Chapter 65: Sincerity

Xia Tong’s cheeks flushed as she couldn’t help but glare at the man beside her. He always spoke about children, whereas when she first married him, he was quite indifferent.

“I see you and my mother are in cahoots, only thinking about having a child. I’m not a sow, I can’t just give birth because you want me to!” She huffed, clearly dissatisfied.

The man cast a sidelong glance at her and replied nonchalantly, “I’m merely stating a fact. Remember to take your medicine.”

He looked at her, tightened his grip on her delicate hand, and continued reading his book.

As the carriage swayed, Xia Tong pouted and gradually closed her eyes, leaning against his shoulder to rest. She had been tense all day, and it was only now that she could relax a bit.

However, upon returning to the regent’s residence, Gu Qin didn’t go in with her but headed to the palace instead. It was evident that things were more complicated than he had said. Xia Tong didn’t pry further but sensed that the palace would be chaotic tonight.

The night was dark and heavy, with thick clouds blocking any light over the palace. Contrary to expectations, there was no bloody scene. Instead, the palace remained eerily quiet and heavy, devoid of any chaos.

Within the palace, there was a water dungeon where prisoners related to the royal family were typically held. Some cases weren’t suitable for trial in the Ministry of Justice, so the prisoners were kept here to avoid embarrassing the royal family. At this moment, the water dungeon was heavily guarded, and the atmosphere was damp and dim, filled only with the painful gasps of the prisoners.

Outside a certain cell, two figures of varying sizes stood by the viewing window, while the surrounding guards kept their distance, leaving only two elongated shadows in the dim corridor.

“This successful capture of the villain was largely thanks to the regent. Tomorrow, Father will surely reward us,” Xiao Jing said with a faint smile as he suddenly took out a red seal from his sleeve. “Return the item to its rightful owner.”

The item was genuine, but it was lifeless. Even with the seal, if the soldiers below did not obey orders, it would be useless. For years, they thought Gu Qin would only use his power for personal gain. They didn’t realize he was adept at winning people’s hearts, a detail they had overlooked, hoping it wasn’t too late.

“I don’t know why this item was with the Crown Prince, but tomorrow during court, please ask the Grand Tutor on my behalf so I can resolve my doubts,” Gu Qin replied, not reaching out to take it, his tone always calm.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jing’s eyes flickered as he realized that Gu Qin wanted to pass this hot potato to him to leverage his conflict with the Grand Tutor’s family. Perhaps he had intended to toss this item out from the beginning. While he didn’t catch the Grand Tutor, he managed to hook the third prince instead.

Tightly gripping the item, Xiao Jing’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke evenly, “I will.”

After saying that, he glanced at the cell. “There are many trivial matters in the palace, I must take my leave.”

As he finished speaking, the sound of retreating footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Looking at the cell before him, Gu Qin casually pushed the door open, and a strong odor of dampness and decay rushed out. In the corner of the cell, a disheveled man was bound, looking ragged and dirty. Hearing the footsteps, he suddenly stiffened and lifted his head to reveal a pair of bloodshot eyes.

“You, a remnant of the Gu family! Do you think that by colluding with my royal brother against me, he will let you go? Hahaha! One day, you will end up as wretched as I am!”

His mocking voice echoed in the empty cell, and as Gu Qin approached the corner, he lowered his eyes and spoke with a cold tone devoid of warmth, “That old fool sure knows how to sell people out.”

The flat tone made the man’s pupils contract as he stared up at Gu Qin, seemingly remembering something, and began to struggle violently, filling the cell with piercing screams.

As he exited the cell, a guard suddenly approached. “May I ask, Your Highness, how many layers of water should be filled?”

As the name suggests, the water dungeon was used to immerse people, causing their bodies to swell and rot. However, this was a noble prince, and it was uncertain whether they would proceed with execution.

Brushing off nonexistent dust from his robes, Gu Qin turned back and replied, “Five layers.”

With that, the sound of his footsteps faded, leaving the guard sweating profusely, standing there. The most severe consequence in the water dungeon was six layers, which would completely drown someone. Five layers were even more terrifying, as the water would reach just above the nose, forcing the prisoner to constantly tiptoe to breathe, a fate worse than death.

*

The next day, the entire capital knew that the third prince’s rebellion had failed and that the emperor had ordered his execution on a chosen day. Investigations into the third prince’s accomplices were also underway, and those who usually associated with him were on edge, fearing for their own safety. The atmosphere in the court was heavy with tension.

Moreover, the sudden fire at the Xia residence, claiming every soul within, shocked the entire court. People were frightened, but the Xia family had long fallen from grace. The only official still in the family was Xia Zhian. Given the suspicious timing of the fire, the Ministry of Justice could only hastily conclude the case, and attention turned to Xia Zhian, with many sighing about his “good luck” in not being burned alive.

As the year-end approached, Xia Tong needed to instruct her subordinates to prepare for the New Year celebrations and some financial records. She had secretly saved up a considerable sum of money, which the butler turned a blind eye to. She felt this was the mark of an observant servant.

