The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 103 Clues Unknown

With a change of heart, Yin Quan passed between Harina and Lian Hongling and walked towards Kou Yun, asking, "Does your residence have any maps or gazetteers?"

He was already somewhat surprised to see her walking towards him, and now, after hearing Yin Quan's question, Kou Yun was even more puzzled.

He pursed his lips, nodded in affirmation, then turned and pointed behind him, saying, "It's in the master's study."

After hearing this, Yin Quan smiled at Kou Yun, then quickly walked past him and headed straight for the inner courtyard.

Seeing this, Harina and Lian Hongling immediately followed, without wasting a second.

Watching the three figures quickly disappear into the winding corridors, Kou Yun frowned, then quickly looked away and walked forward.

The master had previously instructed him and Zhuang Xun to monitor the owner of the glass workshop at Wangxiang Pavilion in the western suburbs. Now that the princess had just visited the glass workshop, the fire broke out in the willow grove in the western suburbs. It was quite a coincidence.

Thinking of this, he quickened his pace and soon left the Prince Duan's residence.

Looking through the rows of books in the study, Yin Quan quickly took down all the books on the shelves about the map and customs of the Western Liang Kingdom.

I picked up a copy of "The Customs and Things of Western Liang" at random. The book was thick and old. Not to mention the paper, even the cover was slightly yellowed and even had a few traces of some kind of yellowish-brown.

Following the directory, she found the place names Puyang and Qinglu. Suddenly, she frowned, and her gaze became quite serious.

Qinglu County was directly under the jurisdiction of Anzhou and should not have had any interaction with Puyang Prefecture.

According to Ni Tianze, his father, Ni Shixuan, would not have gotten into trouble if he hadn't been recommended to the Censorate by the Prefect of Anzhou.

What started as a small theft case has led to the uncovering of a massive corruption scandal that has shocked the world, somewhat resembling the pattern of corrupt officials being brought down in modern times.

As Yin Quan pondered this, she turned the yellowed, curled pages of the book, her expression shifting between light and shadow, leaving the two people watching her quite puzzled.

"Master, have you found any clues?" Harina asked tentatively, leaning closer to Yin Quan.

“I’m not looking for clues.” Upon hearing this, Yin Quan looked up from the pile of books and shrugged.

"Then what is this...?" Harina opened her eyes slightly in surprise and tilted her head.

"I'm just a little curious," she said, her gaze lingering on Harina's face, though she seemed to be deep in thought.

“In cases like the Burial of Books, which involve a wide range of people, the provincial and county governments would typically report to their respective provinces, which would then report to the Ministry of Justice. Executions could only proceed after the emperor's personal approval in vermilion ink. The procedures involved are cumbersome and complex. Emperor Tianxi is not an incompetent ruler; how could he have hastily closed such a flawed case?”

As Yin Quan spoke, her slender, fair fingers, as delicate as tender scallions, gently caressed the pages of the book, her dark, star-like eyes filled with a hint of confusion and contemplation.

"Perhaps someone is suppressing this case?" After hearing Yin Quan's question, Harina pondered for a moment and then responded.

"You mean, someone forged an imperial edict?" Her eyes suddenly lit up, and Yin Quan slammed her hand on the old book spread out on the table. She continued, "Ni Shixuan is the most renowned criminal investigator in Qinglu County and even the entire Anzhou. He must have made countless enemies. Considering that, it makes sense that someone would go to such lengths as to forge an imperial edict to eliminate him. Could it be that person is…"

The name "Yin Zhengting" unconsciously popped into her mind, and at the same time, she frowned.

Even if Yin Zhengting had great power, he still had no way of accessing the imperial edict. Could it be that someone else was the real culprit behind the massacre of the Ni family?

As Yin Quan pondered this, her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed together into a perfectly straight line.

The more clues she had, the more fragmented they seemed.

Just as she was puzzled, she suddenly looked up from the book and glanced at Lian Hongling beside her: "Where is Xiahou Ying?"

Lian Hongling was taken aback by her sudden question.

Seeing this, Yin Quan pursed her lips.

Xiahou Ying is not at home, and Wei Jun and Pang Ban also seem to be absent...

Is it possible...

Thinking of this, she suddenly stopped.

Xiahou Ying must know something about Ni Tianze that she doesn't... Perhaps, what he knows is the truth behind the book-burying case from back then...

The book-burial case contained too many perplexing and inexplicable parts. She stared intently at the map of Qinglu County depicted in the book, scrutinizing it carefully without blinking, and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing her focused expression, Harina and Lian Hongling exchanged a glance and remained silent.

Suddenly, at that moment, Yin Quan, who was focused on the book, looked up at the two of them and said, "Hong Ling, prepare some writing materials for me, and also, clear out that wall for me."

Upon hearing this, the two were slightly taken aback at first, but then quickly took action.

Seeing that Yin Quan, who had been fiddling with the blank wall for most of the day, had finally stopped, Lian Hongling and Harina revealed a hint of surprise.

On the wall is a diagram of the relationships in the Book of Burial case drawn by Yin Quan, including the Puyang Food Box case from the year before the Book of Burial case broke out.

Looking at the intricate lines, Lian Hongling frowned almost imperceptibly, then lowered her gaze, as if recalling something.

“Hongling, you said that your mother used to work as a servant in the Ni family. Did you mention anyone mentioned in this list?” Yin Quan turned to her, biting her pen, her brows furrowed slightly.

“My mother said that someone had visited the Ni residence before the incident, and then never appeared again. My mother said that she saw the character Qin on the jade pendant that person was wearing, which might be a surname, but there is no one with the surname Qin here.”

