Chapter Eighty-Eight: Xiao Yi Investigates the Case

The Old Madam of the Fourth Branch thought that if Liu Niang did not provide a good answer, she would beat her.

Then, Xue Liu Niang said, "It is not that your granddaughter did not try, but the person was taken away by the Ninth Prince. Even when Nanny Jiang asked for him, the Ninth Prince refused to hand him over!"

The Old Madam of the Fourth Branch was stunned. "The Ninth Prince took him? What does he want with him?!"

Xue Liu Niang shook her head. Indeed, how could a young lady like her know what a Prince intended to do?

The Old Madam of the Fourth Branch lowered her head in deep thought, then finally looked up and asked, "Can the Ninth Prince conduct a proper interrogation?"

He Shi frowned slightly, thinking to herself that this old woman was actually worried about such a thing now. She whispered, "Mother, the Ninth Prince is a royal. If the prisoner speaks, wouldn't the Ninth Prince learn of it as well?" That would be a disgrace brought right into the Imperial family!

The Old Madam of the Fourth Branch understood. Her clouded, aged eyes suddenly widened, her stout body slumped backward, and then her eyes rolled back as she fainted dead away.

...

Nanny Jiang returned to report the events from the garden. Xue Fanzhi, having heard the commotion, had changed her clothes and was waiting in Old Madam Xue's room for news. She heard Nanny Jiang tactfully explain that Young Master He had dragged the Old Madam of the Fourth Branch into a mountain cave.

Xue Fanzhi’s expression turned peculiar. Was Young Master He truly so starved for affection? The Old Madam of the Fourth Branch was already over seventy years old.

Old Madam Xue’s shock was no less than Xue Fanzhi’s. While Xue Fanzhi was merely sighing, Old Madam Xue, being advanced in age herself, suddenly felt a sense of personal danger. She wondered, if one were to lose their reputation at such a great age, what would one do? Just die? It was a miserable fate, and she felt a sense of shared hardship regarding the plight of the Fourth Branch's Old Madam.

It turned out that when she was a young girl, she had felt men were dangerous; now that she was old, she realized men were just as dangerous.

Old Madam Xue remarked, "This man should be torn limb from limb; he is truly wicked!" Indeed, he would not even spare an old woman. For a person like this, nothing could reform him, could it? The only option was to let him die.

Nanny Jiang said, "I just don't know how the Ninth Prince intends to deal with him!" She had already made the executive decision to hand him over to Xiao Yi.

Old Madam Xue hoped that the situation wouldn't be deflected back onto the First Branch.

...

Xue Fanzhi, thinking of how Xiao Yi had once again stepped forward, gazed at the stars outside the window, feeling somewhat dazed. She hated Xue Wu Niang deeply. Now that Xiao Yi had taken the man away, how would he deal with her? What was Xiao Yi thinking, to take on such a thankless task?

...

Beyond the General’s Mansion’s martial arts training ground lay the torture chamber. These days, the registration system was strict; if a head of a household wished to interrogate a servant, they did not need to go through the official authorities, and the authorities generally did not interfere in such domestic matters. Therefore, this torture chamber was specifically set up for servants or those who committed crimes.

One should not think of Xue Qiu as a kind soul. If he were kind, how could he have killed without batting an eye and risen to the rank of General? However, Xue Qiu was a "conscientious" kind of predator; at the very least, his torture chamber was covered in dust, having not been used for at least three months.

Now, oil lamps were lit inside. A handsome youth in long robes stood at the entrance holding a lamp. On the wall in front of him, a man was shackled to the torture rack. Before that man stood two tall, long-legged guards: Xiao Yi, Young Master He, and Xiao Yi (the guard).

Xiao Yi (the Prince) held the lamp for Xiao Yi (the guard), who was interrogating Young Master He.

Young Master He initially tried to maintain a stance of refusing to confess. To his surprise, Xiao Yi didn't even strike him, simply stating, "I know it was the Third Branch's Wu Niang who incited you. She promised you a sum of money to hide on the estate once the deed was done, and even promised to marry you to the maid Honglian, who serves the Eighth Miss."

This was exactly what the nursemaid beside Wu Niang had said. Only the two of them had been present at the time—how could this person know it so clearly? Young Master He looked at Xiao Yi as if he had seen a ghost.

Xiao Yi said, "You don't need to look at me like that. I have already written the confession; you just need to press your thumbprint on it later. I only want to ask: did you really drag the Old Madam of the Fourth Branch into the mountain cave? What were you thinking?"

The other man spoke with such disgust, as if he had done something repulsive. It was indeed a repulsive act, but he hadn't intended it! Who would want to assault an old woman? It wasn't that he was truly lacking for women, but rather that he lacked high-quality women. Clearly, an old woman did not fall into the "high quality" category.

Terrified and helpless, Young Master He replied, "I didn't know it was the Old Madam of the Fourth Branch!" No wonder she had that "old woman" smell; she really was an old woman.

Xiao Yi scoffed, "As if you wouldn't have dragged her in if you had known!"

What kind of look was that? If he had known, he certainly wouldn't have dragged her in!

Young Master He felt wronged. "I really didn't know! If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have!"

Xiao Yi’s face darkened. "Are you implying that a person as noble as the Old Madam of the Fourth Branch isn't good enough for you?"

Of course she wasn't good enough—she was so old! But Young Master He dared not tell the truth. "The Old Madam is a person of gold and jade; how could the likes of us covet her?"

Xiao Yi brandished a branding iron and shook it. "So you really do think the Old Madam isn't good enough for you?"

"No, no, she is! She is!" Young Master He, terrified to death, changed his tune repeatedly.

Xiao Yi’s phoenix eyes tilted slightly, a flash of cunning appearing on his face before vanishing. "Heh, so you really do have fantasies about the Old Madam of the Fourth Branch? You pervert!"

Young Master He: "..."

This was a lose-lose situation. What exactly did this person want? Was he just trying to make things difficult for him? He was already a prisoner—couldn't he ask some serious questions?

Xiao Yi was about to use the torture instruments on Young Master He when the young master behind him called out, "Such a precious night, and I still have to go back to sleep. Just have him press his thumbprint on the confession you’ve already obtained—why are you dragging this out?"

Xiao Yi looked back at his master. He had clearly seen the glimmer of gossip in his master's eyes, yet he claimed he was the one dragging it out! The master was the one holding the lamp; if he didn't want to mess with Young Master He, why hold the light?

The master acted all serious while pushing all the dirty work onto his subordinates. Truly, people of the royal family were full of schemes; there was no such thing as a good master. But what could he do? They were the master, and he was the subordinate.

Xiao Yi turned back and ordered Young Master He to sign and press his print. Young Master He complied readily. Why? It was obvious that the master was easier to talk to and wasn't using torture. Why wait to be punished for a crime he could avoid? It was clear this henchman was full of malice!

Once Young Master He pressed his print, Xiao Yi yawned. "Too sleepy. Finally, a matter is settled. I’m heading back. Xiao Yi, cut off his manhood so he won't go out and harm anyone else!" Having said this, Xiao Yi left the lamp at the door and walked away, yawning as he went.

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Yi’s eyes under the dim light. He bared his white teeth, raised his dagger, and walked toward Young Master He with malicious intent.

Young Master He: "..."

"Your Highness, Your Highness! You can't do this to me! My family has only one heir—me! Ah, don't do this..." He had actually thought the master was easier to talk to and a good person just a moment ago; he must have been insane.