The Prince’s Mansion guards arrived belatedly. The leader was someone Nan Shiying recognized: the guard who had been stationed at the back gate on the night of her wedding.
“Lord Xuan Yi, what is this?”
Jia Huan cupped his fist and bowed slightly towards Xuan Yi, inquiring about what had happened here.
Xuan Yi raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to open his eyes wider, “Can’t you see? The Qin family’s young lady led people to trespass into the Prince’s Mansion, intending to harm the Prince.”
Jia Huan’s heart skipped a heavy beat.
This was a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s clan.
Xuan Yi ignored Jia Huan’s shock and bowed to Nan Shiying, “Your Highness the Consort, the person has been apprehended. We await your disposition.”
Consort?
Jia Huan blinked.
Was this the Consort who had replaced Nan Yuan’er and married into their Prince’s Mansion?
Wait, why was Xuan Yi by her side?
Jia Huan suddenly realized the crux of the matter. He glanced at Xuan Yi unobtrusively, then knelt on one knee and bowed to Nan Shiying, “Your subordinate, Jia Huan, greets Your Highness the Consort.”
The guards looked at each other, and the next moment, they all bowed in unison, “Your subordinates greet Your Highness the Consort.”
Quite perceptive.
Nan Shiying nodded and said, “Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Highness the Consort.”
The guards stood up, but Jia Huan remained unmoving, his head bowed as he confessed, “Your subordinate is guilty. I beg Your Highness the Consort to mete out punishment!”
“Oh? For what offense?”
“Your subordinate failed in his duty, allowing villains to trespass into the mansion. I beg Your Highness the Consort to grant me an opportunity to redeem myself through meritorious service.”
Nan Shiying narrowed her eyes, glancing at Jia Huan indifferently. Her voice, neither loud nor soft, stated, “Then, you shall lead these people and escort them back to the Qin Mansion.”
“Thank you, Your Highness the Consort.”
“Oh, and tie up the guards on duty at the back gate today. Wait for the Lord to return and deal with them.”
“Yes!”
After handing the people over to Jia Huan, Xuan Yi followed Nan Shiying back to the Xin Yuan Pavilion. Only when their backs disappeared did Jia Huan turn around and order, “Tie up all these people for me. As for Jia Yi and Wang Si…”
His voice paused slightly, then he said sternly, “Tie them up too!”
Allowing outsiders to enter the mansion uninvited, even the Heavenly King himself could not protect them today.
“Yes!”
The guards loudly acknowledged the order.
…
Qin Mansion.
Qin Qiancheng had just returned to his residence.
“Master, this is not good…”
The gatekeeper servant rushed into the inner court, reporting in a state of panicked disarray, “The third young lady has been captured.”
“What?”
Qin Qiancheng’s hand, in the process of removing his official robes, paused. A storm of rage seemed to cloud his tiger-like eyes, his voice like thunder, rolling down, “Which blind fool dared to lay hands on my Qin Qiancheng’s daughter?”
The servant trembled, his voice quaking as he replied, “It was… it was the Prince’s Mansion guards.”
Then he remembered that in the capital, besides the Regent Prince’s Mansion, there was also the Prince Gong’s Mansion. He quickly added, “It was the Regent Prince’s Mansion guards.”
His fiery anger felt like being doused with cold water. Qin Qiancheng’s rage transformed into deep fear. He kicked away the servant blocking his way and strode towards the front courtyard.
Jia Huan had identified himself, and the Qin Mansion servants naturally dared not obstruct him. Jia Huan escorted Qin Yushan into the Qin Mansion and stood in the front courtyard, awaiting Qin Qiancheng.
Qin Qiancheng hurried over and, seeing that not only his daughter but also a group of his household servants were detained, a chill crawled up his spine.
What had she done?
“General Qin!”
Upon seeing Qin Qiancheng, Jia Huan bowed respectfully. Before he could inquire, he spoke, “Miss Qin led the mansion’s servants to forcibly trespass into the Regent Prince’s Mansion. Had it been anyone else, they would have been killed without consequence. However, as Miss Qin is your daughter, General, we could only escort her back. If we have caused any offense, we hope the General will bear with us.”
Jia Huan’s words were polite, but with each sentence, the chill on Qin Qiancheng’s back deepened. How could he dare to blame the Prince’s Mansion guards? He replied courteously, “Guard Jia is too polite. When the Lord returns, this subordinate will personally apologize to His Highness.”
Jia Huan nodded and, seizing the opportunity, released Qin Yushan, “Since that is the case, we shall take our leave.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
After Qin Qiancheng saw Jia Huan and his men depart, he finally untied the leather whip binding Qin Yushan. Qin Yushan quickly spat out the belt from her mouth. The lingering foul taste made her feel faintly nauseous. Recalling the humiliation she suffered at the Prince’s Mansion, Qin Yushan, her anger surging, shouted at Qin Qiancheng, “Father, you must uphold justice for your daughter! That Nan Shiying, she…”
“Slap!”
Qin Qiancheng delivered a heavy slap across Qin Yushan’s face. Qin Yushan’s voice abruptly ceased, “Father?”
She stared wide-eyed, disbelieving.
Qin Qiancheng felt that he had doted on her too much in the past, leading her to develop such an unruly disposition. She actually dared to lead people to trespass into the Regent Prince’s Mansion! Such a heaven-defying transgression, even if she had a dozen heads, they wouldn’t be enough to be lopped off!
The more Qin Qiancheng thought about it, the angrier and more fearful he became. Seeing that she still did not realize her mistake, he roared in exasperation, “Rebellious daughter, how dare you lead people to trespass into the Prince’s Mansion? If you wish to die, I won’t stop you. But if you dare to implicate the clan, I will end you with my own hands.”
Qin Yushan clutched her face. The taste of blood blooming in her mouth eroded her reason layer by layer. Her father’s unfamiliar and ferocious expression filled Qin Yushan with both anger and fear. Being blamed without cause made her feel incredibly wronged. She couldn’t help but roar, “Father, why don’t you ask me why I led people into the Prince’s Mansion? That Nan Shiying, that b*tch who married into the Prince’s Mansion under a false identity, she ruined my sister’s face! She ruined my sister’s face!”
“What did you say?”
Qin Qiancheng never expected that the reason for his younger daughter’s intrusion into the Prince’s Mansion was such.
“Father, Sister, Sister is still being punished by that b*tch, kneeling. Father, go save Sister! If you don’t save Sister soon, Sister’s face won’t be healed.”
“Outrageous! She…”
Qin Qiancheng drew the long sword from his nearby guard’s waist and was about to charge out of the mansion. However, after taking a few steps, he froze in place. He turned, looking at Qin Yushan with an unreadable expression, and finally, all his anger turned into a sigh.
“It’s too late!”
“Father…”
“Take the third young lady away!”
Qin Qiancheng waved his hand, ordering the servants to escort Qin Yushan away.
“Father, why, Father…”
Qin Yushan’s incredulous roars faded into the distance. Qin Qiancheng dropped the sword in his hand, his steps faltering as if he had aged several years in an instant.
“General, why?”
His personal guard asked in confusion.
Qin Qiancheng cast him a stern glance, his voice filled with an indescribable emotion, “It’s too late. If Yushan hadn’t led people to trespass into the Prince’s Mansion, I would have swallowed my pride and begged the Prince to seek justice for Rou’er. But now…”
“The third young lady was returned completely unharmed. You, you cannot seek justice, you can only…”
The guard’s voice grew weaker. The last four unsaid words were: beg for forgiveness and express gratitude.