Chapter 256 What is Xiao Yan’s purpose?
After Xiao Yan helped Tang Ning to stand, he looked up at the Fourth Prince with displeasure in his eyes. "Your Highness, what did you tell me earlier in Hengting Pavilion? I only lent you the Black Armor Guards if you wanted to protect you and the Empress. But if Canglang hadn't been with you, would you have let the criminals of the Lu family break into the palace?"
When it comes to the villain filing a complaint first, no one is better than Governor Xiao.
The Fourth Prince recalled his hesitation and felt guilty: "Lord Xiao, I..."
"If Your Highness can't do it, I will do it."
"Need not!"
The Fourth Prince instantly forgot why Xiao Yan and Song Tangning had gone back on their word and came to the Lu family again, fearing that he would really take action. He had already torn his relationship with the Lu family and caused such a big commotion. If he allowed Xiao Yan to take over at this time, his father would think that he was indecisive and had ties with the Lu family.
"Don't bother Governor Xiao, I'll do it myself."
The Fourth Prince's heart hardened. He said to Cheng Ping, "Take Secretary Lu and the others to the front hall. No one is allowed to leave without my order. Also, have the Lu family women interrogate them separately. Arrest their attendants and do not let any of them go."
"Xie Guangzheng!!!"
This time, not to mention Lu Qin and the others, even Lu Chongyuan was furious.
He guessed that someone must have been behind today's events. When he saw Xiao Yan, he already understood most of the situation. He also knew that the Fourth Prince was probably instigated and used by the villain Xiao Yan. However, the Fourth Prince's ruthless attitude towards the Lu family still made him chilled and angry.
This is his grandson, whom he has taken great pains to assist for many years.
How could he be so stupid as to be provoked by others? The Lu family is his greatest support, and he actually wants to destroy the Lu family himself!
"Xie Guangzheng, don't be fooled by Xiao Yan. This eunuch is just using you..."
"Bang!"
Just as Lu Qin opened his mouth, a sharp weapon pierced his calf. He screamed in pain as his body tilted and fell to the ground.
Xiao Yan played with the short crossbow in his hand. "It seems Master Lu still hasn't learned the difference between respect and inferiority. Since this tongue can't tell how to speak, why not just throw it away?"
The short crossbow was strung, and the cold light pointed directly at Lu Qin's head, as if it could take his life in the next moment.
"Xiao Yan, you dare..."
Before the word "dare" was on his lips, the crossbow trigger trembled slightly, and the crossbow arrow shot towards Lu Qin in an instant.
The several-inch-long arrow pierced into Lu Qin's thigh with a puff. Lu Qin was about to scream in pain when he suddenly met Xiao Yan's dark eyes.
There was no warmth in his eyes, as if they were frozen for ten thousand years, as if he was looking at a dead person. Lu Qin suddenly remembered the scene that day when the man in front of him used a thin blade to tear off the flesh between his legs. His legs were trembling as if he was incontinent, and his face was pale as he covered his leg that was pierced by the crossbow arrow.
The other members of the Lu family also looked pale.
The Fourth Prince's eyes were filled with fear. Xiao Yan glanced sideways, "Your Highness, why haven't you tried him yet?"
…
The Fourth Prince brought people to the trial in person, while Xiao Yan and Tang Ning stood in the courtyard. They saw that everyone in the Lu family in the flower hall not far away were indignant and angry, but they didn't dare to say anything when they saw Lu Qin's end. Tang Ning's gaze paused at Lu Chongyuan, whose face was ugly but suddenly calmed down. He always felt that he might not surrender so easily.
Her gaze turned to the side and fell on the low-key Lu Erlang who was standing beside Lu Chongyuan.
Tang Ning had seen the second son of the Lu family before. She had occasionally met him when she went in and out of the Lu family. This man was always taciturn and had no sense of presence, but the sword just now... his reaction was more decisive and fierce than that of other people in the Lu family, which made her doubt in her heart.
As if sensing someone looking at him, Lu Erlangjun suddenly looked up, and when his gaze fell on Tang Ning, she suddenly felt a chill as if being stared at by a ferocious beast. The inexplicable sense of crisis made her frown slightly. Before she could think about it, her head was suddenly gently turned away by the person next to her.
When the chill disappeared, Tang Ning was bewildered: "Brother?"
Xiao Yan raised the object in his hand and asked, "Do you want it?"
"Hmm?" Tang Ning's eyes lit up instantly.
He led the group aside and glanced coldly at the Lu family's Erlang, who had already withdrawn his gaze. Then, when he lowered his head to Tang Ning, his tone was gentle: "Just now I saw you staring at me, as if you wanted to glue your eyes to me..."
Tang Ning suddenly felt embarrassed. She was indeed envious of Xiao Yan's crossbow. It was different from those she had seen before. Most of the crossbows in the past were very bulky. Even hand-held crossbows were difficult for ordinary people to hold. However, the one in Xiao Yan's hand was very delicate.
The crossbow was only slightly larger than his palm, and although the arrow was not long, it was very lethal.
Xiao Yan handed it to her: "Try it?"
Tang Ning was eager to try: "Is it okay?"
Xiao Yan didn't say anything, but just put the short crossbow into her hand, taught her how to place the arrow, hold down the hanging knife, and signaled her to aim at a certain place. Then she pressed her hand down, and the arrow flew out instantly, and with a "ding" sound, it pierced into the tree trunk not far away.
Xiao Yan said, "This crossbow is exquisite. Normally, it can be disassembled and hidden as an armlet or ornament. In an emergency, even if it is not assembled, the crossbow can be used as a hidden weapon."
He took the thing from her hand, disassembled it in just a few seconds, and placed the bare crossbow trigger in her hand.
