"No, sister, you must be mistaken!"
Little Feng on the side retorted, "Three months ago, when soone suddenly started killing people at the organization, I escaped with the others in the chaos. After I got out, I didn’t dare follow them down the mountain but instead ran the other way. By accident, I fell into a river. Before I could climb up the bank, I heard people chasing after . I hid in the bushes by the river until there was no more movent before I dared to get out. Afraid that they might keep looking for , I switched clothes with a beggar boy and wandered around Yongzhou City..."
"Yongzhou City? Are you sure you escaped near Yongzhou City?"
Qin Yi confird with Little Feng.
Little Feng nodded with certainty: "Yes, absolutely. I definitely escaped from there. Later on, I ca to the capital by boat with you all."
"This is impossible! When I was trying to escape, I specifically morized the route the carriage took us."
Feng Xiyue was also serious and quickly denied it: "I can say with certainty that the people in the carriage were taking us in circles. The entrance was never more than two days’ journey from the capital. I’m sure of it!"
"That’s not true, the exit must be near Yongzhou City. Or else, how did I get to Yongzhou City?"
Little Feng was seriously refuting this.
As a beggar with no money, how could he have possibly flown from the capital to Yongzhou?
"But, but..."
Feng Xiyue looked hesitant: "I rember very clearly that during the days they took us there by carriage, I always slled the scent of rice flowers and cow dung around noon. At the ti, the carriage was drawn by horses."
The scent of rice flowers naturally cos from rice cultivation.
The cultivation of rice coupled with raising cattle suggests that these people were not far from a populated area.
The question that the siblings could not understand was also considered by Su Pan’er.
For so reason, she recalled the process of escaping from Deicide Mountain, feeling that the most probable answer was right in front of them.
Qin Yi seed to also have the sa idea, looking at her with raised eyebrows.
Su Pan’er glanced at him, didn’t say anything, and shifted her gaze back to the book in her hand.
A smile flashed in Qin Yi’s eyes. He asked Feng Xiyue and her brother a few more questions and dismissed them with a wave of his hand.
Then he turned to Su Pan’er, smiled, and asked, "Pan’er, what’s your opinion on this matter?"
"What else could there be to it?"
Su Pan’er finally closed her book: "Didn’t she just say that? She was blindfolded and bound, and was taken on the road for several days. Along the way, she slled the scent of rice flowers and cow dung. If soone wanted to purposely lead the pursuers astray, all they had to do was wave a bunch of straw sared with cow dung around the carriage at noonti."
"You an soone intentionally misled the investigation?"
"It’s just a guess. I didn’t say it was."
Regardless of whether what Feng Xiyue said was true or false, what was certain was that the operatives of the mysterious organization were cunning.
As for the indentures of the two, she had no solution for Feng Jiu’s yet. As for Feng Xiyue’s, she’d have to find a ti to retrieve it.
But before Su Pan’er could deal with it herself, Old Marquis Liu took the initiative to visit instead!
Old Marquis Liu had been having a tough ti lately.
The great power he once held was suddenly taken back by His Majesty, leaving him with only the empty title of Lord Marquis, and his heart was filled with resentnt.
Furthermore, when Old Mrs. Liu made a scene at the entrance of the Ye Family’s Mansion, and Ye Han reported the matter to His Majesty, His Majesty reprimanded him harshly, so he was in a frantic state. He brought ho the "Lessons for Won" bestowed by His Majesty and scolded his wife who had caused the trouble.
Afterward, he himself was so angry that he couldn’t bring himself together for a while, constantly feeling dazed.
Unexpectedly, before that matter had settled down, State Counselor Hua sent people to "talk" with him, and only then did he realize that his wife made a scene at the Qin Family’s Mansion on the day they moved into the new house. After being scolded by the State Counselor, he left the Hua Family’s Mansion in sha and when he returned to his own mansion, he didn’t even have the strength to scold others, he fell ill in his bed.
He could not get up for several days, but today he finally felt a little better and imdiately forced himself up to visit the Qin Family’s Mansion.
Looking at Su Pan’er, who was looking curiously at him, Old Marquis Liu felt a wave of emotions stuck in his throat that he couldn’t bring himself to express.
Seeing his dazed look, Su Pan’er quickly called out to him.
"Old Marquis Liu, is there anything you need at the mansion today?"
"Nothing much, I just ca to chat with you."
Old Marquis Liu paused, seeming rather embarrassed. He sighed heavily and continued with a downcast look: "I don’t know what to do about my disobedient wife, or what to say. However, she is your grandmother after all, not an enemy. If you get the chance, let’s get together more often and strengthen the bond between our two families."
Get together more often?
Seeing this old man standing before her with his pride set aside, Su Pan’er felt touched.
"Old Marquis, you need not be this way. The reason I refuse to go back to the Marquis Mansion is rely to protect my unborn child."
If it wasn’t for Liu Zikang’s repeated sches against her, trying to make her miscarry, she wouldn’t be bringing up the past now.
"Well... cough cough, a son should not speak ill of his father! Fortunately, he didn’t succeed and for that, I had him copy the scriptures hundreds of tis and offered them to Lord Buddha. Can we let the rest go with the wind?"
Old Marquis Liu was patiently advising her.
"Old Marquis, it seems you don’t understand the feelings of a mother!"
Su Pan’er shook her head with disappointnt and said: "Old Marquis, you need not worry. Once I have safely given birth to the child in my belly, I will have the opportunity to set foot in Liu Family’s Mansion."
She wasn’t deliberately refusing to return to the Marquis Mansion now, but the political situation in the capital was extrely complex.
From the beginning, the Qin Family was tagged as part of the Eighth Prince’s faction, while the Liu Family was close to Prince Xuan. If it were ordinary tis, it wouldn’t matter. However, with the New Year coming up, she couldn’t afford to risk anything!
Old Marquis Liu obviously didn’t want to give up just yet. He sat in the Qin Family’s Mansion for half a day until dusk when he had no choice but to take his leave.
When he exited the Qin Family’s Mansion, rather than return directly to the Marquis Mansion, he stopped for rest at a tea house halfway there.
When the shopkeeper showed up, he whispered, "Tell Prince Xuan that the plan failed!"
"Understood."
The shopkeeper responded quietly, then refilled the tea and loudly announced, "A cup of Dahongpao oolong tea. Sir, please enjoy." After saying this, he exited the room.
Old Marquis Liu, feeling restless, sat for a while before heading back to his mansion.
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