Leng Sha nodded, sat down, and Chuncao poured him a glass. He quickly picked it up and tasted it. Chuncao hurriedly asked, "How is it? Is it good?"
Leng Sha nodded, "It's delicious." Chun Cao immediately beamed, "You're quite good, you have great taste, much better than Dong Xue." Leng Sha looked at the smiling woman in front of him and couldn't help but pause for a moment, then lowered his head to continue drinking his tea.
Hearing Chuncao's mocking words, Dongxue simply shrugged slightly and quietly sipped her tea.
A sharp "snap" rang out from the candlelight in the room. Ouyang Yue groggily hummed in response, feeling incredibly tired and needing a good rest. However, as she drifted off to sleep, she suddenly opened her eyes. Something was wrong, very wrong. "Huh?" Why was she the only one left on the bed? She hugged the blanket, feeling a strange emptiness in her heart.
Suddenly, the bed curtains were pulled back, and Baili Chen's handsome face peeked in. Seeing Ouyang Yue sitting on him, he was taken aback and asked, "Wife, are you awake?"
Ouyang Yue turned her head, her eyes slightly narrowed. Even she didn't notice the hint of a coquettish accusation in her voice: "Where have you been? Why are you out so late?"
Baili Chen was slightly taken aback, then smiled smugly. He abruptly pulled back the bed curtains, revealing Baili Chen's current state to Ouyang Yue. Baili Chen was shirtless; although his skin was paler than the average man's, his muscles were clearly defined, far superior to the weak, pale-faced scholar. Baili Chen's handsomeness was undeniable; his broad shoulders exuded a sense of security, his slightly protruding chest indicated strength, and his narrow waist and shapely buttocks further enhanced his appearance. Although this man was now hers, she couldn't help but think to herself that Heaven had been far too kind to this man. He was practically a peerless genius, and only she, the champion of justice, could subdue such a monster and prevent him from wreaking havoc on the world. Thinking this, Ouyang Yue couldn't help but laugh to herself; perhaps she was being a little narcissistic.
Baili Chen was even more confused. What was his wife thinking? Why was she laughing first when she was talking? But he said in a very good mood, "Wife, come on, let me carry you to take a bath." As he spoke, he got into bed and hugged Ouyang Yue and the quilt in his arms. Ouyang Yue turned her head and asked, "Did you go to prepare the bath water?"
"Otherwise, where did my husband think I went, my wife?" Baili Chen looked at her with a smile, clearly seeing the embarrassment on Ouyang Yue's face, but pretended not to know anything, which only made Ouyang Yue blush even more, and she snorted and turned her head away.
Baili Chen smiled faintly and remained silent. After a while, he led Ouyang Yue behind a screen, where a large bathtub large enough for three people was placed. White steam was constantly rising from the tub, making the place incredibly hazy and ambiguous. Baili Chen first placed Ouyang Yue on a chair to the side and was about to take off the blanket for her when Ouyang Yue shook her head and said, "Go and get some sleep. I can handle it myself."
Baili Chen smiled and said, "How can that be? My wife was exhausted just now. How can I leave because I'm afraid of trouble? Since it was my fault, I have to bathe my wife. Or would you like to call someone to come and bathe her?"
Ouyang Yue glared at Baili Chen. Covered in marks, she wasn't about to let the servants bathe her. She snorted at Baili Chen, "I can take care of myself. You go outside first." With that, she turned and pulled off the blanket. Her snow-white body, dotted with crimson marks, was like red plum blossoms reflected in snow—a mesmerizing sight. Baili Chen stared, his eyes wide. Ouyang Yue, however, had already climbed onto a low stool towards the bath, but as soon as she reached it, she hissed, feeling rather uncomfortable.
With a "whoosh," Baili Chen flashed over, grabbed Ouyang Yue's waist, and said, "Wife, let me help you test the water." Then, with a "plop," he jumped into the bathtub, splashing water all over Ouyang Yue. Even if Ouyang Yue wanted to say no, there was nothing she could do. The next moment, Baili Chen lifted her legs and carried her directly into the bathtub.
Ouyang Yue immediately turned her head: "Alright, you're in now, you can stop now."
