Qiu Yue continued, "Miss, please go and check on Leng Can. He rushed up from the second floor, so he might know something. Besides, he injured a police officer, and I'm afraid he'll be severely punished, Miss..."
“Alright, go see Leng Can!” Ouyang Yue said immediately. Dong Xue couldn’t help but whisper, “Your Highness, Qiu Yue is your maid. It’s out of affection that you’re visiting her, and no one will say anything. But Leng Can has no official relationship with Your Highness. If you go there, it might expose Your Highness’s true identity as the Ghost-Faced Prince.”
Qiu Yue, who was lying on the ground, stiffened. Ouyang Yue patted Dong Xue's shoulder and said, "Dong Xue, I know what you mean. But since these people are after the Ghost-Faced Young Master, they will eventually try to get him to show up. It's impossible to find just anyone to stop this incident. I have my own plan for this."
Dongxue naturally stopped talking, but looked at Qiuyue. Qiuyue looked at her and cried as she left. Then she lowered her head. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen had already left. Dongxue thought for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, my mission is to protect Miss's safety. My starting point must also be for Miss's sake."
Qiuyue opened her mouth, looked at Dongxue, shook her head, but didn't speak. Dongxue's words had indeed been hurtful, but Qiuyue understood that; however, she couldn't accept it right now. Dongxue looked at her and simply said, "If Miss wants to do it, she will definitely do it. She won't let anything happen to you."
"Okay, please check on Leng Can for me and tell her that everything is fine here," Qiu Yue finally said.
Dongxue glanced at Qiuyue's hands full of silver needles, then turned and left. At that moment, the jailers walked in with grim faces and opened the cell door: "Someone, remove the needles."
A hint of joy appeared on Qiuyue's face. With silver needles inserted in her hand, she was constantly enduring pain. Dongxue sighed and left upon seeing this. Clearly, this was at Ouyang Yue's behest. It seemed that Qiuyue should be safe for the time being when the trial began.
In the men's prison, the Prefect of the Capital Prefecture naturally placed Leng Can in a cell within a cell. Clearly, Leng Can was valued more than Qiu Yue. When Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue saw Leng Can, he was already strapped to a wooden frame, his body covered in whip marks, and his clothes torn to shreds. "Master, Princess," Leng Can said in a hoarse voice, forcing a smile as he saw them enter. "Master and Princess have come so early. I'm fine; I'm sorry to have worried you."
Ouyang Yue couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Of Baili Chen's subordinates, she had the most contact with Leng Can and Leng Sha. Leng Can had always been the most lively one, and now he could still jokingly say these words: "What do you want to say?"
"It's a conspiracy. Half a month ago, Qiuyue's older brother, Li Quan, suddenly asked Qiuyue to arrange a job for him at the Beauty Pavilion. Qiuyue didn't want to agree at first, but she couldn't resist the persuasion and scolding from her whole family, so she finally agreed. However, the job Qiuyue gave Li Quan was just to guard the storeroom. Today, a shop assistant in the front yard of the pavilion suddenly started vomiting and had diarrhea, so she asked him to help, and this happened. When I rushed up to the second floor, there were no female waiters guarding it at all. This is very unusual."
"Understood!" Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue didn't ask any more questions and walked out of the cell. The Prefect of the Capital was guarding outside. Baili Chen said coldly, "I order you to release Leng Can immediately. Also, you must not torture the people of the Beauty Pavilion before the trial begins. Otherwise, if I find out, I will definitely not let you off."
"But this Leng Can is an extremely ruthless person. He even injured a police officer before. If we don't tie him up, he will..."
"Didn't you hear me?! I will send people to check every day. If I find anyone being tortured again, I will immediately issue an edict to punish you for abusing your power. If you don't want to lose your job before the case even goes to trial, just try it. Let's go!" Baili Chen said expressionlessly, then left with Ouyang Yue.
The Prefect of Jingzhao turned pale and then red with anger, before a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He suddenly said to the person beside him, "Go and inform them. I have agreed to this matter."
