The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice brought governnt officers into the mansion to conduct a search, while the Miao King stirred up a commotion outside the Pri Minister’s Mansion.
"I’m just an old man who lost his grandson—"
"I don’t want to see the old bury the young—"
"Heartless Pri Minister’s Mansion, return my grandson—"
He wailed so loudly it seed to shake the heavens and move the spirits, attracting all the passersby. The once-spacious street was now packed with a dense crowd of onlookers.
The Miao King caused a ruckus, but he neither forced his way in nor resorted to violence. Just as he himself claid, he was rely an old man desperately searching for his grandson. Even laws seed powerless against him.
"Oh dear, this old man is truly pitiful."
"Isn’t he just?"
"My grandpa is his age. At this stage in life, they can’t endure such hardships..."
The onlookers chid in with sympathy for the Miao King.
Xun Qi’s head was about to explode.
Can’t endure hardships?
Do you even hear yourselves talking?
This old man... is the top martial artist of Miaojiang. He could knock you all down with just one hand!
The Miao King’s skills were known to the heavens, the earth, to Xun Qi, and to the Pri Minister—but not to the common people of the Capital City.
In their eyes, how could the Miao King have any sinister motives? He was just a grandfather trying to find his grandson!
An old grandmother, unable to stand it anymore, sighed and said, "If you’ve really captured his grandson, you should let him go quickly."
Xun Qi gritted his teeth: "We. Did. Not. Capture him!"
The Miao King wailed loudly, "Ah—my grandson—"
Xun Qi was so furious he almost fainted. He turned to look at Liu Qingyun.
But Liu Qingyun was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, "crying" beautifully with tearful fragility. "My son..."
When a beauty cries, even rivers and mountains weep.
The onlookers were all moved to tears!
Xun Qi was on the verge of being driven mad by this father-daughter duo of drama kings.
Lu Yuan’s root of shalessness had been found!
Just as Xun Qi was at his wits’ end, a maid dressed in gaudy attire sashayed over to him. With a smile, she reported, "Seventh Master, Third Master is looking for you."
Xun Qi recognized her; she was one of the won Luo San had brought back from outside.
What was her na? Xun Qi couldn’t rember because there was no shortage of such won in Luo San’s backyard.
Lian’er smiled and said, "Third Master says it’s an urgent matter."
After thinking for a mont, Xun Qi decided to go.
West Courtyard.
Xun Qi found Lu Yuan, leisurely drinking wine.
On either side of him stood two stunning maids, pouring wine for him.
Lu Yuan grinned and said, "Quick, serve the Seventh Master."
"Yes, Third Master."
The two maids imdiately walked toward Xun Qi.
Xun Qi said disdainfully, "No need!"
He had no interest in debauchery, let alone sharing won with another man.
Lu Yuan waved his hand. "You all may leave."
"Leave! All of you, leave this instant!"
Lian’er forcibly dragged the two reluctant maids away.
Only Lu Yuan and Xun Qi were left in the room.
Lu Yuan lounged against the chair back. His outer robe was slightly open, revealing inner clothes stained with traces of lipstick, and a pale neck with indistinct red marks, enough to evoke untold speculations.
Xun Qi furrowed his brows coldly.
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Jealous?"
Xun Qi: "..."
Lu Yuan smirked mockingly and swirled his wine cup. "Xun Qi, you’re nothing special after all."
Xun Qi sneered and said, "I told you not to act recklessly, yet you insisted on provoking ng Qianqian. Now look, you’ve been exposed and stirred up so much trouble. I truly don’t know what you’re so smug about."
Had it not been for falling into Lu Yuan’s hands, his foster father wouldn’t have had to send Chen Long to save him—and ended up accidentally infected by the Miao King’s Gu!
Lu Yuan leaned back lazily and said, "Then go solve it. I can’t; I step back. You can; you step up!"
Xun Qi was left speechless.
Lu Yuan laughed playfully and said, "Don’t tell you’re out of ideas? You call yourself the brains among the seven sons, but compared to Lu Yuan, you’re far behind."
Xun Qi mocked, "Does foster father know how biased you are toward Lu Yuan?"
Lu Yuan nonchalantly said, "It doesn’t matter if I’m biased toward Lu Yuan. Just don’t you side with him, or else, I fear your life won’t be safe."
His every word seed to respond to Xun Qi yet remained annoyingly unbothered, impossible to provoke or shake. His ntal fortitude was impenetrable against any verbal attack.
In the past, Xun Qi had underestimated Luo San.
To infiltrate the Crown Prince Mansion undetected alongside Lu Yuan for years required true skill and capability.
Xun Qi scrutinized the man in front of him and suspiciously asked, "Who are you really? What’s your relationship with the foster father?"
Lu Yuan raised his wine cup. "Take a guess."
Xun Qi cautiously tested, "Are you... Eldest Brother?"
"Haha!"
Lu Yuan laughed heartily up toward the heavens.
Xun Qi’s face darkened. "You’re not!"
Lu Yuan playfully rubbed his chin and said, "Xun Qi, Xun Qi, you’ve followed the Pri Minister for years, devoted to him—but he hasn’t even introduced his eldest son to you?"
Xun Qi gave Lu Yuan a deep look. "Luo San, are you trying to sow discord between and foster father?"
Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Think what you will. I just pity you. Despite your unwavering loyalty to him, he values you less than ."
Xun Qi replied seriously, "Stop with the nonsense. That tactic won’t work on . My life belongs to foster father, and I’ve never sought anything for my loyalty. If he uses , it only brings joy."
Lu Yuan scoffed. "Foolish!"
"Ohhh—my grandson~~~"
The Miao King’s sorrowful wail, vibrating with anguish, reached their ears all the way in the West Courtyard. It was evident just how many citizens had been drawn outside.
Lu Yuan sighed dramatically. "At this rate, within half a day, all the Capital City’s citizens will ’know’ the Pri Minister’s Mansion captured the Miao King’s grandson. As the saying goes, ’A lie repeated often enough becos the truth.’ Strategist, stop chatting with and co up with a solution already!"
Xun Qi frowned. "Weren’t you the one who called here for sothing urgent?"
Lu Yuan rested one hand behind his head. "What if I told you to die? Would you go?"
Xun Qi: "...!!"
Unable to bear it anymore, Xun Qi snapped, "Luo San, what’s wrong with you, endlessly causing trouble for the Pri Minister’s Mansion? What good would its fall bring you?"
Lu Yuan replied indifferently, "I see no harm in it either. After all, Hai Pig has already accused —said I instigated the late Crown Prince and plotted against King Chu. I’m as good as a dead man sooner or later."
Xun Qi’s expression changed. "Hai Pig confessed? Why didn’t you say so earlier?"
Lu Yuan spread his hands. "You didn’t ask sooner."
Xun Qi said, "The Ministry of Justice’s sudden visit to find Chen Long... No, they ca for you!"
Lu Yuan clicked his tongue. "Finally figured it out. They ca for Chen Long, true enough. But for as well. Getting both would be perfect; getting either one wouldn’t be a loss."
Xun Qi grabbed Lu Yuan’s wrist. "Co with right now!"
"Search the place!"
The voice of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice suddenly ca from outside the courtyard.
"Yes!"
The governnt officers responded in unison.
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