The beloved baby has a space

Chapter 637 The mastermind behind the scenes
Inside the mine's fortifications hall, Qin Huai and A Yu sat side by side, with Chi Jia and Chi Gou standing behind them respectively. Opposite them was the eldest prince, Qin Qin, reclining on the bed.

The two had been silent for a long time, neither knowing how to begin.

Wang Sanlang found some fresh fruit outside, arranged it on a plate, and added a few cups of freshly brewed tea before bringing it in for them.

"If you don't like it, I'll have someone go find some more." After greeting them, Wang Sanlang said to Ayu, "I saw some berries growing on that hillside just now. We'll go pick some for you once we've rescued most of the people."

Ayu said, "Third Brother, you don't need to worry about me."

Wang Sanlang waved his hand: "When we left, your sister-in-law specifically told me that you had a hard time coming to Wanning City, and that we must take good care of you when we arrive. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it when I go back."

He spoke so fluently, as if he had forgotten that he and Wei Qianying were only engaged and had not yet officially married.

When Ayu heard that it was Wei Qianying's idea, she still had to give her future sister-in-law some face, so she said, "It doesn't need to be much, just a little is fine. I'm all grown up now, and I don't like to eat those things that little kids eat."

Everyone looked at her again.

Then it dawned on me that Ayu had reached the age where she would emphasize that she was an adult.

After this interruption, the somewhat awkward room finally felt less suffocating.

It was the eldest prince who spoke first, looking at Qin Huai: "I had heard before that this year's top scholar was a promising young man. I didn't quite believe it before, but now that I've met you, I know you're definitely capable of winning the top scholar title."

As he spoke, the eldest prince smiled again: "Speaking of which, the Empress Dowager is your cousin. I think you and the Empress Dowager look somewhat alike."

Qin Huai and Empress Qin do not look alike, but if the two stand together and others carefully look for similarities, they can still find some.

What they have in common most is their eyes when they are expressionless; they look like they were made from the same mold, exuding a solemn aura that keeps people at a distance.

"Right, right, I think so too. Brother Ayou and Aunt Empress look a lot alike!" Seeing that Qin Huai was unwilling to answer the topic, Ayu had no choice but to break the awkwardness so as not to make the eldest prince feel resentful. "Your Highness, you live in the inner palace, so you must have met Aunt Empress. We haven't been to the palace since, so we don't know how Aunt Empress is doing now, or if she has recovered well."

Upon hearing the name Ayu, the eldest prince was stunned for a moment before realizing that this young girl must be Qin Huai's beloved fiancée.

Ayu's name was quite well-known among the elites of Wanning City. The reason was simple: this young girl was very capable. She managed to lure the proud young master of the Yongguo Duke's mansion to study abroad. When many teachers in the academy heard about this, they exclaimed that a beautiful woman was a source of trouble.

Moreover, what young lady would still show her face in public after being engaged? Shouldn't she stay at home from now on, learn poetry and etiquette, learn from her mother how to be a good mistress of the house, and wait to be welcomed into her husband's family?

But this little girl, perhaps because she came from the countryside and didn't understand these rules, actually took away the boy that the teachers had the best of.

However, many people who were the same age as Qin Huai, or only three or four years older, were extremely tired of him. When they thought of their own betrothed wives or the girls in the city, none of them could compare to the rumored young fiancée of Qin Huai.

It's not about poetry, literature, etiquette, family background, or appearance; it's just about this courage, which even men would be ashamed of.

The eldest prince was one of them.

Of course, Ayu is most famous because of the crazy things Qin Huai has done over the years.

The most captivating character was a wealthy young man who spoke eloquently and insultingly about Qin Huai, and used vulgar language to talk about A Yu.

The next day, everyone discovered that the rich young master had been stripped naked and hung at the city gate.

That wasn't all. His mouth was strung up with thick wire, and both his ears were cut off. He was so terrified that he trembled and fainted before he could even feel ashamed.

Later, everyone guessed that Qin Huai must have done it, because he went directly to that young master's door and said to him, "If there is a next time, I will make you unable to hear or speak."

The family immediately reported it to the authorities, but no matter how the Shuntian Prefecture investigated, they could not find any connection with Qin Huai. However, their family suffered one misfortune after another and could only leave Wanning City in disgrace.

