Chapter 125: Labyrinthine and Elusive: What is the Truth?

"Do not be afraid, it is merely a fire. Are you already frightened? Help me take the Second Prince to the front hall to rest and attend to him properly. Let me see what is happening here," Qin Daofei stopped him.

That servant was quite competent and clever. Hearing Qin Daofei's words, he bowed and respectfully led the Second Prince outside.

Front Hall.

The Second Prince asked calmly, "If there is anything to say, tell it to me directly. However, regarding this matter, on no account should you mention it to anyone else in the Xiaoyao Manor. Aside from your Master and myself, no one must be told if they ask. Do you understand?"

"This subordinate understands!" The servant thought for a moment and said, "Though I am not entirely certain, before the fire broke out, Steward Zhang entered the account room alone. At the time, he claimed he was looking for something to catch rats, and even invited me to watch the excitement. I was eager to see the commotion and left. But later, thinking about it, there were plenty of things capable of killing rats scattered everywhere between the courtyard and the account room in the front yard. Why did Steward Zhang specifically go to the account room to look for something? Furthermore, he usually detested the servants watching commotions, yet this time he urged us to go. Hearing that, I felt something was amiss. Shortly after, the account room caught fire. This subordinate cannot help but wonder if it was Steward Zhang, as he was the only one who remained in there alone!"

"Your Master is well aware of this matter. You need not concern yourself with it, nor should you spread word of it," the Second Prince said calmly.

Meanwhile, Qin Daofei strolled around the study alone and located the undamaged hand warmer. Without alerting anyone, he brought the hand warmer to the front hall, placed it before the Second Prince, and remarked, "Where else could you find a master as good as me? My steward has burned down half of my estate, yet here I am, helping him conceal the evidence."

"Are you moved?" The Second Prince smiled faintly.

Qin Daofei smiled faintly. "Deeply moved!"

Crash!

At that moment, the main door was suddenly kicked open. Ye Lishang rushed in frantically, grabbed the hem of the Second Prince's robe, and tried to burrow underneath it, leaving the Second Prince thoroughly embarrassed.

Qin Daofei raised an eyebrow, utterly failing to understand Ye Lishang's performance.

"Hey, get out!" The Second Prince's face tightened as he kicked Ye Lishang away.

Instead, Ye Lishang tightly wrapped his arms around the Prince's thigh, wailing, "I won't! That madwoman Feng Linglong is going to kill me!"

"Hmph!" The Second Prince looked at Qin Daofei with utter insincerity and said, "You reaped all the benefits, shouldn't you be the one to solve your own problems?"

Qin Daofei calmly stood up, straightened his robes, and walked out with effortless composure.

The moment he stepped outside, he saw Linglong painstakingly dragging Feng Yixiao, who was clinging desperately to her leg, making her arduous way across the snow toward the front hall. Seeing this sight, Qin Daofei felt a dull throbbing in his temples.

He walked over, scooped Feng Yixiao up into his arms, and asked, "What has you so furious?"

"You and Ye Lishang are cut from the same cloth! Neither of you are good things, neither of you! Today, if I don't finish off Ye Lishang, my name is no longer Feng Linglong!" Linglong's ears and cheeks were flushed crimson with rage.

Feng Yixiao buried her face in Qin Daofei's embrace and whimpered with grievance, "Longlong, a monster!"

Puff!

Indeed, wasn't Linglong's clawing, screeching appearance the very picture of a monster?

"Tell me, what on earth happened? How did Ye Lishang manage to anger you to this extent?" Qin Daofei asked with a straight face, acting as though he knew absolutely nothing.

Linglong glared angrily at Qin Daofei. "Don't think I won't figure it out just because you're playing the fool! Did you and Ye Lishang conspire against me?"

"Linglong, even a criminal on trial requires charges and evidence. Coming at me with groundless accusations like this, I truly have no idea what you are talking about." Qin Daofei intended to play dumb to the bitter end.

Given Linglong's fiery temper, how could she possibly let Qin Daofei continue feigning ignorance? She pointed straight at him and accused, "Didn't Ye Lishang tell you that to have... to have... to have... to have..."

"You must be cold. Come, let's go back inside!" Qin Daofei held Feng Yixiao with one arm and used his free hand to grab Linglong, leading her toward Linglong Pavilion.

Driven mad with fury, Linglong cried out with tragic despair, "Didn't Ye Lishang say that more marital intimacy leads to children, and that's why you've been bullying me under false pretenses?!"

A roar that shook the heavens and earth!

The outcome could easily be imagined!

Virtually the entire Xiaoyao Manor heard Linglong's proclamation.