Bai Lichen smiled and said, "That won't do. This bath tub is a bit too big. It was my oversight at the time. It's so big, and my wife is so petite. It's even more inconvenient now. If I leave my wife here alone, I'm afraid she might accidentally have an accident. I'll be devastated. So, with me here to keep an eye on things, I can even help you out. Don't worry about me, my wife."
Ouyang Yue gritted her teeth and glared at her. How was she supposed to wash like that? If someone was staring at you without blinking while you were taking a shower, could you really concentrate?
"You can go out now, I'm fine. You know how good I am at self-defense. If you keep this up, I'll get angry." Ouyang Yue glared at Baili Chen, but her gaze lacked its usual persuasiveness. Baili Chen still smiled, "Wife, let me help you wash up. You're not feeling well. Go lie down over there." Baili Chen pointed, and Ouyang Yue had no choice but to take a few steps and lie down in front of the bathtub, revealing half of her fair back.
Bai Lichen immediately laughed, took a handkerchief from the side of the tub, soaked it, and then stepped behind Ouyang Yue. The damp handkerchief moved across her back, which felt surprisingly comfortable. Ouyang Yue couldn't help but close her eyes. Since someone was willing to serve her, why not?
Baili Chen then began to enjoy an unknown melody, and then laughed, "My wife, I had thought of this scenario back on Mount Tian."
"Oh? You've thought quite far ahead," Ouyang Yue replied casually.
Bai Lichen smiled and said, "Of course, the timing was perfect, the location was ideal, and there was a cold pool there. If you went two more paths, there would be a stream. I had already scouted it out, but I didn't have the guts back then."
Ouyang Yue snorted: "You don't have the guts. Who would believe you if you said it?"
Baili Chen laughed and said, "Of course. We're not married yet, so it's not proper for us to be married. I have to consider my wife's feelings and can't do anything that would damage her reputation."
Ouyang Yue turned to look at Baili Chen, her eyes misty and hazy, with a kind of hazy beauty. She smiled, as if to refuse but also to welcome him. Baili Chen immediately gasped and said, "Yes, you are really smart. If you had dared to force me back then, I definitely wouldn't have married you."
Baili Chen smiled knowingly: "So, this requires patience and waiting. Didn't I bet right? My wife married me, and I don't know how many people are secretly heartbroken and jealous of me."
"Yes, I'm afraid quite a few young ladies will have their hearts broken and be cursing me by poking my rag doll with little figures," Ouyang Yue snorted.
Baili Chen immediately exclaimed, "Don't talk nonsense! If anyone dares to do this, I'll have someone kill her!"
"Alright, hurry up and help me wipe myself down, I need to rest." Ouyang Yue said softly. Baili Chen silently wiped her down, and after a while, he said in a low voice, "Wife, have you ever heard of the legend of the wolf who could have sex seven times in one night?" Ouyang Yue stiffened and didn't speak. Baili Chen's voice was even more resentful: "Now I understand. You know, when a beauty is right in front of you, and it's someone you've been longing for, that feeling of wanting to devour your love and keep it by your side forever, never to be satisfied, is something that can never be fulfilled."
Ouyang Yue remained silent. Soon, she heard the sound of water in the bathtub. Then, a broad, wet back pressed against her, and Baili Chen's hoarse voice echoed in her ear: "Wife, are you very tired now?"
Ouyang Yue nodded immediately: "Oh dear, my back hurts so much. Are you done wiping it? Then I'll get dressed and go back to rest."
Baili Chen said directly, "We went to the palace to express our gratitude on the second day of our marriage, and then we returned to our parents' home three days later. My wife's period just ended, and I don't have to go to court tomorrow. My wife doesn't have anything urgent to do tomorrow either. We can sleep from morning to night, and then from night to the morning of the third day. No one will bother us." Baili Chen revealed an unexpectedly profound smile!
Ouyang Yue's face darkened: "Do you think I'm a pig that can sleep for two days?"
Bai Lichen smiled and said, "That's alright. In the meantime, I'll do some exercise for you. You'll fall asleep when you're too tired. But today is our wedding night, isn't it? It wouldn't be good to waste such a beautiful night. I've heard that couples who make the most of their entire wedding night will have a very happy and fulfilling life."
