Chapter 149 Punishment: Take off your clothes.
The heavy snow fell intermittently for several days before finally clearing up.
Inside the red walls, the atmosphere at the Princess's residence was even more somber and oppressive than the continuous snowstorm.
Wei Yihua sat upright in the main seat, having not slept well for several days; the pale blue under her eyes was clearly visible in the snowlight. Su Yue looked at her princess with deep concern; the youthful vibrancy in her was replaced by a profound worry and a cold resolve.
Thick files and secret reports were piled on the table. Wei Yihua stood with his back straight, his eyes fixed on Zhou Congyi and Shen Liude, who were just beginning to report.
“Your Highness,” Zhou Congyi said calmly, “the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Jinwu Guard jointly investigated the scene at the East Gate and reached a basically consistent conclusion: the number of robbers was between fifteen and twenty, all of them desperate criminals who were ruthless and left no survivors. The weapon fragments left at the scene were of the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) style, but they were severely worn and their origin was difficult to trace. The wheel tracks were deliberately destroyed, and the wind and snow were heavy, completely cutting off the tracking direction.”
She paused, her brow furrowed. "The most crucial person was Huang Meng, the captain leading the escort team. The day before the transfer, he received a sum of money of dubious origin, a considerable amount. According to the investigation, he accepted the money because his elderly mother was seriously ill and urgently needed the money. Huang Meng died from his injuries on the day of the incident."
"The other two surviving ordinary prison guards from the Ministry of Justice both said that the snowstorm was too heavy at the time, and they only saw a group of men in black suddenly rush out. In the chaos, it seemed that someone was shouting 'Help!' and someone was shouting 'Retreat quickly,' but the accents were unclear, and it was impossible to tell whether the voices were from the carjackers or the prison guards from the Ministry of Justice. There were no other clues."
"What were the results of the Ministry of Justice's internal investigation?" Wei Yihua's voice was unusually calm.
Shen Liude interjected, his tone noticeably cold: "With the cooperation of Minister Rong, all those involved, from the jailers on duty that day to the superiors of the escorting team, have been imprisoned pending trial."
"However, after several days of investigation, they either claimed to be completely unaware or were passing the buck. The middleman who gave Huang Meng the money seemed to have vanished into thin air, and the Ministry of Justice... also seemed unable to find any clues. The Ministry of Justice sent people to report to us every day, with a respectful attitude, but the progress was minimal."
When Shen Liude said this, everyone understood what she meant.
Clearly, the Ministry of Justice is stalling and is not genuinely cooperating with the investigation.
The hall was deathly silent; even the occasional crackling of the burning charcoal seemed particularly jarring.
Wei Yihua could feel her heart sinking little by little, and a chilling fear was about to engulf her.
Where exactly is Yue Yining?
Has it fallen into enemy hands, or is it already...?
She snapped her eyes shut, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions.
Don't panic! Yue Yining is now missing, so she must stay calm and shoulder her responsibility as the pillar of the family. She needs to oversee everything, so she absolutely cannot panic!
Yining may have just been kidnapped, she may... she may still be waiting for her to rescue her!
"Have you made any progress in the blockade and investigation of the key roads around the capital?" Wei Yihua asked again, trying to keep her voice steady.
“No.” Zhou Congyi shook his head. “After several days of thorough investigation and questioning of countless people, no suspicious women matching the characteristics of the Yue people were found to have been taken away.”
"Our spies have not reported anything unusual about the residences and villas of the Fourth Prince's faction and its associated officials. The Ministry of War has been unusually quiet since the incident involving Lord Yue, as if they have breathed a sigh of relief or are observing the situation. As for the Zuo family, the Left Grand Secretary has not made any unusual moves. The Left Attendant came to me to inquire about Yue Yining's situation. I saw that he was anxious and concerned, so I think he is also unaware of this matter."
Wei Yihua fell silent.
All the obvious clues have been cut off.
The mastermind behind this carjacking was too clean, almost perfectly clean, leaving no room for error. This was no ordinary prison break or revenge killing. The timing of Yue Yining's trip to the Ministry of Justice prison, the placement of spies among the guards sent to transport her, and the subsequent concealment of her whereabouts all suggest that someone with deep knowledge of the court's operations and extensive connections was behind it all.
Who exactly is that person?
If it weren't for the Fourth Prince, the Ministry of War, or the Zuo family...
Wei Yihua's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. After only a few taps, she suddenly stopped, her gaze involuntarily falling on her outstretched fingers.
This is her habit when she's thinking deeply, and even this habit is related to Yue Yining.
In her past life, Wei Yihua was proud and arrogant. Ever since Yue Yining began to make a name for herself in the capital, she had regarded him as her greatest threat. In every confrontation and every court meeting, she found herself unconsciously fixing her gaze on that figure in blue robes.
Gradually, she felt increasingly frustrated by her inability to defeat Yue Yining, and thus wanted to understand her and find flaws in her every move and word. She wanted to find Yue Yining's weakness in this way and defeat her.
During the long standoff filled with the smell of gunpowder, Wei Yihua noticed a detail: whenever Yue Yining had a subconscious habit, she would tap her fingers lightly on the table when she was thinking.
Perhaps it was because she had been watching her for far too long, and she so desperately wanted to see Yue Yining's heart clearly, to see how cunning and treacherous she was, so that she could more legitimately hate her, and so that any doubts she might have had would disappear completely.
Prior to this, Her Highness the Princess was completely unaware that she had also developed this little habit.
But upon closer reflection, she realized that she almost forgot herself when she was looking at Yue Yining, and it seemed only natural that some subtle details and habits gradually became like hers.
Su Yue didn't understand what the Princess was thinking. She watched as Wei Yihua slowly withdrew her hand from the table, a deep sorrow and pain flashing across her eyes. Her two hands, stained with nail polish, clasped together, pressed against her heart, her knuckles turning white.
Wei Yihua closed her eyes slightly, trying her best to gather her thoughts and calm her chaotic mind.
Scenes flashed through his mind, all the people and events possibly connected to Yue Yining's disappearance. The enemies in the open, the shadows lurking in the shadows…
Suddenly, a face as gentle and handsome as jade appeared clearly.
— Xie Qingyu.
"Xie Qingyu..." Wei Yihua's voice was very soft, as if talking to herself, or as if asking, "Have there been any movements from the Xie family or Xie Qingyu these past few days?"
Zhou Congyi and Shen Liude were both taken aback.
They looked at each other and saw a hint of confusion in each other's eyes.
“Your Highness,” Shen Liude hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously, “Minister Xie has been on sick leave at home these past few days, neither attending court nor receiving guests. According to our people, everything at the Xie residence is normal; servants are making purchases, and carriages are coming and going, with nothing unusual. Minister Xie himself keeps to himself and hardly leaves his own courtyard.”
"Living in seclusion? Claiming illness?" Wei Yihua's expression turned cold.
Zhou Congyi hesitated for a moment before speaking: "...Your Highness, is Minister Xie's behavior related to the disappearance of the Yue King?"
Of those present, only Wei Yihua knew about the past connection between Xie Qingyu and Yue Yining. Zhou Congyi, who knew nothing, looked puzzled, while Shen Liude, who had accompanied Yue Yining to Qinghuai and witnessed her several encounters with Xie Qingyu, seemed to understand the hidden meaning behind the princess's question and looked thoughtful.
Wei Yihua clenched her fist on the table.
An extremely bold, even somewhat crazy, idea quickly took shape in her mind.
What if the person who kidnapped Yining wasn't there to kill her, but to hide her away?
Who could have such audacity and such meticulous methods to abduct a serious criminal right under the noses of the capital, leaving the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review helpless? Who could remain so impeccably clean-cut and aloof after the incident?
Wei Yihua suddenly stood up, causing the table to sway slightly.
Seeing the flickering, uncertain look in her eyes, Zhou Congyi and Shen Liude were both stunned. "Your Highness..."
"I have a solution." Wei Yihua said, each word distinct, her eyes clearing and revealing a glint of gold.
“Lord Shen,” Wei Yihua said, her words carrying an undeniable sharpness, “I would like to trouble you to personally lead a team to the scene where the Yue people were hijacked.”
"Take this with you when you go."
Shen Liude watched as Wei Yihua pulled out a worn, slightly worn leather wristband from under the table.
The wrist guard was of ordinary design and was a common piece of equipment for soldiers, but Wei Yihua turned it over to reveal the inside of the wrist guard, where an intricate golden flame emblem was branded.
Shen Liude's eyes narrowed: "This is..."
“This is the inner marking of the protective gear uniformly issued to the private soldiers of some of the top aristocratic families in the capital region.” Wei Yihua’s voice was as cold as ice. “The Xie family, the Yuan family, the Sun family… these powerful families that have been entrenched in the capital region for many years, in order to distinguish and manage the private soldiers recruited by their direct and collateral branches, will brand their exclusive emblems representing their aristocratic families in a hidden place on such close-fitting equipment.”
"This was sent to me by a spy planted in the Sun family. I thought it might be useful, so I kept it. Now it has really come in very handy."
Wei Yihua looked up and said, "Lord Shen, when you get to the scene, remember to tear off a piece of this half of the wristband with the emblem."
Shen Liude instantly understood Wei Yihua's plan.
She immediately stepped forward and took the wristband. Seeing that she understood, Wei Yihua turned to look at Zhou Congyi on the other side, as well as her personal maid Suyue.
