Lu Jinshuang sat beside Xi Qingyue and listened for a while before slowly saying, “Yue, I should be heading back tomorrow. The capital is too far from here, and sending messages is troublesome. I’ll feel more at ease if I go back and keep watch myself. Once everything has settled down, I’ll come back and spend some time having fun with you.”
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded. “All right. Are you thinking that since you’re not going to be the emperor, you can take care of the people who need killing and handle the troublesome matters yourself, leaving Big Sister Lu with an easier burden?”
“How did you know?” Lu Jinshuang asked in astonishment. Xi Qingyue really was like a worm in her stomach.
Xi Qingyue smiled faintly. “I guessed. Isn’t it normal for one person to play the good cop while the other plays the bad cop? But there’s no need for that. It would be the same if she handled things herself, as long as she doesn’t go around killing indiscriminately.”
She had never believed that being an emperor meant being benevolent. Someone who was too kind would never be able to control the people beneath them. What was truly necessary was decisiveness when it came to killing.
Lu Jinshuang laughed and patted her on the head. “All right, I understand. I can still help with a few things after I return. I’m about to leave, yet you still haven’t let Lan’er come out and say goodbye to me?”
At that, Xi Qingyue suddenly slapped her forehead. “Oh, I forgot! She didn’t call for me, either.”
Her consciousness sank into her space, and she discovered that Xi Weilan had already woken up. At that moment, she was wearing pajamas and excitedly driving her little three-wheeled vehicle around inside, especially circling the newly appeared lake.
Xi Qingyue was instantly speechless. Had the girl gone wild the moment she woke up?
The next instant, Xi Weilan appeared in front of Xi Qingyue, vehicle and all.
“Sis, what is it?” Xi Weilan tilted her head, looking utterly confused. She hadn’t had enough fun yet, so why had she been brought out?
Xi Qingyue smiled and shook her head. “It’s nothing. Sister Jinshuang is leaving tomorrow, so go play with her for a while.”
Lu Jinshuang looked at Xi Weilan sitting in the vehicle. Dressed in a strange little bear pajama set and wearing an adorably vacant expression, she couldn’t help smiling. “Little Lan’er, what are you doing?”
Xi Weilan looked at Lu Jinshuang with a grin. “Sister Jinshuang, I’m driving! It’s so much fun.”
Lu Jinshuang smiled and picked her up. “Go get changed. I’ll take you out for something delicious later.”
Xi Qingyue chose a pink outfit, along with several beautiful pieces of jewelry, and had someone dress her up until she looked absolutely lovely.
Afterward, the group left the county office once more.
Xi Qingyue didn’t feel comfortable letting Xi Weilan leave her side at a time like this. No matter how skilled Lu Jinshuang was, she was still an ordinary person, so Xi Qingyue decided to accompany them in case anything unexpected happened.
As they strolled through the streets, the Duke and Duchess of Anguo quietly watched from a corner, pushing a wheelchair.
The hatred and murderous intent in Xi Daniu’s eyes surged like an erupting volcano. He gripped the handles of the wheelchair tightly and said, “Father, I’m going to kill that wretched girl. No—both of them.”
The Duke of Anguo’s eyes were equally bloodshot, but he still tried to dissuade his son. “Wen Liang, we can’t act rashly. Your leg injury is more important. We’ll wait here. Once the younger one is separated from the others, we’ll capture her and use her to threaten them. That should be useful. After your injury heals, we can deal with Xi Qingyue.”
Tan Chuxia, the Duchess, listened to the two men without saying a word. Nothing mattered more to her than her son’s life.
The three of them watched Xi Qingyue’s group with unwillingness for a while before turning around and returning with their people to the residence they had rented in the city.
While strolling through the streets, Xi Qingyue suddenly turned her head. Her eyes grew cold as she watched their retreating figures.
Even after everything that had happened, they still wanted her to treat him while planning to kill her. They truly must have been dreaming in broad daylight.
