Xiyuan Pavilion (4)

Yunzhou Prefecture Prison.

This wasn't Yan Qing's first time entering such a place. Although she had been taken hostage last time, it was still an eye-opening experience.

However, no matter how many times you've been to such a place, it's impossible not to feel a chill down your spine.

The dark underground was illuminated by the firelight, while the subtle dampness, seemingly trying to seep into the body, served as a silent warning to anyone who came here to leave as soon as possible.

The faint chill gave Yan Qing goosebumps. She rubbed her arms and stayed close to Rong Xiao and Yan Yang.

Along the way, the air was filled with blood and screams of agony. She forced herself to suppress her instinct to look around and walked straight ahead without glancing to the side, but she still couldn't help but notice the indelible marks left by past tortures on her surroundings.

To be honest, she was terrified of bloody scenes, but at that moment, nausea far outweighed fear.

After several turns, we finally arrived at our destination.

The three stopped in front of a solitary cell, and Yan Qing looked inside.

In the cramped space, a thin man huddled in a corner, a tattered straw mat covering most of his body, but amplifying his trembling movements.

He was wearing only a single layer of clothing, and in the damp, cold ground of late autumn, this was practically torture.

As if noticing the figure appearing on the ground, he slowly raised his head, revealing a face covered in grime.

It's Chief Secretary Liang!

Suddenly, his lifeless eyes flashed with light. He overturned the straw mat and staggered a few steps, half crawling and half running, toward this place.

Knowing he couldn't get close to her, Yan Qing still couldn't help but take a step back and look in Rong Xiao's direction.

She knew perfectly well that Rong Xiao had a specific purpose in inviting her here today, but whether it was a test or a demonstration, it was still unknown.

Then we'll just have to keep watching and see what he's up to.

Yan Qing accepted the role of a spectator well, so she quietly stepped back a few steps to give the three of them enough space.

"It's been a long time, Your Highness Prince Qi." Chief Secretary Liang's eyes were fixed on him, not missing a single moment.

Rong Xiao did not respond to him immediately. He simply raised his hand and waited for the jailer to open the cell door before walking in. He said coldly, "It's only been three days. Has Chief Secretary Liang figured out what he wants to say?"

"Confess? I am truly terrified. I have no idea what I did wrong that led to my being arrested and brought here for no reason."

"Are you sure you want to keep playing dumb?" Rong Xiao was direct, not going to play games with him.

Judging from his tone, Chief Secretary Liang also dropped his pretense and forced himself to stand up, saying, "Why must Your Highness Prince Qi be so ruthless?"

As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze towards Rong Xiao turned fierce. Yan Yang, who was standing next to him, and Yan Qing, who was standing alone in the corner, could not escape being glared at either, but they would not lose a piece of flesh.

These words were an overstatement, making it sound as if Rong Xiao was persecuting him. Yan Qing was secretly amazed by his clever words.

Rong Xiao was much more direct: "Exterminate them all? Don't make it sound so noble. You deserve this fate."

This means that Liang Changshi is left with absolutely no way out.

Having ascertained Rong Xiao's attitude, he finally lost his composure and a hint of panic appeared on his face. "You want to investigate corrupt officials? I've already put Zheng Zhengzhong in front of you. Isn't that enough for you to finish your task? This matter should end here. Why are you pressing me so hard?"

Changing the subject, Chief Secretary Liang lowered his voice and said, "I'll give you 30% of the profits, and let me leave Yunzhou."

Rong Xiao remained silent, simply watching him without any expression.

He clenched his fist, his voice laced with ruthlessness, "Fifty percent! That's the most I can give. I haven't kept much over the years, so I'll only keep ten percent. Don't go too far."

Rong Xiao still didn't react, and Chief Secretary Liang became completely anxious, "Do you know how many years you would have to be the Prince of Qi to get these! Do you think the Crown Prince has really fallen, and you think the throne is yours? You're dreaming!"

"If the Crown Prince were truly despised, he would have been deposed long ago. The reality is that he's merely under house arrest. Once the storm passes, you'll still be the dog who salvages the royal family's reputation. That position won't be yours! You might as well take advantage of the Crown Prince's current obscurity to amass more wealth and plan for the future."

Yan Qing frowned upon hearing this, and Yan Yang stepped forward and kicked him to the ground, saying fiercely, "Who are you to bark like a dog!"

The person in question remained calm as if he hadn't heard anything. He walked over to Chief Secretary Liang, squatted down, and, disregarding the filth on his brocade robes, said in a steady voice, "You couldn't have accumulated this much wealth within Yunzhou. Where else would you be in charge? And how many officials have you persuaded with these methods? The more you confess, the less torture you'll suffer. How you live your life from now on is up to you."