Ouyang Yue glared and said, "I've never heard of such a thing. You must have made it all up."
Bai Lichen immediately shook his head: "No, this is indeed what I heard, and it's been talked about by many people. Like the prime minister and his wife from XX country, the Li family merchant couple from XX country, and the XX couple from XX... they are all legendary couples, and they are very loving. Later generations have studied this and said that they were so happy because they made full use of the entire night of their wedding night. It makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? As the saying goes, 'A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold.' How many moments are there in this night? How many thousand pieces of gold would that be? It's more valuable than gold. Although it's just a metaphor, it's enough to show how important this spring night is. What do you say, my wife?" As he spoke, he looked at Ouyang Yue expectantly.
When Ouyang Yue saw Baili Chen, she saw his eyes gleaming with anticipation. If he had a tail, Ouyang Yue could imagine him wagging it and begging for his master's favor. However, she was also speechless at Baili Chen's behavior of rewriting history to achieve his goals. No one had ever said such a thing before. This guy was really good at making up nonsense.
"Oh, you mean it? I've never heard of that before."
Baili Chen nodded hurriedly, "Really, really, absolutely true. I would never lie to my wife." Of course, he was right about this kind of thing; a cunning smile, like that of a fox, gleamed in Baili Chen's eyes!
☆, 179cm, male, born in the year of the wolf, murderous intent! (Seeking tickets for the company's annual meeting)
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen, along with Chuncao, Lengsha, Dongxue, and a guard, headed to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Along the way, Ouyang Yue frowned in deep thought. Logically, since the Beauty Pavilion had received some benefits from the Ghost-Faced Young Master before its opening, the prefect shouldn't have made things too difficult for the pavilion. Of course, this incident was unusual, and it was normal for the prefect to take it seriously. However, Ouyang Yue knew Qiuyue well; a guest dying at the Beauty Pavilion was something Qiuyue couldn't possibly experience. She was the type who preferred to avoid trouble.
Baili Chen held Ouyang Yue's hand and said, "My wife, don't worry. If things get really bad, I'll make sure Qiu Yue gets away first."
Ouyang Yue said, "I'm not worried about that, but it happened so suddenly, I'm afraid things here aren't simple." Baili Chen remained silent, but narrowed his eyes. Leng Can was someone he had greatly benefited from; if someone was targeting him, then they were targeting him!
"My lord, Prince Chen and Princess Chen have suddenly arrived at the yamen." The prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture was sitting in his room enjoying tea when he suddenly stood up with a start and said, "Quickly, take me to greet them."
"Yes, sir." The Prefect of Jingzhao then rushed out of the prefecture with his subordinates and arrived in front of the prefectural residence. The carriage of Prince Chen's residence had just stopped, and the Prefect of Jingzhao immediately straightened his clothes and walked over, "This humble official greets Prince Chen and Princess Chen."
At this moment, a figure jumped down from the carriage, upright and with a cold expression. He then extended a hand, revealing a pair of fair, jade-like hands. A slender figure slowly stepped down – none other than Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue. Their attire was not particularly extravagant, but their outstanding bearing and the cold expressions they wore as they gazed at the Prefect of the Capital made the Prefect feel uneasy. He quickly smiled and said, "This humble official greets Prince Chen and Princess Chen," and performed another curtsy.
Ouyang Yue looked at the Prefect of Jingzhao and smiled slowly, "Prefect, there's no need for such formalities. Let's talk inside."
"Yes, yes, Prince Chen and Princess Chen, please come in." After saying that, he led Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue into the reception hall of the yamen.
Ouyang Yue glanced around the reception hall. At the top of the wall hung a gold-inlaid plaque that read "Just and Honest." On either side were ordinary vases and decorations. The tables and chairs were neither overly luxurious nor too cheap, which showed that the Prefect of the Capital was very good at moderation. The Prefect of the Capital quickly said, "Prince Chen and Princess Chen, please take a seat."
Baili Chen was quite impolite, nodding and sitting down at the head of the table. Ouyang Yue naturally sat down beside him as well. The Prefect of Jingzhao's expression changed slightly, and he immediately smiled and said, "I don't know why Prince Chen and Princess Chen have graced my humble Jingzhao Prefecture with their presence today. If there is anything you need, please give me your instructions, and I will do my best to fulfill them."
