Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Do you enjoy telling people to restrain their grief that much?”

Inside the carriage returning to the manor, Chen Xiao and I sat face-to-face.

“I grew up poor and barely had two days of schooling. I’ve only seen a few opera scripts. How could I have as many flowery words as you lot?”

Chen Xiao propped his elbows on his knees and clutched his head with both hands, looking like he was going mad.

“Besides, when attending a funeral, what are you supposed to say if not ‘restrain your grief’? ‘Congratulations’? Or ‘sharing the joy’?”

I moved back a bit to avoid him accidentally touching me.

“Then did you notice the Elder Princess’s expression today when Chief Official Gao of the Prison Ministry was speaking? Every sentence out of his mouth was about being grateful to the Empress Dowager. The Elder Princess didn’t show any emotion, but the moment Clerk Zhou said a single word, she had him dragged away and beaten. After that, Chief Official Gao didn’t dare say another word.”

“Are you saying that the beating Clerk Zhou received was actually a slap to Chief Official Gao’s face? The Elder Princess and the Empress Dowager didn’t get along?”

“It wasn’t just that they didn’t get along; their relationship was terrible.”

If Yuan Mu had truly killed someone, given his status as a high-ranking official, he should have been sent to the Imperial Prison, not the Prison Ministry.

However, Yuan Mu-suspected of murdering the Prince Consort-had fallen into the hands of the Prison Ministry, where the Empress Dowager had influence. The fact that he hadn’t received even a shred of preferential treatment proved that the Empress Dowager was not on the Elder Princess’s side.

Chief Official Gao and Clerk Zhou must have known this.

It was only the Empress Dowager’s deathbed pardon that had caught them completely off guard.

“How bad can a relationship between mother and daughter be? Besides, the mother is already dead. Once the body dies, the hatred should vanish.”

I shook my head. “She wasn’t the Empress Dowager’s biological daughter.”

This was no secret in the palace.

Wei Qiong was a daughter Empress Dowager Lu had adopted from a low-ranking concubine.

Realization finally dawned on Chen Xiao. “So, Yuan Mu knew their relationship was terrible and would never have told her to restrain her grief? No wonder she said she had nothing to discuss with me after I said that.”

Chen Xiao suddenly looked up. “She suspects me! What do I do?”

Wei Qiong certainly had her suspicions.

The reason she hadn’t done anything to Chen Xiao on the spot was likely that she was searching for Yuan Mu’s whereabouts.

“She only suspects you. As long as she hasn’t found Yuan Mu, she won’t touch you. Once Yuan Mu returns, you’ll have completed your task and can retire. There’s no need to worry too much.”

I wondered where Guo Jailer and Doctor Su had hidden Yuan Mu.

Chen Xiao suddenly asked, “What if they can’t find Yuan Mu?”

The question grated on my ears.

I immediately looked up and stared at him intently.

“Don’t get any ideas. If Yuan Mu dies, you’re a dead man too.”

Chen Xiao laughed loudly to hide his awkwardness and waved his hand dismissively.

“Miss Chao, I was just asking. Is there any need for such a warning?”

I studied him from head to toe, as if trying to see right through him.

“If you can understand it’s a warning, then it wasn’t ‘just’ a question.”

Chen Xiao fell silent.

The carriage stopped at the gates of the Yuan Mansion.

Chen Xiao stepped down and let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration.

“My house is in such a prime location. This gate, these walls, these stone lions…”

Four or five servants ran out to greet him.

“The Eldest Young Master is back!”

Chen Xiao grew even more excited, as if he had fully immersed himself in the role, truly believing he was Yuan Mu.

“I’m back, I’m back, I’m back…”

I was quite speechless.

He strode toward the main gate with high spirits. After four or five steps, he realized I wasn’t following and looked back at me, his tone filled with bewilderment.

“Miss Chao, aren’t you coming in to sit for a while?”

Standing a short distance away, I smiled and waved him off.

“No.”

Chen Xiao froze. His smugness vanished, replaced by hesitation. He turned and ran back to me.

“If you don’t come in with me and I get caught, what then?”

“Don’t worry. Yuan Mu runs a very strict household; no one will dare question your orders. I have things to attend to, so I can’t stay with you.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao took a half-step back, his expression looking somewhat pained.

“What do you mean you can’t stay with me? We’re accomplices, you know?”

“Fine, accomplices.”

I didn’t want to waste any more time, so I turned to leave.

Chen Xiao shouted after me, “What time are you coming tomorrow?”

“I’ll come find you.”

I had more pressing matters to attend to.

It was time to see the real Yuan Mu.