Chapter 117

Xie Tingzhou started to walk.

Jiang Lianzhi shouted sharply, “Stop him.”

The servants of the mansion immediately stepped forward to block him.

Swish—

Xie Tingzhou’s men pressed their hands on the swords at their waists, their thumbs already pushing the blades out of their sheaths.

Ordinary servants were no match for the guards. They were already at a disadvantage in terms of momentum.

Madam Jiang saw the situation and quickly stepped forward to persuade them, “Let’s talk it out. You two are both officials in the court. Why make such a fuss?”

She looked at Xie Tingzhou with displeasure, “You may be a Crown Prince, but this is Jiang Mansion. Even if you want to search the mansion, you need a warrant.”

“Who said I wanted to search the mansion? I’m looking for someone.”

Xie Tingzhou turned his head, his words implying something, “If it’s not yours, there’s no point in keeping her. Why bother?”

Jiang Lianzhi said, “If it’s not mine, does that mean it’s yours?”

“Then why don’t we call her out and ask her who she belongs to?”

Back and forth they went, and except for Xifeng and the guards, no one else understood what they were saying.

Jiang Lianzhi said in a deep voice, “If you search the mansion today, how will the Jiang family save face?”

Xie Tingzhou said, “I said I’m not searching the mansion. I’m only looking for someone in your courtyard. If I don’t find the person I’m looking for, I’ll hold a three-day banquet in the capital and apologize to the Jiang family. How about that?”

Master Jiang was already fuming. The most useless person in the Jiang family was himself. Unfortunately, he had the most capable son.

He shouted, “Then let him search! I want to see if he can find anything!”

Jiang Lianzhi clenched his fists and didn’t say anything.

Seeing this, Madam Jiang thought to herself, “Oh no.” “Lianzhi, did you, did you actually…”

Madam Jiang didn’t finish her sentence because she had already gotten the answer from Jiang Lianzhi’s face.

Jiang Lianzhi remained silent for a while and then said to Xie Tingzhou, “You said you’d only search my courtyard.”

Xie Tingzhou’s heart skipped a beat. Had Jiang Lianzhi not brought her back?

No, Bai Yu had come to report earlier, and Bai Yu and Da Huang had clearly found Shen Yu. Then why did Jiang Lianzhi dare to let him search?

There was no point in overthinking it. Xie Tingzhou started to walk, and a Jiang Mansion servant led the way.

Jiang Lianzhi walked beside him, his gaze sweeping over a servant in the courtyard.

The servant nodded slightly, slowed down, and walked towards another path, avoiding people. He walked faster and faster.

“Clang!” A long sword was thrust into the wall. The servant stopped abruptly, the sword right across his neck, the blade still trembling.

The servant was frozen in place, cold sweat pouring down his face.

If he had been half a step faster, he would probably be dead by now.

Xie Tingzhou didn’t say anything. He just gave Jiang Lianzhi a look.

Before they reached their destination, they heard a dog barking, accompanied by Bai Yu’s sharp cry.

As they got closer, they saw a few people holding a net, and Da Huang was caught in it, barking loudly. Bai Yu was agile, and he kept swooping down, either grabbing or pecking, causing the people to scramble.

“Xifeng!” Xie Tingzhou shouted coldly.

Xifeng stepped forward. With a whoosh, he drew his sword and sheathed it again in an instant. The net was instantly cut to pieces.

Da Huang shook his head, ran over to Xie Tingzhou, barked twice, and then barked wildly at the courtyard gate.

Xifeng kicked open the courtyard gate, and the guards rushed in.

Xie Tingzhou walked directly towards the bedroom.

The curtains were drawn, and a figure could be seen lying on the bed.

Xie Tingzhou’s heart raced. He grabbed the curtain and gently pulled it open.

The person on the bed suddenly opened her eyes, “Ah—who are you?”

Xie Tingzhou was stunned. He let go of the curtain and took a step back.

How could this be?

The person on the bed got out of bed and lifted the curtain. She was dressed as a palace maid. She glanced at Jiang Lianzhi behind Xie Tingzhou and called out in a sweet voice, “Lord Jiang.”

Jiang Lianzhi stepped forward, “Crown Prince, you’ve seen. There’s only one person in my room. I still don’t know who you’re looking for. This is a palace maid given to me by the Fourth Prince. If you like her, I can give her to you.”

The bedroom was turned upside down, even the cabinets weren’t spared. They still couldn’t find anyone.

Xie Tingzhou stepped out of the room. Jiang Lianzhi smiled, “When the time comes for Your Highness to hold a banquet, I will definitely bring my whole family.”

As he walked into the courtyard, Xie Tingzhou stopped. He turned back to look at the bedroom. He just had a feeling that Shen Yu was in that room, not far from him.

Da Huang stood at the door, refusing to leave. He barked at Xie Tingzhou.

Xie Tingzhou’s eyes narrowed, and he rushed back.

Jiang Lianzhi’s face changed, and his fists clenched.

“What should we do?” Gao Jin asked in a low voice.

Jiang Lianzhi said, “He won’t find…”

The rest of the words got stuck in his throat. Xie Tingzhou was already standing at the door. The person in his arms was covered in a cloak, not even a finger was showing.

“Minister Jiang,” Xie Tingzhou stared at Jiang Lianzhi, his voice cold, “We’ll settle this score later.”

For some reason, Jiang Lianzhi unconsciously stepped aside, watching as the person brushed past him.

…

The carriage swayed gently. Shen Yu leaned against Xie Tingzhou’s chest. She wasn’t fully conscious.

There was a mechanism under the bed, and there was another layer under the bed board.

She heard Bai Yu and Da Huang’s barking, and she heard Xie Tingzhou’s voice close by. She forced herself to wake up.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the bed board. She was weak and could only use her fingers to scratch at the wood, whispering his name, but no one could hear her.

When she heard Xie Tingzhou gradually walking away, she was almost in despair.

Xie Tingzhou let her lean against his chest, and his chin rested on her forehead in a comforting touch. It was a restrained, fleeting gesture.

“It’s okay now. Go to sleep.”

Shen Yu still looked up slightly, her hazy gaze stubbornly fixed on his face.

She called out uncertainly, “Xie, Tingzhou.”

A low, husky voice sounded in her ear, “Yes, I’m here.”

Her half-closed eyes struggled several times, her long eyelashes fluttering, but she still insisted on staying awake.

“Xie Tingzhou.” She called him again, still uneasy.

Xie Tingzhou knew that her willpower was always strong. Even now, when she was about to lose consciousness, she was still forcing herself to stay awake.

He sighed softly, pulled her up slightly, and found a more comfortable position for her.

He looked down at her face and whispered soothingly, “Sleep. I’ll wake you up when we get home.”

“Okay.” She said in a mosquito-like voice.

Xie Tingzhou’s heart felt like it had been cut countless times. He gently stroked her brow and lowered his head, pressing his lips against her forehead.