"Your Highness, I am guilty!"
Zhao Jinxiu kowtowed heavily, leaving bruises on her forehead.
She took out the packet of Five-Stone Powder and placed it directly in front of her. "The Five-Stone Powder that the Prince takes was all brought by this servant!"
Xie Yuan's pupils contracted slightly as he thought to himself, "What is Zhao Jinxiu trying to do? Is she going to reveal her hand? Is she planning to betray Madam Zheng?"
Xie Yuan certainly knew how Helian Jue got the Five-Stone Powder in his courtyard.
Originally, the Five-Stone Powder was part of Helian Jue and Xie Yuan's plan.
Madam Zheng used Zhao Jinxiu to give Wushi Powder to Helian Jue, which saved them the trouble of finding it themselves.
But this should be considered a "conspiracy".
As a lackey who had sided with Madam Zheng, Zhao Jinxiu had no reason to come to Xie Yuan to "confess".
Seeing Zhao Jinxiu's remorseful expression, Xie Yuan did not relax his guard; instead, he became even more vigilant.
Did Zhao Jinxiu discover that the "Helian Jue" in the Prince's mansion was not the real person, but just a substitute?
Or did the governor's office hear something and deliberately send Zhao Jinxiu to test the waters?
Of course, there is another possibility: Zhao Jinxiu may have discovered that Madam Zheng is not so reliable, and she may want to choose the Yue Prince's Mansion again.
Xie Yuan pursed her lips. No matter what the situation was with Zhao Jinxiu, she wouldn't easily believe it.
"What? You were the one who persuaded the Prince to take the Five-Stone Powder?"
Thinking this to himself, Xie Yuan put on an angry expression.
She slammed her hand on the table and said angrily, "You Zhao Jinxiu! I pride myself on treating you well, yet you show no gratitude and even dare to frame the Prince?"
"It's all my fault! I was bewitched and thought this would please the prince!"
Zhao Jinxiu actually spoke her heart out. She raised her head, tears streaming down her face, "Your Majesty, during these years of exile, I've been terrified of hunger and poverty. I never want to be trampled underfoot again!"
“But I’ve ruined my looks and can’t marry into a good family. It just so happens that Your Highness is of noble status and handsome appearance, so I…so I had thoughts I shouldn’t have.”
“Originally, this servant wouldn’t dare to seduce the Prince. It was Madam Zheng who saw through my ambition and deliberately sent a maid to instigate me!”
"No matter what you say, it's all my fault in the end. If I hadn't had my own schemes, it would have been difficult for outsiders to instigate me to succeed."
"This servant truly knows she was wrong. This servant...this servant wishes to atone for her sins through meritorious service. Please, Your Majesty, grant this servant a chance!"
Zhao Jinxiu's eyes, washed by tears, were exceptionally bright, radiating utmost sincerity.
Xie Yuan stared at her intently, and for a moment, she couldn't tell whether Zhao Jinxiu was acting or genuinely remorseful.
"Oh? You want to atone for your crimes by doing good deeds?"
Xie Yuan temporarily suppressed his doubts and followed Zhao Jinxiu's words to ask.
"Yes! Your Highness, the governor's mansion has many secrets! I went there several times and asked the maids and servants there, and I actually found out some things."
Zhao Jinxiu's eyes shone brightly as she excitedly said, "For example, Governor Cui, relying on his power, allowed his brother-in-law to seize fertile land in Yuezhou on a large scale."
"In order to seize people's land, they also drove several people to their deaths."
"Furthermore, Madam Zheng owns shops in the five major counties of Yuezhou. She has no capital of her own; all of them are shares she has acquired through her power and influence."
At this point, Zhao Jinxiu deliberately paused for a moment.
Are you trying to keep us in suspense?
Xie Yuan cooperatively followed up with, "Anything else?"
"The candy shop! Your Highness, Madam Zheng has her eye on our manor's candy shop!"