"Yes, sir." The official then left. The Prefect of Jingzhao smiled coldly. He hadn't made up his mind yet, but now, with Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue causing trouble, he had made up his mind: "It seems that Xuan Yuan Yue really has a close relationship with the Beauty Pavilion. Is she acquainted with that Ghost-Faced Young Master, or is she the Ghost-Faced Young Master herself? I don't believe she can sit still now. The show is about to begin."
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue walked out of the Jingzhao Prefecture with grim expressions, but they were stunned when they came out. Outside the Jingzhao Prefecture, a crowd of about 180 people, men, women, and children, had gathered. When they saw Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue come out, they shouted angrily, "The people who came out of the Beauty Pavilion have actually ruined the woman's chastity and done such dirty things. Hand them over immediately!"
"Hand them over, hand them over! We must tear them to pieces!"
"Hand over the people!" These people shouted as they tried to rush into the Jingzhao Prefecture. At this moment, the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture seemed to be frightened and shrank back one by one. The people then pounced on Baili Chen, Ouyang Yue and the others.
At this moment, Ouyang Yue looked shocked and said to Dong Xue, "You leave first, find someone, and hurry to the Beauty Pavilion!"
Startled, Dongxue immediately leaped out of the crowd.
At this moment, a group of people had also gathered in front of the Beauty Pavilion, each holding sticks and other objects, shouting: "Smash it! Smash this despicable place that specializes in illegal activities!"
"Smash it!"
Dongxue rushed over, followed by five or six burly men. Upon seeing them, she immediately shouted, "Quick, stop them!"
Meanwhile, outside the Jingzhao Prefecture, those people rushed over, cursing and surrounding Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's group. The two exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a cold killing intent!
☆、180, the counterattack begins, the show is about to start!
"Go! Teach them a lesson! These heartless rich people look down on us and even used opening a shop as an excuse to ruin our daughter's reputation. They deserve to die!"
"Yes, kill them all! Kill them all!"
"Kill them all!"
"Go!"
The scene immediately descended into chaos. Baili Chen suddenly sneered, "Leng Sha, make your move! How dare you touch the imperial relatives! This is treasonous and disrespectful to the royal family! I even suspect they are rebels in disguise. Arrest them all! Anyone who dares to resist, kill them without mercy!"
Leng Sha suddenly leaped into the crowd, blocking Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's path. Meanwhile, the guards that Baili Chen had brought also began to frantically push into the crowd. However, the crowd was extremely frenzied and agitated, and they actually started fighting with the guards. Naturally, they didn't hear what Baili Chen had just said.
"Kill them! They were in the wrong first, yet they dared to resist. They're guilty, so kill them all!"
"We are the victims, so it's justified to kill them."
"Kill them! These villains who dare to harm people's innocence deserve to die! Kill them all!" A cacophony of shouts erupted below. Leng Sha, hearing this, roared in anger, repeating Baili Chen's words: "Those who dare to harm the current Prince Chen and Princess Chen, those who dare to harm the imperial relatives, are committing treason and disrespecting the royal family. These people are likely rebels posing as troublemakers, and may very well commit acts of rebellion, such as assassinating the Prince and Princess. Everyone, listen to my command! Arrest all of these people! Anyone who dares to resist, kill them without mercy!"
Leng Sha's words were shouted out using internal force. His words exploded like small cannonballs in everyone's ears, and many people were stunned. Most of them showed fear and asked in panic, "What's going on? They are actually Prince Chen and Princess Chen?"
"Isn't the person who came to the Jingzhao Prefecture this morning the mastermind behind the Beauty Pavilion? Could it be Prince Chen and his wife?"
"What should we do? They've actually dared to attack the Prince and Princess! What should we do? This is outrageous!" Panic erupted in the crowd, with people shouting and panicking, completely disoriented.
"What are you afraid of? The Beauty Pavilion arrested people very late last night. The fact that they came to the capital this morning must mean they are the boss behind the Beauty Pavilion. Since they dared to come, they must be guilty. This whole thing was the Beauty Pavilion's fault. What are we afraid of? It's all their fault."
