Chapter 487: No one should be wronged, and no one should escape
Chuchun glanced at the heavy snow still falling outside the window and said, "It's snowing heavily outside. It's freezing cold. Where are you going?"
Lan Xiyue stopped at the door and turned around.
The cold air from the corridor, mixed with fine snow foam, blew towards her face, causing her to squint slightly.
She looked at the two maids and said, "Just stay in the house and keep warm. I suddenly remembered something important and need to go out for a while." She raised her voice slightly and called out, "An Yi!"
"I'm here!" Almost the moment she finished speaking, An Yi quietly slipped out from behind the pillar.
Lan Xiyue's gaze fell on An Yi, and she succinctly ordered, "Prepare the car and go to Baihua Theater."
"Yes!" An Yi responded straightforwardly without any hesitation, and disappeared in the corridor in a flash.
Chu Xia looked at the direction where An Yi disappeared, her lips slightly pouted, with a bit of grievance and loss, and she muttered softly: "The princess never takes the servants with her when she goes out now, only An Yi..."
Lan Xiyue glanced at her sideways with annoyance when she heard this, and gently tapped Chu Xia's forehead with her fingertips: "Silly girl, it's freezing outside, and the wind is as sharp as a knife. Isn't it because I feel sorry for you two, your delicate skin, freezing cold? Isn't it better to stay in the mansion by the stove and do some needlework than to follow me out in the cold wind?"
Chuchun hurriedly tugged at Chuxia's sleeve, with a gentle smile on her face, and said to smooth things over: "The princess is right, this girl just can't bear to leave your side, and always wants to be with you for fun." As she said that, she glared at Chuxia in reproach, "You, don't you think about it, the princess must be going out to do important business, and we will only cause trouble if we follow her. Come on, follow me back to the room, the princess's newly cut brocade jacket still needs a few stitches to be hemmed." She cleverly changed the subject.
Lan Xiyue then showed a satisfied smile on her face and nodded approvingly: "Well, my princess Chunchun is the most sensible and considerate." Before she finished speaking, she had wrapped her snow cloak tightly around her body, and without stopping, she strode into the falling snow.
Outside the palace gate, a large and sturdy royal carriage was waiting quietly in the wind and snow, with the horses spewing out white mist.
An Yi was standing beside the car. When he saw Lan Xiyue coming out, he immediately put down his footstool and opened a big umbrella to shield her from the wind and snow.
Lan Xiyue got into the carriage nimbly, and the heavy curtains fell, isolating herself from the severe cold outside.
An Yi then jumped onto the shaft and shook the reins firmly. The carriage then rolled over the thick snow and rumbled towards the Baihua Theater.
The atmosphere in front of the Baihua Theater was solemn.
Several sturdy figures dressed in the uniforms of the palace's secret guards stood like nails in the wind and snow, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. The invisible pressure made passers-by take detours, and they only dared to cast curious and awe-inspiring glances from afar, whispering to each other and wondering what kind of heinous crime this huge theater had committed to cause such a commotion in the Regent's Palace.
The carriage stopped in front of the theater.
An Yi quickly got out of the car and opened the curtain.
Lan Xiyue held An Yi's arm and stepped out of the carriage. The mink collar of her snow cloak made her face look even colder.
The secret guards at the door saw her and bowed in unison, saying in a deep and powerful voice, "Greetings, Princess!"
Lan Xiyue nodded slightly, and walked into the theater gate without looking around.
There was a suffocating panic in the theater.
The troupe manager and others all looked pale and dared not breathe.
Seeing Lan Xiyue coming, everyone knelt down, bowing their heads deeply, their voices trembling uncontrollably: "Your humble servants pay their respects to the Regent Princess! Long live the Princess!"
Lan Xiyue walked straight to the side and sat down on a chair, looking around at the huddled crowd below, her eyes like a frozen lake, without a trace of warmth.
Her cold voice echoed through the silent hall, each word clear and resonant, like a hammer striking everyone's heart: "Baihua Theater, what a filthy den! How dare they use the sleight of hand to commit the evil act of human trafficking! Do you know what the punishment for this is?"
The steward kneeling at the front shuddered all over, his forehead slamming heavily on the cold floor with a dull thud. He cried out in a tearful voice, "Princess, please understand! Princess, please understand! I've been wronged! Those Yin Da and Yin Er were so audacious that they hid this heinous act from everyone. I... I truly had no idea! Please, Princess, have mercy on us!"
Lan Xiyue's lips curled up in a faint sneer. She casually adjusted her cuffs and said sarcastically, "Completely unaware? Were you truly kept in the dark, or are you deliberately covering up for me?"
She stopped looking at the steward and turned her gaze to An Yi, who was standing beside her. She ordered, "An Yi, go and ask the Shuntian Prefecture Governor, Bao Hang, to come and investigate the case and apprehend the culprit. There are national laws and criminal codes. Just hand this filthy place over to the right people."
"Yes, sir!" An Yi clasped his fists and accepted the order, then winked at a secret guard beside him.
The secret guard understood and quickly slipped out of the theater like lightning.
The hall fell into a dead silence, with only the suppressed breathing of the crowd and the howling wind and snow outside being heard.
After about two cups of tea, a burst of hurried and orderly footsteps was heard outside the door.
Bao Hang, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, was seen wearing a dark blue official robe, with the feather on his hat still stained with unmelted snow. He walked in quickly with a team of yamen runners with solemn faces.
Bao Hang saw Lan Xiyue sitting in the main seat and immediately bowed. He said in a loud and respectful voice, "Your humble servant Bao Hang pays respects to the Regent Princess!"
Lan Xiyue raised her hand slightly: "Master Bao, please don't be polite."
She raised her hand and pointed at the people kneeling on the ground. She said succinctly, "This Baihua Opera House uses magic tricks as a cover to kidnap and sell people. I have already apprehended the main culprits, Yin Da and Yin Er. This case will be handed over to Lord Bao for a thorough investigation and trial." She paused, her eyes sweeping over Bao Hang. "Bring the two prisoners in the dungeon to Lord Bao."
An Yi immediately whispered a few words to another secret guard beside him.
The secret guard took the order and quickly turned around and left.
After finishing the instructions, Lan Xiyue slowly stood up.
The snow cloak fell, bringing a sense of awe around her.
She looked at Bao Hang and said calmly, "Master Bao, I only hope that you can enforce the law impartially and discern every detail, ensuring that no one is wronged and no one escapes."
Bao Hang's expression froze, his back straightened even more, and he solemnly bowed and said, "Don't worry, Princess! I will handle this case impartially and fulfill my duties to the best of my ability. I will get to the bottom of this case and will never let you down!"
"That's great." Lan Xiyue nodded, saying nothing more. She just waved her hand lightly, "Let's go."
"Your humble servant respectfully sends off the Regent Princess!" Bao Hang bowed again in a loud voice.
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