Chapter 82: That Scoundrel Xiao Yue Is Protective of His Own?! (Second Update)

Earlier, she hadn’t given it much thought, only attributing yesterday’s encounter with Xiao Yue to bad luck. But now, having run into the same servant from the Duke of Ning’s household two days in a row—

Wu Tan, whose instincts were always sharp, immediately made the connection.

Yesterday, Xiao Yue had caught a glimpse of Su Ying out of the corner of his eye. He recognized her as the maid who had accompanied Zhou Changyin at the emperor’s birthday banquet, but since they were at the Zhou residence, he hadn’t dwelled on it. Today, however, upon hearing Lei Ming mention that Zhou Changyin was also in the Vermilion Bird Pavilion, everything became clear to him.

He was well aware of Zhou Changyin’s infatuation—she had confessed to him countless times. Even after he left for the northern frontier, her persistence didn’t wane; letters kept arriving, but he had no interest and tossed them straight into the brazier without bothering to read. He had thought that once she married, those troublesome memories—if they could even be called that—would vanish, but unexpectedly, not only did she refuse to let go, she became even more relentless!

A married woman, chasing him back to the capital, residing at the Zhou residence without leaving, and now, driven mad by his private affairs, even targeting Wu Tan, someone wholly unrelated to her, with such viciousness.

Previously, out of consideration for his maternal relatives, Xiao Yue had merely ignored Zhou Changyin, unwilling to act against her no matter how impatient he became. This time, however, she had crossed his bottom line entirely.

Wu Tan, still unaware of the full picture, faced Xiao Yue with unwavering certainty.

This calamity that had befallen the young maid today—he knew well—it was brought upon her by his own presence.

Wu Tan raised her chin, meeting his gaze with righteous indignation.

Beside her, Lin Yan Yao was startled, quickly tugging at Wu Tan’s sleeve. “Tan’er, what nonsense are you speaking!”

Xiao Yue’s status was lofty; even Lin Yan Yao, who sensed something was amiss with the Zhou family, was terrified by Wu Tan’s bold confrontation. She hurried to intervene.

Wu Tan ignored her, glaring at Xiao Yue for a long moment. Seeing he remained silent, she grew angry, her voice sharp. “So you’re not responsible for the Zhou family’s affairs, Your Highness? Fine! Then I can rest easy—just don’t meddle in future matters!”

It was only because she had interacted with Xiao Yue before, and believed that while he was not always considerate, his character was decent, that she gave him this chance to clarify his stance. But the scoundrel protected his own? Letting his maternal relatives tyrannize others without a word?

Wu Tan was furious!

Having finished, she couldn’t be bothered to look at him again. Gathering her skirts, she followed Hu Tianming straight into the room.

By then, Hu Tianming had already questioned Zhou Changyin and her companions. Wu Tan stepped inside, first seeing Li Xun’er calmly sipping tea at the table, then Zhou Changyin conversing with Hu Tianming, and finally Jiang Yuzhi feigning sleep on the couch nearby.

Her eyes flickered; she instantly understood—

Zhou Changyin, a married woman, Jiang Yuzhi betrothed to the crown prince—how could the two appear together in such a setting?

As for Li Xun’er—this woman could accept any outrageous act without batting an eye; there was precedent after all.

Zhou Changyin, scheming against her since yesterday at the Zhou residence; Li Xun’er, with whom she had grievances; and Jiang Yuzhi, a stranger—most importantly, as far as Wu Tan knew, none of these three had any connection with each other.

Their gathering here was a confession in itself.

“My, all three ladies in this room are acquainted, yet I had no idea you’d be here today.” Wu Tan pulled a bright, natural smile.

Lin Yan Yao, who had followed in, worried Wu Tan might cause trouble after daring to confront Prince Sheng, was stunned by Wu Tan’s sudden change of demeanor.

Wu Tan teased her gently, “Cousin, our Jiang family cousin is here too. Had we known, we could have sat together, and avoided the earlier mishap.”

Lin Yan Yao regained her composure, finally noticing the three women in the room.

She had only met Zhou Changyin once at the Zhou residence yesterday. Li Xun’er, she’d seen several times, but they weren’t familiar enough to exchange greetings.

Lin Yan Yao didn’t understand Wu Tan’s deliberate, friendly tone, but seeing Jiang Yuzhi lying pale on the couch, she hurried over, concern in her voice. “Yuzhi, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

She and Jiang Yuzhi were the same age, with Yuzhi just over a month older, and had always addressed each other by name.

Jiang Yuzhi felt guilty, but Lin Yan Yao was so familiar that she couldn’t ignore her concern. Her gaze darted nervously to Zhou Changyin and Li Xun’er, seeing them both holding firm. She lowered her eyes, avoiding direct contact, and muttered, “I’m just a bit frightened.”

There had been blood outside, and several had died on the spot.

