The more cowardly a person is, the more wild they are; I've driven the villainous minister craz

When it was fully light, Wang Wanshu finally went to sleep contentedly.

But less than half an hour after she fell asleep, she was woken up by Qiaobi.

Wang Wanshu frowned, her expression displeased. "What is it?"

Qiaobi knelt beside the bed, head bowed, and said cautiously, "Master, His Highness Prince Chen wishes to see you."

Wang Wanshu was startled awake and sat up abruptly, pulling back the bed curtains to stare at Qiaobi. "Has the matter been exposed?"

Her tone was somewhat cold.

Qiaobi trembled slightly, pressing her forehead tightly to the ground, and hesitated before saying, "I... I don't think so. His Highness Prince Chen's expression seems alright; he doesn't seem to know anything..."

A hint of annoyance flashed in Wang Wanshu's eyes as she got up from the bed. "Help me wash up and go see my cousin."

……

Prince Chen and others were in the reception hall.

Magistrate Yang of Huicheng County served the prince with utmost trepidation, fearing he might slight him.

After waiting for 15 minutes, there was finally some movement at the door.

Magistrate Yang looked at Prince Chen's gentle profile and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This Prince Chen seems like an easy person to get along with, but for some reason, being by his side makes him feel very uneasy.

Upon seeing Princess Tianyin approaching, Magistrate Yang rushed forward as if he had found a lifeline, saying, "Princess, His Highness has been waiting for you for a long time."

Wang Wanshu gave him a look and then walked right past him.

Prince Chen, seated in the main seat, beckoned to her, "Tianyin, come and sit down."

"Have you had breakfast yet?" He smiled gently and pointed to the breakfast items beside him. "Don't you like eating these novel foods? Your cousin bought them especially for you."

Wang Wanshu sat down in the empty seat next to him and looked at the breakfast items he pointed to.

They were all roadside snacks with a crude appearance.

She did enjoy these foods when she was a teenager, but now... she feels that eating them would lower her status.

Without directly expressing her dislike, Wang Wanshu gently wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile, "My cousin is so good to me, he always remembers me, but I had already used it, so I'm a little late."

"I can't eat right now, it's a pity that my cousin's good intentions went to waste."

“I consider you my own sister, so of course I will always remember you.” Prince Chen smiled and shook his head. “It’s alright. Since my cousin can’t eat, we can give the food to the servants in the county office. It won’t be a waste of food.”

Wang Wanshu smiled quietly.

Magistrate Yang wisely withdrew.

Prince Chen raised his hand, signaling all the servants in the room to leave, including Qiaobi and Mingwei.

Wang Wanshu's eyes flickered slightly as she clenched the handkerchief in her hand.

She didn't speak first, but sipped her tea slowly from her cup.

Prince Chen looked at her for a long time before saying, "Tianyin, when you met Cui Qixian that day, were you just listening to him play music?"

Wang Wanshu paused, looking at Prince Chen with a puzzled expression, seemingly wondering why he asked such a question.

"Of course it was just playing music." She blushed and whispered, lowering her eyes, "Does my cousin think I have feelings for him...?"

Prince Chen interrupted her: "That's not what I meant."

He looked at Wang Wanshu's expression and asked, "You didn't tell him to do anything, did you?"

Wang Wanshu gently placed the teacup on the table, her face and eyes full of doubt. "Cousin, what can I say to him? I talked to him about my insights on the zither. Although Young Master Cui is not outstanding in literature, he has unique insights into the zither. We had a very pleasant conversation."

She looked serious, with no sign of nervousness on her face, and showed no sign of lying.

Prince Chen lowered his eyes and sipped his tea, then sighed softly, "It's a pity that my cousin has met such a talented man who shares your interests..."

Wang Wanshu asked with some confusion, "Why is it a pity, cousin?"

"This morning, villagers from Shijia Village, under the jurisdiction of Huicheng, came to report that someone intended to murder the family of Yunshang, the personal disciple of the headmaster of Bailu Academy."

"I sent people to investigate, and they found out it was Cui Qixian."

"How could this be?!" Wang Wanshu covered her mouth in astonishment, her face filled with shock and lingering fear. "Was this really done by Young Master Cui?"

“I talked with him for a long time that day... I never expected him to be such a cruel person.”

Prince Chen said, "You can know a person's face but not their heart. Perhaps he was born into a noble family, but was suppressed in every way by Yun Shang, who came from a poor family, and harbored resentment. In a moment of weakness, he committed such a wicked act."

"I have already ordered him to be imprisoned. Once we find conclusive evidence, we will then have him punished according to the law."

Wang Wanshu nodded with lingering fear, "That's how it should be. His intentions were so wicked, he must be severely punished. According to the laws of the Great Zhao Dynasty, he should pay with his life."

Prince Chen paused, turning to look at Wang Wanshu, "A life for a life?"

"What do you mean by 'a life for a life'?"

Looking into Prince Chen's questioning eyes, Wang Wanshu suddenly had a bad feeling.

She had a strong premonition that she might have said something wrong.

Wang Wanshu smiled, a hint of shame in her eyes. "Cousin, I don't know much about the laws of the Great Zhao Dynasty, but basically it's about severely punishing evildoers."

Prince Chen nodded at her and said slowly, "Severe punishment is inevitable, but Cui Qixian comes from a prominent family after all. Although it is only a collateral branch, as long as no one is killed, according to the law, the Cui family can repay with silver."

No one died... what does that mean?

Could it be that Yu Wan isn't dead?!

Upon considering this possibility, a hint of murderous intent involuntarily flashed in Wang Wanshu's eyes.

Prince Chen didn't miss any change in her expression; his lips tightened downwards.

Wang Wanshu was unaware.

Her mind was filled with Prince Chen's words from earlier: "No one was killed."

So... Yu Wan might not be dead?!

how can that be!

Wang Wanshu clenched her handkerchief tightly, looked up, and asked casually, "So, the Yun family is all safe and sound?"

Prince Chen looked at her and nodded.

He said, "Yun Shang's mother, Shen, his sister, Yun Xi, and his wife, Yu, are all safe and sound."

"Tear--"

The handkerchief in Wang Wanshu's hand suddenly made a piercing tearing sound.

The sound of tearing cloth startled both of them.

Wang Wanshu realized she had revealed something and hurriedly tried to cover it up: "Cousin, cousin, I was just happy for Young Master Yun..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the rest.

Because Prince Chen was looking at her with a complicated expression, as if he could see through something.

Wang Wanshu's heart pounded like a drum; she dared not look him in the eye and lowered her head.

She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

The voice of the Prince Chen rang out above her head, "Tianyin, are you involved in the Yun family arson case?"

His question was so direct that Wang Wanshu was momentarily taken aback, revealing a hint of her emotions.

By the time they tried to salvage the situation, it was too late.

Prince Chen wasn't stupid. "Tianyin, what can I say to you?"

"Even I, the king, can't understand what you really want now."

"For a man who already has a wife, you instigated others to commit arson and murder. Tianyin, in the past you wouldn't even kill a rabbit."

Why did it suddenly turn out like this?

"You have truly disappointed me."

Upon hearing these words, Wang Wanshu's reason vanished. She abruptly looked up, her bloodshot eyes filled with hatred, "He is mine, Yunshang is mine, I am Yunshang's destined wife!"

Prince Chen was stunned and couldn't believe it. "What did you say?"