Palace Coup 25

Xie Yuan’s face was flushed, his well-groomed features twisted with malice.

Lady Xie remained composed, as if she had seen nothing, her voice soft as ever. "Nanny Nian says that the younger brother’s daughter has been spoiled since childhood and has always been willful. Yet, since she began her tutelage, while Miaoxuan hasn't followed her every word, she has at least shown some semblance of respect. I wonder, could it be that she still harbors feelings for that child-husband of hers? Could he have incited her to renege on her word just as things were coming to a head?"

Xie Yuan considered this, and realized it was entirely possible.

When Xie Qi was alive, he lacked integrity, even daring to seduce his sister-in-law who had come to the family for help, dragging the reputation of the senior branch through the mud. It was no surprise his daughter was no better. She had kept a child-husband from a tender age; whether she remained chaste was already a matter of speculation.

"Xie Qi lacked moral character, and the daughter he raised is equally shameless. She even took in some base, low-born servant as a child-husband! She has truly trampled the honor of the Xie clan underfoot. And that Xie Miaoxuan—as a woman, if she had any sense, she would know that with her father dead, her only option is to rely on the clan. If she was truly swayed by a few words, she is utterly brainless!"

His rage remained unassuaged, yet his heart still clung to the vast wealth in Miaoxuan’s possession, causing him immense pain. "Her being brainless is one thing, but if this ruins Bu'er’s official appointment, what then? I have already promised the Grand Tutor that I would present the funds within three days, and Bu'er has already prepared his official robes, ready to assume his post! He was raised at your knees; you know him best. Knowing his temperament, he must be unable to eat or sleep. You are the one who cares for him most, and you have always been quick-witted—you must think of a way."

Lady Xie lowered her head, a trace of mockery curling her lips. "I share your concern, my lord; I am naturally anxious for Bu'er’s career as well. But if the person is nowhere to be found, how can I devise a solution..."

Just then, the gatekeeper hurried in to report, "My lord, Madam, Nanny Nian and the others have returned."

Xie Yuan stood up abruptly, shouting with excitement, "Bring them in at once!"

Nanny Nian and Xiao Cui limped into the inner chamber, supporting Wen Zhuo. Xie Yuan was shocked by their disheveled appearance. The three of them were in rags like street beggars, their faces smeared with soot, grime, and bruises. Wen Zhuo looked even more horrific, his collar stained with blood, his face so ash-gray he seemed on the verge of collapsing.

Xie Yuan, unable to concern himself with their lives, barked, "Why are only the three of you back? Where is Xie Miaoxuan?"

"My lord, the young lady... she ran away," Nanny Nian panted, her mouth dry and cracked, speaking with visible pain. "We were only a hundred miles from the capital when the young lady suddenly went mad. She ignored my advice and insisted on stopping to rest. When I tried to persuade her, she lashed out with a whip. If Wen Zhuo hadn't blocked it, I would have been whipped to death on the spot. Because Wen Zhuo intervened, her child-husband struck him half to death. He showed no regard for the clan in his speech, and the young lady even claimed that the clan needed her, telling you to mind your place."

"We were stunned. Then, in the blink of an eye, a gang of thieves appeared from nowhere. They slaughtered our lead guard, Yang Wei, and seized the gold and silver. If we hadn't reacted quickly, we would have been killed as well. It was then that the young lady, protected by the remaining guards, mounted her horse and abandoned us."

"Rebellion! Pure rebellion! To abandon such a fortune and just run off! She is utterly foolish!" Xie Yuan gasped for air as if his lungs were a bellows. He kicked Nanny Nian in the chest, sending her sprawling, and roared, "You told me she was entirely under your control, that she obeyed your every word! You said everything was going according to plan!"

"What mountain bandits? You ignorant old hag, how could there be bandits within a hundred miles of the capital? Did you get greedy and try to swindle me? If you do not tell the truth, consider your life forfeit."

Nanny Nian lay on the ground, unable to even cry out, her face flushed dark with blood. As Lady Xie’s personal maid, she knew Xie Yuan’s temper well. He loved to parade his authority as clan head and spout platitudes about morality, but if anyone dared to arouse his suspicion, ten lives would not be enough to satisfy his wrath. She could only grit her teeth, kneel, and tremble as she begged, "My lord, I am not lying!"

Xiao Cui was stunned; this was not what she had expected. The master she had longed to serve was a murderous demon, and the mistress watched on with cold eyes. Seeing his icy gaze shift toward her, she feared she would share Nanny Nian’s fate and stammered, "My lord, Nanny Nian speaks the truth! I also warned the young lady that the road was unsafe and we should return to the clan, but she went mad and said that Xie Yangu was the best husband she could have, and she even said... she even said..."

"Say it! Do I have to beg you? Why are you hesitating?"

"The young lady said she was not a poor relative coming to the capital to beg. She said that even a favored nanny of the mistress was not fit to speak to her, and if the senior branch dared to treat her that way, she would not come to the capital at all. Not only was Nanny Nian beaten, but I was also punished for defending the senior master."

She half-exposed her swollen cheek, nursing her grievances. She had betrayed Miaoxuan because Nanny Nian promised her a good marriage in the capital, even suggesting she might find a match among the clan’s own sons. Now that she was back, she faced only violence.

She had never suffered like this in her life. Yet, as long as Miaoxuan remained missing, she dared not ask for anything. She felt a surge of resentment toward Miaoxuan; if not for her stubbornness, she would have already received rewards from the master and mistress.

Xie Yuan’s sinister gaze swept over her face. He grinned cruelly. "Good! Very good! If she ever returns to the clan, I will show this disrespectful girl how a patriarch handles such behavior. Think carefully—was there anything suspicious? How many thieves were there? Didn't the company have hundreds of guards? Could the enemy force really have numbered in the thousands?"

Nanny Nian, clutching her chest, felt a deep, venomous hatred for Miaoxuan. She had fought for this assignment, thinking it an easy task, only for Miaoxuan to suddenly go insane. As Xie Yuan’s words sank in, a sense of realization began to dawn on her, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

As she struggled to piece the events together, Wen Zhuo finally caught his breath and spoke. "My lord is wise. Now that you mention it, there was indeed something amiss! We had about two hundred guards, but when the bandits attacked, there were at most a hundred of them. Yet our own numbers dwindled rapidly, and only a dozen or so people were left to 'protect' the young lady as she fled."

Under Xie Yuan’s predatory gaze, and faced with the threat of death, Wen Zhuo’s mind cleared. His eyes widened. "If you add the number of bandits to the number of people who fled with the young lady, it adds up to exactly two hundred! How could there be mountain bandits in the heart of the capital? The young lady must have staged the entire thing! I beg the lord to investigate."

Having served Xie Yuan in his outside affairs for years, Wen Zhuo’s instincts were sharper than those of Nanny Nian and Xiao Cui. He had only been delirious from his wounds earlier; now that he was back in the Xie residence and saw the look in Xie Yuan's eyes, he knew the situation was dire, and his mind had naturally sharpened.