"Yes, it's all their fault."
However, some people don't think so: "I just came to watch the show because I was angry. I don't want to get involved in this. It has nothing to do with me. I'm leaving."
"Ah, my wife must be waiting for me at home now. I promise to accompany her back to her parents' home."
"Oh, I ran into someone I know. I'll go ahead now."
"You...you were all so righteous before, but now you're all running away faster than rabbits! Where is your morality? These people are all the victims' families. No matter what, they wouldn't dare to do anything to you. Why are you running away!" Suddenly, a man dressed in gray clothes with a headscarf and a cold face shouted from the crowd. The others didn't even turn their heads and left.
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue looked at the man and both laughed: "Oh, it seems you don't think it's a mistake to block my path."
The man in gray sneered, "Your Highness, these people are all relatives of the victims. They harbor hatred towards the people of Meiyi Pavilion, and their emotions have temporarily spiraled out of control. There's nothing we can do about it. It's just that Your Highness's timing is unfortunate. The people from Meiyi Pavilion were just arrested, and Your Highness and Princess Chen came to visit them, clearly indicating a close relationship. I wonder if Your Highness and Princess Chen are the masters behind Meiyi Pavilion? If so, then they haven't come to the wrong place. They're emotionally agitated now, and there's really nothing we can do. Your Highness and Princess Chen, why don't you put yourselves in their shoes? If this happened to you, would you be just as agitated? Then Your Highness and Princess Chen will understand their emotions. If Your Highness and Princess Chen could pity their current situation, they wouldn't stoop to their level."
Baili Chen coldly stared at the gray-clad man. The man's words were constantly provocative, first targeting the victims' families, implying they were emotionally distraught due to their loved ones' injuries, and then suggesting that if Baili Chen were to arrest them now, it would be heartless, cold-blooded, and ruthless, ultimately damaging his own reputation. Most people would grit their teeth and endure such words, but unfortunately, there were few in this world that Baili Chen feared. He suddenly shouted at Leng Sha, "Men, arrest everyone here!"
As the man in gray finished speaking, a smug look gradually rose in his eyes. However, before the smugness in his eyes could fade, he immediately showed surprise, and his expression changed. He said, "Prince Chen, how can you be so heartless? Are you feeling guilty? Are you telling everyone that the Beauty Pavilion did indeed do illegal things? You are arresting them all now. Are you trying to destroy the evidence?"
Baili Chen coldly stared at the gray-clad man. The next moment, the gray-clad man felt a dark shadow flash in front of him. He was immediately startled and dodged quickly, but the shadow was faster than him. "Bang!" The gray-clad man felt his body suspended in mid-air. The next moment, he was flying high into the air and then crashing down. He felt as if his body had shattered, and a sharp pain shot through him. However, the next moment, he felt a chill on his neck, where something was pressing against him. The gray-clad man was startled and looked up to see a gleaming sword. Leng Sha was staring at him expressionlessly.
The man in gray exclaimed in shock, "You...you want to kill me to silence me? Help! Look at the people from the Prince Chen's mansion! They are royalty, we poor commoners can't compare, but they were in the wrong first, yet they are still so cruel, trying to harm an innocent person like me! I'm suffering! The people from the Prince Chen's mansion are simply too domineering!"
The people brought by the man in gray, along with the crowd gradually gathering outside the capital, couldn't help but point and whisper, some even saying excitedly, "Yes, so what if they're imperial relatives? They can't just kill people indiscriminately."
“Yes, princes are subject to the same laws as commoners; they should be arrested first.”
"Yes, they should also be punished as they deserve."
