After confirming that Tang Wanxin, lying on the ground, had stopped breathing, Xiao Jingyuan finally gave a cold snort. "A wicked woman is a wicked woman."
Then he couldn't help turning back to look at Xiao Yukang's corpse.
Once the Prince died, the capital would inevitably send people to pay their respects, and they would want to know the cause of his death.
They might even send people to examine the body.
They wouldn't believe it if they were told he had died of illness.
So he could only have been assassinated. As for the culprit, Xiao Jingyuan had already thought of someone.
Tang Wanxin and Jiang Yun, who was in the dungeon, would make perfect scapegoats.
Xiao Jingyuan drew a deep breath. Tears slid from his eyes as he pushed open the door and shouted, "Father is dead!"
At his words, the Princess Consort, the secondary consorts, and the stewards and aides in the mansion seemed to have been waiting for this moment. Tears they had been holding back for a long time burst forth.
Listening to the wails filling the courtyard, Xiao Jingyuan slowly clenched his fists.
He was the Heir Apparent, and all his brothers had been killed. It was only natural that he would become the Prince.
Now he needed to make arrangements for what came next.
A guard in the courtyard seemed to have something to report.
He hurried over.
Xiao Jingyuan said in a low voice, "Kill Jiang Yun in the dungeon at once."
The guard's voice trembled. "H-Heir Apparent, he escaped."
"Escaped?" Xiao Jingyuan froze at the news, but then delight shone in his eyes. Good! He had escaped!
Xiao Jingyuan shouted, "The Prince was assassinated, and the culprit has now fled!"
"Notify the Prefect. Seal the city! Catch him!"
"The culprit is Jiang Yun!"
In the Tian-Class guest room at Nanman Residence, Xu Suwen sat inside, waiting anxiously.
Beside her, Xu Xiaogang leisurely ate an orange and asked, "Sis, did you send word to the family?"
"To save Jiang Yun?"
Xu Suwen shook her head and said slowly, "That letter wasn't for the family."
Xu Xiaogang was taken aback. He asked quietly, "Then was it a report to the people above us, about the Prince's Mansion colluding with evil beings?"
"Neither."
Hearing Xu Suwen's answer, Xu Xiaogang couldn't help glancing at the next room.
Jiang Qiaoqiao was in there.
Xu Xiaogang couldn't help wondering. He asked, "You're helping Jiang Yun and protecting his younger sister, too. Don't tell me you really like him?"
"Honestly, making an enemy of Prince Su's Mansion over a Jiang Yun isn't wise."
"Even if Prince Su's Mansion has less and less influence in the capital, they're still relatives of the Emperor."
"Their ties to His Majesty run bone-deep."
"If the two of us get into a conflict with them..."
"Of course, if you really like Jiang Yun, your little brother will charge into Prince Su's Mansion right now and bring him out for you."
"You little brat." Xu Suwen glared at Xu Xiaogang, then reminded him, "Tianqing Temple, twenty years ago."
"Tianqing Temple?" Xu Xiaogang shook his head. "Twenty years ago, I was just born. How could I..."
Suddenly, the orange fell from Xu Xiaogang's hand. His pupils constricted slightly, and he asked in disbelief, "Sis, do you mean that Third-Rank Grand Celestial Master from Tianqing Temple?"
How could Xu Xiaogang not know about this? Back then, the whole capital had been in an uproar.
Tianqing Temple, one of the only three Daoist Temples still standing, had a Third-Rank Grand Celestial Master.
It was said that the Celestial Master had grown up in the temple and possessed extraordinary cultivation.
Yet he had been unable to break through to the next realm.
So he had chosen to enter the cycle of reincarnation once more, to be reborn and experience the mortal world again.
He had also declared that he would seal his memories and be born in the south.
Once his memories returned, he would go back to the capital.
Then the Daoist Sect would rise again, all things would flourish, evil spirits would be wiped out, and Daoist magic would spread far and wide.
Xu Suwen nodded slightly and said slowly, "Jiang Yun was just a scholar, but overnight, he learned Daoist magic."
"Hiss." Xu Xiaogang drew in a sharp breath. "Then the carrier pigeon you sent...?"
"It was sent to Tianqing Temple."
Xu Xiaogang's pupils trembled. After all, the First and Second Rank Realms existed only in legends.
The strongest in all of Great Zhou was a Third Rank Realm expert.
The Third-Rank Grand Celestial Master was the strongest person in the Daoist Sect.
"The people at Tianqing Temple will go mad when they hear this." Xu Xiaogang swallowed.
Xu Suwen nodded slightly and cautioned him, "This matter is of the utmost importance. You mustn't mention it to anyone else."
"I understand."
Just then, Jiang Yun's hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.
Jiang Yun pushed open the door, panting. He had just gone back to his own courtyard.
When he found that neither Jiang Qiaoqiao nor Xu Suwen was there, he guessed they might have come to Nanmanju Inn.
"Miss Xu, Miss..."
"Brother-in-law!" Xu Xiaogang's eyes lit up with excitement. He hollered, "How did you get out? Come on, let me check—are you hurt?"
Xu Xiaogang was all enthusiasm as he circled Jiang Yun.
His behavior left Jiang Yun bewildered. He couldn't help looking him over. "What's gotten into you?"
"Sis, Brother-in-law's fine."
Xu Suwen kicked him in the butt. "Don't call him that."
Xu Xiaogang rubbed his backside and backed away.
Only after seeing that Jiang Qiaoqiao was safe and sound in the next room did Jiang Yun relax. He said gravely, "Something's happened at Prince Su's Mansion."
Soon, Jiang Yun recounted everything that had happened in the dungeon.
After hearing him out, Xu Suwen frowned and said coldly, "The Prince is still a member of the imperial family. He can't really have gone so far as to make a relative give up her heart."
"If he really did..."
Xu Suwen paused. "His Majesty will fly into a thunderous rage."
Xu Xiaogang snorted. "When he was young, Prince Su was a promising hero. He wore armor and went to war, expanding His Majesty's territory and fighting the Northern Barbarians."
"I never thought he'd become so afraid of death in his old age."
Just then, a sudden commotion rose from the street below.
A great many constables galloped past on horseback.
At their head was Qian Bochou.
"By order of the Prefect, all city gates are to be sealed. No one may enter or leave."
"Search every corner. We must find Jiang Yun."
"Dead or alive!"
"Yes, sir!"
The constables quickly scattered in all directions.
Qian Bochou dismounted and hurried toward the third floor of Nanman Residence.
"Lord Xu, something's happened..."
He reached the third floor and pushed open the door. When he saw Jiang Yun, Qian Bochou let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Brother Jiang, I knew you'd be here. Something terrible has happened: Prince Su is dead."
Jiang Yun frowned and nodded. "I know."
"The mansion claims you assassinated him. They're sealing every city gate and searching for you."
"Come with me, quick. If they find you, you won't survive."
"My men are at the South Gate. I'll find a way to get you out of the city."
As he spoke, Qian Bochou took out a portrait. The man in it was burly, with exceptionally thick lips. "This is the picture they'll use to search for you."
"I drew it myself. Anyone who doesn't know what you look like won't recognize you."
Jiang Yun frowned. It seemed he really did need to leave the city and lie low for a while.
If people from Prince Su's Mansion found him, he'd be as good as dead.
But Xu Suwen beside him said gravely, "You can't run."
"If you hide outside the city, you'll only make it look like you really killed the Prince."
Before you continue