Wei Yihua spoke with a firm tone, each word carrying the sharpness of a drawn blade: "Suyue, go arrange the carriages and horses. Lord Zhou will come with me to the palace to meet the Emperor."
...
Xie Yunying's access to information was so limited that it was three days later before she learned of Yue Yining's disappearance.
The maids in Qiufang Courtyard were all discussing the recent high-profile search for criminals under the eaves. With the imperial decree issued, no mansion or property under the names of the major noble families and important officials in the capital was spared. They wondered when it would be the Xie family's turn to be searched.
Xie Yunying felt the stove in the room was so warm that she almost fell asleep. In her hazy state, she heard the maid through the window say a name that she knew all too well.
Xie Yunying's previously drowsy mind suddenly cleared up.
She suddenly flipped over and stood up from the soft couch, pushing open the wooden window. The three maids who were chatting on the veranda outside were startled and turned to see Xie Yunying's terrifying expression with eyes wide open.
Xie Yunying was so shocked she couldn't believe her ears: "Who did you three just say was missing? Say it again?!"
The maid's voice trembled as she replied, "Yes, Second Miss, it was Lord Yue Yining... a few days ago, he was abducted while being transferred from the Censorate prison to the Ministry of Justice prison, and there has been no news of him since..."
Xie Yunying was shocked by the delay in receiving the news.
No! Even if she was too busy pursuing Yuan Nanjie to pay attention to anything else, the system must have detected such an important plot point. Shouldn't the system have informed her?!
In response to Xie Yunying's question, the system replied: "The female lead will definitely be fine. Besides, if she were in danger, the main system would immediately give me a warning. Since there was no warning, it means she is perfectly safe. Since she is safe, we don't need to worry about anything else."
Xie Yunying: "You really are quite the siter!"
She found that this dog system was getting lazier and lazier, and unwilling to waste any more words with it, she simply said, "Give me a different live streaming prop."
system:"?"
System: "Is the host going to find Yue Yining?"
Xie Yunying: "Of course, she's missing, so I need to know where she is now, right?"
The system was baffled: "But host, you don't have much money left either, right? The female lead is definitely safe. Livestream props are becoming increasingly rare, so why risk it? What if something happens later..."
Xie Yunying was driven crazy by its nagging: "Just change it when I tell you to, why are you making so many fuss?"
system:"……"
“Of course you wouldn’t understand human feelings. Even if you know she’s safe now, you’d still want to know where she is, how she’s doing, and what her situation is,” Xie Yunying said. “Because I care about Yue Yining! I want to know her current state and situation, no matter how much money it costs, even if it’s wasted or unnecessary, I’m willing to do it.”
"You robot, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you!"
The system didn't understand, but it obediently shut up and did as Xie Yunying said.
After exchanging the items, Xie Yunying lay on the bed when a white light suddenly flashed before her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, she found herself standing under the corridor of a courtyard.
This courtyard looks somewhat familiar.
Xie Yunying: "...System, is there a bug in your program? I told you to take me to Yue Yining, not Xie Qingyu! Why did you teleport me to Xie Qingyu's courtyard?"
System: "Host, please calm down while I check..."
A chaotic electromagnetic wave came through, mixed with a hint of confusion: "Strange, the teleportation program settings are not wrong, are they?"
Xie Yunying cursed the system in her heart for being unreliable and taking money to do things. Suddenly, she heard a light and steady footstep not far away, accompanied by the rustling sound of snowflakes.
She looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person coming was Xie Qingyu. He walked through the snow outside the courtyard gate, bathed in the afternoon sun, and was accompanied by two personal guards.
Xie Yunying stared at him as he walked over, and the more she looked, the more something seemed off: "System, is Xie Qingyu wearing makeup?"
The system, which was working on the program, was interrupted: "...Huh?"
"I remember he didn't look like this without makeup?" Xie Yunying watched Xie Qingyu walk into the corridor and leaned over to examine him closely.
But Xie Yunying couldn't see any trace of makeup, so she wasn't discouraged. Instead, she started squinting at the details of his clothing. "Doesn't he always wear casual clothes at home? It's always the same few black outfits, like a black widow. Why is he wearing a plain white robe with a dark pattern today, and paired with a flashy jade belt? Is he planning to change his attire to mourning?"
System: "You have such a sharp tongue."
Xie Yunying: "Isn't this just telling the truth?"
As Xie Yunying was complaining, the door to the previously closed room was opened, and an unfamiliar maid came out. She looked hurried, closed the door, and greeted the young master, saying, "This servant greets the young master."
Xie Qingyu said softly, "I heard that she didn't eat anything at noon today?"
