Chapter 43: The Prince Stuns Everyone with a Single Feat!-Eu sou um tolo, que más intenções poderia ter?(Pena de ganso selvagem batata-doce)

The illusion vanished. Xue Yuan saw the real Lin Shishi lying on the bed, a trace of blood clinging to the corner of her lips. Her face was pale, but she looked at him earnestly.

At that moment, he dismissed the idea of capturing Lin Shishi, because he felt that keeping her would be more advantageous for his control over the Remnants Society.

After all, Lin Shishi had the background of Princess Yeliang and was a high-level master of the sixth rank. With proper planning, she could rise to the higher echelons of the Remnants Society.

Wang Yu'er, on the other hand, had no background. No matter how many merits she achieved, she could at most control the Remnants Society in Ningzhou. The two of them had different standings and different positions; hence, their methods of utilization should also differ!

Xue Yuan's ambition was swelling!

Yet, maintaining his composure, he said, "There is no need to rush to pledge your loyalty. I saved you for a reason, of course. You only need to believe two things."

"Which two?"

"First, the Remnants Society merely regards you as a tool. Why did that舵主 Zhou deceive you? I believe you have the answer in your heart."

Lin Shishi could not help saying, "Yes, he probably wanted to eliminate me because he was afraid I would steal his position as the舵主 of the Ningzhou branch!"

"Then why did you trust him?"

"He possesses the *Thirty-Six Techniques of Yeliang* from the imperial noble consort. This book records the fusion method of General Xuanjia. To save my people, I need to fuse with General Xuanjia, so I had no choice but to trust him!"

Hearing this, Xue Yuan understood.

The palace murder case mentioned by Chen Qiluo was likely the assassination of the imperial noble consort, and the perpetrator was舵主 Zhou, or someone sent by him, with the purpose of seizing the *Thirty-Six Techniques of Yeliang* in the consort's possession.

However, if舵主 Zhou went to such great lengths solely to kill Lin Shishi, it seemed a bit far-fetched, didn't it?

This point could be investigated further.

Regardless,舵主 Zhou was the mastermind behind the palace murder. He could simply be reported to Chen Qiluo, using her hand to kill舵主 Zhou and paving the way for Lin Shishi's rise.

By the way, it would also earn him a massive favor from Chen Qiluo—truly wonderful!

Xue Yuan reined in his thoughts and calmly continued, "Second, you need to understand why I have feigned madness and played the fool for all these years."

Lin Shishi replied, "I know. To protect yourself, you willingly endured extraordinary humiliation. For this, Shishi admires you!"

"Indeed. If I didn't play the fool, the emperor would have killed me!"

Xue Yuan paused, walked over to Lin Shishi, squatted down, and gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Then, he said word by word, "Therefore, we share a common enemy: the emperor!

As long as the emperor is killed, I can restore freedom to your Yeliang people, and they will never have to suffer humiliation again.

If you trust me, follow me from now on. If you do not trust me, continue following the Remnants Society. This Prince will never force you."

Lin Shishi looked up at Xue Yuan, her eyes filled with unspeakable complexity.

Xue Yuan knew she had an answer in her heart, because the Remnants Society was composed of remnants from various nations, each with their own interests and thoughts. Such an alliance was difficult to sustain, and everyone within it knew this.

"Within three days, I will come to save you."

With that, Xue Yuan turned and walked out of the room.

Outside, Jian Qi looked at Xue Yuan with a trace of sympathy.

"So fast?"

Jian Qi calculated that from the time Xue Yuan entered the room until he came out, it had been less than a quarter of an hour.

Xue Yuan gave Jian Qi a sidelong glance and said, "What if I told you I'm not interested in women?"

Jian Qi was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly chased after Xue Yuan, saying, "Your Highness, women are still very good... I have a sweetheart back in my hometown, she's a woman..."

"Get lost!"

...

At the Prince's Mansion, dinner time.

Xue Yuan and Jian Qi buried their heads in their rice bowls as usual, while Su Ruowei and秦三泰 (Qin Santai) wore rather strange expressions, glancing at Xue Yuan from time to time.

"Eat your vegetables. What are you looking at me for?" Xue Yuan asked.

Qin Santai smiled ingratiatingly and hurriedly lowered his head to shovel rice.

Su Ruowei had spent the entire day taking stock of the Prince's Mansion's properties, touring everything from shops to farmland, and discovered that the mansion was operating at a heavy loss, with many servants embezzling funds.

She had originally wanted to report this matter to the Prince, but before she knew it, the words slipped out of her mouth.

"Did the Prince go to the brothel today?"

This was what she had heard while passing by a teahouse in the afternoon.

Of course, the news in the teahouse was much more explosive than what she stated.

"That's right," Xue Yuan said. "How did you know?"

Su Ruowei put down her chopsticks and said, "Everyone outside is saying that Your Highness took a fancy to Lin Shishi, almost burned down the brothel just to see her, and also..."

