interrogation
With the hundred taels of silver notes given to her by Wu Lanyu, Jiang Yan decided to start a small business with Huang Ying. This way, they would have a place to stay and a source of income, so they wouldn't have to worry about being poor and destitute again in the future.
But they had absolutely no idea what kind of business to do or where to do it.
Jiang Yan and Huang Ying rested at the inn for a day before setting off again.
Shangguan Zeyu continued to devote his days to searching for Jiang Yan, aside from handling official business. On this particular day, a gentle breeze was blowing, and after breakfast, he and Zhang Qin rode to the outskirts of the city.
Seeing this, Wang Qianqian suggested to Xiao Yiqing that they take this opportunity to interrogate Chen Run and see if they could find out Jiang Yan's whereabouts from him first.
Xiao Yiqing wasn't stupid. She could tell from Shangguan Zeyu's attitude towards Chen Run that Shangguan Zeyu valued Chen Run and didn't want to risk interrogating him.
But Wang Qianqian kept saying in her ear that such opportunities don't come around often, and that once Chen Run figured things out and told Shangguan Zeyu about Jiang Yan's whereabouts, their situation in the Wang Mansion would be difficult.
She also said that if Xiao Yiqing really wanted to monopolize Shangguan Zeyu's heart, she shouldn't be timid and should boldly strive for her goal.
Xiao Yiqing's heart was already restless, and after hearing her impassioned speech, she forgot her concerns and went to find Chen Run.
Chen Run was quite surprised by their sudden arrival, but he quickly calmed down.
"Young Master Chen, shall we not bow to the Princess?" Wang Qianqian asked.
Chen Run glanced at her expressionlessly, then looked at Xiao Yiqing and said, "Did His Highness send the Princess alone?"
Xiao Yiqing suddenly felt guilty, her eyes darting around, and said, "You don't need to worry about this!"
Chen Run continued, "I am a disgraced official. If I remember correctly, His Highness has given an order that no one but him may come to see me!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Does the Princess need your permission to go anywhere?" Wang Qianqian said dismissively.
A cold smile appeared on Chen Run's lips as he asked, "What brings the Princess here?"
Xiao Yiqing was a little embarrassed to ask directly, so Wang Qianqian asked, "Where is Liu Ruyi?"
Chen Run showed no change in expression and said, "I do not know."
"How could you not know? You're about to marry her and you still say you don't know?" Wang Qianqian said, dissatisfied.
"You know we almost got married!" Chen Run's eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light as he turned to the menacing Wang Qianqian.
Wang Qianqian was startled by his cold and authoritative demeanor, but she quickly dismissed it: "Your Highness is kind and doesn't want to punish you, but that doesn't mean he's patient! If you don't know what's good for you, the Princess Consort can punish you today!!"
Chen Run glanced at her contemptuously and said, "The most poisonous heart is a woman's; that's probably you!"
Wang Qianqian was taken aback.
Xiao Yiqing then said, "Young Master Chen, the purpose of my visit is indeed as Madam Wang said. Please tell me the truth."
Chen Run looked at her calmly and said, "I've already said I don't know!"
Xiao Yiqing was unperturbed: "How could I not know? She escaped from the palace and went to be with you. How could you not know where she is? I'm not as patient as the prince!"
Chen Run didn't say anything more, he just looked at her coldly.
Xiao Yiqing was annoyed by his calm and self-possessed demeanor and said, "I'll give you one last chance!"
Chen Run remained unmoved.
Wang Qianqian then sneered, "Young Master Chen has integrity, neither humble nor arrogant, and he doesn't take Your Highness, Princess, seriously at all! I guess he doesn't even take the Prince seriously!"
Chen Run ignored them and continued reading the book in his hand.
They stood by the small waterfall in the courtyard. The sound of the waterfall was not very clear when they were talking, but now that they were quiet, the sound of the waterfall suddenly became loud, as if it were flowing right next to their ears.
Hearing the annoying sound of the waterfall, Xiao Yiqing grew increasingly agitated, while Chen Run remained calm and composed. Xiao Yiqing snapped, "Chen Run! Don't think I won't do anything to you!!!"
Chen Run didn't even lift his eyelids, but coldly said, "It's entirely up to the Princess to decide."
