Chapter 178: Chapter 176: The Traitor Within the Duke Yan Mansion

“Zhao Jing just died like that?” Tang Xiaobai asked.

“Just died like that, what other way could he die?” Li Xingyuan replied somewhat nonchalantly, his eyes drifting towards the empty space behind Tang Xiaobai.

Tang Xiaobai uttered an “Oh,” feeling somewhat lost.

In the original story, Zhao Jing was just a passerby character, but to her, he was a major antagonist.

The death of a major antagonist implicated so many people, Tang Ziqian got injured, Tang Jiaojiao suffered, and Pingyang Princess was despondent when sent to the Palace.

Only she stood at the doorway, watching powerfully but feeling no sense of involvement.

But Tang Xiaobai quickly adjusted her mindset with self-awareness.

Whether involved or not wasn’t important, what was important was that Zhao Jing was dead, meaning one less malicious reincarnator, which was a very good thing.

There was just something strange: “Where did Zhao Jing find these people? How could they be so strong? Not only did they control Pingyang Temple, but they also injured my Ah Brother!”

Li Xingyuan’s eyes flickered once, and he said, “How would I—”

“From Zhenzhou.”

Li Xingyuan paused, surprised, and asked, “How do you know everything?”

Li Mu glanced at him and continued, “Back then, after Zhao Jing fled the Capital City, he went to Zhenzhou to join Prince Changshan.”

Tang Xiaobai suddenly realized.

Indeed!

Since Zhao Jing knew the plot, it was only natural he would go to join the future victors.

No wonder Li Xingyuan didn’t want to say anything.

But… another problem arose—

“You didn’t know Zhao Jing came to the capital this time?” Tang Xiaobai looked at Li Xingyuan.

Li Xingyuan was so annoyed that he paced back and forth, disregarding authority, and pointed fiercely at the calm Crown Prince: “You told her even that?”

Li Mu frowned as he thought for a moment and nodded.

Although he couldn’t quite remember when he told the young girl this, it should have been him.

And just as Tang Xiaobai was about to say that that wasn’t what the little ancestor said, she saw him nod naturally and was taken aback.

The little ancestor said it? She must have forgotten.

“This time, Xingyuan indeed didn’t know about Zhao Jing’s matter; we’ll only know the specifics after interrogating the people Zhao Jing brought.” Li Mu explained to her.

Li Xingyuan, whose name was outright mentioned, was speechless for a while and could only laugh in disbelief: “Aren’t these things classified? You really said everything?”

Suddenly, Li Mu raised his eyes to look at him, asking, “If you say nothing, what do you think will happen?”

Li Xingyuan crossed his arms and sneered, disdainfully retorting, “What could happen?”

As soon as he finished speaking, they heard a familiar set of footsteps, full of momentum, like a storm approaching.

Li Xingyuan’s expression immediately changed.

Tang Xiaobai also heard it and turned to look: “Ah Jie!”

Before long, Tang Jiaojiao appeared in front of them, her face frosty, eyes fierce, with servants like clouds behind her, exuding a presence so fierce that even Tang Xiaobai silently stepped back two steps, dragging the little ancestor along with her.

Tang Jiaojiao was clearly not targeting her, not even sparing a glance, just coldly staring at Li Xingyuan, tilting her pretty little chin three degrees higher than usual.

“The Duke Yan Mansion is small and humble, can’t accommodate such a big Buddha like you, we’ve already packed Young Master Yuan’s things, no need to thank us!” After saying this, she took a bulging bundle from the servant’s hands and flung it directly in front of Li Xingyuan.

Li Xingyuan quickly lifted his foot to catch it so it didn’t fall to the ground.

Tang Jiaojiao chuckled coldly, saying, “Young Master Yuan, farewell, may we never meet again!”

Li Xingyuan’s face changed again: “Miss—”

“Someone! Send him off!” After saying this, Tang Jiaojiao no longer looked at him and left with a flick of her sleeve.

Li Xingyuan wanted to chase after her but was blocked by the crowd of servants she brought, so he had to ask Tang Xiaobai for help: “Second Miss, you see—”

“Second Miss doesn’t want to get kicked out with you,” Tang Xiaobai sighed, “Master Yuan, you’d best leave, Miss Jiaojiao is angry and there’s nothing anyone can do, a cousin of mine from the Gu family still can’t visit our home!”

Li Xingyuan glanced in the direction Tang Jiaojiao left, shook his head, and resignedly left.

Watching his departing figure, Li Mu suddenly felt a chill and said to the young girl beside him, “Second Miss, I have nothing to hide from you now!”

Tang Xiaobai was amused by him, stood on tiptoe to pat his head: “Ah Xiao is the best!”

He suddenly smiled softly and then proactively asked: “Does Second Miss have any more questions?”

Tang Xiaobai laughed for a while, was about to wave her hand, then suddenly remembered another issue: “Zhao Jing brought people from Zhenzhou to the capital yet secretly plotted against you and the Duke Yan Mansion, does this mean Zhenzhou’s attitude towards us is bad?”

…

“Zhenzhou’s attitude towards the Duke Yan Mansion is indeed not right—”

After nightfall, in a civilian house behind the Zhenzhou Imperial Court, under the flickering lights, three people were seated around.

Li Mu, Li Xingyuan, and Su Shunqing.

Su Shunqing served as the Zhenzhou Envoy, previously mainly responsible for gathering information in the Capital City to send to Zhenzhou. After Li Xingyuan came to the Capital, he also took responsibility for receiving information from Zhenzhou for him.

But this time, indeed they didn’t receive any news of Zhao Jing entering the capital, it was deliberately concealed from that side.

“The Princely Heir and I did not specifically arrange anything in Zhenzhou, the information we received was either proactively sent from that side or inquired about through letters, there had not been particular attention paid to the Duke Yan Mansion previously— only after Zhao Jing went to Zhenzhou did this situation first occur,” Su Shunqing paused, “The first time it happened was with the case of Tang Ziqian killing the beggar Jia San, which came as a secret order from the Commandery Prince Mansion, arranged by me, including Jia San’s whereabouts, also provided by Zhenzhou.”

The case of Tang Ziqian killing the beggar Jia San was completely orchestrated by him from Jia San’s appearance to his death.

But the later bleeding statues, student riots, the County Government fire, etc., were none of his doing.

The Duke Yan Mansion was too prominent, just a small provocation would attract many to add insult to injury.

“What did Zhao Jing use to sow discord between Zhenzhou and the Duke Yan Mansion?” The Crown Prince, seated at the head, had a handsome and cold youthful face, with pitch-black eyes that showed no emotion.

Li Xingyuan and Su Shunqing exchanged glances but both shook their heads.

In fact, it was quite obvious, it was the Changshan Prince Mansion wanting to eliminate dissent, but what precisely Zhao Jing said to make Commandery Prince Changshan murderous remained unknown.

Li Mu turned to look at Li Xingyuan: “Before Zhao Jing died, did he leave any clues?”

Li Xingyuan’s eyes shifted, showing hesitation.

Li Mu watched him quietly.

“Does His Highness remember, Zhao Jing once mentioned that besides him, there was another person inside the Duke Yan Mansion who knew your identity and whereabouts?”

Li Mu nodded.

At that time, he and Tang Ziqian even suspected Xin Yi, and to this day still held a sliver of doubt against Xin Yi.

“He said that if His Highness had left the capital as planned last June, your whereabouts would have been leaked by that person, inviting death—”

“Who is that person?” Li Mu asked.

Li Xingyuan hesitated again, but still said, “He said it was… Second Miss Tang—”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep