Qin Manman stood still on the spot, too embarrassed to know what to do.
Si Hongxi stretched out his hand in an inviting gesture and stared at her sharply.
She had no choice but to follow Mu Qing inside reluctantly.
The light in the chamber was dim. The soldiers lit the candlesticks in the secret passage with torches, and immediately it became brightly lit.
Walking deeper into the secret passage, they indeed found a chamber.
This was the very chamber where Prime Minister Wei had once brought Qin Manman to meet the mysterious person.
"I assume Miss Manman knows how to open the door to this chamber?" Si Hongxi asked Qin Manman coldly.
Qin Manman looked at Si Hongxi, stepped forward and felt the wall with her hand. Then she pressed a spot, and sure enough, the chamber door opened.
"Thank you!" Si Hongxi said politely.
Then he ordered his men to go inside. But inside, there was nothing. Si Hongxi frowned tightly.
Qin Manman was also very surprised. It wasn't like this when she came here last time. What happened?
Si Hongxi searched around inside to see if there was a secret door.
"Miss Manman, is there any other chamber or secret door in this room?" Si Hongxi asked.
Qin Manman shook her head and said innocently, "I'm not quite sure. Really not!"
Seeing Qin Manman's innocent look, Si Hongxi chose to believe her and ordered his men to search the chamber quickly.
Sure enough, in a short while, Mu Qing noticed something strange.
He accidentally opened another door in this chamber.
"My lord, look!"
Si Hongxi immediately stepped forward, and the two exchanged a glance.
"Men!" Si Hongxi waved his hand, indicating his subordinates to go forward and check.
"Let's go and take a look!"
Following this secret passage, they found that it was not another chamber but just a passage leading outside.
The exit was a small woods.
Si Hongxi and Mu Qing returned from the secret passage.
"Order the men to search the exit area thoroughly!"
"Yes, my lord."
Si Hongxi was about to take Qin Manman back to the study.
Just as they were walking out of the chamber, he suddenly noticed something amiss.
There was no wall beside the chamber door, but there were no candlesticks either, and it was very dark.
He quickly stepped forward to check and found that it was actually a hidden secret door. If you weren't careful, you really wouldn't notice it.
Si Hongxi glanced at Qin Manman, and Qin Manman also looked very surprised. She herself didn't know what this was!
So he started to search for the mechanism to open this door.
After searching for a long time, he still couldn't find it. It seemed that there was something very important hidden here!
"Men, call more people here and bring tools!"
Sure enough, in a short while, his subordinates came here with various tools.
At first, they used hammers to smash the door, but the door was as if made of steel and remained motionless. After smashing for a long time, the soldiers' arms were almost broken, but there was no effect.
Suddenly, Si Hongxi had an idea and asked the soldiers to start smashing the wall.
Sure enough, in a short while, a big hole was dug in the wall beside the secret door.
Si Hongxi looked inside. To his great surprise, there were all shiny silver and glittering gold inside.
"It seems we've found the embezzled money!" he said with a proud smile on his lips.
Si Hongxi immediately ordered his men to count the property inside.
"My lord, look!"
Mu Qing actually found a ledger in the chamber. Si Hongxi took it and opened it. A sly smile appeared on his lips.
"It seems that now, the evidence is conclusive!"
Si Hongxi sent people to control all the people in the prime minister's mansion inside. There were heavy troops guarding the outside of the prime minister's mansion, and patrol teams patrolled back and forth. No one was allowed to go out without permission!
Qin Manman was scared. Did this mean that her backer was about to fall?
"My lord, can I see my elder sister?" Qin Manman asked pleadingly.
"Do you mean to see Wan Ruo?" Si Hongxi guessed.
Qin Manman nodded.
Si Hongxi hesitated a bit. Frowning tightly, looking at her pleading eyes, although he felt sorry, he still refused.
"Sorry, Miss Manman. Due to my duty, you can't see anyone for now!"
After saying that, Si Hongxi left.
No, now thinking about it, it seemed that only by finding Wan Ruo and asking for her help could there be a hope of being saved. This was the only way, Qin Manman thought with a slight frown.
At this time, Wei Qingshan looked at Qin Manman's appearance and pondered.
On the other side, in Wan Ruo's residence in Shan'an Fang.
"Really! You haven't been home for several days. Finally, you come back, but you're still sleeping!" Wan Zi suddenly appeared and said helplessly.
Naturally, she didn't sleep well last night. After coming back from Bai Chen's place, she finally got a chance to catch up on sleep. Do you know how tired I am?
"Go away! Don't bother me. I want to sleep a bit more!" Wan Ruo said impatiently.
"Hey, really! Do you know that the prime minister's mansion was raided today! Hey, are you listening?" Wan Zi angrily tugged at her quilt and shouted.
"Yeah, I heard. What does it matter to me? It's not my mansion being raided! Mind your own business!" Wan Ruo half - closed her eyes and said annoyedly.
That's true! Hearing Wan Ruo's words, Wan Zi actually thought it made sense. "You're right. But it's just your vicious cousin there. Well, let her fend for herself! I don't want to meddle in that business!" Then she stopped pestering.
Suddenly, Wan Ruo woke up with a start, sat up and asked, "What did you just say? The prime minister's mansion was raided? Why so suddenly?"
"I heard that the current prime minister embezzled military funds and was involved in some other corruptions. Anyway, now the prime minister's mansion is heavily guarded and well - fortified!"
Hearing this, Wan Ruo frowned instantly and sighed, "So serious? Will corruption lead to the punishment of implicating nine generations of relatives?"
"That should not be the case!"
Wan Ruo let out a long breath. That was okay!
"However, it's very likely that the whole family will be demoted and sent to a desolate place to be slaves for life!" Wan Zi said indifferently as if it had nothing to do with her.
Hearing this, Wan Ruo frowned tightly. Why do you talk like this and keep me in suspense!
This was no different from being dead. It would be better to die! Living would mean suffering a lifetime of misery!
"Hey, don't worry. I'm just guessing. He's the current prime minister. The Ministry of Justice won't easily convict him. It still has to go through the emperor. Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven!"
It's so easy for you to say, this little rascal!
Seeing Wan Zi lying on the edge of the bed leisurely, Wan Ruo stepped forward and pinched its face. Just now, it was in such a hurry to wake me up. Now, when I'm up, it acts like nothing has happened!
"However, to be honest, this is a matter of the court. What can I, an ordinary commoner, change! Let fate decide! Everyone has to pay for their mistakes!" Wan Ruo lay back on the bed, stared at the ceiling and sighed.
At night.
A mysterious person quietly sneaked into the palace and entered the Second Prince's bedroom.
"My lord, the matter has been taken care of. There are no traces left! Wei Zhong has been captured. What should we do now?" the mysterious person wearing a white mask said in a low voice.
"It's all because you didn't handle things carefully. You let others catch his handle. But now, he's useless. It's that old geezer who wants to get rid of him. This is just an excuse! He's just a discarded piece on my chessboard! Handle everything properly and don't let others catch any more handles!"
Only to hear the lord cough twice weakly and say viciously.
"Yes, my lord!"
On the other side, in the prime minister's mansion, everyone was in a panic. The soldiers guarding the prime minister's mansion were still patrolling constantly.
Qin Manman couldn't fall asleep at night. She tossed and turned in bed.
No, I have to find a way to get out!
Qin Manman changed into a night suit and started to avoid the patrolling soldiers in the prime minister's mansion. Just as she was about to climb over the wall and get out, taking advantage of the moment when the soldiers were off - guard.
Suddenly, a hand pulled her down.