Ouyang Yue looked up at the crowd, where those who jumped up and shouted arrogantly made her think: "This person led a group to cause trouble, and just now they surrounded the Prince and me, intending to kill us. This is an act of disrespect to the royal family, and could even be a crime punishable by the execution of the entire family for the crime of restoring the dynasty. Although our dynasty is prosperous under the wise and powerful Emperor Mingxian, there are still ambitious people who want to seize power. These people have committed the grave crime of trying to assassinate the Prince. The Prince and I have every reason to suspect them." "I ask all of you present to witness that Your Highness and I will take these people back. Once we ascertain that there are relatives of the victims here, they will naturally be safely released. You can all testify to this. If any injustice is discovered, or if anyone is harmed, Your Highness and I will not be able to conceal or fabricate the truth. However, if anyone takes this opportunity to deliberately spread rumors, or even deliberately harms Your Highness and me as just did, then death will not be enough to quell my anger." Ouyang Yue immediately waved her hand, "Guards, take them all away!"
The people were still gossiping, but they dared not say much. Although they were somewhat dissatisfied with the actions of the Prince Chen's family, the prince was, after all, a member of the royal family. Moreover, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the most serious crime was plotting to usurp the throne and assassinating the emperor and members of the royal family. The Prince Chen was Emperor Mingxian's most favored son, so Emperor Mingxian would likely take him very seriously. If any of these people took the opportunity to cause trouble and do something detrimental to the Prince Chen's family, anyone who spoke up for him would likely be labeled an accomplice. No one would be so foolish as to speak up at such a time.
Suddenly, a group of people rushed out of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Leading them was the Jingzhao Prefect, dressed in official robes. At this moment, the Jingzhao Prefect's expression changed, and he said to Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue, "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, please wait, please wait."
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue stopped, and the Prefect of Jingzhao said breathlessly, "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, it was wrong of these unruly people to offend you, but they were only acting in the heat of the moment because they were trying to help their family. Please forgive them this time."
"We know we were wrong. Please forgive us this time, Prince Chen and Princess Chen."
"Please, Prince Chen and Princess Chen, this humble subject knows he was wrong, this humble subject will never dare to do it again."
"Prince Chen and Princess Chen are both magnanimous and charitable people, so please show them mercy." Immediately, a group of people knelt down below, which also elevated Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue to a different level. If they still insisted on their own way, they would only appear narrow-minded, ruthless, and unkind, which would be condemned by the people of the capital.
Ouyang Yue's face was cold, but Baili Chen's expression remained unchanged: "Take everyone away!"
"Prince Chen, how could you be so heartless? I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!"
"The Prince of Chen is such a narrow-minded person; he has utterly disgraced the royal family."
"Prince Chen is not human!"
Suddenly, Baili Chen drew a sword from a guard beside him and hurled it. The man who had been shouting was instantly terrified. The sword whizzed past his head, and he felt something flowing down his head. He cried out, "Ah, I'm bleeding! I'm bleeding!" Then his eyes rolled back and he fainted. The expressions on everyone's faces changed, because they had clearly seen that the sword had only pierced the man's hair bun, messing it up. He had simply scared himself into fainting.
Baili Chen sneered, "Prefect of the Capital, everyone here saw it clearly. This cowardly man, who wouldn't even look at where I stabbed him, was just now shouting and cursing at me. He even joined these so-called victims in trying to attack and kill me. Did you all hear him shouting that he would kill me? Does such a coward have the guts to commit a crime that could very well lead to the execution of his entire family?"
Everyone remained silent, for what Baili Chen said was true. This man's actions were utterly two extremes. Even if he were cowardly and afraid of trouble, he wouldn't change so drastically. One moment he was shouting and defiant, the next he was so frightened that he fainted before he could even seek justice for his family. So cowardly! How could he have acted so impulsively and committed such a heinous act? Logically speaking, a person's character doesn't undergo a complete transformation when trouble strikes; even if it does, it takes time.
Upon seeing this, the Prefect of Jingzhao changed his expression and said, "Prince Chen, if you do this, with so many people watching, it will probably not be good for your reputation. However, these people have indeed offended you. Perhaps I should detain them for a few days to calm them down before apologizing to you and Princess Chen. After all, their intention is to seek justice for their loved ones, and this matter should not be taken too far."