Later, someone else came to the Duke of Yongguo's mansion to mention Qin Huai's marriage proposal.

Some people were drawn to Qin Huai's intelligence, while others coveted the power of the Duke of Yong's mansion, hoping to use it to rise through the ranks. However, all of them returned empty-handed, and none of them looked well when they left. It was later discovered that Qin Huai had ordered them all to be thrown out.

Everyone says that they had previously heard that the young master of the Duke of Yongguo's mansion was weak and sickly and unable to speak. But now they have discovered that he is not only strong and healthy, but also eloquent and persuasive. When he does speak, he can make people vomit blood.

Even the Duke of Yong, who rarely showed his face, almost ran himself ragged for him, explaining to this family and that family, afraid that they would dislike Qin Huai.

Qin Huai couldn't bear to see the Duke of Yong lower himself like this, so he used some method to gradually reduce the rumors about him in the streets, and no one dared to joke about his fiancée anymore. However, A Yu's name spread throughout the city.

“Your Highness, Sister Chigou is a very cautious person. She thought you were pretending to be someone from Your Highness’s household, which is why she treated you so badly. I know that Your Highness is a magnanimous and kind person. People say that you are polite to others. Surely you wouldn’t hold a grudge over such a small matter?” Seeing that the First Prince seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of the matter, Ayu quickly spoke up to speak up for Chigou.

When Akainu heard Ayu speak up for her, a look of emotion flashed in his eyes.

Oh, Miss Ayu is still the best; she still thinks of me.

But her face remained expressionless, making her appear like a block of wood to onlookers.

Qin Qin felt a headache in his forehead and back of his head, and his whole body ached indescribably. He was also extremely hungry, but after thinking it over, they were still considered his own people.

The Empress Dowager and his mother had always gotten along well. If he caused trouble for her nephew, he wouldn't know how to respond when the Empress Dowager asked about it later.

"Forget it, it was my own fault for not explaining myself clearly. I was thinking that there were many unrelated people inside, and if they heard it, they would definitely panic." The eldest prince didn't intend to make a big deal out of it.

After much thought, even if he were in that situation, he wouldn't trust someone of unknown origin.

That girl named Chi Gou, didn't she say before that she was a staff member in the Xiaoyao Prince's mansion? It turns out she was actually the personal bodyguard of the young master of the Yongguo Duke's mansion.

To be honest, the name Akainu is quite unpleasant to hear.

Unexpectedly, Qin Huai, a scholar who had passed the provincial examination, was reluctant to give his guard a nice name.

The other person was a girl.

When Ayu wasn't around, Qin Huai didn't like talking to the people around him. Firstly, he found it boring; secondly, he felt it was unnecessary; and thirdly, it was a habit he had since childhood, as Chijia usually spoke up for him more often.

Now that Ayu is by his side, Qin Huai is even less interested in talking to others. Just being with Ayu makes him feel much less irritable.

People who you normally dislike and want to eliminate on the spot can now be tolerated.

"Your Highness, could you explain why you are in this mine?" Qin Huai glanced at Chi Jia, who then spoke on his behalf.

The eldest prince was somewhat reluctant to answer when he saw that the person asking the question was his personal guard.

Ayu explained, "My brother was sick when he was little, and his throat would sometimes feel uncomfortable, so he didn't like to talk much. Uncle Chijia was both a teacher and a friend, and what he said represented what my brother Ayou said."

The eldest prince nodded, indicating that he understood: "I have heard a little about it, but it involves some royal matters, so it may not be convenient to tell you all. Please forgive me." Ayu: "Oh, we were being presumptuous. We didn't think of that."

Actually, Ayu didn't want to come and talk, but since the Red Dog had injured the First Prince, they had to come eventually, lest the Prince get angry and use the Red Dog as a sacrifice to the heavens.

Ayu greeted him a few more times, and when more doctors from Wanning City arrived, she said she would find a doctor to come and examine the Crown Prince more carefully.

After she went outside, she saw Liang Xue following Doctor Xue.

"Sister Liang Xue, what brings you here?"

Liang Xue was bandaging the wounds of a patient who had just been carried out. Her technique was extremely efficient, and she finished bandaging the wound quickly. She then nudged A Yu aside with her elbow to prevent her from getting blood on her.

