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Watching Xiao Bao’s indifferent demeanor, Hou Shijie’s eyes were filled with resentment. “Wang Zhiqin, stop pretending. The cold poison flare-up could freeze you to death.”
“Do I look like I’ve been frozen to death?” Xiao Bao rested one leg on the chair and propped his hand on the armrest, looking at Hou Shijie with a smirk.
“It’s a benefit to have several godly physician uncles at home. Even if I’m poisoned, I don’t feel any pain, and the poison is neutralized,” Xiao Bao said regretfully.
“It’s really a pity not to experience the pain you mentioned.”
“Wang Zhiqin, you…….”
“Why did you, Hou Shijie poisoned me?” Xiao Bao asked, looking at Hou Shijie.
How could a ten-year-old child dare to casually poison someone? What was he thinking?
“Have you ever considered the consequences of your actions?” Xiao Bao asked Hou Shijie coldly.
“Consequences? You’re just an ordinary person. Even if you die, what can you do to me? My family is not the same as yours,” Hou Shijie said with a cold smirk, looking at Xiao Bao.
“I advise you, it’s best to release me quickly, otherwise…”
“My mother is the only titled county princess with her own territory in Xuan Empire, and my father… he is the only prince from a different lineage in Xuan Empire,” Xiao Bao said playfully, looking at Hou Shijie.
Hou Shijie’s expression changed slightly. “What did you say…”
Who was his father?
“My father is Su Yu, the Imperial Prince Yu of Xuan Empire.”
“I wonder what kind of background your family has that allows you to poison the son of a prince and still keep yourself safe?” Xiao Bao looked at Hou Shijie with keen interest, his expression ambiguous.
Hou Shijie stared at Xiao Bao in disbelief. His father was the Imperial Prince Yu? How could that be possible?
“That’s impossible.” He had never heard his father mention that Wang Zhiqin’s father was a prince.
“My eldest uncle is a marshal, and my second uncle is the current emperor, and they treat me fairly well. What do you think will happen to your entire family once my second uncle finds out about this?” Xiao Bao asked with interest.
One sentence turned Hou Shijie’s face pale. How could such a thing happen?
“What kind of people are behind your family? If you speak up, perhaps there’s still a chance for you, or else you might lose your life.” Xiao Bao spoke calmly.
Hou Shijie gritted his teeth and said, recalling his father’s words, “I don’t know.”
“Hou Shijie, actually, we already know who’s behind your family, people from the Lu Empire, right?” Xiao Bao suddenly spoke, looking at Hou Shijie.
With a single sentence, Hou Shijie’s expression changed drastically: “You…”
“Hmm, it seems to be true after all. How uninteresting,” Xiao Bao remarked.
“Your father’s decision to send you to poison me was not a wise one.” It was foolish to poison someone and then brazenly confront them about it.
“Not only foolish but also arrogant and self-righteous,” Xiao Bao added.
“It’s time for you to leave, young master,” Yuan Bao interjected as he walked in from outside, disapprovingly.
Xiao Bao hopped off the chair, wearing a smile on his face. “Then I’ll leave first. Yuan Bao, does his father know about his capture?”
“Master has already had his family heirloom jade pendant sent back, so it shouldn’t be long before his father finds out about his capture,” Yuan Bao replied.
Xiao Bao nodded in understanding. “I see.”
“Hou Shijie, I wonder if your father will kill you after this?” Xiao Bao looked at Hou Shijie with some anticipation.
“Let them meet when his father arrives,” Xiao Bao suggested.
“Understood.”
Hou Jiaqin quickly received the jade pendant sent by Su Yu.
Upon seeing the jade pendant, Hou Jiaqin’s expression turned cold. This was…
After carefully examining it, he realized it was genuine. This wasn’t a fake. This was their family heirloom.
But why was it here? Shouldn’t it be with his son?
“Go to the academy and see where the young master is,” Hou Jiaqin ordered.
Half an hour later, the person who went out hurriedly returned, looking anxious. “Master, something’s wrong. The young master got into a dispute with the county Princess’s eldest son and was beaten up before being brought back.”
Hou Jiaqin frowned. “Why did they get into a fight?”
The subordinates hesitated, unsure if they should continue.
“Speak up,” he insisted.
“The young master mentioned the poisoning incident in front of Su Zhixiao and was quite arrogant about it. As a result, Su Zhixiao beat him up,” the messenger explained. They all wished they could peek inside the young master’s mind to see what he was thinking.
Hou Jiaqin listened to the report, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
How could such a thing happen?
“I explicitly told him not to say anything and to act like he knew nothing. Did he simply ignore my instructions?”
“Right now is not the time for our Lord to dwell on this matter. With the young master falling into the hands of Su Yu, it’s certain that he already knows everything.”
Continuing down this path would only bring trouble upon themselves.
“Su Yu is a prince, and his son’s status is also noble. Not only that, but he also enjoys favor with the Emperor. If the Emperor learns about this incident, it will surely bring unnecessary trouble to the Hou family.”
Hou Jiaqin was well aware of the potential consequences, which only added to his frustration.
“What exactly do they want by pushing us to act so urgently?” Initially, he had no intention of taking action, but now the situation had escalated.
If Su Yu knew everything and remained silent, yet still detained his only son, it left him in a precarious position. Giving up wasn’t an option, but continuing to resist meant walking into a trap.
Hou Jiaqin found himself in a dilemma. “No matter what, we cannot give up on the young master,” he asserted, recognizing that his son was the only heir to the Hou family.
However, he knew that simply saying it wasn’t enough. The current situation posed a significant challenge.
“Even if we don’t act, if Su Yu truly intends to harm the Hou family, it won’t make a difference,” the informant network controlled by Su Yu was more formidable than they had anticipated. Hou Jiaqin remembered how Su Yu had swiftly dealt with the Xie family and the King of Zhenbei in the past, leaving them with no time to react.
“The fact that he returned the jade pendant indicates that he knows everything about the Hou family,” Hou Jiaqin’s silence spoke volumes, causing some anxiety among his guards.
“Go to the Xie family’s village,” he commanded before his guards could speak up.
“Understood.”
Hou Jiaqin took his men to the Xie family’s village.
At the entrance of Su Yu’s house, he hesitated to knock. But before he could decide, the door opened from inside.
Realizing that the door was opened for him, he entered with his men. Inside, he saw the child sitting beside Su Yu, showing no signs of poisoning.
Furrowing his brows, Hou Jiaqin wondered if the child had not been poisoned. But that didn’t make sense; Su Yu wouldn’t have taken his son away if he hadn’t been poisoned.
“Bowing before the Imperial Prince Yu,” he greeted.