Passersby among the servants stopped in their tracks to stare toward Linglong's direction. The shadow guards hidden in the dark laughed until they rolled around helplessly. Ye Lishang, cowering behind the Second Prince's robes, laughed so hard he was stamping his feet. The Second Prince sprayed a mouthful of hot tea in a fine mist.

How wonderful!

Ah, utterly infuriating!

Realizing she had bellowed out those private bedroom matters, Linglong instantly buried her face in Qin Daofei's chest, furiously shoving Feng Yixiao aside because the space was too small to accommodate her old face.

Hmph!

Qin Daofei, on the other hand, chuckled with amusement. He gently stroked Linglong's hair and said softly, "Those of you who don't shut your mouths right now, I will make sure you never close them again. Those of you who don't look away, I'll ensure you die with your eyes open."

Gasp!

Terrified, the onlookers hurriedly pretended to be busy, not daring to glance in that direction ever again.

"Come along, no one dares to laugh at you." Holding Feng Yixiao—who was busy tugging and pulling at Linglong's hair—Qin Daofei walked unsteadily toward Linglong Pavilion, with Linglong hiding her head in his embrace.

The Second Prince grabbed the gloating Ye Lishang by the collar and dragged him toward Linglong Pavilion as well.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" Unable to cling to the Second Prince's legs, Ye Lishang resorted to wrapping his arms around a table leg!

The Second Prince jabbed Ye Lishang in the waist, instantly draining him of strength, dragging him along the ground like a dead dog.

"Since you're bound to die sooner or later, you might as well go die right now. It's not like you haven't been courting death for days!" The Second Prince decided to personally escort Ye Lishang to the guillotine.

No, please!

Ye Lishang wailed in despair!

Yet, the Second Prince dragged him away with unyielding determination.

Elsewhere, after Qin Daofei safely escorted Linglong to Linglong Pavilion, Linglong began pounding on the table inside to vent her frustration.

Hmph!

Aifei dropped down gracefully from the rafters. "At the rate you're acting right now, if you went out to hurl abuses in the streets, I doubt anyone would blame you—they'd only pity you!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Linglong snapped irritably.

Aifei couldn't be bothered to dignify her with a response.

As Linglong slumped over the table in a huff, Aifei, finding the sight unbearable, offered, "Revenging yourself on Ye Lishang is simple enough. Just dress him in women's clothing and have him seduce the Second Prince. Every grievance you hold will be settled in one stroke!"

Huh?

Linglong and Qin Daofei both turned to look at Aifei in unison, as if the person making the suggestion wasn't Aifei herself, but someone possessed by a whirlwind.

"That actually sounds like a rather good idea!" Linglong took the suggestion to heart.

Qin Daofei said quietly, "I warned you, leave them be!"

"Men should stay out of women's business. Take your daughter and go play somewhere else." Linglong shoved Qin Daofei aside and resumed discussing the grand strategy with Aifei.

Unwilling to be drawn into their scheming, Qin Daofei scooped up Feng Yixiao and headed out the door. Just as he reached the threshold, Linglong called out a warning, "You are not allowed to tell Ye Lishang, or I swear I'll destroy you!"

"As you like." Qin Daofei stepped outside, only to immediately step back in. "They're here!"

Linglong panicked. "Quick, quick, quick! Let's go discuss this elsewhere!"

The two women vanished in a cloud of mystery.

Qin Daofei gazed outside calmly and murmured, "Jifeng, go and learn from this. Since this was Aifei's brilliant idea, if you apply it to her, it shouldn't come as any surprise."

...

Crash!

Thud!

Presumably, that was the sound of young Jifeng crashing his head against a wall.

Peeking in timidly from the doorway, Ye Lishang watched as Qin Daofei peeled a handful of chestnuts for Feng Yixiao to eat, then remarked smoothly, "She and Aifei have gone out. You are safe for the moment."

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

"That scared the life out of me!" Ye Lishang patted his chest resentfully, his face still pale with lingering fear.

Not long after, Linglong and Aifei returned.

Apprehensive, Ye Lishang shrank back and eyed Linglong cautiously. To his surprise, Linglong acted with magnanimity, showing no signs of holding a grudge.

"Linglong, why don't you just beat me up instead? Acting like this is freaking me out!" Unable to bear the bizarre atmosphere any longer, Ye Lishang practically begged Linglong to thrash him to death.

Linglong brushed her hands together. "It's fine, I'm a magnanimous person!"

"Are you really?" Ye Lishang cast a suspicious glance her way.

Linglong raised an eyebrow. "Am I not?"

