If Qingwan finds out, she will surely worry. Her body is still weak.
Prince An and the Crown Prince spoke at the same time, “Guards.”
The other banquet guests noticed the commotion and cast curious glances.
Three heavyweight figures leaving their seats inevitably aroused suspicion among the crowd.
The three parties split up and began searching the Prince An’s mansion, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Yu Feng led the way, “Master, it was near here that Prince An’s men dealt with Gu Xuan.”
It was an abandoned wood shed. Shen Xiabai stood there, looking around.
His hands were clenched tightly in his sleeves, his Adam’s apple bobbing from time to time, his nervousness and panic plain to see. Yu Feng tried to comfort him, “Master, don’t worry. In Prince An’s mansion, he shouldn’t dare to act rashly, especially since he’s injured.”
Shen Xiabai, at this moment, couldn’t bear to hear the word “shouldn’t.” He used his lightness skill to dart around the vicinity, calling out, “Cui Yunchu, Cui Yunchu.”
“Miss Cui, where are you?”
The shouts echoed through the entire courtyard. Listening carefully, one could even hear the faint tremor in his voice.
“Yu Feng, go to the Judicial Review Office and summon men.”
“Master.” Yu Feng was startled. Although the Judicial Review Office was under the master’s jurisdiction, it was directly answerable to the Emperor. If he summoned men for Miss Cui’s sake, wouldn’t everyone know of the master’s feelings for her?
A charge of abusing public office could give the Emperor a reason to punish the master.
“Go.” Shen Xiabai’s voice rose slightly. He stood in the courtyard, as if everything around him was spinning rapidly, and his patience had worn thin.
Suddenly, Yu Feng’s gaze fixed on a patch of grass on the ground. He rushed forward quickly, “Master, come see. Isn’t this Miss Cui’s belonging?”
A gold hairpin lay alone on the ground, tangled with many strands of broken hair, as if it had been violently yanked off.
Shen Xiabai gripped the hairpin in his palm, and its sharp tip pierced his flesh.
He used his lightness skill and sped off in the direction the hairpin pointed, with Yu Feng hurrying to catch up.
The farther he went, the more desolate it became. The faint sound of a woman’s sobbing grew clearer.
Shen Xiabai’s bloodshot eyes locked onto the dilapidated little house where the sound came from. The kick he delivered sent the door flying.
Yu Feng, a step behind, was startled, his heart leaping into his throat.
Apart from a broken bed, the room had nothing inside. Only the sliver of light from the window barely illuminated the scene.
A woman with disheveled hair huddled pitifully on the bed, her face streaked with tears. In her eyes was a fear Shen Xiabai had never seen before.
When she saw him, sobbing, a sudden light flared in her gaze — a light that made Shen Xiabai feel that no color in the world could compare.
“Master Shen~”
Shen Xiabai’s face was as dark as water. He strode forward in two steps, grabbed Gu Xuan, who was trying to climb onto Cui Yunchu, and yanked him back. The man slammed into the table, then was kicked far away like a ragdoll.
Shen Xiabai turned back to look at Cui Yunchu, “It’s all right. Don’t be afraid.”
He reached out his hand to her, but she didn’t move. Her clear, dark eyes stared at him, as if her mind was elsewhere.
What’s more, she shrank back deeper into the bed and lowered her head slightly.
“I’m really afraid of the dark, and of the cold gleam reflected off a knife.”
“I’ll take you out. Once we’re out, it won’t be dark.” Shen Xiabai’s voice had long lost its usual calm.
Cui Yunchu said nothing. The room fell into an eerie silence. As if suddenly sensing something amiss, he frowned slightly.
Just then, Yu Feng caught up and rushed toward Gu Xuan on the ground. But the moment he turned the man over, he froze.
“M-Master, you… killed him?”
At Prince An’s wedding banquet, with all of the capital watching, the master had actually killed the Empress Dowager’s nephew and the sole son of the Gu family?
Shen Xiabai glanced back at Gu Xuan’s corpse, now turned over by Yu Feng.
His eyes were half-closed, and a great deal of blood poured from his forehead, flowing down the bones of his face and staining his robe.
“He’s here.” Someone shouted. Yu Feng, panicked, tried to temporarily hide Gu Xuan’s body, but it was too late. The Crown Prince and Prince An rushed into the room, followed by their guards. The two princes themselves slowly entered behind the soldiers.
Upon seeing the scene in the room, the Crown Prince and Prince An both froze, their expressions shifting slightly.
“Master Shen, you killed him?” the Crown Prince asked, his voice low and astonished.
Prince An said nothing, his deep gaze sweeping over the people in the room.
Shen Xiabai never once looked back at the Crown Prince or Prince An, nor did he say a word. Sunlight streamed in through the open door and fell upon him, as if everyone else in the room were mere shadows to him.
Standing with his hands behind his back, his thin, cold eyes fell on Cui Yunchu, who was curled up on the bed.
Cui Yunchu pulled her clothes around her, trembling.
