Chapter 498: Ruin His Reputation
Chapter 498: Chapter 498: Ruin His Reputation
Shen Ningning tagged along with Xiu Mu and the others, watching the "blood donation" farce at the inn for several days.
In the end, she said nothing. It was Xiu Mu and his men who decided to give up first.
"It’s been four days. We’ve seen at least two hundred eighteen-year-old girls, but none of them are the Tenth Princess." Xiu Mu shook his head and sighed.
"Just the silver we’ve given out has already cost more than two hundred taels."
"And that’s not even counting the money to rent out the inn every day."
Shen Ningning gently waved her fan, her expression relaxed. A light danced in her eyes as she spoke.
"I knew this plan of yours wouldn’t work from the start, Mr. Xiu Mu. Have you never questioned the truth of what the letter-writer said? If it’s a lie, isn’t this all just a wasted effort?"
But Xiu Mu’s expression immediately grew stern. "As long as there’s hope, we must try. If we can find the Tenth Princess, all this effort will be worth it."
Shen Ningning saw it was no use talking to him, so she simply got up and left.
As she passed by Tuo Ye, she sighed and said in a voice only he could hear, "It seems the Great Sun King really cares about this Tenth Princess."
The speaker may have been careless, but the listener took it to heart.
Tuo Ye frowned slightly, watching as Xiu Mu summoned the Hidden Guards and ordered them to keep an eye out for any eighteen-year-old women in the vicinity.
’This level of importance... it didn’t seem like just an excuse, as Xiu Mu had claimed.’
’It seemed Xiu Mu’s primary mission this time really was to find the Tenth Princess.’
Shen Ningning had left the Jade Ring behind, so Xiu Mu handed it to Tuo Ye for safekeeping.
As Shen Ningning left the inn and boarded her carriage, she caught sight of someone furtively peeking around a nearby corner.
She narrowed her eyes to get a better look and saw it was Su Zhirou, accompanied by a maid.
Su Zhirou was peering into the inn, her gaze fixed on something, her actions furtive and suspicious.
A thoughtful look crossed Shen Ningning’s eyes. She called over a nearby guard, whispered a few instructions to him, and only then did she board her carriage and leave.
*
Pei Yin was back.
He went to the Qi Mansion to find Qi Xiuwei, ready to take Mengyi back with him.
To avoid gossip, he didn’t even step through the gates of the Qi Mansion.
Qi Xiuwei, dressed in an eye-catching blue and white gown, walked to the gate, carrying Mengyi’s cage in her hand.
"Lord Pei, it’s so good to see you’re back. You look weary from your travels. It must have been a difficult journey."
Qi Xiuwei handed Mengyi over, blushing as she spoke to him.
Pei Yin’s expression was placid. "It was no trouble, merely my duty to the Emperor. And I must thank you, Miss Qi, for being willing to look after Mengyi for me. He didn’t cause any trouble, I hope?"
Qi Xiuwei thought for a moment.
’Well, if scaring Lu Shaoyuan’s parrot into spouting nonsense doesn’t count as trouble, then I suppose he didn’t.’
Qi Xiuwei smiled and shook her head.
She noticed a tear in Pei Yin’s sleeve. It looked as if it had been made by a blade—the cut was clean and sharp.
She asked in surprise, "Lord Pei, are you injured?"
Pei Yin followed Qi Xiuwei’s gaze and glanced down.
He then said nonchalantly, "No. I was pursuing someone and wasn’t careful. I nearly walked into an ambush."
Hearing this, the color drained from Qi Xiuwei’s face.
’What kind of mission had he been on? It sounded so dangerous.’
Pei Yin was not a man of many words, but Qi Xiuwei was looking at him with such open concern.
He couldn’t resist explaining a bit more.
"There’s no need for you to worry, Miss Qi. They were just common crooks."
Qi Xiuwei let out a sigh of relief but made a mental note of his torn sleeve.
As Pei Yin was leaving, he suddenly recalled something and turned back to ask, "On my way here, I saw a few people on the street speaking with a slight Changliu Country accent. Have people from Changliu Country entered the city recently?"
Qi Xiuwei smiled. "Changliu Country sent envoys to congratulate Ningning on her coming-of-age ceremony. They probably just haven’t left the Capital City yet."
At these words, Pei Yin’s expression turned cold.
He gave a slight nod. "I see. Thank you, Miss Qi."
Then, Pei Yin mounted his horse with a single fluid motion and galloped away, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
As Qi Xiuwei watched his figure recede into the distance, she couldn’t help but recall how his face had suddenly gone cold.