"And what?"

"Nothing."

Su Ruowei's face suddenly flushed red, and she fell silent, lowering her head to scoop some jade shrimp soup into her bowl with a spoon.

"Why do you only say half of what you mean?"

Xue Yuan turned to Qin Santai and asked, "You tell me, what else do they say outside that this Prince did?"

Qin Santai carefully considered his words and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, everyone outside says Your Highness is majestic and immensely endowed, making Lin Shishi cough up blood! Someone even witnessed Your Highness coming out and carrying away a blood-stained bedsheet from Lin Shishi's room!

I have to say, Your Highness's true prowess is well-hidden; silent until you strike, truly astonishing overnight. It's truly admirable, hehe!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yuan almost choked on a fish bone, spitting out a mouthful of rice and bone with a "poof."

He cursed, "Which bastard is spreading such nonsense? The blood came from her own mouth; it has nothing to do with me!"

Qin Santai suddenly understood, while the astonishment and admiration on his face grew even stronger.

"So that's how it was! It came from her upper mouth, not the lower one? Then just how intense must the clash have been, simply..."

"Get lost!"

Furious, Xue Yuan slapped the back of Qin Santai's head to halt his unrestrained, unprincipled train of thought!

Then he said to Su Ruowei, "Miss Su, don't listen to their nonsense. This Prince has always cherished jade and pitied fragrance; I am certainly not that kind of person. Jian Qi can testify."

Jian Qi remained silent, simply lowering his head and eating voraciously.

The flush on Su Ruowei's face deepened, as this was the first time in her life she had ever participated in such a topic.

Aside from her burning cheeks, Su Ruowei felt a slight congestion in her chest.

She felt she was definitely not angry; after all, she was merely the steward of the Prince's Mansion, and the Prince even had a Princess consort—it was hardly her place to be angry.

Yet, if she wasn't angry, what was this feeling?

Lost in thought, she unconsciously brought the soup-filled spoon to her lips, only to be scalded sharply. Hastily pulling the spoon back, her white teeth lightly bared as she blew out a breath of hot air.

"Your Highness, be careful, the soup is a bit hot."

Maintaining her usual tone of caring for the intellectually challenged, she no longer dared to look into those clear, honest eyes.

She felt that the owner of those eyes was now completely different from before.

Especially that day when he played the zither—she had clearly seen a vast and profound world in his eyes.

Xue Yuan angrily slapped the back of Qin Santai's head once more.

Cursing, "Damn official, just eat your meal. Why talk about such things!"

...

After dinner, Su Ruowei went back to the ledger room to audit the accounts. She was determined to finish auditing the mansion's accounts within three days, because three days later, the miscarriage of justice involving the Su family would be retried, and she wanted to attend the scene and testify as a witness.

The thought of her family soon being released improved her mood considerably.

Meanwhile, Xue Yuan took Jian Qi and Qin Santai out, heading to an unassuming residential house not far from the Prince's Mansion.

Xue Yuan had secretly purchased this residence through Jian Qi for a very simple reason: it had a cellar.

With a little modification, it would become a dungeon.

The Prince's Mansion actually had a dungeon, but since the guards were all Qian Zhongxian's men, it was inconvenient, leaving this as the only alternative.

Xue Yuan actually wanted to replace the guards of the Prince's Mansion, but lacking men on hand, he truly couldn't replace them yet.

At this moment, someone was locked inside the dungeon: Gao Zhenshan, a confidant of Qian Zhongxian and the courier who regularly delivered secret memorials for Qian Zhongxian to the post station.

Late last night, Qin Santai had notified Xue Yuan that Qian Zhongxian had submitted a secret memorial to the emperor, so Xue Yuan sent Jian Qi in hot pursuit through the night to capture Gao Zhenshan and bring him here.

How did Qin Santai know about this?

It was simple: Xue Yuan had given him ten thousand taels of silver notes quite early on, and with the money, he had bribed three maids in the estate where Qian Zhongxian resided.

One of the maids was his lover, whose loyalty was unquestioned, and the other two were recommended by her.

Later, when one of them vaguely mentioned whether doing this would wrong Mr. Qian, Qin Santai lured her out and strangled her. In short, the corrupt official now had at least two informants in that estate.

Inside the cellar.

By the reddish glow of the burning brazier, Xue Yuan saw Gao Zhenshan hanging from iron chains, his whole body covered in blood with a rag stuffed in his mouth. He frowned slightly.

He asked Qin Santai, "Is his mouth that hard? Unwilling to say anything?"

Qin Santai blinked and asked, "What does Your Highness want to ask?"

This actually baffled Xue Yuan, who said, "No, I mean you beat him like this, what did you ask him?"

Qin Santai shook his head, "I didn't ask. I just figured Your Highness's time is precious, so I'd beat him first and break his spirit; then whatever Your Highness asks, he'll answer."

