Xiao Yan found her shocked expression amusing.
This little girl was simple-minded, with every emotion almost written on her face. Although she had grown somewhat since their first meeting and occasionally showed a facade of maturity, she was still, at heart, just a young woman who didn’t understand the intricacies of manipulation.
If he couldn’t pick up on such obvious things, he’d probably have died countless times by now.
However, Xiao Yan recalled that the last time he had guessed her thoughts correctly, the girl before him had burst into tears. He paused, leaning against the sandalwood armrest, and said:
"Just a guess."
Tangning was suspicious. "A guess?"
Xiao Yan wiped the chestnut shells from his fingertips with a silk handkerchief. "I’m not stupid."
"Your uncle is nothing but obedient and devoted to the princess when in public. But if he truly cared for her, he would extend that affection to you as well. Even if he couldn’t break ties with the Song family for your sake, he wouldn’t have pushed you back to them the moment Song Jinxiu showed up, without even trying to discipline him."
That night, though no one else noticed, Xiao Yan knew the Prince had been outside the courtyard long before the princess had arrived—he had, in fact, come even earlier than her.
He knew that Song Jinxiu and the others were bullying Tangning. He heard their harsh words and saw the wounded Tangning being pushed, yet he stayed hidden outside the entire time, never showing his face until Xie Yin, in a fit of rage, almost lost his tongue. Only then did the Prince appear, acting as if he had just arrived after hearing the news.
Xiao Yan had seen plenty of hypocrites—people who acted one way on the outside but were completely different inside.
"Originally, I hadn’t planned to take you out of the Prince’s residence. You’re unmarried, and following me would’ve raised gossip. But that night, I realized that the Prince may not be able to protect you. The residence is not a safe place for you, which is why I brought you to Jiyun Alley."
Tangning hadn’t expected there to be so much more to the situation, nor had she imagined that the Prince had been outside the courtyard that night.
At the time, his concern for her had seemed genuine, without the slightest flaw. But now, looking back, it made her stomach churn, and she began to doubt the Prince’s feelings for the princess even more.
"Brother, is there any way for me to test whether the Prince’s feelings for my aunt are real?"
"There is."
"Please teach me."
Xiao Yan looked up at the hopeful young girl across from him and tossed the handkerchief onto the table. "Teaching you isn’t hard, but have you thought about the consequences of exposing the Prince?"
The princess and the Prince had been married for many years, and they had a son, Xie Yin. Even if the Prince was acting, he had always appeared to treat her with care and had never neglected her. To outsiders, they were a loving couple. Revealing the truth might not be a good thing.
Tangning hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. But when she recalled the princess’s sudden death in her past life and how the Prince had quickly found a new lover, her resolve hardened.
"Please, brother, teach me."
...
After hearing Xiao Yan’s advice, the princess hurried to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Upon entering the office and explaining her purpose, the official in charge showed an apologetic expression.
"Your Highness, you’ve come at an unfortunate time. A fire broke out in the office a few nights ago. By the time the night watchmen noticed and put it out, almost a year’s worth of records had been destroyed."
"Destroyed?"
The princess furrowed her brows. How could it be such a coincidence? She asked, "Why haven’t I heard anything about this fire at the Jingzhao Prefecture?"
The official smiled bitterly at this. "It wasn’t something we wanted to broadcast. It wasn’t a big fire, and it only burned a few storerooms in the back. No one was hurt, so the magistrate ordered us to keep it quiet to avoid gossip."
His explanation was reasonable, and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it.
The princess frowned at him for a moment, then sighed. "I had hoped to check some records, but since they’ve been destroyed, there’s no point. I’ll take my leave."
"I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Your Highness. I’ll see you out."
"No need, continue with your duties."
The princess turned and left with her maid, looking disappointed, not causing the official any trouble.
As soon as she left the hall, the official sighed with relief, then turned to the side curtain and called out, "Sir, the princess has left."
Someone behind the curtain pulled it open slightly. Magistrate Wu Huai of the Jingzhao Prefecture peeked out, making sure the princess was gone, before releasing the curtain and stepping out, his face filled with worry.
"Tell me, what kind of mess is this? First the Prince, then the Song family, and now the princess. And they’re all here for the same thing—those records about the eldest daughter of the Song family. Who is this woman, and how many more people are going to come looking?"
Just yesterday, Song Hong had almost lost his temper with him, and today the princess had shown up.
When he heard the princess’s arrival, his head had been swimming with anxiety, and he had quickly hidden himself.
Wu Huai turned to the man beside him. "Hurry and send a message to the Prince. We can’t afford any mistakes…"
"Mistakes?" A voice interrupted.
Wu Huai whirled around, and there stood the princess, who should have already left.
Her maid and nanny had pinned down the guards at the gate. As they released them, the guard stammered, "Sir, the princess suddenly attacked. I—"
He had respectfully seen the princess out, never expecting that she would suddenly turn on him. Her maid knew martial arts, and her nanny was just as fierce. Between the two of them, they had managed to restrain him without making a sound.
Wu Huai felt a bit embarrassed under the icy gaze of the Prince's Consort, "Why has the Consort returned?"
"If I hadn't come back, how would I know that the dignified Magistrate of Jingzhao Prefecture conducts himself like a rat, full of lies and deceit?" Her voice dripped with cold disdain.
Wu Huai's face turned pale.
"The registration record of the Song family girl — where is it?" the Prince's Consort demanded icily.
Wu Huai opened his mouth but hadn't spoken when she continued, "Don’t tell me the record was really burned. Though I no longer serve in court, the Rong family still stands. The Song family may have humiliated my sister’s bloodline, but if you cover it up for them, I may not be able to strip you of your official title, but I can certainly ensure you have no peace."
Upon hearing her words, Wu Huai's throat tightened bitterly. "Consort, the registration record truly isn't in the prefecture office…"
The Consort was about to explode in anger, but Nanny Jiang quickly pulled her aside and spoke firmly, "Master Wu, whether or not the record is in the office isn't what the Consort cares about. You should understand what she seeks to know. Even if you disregard the Consort and the Rong family, you should consider Director Xiao."
"My lady is Director Xiao's sworn sister. You must have heard how Director Xiao treats her. If you refuse to speak the truth, the Consort will have no choice but to inform Director Xiao of today's events. I'm certain he would be very willing to have a chat with you."
Wu Huai's expression changed instantly. That killing god Xiao Yan coming to "chat" with him? He still wanted to live a few more years.
The magistrate quickly changed his tone, "The Consort is being too harsh. How dare I deceive you? The registration record of the Song family girl wasn’t destroyed, but after the Prince visited a few days ago, he took it with him."
The Prince's Consort's face darkened with fury. "Then tell me, was Song Shulan's original registration in Anzhou?"
"No, it was in Suyun Town of Yanghua," he hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "Before she came to the capital, her real family name was Xu."
The Prince's Consort staggered, and Nanny Jiang quickly stepped forward. "Consort..."
"I'm fine!" she said through gritted teeth, trembling with anger.
The Prince lied to her?
He actually lied to her!
===========
You can read ahead to chapterr 70 here
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