"Is she?" Still unable to believe it, Ye Lishang turned appealingly to Qin Daofei and the Second Prince for help.

The Second Prince averted his gaze, choosing not to get involved, whereas Qin Daofei opted to butter up Linglong. "Naturally, my woman is the most extraordinary woman in this world!"

Hmph!

Ye Lishang remained deeply skeptical, though he had no inkling of what plot Linglong was hatching.

After a moment, he seemingly figured it out on his own.

"Actually, it's not like I want to lecture you, Linglong, but you aren't getting any younger. If you don't give Qin Daofei a child soon, once you age further, recovery after childbirth becomes much harder. Look, aren't you getting anxious yourself? So let go of your inhibitions; we're all adults here, who doesn't understand?" Ye Lishang offered patronizing counsel to Linglong.

Hearing this, the Second Prince asked quietly, "You understand quite a well, do you?"

"Well... I'm a physician, of course I understand!" Ye Lishang had no wish to provoke the fierce tiger Chengjie right after placating Linglong the kitten.

Oh!

To everyone's surprise, Linglong actually nodded. "Indeed, I am familiar with that feeling. I understand you completely!"

Well, well, well!

Ye Lishang's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude. "Linglong, I knew you weren't an unreasonable woman. You're a good woman!"

Aha!

A good woman!

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

Linglong roared with laughter internally. Unable to bear watching any longer, the Second Prince turned to Qin Daofei and asked, "When do we eat?"

"Hmm, we are waiting for one final exquisite dish," Qin Daofei replied with complete composure.

Waiting for an exquisite dish?

For some reason, the moment she saw Qin Daofei's expression, Linglong felt a chill run down her spine. She had a strong premonition that Qin Daofei's banquet today was far from a pleasant one!

The Second Prince looked at Qin Daofei with deep, unfathomable eyes, likewise sensing that he had been manipulated.

It wasn't until dusk fell that the kitchen finally served the dishes to the table. Surveying the spread of seemingly ordinary food, Linglong couldn't help asking, "Where is this exquisite dish you spoke of?"

"Master, this subordinate begs an audience!" Just as Linglong finished speaking, a voice requested entry from outside the door.

Qin Daofei said indifferently, "It's freezing outside, come inside and join us by the stove."

"Yes!" Following Qin Daofei's permission, the man pushed the door open and entered.

This was someone Linglong had never seen before. Thus, the moment he stepped inside, she experienced a momentary flash of bewilderment, feeling as though she had seen this face somewhere before.

Yet, despite pondering for a long while, she couldn't recall where.

"Surely he isn't the exquisite dish you mentioned? Human meat isn't very tasty, and it might even be poisonous!" Ye Lishang remarked with distaste.

Once the man seated himself, he reported respectfully, "Master, as per your instructions, we hung Naxier's corpse on the city wall at the border between Suiye City and the Cangmo Kingdom. The Emperor of Cangmo happened to be inspecting that sector at the time. Upon learning of Naxier's death, he vomited blood on the spot and swore to seek justice from the... imperial family of Hanshi!"

As expected!

The Second Prince rolled his eyes and cast an annoyed glare at Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei, however, tenderly placed a piece of blanched mutton and beef into Linglong's bowl, asking with fond pampering, "How is that? Are you satisfied with such an outcome?"

"If it were up to me, I would have used the exact same methods she inflicted on that child against her. Someone like her doesn't deserve to draw breath at all!" Linglong said coldly.

Qin Daofei raised his wine cup and remarked casually to the Second Prince, "Your Highness, I wouldn't mind if you went and informed His Majesty. After all, he did sign a treaty with the Cangmo Kingdom back then!"

Puff!

Unable to catch his breath, the Second Prince nearly choked to death!

He pointed a finger at Qin Daofei, taking quite a while before managing to squeeze out a single sentence: "You really are something else!"

"As I've said, those who show me respect are my friends. As for those who plot against me, even if I cannot retaliate immediately at the time, I will find a thousand and one ways to pay them back," Qin Daofei declared open-handedly.

Biting on her chopsticks, Linglong asked out of curiosity, "What kind of treaty did your Emperor father sign with Naxier that hearing of her death shocked him to the point of vomiting blood?"

"He wanted revenge for Chengxiang, so he traded Suiye City with Naxier. As long as Naxier overthrew the Xiaoyao Manor, he would hand over Suiye City on a silver platter. Clearly, Naxier failed to overthrow the Xiaoyao Manor. However, once the Cangmo Kingdom exposes their transaction, my imperial father will completely lose the hearts of the people," the Second Prince explained with a helpless sigh.