"Leave room for maneuver in everything you do!" Liang Changshi finally snapped, realizing he couldn't reason with anyone.

Unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain. Rong Xiao stood up and left with the words, "Pray that the people you persecuted in the underworld will leave you a way out."

Like watching a boring movie, Yan Qing didn't realize it was over until much later. It wasn't that their conversation lacked substance, but Yan Qing knew all of it perfectly well, so it naturally became somewhat tedious.

Yan Qing went out ahead of them, wanting to leave this unpleasant place as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, even after walking a distance, I could still hear Chief Secretary Liang—no, the prisoner—calling hoarsely.

"Hahahaha, what a true gentleman! What an upright and incorruptible King Qi! You should understand the principle that excessive rigidity leads to breakage. I'll wait and see your end! I'll wait and see—"

As Yan Qing stepped out of the prison, the malicious curse was buried underground, and only silence remained. He waited at the door.

Throughout the prison cell conversation, Xiao hadn't mentioned himself. But as the event was drawing to a close, it was time for him to get down to business.

Yan Qing's intuition was correct; Rong Xiao called out to her as soon as he came out.

He said, "Yan Qing, let's talk."

Yan Qing didn't react to the formal tone, but it startled Yan Yang. She stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, pulled him aside, questioned him with her eyes, and subconsciously shielded Yan Qing from view.

Rong Xiao gave her a reassuring look and said softly with a smile, "Don't worry, I have something to ask of her."

Yan Yang then picked up the etiquette he had forgotten in his haste, let go of his hands to smooth out the wrinkles he had made, and whispered a few words before pulling away, but he deliberately kept his voice down so that Yan Qing could not hear him clearly.

She wasn't paying attention to their conversation; she was pondering Rong Xiao's words—did he want something from her?

To Rong Xiao, she's just an ordinary person now, someone who knows Rong Xuan and happens to be Yan Yang's long-lost sister, but these connections don't seem to be of much help to him.

Unable to discern his intentions, but driven by an instinct to seize the initiative, Yan Qing suggested, "Let's talk at my place."

Rong Xiao readily agreed, and the three of them walked towards Yan Qing's courtyard.

On the way back, Yan Qing began to think about Rong Xiao's purpose again. To this end, she carefully recalled the process of sending them the information and felt that she had not given anything away.

Yan Qing felt something was off when she left Liang Changshi's residence that day. After recalling all the details, she developed a deep suspicion of him.

Liang Changshi has always presented himself as a poor man, as evidenced by his clothing and living environment. However, his eagerness to imprint this image in everyone's mind has inadvertently revealed his flaws.

The dish of shrimp prepared by the Chief Secretary's wife is the best example of how cleverness can backfire.

Yunzhou is an inland city, and foods like shrimp and crab, which are common in coastal areas, are considered seasonal delicacies here. While not expensive, they are rarely seen in ordinary households.

The purpose of the Chief Secretary's wife's clumsy handling was to demonstrate her lack of skill in preparing this type of food, thereby proving that the Chief Secretary's family usually ate simple meals and that such food was practically extinct on their table.

However, she missed the point. Her clumsy movements might be good evidence, but all of this illusion would be easily shattered by the considerable amount of shrimp meat scattered among the shrimp shells.

The poorer the family, the more they will eat their food clean. Not to mention whether they will peel the shrimp meat, even if there is only a tiny bit of meat left in the shrimp shell, it will be picked out by sharp eyes.

But this incident only made Yan Qing suspicious. She was truly certain that Chief Secretary Liang was up to no good after she stayed up for several consecutive nights.

The route that Chief Secretary Liang gave for transporting the gold and silver by Zheng Zhengzhong was very reasonable and smooth. How could a mere chief secretary, no matter how outstanding his talent, possibly have uncovered something that Rong Xiao hadn't even touched upon?

This is enough to prove that what he said is true, and that this is most likely his method of operation.

But why is he able to say all this so openly? Is it because he's too stupid?

He was too confident.

In any case, the Crown Prince has lost power. His backer has fallen and can no longer provide him with protection in the short term. He will have to find his own way to survive.

Find a scapegoat, pin everything on him, and then bribe the officials who come to investigate. He'll still be the same clean and honest official.

Perhaps it was because he had succeeded so many times that he became even more convinced that in the current situation, no one would go out of their way to seek justice for someone else that was meaningless. The case was closed and the money was in hand, and that was the right way.