"As early as one or two months ago, Madam Zheng had been plotting to seize it. She only held back until now because of Prince Yan."
The sugar shop was so popular that it made a fortune every day, which not only made Madam Zheng envious, but also tempted Cui Boyong.
"They don't dare to openly seize the shop, so they want to steal the sugar-making secret recipe. Your Highness, just now, when I went to the governor's mansion, Madam Zheng's nanny instructed me to find out by any means necessary—"
Zhao Jinxiu told all the secrets in detail.
Her frankness puzzled Xie Yuan once again—did Zhao Jinxiu really not want to continue following Madam Zheng?
This isn't just offering a "pledge of allegiance," it's exposing their entire secret.
Zhao Jinxiu lowered her eyelids slightly, concealing her thoughts: Hmph, everyone wants to use me as a pawn, but you don't know that a pawn can also be all things to all people!
"The candy shop? That's the Third Prince's property. The secret recipe is also in the hands of the Third Prince's men. If they really dare to offend the Third Prince, they can just steal it! They can just rob it!"
Helian Jue had already set a trap for Xie Yuan regarding the sugar shop, so Xie Yuan naturally had to cooperate fully.
Even if Xie Yuan were completely suspicious of Zhao Jinxiu, he still wouldn't tell her such an important matter, let alone the fact that she was innocent.
Xie Yuan continued to feign anger, his tone tinged with schadenfreude, "The Third Prince is nothing like our Prince; he is the Emperor's most beloved son!"
At this point, Xie Yuan seemed to realize he had said something wrong, quickly shut his mouth, and forcibly changed the subject, "Zhao Jinxiu, continue! What other illegal activities has the Prefectural Governor's Office engaged in?"
Zhao Jinxiu's eyes flickered, and she thought to herself: Did I hear that right? The Third Prince is the Emperor's most favored prince?
Big secret!
This is absolutely a big secret!
There's absolutely no problem with me taking this matter to the governor's office to claim credit.
"Madam Zheng also secretly lent money at exorbitant interest rates. When she was pressing for repayment, she even drove someone to their death."
"By the way, last year the Li people in He County rebelled and even killed the county magistrate. Prefect Cui was also behind this."
Zhao Jinxiu heard a "big secret" from Xie Yuan and became so excited that she couldn't stop herself.
Perhaps she was also trying her best to impress Xie Yuan and prove that she did indeed know many secrets of the governor's mansion.
She actually revealed the civil unrest that occurred in Hexian County last year.
Xie Yuan's pupils contracted, and he did not continue to ask questions, but secretly noted the matter down.
...
"Your Highness, an elder in my family is ill, and I am worried about him. I wish to return to the capital!"
After two months of waiting at the candy shop, Xiao Zixiu could no longer bear it.
The sugar shop was incredibly profitable; in just two months, it made over 100,000 strings of cash.
Unfortunately, the candy shop bore the mark of the Prince of Yan's mansion, and the entire Yuezhou, and even the entire Lingnan region, knew that the Third Prince, the Prince of Yan, had made a fortune in Yuezhou.
In reality, the King of Yan was completely unaware of the situation and did not receive a single penny of bonus, yet he gained fame by helping the King of Yue for nothing.
no!
He needs to return to the capital as soon as possible to have a proper discussion with the Third Prince.
In addition, Xiao Zixiu managed to obtain a sugar-making recipe, although it was not complete, but he could still give it a try.
He wanted to transport some sugarcane back to the capital to produce as much sugar as possible, so that the Third Prince could "truly" open a sugar shop and make a lot of money.
"An elder is sick? This is a serious matter and cannot be delayed!"
Xie Yuan was very easy to talk to and readily approved the leave.
As the King of Yue's "wise and capable wife," Xie Yuan also prepared "local specialties" for the King's younger brother, the third prince.
It will definitely make the Third Prince look like he's been tricked!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