Ouyang Yue smiled at the Prefect of Jingzhao: "I have always known that the Prefect of Jingzhao has served in the court for many years and has always had an outstanding political record. He is a rare good official in the court, and I have always admired him."
The Prefect of Jingzhao repeatedly said, "You flatter me, Princess Consort Chen. This is what I should do."
Ouyang Yue's smile deepened: "But I wonder if the Prefect of Jingzhao can tell me whether you have arrested any people from the Beauty Pavilion recently?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao was taken aback, a thoughtful look creeping into his eyes. He said, "Princess Chen asked about the personnel of the Beauty Pavilion. Could it be that Princess Chen is the owner of the Beauty Pavilion?" The Beauty Pavilion is backed by a man known as the Ghost-Faced Young Master. Although not many people in the capital know about this, they are not entirely unfamiliar with it either. Those with some connections know about the dispute between the Ghost-Faced Young Master and the Fu family, and naturally, they are also familiar with this Ghost-Faced Young Master. However, the Ghost-Faced Young Master rarely shows his face, thus creating a mystery among the nobles of the capital.
“The manager of the Beauty Pavilion has maids who came from my side, so naturally I will care,” Ouyang Yue said, but did not answer directly.
The Prefect of the Capital's eyes flickered slightly. Since the incident, the owner of the Beauty Pavilion had not shown up. Instead, Prince Chen and his wife rushed over immediately. At the time, it was rumored that the manager, Qiu Yue, might have had an affair with the Ghost-Faced Young Master. However, the Prefect of the Capital now felt that the matter might be quite complicated. He said, "Yes, Qiu Yue, the manager of the Beauty Pavilion, was indeed the former Princess's personal maid. Qiu Yue had mentioned this matter before."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "I just learned about this matter, and the servants didn't explain it very clearly either. I'd like to trouble the Prefect of the Capital to explain it to me."
The Prefect of Jingzhao thought for a moment and said, "Reporting to Prince Chen and Princess Chen, when I received the report of this matter, I rushed to the Beauty Pavilion. Someone reported that someone was killed there." Ouyang Yue already knew about this, and her expression remained unchanged. The Prefect of Jingzhao secretly observed the situation, then thought for a moment and said, "Princess Consort Chen, I have already questioned the people from the Beauty Pavilion when I arrested them. The Beauty Pavilion was operating as usual that day, and was receiving customers as usual, but things just happened so suddenly. The Beauty Pavilion operates differently from many shops in the capital. It specializes in selling women's intimate apparel, and there are fitting rooms upstairs. However, this time, a customer was trying on clothes when a man suddenly rushed in. The customer had just taken off her most intimate clothing, and when she saw the man rushing in, she was terrified and screamed incessantly. This immediately attracted many customers of the Beauty Pavilion to come and see what was going on. Naturally, they saw the embarrassed and uneasy female customer, and the man who rushed into the room and was about to make advances on her. The female customer was filled with grief, anger, and shame. She pushed open the window and jumped out of the Beauty Pavilion window, dying instantly."
Ouyang Yue frowned. This happened too suddenly. As soon as the female guest died, the Meirenke Hotel was immediately raided and people were arrested by the Prefect of Jingzhao. The people inside only had time to send out messages, and they couldn't explain the specifics. They didn't know anything about what had happened.
Bai Lichen frowned and said, "Oh, so many people saw the female guest being caught by a man, but where is that man? Or is he just a relative of the female guest, or her husband?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao shook his head: "Your Highness, if that's the case, then the female guest doesn't need to jump down in shame. That man has nothing to do with her. Not only that, he works at the Beauty Pavilion. The Beauty Pavilion not only caused deaths due to mismanagement, but also allowed its managers to trespass into female guests' rooms and smear their reputations. Furthermore, according to my investigation, the Beauty Pavilion has been using its business to secretly smear the reputations of many female guests, but most of them have endured it for the sake of their reputations."
As Ouyang Yue listened, the corners of her mouth gradually curled up, and her cold smile grew stronger: "Oh, who is this person who made the report? They seem to know so much about the inside of this Beauty Pavilion."