Ah!

Linglong nodded. "That being the case, he will have no choice but to select a crown prince. This crown prince must possess not only literary and martial brilliance, but also extraordinary bravery, military prowess, and meticulous cunning to resist the malice from various nations. Looking across the imperial court, the only one who fits these criteria is none other than the Second Prince."

"However, if that happens, the Emperor will resent Qin Daofei, and Chengjie, who has a good relationship with him, will inevitably be excluded from the pool of candidates for the crown prince," Ye Lishang said worriedly, eyeing the Second Prince. Though he disliked Ye Lishang spending every waking moment scheming to become crown prince and building his dream kingdom, the thought of him failing still troubled him.

The Second Prince sneered, "What is there to fear? Qin兄 still has Wang Shun as our trump card. The moment he releases the revelation that Chengxiang is not my father's biological son, my father's mental state will completely shatter. At that point, whether I ascend the throne or not will matter little to him; he will simply go into hiding to nurse the heartache of a lifetime!"

"That's right! Even if he didn't intend to pass the throne to Chengjie, I have ways to force him to do so. That way... Chengjie becomes the Emperor! From then on, whenever you see him, you'll have to kowtow three times and shout 'Long live the Emperor, long live, long live the Emperor!'" Ye Lishang said with a tragic, mournful air.

Linglong looked at Ye Lishang, then at the Second Prince, and finally at Qin Daofei.

"So, the two of you knew all along? In the end, you had no choice but to use the most extreme methods to help the Second Prince seize the empire, didn't you?" Linglong demanded angrily, "Then why didn't you just target the Emperor from the beginning? Do you have any idea how incompetent he is!" Linglong was genuinely irritated.

Qin Daofei flicked Linglong on the forehead and said calmly, "What do you know? If the Emperor were to meet his demise without cause, people would inevitably suspect foul play. Chengjie is an upright and honorable gentleman; if he is to ascend the throne, he must do so openly and legitimately."

Linglong shuddered violently twice. "You people are truly terrifying. You're clearly up to no good, yet you always manage to put on an aura of righteousness and nobility. I suppose this is what they call being beasts in human clothing!"

"If you don't know how to speak, then shut your mouth!" Ye Lishang struck Linglong with a chopstick, prompting her to bare her teeth in retaliation.

"However, the most crucial issue right now is that if my imperial father learns of Naxier's death, he will surely dispatch me to garrison Suiye City. Once I am far away from the capital, my hands will be tied even if I wish to act," the Second Prince stated the factual dilemma.

Hah!

Qin Daofei and Ye Lishang exchanged a tacit, chilling smirk, then spoke in unison, "Tomorrow, you will fall gravely ill—so severely that the imperial physicians in the palace will be entirely helpless."

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

"At that moment, our esteemed Ghost Physician should make his grand entrance. To cure the Second Prince's affliction, the Ghost Physician will eat, sleep, and live by his side, inseparable as mandarin ducks... Ouch... why are you hitting me?" Linglong squealed as Ye Lishang pricked her finger with a silver needle, bringing tears of pain to her eyes.

Oops!

With a slip of his hand, Qin Daofei dropped a glob of spicy chili-oil cattle brain straight onto Ye Lishang's pristine white robes. The morsel bounced off with exquisite precision, leaving two awkward red stains across Ye Lishang's chest. From a distance, they looked precisely like a pair of rather brazen round ornaments hanging before him.

"My apologies, Divine Doctor, my hand slipped!" Qin Daofei offered an utterly insincere apology, driving Ye Lishang so mad he wanted to curse his ancestors.

Yet, living under another's roof, he had no choice but to lower his head.

"Don't think you can stop me from eating with this trick!" With grandiose flair, Ye Lishang stripped off his outer robes and continued eating in his undergarments.

Seeing this, Feng Yixiao insisted on mimicking him, squatting directly on a stool to eat, babbling and chattering away with a massive temper as she tugged violently at Qin Daofei's clothes.

"Fine, fine, fine, Jifeng, go fetch a stool!" Unble to handle Feng Yixiao, Qin Daofei instructed Jifeng to find a chair for her.

Being very considerate, Jifeng brought over a chair and placed it right beside Qin Daofei. But Feng Yixiao wasn't satisfied; she babbled noisily, demanding to sit next to Ye Lishang instead. With no other choice, Jifeng carried both the child and chair over to Ye Lishang's side.

Thus began a harmonious routine where Ye Lishang and Feng Yixiao traded sips of wine and bites of food, looking thoroughly pleased with themselves.

