Chapter 101: Scheming

  "Your Highness, please spare me! It wasn't me who did it, really it wasn't!"

  "It's none of my business as a princess, I was knocked unconscious and don't know anything!"

  "Your Highness, your Highness! I was in the small kitchen making pastries for the second young master at that time and didn't know anything!"

  Several maidservants refused to admit it, shifting the blame onto each other. Princess Xiao looked at them impatiently and coldly ordered the servant, "Slap them until they tell the truth!"

  The old woman got the order and immediately went forward "slap slap slap" and started hitting.

  In an instant, the cheeks of several maidservants all swelled up, and blood continuously flowed out from their mouths.

  "Your Highness, we can't take it anymore. If we continue like this, I'm afraid we won't even be able to keep our lives."

  "Useless thing!" Xiaowangfei slapped the table, her face cold and stern. "Speak! Who exactly instigated the second prince to go out?"

  The maidservants knelt on the ground and wept, but no one acknowledged them.

  How can something that never happened be acknowledged? Not acknowledging it means death, and acknowledging it would mean an even more miserable death. Moreover, they didn't do anything in the first place, so how could they acknowledge it?

  "Your Highness! The slaves are gone, they're really gone!"

  "A few of you are still so stubborn! How would the Second Young Master have thought of sneaking out if it weren't for you? The Second Young Master has always been obedient and followed the rules, he clearly knows that the Princess is worried, how could he possibly sneak out? It must be you few who are stirring up trouble in front of the Second Young Master!"

  It turned out that Xiao Ming wanted to sneak out, but was caught red-handed by the gatekeeper and reported to Queen Xiao.

  Xiao Ming's body has been poor since the big fire, and he can't even blow in the wind. If he goes out for a stroll, his life might be gone.

  Furthermore, Xiao Ming's appearance was ruined, how can he go out? Let people laugh at him?

  Xiao Wangfei got angrier the more she thought about it, she didn't want to punish her son, but was convinced that those few maids who served Xiao Ming had instigated him to cause trouble, which led to what just happened.

  "Come on! Take these few maidservants to the bamboo forest at the back hill. This season is just when the bamboo forest needs nourishment!"

  They will be buried alive.

  Several maids suddenly went limp on the ground, and one of them fainted directly!

  "Empress Dowager!" Just then, a shout came from outside the door, accompanied by footsteps that were not very agile and gradually approached.

  "Empress Dowager, it has nothing to do with them, Ming'er wants to go out on his own!"

  It turned out that Xiao Ming had rushed over upon hearing the news.

  The cold and stern look on Xiao Wangfei's face instantly turned into warmth and kindness, smiling as she beckoned him over, "Ming'er, didn't mother tell you to rest well in the house?"

  "The Empress Dowager, this has nothing to do with these maids. It's just that Ming'er read 'The Records of Yan State' and remembered the past, so he wants to go out and take a look at the current state of Shengjing." He said, his beautiful eyes pitifully looking towards Xiao Wangfei, "Empress Dowager, Ming'er hasn't left the house in six years. He's always cooped up on the couch, and even if he's not sick, he'll be suffocated into illness."

  Xiao Wangfei narrowed her eyes to look at Xiao Ming's face, the unscathed half of his face had fair and delicate skin, with a gentle and refined appearance. However, on the other side, there was a large patch of burns that would only evoke ridicule and disgust from others.

  How can Yunxi's son suffer such humiliation?!

  "Ming'er, it's not that the empress dowager doesn't want you to go out, but rather that the timing is not yet ripe." She said, comforting Ming by patting his hand, "The empress dowager has almost found a divine doctor, and soon your face will be cured. Just bear with it a little longer, and soon you'll be able to go out."

  Endure, endure, he has heard this sentence for six whole years! Each time it made him endure, but not once did it come true!

  Xiao Qi can go out and have fun, going wherever he wants, why does Xiao Ming have to be trapped in this small room!

  He made plans and strategies for his father king, helping him resolve court disputes, he was no worse than anyone else!

  "Mother, I've recovered from my injuries and the scars on my face can be hidden with a mask. I don't want to wait any longer, I want to go out and see the world like my older brother, instead of just reading about it in 'The Travels of Xu Xiake'."

  "What is he teaching you?!" The color of Xiao Wangfei's face changed, "You're being spoiled by him, from now on, don't let him come see you again, or you'll be ruined!"

  "Empress Dowager!" Xiao Ming's face turned red with rage as he suddenly started coughing violently.

  Xiao Wangfei was frightened, and she helped him pat his back, called the servant girl to pour water for him, and comforted him with words, it took a long time to calm down his emotions.

  "Mother, my elder brother has never told me about the outside world, but I can see that he is happier than me." Xiao Ming took a deep breath and pleaded: "I envy my elder brother, I really do. I just want to go out and take a look one day, just once, and then I'll be content."

  Xiao Wangfei had an indescribable feeling in her heart.

  Ming'er used to be the pride of heaven, and everyone looked up to him. At that time, Xiao Qi was useless, what kind of thing was he? What qualifications did he have to be admired by Ming'er?

  It's all because of Wang Ye, it's all his fault! If it weren't for him, Ming Er wouldn't have suffered such humiliation! He should be living a more carefree life than anyone else!

  "Mother..." Xiao Ming glared at her again with a sorrowful and resentful expression, his eyes, which were identical to Xiao Qi's, filling Empress Xiao with both heartache and hatred.