“Sis, what’s wrong?” Xi Weilan asked curiously when she saw Xi Qingyue staring in one direction with murderous intent. She followed her gaze and also spotted the Duke and Duchess of Anguo.
Angrily, she pointed in their direction with her little face. “Sis, why haven’t they left yet?”
Xi Qingyue patted her head. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll deal with them sooner or later.”
She took Xi Weilan’s hand and led her toward a restaurant not far away. Xi Qingyue felt that the Duke of Anguo must have had something wrong with his head. Anyone who wasn’t an idiot should have known that she would never treat Xi Daniu’s injuries.
Once she figured out the truth behind her mother’s snake venom, she would deal with every one of them.
As soon as they entered the restaurant, they attracted quite a few gazes. Some people examined them curiously, some recognized Xi Qingyue and the others but didn’t dare say anything, while others were too busy eating and chatting to notice them at all.
The proprietor recognized their identities and smilingly ushered them into the restaurant’s largest private room, treating them with great respect.
Lu Jinshuang looked at him and said calmly, “Bring us all of your signature dishes. And try to serve them as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, of course. Please wait a moment. It’ll be ready soon.” The proprietor hurried downstairs to have the kitchen prepare the food.
They had come out without any maids or guards, and the proprietor didn’t dare expose their identities.
After all, the Ninth Prince had only died that morning. Seeing them come to the restaurant for a lavish meal at a time like this felt strange no matter how one looked at it.
Throughout the restaurant, the other patrons were still quietly discussing the events of the day.
“Hey, do you think the Ninth Prince was really killed by Prince Kang?”
“Of course he was! Someone already said that Prince Kang had ordered it. He even wanted to kill that person and frame the Commandery Princess for it.”
“Something doesn’t seem right. How did Prince Kang know that the Ninth Prince was coming here? What are the odds of that?”
Everyone offered their own opinions. They were all quite interested in royal gossip.
A scholar-like man lowered his voice and said to the friend beside him, “In my opinion, there are two possibilities. Either the Commandery Princess arranged for assassins to do it, or Prince Kang and the Ninth Prince were working together but fell out for some reason.”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. Do you have a death wish?” The young man beside him hurriedly covered his mouth, afraid he might say something too outrageous.
The scholar pulled his hand away and shook his head. “What are you afraid of? I’m only making a guess. But I think the second possibility is more likely.”
Xi Qingyue listened clearly to their conversation from inside the private room. She hadn’t expected there to be someone so clever.
The young man had also been piqued by the scholar’s words and asked in confusion, “What makes you say that? Do you have any evidence?”
The scholar glanced around, then leaned close to the young man’s ear and whispered, “The Commandery Princess kills people directly, like those people at the county office. She had no need to go through so much trouble. As for Prince Kang, it would be far too coincidental—unless he knew that the Ninth Prince was coming here and even knew the exact time. The assassin never mentioned those details, and neither did the Commandery Princess’s people. I estimate they were trying to leave the Ninth Prince some dignity, considering he’s already dead.”
Earlier that day, he had also heard from a passing merchant caravan about what had happened in several other cities. He knew that Prince Kang had been capturing children to use in alchemy, which made him even more certain that his guess was correct.
He spoke with such enthusiasm that the young man listened, completely absorbed. Thinking that no one else could hear them, the two continued their increasingly animated discussion.
Using her supernatural ability to listen to the people outside, Xi Qingyue’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Once news of what had happened in the other cities had spread completely, Prince Kang would be little better than a rat everyone wanted to chase away. Even if he rebelled, it would be difficult for him to recruit talented people. The scholar outside was a perfect example.
There were plenty of clever people like him. Once they became suspicious, they wouldn’t obediently offer their lives in Prince Kang’s service.
As for those who were genuinely loyal to Prince Kang, killing them would not be a pity.
As Xi Qingyue and the other two were leaving after enjoying a good meal and drinks, she glanced toward the scholar and memorized his features. He seemed like a clever man.