Lin Yan Yao understood her fear. Though clever, her worry for her close friend made her overlook any oddities in Jiang Yuzhi’s behavior. She squeezed her hand, finding it cold, and asked, “Should we call a physician?”

Wu Tan, observing keenly, saw through Jiang Yuzhi at a glance.

With Li Xun’er present, Wu Tan could deduce that the “accident” in the other room was aimed at her. Not wishing Lin Yan Yao to get involved, she said, “Since Miss Jiang is shaken, cousin, you stay here with her. I’ll accompany Magistrate Hu next door for the investigation.”

“No…” Jiang Yuzhi, fearful her guilty state would expose her, instinctively wanted to refuse. But when she looked up, Wu Tan’s eyes were bright and clear, fixed on her.

Her resolve faltered, words stuck in her throat, and she dared not speak.

This fool! How could she be so frightened? Seeing her slip up, Li Xun’er decisively raised her brow and spoke coldly, “Wu Tan, I heard there was an accident outside. Are you alright?”

Her tone was harsh, laced with mockery. Any pretense of concern was easily recognized by outsiders as gloating.

Hu Tianming, a grown man unfamiliar with the intricate rivalries among young ladies, frowned at her words.

Wu Tan shifted her gaze to Li Xun’er.

Li Xun’er felt a slight relief as Wu Tan’s attention moved from Jiang Yuzhi, then pressed further, “Last time in the palace, you said Huo Yunhua framed you. Who is it this time? This keeps happening—perhaps you ought to reflect on yourself? Maybe you’re the reason. If you’re lucky to escape this time, next time might not be so fortunate.”

Lin Yan Yao’s face changed at once. “Your Highness…”

She wanted to defend Wu Tan, but Wu Tan, unruffled, tilted her head and smiled, “I am reflecting. My relations aren’t bad, and I’ve offended very few. So whenever someone targets me, I remember clearly—strangely enough, the last one was you, Your Highness. And here you are, today, too, ha ha…”

Her smile was bright and innocent, but her words, veiled and sharp, far surpassed Li Xun’er’s.

Li Xun’er, hearing the pointed remark, immediately lost composure, stepping forward with arched brows. “You…”

Hu Tianming, a seasoned magistrate, had handled hundreds of cases. The chaos downstairs had initially thrown him, but now, as the two young ladies sparred, their intent and clues became clear to him.

Li Xun’er, furious, hadn’t expected Wu Tan’s wit or daring. Just as she moved to confront her, she noticed Xiao Yue standing at the doorway, arms folded, watching with a faint smile.

His expression seemed relaxed, but the depth of his gaze was chilling. When Li Xun’er met his eyes, she felt a tremendous pressure.

She shivered inwardly, fingers clenching and retreating into her sleeves.

“Prince Sheng!” she greeted him meekly.

Xiao Yue’s posture seemed casual, but she felt it was deliberate—

Standing behind Wu Tan, as if she were a sharp-toothed beast biting ahead, and he was the enormous black wings at her back, ready to sweep away any obstacle she couldn’t handle.

Li Xun’er dared not challenge Xiao Yue and became docile at once.

Zhou Changyin also noticed Xiao Yue’s deliberately smiling expression.

She believed she understood him better than Li Xun’er and, fearing he would spot any clue, her heart pounded wildly, guilt flooding her.

Hu Tianming, now focused on the investigation, ignored the undercurrents among the young ladies and signaled two bailiffs at the door. “Come in and check the balcony outside this room for any issues, and two go examine the rooms next door.”

Zhou Changyin and Li Xun’er, hearing this, regretted not having prepared the same tricks in all three rooms. If exposed, they could at least offer more excuses and escape blame.

Wu Tan watched the covert glances exchanged between them, thinking these women lacked sense—

Their petty schemes were fit only for household squabbles, against concubines or lesser daughters, relying on status and backing to avoid scrutiny. Now, before a seasoned magistrate, such antics were embarrassing.

Hu Tianming, unwilling to waste more time here, stepped forward to Wu Tan. “Miss Wu, let’s go examine the private room you were seated in.”

His tone, though official, was now more purposeful.

“Very well,” Wu Tan nodded slightly. “After you, sir.”

Lin Yan Yao, torn between staying with Jiang Yuzhi or following Wu Tan, hesitated. “Tan’er…”

Wu Tan smiled, “Cousin, stay here. I’ll take Magistrate Hu and the others over.”

“Alright,” Lin Yan Yao, reassured, agreed to stay and care for Jiang Yuzhi.

Wu Tan, Xiao Yue, and their group entered the rightmost room.

Zhou Changyin and Li Xun’er, fearing Wu Tan might implicate them before Hu Tianming, exchanged nervous glances and followed.

After the incident, Lin Yan Yao had hurried downstairs, leaving the door open. The room was a mess, with overturned tables and chairs, the balcony’s small table still there, one stool knocked over.

