"Wait." Xue Huai'an stepped forward and stopped the guards who were about to search.
He was, after all, an official appointed by the imperial court. No matter how much these guards bullied him, they wouldn't dare to actually lay a hand on Xue Huai'an. If he were injured, the blame would fall on them, and the master wouldn't take the responsibility for a few guards.
Xue Huai'an quickly thought for a moment, then clasped his hands in a respectful bow to the officials, saying, "Since you all suspect that thieves have broken into my residence, how about this: I will also have my men search the place."
Lord Zhou snorted, "Who knows if you'll protect that thief? Your repeated obstruction might just be a way to buy time for the thief."
"Why aren't you searching yet?!" Lord Zhou ordered his men to start, showing Xue Huai'an absolutely no respect.
What prince? What censor-in-chief? As long as someone's official position isn't above them, they have to obediently listen to them.
A mere upstart with no experience in officialdom thinks he can get ahead of them just because he's a favorite of His Majesty.
"Lord Zhou!" Xue Huai'an was also anxious, especially since he knew all too well that he couldn't offend these people, but he also couldn't let anyone go in to search.
Even if Chen Yirou wasn't involved, such indulgence would only make these people look down on him even more.
Located in the suburbs of Beijing, even if he wanted to ask for help, it would be too late.
Lord Zhou was also getting impatient with Xue Huai'an, and even wanted to throw away his pride, but after thinking about it, he decided to hold back. "Young Master Xue, don't worry, the guards here include not only my family's, but also those of several other officials. I will not frame you. If there are no thieves, we can leave with peace of mind."
"Otherwise, Prince Xue might not be able to afford to compensate for the losses."
The tall man guarding behind Xue Huai'an drew his sword, its gleaming blade standing out prominently in the night.
Lord Zhou did not believe that Xue Huai'an would dare to attack them, and he was not afraid at all even if the other party drew his knife.
"No disaster."
Xue Huai'an called out to the tall man, then turned around to hide Chen Yirou, but he was stopped by Lord Zhou just as he turned around.
"For the sake of Prince Xue's innocence, it would be best if Prince Xue did not leave."
Xue Huai'an lowered his eyes, as if his usual gentle mask had been torn away.
He pondered the consequences of leaving now, wondering if he could bear them.
Even though these officials might have been bullying, they were all persistent in finding the thief, perhaps because he had lost something important.
If he leaves now, and they ultimately fail to catch the thief, they will most likely assume that he helped the thief escape.
Ah-rou is intelligent; she might hide if she senses something amiss.
Besides, Xue Qi is there; he should be able to understand this little thing.
Xue Huai'an had no choice but to stand in the courtyard. Not long after, a man shouted, "We've got him! We've got him!"
Xue Huai'an's brow twitched; he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
It seems that no matter whether the thief is in his yard or not, he cannot escape the blame.
He rubbed his temples, sensing that something was amiss.
If thieves had indeed escaped into his residence, he should have been able to escape by now, given the time he had to deal with them.
Why would you still linger in his residence?
Xue Huai'an wanted to see the person clearly, but when his gaze fell on the timid and cowering person, he felt his mind go blank.
What kind of thief is that? It's clearly Chen Yirou, who was just whispering sweet nothings to him!
Even though her hair was completely covering her face and she was cowering, how could Xue Huai'an not recognize her after sharing a bed with her day and night?
"My lord, this man seems suspicious and acting suspiciously." The guard didn't care about anything else; if he felt something was wrong, he brought him over directly.
Xue Huai'an strode over and reached out to pull Chen Yirou over.
But the guard seemed to be on guard and quickly avoided Xue Huai'an's hand.
"This person doesn't seem like it," Lord Zhou muttered to himself, but seeing how concerned Xue Huai'an was, he didn't want to let it go so easily.
"Make her raise her head. How can you tell just like that?"
Chen Yirou reached out her hand to Xue Huai'an. Her hand was fair and delicate, and at first glance, it looked like she had never done any housework.
She didn't speak, seemingly afraid of revealing herself.
The guard was very rude and immediately reached out to Chen Yirou.
"Wait!"
Xue Huai'an immediately grabbed Chen Yirou's arm, his face showing anxiety. "She is my maid. Perhaps she couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and got up to wander around. She can't be a thief."
"Moreover, it might be inappropriate for a young woman to be exposed to the public in such a disheveled state."
“That looks like the second daughter of the Chen family, I think, I think her name is Chen Yirou,” said a woman leaning against an official, pointing to Chen Yirou.
Xue Huai'an turned around abruptly and realized that the guard had actually pressed Chen Yirou down and lifted her hair, so that no matter how she hid, she would be seen.
The courtyard was brightly lit, making it difficult to see anything clearly.
"It really does seem to be the second daughter of the Chen family. Wasn't she imprisoned in the imperial jail? How did she end up here? Wait, a few months ago, there were rumors in the capital that the young master Xue got the second daughter of the Chen family pregnant." As he spoke, the man's gaze fell on Chen Yirou's belly. Even though she was dressed loosely, it was clear that she was a slender girl.
I'm not pregnant, but...
"Isn't there a rumor that on the night of March 18th, Prince Xue had a secret rendezvous with a woman, and it's said to be this Miss Chen the Second. It seems there's some truth to it."
Women often enjoy chatting and gossiping, and these officials, who were often accompanied by concubines or wives, were bound to discuss such matters.
"So it was a secret affair, no wonder Prince Xue was so secretive." Lord Zhou looked at Xue Huai'an and Chen Yirou with a mocking expression.
He had seen Qin Su before, and compared to her, Chen Yirou's appearance and figure were no match for Princess Chen. He wondered what Xue Huai'an was thinking.
They missed out on such a wonderful Princess Wei'an and chose such an unappealing illegitimate daughter instead.
He didn't understand, but one thing he was very clear about.
Xue Huai'an is not married yet, but he keeps a mistress outside. If this gets out, it will be impossible for him to marry a noblewoman.
Xue Huai'an held Chen Yirou's hand, his eyes filled with an almost overflowing gloom.
Chen Yirou felt a little pain from being gripped so tightly, but she didn't dare to speak. She knew she had caused trouble for Xue Huai'an. She was afraid that Xue Huai'an would abandon her.
If it really comes to that, what should she do?
I certainly can't go back home.
"Everyone has had a mistress at some point, it's a minor matter. The thief may have already escaped, let's look elsewhere."
The group left again, and the guards released Chen Yirou, but glanced at Xue Huai'an one more time before leaving.
That look made him feel very uneasy.
He suddenly suspected that today's events were a conspiracy deliberately orchestrated by someone.
Who is it?
"Huai'an." Chen Yirou pitifully clutched Xue Huai'an's sleeve. Even though her hand hurt from his grip, she didn't dare to argue.
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