Naturally, the responsibility of feeding Feng Yixiao shifted effortlessly onto the Second Prince. Rationally speaking, as an imperial prince and a rough-and-tumble warrior, he should have possessed little patience for children. Yet he was entirely different—not only did he have infinite patience, but he also didn't mind Feng Yixiao's messiness. He fed her dutifully, and whenever she left food unfinished, he would simply pop it into his own mouth without a second thought.

Sitting opposite them and watching the scene, Linglong suddenly felt that fate was profoundly unfair to the Second Prince, and equally unfair to them all. Although she and Qin Daofei shared Feng Yixiao and a glimmer of hope, the Second Prince and Ye Lishang...

Ah!

"Eat your food, stop letting your imagination run wild." Qin Daofei loaded Linglong's bowl with plenty of dishes, instantly restoring her good mood.

Mindful that he had helped her exact revenge on Ye Lishang, Linglong carried this cheerful disposition deep into the quiet of the night, cooperating so exceptionally well that Qin Daofei's blood ran hot.

The next day.

News that the Second Prince Chengjie had suddenly contracted a severe and mysterious ailment spread like wildfire through the capital. Noticing the Second Prince's absence at the morning court session without having requested leave, the Emperor dispatched someone to inquire at the Second Prince's residence.

By the time the eunuch arrived, the entire estate was in utter chaos.

After gathering the details, the eunuch hurried back to the palace to report, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has fallen gravely ill. His estate is in complete disarray. This subordinate saw it with his own eyes: the Second Prince's eyes were bloodshot, and in his agony, he smashed everything in his rooms. Fearing he might harm himself, his guards had no choice but to bind him. His wrists were covered in friction burns from the ropes—one can only imagine how excruciating the pain must be!"

"Then why haven't you summoned the imperial physicians to treat him?!" Hearing of his son's critical condition, the Emperor panicked as well.

Upon arriving at the estate and conducting a thorough examination, the imperial physicians discovered that the Second Prince's pulse was indeed erratic and hollow—the classic signs of impending death. They rushed the alarming news back to the palace.

Terrified by the report of his imminent demise, the Emperor staggered backward, stammering in disbelief, "How could it have grown this severe? No—isn't he on close terms with that divine physician from the pugilistic world? Why hasn't that physician come to treat Chengjie?"

"Is Your Majesty referring to the Ghost Physician? When this subordinate arrived at the estate, the Ghost Physician was absent. If he were present, perhaps the Second Prince would still stand a chance of survival, but no one knows where to find him," the imperial physician reported with a low bow.

Frantic with worry, the Emperor grabbed an inkstone from his desk and hurled it straight at the physician's head. "Since he shares a close personal friendship with Chengjie, the people at the Second Prince's estate must know where to find him! If you can't locate him, go to the Xiaoyao Manor! Inquire at the Xiaoyao Manor and demand they escort Ye Lishang to the Second Prince's residence within the hour, no matter the cost in silver!"

Clutching his bleeding forehead, the physician hurriedly backed out of the hall.

By the time they reached the Second Prince's estate, Ye Lishang had already arrived.

After taking the Second Prince's pulse with a solemn expression, Ye Lishang declared gravely, "The Second Prince's true qi has blocked his meridians due to his martial arts. If this isn't treated properly, it poses a grave danger. I need to brew a medicinal bath for him to soak in, and during this period, I must use acupuncture to clear his meridians and restore his body. This will be an extremely prolonged process. If anything goes wrong, the Second Prince's martial arts will be entirely crippled!"

"In that case, we leave everything in the Divine Doctor's hands. Whatever medicinal herbs are required, please name them, and this subordinate will ensure all of them are prepared for the Divine Doctor without fail!" the imperial physician said respectfully.

Elated inside, Ye Lishang thought triumphantly, *Hah! None of you treated me like a divine physician before, but now the imperial physicians treat me as one—I'm far more formidable than they are!*

Oh, how thoroughly his ego was puffed up!

Once the imperial physicians departed, Ye Lishang chased everyone out of the room. "All of you, get out! Not a sound is to be made. Here is the prescription; go fetch the herbs and brew them immediately. Bring the medicine over in an hour, while this Divine Doctor clears the Second Prince's blockages first!"

Crash!

Ye Lishang slammed the door shut, didn't even bother removing his shoes, and climbed right onto the bed to poke the Second Prince.

"Untie me!" Soaked in sweat and radiating a decadent yet lethal aura, the Second Prince remained as frosty as ever.

