"This humble servant greets Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master." Xiao Xi bowed.
"You don't seem surprised, which means you've met Lady Tong," Yinzhen said calmly.
Xiao Xi replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "In response to Fourth Master, it was this humble servant who escorted Consort Tong out of the city an hour ago."
"How dare you!" Yinzhen suddenly stood up and said angrily, "Knowing that she is Consort Tong, why didn't you send her back to her residence? Instead, you helped her confess. What should your punishment be?"
"This humble servant is guilty." Xiao Xi lifted his robe and ran to the ground, calm and composed, looking as if he was ready to accept his punishment at any moment.
"presumptuous."
Yinzhen was even angrier. Birds of a feather flock together. She was just as stubborn as Lady Tong. He couldn't bear to touch her, but others might not take her seriously. "Guards, drag her away..."
"Fourth Brother, you mustn't!" Thirteen quickly spoke up to stop her. "Fourth Brother, it seems inappropriate for us to convict her without asking her anything. How about we find out the truth first before determining her guilt?"
Before his fourth brother could make a decision, he spoke up again and asked Xiao Xi, "Officer Xiao, seeing is believing. I've heard that Officer Xiao and Sister-in-law Tong have a close relationship. May I ask why, knowing Sister-in-law Tong's identity, you didn't persuade her to return to the manor, but instead indulged her in her nonsense? Could you please give me an explanation? Otherwise, you, a mere officer, probably can't bear the responsibility for the crime of abducting a prince's wife."
Of course, she couldn't bear the responsibility, and she was just as afraid. The Fourth Prince was different from the other princes; his fierce and chilling aura was something that a mere constable from Shuntian Prefecture like herself couldn't handle.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but in reality, Xiao Xi's heart felt frozen. The study, which was as warm as spring, was chilled by the cold air emanating from behind the desk, penetrating straight to his bones.
“There is indeed more to the story. Consort Tong said that if the Fourth Prince asks, we can tell him the truth. Please dismiss the servants and I will tell you everything.”
Yinzhen and the thirteenth prince exchanged a glance. The thirteenth prince nodded and walked out of the study with Su Peisheng.
"You can speak now," Yinzhen said.
Xiao Xi swallowed and expressed his resentment and embarrassment at Nan Yi being beaten.
She continued, "I have known Consort Tong for a long time and understand her personality very well. She has a rare pure heart, is straightforward and unrestrained, and has clear likes and dislikes. She is also deeply affectionate towards the Fourth Prince. If there is anything to criticize, it is that she is too straightforward and does not like to be two-faced. She wears her heart on her sleeve, unlike many hypocritical people who say one thing to your face and another behind your back. I hope the Fourth Prince can see through her sincerity."
"Mingjian? You feel sorry for her." Yinzhen looked coldly at the woman kneeling upright below.
He had the same bad temper, and his words were full of hidden meanings, but he couldn't understand them. He felt indignant on behalf of the Tong family, without considering his own status.
If it weren't for the fact that she's a talented person, I would definitely have given her a beating.
Xiao Xi was filled with unease. She was furious that Nan Yi had been beaten. For the fourth prince, a man of such high status, to lay a hand on his wife was not the act of a gentleman.
"This humble servant dares not."
“You’re not afraid, you’re incapable,” Yinzhen sneered. “I’ll keep a note of the Tong family matter for now. If it happens again, you’ll be punished for all your crimes. Get out of here.”
That's it, you passed the test, no beheading.
Xiao Xi was stunned, then overjoyed. She grinned, but then remembered that it seemed a bit disrespectful, so she stopped laughing, kowtowed, thanked him, and left the study.
Thirteen stood outside the door. When she came out, he squinted and looked her over, then said meaningfully, "Gu Zhao has good taste."
Xiao Xi didn't understand at first. Fourth Master didn't blame her for Nan Yi's matter, and she drifted home.
The next day, Lord Gu came in person to inform her that she no longer needed to be a constable. She had been transferred to the Imperial Guard Infantry Camp in the capital region, but her position was not yet determined. She was simply asked to run errands for a commander.
Although she was a woman, she had previously been appreciated by Gu Zhao, who made an exception and appointed her as a constable, which was somewhat understandable. However, the infantry camp...
Is Fourth Master sure he's not getting revenge on her?
Not to mention Xiao Xi's new job was in a terrible state, Nan Yi also encountered trouble. She had just escaped the capital and hadn't even had time to celebrate her freedom when she bumped into an old acquaintance.
What should you do if you run into them? Your first thought is definitely to run!
Zheng Yong never expected to run into Consort Tong on his way back to the capital to report. The fact that his mistress was here meant that she had once again fled.
He instructed his four subordinates to return to the capital first to deliver the imperial decree, as he still had matters to attend to and needed to stay outside for a while.
So, one chased and the other ran.
At the height of his martial arts prowess, Nan Yi was on par with Zheng Yong. Initially, the two harbored a strong desire to compete, but later, things turned out the way they are now.
After a long day, both of them were exhausted. Nan staggered along, her mouth dry and parched. She said weakly, "I said... can you please stop chasing us? If this continues, we'll both... die of exhaustion here. Zheng Yong, don't you think... you're just meddling in other people's business?"
Zheng Yong, dragging his heavy legs and panting heavily, couldn't help but chuckle when he heard her description. "Master Tong... you can scold your servant, but don't drag yourself into it. I didn't... I didn't chase after you. I... I had something to say to you... please stop."
He couldn't take it anymore; he was completely exhausted and couldn't lift his legs. There was a tree root sticking out of the road ahead, but Zheng Yong didn't see it. With a "thud," he fell to the ground.
Nan Yi heard the sound behind her, turned around, and pointed at Zheng Yong, who was lying on the ground unable to get up. She laughed loudly, thinking, "She's really something else; she wasn't the one who fell down first."
Now that the other party has stopped chasing her, she can finally stop and rest for a bit.
The southern woman reached into her sleeve and took out a thin bamboo tube. She uncorked it and was about to drink when she saw Zheng Yong grabbing some snow and putting it in his mouth. She couldn't bear to do that.
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