cold clothes

Zhao Yin calmly observed Xia Hua, who had become more wary of him, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. Madam Hu must have said a lot bad things about him to Xia Hua. Although Zhao Yin didn't care much, he harbored no ill will towards Xia Hua. As Madam Hu had said, Xia Hua was his mother's only remaining relative besides him. Even if he didn't share any deep blood ties, he wouldn't kill innocent people indiscriminately. Besides, Qing You wouldn't allow him to harm Xia Hua.

Actually, he's not a complete scumbag.

The Fifth Prince of Daqi thought to himself, "I killed an innocent merchant a few days ago and pretended to have accidentally fallen into the river."

Xia Hua mustered her courage, looked Zhao Yin straight in the eye with a serious expression, and asked, "Cousin, is there something you want to say to me?"

"I learned that my aunt was imprisoned and I've already visited her in prison. I was worried that my cousin would be distraught because of this, so I came to visit her. I hope there's anything I can do to help you," Zhao Yin said without batting an eye.

"Thank you, cousin." Xia Hua said subconsciously, only realizing after speaking that her cousin was responsible for her aunt's imprisonment. But her cousin looked so sincere... that she couldn't help but waver. Was what her aunt said true?

As soon as the doubt arose in her mind, Xia Hua quickly dispelled it and then tentatively asked, "Does my cousin have any way to rescue Auntie?"

“By faking my aunt’s death in prison, we have a high chance of getting her out safely,” Zhao Yin said. Then he shook his head and said helplessly, “But it will be very difficult to clear my aunt’s name of tax evasion and falsifying accounts. Fengxianglou may also be lost, and the Dali Temple will shut it down.”

"You mean Fengxiang Pavilion will be shut down?!" Xia Hua exclaimed in shock, racking her brains for a solution. What to do, what to do... If Fengxiang Pavilion is gone, where will they go? Her aunt's intelligence network, built up over many years, will be destroyed in an instant.

What should she do...? Xia Hua was so anxious she couldn't calm down. Should she ask her cousin for help? But would her cousin be on her side...?

Xia Hua clutched her skirt tightly, looking up in great distress and saying, "Cousin, if Fengxiang Pavilion is gone, then all our hard-earned business will be gone. Do you have any ideas?"

Now that things have come to this, she definitely needs to ask her cousin, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, for help. Xia Hua emphasized "we," with a hint of probing and hope.

Looking into Xia Hua's eyes, which held a mix of worry and other emotions, Zhao Yin's gaze softened. He reached out and patted Xia Hua's shoulder reassuringly, saying gently, "Don't worry, your cousin will definitely help you. Father has always wanted to regulate the brothel industry, but due to various reasons, including the people's livelihood, he hasn't been able to take decisive action. Fengxiang Tower is the number one brothel in the capital, and Father won't let this opportunity to make an example of it go unnoticed. So—"

"So what?"

"I actually secretly opened another restaurant called Zuiyuxuan. People from Fengxianglou can come to my place, or perhaps go elsewhere."

"This……"

Xia Hua couldn't help but take a half step back. She suddenly realized Zhao Yin's true colors. Since they had allied themselves with his territory, he was now the only one in charge.

But she seemed to have no other choice, yet she still wanted to fight for herself.

“We are all one family, so there’s no question of us relying on each other. According to my cousin, Fengxiang Tower was bound to suffer this calamity sooner or later, so we’ll just face it calmly.” Xia Hua forced a smile and said, “It’s just that my cousin is very busy, and I don’t want him to worry about us.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yin couldn't help but smile. "Cousin is right. I really don't have the energy to manage Zuiyuxuan. I'm sorry to trouble you with this."