"The one surnamed Qin?" Upon hearing Lian Hongling's words, Yin Quan suddenly stopped biting his pen and looked at her intently.

"Could it be that Ni Shixuan knew he was going to die soon, so he gave something to that person?" After staring at Lian Hongling for a long time, she looked away and turned back to the intricate relationship diagram on the wall, speaking slowly.

Upon hearing her words, Lian Hongling and Harina's expressions changed simultaneously, but they quickly returned to normal.

Staring intently at Ni Shixuan's name on the wall, Yin Quan's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her doubts growing stronger.

Everything he did seemed as if he had already foreseen this outcome. Compared to dying unjustly, it was more like a heroic sacrifice.

To die a martyr...

Thinking of this, Yin Quan's heart trembled slightly, and her gaze darkened as she looked at the three words "Ni Shixuan".

If Ni Shixuan had intended to send Ni Tianze away that day, the matter would probably have been more complicated than imagined.

The Ni family is a scholarly family, with most of its members being educated. Even if Ni Tianze was lucky enough to escape that day, how could he have remained anonymous until now on his own?

Thinking this way, Yin Quan was almost certain that the person wearing the Qin-character jade pendant was probably a key witness who knew the truth of the case.

The golden-red sunlight outside the window is gradually settling below the horizon, replaced by a deep purple tinged with indigo.

As dusk settled over the Prince Duan's residence, the study remained perpetually dark, not even a sliver of candlelight could penetrate. Inside, Yin Quan relentlessly interrogated Kou Yun and Zhuang Xun, bombarding them with questions. The two white-clad guards, unable to bear it any longer, repeatedly tried to escape, but the Prince's residence was governed by strict rules… any order from the Princess Consort had to be obeyed unconditionally, no matter how unwilling they were, they had to resist.

The two were feeling quite down when suddenly, a figure as white as moonlight appeared at the doorway.

"You've met with Ni Tianze?"

As he spoke, he lifted the hem of his robe and stepped into Yin Quan's line of sight. At this moment, Xiahou Ying, bathed in the orange-yellow candlelight, seemed like a banished immortal descending to earth.

Yin Quan pursed her lips, raised an eyebrow, and replied, "You know all that?"

"I have no intention of stopping you..." Xiahou Ying's thin lips moved slightly, his expression calm, like moonlight, like a blue lotus. He walked towards her as he spoke, and only continued when he was right in front of her: "The identity of Ni Tianze is not as simple as you think."

Upon hearing this, Yin Quan frowned.

Xiahou Ying indeed knew many things she didn't... The implication was that he didn't want her involved in this mess...

Thinking this, Yin Quan put down the book in her hand, raised her eyes to look at Xiahou Ying, and was about to speak when the latter changed the subject as if he had expected it: "You met Gu Lounan today?"

Uh……

Yin Quan blinked and froze.

You know all this!

Does this guy have someone watching me all along?

Just as she was speculating, the figure that seemed to be shrouded in holy light suddenly walked around the table and stood in front of her, looking down at her.

"As I recall, since our marriage, we haven't even consummated our marriage yet..."

Xiahou Ying's tone was slightly hoarse and his speech was extremely slow, as if it were intentional.

Staring intently at him, Yin Quan opened her eyes wide, her heart skipping a beat.

Huh?!

Was he implying... they'd consummate their marriage tonight?!

Wow, isn't this a bit too fast?!

Her mind raced, and she suddenly felt flustered. Thinking back, she realized she had seen his muscular body more than once, and the two of them had been intimate more than once. But now, suddenly, he was saying they should complete the wedding night ritual. She had to admit that for a moment, she felt nervous.

“You’re injured, so it’s not suitable for… well, strenuous exercise.” With a chuckle, Yin Quan shoved Xiahou Ying in the chest with both hands, then looked away, deliberately avoiding eye contact with him.

"I don't mind." He led her step by step to a corner of the study. The candlelight in the room was extinguished as he moved forward, and the entire room was instantly plunged into a hazy light and shadow.

The moonlight and streetlights intertwine to form a bond of cool and warm orange, enveloping the two of them and creating a beautiful, harmonious curtain of light.

Moonlight streamed in through the windowpane, reflecting on Xiahou Ying's long, dark eyes. The clear light flowed like a cool spring into Yin Quan's eyes, causing her to forget all resistance and hesitation, leaving only one person in her eyes and heart.

Suddenly, she felt her waist being grasped by him, and Yin Quan trembled involuntarily, her body arching forward.

"Xiahou Ying..." A soft murmur escaped her lips. She raised her eyes, wanting to say something, but suddenly felt her lips soften.

As if an electric current surged through her body, Yin Quan was pinned against the wall by Xiahou Ying, her arms held tightly, and responded eagerly.

Forget about the book-burying case, Ni Tianze, or Gu Lounan; all she needs now is Xiahou Ying! That's enough!

Xiahou Ying was domineering and forceful, yet he controlled his strength perfectly, neither too much nor too little.

She felt those warm, thin lips gradually slide down her neck. Yin Quan held onto his strong, firm shoulders and couldn't help but let out soft moans that made her blush.

Suddenly feeling a lightness in her body, the next second, she was being carried onto the table by Xiahou Ying, wearing only a bellyband.

For some reason, Yin Quan couldn't help but sigh as she recalled the Japanese romantic action films she had watched before.

This is practically an ancient version of office sex...

Xiahou Ying is quite savvy... Damn, could it be that he used to...

Thinking this, Yin Quan suddenly felt a little disappointed, and the pitiful feeling that Xiahou Ying had stirred up earlier vanished in an instant. Almost at the same time, Wei Jun's voice rang out from outside the door.