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Gu Jiao nodded to Yu Jin and said, "Thank you for telling me all this. The information you provided is very important to me."
"Here’s the wooden stool!"
The coachman came running with a wooden stool in hand.
Yu Jin patted Gu Jiao's hand as the coachman placed the stool beside Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao then stepped onto the carriage using the stool.
On the way back, Gu Jiao carefully pondered Yu Jin's words.
Assuming that everything Yu Jin said was the truth, then there was only one possibility left—— the person who set fire to Xiao Heng at the Imperial Academy that year was Ning Wang.
Even if Yu Jin was lying and Princess Xinyang was really the arsonist, Ning Wang still harmed Xiao Liulang this time and this fact couldn’t be washed away.
Regardless of the identity of the perpetrator four years ago, it was Ning Wang who was targeting Xiao Liulang at present.
Gu Jiao took out a small notebook, tugged at her lips, and wrote down a name—— Qin Chuhan.
……
Ning Wang Residence.
It was a night with dark skies and strong winds.
Ning Wang lay on his bed, wrapped in cotton cloth from head to toe, barely conscious.
Gu Jiao had drugged him and beaten him mercilessly. When the Dragon Shadow Guard arrived, he thought he was finally saved, who knew his nightmare had just begun?
In fact, this Dragon Shadow Guard was temporarily assigned by His Majesty to help him find Xiao Liulang. His first task was to locate a person; protecting him was the second task.
Gu Jiao had beaten him hard, but he managed to withstand the blows, so while he was in pain, he didn't suffer any internal injuries.
The Dragon Shadow Guard determined his injuries to be non-fracture external injuries, which meant they could continue the search. He grabbed him and put him in the carriage.
With the coachman gone, the Dragon Shadow Guard personally drove the carriage.
Ning Wang hadn't suffered internal injuries, but he was aching all over. The Dragon Shadow Guard's carriage driving skills were obviously lacking. Ning Wang's intestines felt like they were going to snap, his head hit the carriage wall seven or eight times, and his bottom bumped against the floor seventeen or eighteen times.
He could've turned over, but he didn't want to grind his iron pestle into a needle.
So, he could only sacrifice his rear.
Finally, when his arm was dislocated due to the collision, the Dragon Shadow Guard decided that his injury was in urgent need of treatment.
The Dragon Shadow Guard then carried him back to the palace.
He carried him on his shoulder...
God knew how long his dislocated arm had been swinging in the air. He didn't even feel like it was his own arm anymore...
This was truly a day of nightmares!
"Your Highness, it's time to take your medicine." Qi Fei helped up Ning Wang, who couldn't move his body.
Ning Wang's entire body felt like it had been crushed by a boulder, and there wasn't a single part of him that felt normal.
Just the movement of sitting up and leaning against the head of the bed made Ning Wang break out in a cold sweat from the pain.
He used his other non-dislocated hand to take the bowl of medicine.
Although the other hand wasn't dislocated, it had been trampled into a pig’s hand by Gu Jiao, so he couldn't hold the bowl very steadily.
In the end, Qi Fei couldn't bear it any longer and personally helped his master drink the medicine.
Ning Wang leaned against the cushion behind him and recalled the events of the day. It was still somewhat unbelievable to him, "How could she dare..."
Indeed.
How could a mere Marquis daughter who lived among the common people dare to go against the imperial prince of a country?
Even if she was hugging the thick thighs of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, in terms of blood relations, he was still their flesh and blood.
Apart from Princess Ning'an, he was the only person who could receive both the Empress Dowager's and the Emperor's favor.
So, where did she get her courage from?
Did she really think that just because she helped the Empress Dowager and the Emperor a bit, she could live a life of glory and favor forever?
Such arrogance!
She clearly didn't understand the principle that being by the monarch's side was like being by a tiger's side.
Qi Fei asked in confusion, "Master, I can't figure out why Physician Gu would do this. You burned down her workshop, but didn’t she already empty your treasury as a retaliation? In the end, it’s her who benefited. Why would she still hold onto you?"
Ning Wang snorted coldly, "What other reason could make her be so reckless?"
Qi Fei wasn't stupid either, and he quickly caught on, "Could it be... She found out that you’re behind Xiao Liulang’s disappearance?"
Ning Wang's voice turned cold, "While this prince doesn't have evidence, after thinking it through, this seems to be the only plausible reason. This prince just doesn't know how much she knows about Xiao Liulang's identity. Does she know he was the former Little Marquis of Zhao? And if she does, did she figure out that this prince was responsible for the fire four years ago through this incident?"
Qi Fei was stunned. He truly admired His Highness’s thorough thinking. He hadn't considered all these angles.
Ning Wang pondered, "But this prince still has doubts. Has she already found Xiao Liulang's whereabouts or not?"
Gu Jiao's recent actions completely disrupted Ning Wang's thoughts. He had never encountered someone who didn't play by the rules like this. He was the most intelligent among all the imperial princes. He was well-versed in military strategy and understood human nature. Often, with just one step, he could deduce the next ten steps.
However, Gu Jiao's… unorthodox behavior was proving to be a challenge for his political acumen.
Qi Fei suggested, "Master, why not just tell the Empress Dowager directly? She's your imperial grandmother and your maternal grandaunt. She surely won't favor that girl!"
Ning Wang replied calmly, "Telling the Empress Dowager would play right into her hands."
Qi Fei was puzzled, "Why is that?"
Ning Wang was patient with his subordinates, without the spoiled tendencies of the Crown Prince. He didn't think they were stupid because they couldn't keep up with his line of thought.
Being unable to keep up was normal. Otherwise, if everyone were as clever as he was, could he still be an exceptional prince who stood out amongst many?
He explained, "Does this prince have any evidence that she attacked me? This prince can't even defeat a young lady. Can anyone believe that?”
Qi Fei's eyes widened, "She used some kind of drug on you..."
Ning Wang glanced at him, his tone indifferent, "Then you find this prince a drug that can instantly incapacitate this prince!"
Knock out drugs took about half a cup of tea to take effect on him. Moreover, he didn't even know what kind of hidden weapon had been used to strike him, causing him to collapse instantly.
People who hadn't witnessed it firsthand wouldn't believe it at all!
In fact, there was a witness, the Dragon Shadow Guard. However, it was as good as having none.
Ning Wang continued, "Furthermore, this prince can claim she attacked me, but can't she say it’s because this prince captured Xiao Liulang?"
Qi Fei stumbled over his words, "She doesn't have evidence... Besides, Xiao Liulang's whereabouts are still unknown. Even if the Empress Dowager sends people to search, there's nothing to fear."
Ning Wang snorted, "Right, she has no evidence. But so does this prince. If the Empress Dowager doesn't believe her, would she just believe me?”
These were all matters without evidence. Either believe them both or believe none of them.
What were the consequences of believing both? It would mean that an imperial prince of the country had actually captured a Hanlin official of the court, and the wife of the official had come to beat him up for revenge. Who was at fault in this scenario?
And what were the consequences of not believing either? They would both be sticking to their stories. She was just a little girl, and telling a couple of lies wasn't a big deal. But he was the honorable firstborn son of the Emperor, and twisting the truth to tarnish a young lady's reputation would be beneath his status.
So, no matter which way he looked at it, he was bound to lose.
Rather than worrying about him reporting her, it was better to worry about her potentially reporting him.
"Would she report your actions, Your Highness?" After hearing the prince's analysis, Qi Fei began to worry.
Ning Wang thought carefully, "She probably won't."
Qi Fei asked, "Why?"
Ning Wang replied, "She doesn't like it."
Would someone who preferred actions over words go and report someone's actions?
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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