  Xiao Wangfei sighed helplessly, "Alright, after a while when the matters in the estate are settled, Mother will personally accompany you out, how about that?"

  Not good. Xiao Ming silently replied in his heart, he knew that Princess Xiao personally accompanying him out was nothing more than expanding this "prison" to the entire Shengjing area, and on that day, the servants from the palace who followed him were still the same as those who protected him, what's the difference between going out or not?

  But Xiao Ming knew this was already the greatest concession made by Xiao Wangfei, and he couldn't help but accept.

  "The son thanks the queen mother." Xiao Ming stood up to bid farewell, still reminding Queen Xiangwang to spare those few maidservants, "I'm used to them, if I change again, I'm afraid it will take some time to get used to."

  Several maids, who had narrowly escaped with their lives, knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, "Thank you, Second Master, thank you, Second Master." They completely forgot that the one who had brought them to this state was also this Second Master.

  The lanterns hanging under the eaves were blown by the wind, and the light and shadow danced on people's faces, brightening and darkening. Xiao Ming stood under the corridor in a red dress, the wind suddenly rose, his veil flew up, and half of his face was steeped in the darkness, looking ferocious and terrifying.

  In an instant, the wind stopped, and he resumed his harmless appearance, lifted his foot, and walked out of the yard.

  But he did not return to his own residence, instead turning a corner and heading towards Xiao Qi's courtyard.

  At this time, Xiao Qi was sitting in a chair drinking tea, completely ignoring the thrilling scene unfolding in his own courtyard.

  "Was it because of you that your second brother ran out blindly?" Xu Xiujin sat opposite him, also holding a cup of tea and taking a sip.

  Xiao Qi ignored him, "You're coming so late just to discuss gossip about my family?"

  "No."

  Xiao Xi's face slightly relaxed.

  Xu Xiujin said seriously again: "I came to see your joke."

  Xiao Qi: "......" Hei Lian didn't explain.

  "I've found out the news about Lu Yan Zhi for you." Xu Xiujing was good at knowing when to stop, and even better at diverting attention.

  Xiao Qi wasn't someone who usually bothered with him either, raised an eyebrow, "Speak."

  "His identity and family background you must know, so there's no need for me to say more." Xu Xiujing said a redundant sentence, after receiving a cold stare from Xiao Qi, he continued: "I found something interesting, Lu Yan is actually the student of Xue Shen who retired from the cabinet fourteen years ago."

  " Him?" Xiao Qi's expression turned solemn, his back stiffening slightly, "He actually agreed to take on an apprentice?"

  Xu Xiuren chuckled, "This is what I meant by the interesting part. Lu Yanzi was indeed formidable. The Emperor had to dispatch a secret investigator from the Imperial Palace just to find out about Xue Shen's whereabouts. At that time, he was only a thirteen-year-old boy and yet he managed to find Xue Shen. If you say it was accidental, then how could he have solved the unsolvable puzzle set up by Xue Shen to stump the Emperor?"

  It's a chess situation where white and black each occupy one side, with white inevitably losing and black pressing in step by step. How can white be brought back to life? This is what is called an unsolvable situation.

  The Emperor wanted to invite Xue Shen out of the mountain, and he was invited three times. Each time, he refused the Emperor on the grounds that he could not break through this chess situation and would never come out of the mountain.

  Has Lu Xun's puzzle been solved?

  "How did you crack it?" Xiao Qi came with interest.

  Xu Xiujin leaned in, raised an eyebrow, "Very simple, overturn the chessboard, let's start again."

  As long as the next white piece can beat the black piece, it is considered a solution.

  Xiao Xi was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Brilliant!" without hiding her admiration for Lu Yan.

  Xu Xiuren snorted in discontent, "It's just a heretical and evil path, but when it comes to intelligence, I'm still one step ahead."

  "Shameless." Xiao Qi struck without mercy, and before Xu Xiuzhen's outburst, he asked again: "Then did Xue Shen take him as his student afterwards?"

  "Nature did not, and afterwards Xue Shenzi again repeatedly made things difficult for him, but he easily resolved them all. After grinding for several months, he finally accepted him as a disciple."

  Xiao Xi nodded slowly, seemingly deep in thought: "This Lu Yanzi is indeed not simple, his approach to Xue Shen's purpose must also be impure, let's not act rashly for now, and secretly investigate further."

  "He has been getting close to Zhen Nanbo's mansion recently." Xu Xiujing reminded.

  That refers to Chow Chung-chun.

  "Oh?" Xiao Qi's interest deepened a bit, "He just returned to the capital and is already forming alliances, it seems our plan has taken another step forward."

  He said with a rare genuine smile on his face, "Once Lin Wu is in hand, we can think of ways to let the Emperor promote Jian An Hou. At that time, we will push the waves and help the momentum, and the real storm in Shengjing City will arrive."

  Xu Xiujin also looked very excited, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said: "Right. Do you know the news that Lin Si was conferred as the County Master of Anyang?"

  Xiao Qi showed no interest in this, "So what if I know?"

  The young county lord is just a royal reward for building the An Hou Mansion and rewarding the quiet consort. What's so peculiar about that?

  Xu Xiujin knew he wasn't interested, a sly smile spreading across his face like a fox, "But did you know that the Empress Dowager gave her something else that's even more extraordinary?"

  Xiao Qi really didn't have time to accompany him in his nonsense, and was still someone unimportant to him, "If you want to say it, just say it."