Hu Tianming approached the balcony, which had railings on three sides; the short side rails were intact. Wu Tan had grabbed the right railing to avoid disaster, but the front horizontal rail was gone.

Lei Ming guided Hu Tianming to the joints on either side. “When the incident happened, Miss Lin leaned on this rail. The slots had been loosened in advance, with marks from forced tampering. Please observe, sir.”

Hu Tianming examined the site and nodded, instructing the scribe to record the details.

Lei Ming, attentive to the scene, led Hu Tianming to a spot by a potted plant, kneeling to point at the ground. “Here’s an oil stain, mostly hidden by the pot. Everyone’s attention was on the street, so few noticed the floor. During the incident, Miss Wu was looking toward the parade; Miss Lin stood up, leaned on the rail, and it gave way. Miss Wu tried to pull her back, but the oil made her slip. I was with my lord on the adjacent balcony and managed to grab her, thus she was spared.”

Hu Tianming crouched to inspect closely.

An experienced bailiff beside him compared the stain. “The oil has seeped into the wood, so it wasn’t spilled recently—it must have been set up in advance. If the person who tampered with the rail did this as well, it was deliberate. This is clearly murder.”

Hu Tianming signaled for the scribe to record, then stood and looked around, noticing something odd. He frowned at the small table on the balcony’s edge. “Has this table always been here?”

After the incident, the proprietor and staff had hidden away, so no one could answer.

Lei Ming considered, realizing the anomaly. “The table in the neighboring room is in the same spot. Whether this has always been the arrangement, we’ll need to ask the staff later.”

“Very well,” Hu Tianming nodded, confirming nothing was overlooked. The group exited, meeting bailiffs from the other two rooms.

“How is it?” Hu Tianming asked.

“Sir, the railings and other features in the other rooms are intact, with no signs of tampering,” the bailiff replied.

Hu Tianming thought for a moment, then asked Wu Tan, “Was this private room reserved in advance, Miss Wu?”

Wu Tan nodded. “As you know, with the top scholar’s parade today, these rooms are in high demand. We booked half a month ahead.”

Though Lin Yan Yao had made the reservation, Wu Tan, now certain she was the target, avoided implicating her cousin.

“Alright,” Hu Tianming nodded, then turned to Xiao Yue. “Your Highness, shall we inspect the third floor?”

The parade’s fatal accident was the main event. Hu Tianming assumed Xiao Yue’s interest lay there, but since Wu Tan was an official’s daughter, and her father favored by the emperor, he had to give her priority.

He had feared Xiao Yue’s impatience and now spoke apologetically. Xiao Yue, however, simply said to Lei Ming, “I’m tired. I’ll rest here. Lei Ming, accompany Magistrate Hu upstairs and assist him.”

With that, he entered the room Zhou Changyin and her companions had occupied, sitting at the table.

Zhou Changyin, anxious, hurried in, instructing Su Ying, “Ying’er, go fetch tea for my cousin.”

Xiao Yue neither agreed nor refused, sitting upright and aloof.

Su Ying gritted her teeth and ran downstairs for tea.

Hu Tianming couldn’t tell if he’d annoyed Xiao Yue, but since he’d instructed Lei Ming to cooperate, Hu Tianming expressed thanks and quickly led the group upstairs.

The third-floor incident had little to do with Wu Tan, but the fallen beam had killed several in the street—a major case in the capital. Curious about its cause and wishing to avoid Xiao Yue, she followed upstairs.

Li Xun’er, fearing Wu Tan might cause trouble and feeling guilty, hurried after.

They ascended to the third floor.

After the incident, everyone had fled. The large platform was empty, the floor scattered with footprints. Lei Ming guided Hu Tianming to clues he had found earlier, handing over remnants of hemp rope.

Since this matter didn’t concern her directly, Wu Tan didn’t examine the scene, but stayed near the staircase, listening as Lei Ming and Hu Tianming analyzed the case.

Li Xun’er kept close watch, maintaining some distance but not leaving the staircase.

Wu Tan was silent for a while, until Lei Ming and Hu Tianming had nearly pieced together the case. Feeling there were no further clues, she straightened and walked toward Li Xun’er.

Li Xun’er, seeing her approach, became tense, every nerve alert.

Her status allowed her not to fear Wu Tan, but the current situation—with the magistrate present—meant any reckless accusation could cause her trouble.

She sought to preemptively confront, asking sharply, “What do you want?”

Wu Tan smiled, thoughtfully glancing at the open platform, speaking casually, “Your Highness targeting me, I understand. But to engineer the scholar’s death in the street… that’s a far greater crime. I wonder, what was your motive?”

———Extra Note———
Ah, Your Highness, your imagination and adjectives are top-notch~ So, you’re rewarded with not having to exit the stage just yet O(∩_∩)O~

This book is exclusively published here. Please do not reprint!

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