Xiao Yiqing was so angry that her chest heaved and her face turned ashen.
Wang Qianqian covered Xiao Yiqing's mouth with her right hand, whispered something into Xiao Yiqing's right ear, and then Xiao Yiqing suddenly shouted to Chen Run, "Fine! I'll let you taste my methods!" After saying that, she raised her voice and shouted, "Guards!" Two soldiers quickly came up.
"Chen Run has disobeyed me, and I order you to punish him severely!"
The two soldiers hesitated, glanced at each other, and neither stepped forward.
Wang Qianqian was furious and shouted, "What kind of attitude is this? You dare disobey the Princess Consort? Do you want the Prince to come and tell you this himself?"
The slightly taller soldier hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, please forgive us, it's really... His Highness has ordered that no one is allowed to harm Young Master Chen in the slightest."
"An outsider? You mean I am an 'outsider'?!"
"No, no, no, I misspoke!"
"Then what are we waiting for?"
The two soldiers then walked decisively towards Chen Run: "Young Master Chen, please forgive us!"
Chen Run gently put down the book in his hand and smiled slightly: "What's there to offend? I'll go with you!"
With complex emotions in her eyes, Xiao Yiqing watched as Chen Run was taken away by the two soldiers and disappeared from her sight before she said resentfully, "What's so good about that bitch Liu Ruyi? Why do they all value her so much?"
Wang Qianqian laughed sarcastically, saying, "What else could it be? What else could a woman do to please a man?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yiqing became even more furious: "You bitch!"
The two soldiers didn't dare to really do anything to Chen Run. They symbolically hit him a few times with sticks and then helped him back.
When Wang Qianqian saw Chen Run looking perfectly fine, she said with dissatisfaction, "What have you all done? Why is he still alright?"
The two soldiers ignored her, carefully helped Chen Run sit down, and then said to Xiao Yiqing, "Your Highness, we have important matters to attend to, so we will take our leave first." After saying that, they left.
Xiao Yiqing didn't really want Chen Run to be bruised and battered, so she didn't question them or keep them. Instead, she slowly walked towards Chen Run on the steps and stopped on the first step.
"Chen Run, I'm really puzzled. Why do you insist on having Liu Ruyi? She's been married before! She should still have feelings for the Prince. What's the point of keeping her by your side?"
A faint, happy smile appeared on Chen Run's lips. He didn't look at Xiao Yiqing, but was lost in his memories of the past, and said, "Whether I'm happy or not, only I know. You wouldn't understand! My feelings for Ruyi are not empty promises."
Xiao Yiqing's heart skipped a beat. She seemed to be in a daze, as if Shangguan Zeyu had said something similar to her at some point in the past. But when she thought about it carefully, she found that it was so vague and unreal.
"People's hearts change. Liu Ruyi may have once been deeply in love with you, but now, she is deeply in love with the prince..."
Chen Run looked at her with a pale smile: "Your Highness, does it hurt your heart to say such things?"
Xiao Yiqing's heart stopped beating, as if she was carefully sensing her own heart because of his words.
"My love is like your love for a prince. The bitterness and hope in this relationship are something no one else can understand."
Xiao Yiqing felt as if she had been violently struck, and her brain began to buzz.
Seeing this, Wang Qianqian said sternly, "Don't try to make it sound so nice. You're just trying to exonerate Liu Ruyi! You don't want to reveal Liu Ruyi's whereabouts, so you're deliberately making up stories like this! Do you think the Princess will believe that? Do you think I'll believe that?"
Chen Run's gaze turned cold. He stared intently at Wang Qianqian and said, "You won't have a good ending!"
Wang Qianqian was startled for a moment, but quickly pretended not to care: "You should think about yourself first! What will happen to me? It will definitely be worse than your situation!"
Chen Run withdrew his gaze from her, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.
Xiao Yiqing's thoughts had drifted far away. She stared blankly at a spot at her feet, not blinking an eye.
Unable to deal with Chen Run, Wang Qianqian went to Xiao Yiqing and said, "Your Highness! Don't listen to his nonsense! He's not like you! You are the prince's lawfully wedded wife! You deserve his absolute favor! But he and Liu Ruyi are shameless! They're having an affair!!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yiqing simply stared at her blankly for a moment before slowly walking away.
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