"There are ten silver needles hidden inside. They are all poisoned by Madam Qin. They kill instantly. If you encounter danger, you can use them directly. Even a highly skilled martial artist will find it difficult to dodge them when they are caught off guard."
Tang Ning suddenly felt the object in her hand was hot, and she quickly returned it to Xiao Yan: "I can't have this, brother, keep it for self-defense!"
Xiao Yan let him go.
"Brother..."
Tang Ning opened her mouth to speak, but when she saw Xiao Yan lower his eyes, they were filled with undisguised affection: "Tang Ning, I have no weaknesses, and the only one is you. As long as you are safe, there is nothing in the world that I can retreat from. Protect yourself, and you are protecting me."
Tang Ning paused, her face softening. She had never doubted how well Xiao Yan treated her, but when she heard his frank words, her heart still tingled with joy.
She didn't push the thing in her hand away, but put it away carefully.
"I'll put it to good use."
Seeing the little girl taking it so seriously, Xiao Yan's eyes were filled with smiles.
…
The Lu family's front yard was very large. Everyone in the flower hall could only see from a distance in the corner, where Xiao Yan, dressed in a long brocade robe, was talking to a little girl whose figure was hidden by him. Outside the hall stood guard in black armor, and the Lu family members were all nervous.
Lu Chongyuan sat aside with a slightly gloomy expression, looking at Lu Qin who was howling in pain while holding his leg, and the panicked Lu family members, feeling a little sad.
Once upon a time, who could have imagined that the Lu family would end up in such a situation.
The Lu family's fourth son was young and impulsive. Seeing his mother being taken away and his father injured by Xiao Yan, he was furious and said fiercely, "How dare the Fourth Prince collude with Xiao Yan and humiliate my mother and others like this? If he can't find anything, my grandfather will go to the palace to file a complaint against them!"
"But the Fourth Prince is so sure, what if..."
A young girl next to her had just opened her mouth when she was glared at by Lu Jia Silang.
"What if? Do you think my mother and my aunt and uncle would have an affair with Prince Cheng?!"
The little girl was young, but she was so frightened that she trembled, hunched her shoulders, and her eyes were filled with fear. The fourth son of the Lu family turned around and said, "Grandfather, you must not let the Fourth Prince and the others go!"
The eldest son of the Lu family was not as optimistic as his cousin. He glanced at the people guarding outside and remembered that the Fourth Prince was willing to break up the relationship in order to take away the Lu family women. He felt that something was wrong and whispered to Lu Chongyuan, "Grandfather, what should we do next?"
Lu Chongyuan raised his eyelids and glanced at him: "Wait."
The eldest son of the Lu family looked a little panicked: "But what if the Fourth Prince really finds something..."
"That'll have to wait."
Lu Chongyuan seemed to have calmed down from his initial rage. Although his face was gloomy, he was not panicked. Perhaps influenced by him, the other members of the Lu family, who were originally in a mess, also gradually calmed down.
The flower hall was exceptionally quiet, and even the occasional noises coming from the backyard could be heard clearly.
Lu Chongyuan glanced at the people guarding the door, his eyes fell on Xiao Yan's back, his mind racing as he thought about the Fourth Prince... No, it should be Xiao Yan's purpose today.
He went to so much trouble to instigate the Fourth Prince to break with the Lu family and brought people to break into the Lu family. Was it really just for a female member of the Lu family who was having an affair with Prince Cheng?
Even if these were discovered, the Lu family's reputation would be ruined, but after all, it was just an affair between a man and a woman. If the person who was connected with Prince Cheng was really one of the daughters-in-law, then she was a person of another family. The Lu family could just cut off her arm without hurting the Lu family's foundation.
Xiao Yan would not do useless things.
So his purpose...
When the Fourth Prince pushed out Madam Lu, whose body was covered in blood after being interrogated, Lu Chongyuan's heart sank. He suddenly looked up at Xiao Yan and suddenly understood his intention.
Cheng Ping whispered, "I led people to search the residences of several ladies and interrogate those around them. Everyone else was normal, except for Qinxin, who was beside the eldest lady Guan. She looked flustered and spoke in a cryptic manner. I had people torture her to get her to speak."
"According to Qinxin, Guan had known Prince Cheng before she entered the Lu family. However, she was already engaged to the eldest son of the Lu family at the time. The Lu family had been trying to choose between Prince Cheng and Your Majesty as their assistant, and they were wavering. It was only for the sake of Prince Cheng's great cause that Guan married into the Lu family to serve him."
The people from the Lu family all changed their expressions.
Guan shook her head desperately: "It's not me, I didn't..."
She looked at Lu Chongyuan with tears in her eyes: "Father, father, please believe me, I have not betrayed you, I have never had anything with Prince Cheng, they are the ones who harmed me..."
"Then what are those things you found in your house?"
Cheng Ping's eyes were filled with contempt. He despised people who committed adultery and he also felt that Madam Lu was truly despicable. She didn't want to be a lady of a noble family but to become a shameful "concubine".
"Just now, the Black Armor Guards found letters between Guan and Prince Cheng from the dressing box in her room. These letters mentioned many things about Prince Cheng's palace. Although they were unsigned, they can be clearly identified by comparing them with Prince Cheng's past handwriting."
Guan's face turned pale and she shook her head desperately: "It's not me, it's really not me. I haven't seen those letters. I, I don't know where those letters came from..."
Ever since Lu Zhao's accident, she hasn't dressed up properly for a long time, and her dressing box hasn't been opened for more than a month.
She had no idea when the letters were put there, and she had no idea who wanted to harm her. She cried her heart out and crawled to Lu Chongyuan using her hands and feet.
"Father, father, please believe me, those letters are not mine, someone is trying to harm me!"
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