Mu Fengqie saw his hesitation and didn't make a sound to interrupt him, giving him enough time to think.
"Can I meet that prince?"
"Not yet. It'll be the right time when you restore the glory of the Ruan family. Otherwise, what can you offer when you meet him? Since you want to avenge your family, you need to plan carefully."
Ruan Ming thought of what Mu Fengqie said about there being no survivors in the Ruan family. His eyes dimmed.
"Okay. After I figure out what happened to the Ruan family, I'll give you an answer. But how can I contact you?" Ruan Ming understood that since Mu Fengqie had brought him here in this way, she didn't want others to know where she was.
"Someone will come to you then. And I hope you won't say a word about this after you leave, not to anyone, including Jing Xuncha and the others."
Ruan Ming looked at Mu Fengqie. "Okay, I understand."
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you a bit more, Young Master Ruan."
Seeing someone coming over with a piece of black cloth, Ruan Ming understood and nodded.
"Master, can he really help you?"
"Of course. By the way, how's the investigation I asked you to do about the Empress of Nanqing and the little prince?"
"I've found out something, Master. It's really a shock when you look into it."
"Oh? What's going on?" Mu Fengqie was intrigued by Zhu Fei's angry expression. Could it be that Nanqing had done something heinous?
"Master, you don't know. That prince of Nanqing is a brute in human skin. He has women sent to his suburban mansion every month."
"Hmm? Don't people in the capital know about this?"
"Master, these women are not from the capital. They're sent from other places."
"Some officials from remote areas want to curry favor with the powerful, so they came up with this idea. They collect beautiful girls from all over and send them to him. The girls are sent back in less than a month."
"I've investigated. Those who are sent back are tortured beyond recognition. Some can't bear it and commit suicide, while some are already dead when they're sent out of the mansion."
"What a brute! It's so pitiful for those girls. They were just innocent people..." Zhu Fei said, with an expression that showed she wished she could kill that person right away.
Mu Fengqie didn't say a word. Her expression was hard to read. "When did this start?" She never expected that scoundrel to do such a thing!
"It started six months after the Empress of Nanqing ascended the throne."
"Take a few people and quietly spread this news. Remember to spread a little bit each day. Don't tell everything at once."
"Why?"
"Because unfounded rumors won't last long. It'd be better to find someone to pretend to be a parent coming to the capital to look for their daughter."
Zhu Fei's eyes lit up. "I understand, Master."
The next day, rumors spread in the capital that the current prince had forced women into his mansion. But since no one had seen it with their own eyes, no one really cared.
But after three days, the discussions in the capital grew louder and louder. Some people even reported the case to the yamen.
Although no one knew if this was true, every family had daughters, and who wouldn't be worried?
When the government received this case, they were so scared that their souls flew away. Could they just investigate a prince? But as more and more people reported the case, the government couldn't suppress it anymore and reported it to the court.
"Scoundrels! How could Yang do such a thing? Grand Tutor, you're an old minister in the court. I order you to investigate this matter thoroughly! You must find out where this rumor started."
"I'll follow your order, Your Majesty."
Her younger brother was already disabled. How could he do such a thing? And even when Yang was in good health, there was no such rumor. So this must be someone's deliberate doing.
The Empress immediately thought of Mu Fengqie. But she heard that Mu Fengqie was missing and no one knew where she was, so she ruled her out. Thinking about it, it could only be those restless court officials.
Don't let her find out who did it, or she would never let them off easily!
"Zhanzhi, who do you think did this?" At this time, Jing Xuncha and the others were also discussing this matter in the inn.
"Whoever it is, this is all beneficial to us and has no drawbacks."
"I understand. I'll send someone to add fuel to the fire and completely stir up the capital of Nanqing." Yuan Yuhan excitedly went out.
Jing Xuncha walked to the window and looked at the sky in the distance. It had been ten days. Where on earth were you, Qie'er?
"Do you have any news about her?"
"Master, I'm useless. I still haven't found Madam." In fact, after that day, Hong Yi had already recalled all the people who were looking for Mu Fengqie outside. He was just pretending to be looking for her in front of Jing Xuncha. But Jing Xuncha always thought they were still looking for her outside.
"Master, there are many good girls in the capital. You don't have to..." Before he could finish his sentence, Jing Xuncha slapped him away. He fell to the ground and tried to get up several times but couldn't.
"Presumptuous! I'll only marry Qie'er in my whole life! Hong Yi, you've overstepped your bounds!" He would never marry another woman.
"But what if Madam doesn't want you anymore?"
"Hong Yi, are you hiding something from me?"
"Master, Madam actually came to see you, but you were in a coma at that time..." Hong Yi got up from the ground and knelt on the ground.
Jing Xuncha remembered the day when he fought with Jiang Yanqin. "What did she say?"
"Madam said, 'Since Jing Xuncha wants to drive me to a dead end, there's not much trust between us. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. We'll never see each other again in this lifetime.'"
"Impossible! This is impossible! When did I drive her to a dead end? I didn't do anything! You're lying!" Jing Xuncha grabbed Hong Yi by the collar and pulled him up from the ground. He stared at him with red eyes.
"Master, every word I said is true. There's not a single false word. Madam said that Jiang Yanqin was her man. Didn't you want to kill him? Master, I really couldn't stand it anymore, so I told you, Master!"
"Thud—"
Jing Xuncha let go of Hong Yi. He walked to the window with a blank look in his eyes. "You can go." He stared fixedly at the outside without saying a word. Only the aura of loneliness emanated from his body.
Mu Fengqie, how could you be so heartless! You actually left me for an outsider! The window sill in his hand cracked with a "snap".
Jing Xuncha let go of his hand indifferently and stood by the window until dawn.
"Someone, recall all the people who are looking for her outside. There's no need to look anymore." Jing Xuncha's face was cold. He moved his stiff body.
No one knew what he had thought about last night, and no one knew that he had hidden the woman named Mu Fengqie deep in his heart and imprinted her in his mind. She would always be with him, by his side.