The prince is fierce: Who dares to steal my woman?

Xiao Jinyan's lips curled into a cold smile, and then she slowly said, "Or perhaps, Yu Jin already knew about your kidnapping, but just pretended not to know."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin'er quickly waved her hand and urgently denied it, saying, "No, absolutely not! I am, after all, his own flesh and blood. How could he treat me like this and be so heartless?"

Xiao Jinyan smiled bitterly to himself. This girl was usually quite clever, but why did she seem to lose her mind when it came to family ties? He sighed inwardly, thinking that perhaps a paternity test at the hospital would reveal the truth and see if Yu Xin'er was indeed that old fox Yu Jin's biological daughter.

Oh, right, this is ancient times, there were no hospitals.

Forget it.

Xiao Jinyan's lips curled slightly and his eyebrows arched slightly as he said, "Or perhaps, Yu Jin knows who kidnapped you, so he pretends not to know."

"how is this possible?"

Yu Xin'er vehemently denied it, looking puzzled.

She thought for a moment, paused, and said, "Husband, do you mean..."

"Perhaps... I mean perhaps, Yu Jin, Wei Kui, and Yang Rong were all in cahoots. The reason Yang Rong was able to kidnap you from the heavily guarded Prime Minister's residence was because she had Yu Jin's instructions. And the reason Yu Jin was completely unaware of your kidnapping three days later was because he pretended not to know."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin'er shook her head repeatedly and said, "No, no, absolutely not! Who is my father? He is a staunch supporter of His Highness the Crown Prince. As for Wei Kui and his son Wei Wuji, they had already pledged allegiance to the Prince of Guangling long ago. How could my father possibly associate with Wei Kui and the others? This... doesn't make any sense at all."

Xiao Jinyan sneered and said, "Perhaps... I mean perhaps, your father has already secretly sided with the Prince of Guangling..."

"No, that's absolutely impossible!" Yu Xin'er's tone was resolute, as if she were defending an unquestionable truth. "His Highness the Crown Prince is firmly seated in the Eastern Palace. Once His Majesty ascends the throne, he will be the supreme emperor. Moreover, the Crown Prince has always held my father in high regard. Once he takes the throne, my father will surely rise rapidly in rank and be highly valued. How could my father possibly turn to the Prince of Guangling? What... what is his intention? And what benefits can he gain from this?"

Yu Xin'er's words were filled with unwavering determination. Her trust and persistence made it seem as if it were far easier for her to question her blood relation with Yu Jin than to accept the possibility that Yu Jin might betray the Crown Prince and side with the Prince of Guangling.

Xiao Jinyan sneered and said, "Perhaps... Yu Jin is a two-faced old tyrant. He keeps switching between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Guangling, hedging his bets on both sides and profiting from both. In that case, whether the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne or the Prince of Guangling succeeds to the throne, Yu Jin will be invincible. Is that possible?"

Xiao Jinyan, a time traveler, was well-versed in history and knew that there was a famous prime minister in the Tang Dynasty named Feng Deyi. This man had bet on all three of Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, and Li Shimin, and was known for his smooth dealings and airtight operations, making all three factions believe he was on their side. It wasn't until many years after Feng Deyi's death that Li Shimin learned of his true nature.

Nowadays, Yu Jin's behavior really does look a bit like that of a double agent.

Yu Xin'er thought for a moment, her brows furrowing, and said, "That... is possible."

As a daughter, you really know your father best.

Xiao Jinyan sneered and said, "In that case, Yu Jin is the most dangerous one! Who knows which boat this old tyrant is on, or if he has a fourth or fifth foot on another boat. The various princes' factions in Jiankang are deeply intertwined, and any move they make will have far-reaching consequences. No matter which faction takes action, Yu Jin will secretly fan the flames, which may affect me, who is currently in the eye of the storm."

Yu Xin'er asked in surprise, "Then... what does my husband plan to do?"

Xiao Jinyan's voice was firm as iron, uttering an unquestionable statement: "Of course we will take the initiative! Right now, I have the Emperor and the Crown Prince standing behind me, what is there to fear? Those petty villains only dare to sneak around in the shadows, so we will take the initiative openly and squarely!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin'er's face flashed with disbelief, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Husband, you mean... to deal with Father?"

Xiao Jinyan paused slightly, looked at her with deep eyes, and slowly said, "Madam, can't we put righteousness above family ties?"

Yu Xin'er shook her head and said, "But... Husband, whether you say my father secretly sided with the Prince of Guangling or was two-timing, these are just your guesses, there is no substantial evidence."

Xiao Jinyan smiled and said, "As for evidence, we'll have it. We can just have someone search Yu Jin's residence."

Yu Xin'er nodded and said, "Husband, do you mean... we should find someone to sneak into my father's mansion... But the mansion is heavily guarded, what clues could we possibly find?"

Xiao Jinyan shook his head, his eyes deep, and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips. He said, "Madam, as I just said, we'll play openly. How can those sneaky tricks fit the style of the Duke of Qi's mansion?"

Yu Xin'er exclaimed in surprise, "What? Husband, you plan to openly search my father's residence? How can that be allowed? He is, after all, the current prime minister. Even if you have the emperor and the crown prince backing you up, you can't openly search his residence, can you?"

Xiao Jinyan smiled faintly, her tone as light as a spring breeze: "That's easy, just find an excuse."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xin'er gave a helpless, bitter smile, a hint of bitterness flashing in her eyes: "But... where can we find this pretext?"

Xiao Jinyan's smile deepened, and he looked at her tenderly, slowly asking, "Madam, may I ask you something? When you first entered the household, how much dowry did you bring with you?"

Yu Xin'er smiled bitterly, a hint of desolation flashing in her eyes: "Husband, please stop teasing me. Although I was born into the Prime Minister's family, I am only a daughter born out of wedlock. In addition, my father has always neglected me, so my dowry is extremely meager, probably less than half of what a daughter of a prefect or magistrate would receive when she gets married."

Xiao Jinyan sneered and said, "Look at this, how meager! The Prime Minister is marrying off his daughter, and this is all the dowry he's giving her. Most importantly, his daughter is marrying the heir of the Duke of Qi's mansion. Who are they looking down on? Are they looking down on me, or on the Duke of Qi?"

Yu Xin'er understood immediately: "Husband, I think I understand what you mean."

Xiao Jinyan smiled and said, "Oh, by the way, your marriage to me was arranged by His Highness the Crown Prince himself. Yu Jin can't possibly refuse to give the Crown Prince face, can he?"

A seductive smile appeared on Yu Xin'er's lips as she chuckled and said, "Husband, shouldn't I be going back to my parents' home in a couple of days?"

Xiao Jinyan understood immediately and had already planned the itinerary in her mind.

Two days later, Xiao Jinyan, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe with gold thread outlining the edges, shimmered in the sunlight, highlighting his extraordinary status and position. He shouted in the courtyard, "Today is the madam's homecoming. Everyone, be on your guard! All the servants and young men, come with me, and bring your weapons!"

Upon hearing the news, Guan Lingxuan came out of her room, walked towards Xiao Jinyan, and bowed.

Xiao Jin said, "Oh, right, you know martial arts, so you can come along too. Also, bring your dagger and whip, don't embarrass this young master."

Guan Lingxuan was a little confused. She wondered if she had misheard. What was she, a concubine, doing following your mistress on her homecoming?

They're even carrying weapons? Is this a homecoming visit for the bride's parents? Or are they going to rob someone?