The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 125p1

Chapter 125: Taken Home by the Princess Part 13(1)

Walking further inside, they heard another sound, seemingly crying and cursing.

Listening closely, it sounded like two voices arguing, high-pitched and hoarse, their tone suggesting intense anger.

Reaching the cells, they saw two eunuchs berating a silent figure in the dim, damp environment.

The silent figure, with his back to the door, looked familiar. Tao Ning, after observing for a moment, recognized him as Steward Chen, who managed the kitchen.

As for the two eunuchs, they were the same ones Tao Ning had met on her first day after waking up, all neatly gathered here.

The two eunuchs, who had been eloquently cursing and insulting Steward Chen, instantly quieted down upon seeing the princess, transforming from vicious bullies to wilting weeds.

“Your Highness, spare us!”

They knelt and kowtowed simultaneously, tears and snot flowing, their cries echoing in the drafty prison, a chilling scene.

A guard knocked on the bars with the hilt of his sword, shouting, “Silence before Her Highness!”

The two eunuchs, startled, choked back their sobs.

Eunuch 1: “Your Highness, Grand Historian, we’ve been wrongly accused! We were only following orders, we didn’t do anything!”

Eunuch 2 immediately added, “Steward Chen promised to transfer us out of the West Street Bureau, but he went back on his word and sent us back to clean the toilets!”

Qin Yang remained silent, glancing at Cui Hong.

Cui Hong immediately understood, stepping forward: “Where were you on the night of the incident? Why were you in that secluded area?”

Eunuch 1 trembled: “Steward Chen ordered us to carry the body… no, to check on her, we had no choice, but we wouldn’t dare kill anyone.”

Eunuch 2 nodded repeatedly: “I wasn’t on duty that night, I was sleeping in my room the entire time, I didn’t go out, my roommates can testify.”

The two eunuchs, almost scared out of their wits, rambled incoherently.

Despite this, they refused to admit to harming An Ning, only claiming they were following orders.

They had no prior connection to An Ning. The two eunuchs worked in the West Street Bureau, while An Ning worked in the imperial retreat. Other eunuchs testified that they were called away by Steward Chen while on duty, returning with joyful expressions, refusing to reveal anything.

They returned the next day, however, crying and cursing Steward Chen.

Cui Hong said, “No matter how we question them, that’s all they say.”

It was highly likely they were telling the truth.

Tao Ning looked at the other figure, huddled in the corner, motionless, lost in his own world, ignoring everyone.

Steward Chen hadn’t spoken a word, his body covered in wounds. Cui Hong’s expression was one of helplessness, knowing he was stubbornly refusing to speak, even after being tortured.

Qin Yang asked, “What about this one?”

Cui Hong replied, “Yesterday, I sent people to arrest Steward Chen, but his room was a mess, and he was unconscious. We brought him back and had a physician revive him. But since waking up, he hasn’t spoken a word, seemingly resigned to his fate.”

Everyone looked at Steward Chen, who remained motionless, his head lowered, staring at the corner.

This puzzled them.

If he had been wrongly accused, he should speak up now that the princess was here. If he was guilty, and An Ning hadn’t died, there was still room for negotiation, why would he stubbornly remain silent?

A thought crossed Tao Ning’s mind: “Your Highness, I would like to speak to him.”

Qin Yang was surprised: “Do you have a way to make him talk?”

Tao Ning, unable to think of another excuse, said boldly, “I remembered something, perhaps Steward Chen knows about it.”

The figure in the corner remained motionless, like a stone.

The guard called out to him several times, but he didn’t respond, so they opened the cell door and dragged him out.

Cui Hong, using the excuse of the dirty environment, led Qin Yang and the others to a clean room, where the princess sat at the head of the table.

Soon, Steward Chen, like a corpse, was dragged in and forced to kneel.

A guard knocked on his shoulder with the hilt of his sword: “Answer Her Highness’s questions truthfully!”

Steward Chen remained unresponsive.

Tao Ning observed coldly, noticing the numbness in his eyes, and a hint of shock and confusion.

Just now, she remembered that before An Ning was punished to clean the rain garden, she had stumbled upon Xie Baiyi plotting with someone.

She hadn’t looked up and hadn’t seen their faces, only hearing voices approaching.