Feeling dizzy from the trifles in the residence, she decided to go for a walk. When she entered the study, she found the man still dealing with official matters. The incident with the third prince had caused quite a stir, involving many people, and he was likely using this opportunity to eliminate his rivals. Xia Tong had now grasped the villain’s methods. He appeared ill-tempered but was shrewder than anyone.

“I want to go for a walk,” she said, removing her cloak and looking at him pitifully from beside his desk. He continued writing, not bothering to lift his head.

Seeing he ignored her, Xia Tong pouted and suddenly huffed, “I heard that if a woman is unhappy, she might not be able to conceive.”

Gu Qin slowly raised his head, meeting her clear and cunning gaze. His brow furrowed slightly, and he finally set aside his work.

As the end of the year approached, the townsfolk busily prepared for the New Year festivities, and the streets became lively again, even the tea houses were seeing an uptick in business.

On the second floor, when the shopkeeper personally brought over the pastries, Xia Tong eagerly served tea to the powerful man sitting beside her, a flattering smile gracing her face.

After taking the tea from her hands and sipping it lightly, the man raised an eyebrow. It seemed Xia Tong had improved her skills.

“What exactly happened in the palace yesterday?” Xia Tong suddenly asked, leaning in with curiosity.

With a sidelong glance at the overly attentive woman, the man’s voice was low and steady. “Worried about your Crown Prince?”

Xia Tong was taken aback. “When did I mention the Crown Prince?”

“You often say I’m unreasonable. If you don’t want to talk, then why slander me?” She huffed, turning her head to watch the storyteller downstairs.

Setting down the tea cup, Gu Qin glanced at her, casually remarking, “I’ve heard the Crown Prince’s concubine is pregnant.”

The storyteller’s voice echoed dramatically from below, but Xia Tong didn’t want to look at the man beside her, knowing he was about to lose his temper.

“Why is she able to conceive so quickly while you show no signs?” Gu Qin frowned in distress. “It must be because I’m not diligent enough.”

Xia Tong’s face flushed red, wishing she could find a hole to hide in. How dare he make such inappropriate comments! And why did everything always revolve around children? Was he out of his mind?

“Perhaps the prince should reflect on himself. You’ve been giving me a cold shoulder all day. It’s only normal for me to feel stressed and unable to conceive,” she retorted, chewing on a piece of osmanthus cake.

She wasn’t wrong. Since they had met, the man had shown her a smile only a handful of times, constantly wearing a stern expression. If it weren’t for the fact that he was who he was, no one would dare come near him.

As they talked, a familiar figure appeared in the main hall. A woman in a light purple fox fur coat stood out among the crowd. Seeing her, Xia Tong suddenly felt the urge to go greet her, as she surely knew what was happening in the palace.

However, as soon as she turned her head, she noticed Gu Qin gazing down at the people below, a look in his eyes reminiscent of when he was about to kill someone.

“By the way, I’ve noticed that the famous doctor’s medicine doesn’t seem to be effective,” she suddenly tried to divert his attention.

He took another sip of tea, his voice cold. “That woman is truly insufferable.”

Xia Tong sighed. ‘Well, she’s the heroine, so of course, you as a villain would dislike her.’

Leaning closer, she pleaded, “Look, she isn’t opposing you anymore. Can’t you let her off the hook?”

If the heroine were to confront Gu Qin, Xia Tong would definitely side with Gu Qin, but since they were getting along peacefully now, why not leave it as it is?

Gu Qin remained silent, still sipping his tea, his expression unfazed. He finally spoke, “I’ve told you before that if you want my help, you need to show sincerity.”

Xifeng outside let out a low sigh. The princess still didn’t understand his master well enough. If he truly wanted someone dead, then Shen Xin wouldn’t have survived until now.

At his words, Xia Tong furrowed her brow. This man always knew how to take advantage of a situation!

Looking at her conflicted expression, Gu Qin leisurely stroked a green jade ring on his finger, his brow slightly raised. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to save your Sister Shen anymore?”

Xia Tong’s pale face showed signs of inner turmoil. The beads in her hair swayed as she seemed to struggle with a difficult decision. Her red lips pressed tightly together, and she clutched the osmanthus cake tightly.

Flipping through a book, Gu Qin kept his eyes downcast and said, “Xifeng.”

“Wait!” Xia Tong gritted her teeth, as if determined to sacrifice herself. With her eyes closed, she bravely declared, “What kind of sincerity do you want?”

If the heroine were completely unrelated to her, that would be one thing, but the heroine had treated her well. She couldn’t just stand by and watch the villain provoke the heroine, pushing them back into conflict. That wouldn’t be good for anyone, especially since the heroine had her own aura of destiny.

A slight smirk tugged at the corners of the man’s mouth as he continued to read without lifting his gaze. His voice remained calm, “Remember to help me bathe tonight.”

**

The author has something to say: The prince has unique tastes and wants a hot spring bath【covers face】.