Chapter 53: The Useless Gossip-Mongers

Li Ning’an wanted to find out who the courtesan Leng Shuang was.

One option was to go to the Zuichun Pavilion and ask the matron.

The other was to consult the steward of the Xiangguo Duke’s residence.

The matron would have been threatened or tempted by Wen Di, that much was clear.

If she knew, Wen Di wouldn’t have had to ask her for help.

So, she could only go to the Xiangguo Duke’s residence to ask the steward.

Li Ning’an acted swiftly, immediately taking Wen Di to the duke’s residence.

As they got out of the carriage and stood at the entrance, they didn’t wait long before the steward came rushing over.

Li Ning’an suddenly realized why she had brought Wen Di with her.

Wen Di seemed to sense something, smiling at her. “To be honest, I’ve bet a bit of my fortune.”

Li Ning’an was speechless. “You should gamble less; don’t lose all of Grand Tutor Wen’s clothes.”

The steward, knowing that Princess Ning’an had arrived, wondered why she was there when the young master was not present.

Was she here to dismantle the household?

He had heard about recent events.

Without saying a word, he took off running, fearing that any negligence might lead to the princess drawing her sword.

“Old servant greets Princess Ning’an.”

Li Ning’an watched the steward approach with a smiling face, cautiously looking at her as if she were there to take apart the family.

“Um… Yan Ziqi hasn’t returned yet. I was wondering if he… had taken a woman from a brothel. Who is it?”

Li Ning’an stumbled over her words.

She was usually such a gentle person; why did the steward look like that?

The steward was momentarily taken aback.

A woman from a brothel? When did the young master—ah, he suddenly understood.

How could he explain this? The Zuichun Pavilion was merely an intelligence point.

Seeing Princess Ning’an’s expression, it seemed she was jealous, so the steward quickly replied, “The young master only has you in his heart; it doesn’t matter about the brothels.”

Young master, since you’re not here, the old servant just wants to keep his life intact.

No offense, no offense.

The old servant thought you and Princess Ning’an were perfectly matched.

Even marrying Princess Ning’an would be a gain.

But this old body can’t withstand too many swords.

Just as Li Ning’an was about to speak, Yuan Ze suddenly drew his sword and swiftly blocked a vegetable leaf that was thrown at them.

“Who dares to be reckless here?”

“It’s her! She won’t let Inspector Ji investigate the Jing Prince, and because of her, my son met a terrible fate!”

A woman dressed in a typical matron’s attire, carrying a basket, angrily pulled out a vegetable leaf and threw it at Princess Ning’an.

Suddenly, many people filled the street, and more joined in.

There were elderly men and women, middle-aged couples supporting each other, and young girls shouting for their brother’s life, along with emotionally distraught women.

Yuan Ze and Wen Di shielded Li Ning’an and retreated into the Xiangguo Duke’s residence.

The steward hurriedly instructed someone to close the main gate, worried about innocent bystanders getting hurt, and called the guards stationed at the entrance to come inside.

The steward looked at Princess Ning’an in confusion. Was it not just an injury to Inspector Ji, but also something more severe?

Yuan Ze still held his sword, ready to protect her.

A vegetable leaf landed on Wen Di, and he disdainfully threw it on the ground, asking, “Who did you offend?”

Li Ning’an was perplexed.

She had only said a few words about the Jing Prince; it shouldn’t have escalated like this.

Outside, someone was knocking on the door, demanding that they hand over Princess Ning’an.

“It’s all because of you! Hand over Princess Ning’an inside!”

“You murderous fiend, come out and face your fate!”

A young man carrying a bamboo basket filled with radishes shouted, “Don’t hide in there; we’ll throw them into the courtyard!”

Everyone looked at the main gate, wondering how much strength it would take to throw anything inside.

“Everyone, look! This is the Xiangguo Duke’s residence; Young Master Yan is acquainted with Princess Ning’an.”

Someone in the crowd shouted this amidst the commotion.

The woman who first threw the vegetable leaves suddenly realized, “So Young Master Yan is involved too.”