Baili Chen looked calmly at the Prefect of Jingzhao: "You don't need to worry about this matter. These people dared to offend me, so they're here for me. The Prefect has just taken on the major case of Meiyi Pavilion, so you don't need to worry about it. Besides, I suspect that these people might all be relatives of the victims. This concerns my safety, so I'll handle the case myself. I feel most at ease that way."
"Your Highness, Prince Chen!" the Prefect of Jingzhao exclaimed immediately, then realized he had lost control of his emotions and humbly smiled, "Your Highness, if something really happens to these people, it could be considered murder to cover it up. That would not be good for Your Highness. If something does happen to them, it will be within my duties, and I will be severely punished for it, even losing my position. I beg Your Highness to consider my years of service to the Emperor and not make things difficult for me."
"Oh, I overlooked that. In that case, the Prefect of the Capital Prefecture can bring a few men back with me. With the people from the Capital Prefecture keeping an eye on me, they can remind me if I go too far. That would be excellent," Baili Chen suggested with a smile.
The Prefect of Jingzhao's expression changed. He only sent some officials to accompany him. Even if Baili Chenzhen did something, would these people dare to speak? He couldn't help but say, "Prince Chen, I'm afraid this won't do."
Bai Lichen sneered, "What? This won't work, that won't work either? Are you suggesting that if I let these people who wanted to assassinate me go, and something happens to me, then it's your fault as the Prefect of the Capital for stopping me, and I'll drag your whole family down with me? If the Prefect of the Capital dares to make such a promise, then consider everything I just said as bullshit. How about that!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao's face twitched, and he said repeatedly, "Your Highness, please calm down. This official is only doing his duty. However, Your Highness's suggestion is excellent. This official will send his men immediately. Please calm down, Your Highness." The Prefect of Jingzhao hurriedly waved his hand, beckoned his men over, and then watched with a gloomy expression as Baili Chen's men took away all the troublemakers. He gritted his teeth and muttered, "How domineering you are! Let's see how long you can be so domineering. Once this matter is exposed, even the Emperor won't be able to save you."
The Prefect of the Capital was now fairly certain that the Beauty Pavilion was either owned by Baili Chen or Ouyang Yue. That explained their concern; otherwise, anyone else, even if subdued by the Prefect, would have to feign magnanimity and not bother with such people. However, the Prefect had sent only the toughest men in the Capital, rotating shifts in groups of three to ensure the captured individuals remained on their duties. It was impossible for Prince Chen to force them to recant their testimonies. The Prefect frowned slightly, though: "Go, spread the word. These people have been arrested by Prince Chen's men. Make preparations there. If anything unexpected happens, I can't help you."
"Yes, sir."
After Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue brought the people back, they were in no hurry to interrogate them, nor did they deliberately divert the officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture. Instead, they had the three officials and three people from the Chen Prince's Mansion keep watch over the people they brought back. This was the case on the first day and the second day. For three consecutive days, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue ignored these people. At first, these people were very determined, but as time went by, they became uneasy. This inexplicable waiting, and the uncertainty of how long it would take, was more agonizing than being sentenced directly.
Many people asked the man in gray, "What exactly does this Prince Chen mean? He captured us and then ignored us, yet he still feeds us every meal, and the food is quite good. What's going on?"
The man in gray also seemed very agitated and shouted, "How should I know? Prince Chen didn't tell me his intentions."
"Didn't you cause this? You were the one who brought people to us to make connections. Who else would we turn to if not you? What, are you trying to turn your back on us?"
"You have powerful backers, but don't think you can bully us just because we don't know anything. Let me tell you, at worst we'll fight to the death, and you won't get away with it either."
A cold glint flashed in the gray-clad man's eyes, but he smiled and said, "What are you saying? Do you think I'm someone who doesn't care about your lives? I'm just anxious. I'm fine, but how can I keep you locked up like this? In a few days, the Jingzhao Prefecture will hold a trial for the Meiyi Pavilion case. If you just wait a little longer, you will all be witnesses. Even if Prince Chen doesn't want to release them, the Jingzhao Prefecture Prefect won't agree."