Smirking, Ye Lishang untied the ropes, pulled a silver needle out of the Second Prince's hair, and teased, "Well, well, well, you really are tough—you didn't even scream yourself to death from the pain!"

As Ye Lishang poked the Second Prince's face, he casually wiped his own sweat onto the Prince's robes.

Though weak from the torment, the moment the silver needle was removed, the Second Prince instantly regained his vitality. He grabbed Ye Lishang's hand, pulled him close, and whispered coldly, "Next time, can you choose a method that hurts slightly less?"

"No way! To fool the Emperor, you have to suffer convincingly. If you suddenly recovered the next time the imperial physicians visit, how could we keep up the charade?" he replied with absolute righteousness.

Hmph!

"Ye Lishang, it seems your skin is itching for a beating," the Second Prince threatened coldly.

Ye Lishang prudently urged the Second Prince to sit up, then applied professional massage techniques to alleviate the lingering soreness after the agonizing pain subsided.

"How is that, esteemed patron? Are you satisfied with this humble masseur's technique?" Ye Lishang asked ingratiatingly.

After closing his eyes to enjoy the relief for a moment, the Second Prince remarked coolly, "Where on earth did you learn the tone of a brothel attendant?"

"What the hell do you mean, how do I know what a brothel attendant sounds like?! Have you been frequenting houses of ill repute?!" Ye Lishang's jealousy flared up instantly.

The Second Prince replied calmly, "That is not what you ought to be concerning yourself with. Your most pressing task right now is to treat my injuries swiftly. If I can ascend the throne before that mysterious individual and Qin Daofei come to blows, perhaps I can spare the Xiaoyao Manor from catastrophe!"

"Should we leak the news to the Emperor, then? Let him find out sooner?" Anxious at the thought of their limited time, Ye Lishang panicked.

The more anxious he grew, the faster and harder he pounded.

Ouch...

"Go lie down quietly over there!" Refusing to indulge Ye Lishang further, the Second Prince ordered him away.

And so, Ye Lishang obediently went to lie down.

Xiaoyao Manor.

Qin Daofei sipped his tea with unhurried leisure, watching Feng Yixiao toddle around leaving a trail of damp footprints everywhere.

As she munched on the sugar-roasted chestnuts Qin Daofei had peeled for her, Linglong asked listlessly, "Hey, Qin Daofei, you don't think Ye Lishang is going to accidentally torture the Second Prince to death, do you?"

"Do you really think he has the heart to kill him?" Qin Daofei remained entirely unperturbed.

Um...

Linglong shook her head. "I'd estimate... he'll at least leave him half-crippled?"

"Hmph, unless he has grown tired of living. The three of us have known each other since childhood; Chengjie is by far the most ruthless among us. I doubt Ye Lishang has the guts to provoke him," Qin Daofei dismissed any concern.

Hah!

Linglong sneered. "By your own logic, that makes you the most poisonous of the three. You fancied me ages ago, yet you still had the heart to deal me such a ruthless blow and throw me into prison!"

This was the first time Linglong had ever spoken those exact words to Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei looked at Linglong quietly. He knew her well enough to understand that only when she truly no longer cared would she bring it up as a joke.

Ah, this woman!

At times, Qin Daofei felt he didn't understand her at all.

"Actually, when you were abducted back then, I had been sent away to Yuanyang. By the time I returned, my shadow guards informed me that you were already locked away in the Jingzhao Prefecture yamen. Chengjie was down in the Southern Frontiers at the time, and I couldn't wait for him. I went to seek out my maternal uncle, but he refused to see me. I gathered a group of men, intending to storm the Jingzhao Prefecture yamen under cover of night to rescue the prisoners. But when I arrived, the yamen had already been reduced to ashes. I searched through the piles of corpses looking for you, but I found nothing. Your hair ornaments had burned and were scattered across the ground. Everyone told me you were dead. But I refused to believe you were gone, so I kept searching... only, I never figured out what method Hu Hanzhi used to evade the investigations and pursuit of the Xiaoyao Manor!"

That period of the past was a hurdle Linglong could never cross, just as it was an uncrossable hurdle for Qin Daofei. He had lived with such profound regret—regret that he hadn't managed to protect Linglong properly.

Though Linglong had already guessed that Qin Daofei had been delayed by circumstances, she never imagined he had gone so far as to plan a prisonbreak.

"Hu Hanzhi pulled me out of the pile of corpses. He said he and little Xiaoyuer had gone there to search for a specific type of medicinal mushroom that grew near corpses, and discovering I still had a breath left in me, he brought me back beyond the northern frontier. I suffered from a high fever and remained unconscious the entire journey until we reached the frontier. When I finally woke up, he held out a severed toe of mine and asked, 'This is your toe, what do you plan to do about it?'

