Diting rubbed his sweaty palms. "Since they want to put on an act, we'll play along. Let's find out which Prefect Liu is more capable before making any plans."

Back at the inn, Xiao Diting had just sat down and taken a sip of tea when he heard a commotion outside.

She went to the window and saw a group of people holding up plaques, surrounding the entrance of the inn, chanting slogans such as "Give us back our grain" and "Down with corrupt officials."

The captain of the personal guard's expression changed: "Your Highness, they are refugees! Why are they causing trouble here?"

Xiao Diting frowned. This inn was still not over. One problem after another arose, and they always seemed to choose the time when she was there to cause trouble.

The timing of these refugees' arrival is too coincidental; it's clearly a deliberate instigation.

Just as she was about to send someone out to check, the inn's main door was kicked open, and a group of refugees swarmed in, heading straight upstairs.

"Not good!" Xiao Diting stood up. "They're coming for us!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several refugees rushed up to the second floor. The leader was a dark-skinned man who held a wooden stick in his hand and pointed at Xiao Diting, cursing, "It was you! You colluded with the Yang family and embezzled our life-saving food!"

Before Xiao Diting could speak, the man charged forward, wielding a wooden stick.

The captain of the guards quickly drew his sword to parry, and the two sides instantly clashed. The inn was thrown into chaos as the guests screamed in terror and scattered in all directions.

While dodging the attacks of the refugees, Xiao Diting observed the situation.

Although there were many of these refugees, most of them were ordinary people with little skill, and they were clearly being exploited.

"Stop!" Xiao Diting shouted. "Do you know who I am? I am a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, here to investigate a case! If your food has really been withheld, I can help you get justice!"

But the refugees seemed to be bewitched, ignoring her words and continuing to rush towards her frantically.

Left with no other option, Xiao Diting had to retaliate.

She acted with great restraint, injuring but not killing, and quickly brought down several of the leading refugees. Seeing this, the remaining refugees were frightened and dared not advance further.

The leader of the group tried to incite the crowd, but Xiao Diting rushed forward, snatched the wooden stick from his hand, and pinned him to the ground.

"Speak! Who sent you?" Xiao Diting demanded sharply.

The man gritted his teeth and refused to speak.

Xiao Diting's eyes turned cold, and he tightened his grip slightly. The man immediately cried out in pain, "I'll talk! I'll talk! It was... it was Young Master Yang who sent us. He said that as long as we drive you away, he'll give us food..."

As expected of the Yang family!

Xiao Diting was burning with rage and kicked the man away, shouting, "You've all been fooled by him!"

The refugees looked at each other, clearly somewhat disbelieving.

Just as Xiao Diting was about to say something more, he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves outside, followed by the shouts of officials.

"Stop it, all of you! Who's causing trouble here?"

It turned out that the innkeeper, who had been cowering in the corner, had secretly sent someone to report it to the authorities.

Soon a group of officials rushed in, led by a middle-aged man in official robes, who was none other than Liu Cheng, the new prefect of Huaizhou.

He frowned as he saw the chaos in the inn, but his eyes flickered when he saw the refugees pinned to the ground and Xiao Diting.

"I am Liu Cheng, and I have long admired your name, young lady, but I have been preoccupied with official duties and have only now been able to pay my respects." Liu Cheng bowed respectfully. "May I ask what has happened here?"

Xiao Diting snorted coldly: "Prefect Liu has come at the right time. These refugees have been incited to cause trouble here. I urge Prefect Liu to investigate the truth and give me an explanation."

Liu Cheng glanced at the refugees on the ground, then at Xiao Diting, and smiled, "Miss Xiao, you've been frightened. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give you a satisfactory answer. However... these refugees are also pitiful people, so please be merciful and let them go for now."

Xiao Diting knew that now was not the time to pursue the matter, so he nodded and said, "Since Prefect Liu says so, I will give you face."

She gestured to her guards to release the refugees, and the refugees ran away.

Liu Cheng said a few more polite words and tried to leave with the officials, but Xiao Diting got angry at their nonchalant attitude.

Xiao Diting raised his voice and coldly called out to Liu Cheng, "Since you're already here, won't you sit down for a while before you leave?"

Liu Cheng looked at the mess in the inn's hall and stiffly turned his head away.