Chapter 10

Yan Ling looked at the two people with a panicked expression and asked calmly, “What happened at the Duke Mansion last night?”

“We don’t know,” the guard replied tremblingly. “Last night, the Grand Princess quietly brought some people to surround the Duke Mansion. Because there were too many guests and it was lively in the mansion, and… and because the Grand Princess is of noble status, we all thought the Grand Princess and the Duke agreed upon it, so we didn’t… didn’t alarm the Old Madam. But early this morning, before dawn, the Grand Princess… the Grand Princess ordered the guards to move all the dowry to the Princess’s mansion…”

Dowry?

Yan Ling was stunned, and a glimmer of hope suddenly arose in his heart.

If Donghuang was just having a little quarrel with Sheng Jing’an and needed people to move the dowry, it should have nothing to do with rebellion. Maybe… maybe she didn’t want to live in the Duke Mansion?

Yan Ling thought this was very likely.

Donghuang was used to being free and unrestrained. If she wasn’t used to the various rules of the Sheng family after the wedding and temporarily regretted it and wanted to return to the Grand Princess’s mansion, it was also normal. But the imperial edict was for her to marry into the Duke Mansion. If she wanted to return to the Grand Princess’s mansion on the wedding night, it would obviously make the Sheng family lose face. It might be because of this that the two sides had a conflict.

The more Yan Ling thought about it, the more he felt this possibility was very high. Compared to rebellion, even if it were defying the imperial edict or a marital dispute, it would make him feel that things were not so serious.

But why were there thousands of elite soldiers stationed on the imperial road?

Yan Ling pondered for a moment and quickly asked, “Where are your Old Madam and the Duke?”

“We don’t know,” the guard shook his head. “When the Grand Princess ordered the dowry to be moved, we didn’t see the Duke and the Old Madam come out…”

Yan Ling’s heart sank, feeling that the situation was not quite right.

Logically, even if Donghuang had fallen out with Sheng Jing’an, the Duke Mansion shouldn’t be so quiet. The late emperor arranged this marriage, and the current emperor chose an auspicious date through the Imperial Astronomer. It was a marriage bestowed by two emperors. How could it be treated so lightly?

To show his importance to the Duke Mansion, the emperor let Donghuang marry into the Sheng family as a grand princess, and the dowry bestowed was extremely rich, more grand than any previous grand princess’s marriage.

Even if two hundred guards were dispatched, moving everything would take some time, inevitably alarming many people. How could the Old Madam of the Duke Mansion remain indifferent and not show up?

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Yan Ling frowned and asked, “Where is the Grand Princess now?”

“She has returned to the Grand Princess’s mansion.”

Yan Ling looked at the tightly closed door in front of him, planning to go in and ask about the situation, but at this moment, he heard the sound of hurried carriage wheels from a distance. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look.

A small, exquisite carriage speeded over, followed by four maids running behind it, and soon arrived outside the gate.

A maid lifted the curtain, and a delicate young girl exited the carriage. She was stunned when she saw Yan Ling, then stepped forward to salute, “Greetings to Prince An.”

“Miss Sheng, no need to be so formal,” Yan Ling said steadily. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

This girl was the daughter of the second branch of the Duke Mansion, Sheng Jing’an’s cousin Sheng Chuxuan, who was only fourteen years old and not yet married.

The Duke Mansion was the main branch. Even if something suddenly happened, the second branch wouldn’t send a young girl to inquire.

“Prince An,” Sheng Chuxuan frowned, her face full of worry. “My aunt called my mother over early in the morning to set rules for the new bride. I heard that the Grand Princess surrounded the Duke Mansion with soldiers, and I was very worried, so I couldn’t help but come to see and wanted to take my mother back.”

Yan Ling’s expression changed slightly, “Setting rules for the new bride?”

What kind of power did the Sheng family have to dare to torment the Grand Princess openly?

Sheng Chuxuan lowered her eyes uneasily, “That’s what the maid who came to notify my mother said. I don’t know the details.”

Yan Ling tightened his hands behind his back, unable to suppress a bad premonition.

What exactly did Donghuang encounter last night?

The Sheng family were subjects and only a seemingly glorious but declining Duke Mansion. Without the affection and marriage contract between Donghuang and Sheng Jing’an, the plaque of the Duke Mansion would have been taken down long ago.

He didn’t believe the Old Madam of the Sheng family would be foolish enough to dare to torment a grand princess with military power, so who exactly instructed her to make such a bold decision?

“Prince?” Sheng Chuxuan reminded softly.

Yan Ling came back to his senses, looked at her, suppressed the emotional turmoil in his heart, and said calmly, “You come in with me.”
“Yes, thank you, Prince.”

Yan Ling turned and walked into the mansion, but as he crossed the threshold, he found that he couldn’t enter the inner courtyard.

There was no single servant in the front yard of the Duke Mansion, let alone the masters and only heavy guards stood on both sides as if prohibiting any unrelated person from entering. The mansion was dead silent as if it had been raided.

Looking at the stern guards with swords in front of him, Yan Ling said calmly, “I am Prince An, ordered to come to the Duke Mansion to inquire about the situation. Where are the Old Madam and the Duke?”

The guards bowed but did not speak.

Just as Prince An was about to step into the mansion, four guards from both sides stepped forward, drawing their unsheathed swords and crossing them in front of him.

The tall guard said indifferently, “Please stop, Prince An. The Grand Princess has ordered that no one is allowed to enter the Duke Mansion.”

Yan Ling frowned, “Why?”

The guard replied, “It’s the Grand Princess’s order. We dare not ask more.”

Sheng Chuxuan said anxiously, “May I ask if my mother is here? The second madam of the Sheng family, she came to the Duke Mansion early in the morning…”

The guard said, “I don’t know.”

Yan Ling thought for a moment, then turned to Sheng Chuxuan, “Miss Sheng, don’t worry. I will go to the Grand Princess’s mansion to see Donghuang and ask her what is going on.”

“Prince, I…” Sheng Chuxuan’s face was pale with anxiety, “My mother has always been kind to others. She wouldn’t have offended the Grand Princess. Please help.”

“Don’t worry, the Grand Princess is not someone who doesn’t distinguish right from wrong,” Yan Ling said gently. “Miss Sheng, you should go back first. It’s inconvenient for me to take you with me. Just wait for news at home.”

After speaking, Yan Ling didn’t hesitate for a moment, turned and left the mansion, hurriedly got on the carriage, and ordered the driver to go to the Qingluan Grand Princess’s mansion quickly.

Sheng Chuxuan bit her lip and turned to look at the heavily guarded Duke Mansion.

The mansion was still decorated with red “xi” characters, indicating that the grand wedding yesterday was not a lie. But she couldn’t understand why such a drastic change happened in the Duke Mansion overnight.

Where was her mother?
Was she in danger?

Sheng Chuxuan felt uneasy, thinking that something big was about to happen.