Chapter 143 The Trip
An atmosphere of anxiety permeated the Second Princess's residence.
The glass cup was slammed to the ground and shattered into pieces.
The palace maids and eunuchs who were serving them were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.
Princess Pei Mingyue's chest heaved violently, her face clouded with gloom, and her usually domineering eyes were now filled with disbelief and panic.
She already knew what happened in the court today, and thought Xie Sangning would definitely suffer a setback this time, after all, her father had taken action.
But unexpectedly...
What surprised her even more was that Xie Sangning had actually fixed Xi Han! She heard it was even comparable to Jinling!
Her voice was filled with barely suppressed anger: "You've all heard about what happened in court today, haven't you?"
She stopped abruptly, her gaze sweeping over her kneeling confidant and Xie Wulu huddled in the corner. Her tone was icy, "What a Xie Sangning! What a Lin Zhu! Working together, they forced Father to swallow this insult! Not only did they not get their fiefdoms back, but they also had to swallow their pride and accept it!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier and more terrified she became!
"How is that possible? Where would she get so much money?" Pei Mingyue's voice rose, carrying a hint of disarray she herself didn't realize. "Paying out of her own pocket? Supporting the entire Xihan? Building roads and canals? You're kidding me! Xihan! What about Xihan?! It's been days! Have the people we sent died there?! We haven't brought back a single useful piece of information!"
This completely overturned her understanding.
In her eyes, her father was the emperor, the supreme being, how could he possibly bow down to a mere subject?
This gave her a sense of loss of control, a feeling that something was happening that was beyond her control, a feeling that made her extremely uncomfortable, even... frightened.
This has happened several times already!
Every time she thought she could crush Xie Sangning, he always managed to escape from a desperate situation and even turn the tables on her!
Even the Emperor…
Standing to the side, an old man in a gray robe with a withered face bowed and replied, "Your Highness, please calm down. Counting the time, our people have been scouting in the Western Cold for three days. The Western Cold is vast and sparsely populated, and has changed a lot. Many places do not match the old map, so the investigation will take time. But they are all veterans, and once they find any clues, they will definitely send back the news immediately. Please be patient and wait a little longer, Your Highness."
This was less of a report and more of a attempt to calm Pei Mingyue's nearly exploding emotions.
Seeing this, Xie Wulu was afraid that Pei Mingyue would take her anger out on him, so he quickly comforted her, "Your Highness, please calm down and don't upset yourself. It's not easy to investigate in Xihan. But the more difficult it is, the more it shows that there's something fishy going on."
“Your Highness, think about it, what makes Xie Sangning so special? How old was she when she left the capital? Her father’s salary and rewards were taken by our second branch, and I also secured the money from her maternal family. Back then, the Emperor didn’t even allow the Lin family to leave the capital. Where did Xie Sangning get so much money to fill Xihan? In Xie Wulu’s mind, this is the only possibility!”
Pei Mingyue stared at him for a moment, gave a mocking smile, and then waved her hand as if shooing away a fly: "Seventeen, your whole family is pretty beastly... but they suit my taste, so it's for the best. Get out of here."
Upon hearing the word "beast," Xie Wulu clenched his fists so tightly that his eyes turned bloodshot, but he still endured it, bowed, and left the room.
Only Pei Mingyue and her confidante remained in the hall.
“Your Highness, you seem…disturbed,” the old man asked in a low voice.
Pei Mingyue didn't answer immediately. She walked back to the main seat and sat down, rubbing her temples with her fingers: "I just feel that... Xie Sangning, she always seems to be able to anticipate other people's reactions and always plan ahead. Today in court, she took out the account book... the timing was too coincidental. And her maid, carrying the account book in... it was as if she had prepared it all along."
She raised her eyes and looked at the gray-haired old man: "Do you think there are really people in the world who can predict the future?"
The old man chuckled, "Your Highness's concerns are utterly unfounded. This woman is incredibly cunning, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. She... is indeed almost demonically intelligent and calculating. But Your Highness need not worry. Our people operate covertly, and she may not detect them. Even if she does, the Western Cold is vast, and she cannot be on guard at every turn. As long as we find the true weakness..."
"I hope so."
Pei Mingyue took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her unease. "No matter what, Xi Han must be investigated! Xie Sangning must die!"
Two days later, at the first light of dawn, the area outside Jinling City was already bustling with activity and excitement.
Almost the entire Lin family came out and waited here early.
Apart from the second uncle, Lin Ruzhou, who was entrusted with the important task of guarding the family and whose face was full of reluctance, almost everyone who could come came.
Originally, she wanted to keep her maternal uncle Lin Rushen, but Lin Rushen insisted that he had never seen his niece Xie Sangning in all these years, and that he and his family had not been in the capital before, using this reason to steal the opportunity to travel together.
The younger generation, led by Lin Ziyuan, were as excited as monkeys released from their cages, running around the carriage and chattering incessantly, full of anticipation for their upcoming journey.
Grandpa Lin was dressed in a neat dark casual suit, looking energetic and with a long-lost smile on his face. He squinted at the lively scene of his children and grandchildren, and felt that the depression of the past few days had dissipated. Even the rising sun seemed particularly pleasing and warm to him.
"They're here! They're here! My cousin's carriage is here!"
Lin Ziyuan, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot the convoy at the end of the official road. He cheered and darted off like a small arrow, heading straight for the carriage.
He was so grateful to his cousin!
If his cousin hadn't offered to take the whole family to Xihan for a trip, how could his parents have possibly agreed to let him ask for leave from school?
It wasn't that Lin Ziyuan didn't like studying; on the contrary, he loved learning. It was just that recently at school, he had been openly and secretly bullied by those arrogant young men, which made him feel very frustrated. He didn't want his family to worry, so he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
My cousin's suggestion was like a godsend, saving him from dire straits!
As soon as the carriage came to a stop and the curtain was lifted, Xie Sangning leaned out, and Lin Ziyuan darted to the front of the carriage, his eyes sparkling as he called out, "Cousin!"
Almost simultaneously, another slender figure jogged over; it was Lin Wantang.
Her face flushed slightly, as if she had mustered her courage. She looked up at Xie Sangning, opened her mouth, and tried to make a sound. Her voice was still a little hoarse and hesitant, but she said clearly, "Cousin... Sister..."
When Xie Sangning saw her, his cold and aloof expression softened slightly.
She got out of the car, reached out and gently touched Lin Wantang's head, and said softly, "Yes, you've improved. Keep practicing, take it slow, and you'll be back to normal soon."
Encouraged, Lin Wantang's eyes brightened, and she nodded happily, her face beaming with joy.
Lin Ziyuan, watching from the side, suddenly felt a little uneasy.
He was clearly the first one to rush over to greet his cousin!
Why only touch Wan Tang's head and not his?
The boy's subtle competitive spirit was clearly written on his face.
At this moment, Aunt Wei, Lin Ziyuan's second aunt, stepped forward with a smile and gently patted the back of his head: "You're so fast! You have no manners. Don't bother your cousin here. She has important things to arrange."
Then, he smiled at Xie Sangning and said, "Sangning, everything is ready, we're just waiting for you. These rascals, they didn't sleep well last night after hearing we were going out."
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