The Prefect of Jingzhao looked at Ouyang Yue and said, "Your Highness, I wouldn't arrest so many people without any evidence. The man who caused the female customer to fall to her death is not only the brother of the Beauty Pavilion's manager, but also the man who ruined the reputations of many women. Moreover, according to him, the manager, Qiuyue, has always been aware of his actions, but because they are siblings, Qiuyue has been secretly covering for him. She has even used her influence to coerce and entice the victimized female customers to not dare to oppose him."
Ouyang Yue scoffed, "Qiuyue, ha, Prefect of the Capital, please continue."
Seeing the mocking smile on Ouyang Yue's face, the Prefect of Jingzhao felt a chill in his heart, but continued, "Moreover, that person also admitted that his sister Qiuyue was indeed the lover of the owner behind the Beauty Pavilion, and that because this Ghost-Faced Young Master doted on Manager Qiuyue, he entrusted many of his businesses to her management, and Qiuyue also had a lot of evidence of the Ghost-Faced Young Master's illegal accumulation of wealth."
Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows and said, "Is that so? What kind of illegal evidence is it? This princess is very interested to know."
The Prefect of Jingzhao said with difficulty, "Princess Consort Chen, it's not that I don't want to talk about it, but it involves the current case. Before the case is fully investigated and closed, it's really not appropriate for me to say anything about it."
The silent Baili Chen suddenly said with a cold face, "Is it hard to say, or is it hard to say in front of me and the Queen?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao was startled and quickly said, "Prince Chen and Princess Chen, please forgive me. It was simply my duty, and I had no choice but to do so."
Ouyang Yue looked at the Prefect of Jingzhao indifferently: "Very well, this princess will not make things difficult for the Prefect of Jingzhao. But this princess wants to see Qiuyue now, is that alright?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao was even more troubled and said, "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, it is really difficult for me to handle this matter. Qiu Yue is involved in many serious cases that have ruined the reputation of women, and there are even many murder cases behind her. There is also the Ghost-Faced Young Master behind her. However, after this case is closed, I will definitely tell Prince Chen and Princess Chen the whole story."
Ouyang Yue stood up, smiling faintly at the Prefect of the Capital, but that smile sent a chill down the Prefect's spine: "Does the Prefect mean that I, the Princess Consort, am also a suspect?"
"Hmph! How dare you disrespect my Queen Consort, how dare you disrespect the Great Zhou Royal Family! The longer you've been the Prefect of the Capital, the bolder you've become." Baili Chen sneered. His face was pale, his expression icy, and his excessively pale complexion carried a chilling aura. How could the Prefect of the Capital forget that Baili Chen was Emperor Mingxian's most favored prince? One could offend anyone but him, but…
The Prefect of Jingzhao immediately put on a smile and said humbly, "Prince Chen and Princess Chen, this official dares not. This official has absolutely no intention of disrespecting Your Highness and Princess. It's just that the prison is too cold, and I'm afraid it might hurt Your Highness and Princess. Furthermore, Qiuyue is an important suspect and also the lover of that Ghost-Faced Young Master. If that Ghost-Faced Young Master were to attempt a prison break, this official is afraid it might harm Your Highness and Princess Chen. This official is absolutely considering the safety of Your Highness and Princess Chen, and has no other intentions."
"I appreciate your concern, Prefect of the Capital, but Your Highness and I are both from noble families, naturally protected by our ancestors. How could those evil spirits possibly get close? Prefect of the Capital, you are overthinking it," Ouyang Yue said with a faint smile. The Prefect of the Capital dared not say more, but Ouyang Yue suddenly asked, "After all this talk, Prefect of the Capital, you still haven't revealed the victim's identity."
The Prefect of Jingzhao sighed, "This victim is quite pitiful. She came to the capital to visit relatives and had long heard of the beauty of the Beauty Pavilion, so she went to patronize it. Who knew that she would die on this occasion? This girl was named Yang Tao and was only fifteen years old, a beautiful age with a bright future ahead of her."
Ouyang Yue also sighed slightly: "Yes, she's only fifteen years old, still at an age of ignorance and naivety. A girl like that is easily misled and may do something impulsive that she will regret."