She could distinguish three voices: Xie Baiyi’s, a younger voice who addressed someone as “Godfather” and “Young Master,” and Steward Chen’s.

An Ning didn’t interact with Steward Chen often, so it was normal for her not to recognize his voice, but his adopted son often flaunted his godfather’s influence, his voice easily recognizable.

Glancing down, she noticed an old scar on the back of his left hand, which looked familiar.

An image flashed through her mind, and Tao Ning tried to recall it, but the more she tried, the more her head hurt, the healed wound throbbing faintly.

She couldn’t remember.

Forget it, later.

Tao Ning’s first words were: “My condolences.”

The lifeless figure shuddered, and for a moment, Steward Chen almost looked up at Tao Ning.

But he suppressed the urge, his eyes fixed on the ground.

Even after being cleaned, the floor still had traces of dark, dried blood.

But his reaction didn’t escape their notice, and they wondered, Who died? Who is he mourning?

Qin Yang, not one to rush, remained silent, and Cui Hong wouldn’t speak without the princess’s permission.

The room fell silent, only the sound of rain outside audible.

Tao Ning: “Although you were busy in the kitchen at the time, Steward Chen, you must have heard about it, but perhaps not the whole story. I’m willing to tell you.”

“It happened so suddenly, the tiger charged towards His Majesty, but a eunuch named Bai Yixie, overcome by fear, abandoned His Majesty and fled.”

“Fortunately, His Majesty was protected by the heavens, and the tiger was diverted by Bai Yixie. The tiger’s claws and teeth are sharp, I saw… it was a gruesome sight…”

Xie Baiyi, disguised as a eunuch named Bai Yixie, served the emperor as a scribe.

Steward Chen hadn’t been present, only hearing about it later. He had barely made it back to his room before collapsing from grief.

There was a strange power in Tao Ning’s voice, and despite knowing she was doing this intentionally, he couldn’t help but imagine the scene of the Young Master’s death.

Tao Ning: “Such a tragic death for a young man. Such a coward deserves punishment. I heard His Majesty ordered his body to be abandoned in the wilderness, not even allowing a proper burial, left for wild dogs, his body desecrated.”

Left to rot in the wilderness.

Tao Ning observed his reaction, knowing she had hit a nerve.

She wanted justice for An Ning, to uncover the truth behind her death, but using Xie Baiyi’s death to gain merit and establish herself in the capital wasn’t a bad idea either.

The two weren’t mutually exclusive.

Qin Yang had forbidden anyone from mentioning the removal of Xie Baiyi’s disguise, claiming he was a coward who abandoned the emperor and was thrown to the dogs, while his body was actually kept in the ice cellar, waiting for the coroner from Dali Temple.

Tao Ning asked, “Steward Chen, why are you silent? Her Highness is here, if you beg for her mercy, perhaps she will grant him a proper burial, considering your years of service.”

Steward Chen’s hoarse voice finally sounded: “Who is Bai Yixie?”

The silent man had finally spoken, but Qin Yang and Cui Hong frowned simultaneously.

Tao Ning crouched down, her eyes level with his: “I remember the day I was punished to clean the rain garden, it was the day the eunuch from the palace delivered the edict. You were with him, and your adopted son.”

“I heard the three of you chatting and laughing, your relationship seemed close. You’re so distraught now, refusing to even defend yourself, aren’t you grieving his death?”

Steward Chen looked up, his cloudy eyes fixed on Tao Ning for a long moment, a barely perceptible smirk curving his dry lips, a fleeting expression of triumph that was easily missed.

So you know nothing.

Making such a fuss over a mere palace maid’s death.

In the dim light, he said, “The eunuch from the palace delivered the edict, and Chief Eunuch Li ordered me to receive him, what’s wrong with that?”

Logically, there was nothing wrong with that.

Tao Ning hummed, then said regretfully, “So you don’t know him, then why did you try to kill me?”

Steward Chen said coldly, “I disliked that old fool Tang Ming, he protected you, so I disliked you too, I wanted to kill you, so I did.”

Tao Ning: “Disliking this person, disliking that person, is there anyone Steward Chen doesn’t dislike?”

Steward Chen snorted disdainfully: “I killed her out of personal grudge, do as you will, I don’t know any Bai Yixie.”