At the time, all I could think of was revenge. I told him I wanted vengeance. He told me, 'If you want revenge, you must first become strong. I am going to throw you into the Dead Desert. If you can survive the trek to Crescent Moon Manor and walk back out alive, I will help you exact your revenge.' When I asked him why, he told me that years ago, King Xiang's horses had trampled a foreign little girl to death—she was his younger sister, and he wanted revenge against King Xiang. He said he knew King Xiang had killed my father, so we shared a common enemy.

Later, when he asked me what to do with the toe bone, I wanted to keep it. I wanted to remind myself that I had to return for revenge, so he carved a die out of my toe bone for me. Hanzhi... he is also just an unhappy soul... he..."

"You don't need to say any more. I care nothing for his past. The only thing I want is for you to remain by my side, right here in my arms. You wish to give me children, and I can feel the sincerity of your heart. That is enough," Qin Daofei pulled Linglong into his embrace and said tenderly.

Linglong gave him a shy kick. "Who said anything about giving you children?"

Seeing this, Feng Yixiao angrily kicked Qin Daofei as well, placed her hands on her hips, and shrieked, "￥%￥%#*!"

"Little one, your mother is bullying your father, so you've come to join in?" Qin Daofei scooped Feng Yixiao up and pinched her cheeks.

Feng Yixiao giggled delightfully, cupping Qin Daofei's face and planting wet, enthusiastic kisses all over it!

Knock, knock, knock!

"Who is it?" Qin Daofei asked calmly.

"This maidservant is Second Madam's maid, requesting an audience with the Master!"

Hearing the maid's words, Qin Daofei instructed, "Come in!"

"Master, the Second Madam has refused to eat or drink for two days now. Could you please go and persuade her?" The maid knelt on the floor.

Listening to the maid, Linglong smiled faintly. "The Old Madame is of an advanced age, yet she could go days without food or water and be fine; this person certainly won't come to any harm. Since she refuses to eat, let her fast. Once she gets hungry enough, she'll eat on her own!"

The maid glanced around cautiously, looking thoroughly discreet.

"You needn't worry about eavesdroppers here. Speak, what is the matter?" Linglong asked with a smile.

The maid stammered, "This maidservant first wishes to express her gratitude to the Master and the First Madam for saving her life. Yesterday, this maidservant saw Steward Zhang hand two account books over to the Second Madam. They had an argument shortly afterward, and later on, a man dressed in black appeared and took the account books away from the Second Madam."

"It's fine. Go back to your duties and act as usual; we have already dealt with the rest. Just continue taking your medicine as Divine Doctor Ye instructed, and you will recover swiftly. However, during this time, you must ensure Tan Xiyin doesn't discover that you are taking the antidote, otherwise if she poisons you further, even we won't be able to save you," Linglong said calmly.

Following Linglong's instructions, the maid nodded and took her leave.

Holding Feng Yixiao, Qin Daofei rhythmically tapped his fingers against the tabletop.

Linglong knew that whenever Qin Daofei contemplated matters or prepared to deal with adversaries, he habitually made that gesture—and clearly, his thoughts were leaning toward the latter.

"Wuying, did you hear that? Investigate!" Qin Daofei curved his lips into a faint, grim smile, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"Understood, Master!" Having acknowledged the order, Wuying vanished swiftly.

Qin Daofei handed Feng Yixiao back into Linglong's arms, stood up, straightened his robes, and said evenly, "Now, as a friend, I should go pay a visit to His Highness the Second Prince!"

"Take care!" Linglong waved him off.

Qin Daofei offered a wicked, roguish smile without a word.

It took Linglong the absolute limit of her patience and energy to coax Feng Yixiao to sleep. Once the child drifted off, she settled down at the desk to sip tea.

"Why aren't you resting with Feng Yixiao? Can't sleep without a man?" Aifei's venomous tongue could wound others the moment she opened her mouth.

In no mood to bicker, Linglong said, "Aifei, haven't you noticed? Qin Daofei is increasingly convinced that Hu Hanzhi is the mastermind behind the plots against him. But what I can't wrap my head around is why Hu Hanzhi continues to target Qin Daofei even after I've abandoned my quest for revenge. I desperately want to find Hu Hanzhi and ask him directly—can you make a trip to Suiye City for me? I... I want to ask him if he is still deliberately antagonizing Qin Daofei!"