“He saved the people trapped on Fushan, yet he refuses to save General Tong, allowing Beiyue to come to the capital—what’s his intention?”

Someone hidden in the shadows spoke up.

The young man carrying the radishes continued to throw them, mostly hitting the signboard and failing to get through.

Li Ning’an listened through the door for a moment. “Did I really kill anyone?”

She started to doubt herself. Surely she hadn’t done anything that would make everyone furious?

The steward was the first to react. “Why is the young master being dragged into this? And why bring up Fushan?”

Li Ning’an exchanged glances with Wen Di.

There was definitely something going on.

The most infuriating matter lately was the issue with the Jing Prince.

“Could it be the parents of those infants are looking for me?”

As a princess, she was far removed from the people of Xitong County and couldn’t possibly control the situation.

A few people continued to listen closely.

Unbeknownst to them, the Jinwu Guards had arrived outside and were dispersing the crowd.

“What are you all doing gathered at the Xiangguo Duke’s residence? Don’t you know the emperor agreed to Beiyue’s request to visit? Do you want to give them something to laugh about?”

The young man seemed educated and aware of the gossip circulating in the marketplace.

“Earlier, someone mentioned General Tong and the trapped Deputy General Ge—why isn’t Young Master Yan rescuing General Tong?”

“The Xiangguo Duke is devoted to the country, but Young Master Yan spends all his time in brothels, drinking and having fun—can he really fight?”

The woman throwing vegetables looked at him, puzzled. “Young Master Yan hasn’t stopped Inspector Ji, so why bring him up?”

“My lord, we hope Princess Ning’an can come out. It’s because of her that Inspector Ji’s request to the emperor to investigate the Jing Prince has been delayed.”

“If only it had been a day earlier, my child might still be alive.”

Her youngest son had gone missing three months ago, lost in the blink of an eye.

The Jinwu Guards sensed there might be a homicide involved.

Princess Ning’an had indeed gone too far, but Inspector Ji had already clarified that it was to prevent the Jing Prince from discovering the investigation and taking precautions.

How did it become a delay in her words?

The Jinwu Guards explained the situation to the woman.

The young man spoke again, “If that’s the case, why is Princess Ning’an hiding in the Xiangguo Duke’s residence?”

“Young Master Yan stopped General Tong from being rescued at the border, while Princess Ning’an obstructed Inspector Ji in court.”

“The Jing Prince is secretly hoarding soldiers in Xitong County, and… Beiyue is about to enter the capital.”

The young man’s words seemed to connect the dots.

Li Ning’an felt a bit uneasy listening from within.

“Why is he dragging Yan Ziqi into this?”

Wen Di rolled his eyes. “How would I know? I was never top of my class at the Imperial Academy.”

Li Ning’an glanced at Yuan Ze’s sword, and he instinctively took a step back.

Because of Princess Ning’an, the guards practiced daily, lest someone snatch their swords.

Seeing how protectively Yuan Ze stood, Li Ning’an exchanged a few words with the steward.

The steward hesitated. “This isn’t a good idea.”

Why was Princess Ning’an always calling for violence whenever there was trouble?

Li Ning’an urged him to hurry and not to dawdle.

The young man continued to rant, suggesting that General Tong’s absence indicated something was amiss with Young Master Yan.

He speculated that he might be conspiring with Beiyue’s second prince.

The Jinwu Guards, noticing the crowd gathering, were worried about a disturbance and thought about how to disperse them.

The gate of the Xiangguo Duke’s residence opened, and Princess Ning’an emerged, cracking her whip on the ground.

“Who’s spreading these absurd rumors?”

The young man yelped as he fell to the ground, dropping the radishes.

He didn’t rush to pick them up but instead shouted, “Princess Ning’an has killed someone! Covering it up! Run!”

Li Ning’an gripped the whip, noticing the distance from him where it had landed—she hadn’t even hit him.

Just looking for trouble, were they?

With a crack of the whip, she struck again and again.

It landed on the young man’s face, arms, legs, and body.

“You useless gossip-monger! Are you just waiting for the Jinwu Guards to do something, or for heaven to drop a pie on your head?”