The Prefect of Jingzhao was startled. When he looked up again, Ouyang Yue was already saying to Baili Chen, "Your Highness, let's go see Qiuyue. This girl has only been gone from me for a little over two years, yet so many misfortunes have befallen her. It's truly pitiful."
Baili Chen patted Ouyang Yue's hand: "Don't worry, Qiu Yue will be blessed with good fortune. I know this maid very well. She's so timid that she'll jump away if an ant walks by. She's probably exhausted now."
"Sigh." Ouyang Yue sighed and followed Baili Chen to the prison under the guidance of the constables.
The Prefect of the Capital Prefecture visibly hesitated for a moment before quickly following. Ouyang Yue insisted on going to the women's prison first, as Qiu Yue was there. The prison was naturally different from her own home. Upon entering the wooden-barred cell, a pungent, fishy stench assaulted her nostrils. Chuncao immediately pulled out a handkerchief to cover Ouyang Yue's mouth and nose, but Ouyang Yue waved her hand, saying, "It's alright, no need." Ouyang Yue continued walking slowly forward with Baili Chen, without even blinking, much to the Prefect's astonishment.
After passing by about five or six prisoners, Ouyang Yue asked, "It seems that the Prefect of the Capital Prefecture attaches great importance to Qiu Yue. I, the Princess Consort, have not yet reached her, keeping her at a distance."
The Prefect of Jingzhao hurriedly bowed his head and said, "Your Highness, because this Qiuyue case not only involves Yang Tao, but also has six or seven other cases involving murder or the destruction of young ladies in the capital, it is a rare major case in the capital recently. Therefore, Qiuyue is considered a major criminal and must be kept in a separate prison from these ordinary prisoners."
Ouyang Yue remained silent, her expression growing even colder, tinged with a hint of mockery. Baili Chen exchanged a glance with Ouyang Yue, but said nothing. After taking a few more steps, they discovered that the Jingzhao Prefect's prison had a hidden door. Beyond that door, the wooden-barred cell was noticeably smaller. Each prisoner's hands and feet were chained, one end locked to the cell door. Inside the entire cell, only a woman dressed in blood-soaked clothes lay prone on the ground. Ouyang Yue's heart tightened at the sight: "Qiuyue!" Chuncao behind her cried out involuntarily.
The person lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious, paused for a moment. Only when Chuncao called out a second time did she struggle to lift her head. Her eyes were hazy, her face deathly pale, and dried blood still trickled from the corner of her mouth. Qiuyue's dim eyes visibly widened when she saw Ouyang Yue, then brightened slightly. She frantically crawled over, grabbing at the messy, dirty grass on the ground. However, as Qiuyue crawled closer, blood stained the grass on her body. Chuncao exclaimed in shock, "Oh my god, Qiuyue, your hands!"
However, Ouyang Yue noticed that Qiu Yue's ten fingers had turned purple, and fine beads of blood were constantly seeping out. Ouyang Yue then noticed white, needle-like objects between Qiu Yue's fingers and was immediately enraged: "Prefect of the Capital! I heard that Qiu Yue was arrested yesterday, and you have already resorted to such severe torture so quickly, and with such cruelty at that! How come I didn't know before that the Prefect of the Capital was so proactive!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao was also somewhat uneasy and said repeatedly, "Your Highness, when I was arresting Qiuyue, she tried to run away when she saw that the time was not right. She argued with the officers and even sent her men to fight with them. She is an extremely dangerous person. Moreover, Qiuyue tried to bribe the women's jailer to escape after entering the prison. Therefore, I had no choice but to use torture first to prevent her from escaping. Only in this way can I facilitate my handling of the case."
Ouyang Yue sneered: "It would be a huge joke if a woman with no martial arts skills and no strength could escape from the dignified Prefect of Jingzhao. If that's the case, it can only mean that you, Prefect of Jingzhao, have not governed properly and have done a bad job. However, this case has not even started before the Prefect of Jingzhao has already taken matters into your own hands and committed a private execution. I, the Princess Consort, have seen it. The Prefect of Jingzhao should give me an explanation."