However, Rong Xiao greatly disappointed him.

Upon learning that Chief Secretary Liang was the real mastermind, Rong Xiao did not hesitate at all and went directly to arrest him.

Before Liang Changshi could even go to Rong Xiao's house to "talk" in person, he was already shackled and lost the chance to climb up and escape.

As for how Rong Xiao discovered the truth, this brings us to the famous Xi Yuan Pavilion and the woman behind it.

Yes, it was her.

Yan Qing!

After the suspicion arose, she kept the cats watching the movements in Qingyin Pavilion and Liang Changshi's residence.

But at this critical juncture, Chief Secretary Liang wouldn't be foolish enough to continue accepting bribes and wait to be arrested. Therefore, after several days, Yan Qing got nothing.

The connection between the two seems to have been severed.

But Yan Qing remained steadfast, not letting any opportunity slip by.

After waiting for seven more days, Yan Qing finally got what she wanted.

A figure set off from Qingyin Pavilion once again, this time heading from the Zheng residence to the Liang residence.

Compared to Xiaoyue, this person was more cautious, constantly observing along the way, fearing that someone was following them.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a human following her, but a clever and agile cat that would take turns monitoring her.

If you're a cat, it will keep staring at you, and it will keep staring.

What? You've given out snacks? Then the cat can go home first.

The kitten on the last shift had already enjoyed its meal. It yawned without any regard for its image and continued to listen to the sounds inside the house.

"Is no one following us?" A familiar voice came from behind; it was Chief Secretary Liang.

"No."

She was a stranger.

The next moment, Liang Changshi personally revealed her identity: "Shiyun, how many years have you been following me?"

"ten years."

"Ten years have passed. I've raised you for so many years and even sent you to learn opera, not so that you would repay me like this."

Shiyun did not respond.

Chief Secretary Liang continued, "You're the one who sent the man surnamed Wang, aren't you? Don't tell me it was Xiaoyue and her servant's idea; they don't have the guts. What good would it do you to alert them, huh?"

A struggle came from inside the room, and a moment later several coughs that sounded like they were about to cough up their lungs rang out. Shi Yun's hoarse voice was full of terror, "My lord, I dare not."

"Hmph, you wouldn't dare. Of all the people in this group, you're the most audacious. The Crown Prince has fallen, and you think you can surrender to Prince Qi? Everyone has to plan for themselves. Your actions are understandable, but unfortunately, I won't show any mercy. If you dare to make any more moves, this life you've escaped from the clutches of death for over a decade will likely be taken back, along with your sisters..."

"There won't be a next time!" Shiyun interrupted anxiously before he could finish speaking.

"Over the years, you've handled the most dirty business, and you still dream of returning to the right path? You're too naive, Shiyun. You should be glad you didn't ruin my plans this time, otherwise..." He paused at the right moment and then ordered, "Go, move the things out of Yunzhou. It's fine if you don't want to live, but those little things still need to live."

What needs to be moved out of Yunzhou?

It's almost certainly the gold and silver he's accumulated over the years.

By focusing on Shi Yun, Yan Qing located the house where Chief Secretary Liang stored the stolen goods.

However, she had no intention of taking action herself; all the information was sent to Rong Xiao in the name of Xiyuan Pavilion.

They didn't disappoint Yan Qing; they acted swiftly, taking only two days from receiving the news to clarifying everything.

The day before Shiyun began her operation, she was captured at Qingyin Pavilion, and the Changshi family was sent to prison even before her.

This matter is truly settled for Yan Qing. She has no need to get involved in the aftermath, nor is she interested in doing so. She has important matters to attend to.

Wenwu had been held in her hand for so long, but Rongxuan hadn't made any move, which made her curious about what kind of mischief he was planning.

Unfortunately, before this matter could even begin, Yan Qing was summoned by Rong Xiao to watch a play, and it just kept going on and on.

But she really should talk to Rong Xiao. She had achieved most of her purpose in coming to Yunzhou, and the remaining task was to find out Rong Xiao's true thoughts about the throne.

If he doesn't want to fight from the bottom of his heart, then Yan Qing's anxiousness won't help. It would be better to look for other candidates, overthrow the Rong family, and change the emperor's surname.

Yan Qing had almost sorted out her thoughts and had already walked the short distance.

She and Rong Xiao went inside. Yan Yang knew she shouldn't listen to their conversation, so she simply stayed in the yard and played with the cats.

As soon as Yan Qing sat down inside, before he could even speak, Rong Xiao cut to the chase: "You have a close relationship with Xiyuan Pavilion, don't you?"