Hearing this, Xue Yuan glanced at the dazzling array of instruments of torture displayed on the table—hooks, blades, and spikes of all kinds, stained with blackened bloodstains—and silently cursed him in his heart as a true corrupt official.

Yet, how he loved it!

At this moment, Jian Qi had splashed a ladle of cold water to wake Gao Zhenshan up and pulled the rag out of his mouth.

Sure enough, Gao Zhenshan began shouting the moment he could speak, "I'll talk, I'll say anything... but at least ask!"

"Audacious! How dare you fail to pay respects to His Highness upon seeing him?" Qin Santai reprimanded.

Gao Zhenshan looked closely at Xue Yuan and was startled, thinking to himself that this foolish prince had actually captured him?

This meant he had been feigning madness all along?

A chill crept up his spine!

Having spent a long time in the Prince's Mansion, he naturally knew what it meant for a prince to feign madness and play the fool for so long!

Xue Yuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need. This Prince has always convinced people with virtue. Gao Zhenshan, are you willing to defect to this Prince?"

Gao Zhenshan glanced at the blackened instruments of torture and immediately said, "I am willing, Your Highness, this lowly one is willing!"

Xue Yuan nodded and said, "Very well! Then this Prince asks you: when you deliver a letter to the post station, what password do you generally use, and how do you have them transport the secret memorial?"

Qin Santai, standing nearby, chillingly added, "You had better answer honestly. If we later find out you lied, the suffering you'll endure will be unspeakable."

Gao Zhenshan hurriedly said, "This lowly one wouldn't dare! Generally, after delivering a secret memorial to the post station, we first say 'Three horizontals and one vertical,' and the station official will know it's a memorial sent by Qian Zhongxian from the Prince's Mansion. After accepting it, they will ask 'Swimming in the water or flying over the grass?' The former means non-urgent, and the latter means urgent!

After asking, we exchange letter tallies. Once the tallies match, they will immediately set off to deliver the secret memorial. These procedures are to prevent anyone from impersonating Qian Zhongxian to send random secret memorials!"

When Gao Zhenshan finished, Qin Santai immediately took out half a letter tally and handed it to Xue Yuan, saying, "Your Highness, the tally is here, we searched it out!"

Xue Yuan nodded and continued, "Very well! Then, where are Qian Zhongxian's private seal, as well as the specially designated paper, brush, and ink used for writing memorials, hidden?"

To prevent anyone from forging secret memorials, the paper, brush, and ink for secret memorials were custom-made—a fact Qin Santai had already told Xue Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhenshan knew Xue Yuan wanted to forge a secret memorial, but with the instruments of torture right in front of him, he didn't dare fabricate even half a word, knowing such matters could be easily verified shortly.

So he immediately said, "They are hidden beneath a floor tile in the southeast corner of his study. If Your Highness needs them, I can help steal them for you! From now on, this lowly one is the dog at Your Highness's beck and call, and I beg Your Highness to spare my dog's life!"

Xue Yuan thought for a moment and felt that planting another dog by Qian Zhongxian's side wasn't a bad idea.

Before that, however, he took a close look at Gao Zhenshan's entries.

Well, so this old boy was playing him?

Xue Yuan smiled slightly and said, "I am very pleased with your loyalty! But I feel that since Qian Zhongxian provided you with farmland and you still betray him, if you leave me one day, you'll likely betray me as well, won't you?"

As soon as these words were uttered, Gao Zhenshan's hairs stood on end. He couldn't figure out how this fool knew even about this!

"Your Highness, Your Highness, spare my life! I am truly defecting!"

Xue Yuan turned around and said to Qin Santai, "Santai, give me a reason to kill him so that my mood will lighten up a bit."

Qin Santai immediately said, "I heard that once when Qian Zhongxian punished you by locking you in the woodshed, a maid took pity on you and secretly brought you a bowl of porridge. When he found out, he broke her hand."

Xue Yuan nodded, "Enough!"

With that, he turned and left with Jian Qi.

Qin Santai watched Xue Yuan walk out with a smile, and when he turned back to look at Gao Zhenshan, the muscles in his face twitched slightly.

"I'm sorry, Brother Gao!"

With that, he picked up an iron hook from the table and fiercely drove it into Gao Zhenshan's chest...

By the time he finished cleaning up the corpse and returned to the Prince's Mansion, Xue Yuan had already placed Qian Zhongxian's dedicated paper, brush, and ink for writing secret memorials inside the study.

"Can you really write it?" Xue Yuan asked.

Qin Santai chuckled and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, when this student couldn't afford to eat in the past, I often made a living by imitating the calligraphy and paintings of various masters. If there is any handwriting in the world this student cannot imitate, it is only Your Highness's! Your Highness's calligraphy embodies both spirit and vitality, this student..."

"Your flattery is well-received, now hurry up and write!"

Soon, a brand new secret memorial was born under Qin Santai's brush!