Upon hearing these accusatory words, the Prefect of the Capital's face darkened. "Princess Consort Chen," he said, "I don't think there's anything wrong with this matter. If you insist on punishing me, I will submit a full report to His Majesty after the case is concluded, and His Majesty will then decide." The Prefect of the Capital was a high-ranking official in the capital, and seven or eight out of ten of these officials were the Emperor's men. He was one of them, and this appointment had nothing to do with the Prince of Chen's residence. Aside from their lower rank, the Prefect of the Capital wielded far more real power than Baili Chen, so he wasn't afraid. Besides, he was merely a merchant's manager; would the Emperor punish his own man for such a person? It was a joke!
Seeing that the Prefect of Jingzhao was being so disrespectful, Ouyang Yue sneered: "Fine, it's good that the Prefect of Jingzhao has said that. When the investigation is complete, you must tell us everything. Now, I, the Princess Consort, want to speak with Qiuyue alone."
The Prefect of Jingzhao looked at Ouyang Yue and said, "Your Highness, it is not that I am inflexible, but Qiu Yue is an extremely dangerous person. I cannot allow Prince Chen and His Highness to be in any danger. I am afraid that Your Highness cannot be alone with her."
Baili Chen shouted angrily, "How dare you! How dare you speak to the Princess Consort like that, you don't even give me any face!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao's face stiffened, but he still said, "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, I am only doing this for your own good. Moreover, Qiuyue's case involves great importance. Such a major case is indeed not allowed to be visited in prison before it is closed."
Baili Chen walked towards the Prefect of Jingzhao. With each step, the Prefect felt increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, Baili Chen circled the Prefect and sneered, "It seems the Prefect is going to resort to force. It seems that unless I ask my father for an imperial edict, this prison visit won't be possible today."
The Prefect of the Capital turned pale. If this trivial matter were to reach the Emperor, the Prefect's disrespect for the Prince would become a public scandal. Even if it was merely his duty, it was still disrespectful to the royal family. Even though he was Emperor Mingxian's man, Prince Chen had always been favored. Who knew if his actions would incur Emperor Mingxian's displeasure, or even worse, provoke the collective dissatisfaction of the royal family? His position as Prefect of the Capital was hard-won, and there was no need to confront Prince Chen head-on. Moreover, the evidence in this case was conclusive; their individual arguments would be useless.
Thinking of this, the Prefect of Jingzhao said repeatedly, "Please forgive me, Prince Chen and Princess Chen. I was just worried and have caused trouble. I will take my leave now."
Baili Chen snorted coldly, and the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture immediately withdrew, along with the female jailers who were guarding the prison. Only Baili Chen and the people Ouyang Yue had brought in remained inside. Ouyang Yue squatted down, while Qiu Yue had already crawled to the prison door, choking back tears, "Miss, I have worried you. I deserve to die."
"No need for all that. I just want to ask you what the situation was like back then."
Qiu Yue shook her head slightly: "Miss, this servant doesn't know either. Yesterday, the Beauty Pavilion was just operating normally, receiving guests as usual. I was talking to a guest downstairs when suddenly I heard a commotion upstairs. Many people inside and outside were shouting that someone had died. I was about to send someone to check when officials rushed into the Beauty Pavilion and arrested me first. Naturally, I struggled, but those officials beat me mercilessly. Leng Can fought back to save me. With Leng Can's martial arts skills, he was no problem, but I was defenseless and captured. Leng Can immediately surrendered and was also arrested." At this point, Qiu Yue appeared very anxious. "Miss, please save Leng Can! As soon as I entered, a female jailer forced me to confess to a crime. When I refused, they used torture. This is nothing like what the Prefect of the Capital said. This servant doesn't know anything!"
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen exchanged a glance. Ever since they learned of Qiu Yue's arrest, they had suspected a conspiracy. Now it seemed that the conspiracy was indeed aimed at Qiu Yue, at the Beauty Pavilion, and even more so at the Ghost-Faced Young Master behind it all. However, this Ghost-Faced Young Master had always kept a low profile and hadn't offended anyone. The business of selling bellybands had apparently failed because shops in the capital weren't doing well, and the profits were too low for anyone to do it. They created their own brand, which boosted the business. It might be understandable that people were envious, but the possibility of them trying to harm the Beauty Pavilion like this was quite low.