"There's no need to ask, I already know. For a long time, he made me keep secrets from you. At first, I hid things because I thought you were too soft-hearted and feared you wouldn't have the stomach to deal with Qin Daofei. But after arriving at Xiaoyao Manor, I realized there were many things hidden here that we hadn't known about, so I kept observing. Eventually, I discovered that Qin Daofei truly had genuine feelings for you, and after that, I stopped helping him with certain things. Linglong... the truth is, I realized he had his flaws, but because he was my benefactor, I kept secrets from you. If you're angry, you can beat me!"

Aifei looked at Linglong with absolute seriousness.

Linglong smiled. "Why would I beat you? But you still need to make that trip to Suiye City. I want to know the reason behind his refusal to let go. I always felt this went far beyond his initial good intentions of helping me avenge my father. Logically speaking, King Xiang is dead, his vengeance has been fulfilled, and I have given up any intention of seeking revenge. Therefore, I want to know his real motive!"

"Very well, I'll go ask... though I suspect the outcome won't be pleasant," Aifei replied.

Linglong nodded. "Keep this matter from the people of Xiaoyao Manor. Just tell Jifeng that the Netherworld Hall summoned you back."

"I understand!" With that, Aifei departed.

Meanwhile, after stepping outside, Qin Daofei instructed Jifeng, "Linglong just mentioned that Hu Hanzhi's younger sister died years ago beneath Chengxiang's horse's hooves. Go investigate this matter... Once you have the results, present them to Linglong in a subtle manner. I suspect this entire backstory was fabricated by Hu Hanzhi!"

"Understood, subordinate will investigate immediately!"

Qin Daofei proceeded to the Second Prince's residence to check on him. Upon arrival, he found the Second Prince bristling with acupuncture needles—a sight that looked excruciatingly painful!

"Qin兄, you've arrived at the perfect time. Lend a hand and help me drive this needle straight into the Second Prince's Baihui acupoint!" Ye Lishang pointed at the top of the Prince's head.

Qin Daofei glanced sideways at him and ignored the request entirely.

Seating himself, he remarked, "Today, Linglong told me something. She said the reason Hu Hanzhi helped her was because a younger sister of his had traveled to the capital several years ago and was trampled to death beneath King Xiang's iron hooves, and he came to avenge her!"

"Plenty of people died beneath Chengxiang's hooves; that much is indisputable," the Second Prince said, well-versed in those dark history records. It was precisely because he despised Chengxiang's brutality that he had allied with Qin Daofei and the others in the first place.

Qin Daofei continued, "I am well aware that Chengxiang trampled many lives back then. However, foreign girls would certainly be rare, and the Xiaoyao Manor's intelligence network would have records of it. I've already sent someone to check. If no such record exists, then his suspicion level skyrockets!"

While Qin Daofei and the others were still discussing the matter, Jifeng arrived.

Accompanying him was Wuying!

"Did you find something?" Qin Daofei asked, slightly surprised by the speed.

Jifeng handed a dossier over to Qin Daofei. "Because she was a foreign girl, it was easy to trace. Over a dozen years ago, such an incident indeed occurred. The foreign girl was eleven years old, and her name was... Hu Yuzhi..."

Hu Hanzhi, Hu Yuzhi!

Splendid!

"What about you, Wuying? What did your investigation turn up?" Qin Daofei pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a familiar headache returning.

Stepping forward, Wuying bowed. "Master, the trail of medicinal powder from the account books led to the front of a dilapidated house in the western district. Because the situation inside was unclear and I feared alerting the enemy, this subordinate dared not approach any closer."

"Very well. Later tonight, I will lead men to investigate personally!" After Qin Daofei dismissed them, Jifeng and Wuying withdrew.

The three men fell into silence.

Finally, Ye Lishang broke the quiet. "What do we do now? Hu Hanzhi really did come to avenge his sister. But back then, how old was Hu Hanzhi? He was just a boy of eleven or twelve, surely incapable of proactively orchestrating for a foreign girl to throw herself beneath King Xiang's horses so as to spin such an intricate web of vengeance years down the line? How old was Linglong back then, and how old was King Xiang? He couldn't possibly have foreseen what they would go through or what kind of people they would fall in love with, could he?"

"True. Even if he could manipulate Linglong four years ago, how do we explain this young girl?" The Second Prince was equally baffled.

Unable to offer an explanation either, Qin Daofei said coldly, "The most critical task right now is to find out who took the account books. If it has nothing to do with Hu Hanzhi, I'll let it drop. But if he is involved, I will crush him without hesitation!"

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

"Rivals in love meet with eyes ablaze with hostility. Good luck, Qin兄!" Ye Lishang continued to gloat gleefully.