The Crown Prince spoke again, “Gu Xuan was, after all, a member of the imperial family. Even if you were enraged, Master Shen, you shouldn’t have lost your senses. How shall this end now?”
“What ending does Your Highness the Crown Prince wish for?” Shen Xiabai asked coolly.
The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Even if Gu Xuan was guilty of heinous crimes, he should have been judged by the law. By doing this, Master Shen, you have taken a life. The Empress Dowager and the Gu family will not let this go so easily.”
“Royal brother, this happened in your mansion. How do you think it should be settled?”
Prince An’s deep eyes dropped, and he laughed softly. “Royal brother is the Crown Prince. You decide.”
Then he added, “As for today’s wedding, it’s certainly provided plenty of amusement for everyone.”
The Crown Prince said, “As the heir apparent, I naturally cannot stand by and do nothing. In that case, Master Shen will be detained first, and after reporting this to Father Emperor, a decision will be made.”
This was still fairly fair, since the Emperor trusted Shen Xiabai deeply and would try to protect him for the sake of court stability.
No one else spoke, tacitly accepting the Crown Prince’s decision.
Yu Feng, pale-faced, was about to speak when Prince An cut him off, “But Master Shen never admitted to killing him himself, did he? Isn’t that right, Master Shen?”
Shen Xiabai’s lashes drooped, casting a dark shadow over his face. His sharp, angular features made it impossible to discern his mood.
“Miss Cui, what do you say?” Prince An asked.
Cui Yunchu seemed badly shaken. She curled up without moving or speaking.
The Crown Prince had already ordered his men, “Take Master Shen back and hand him over to the Dali Temple for the time being, pending Father Emperor’s verdict.”
Shen Xiabai never said a word as he left with the Crown Prince’s guards. His tall, upright figure stood out majestically among the escort.
Yu Feng’s eyes reddened in desperation. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness Prince An, my master only did this to save Miss Cui. Please, for the sake of Miss Cui’s sisterly bond with the Crown Princess and Princess An, help my master.”
The Crown Prince said nothing. Prince An raised his gaze to the bed, where Cui Yunchu’s eyes met his.
“Master Shen’s rage for a beauty is truly…” He didn’t finish, but his glance shifted to the Crown Prince.
He let out a light hum. “Will Royal Brother still stay for the feast?”
“Probably not. With such a rare opportunity, you’d better hurry back and complete the task Her Highness the Crown Princess assigned you.”
The Crown Prince’s eyelids twitched as he gave a faint smile. “No matter. Missing one meal won’t kill anyone. Don’t speak such cold words, brother-in-law. I expect my sister-in-law will soon receive the news as well.”
Xiao Yi fell silent. “…”
The Crown Prince turned and left the Prince An’s residence with his entourage.
Prince An stood there for a long moment before finally turning his gaze toward the bed where Cui Yunchu lay. He gave a curt order, “Find a few maids and an elderly nanny to attend to Miss Cui.”
Steward Liu acknowledged the order, then asked, “Your Highness, shall I order the kitchen to brew a bowl of calming tea?”
“No need,” Xiao Yi replied with a mocking smile. “She could scare everyone else to death, but she’ll never frighten herself.”
With that, he suddenly took a few steps into the room, came to a halt by the bed, and looked down at Cui Yunchu. “The young ladies of the Cui family are indeed formidable, one and all. Who would have thought that the most unreliable of them all is actually the most ruthless?”
“I feel sorry for Lord Shen on your behalf.”
Cui Yunchu slowly lifted her gaze, as if finally summoning a shred of spirit. She curled the corner of her mouth in a faint smile. “Is His Highness Prince An tormenting himself? After all, you too are one of the defeated foes of the Cui family, aren’t you?”
Xiao Yi was struck silent. “…”
The Crown Prince and Cui Yunchu’s words somehow echoed each other. Even without returning to the bridal chamber, Xiao Yi could already guess what his next task would be.
“So what?” he said. “At least I’m not as pitiful as Lord Shen.”
“…”
Were they competing to see who could wound whom more?
Cui Yunchu laughed. “Is that so? His Highness is certainly feeling better if he can say things like that now. It wasn’t long ago that he was lying in bed, blood gushing from his chest, unable even to rise.”
“And Little White—where did you bury him? At least he died in your place, Your Highness. You ought to honor him well. When you think about it, he was your lifesaver.”
“…”
Xiao Yi suddenly stepped forward, but Steward Liu hurriedly tugged at his sleeve. “Your Highness, the princess is still waiting for you in the bridal chamber. Tonight is your wedding night.”
He couldn’t let his temper get the better of him, or he might end up locked out of the bridal chamber altogether.
Xiao Yi forced down the urge to strangle Cui Yunchu. “Send her back to the Cui Mansion.”
With that, he flicked his sleeves and left, as if even a single glance at her was unbearable.
Gu Xuan’s body had already been carried away by the Crown Prince, who needed to return it to the Gu family. Slowly, Cui Yunchu climbed out of bed, allowing the maids and the nanny to help her change and wash up.
Today would not be peaceful. The death of Gu Xuan was certain to stir a bloody storm in the capital.