"Hmph, so what if he's the Prefect of the Capital? Can he compare to a prince? He tried to stop us back then, but in the end, Prince Chen still brought us all here. Tch."
"Exactly. It would be such a waste if we were to fail because of this."
"Hmph, if that day ever comes, we'll definitely drag one of them down with us."
These people were all talking at once, and the man in gray quickly spoke up to dissuade them. The room was in complete disarray, and they naturally didn't notice a hole in the roof through which a pair of dark, cold eyes were watching their every move. These people remained there for ten days until the Prefect of the Capital held a trial, at which point they were released—but that's another story.
However, when Dongxue arrived at Meiyi Pavilion with her men, a large crowd had already gathered, preparing to vandalize the store. At Dongxue's command, her men rushed to the front of the store and began pushing and shoving each other. With such a commotion, the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture naturally had to send someone to investigate. When they arrived, the two sides were locked in a fierce fight, and both sides were injured.
"Stop! All of you, stop right now! You've all been involved in a gang fight, arrest them all!"
Dongxue said coldly, "Wait a minute. We are here to protect the shop, but these people are here to smash it. This is a very important place in the capital. These people are so arrogant and lawless. They should be arrested, but this has nothing to do with us."
"Your Meiyige store killed someone, you deserve to be beaten to death, let alone smashing up this store!" someone immediately started cursing.
Dongxue sneered and said to the Prefect of Jingzhao, "Your Excellency, you have seen it yourself. Even if you were here, these people would not take you seriously at all. Although a murder has occurred at Meiyi Pavilion, no one can convict Meiyi Pavilion until the case is closed. These people came here to vandalize Meiyi Pavilion without any reason and even injured our people. Such arrogant and unruly people should be arrested."
The Prefect of Jingzhao angrily retorted, "Who are you to speak to me like that? How I determine the crime is my business, and I have no need for you to instruct me."
Dongxue remained calm, looking at the Prefect of Jingzhao with disdain: "I am Dongxue, the personal maid of Princess Chen. This shop is managed by my good friend Qiuyue. The Princess asked me to keep an eye on it before it was opened, so naturally I cannot allow these people to cause trouble. I urge the Prefect of Jingzhao to severely punish these unruly people."
The Prefect of Jingzhao was furious. It turned out to be someone from the Prince Chen's mansion, and a mere maid from the Prince Chen's mansion dared to speak to him like that. The Prefect of Jingzhao was filled with rage: "You all got into a fight, and I can't just listen to your side of the story. Arrest them all and we'll see."
Dongxue coldly looked at the Prefect of Jingzhao: "Prefect, I am the victim. You actually used the word 'arrest' to implicate me as a criminal?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao shouted, "I am an important official in the court. How dare you, a mere maid of Wang Chen, disrespect me? For this reason alone, I have every right to arrest you. Moreover, you are also involved in the fighting incident, so arresting you is justified."
Dongxue sneered: "Then I'll wait for the Prefect to release me personally. Oh, this Meiyi Pavilion is a shop in the capital, under the jurisdiction of the Prefect of the Capital. If today's incident happens again, or if someone steals, it will probably be the Prefect of the Capital's dereliction of duty. In that case, the Prefect of the Capital will also lose face."
The Prefect of Jingzhao looked extremely displeased. He was concerned about Dongxue's disrespect, but as Ouyang Yue's personal maid, he dared not go too far. Otherwise, even if he killed Dongxue, Ouyang Yue would not let it go. Compared to Ouyang Yue's status, he was truly nothing: "You don't need to worry about this matter. Send someone to guard Meiyi Pavilion. During this period, no one is allowed to accept guests here, and no one is allowed to enter Meiyi Pavilion. If anyone is lazy and misses someone, none of you will escape punishment."
"Yes, sir." The officers, who had been nonchalant, immediately perked up and replied in unison.