"Of course we were summoned here. My master and I originally planned to go find you first, but we were called back by the people from the palace. They said there was a large group of people who needed medical treatment, so we ended up here."

Upon hearing this, Ayu immediately sensed that things weren't so simple.

The collapse of a quarry is a huge accident for ordinary people, but it is impossible to alarm the people in the palace.

Not to mention sending Grandpa Doctor Xue and Sister Liang Xue, they weren't exactly imperial physicians!

Recalling the Crown Prince's hesitant manner earlier, Ayu had a vague guess in her mind.

Was the collapse of this quarry and the burial of the eldest prince really just a coincidence?

"Baby, the mission is almost complete. Now, take a few strong men and head to the back mountain to catch the mastermind!"

Tuanzi promptly issued the task.

Actually, this task requires Ayu to find relevant clues, investigate them one by one, follow the clues to find key evidence, and finally go to the back mountain to identify the murderer.

Tuanzi couldn't bear to let Ayu go through so much trouble, so she immediately expanded her energy field, collecting all the sounds within a hundred miles, and then analyzed them frantically, finally finding the key point.

Without a second thought, Ayu turned around and went to find Qin Huai. She didn't forget to say to Liang Xue, "Sister Liang Xue, I have some very important business to attend to later. Please tell my mother and the others that I'll be back soon."

Liang Xue: "Why don't you go and say it yourself?"

Ayu chuckled: "If I tell them, they'll worry that I'll get tired, and I don't want them to worry."

However, what Ayu didn't say was that if they knew she was going to lead a group to catch the mastermind, they would definitely try their best to stop her.

This involves royal secrets!

Ayu returned to the construction hall and saw the First Prince struggling to get up and drink hot tea. She asked him, "Your Highness, have all your men arrived? Are there a hundred of them?"

The eldest prince: "? What?"

"Oh, I found a few paranoid people who ran towards the back mountain. A villager also told me that there seems to be something extraordinary there. If you have enough people, you should go there now; you might find something!"

The eldest prince disregarded his pain and immediately summoned his men. After giving them instructions, a group of about forty or fifty people stood before Ayu.

Ayu wanted to talk to Qin Huai, but then she saw some guards with the surname Chi and ordinary guards come out and stand behind her, protecting her along with the people in front of her.

Ayu smiled and her eyes crinkled.

"let's go."

Qin Huai didn't ask where he was going and just left.

The little lamb, who had been helping to dig in the dirt for a long time, came over from the side and was beckoned to by Ayu: "Little lamb, come on, I really need you right now."

After these people left quickly, someone else narrowed his eyes and turned to run in another direction.

Before he could run more than a few steps, someone covered his head with a sack.

Wang Wulang clapped his hands and said to Wang Silang, who was busy tying people up, "Fourth Brother, it seems you haven't gone stupid from studying. You haven't lost any of your skills!"

Wang Silang: "...Get out of the way."

Of course, Ayu wouldn't keep it a secret from everyone. She had already secretly sent messages to Wang Wulang and the others, and sure enough, they caught them.

Deep in the mountains, in a cave, several people surrounded a hooded man, their expressions grave.

"The eldest prince has been rescued, so this mission can be considered a failure."

"No, we still have a chance," one of them said viciously. "They all think this is just a normal collapse, and they're all busy rescuing people. The First Prince has hardly any guards around him. If we work together from the inside, we can directly take down the First Prince—"

The man made a throat-cutting motion, his eyes filled with malice.

The hooded man shook his head and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "No need."

The others panicked: "The Crown Prince saw something he shouldn't have seen, Master! You mustn't be soft-hearted at this moment, or it will ruin our plans!"

"Hmm?" The hooded man turned to the person who spoke and suddenly struck out with his palm.

The man was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the cave wall. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious.

Upon seeing this, no one else dared to utter a word.

The hooded man slowly withdrew his hand and said, "I won't repeat myself, understand?"

Seeing everyone fall silent in fear, he was quite satisfied and continued, "That good-for-nothing Qin Qin is ultimately a dead man; we don't need to worry about him. Our most urgent task is to—"

Before he could finish speaking, someone interrupted him.

"Are you going to turn yourself in?" The sweet, innocent female voice seemed genuinely curious about the second half of the question.

If it hadn't been heard outside the cave.

(End of this chapter)