He pounced on the gold and silver as if the jewels themselves would be harmed.
"Master! Don't worry about it!" The housekeeper's wife tried desperately to pull his hand away, but the housekeeper, with his hand full of pearls, still refused to let go.
Under the moonlight, the man in black held a gleaming broadsword. His dark eyes were even colder and more terrifying than the blade. The butler, who was busy stuffing gold and silver jewelry into his pocket a moment ago, trembled like a leaf the next moment when he met the man's eyes.
"Who, who are you!" The butler pointed at the man in black, his voice hoarse with despair.
"I was sent by the Marquis of Xining to take your dog's life!" the man in black said, raising his knife and bringing it down. The steward's instinct for survival forced him to roll on the ground, dodging the blade that was sharp enough to behead someone.
"Help!" The butler stumbled and dodged to the side, but the man in black was hot on his heels. The butler felt a cold wind chasing him from behind.
He pushed open the back door, and his son and daughter-in-law rushed out first, followed by the housekeeper. Then they slammed the door shut with a bang, and together they carried a piece of wood to seal the door. Afterward, as if being chased by a vengeful ghost, they took off running into the darkness and fled desperately.
The cold night wind lashed against the butler's face. After running for a while, he gradually calmed down, glancing back to see if anyone was catching up while thinking about his next move.
He had some small scratches on his face, which stung painfully in the cold wind, but he didn't bother to wipe his face as his mind raced.
The Marquis of Xining wants to kill me; I can escape for a while, but not forever!
It would be better to cooperate with the investigation and let the imperial court protect you.
The moment the thought popped into his head, the butler's heart pounded like a drum, the "thump-thump-thump" sound almost reaching his brain.
On the other side, Xiao Qi quickly returned to Wanwan's side, and Wanwan hopped over to help him remove his black disguise.
"Brother Xiao, what do you think of this idea?" Wanwan asked excitedly as she removed his black headscarf, her eyes filled with anticipation, like a kitten waiting for his praise.
Xiao Qi silently patted her head, his eyes overflowing with doting affection. "Wanwan is even more intelligent than before."
The girl smiled faintly, her eyes curving into two crescent moons, and suddenly wrapped her arms around Xiao Qi's waist. The latter was stunned for a moment, then carefully hugged the girl back.
"Young Master!" The butler suddenly burst through the door with a wail. Wanwan was startled and hurriedly released Xiao Qi, tucking the black headscarf she had just taken off into her lower back.
The steward, as if he had no bones, screamed and fell to his knees at the feet of the two men, kowtowing and weeping, "Young masters! I know you two are important officials in the court investigating the case of Prince Sui'an. To tell you the truth, I was one of the parties involved back then! It was a scheme I carried out with the Marquis! Now that Marquis Xining is ruthless and wants to betray me! I am willing to cooperate with you two on your return journey to investigate!"
The butler cried with snot and tears streaming down his face. Xiao Qi frowned, a surge of suppressed anger rising in his eyes. He unconsciously clenched his fist. Wanwan noticed his emotions and reached out her small hand to cover half of his fist.
The contact between the burning hot skin and the slightly cool, curved palm felt like a needle pricking Xiao Qi's heart, a strange sensation of both pain and itch instantly calming his emotions.
“However,” the steward looked up, his face covered in dust and streaked with tears, “you can’t send me to jail after this is done. You have to give us 20,000 taels of gold and arrange an official position for my son.”
A petty person is a petty person; even at this time, they don't forget to grab a share of the benefits.
Xiao Qi's expression darkened. He knew that if the plan succeeded, he could only appease the only witness first, so he coldly agreed.
The group returned to the capital overnight.
In the few days since Wanwan left, the visiting cards sent by the Lady of Xining Marquis have piled up into a small mountain. It seems that she still can't forget the Nanshan Courtyard full of treasures that Wanwan mentioned.
Seeing that her appetite had been whetted and the time was ripe, Wanwan pretended to be passive and told Lady Xining that everything was arranged and she could be taken to see it on a chosen day. To show respect, she also specially invited Lady Xining to come along.
Marquis Xi Ning was naturally unwilling. When his wife saw that he was not happy, she immediately threw a tantrum and threatened him with her usual threat, "If you don't come out with me, I won't eat."
Marquis Xi Ning had no choice but to accompany her at the agreed time.
When the two arrived, the sun was shining brightly under a cloudless sky, and the warm sunlight made them sweat a little. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Lady Xining jumped down excitedly. Then the curtain was lifted, and Marquis Xining, with a gloomy face, also got out of the carriage reluctantly.
The wife, without any regard for propriety, grabbed her husband's arm and dragged him to Wanwan.
Wanwan led the two of them around in circles before finally arriving at the so-called Nanshan Courtyard. Lady Xining was even more excited, chattering away the whole way.
While Wanwan was stalling the two, Xiao Qi sneaked into the Marquis's residence to search for evidence.
The Marquis's mansion was built in an exceptionally grand manner, complete with artificial hills, streams, pavilions, and towers. If it weren't for the old servants in the mansion, probably few people could remember the route perfectly.
Xiao Qi circled the mansion several times before finally finding the study of the Marquis of Xining.
Last time I came to the mansion to search, I only guessed that the evidence was in the study, but I didn't have time to go in and search properly.
The study, without the lights on, was somewhat dark, filled with a damp, musty smell and the scent of wood. Sunlight found a chance to shine in through the cracks in the tightly closed windows, illuminating the long-abandoned desk, where the swirling dust in the beams of light could be clearly seen.
This study must have been abandoned long ago.
Xiao Qi covered his mouth and nose with his hand and began rummaging through the bookshelf.
As the saying goes, perseverance pays off. He finally stumbled upon a wall that sounded empty. Xiao Qi's eyes narrowed, and he knew that he was only one step away from the evidence. He then searched the surrounding area for mechanisms even more carefully.
He noticed a blue-and-white porcelain vase in the old book that was free of dust and much cleaner than any other utensil. On a whim, he pressed it down and gently turned it. Sure enough, the empty wall slowly opened, revealing a square.
Xiao Qi felt a surge of joy. Just as he reached out to take it out, he heard a sharp whooshing sound. A well-hidden arrow shot out from the square and headed straight for his door.
He quickly dodged, spinning in the air, but before he landed, a barrage of arrows rained down like a storm.
Arrows riddled the walls and bookshelves with holes, crackling and popping as sunlight streamed through the gaps, the golden light carrying a faint scent of blood.
Even someone as agile as Xiao Qi could not escape such a tight net in a short time.
In the blink of an eye, a tiny arrow pierced his chest, blood immediately flowing from the wound. After a period of intense numbness came excruciating pain, as if a million fire ants were gnawing at the surface of the wound, and in the blink of an eye, it reached his heart!
The arrows were poisoned!
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