"Yes." The maid lowered her head, looking down at her nose and mind. "That young lady said she had no appetite and hadn't touched a bite. I asked her what she wanted to eat and told the kitchen to make something else for her, but she wouldn't say. She just sat at her desk reading."
Xie Qingyu remained silent for a long while, her eyes slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought, before finally saying, "I understand."
"You may leave now. Have someone prepare another meal and send it over."
Xie Yunying naturally heard the entire conversation between the two.
She had a vague, insane, and ominous premonition: "Wait...no way..."
Xie Qingyu had two guards stand watch at the door before pushing it open and entering the room. Just as he was about to close the door, Xie Yunying slipped through the crack.
Xie Yunying, who had successfully sneaked into the house, was completely stunned by the scene before her.
The room was warm and fragrant, with no candles lit. Behind a low table near the window sat a woman in a snow-white robe, the hem of which spread out like magnolia petals. Her slender white fingers turned the pages of a book. Hearing a noise from the door, she didn't even look up.
Xie Yunying raised her hand, her fingertips trembling, a thousand words condensing into a single, earth-shattering curse: "Damn it!"
Isn't that Yue Yining?
Xie Yunying exclaimed in disbelief, "What's going on?! Why is Yue Yining here?! In the Xie residence?! In my house?! And she's even staying in Xie Qingyu's courtyard! Holy crap! What's going on?! Wasn't she kidnapped and missing?!"
System: "It's obvious that the person who kidnapped her is Xie Qingyu, your good older brother."
Xie Yunying: "..."
Xie Yunying: "Don't deliberately say things that disgust me." Whose good older brother is this? She spit on him!
Xie Qingyu stood by the door for a while before slowly walking over.
"Miss."
Yue Yining rested her head on one hand, looking down at her book. Even when he called her, she didn't lift her eyes.
Xie Qingyu approached the table, knelt beside Yue Yining, and whispered, "I heard that Miss didn't eat anything at noon. Are you feeling unwell?"
"If she's feeling unwell, I'll go and fetch a doctor for her..."
"No need," Yue Yining said calmly. "I just don't want to eat."
Xie Qingyu paused for a moment, then said, "I heard from the servants that Miss doesn't like the food."
When he spoke to her, there was always an inexplicable gentleness in his voice. "The three meals sent to Miss were prepared by the kitchen staff on my orders, according to Miss's previous tastes. They shouldn't be unpalatable. Or is it that the food prepared in the manor is not good enough?"
"It's not that it tastes bad, it's that I don't want to eat it."
A simple sentence, yet it carries a powerful weight.
Xie Qingyu looked at her, and Yue Yining finally stopped reading. She lowered her eyes and looked down at Xie Qingyu kneeling on the ground. "Who knows what you might put in there?"
Seeing this tense scene, Xie Yunying was as frightened as a quail.
"So that's why." Upon hearing this, Xie Qingyu remained calm and composed, and said gently again, "Then I will accompany you to every meal from now on. I will taste each dish first before you start eating, is that alright?"
Yue Yining remained silent.
The two people looked at each other from a distance, one with their head tilted back and the other with their head down.
“No.” Yue Yining stared at him and slowly said, “...Right now, I get angry just looking at your face. If you eat with me, it will only make me so angry that I don’t want to eat anything.”
Another long silence fell over the room, as if the whole house had fallen into deep water.
Xie Yunying stood beside her, not daring to utter a sound.
"...It's been so many days, is Miss still holding back her anger?" Xie Qingyu asked softly. "If Miss is still angry, please don't bottle it up, just vent it on me, okay?"
"As we agreed before, we were going to let the young lady have her fill. I wasn't just saying that. I've already had the instruments of torture and whips prepared."
Upon hearing this, Yue Yining laughed, seemingly unaware of the reason behind it.
"Really?" Yue Yining said, "Then have someone bring it in, I want to take a look."
Xie Yunying was completely confused. Ever since Xie Qingyu called Yue Yining "Miss," she had lost all sense of the drama.
She felt like a stupid student who picked up a pen while the teacher was teaching and never understood math again for the rest of her life, like a mortal without spiritual roots who accidentally stumbled into the heavenly realm, like a restaurant waitress in a Barbie movie who was drawn into a princess academy—no, Barbie as a restaurant waitress is a real princess who has fallen into the common world, but she, Xie Yunying, is a clueless clown.
Yin Yi lowered his head as someone brought in a whole shelf full of torture instruments, arranged them in the corner, and then immediately withdrew.
Xie Yunying dared not look closely, but she couldn't help but look.
Xie Qingyu remained kneeling, her dark eyes fixed on Yue Yining, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Miss..."
“Didn’t you say I could punish you however I wanted?” Yue Yining looked at him. “Now, take off your clothes.”
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Author's Note: Many more shameless and unrestrained chapters to come! [doge emoji] So satisfying!
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