’It was hearing the name of Changliu Country that prompted such a reaction from him.’
Qi Xiuwei had heard that Pei Yin’s father, a former soldier, had died under the blades of men from Changliu Country.
That was why he had wanted to join the army—to master the skills needed to avenge his family.
However, the head of the Imperial Guards recognized his potential and brought him into the imperial guard to hone his skills.
’All these years, Pei Yin had likely been waiting for an opportunity to face Changliu Country on the battlefield himself.’
*
The summer sun was scorching, but a gentle breeze stirred the air.
It was just past noon, and there were few pedestrians on the street.
A carriage kicked up a cloud of dust as it screeched to a halt in front of the inn.
A beautiful woman with a furious expression stepped out.
The nanny at her side said, "Madam, this is the place. The young lady of the Su Family said she saw our master follow a long-haired girl in here last time. She even asked the waiter—the master has set that girl up in this inn!"
The beautiful woman’s face darkened with rage. "Wonderful. So he, Zhang Man, has gotten bold. I’m at home serving his parents and raising our children, thinking his life as a Deputy General in the barracks was hard enough. I never tell him about our troubles at home, just so he won’t have to worry."
"And now look at him! He’s setting up another woman in an inn, learning from others to keep a mistress? Let’s go! We’re going to catch this little harlot today and parade her through the streets. We’ll see how she can face anyone after that!"
No sooner had she spoken than another carriage arrived in a hurry.
Su Zhirou lifted the curtain, an anxious expression on her face.
"Mrs. Zhang! Mrs. Zhang, please, let me explain!"
Mrs. Zhang glanced at her, and the nanny at her side said, "Miss Su is here. Perfect. She can tell us which room that little harlot is hiding in."
Su Zhirou rushed out of the carriage, with more than a dozen household guards behind her.
Beads of anxious sweat dotted her fair forehead.
"Mrs. Zhang, why have you come to catch them in the act? Whatever the matter is, it would be better to go home and discuss it properly with Vice General Zhang. If you really do find something, and it gets out that I was the one who instigated this, wouldn’t that... wouldn’t that make me the one who ruined your marriage?"
Mrs. Zhang’s expression hardened. "He’s keeping a mistress hidden away. As his proper wife, of course I have to intervene. Don’t you worry, Miss Su. This is our own marital affair; you won’t be implicated at all."
Seeing the large group of household guards behind Su Zhirou, Mrs. Zhang actually hesitated for a moment.
After all, catching a cheating spouse was hardly a glorious affair.
She hadn’t wanted to make a scene, which was why she had only brought a single trusted nanny.
But Su Zhirou had over a dozen household guards with her. If they all saw what happened, news that Zhang Man was keeping a mistress would surely be the talk of the Capital City by morning.
Mrs. Zhang steadied herself and asked in a cold voice, "Miss Su, are you certain that the man you saw when you passed the inn last time was my husband, Zhang Man?"
Su Zhirou adopted the frail air of a willow swaying in the wind.
She nodded lightly. "Yes. The reason I knew it was Vice General Zhang is because I injured my ankle that day and received aid at the Chen Family Army barracks where he is stationed. I saw him then, following behind General Chen."
"Because they had shown me such kindness, I was planning to greet him when I saw him on the street that day. But I never expected to see Vice General Zhang leading another... another woman."
This was like pouring oil on the flames of Mrs. Zhang’s anger!
Before she married, she too had come from a military family. She was not the type to tolerate any deceit!
"Let’s go, up we go!" Mrs. Zhang stormed off, turning to head upstairs.
Su Zhirou hurriedly tried to stop her. "Mrs. Zhang, don’t be impulsive! Maybe I was mistaken. After all, I’ve only met Vice General Zhang once. Please, calm down!"
But Mrs. Zhang, in a fit of rage, pushed her aside.
"This has nothing to do with you, so don’t you worry about it." With that, she hitched up her skirts and stormed into the inn.
Her furious charge, clearly on the hunt for a cheater, left the waiter frozen with bewilderment.
Su Zhirou stood at the entrance of the inn, a triumphant smile flashing in her eyes.
She looked back at the crowd of household guards she had brought with her.
"What are you all standing there for? Go and help! If a fight breaks out, make sure to pull them apart. We don’t want the couple to damage their relationship, which would then be my fault."
"Yes, Miss." The household guards charged inside.
Su Zhirou followed unhurriedly behind them.
’Today, I will utterly ruin Chen Shaobei!’