Chapter 235: Chapter 235
The moment the palace door was slammed open, the Capital Governor rushed into the room, shouting:
"Where do you think you’re running, thief! Take this blow from the court..."
The unfinished words got stuck in his throat, and his feet felt like they were rooted to the ground. He stood there in a daze, mouth agape, eyes wide in shock, "Your... Your... Your Highness..."
A furious shout echoed, the imposing aura filling the room.
The Capital Governor shuddered all over, quickly covering his eyes with his hand, "Crown Prince, this official saw nothing!"
With that, he turned and ran out, herding the officials behind him like ducklings, "Quick, quick, everyone out, all of you out!"
In an instant, people scattered like a tide, leaving Nangong Jue in the hall, his face dark as he looked at the chaotic scene.
Clothes strewn on the floor, an unconscious woman, everything reminding him of what happened last night.
Nangong Jue clenched his fists tightly, his gaze deep and dark, recalling the man in the fox mask from last night.
The Capital Governor stood in the courtyard, feeling as if his legs were floating, his soul seemingly adrift in the heavens.
It’s over! We’re done for!
He had accidentally uncovered the Crown Prince’s affair!
The look the Crown Prince gave him just now was terrifying! The rıghtful source is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Remembering the scene he had just witnessed, the Capital Governor cursed himself for not being blind.
The more he thought, the more miserable he felt, and he shot a dangerous glare at his assistant, whispering, "Didn’t you say the thief was hiding here? Where’s the thief, huh?"
No sight of the thief, but he did see the Crown Prince meeting with his lover privately; this truly was a matter of life and death!
The assistant’s legs were trembling as well, and he quivered, "The person who beat the drum indeed said they found traces of the thief here..."
"Where is that person? Bring me his head on a platter!"
"The person left, but he left a name and registered. We’ll find him later!"
Daring to falsely report military intelligence, almost causing deaths! He must be severely punished!
But when the two returned to the government office and took the register to arrest the person, they found out the name was fake, and even the identity was false.
The assistant and the Capital Governor nearly bawled their eyes out.
These were stories for another time. Presently, just as the two were whispering in the courtyard, Lin Qianqiu and Mrs. Qin suddenly barged in with a large group of people, full of momentum.
The Capital Governor was a bit bewildered upon seeing this situation.
For the Crown Prince to have an affair, this really was causing quite a stir?
Lin Qianqiu was also slightly surprised to see the Capital Governor and the full courtyard of officials, then frowned, looking somewhat displeased.
Last night, there was a disturbance in the mansion, with the mistress and numerous servants knocked unconscious, but Yan’er was missing.
It wasn’t until the middle of the night that a patrolling guard discovered this and urgently reported it.
He quickly gathered his men, searched the mansion thoroughly, and found nothing. While meticulously investigating the surroundings and being utterly exhausted, the thief brought themselves to him.
It was a letter that came.
The letter stated that if he wanted to save someone, he should bring one hundred thousand taels of gold to the villa thirty miles south of the city, to exchange money for the person.
Fearing the thief might deceive him by taking the money without releasing the person, he brought a large group of guards along.
These were all his trusted men, who wouldn’t speak recklessly.
But the Capital Governor and his officials were different.
If the fact that Yan’er was kidnapped by scoundrels became known to them, regardless of whether anything happened, the rumors would harm Yan’er’s reputation.
If she were to marry the Crown Prince, becoming the noble Crown Princess Consort, her reputation must remain unblemished.
The Capital Governor looked at Lin Qianqiu with some suspicion for a while, then, with a turn of his eyes, approached with a smiling face to greet him, "Mr. Lin, what wind blew you here?"
Lin Qianqiu’s expression was dark, "Why is Mr. Song here? So early, investigating a case? Mr. Song truly is dedicated!"
The Capital Governor felt he was being ridiculed.
He had gotten up early to catch a thief, only to stumble upon the Crown Prince’s affair. And now he didn’t know how the Crown Prince would deal with him.
Feeling bitter inside, the Capital Governor forced a couple of dry laughs, "Speaking of which, Mr. Lin, what brings you here?"
Lin Qianqiu’s face darkened slightly, "Mr. Lin has some matters to handle. May I ask if Mr. Song could step aside?"
The Capital Governor glanced at the tightly closed palace door: Step aside? Did you think I wouldn’t want to? If you were to walk in and discover the Crown Prince’s affair again, I’d be labeled as ’ineffective in guarding the door.’
Thus, the Capital Governor blocked Lin Qianqiu at the door.
"Mr. Lin, you cannot go in."
Perhaps the Crown Prince would take into account his ’meritorious guard duty’ and give him leniency.
Lin Qianqiu was worried about Lin Yanran’s safety, feeling angry at being blocked but patiently negotiating with him, to no avail.
It eventually devolved into a standoff between the two groups, weapons drawn, the situation on the verge of erupting into violence.
Mrs. Qin, who had been knocked out and left on the cold floor for half the night, was slightly chilled. Already worried about Lin Yanran’s safety and purity, her heart was torn for half the night. Now, provoked by the Capital Governor, her anger surged directly to her heart.
Pointing at his forehead, she scolded fiercely, "Song Rentou! If you don’t get out of the way and anything happens to my daughter, I will make sure you cannot get away with it!"
Upon hearing this, the Capital Governor’s expression turned one shade after another, a spectacle to behold.
He looked at Mrs. Qin, then at the palace door, "You... your daughter?"
Could it be the woman inside, the one having an affair with the Crown Prince, was actually Minister Lin’s daughter?!
As if to confirm his suspicion, a sweet voice rang from inside the room, slightly hoarse but very charming.
"Father, mother, I’m fine, you don’t need to worry."
The Capital Governor felt like he had shattered!
His suspicion turned out to be a blatant truth?!
The Crown Prince and Miss Lin were actually... at the villa in the suburbs... having a clandestine meeting?!
Feeling as though he had learned something monumental, he wondered if he would be silenced?
The assistant, receiving the Capital Governor’s gaze, shook his head with a tearful face, inwardly cursing the ancestors of the one who pounded the drum to report for eighteen generations.
Inside the hall, Nangong Jue was already dressed neatly, but his face was ashen, his gloomy eyes turbulent with undercurrents.
Lin Yanran was intimidated by his gaze, curling up in a corner and trembling.
That outcry just now was intentional.
When she awoke, the Capital Governor was already outside, but from the conversation between him and Lin Qianqiu, she deduced that the Capital Governor knew what had happened in the hall.
Perhaps he just didn’t know her identity.
Now with her parents outside, by speaking up, everyone would know what had happened between her and the Crown Prince. Even if the Crown Prince wanted to disassociate himself, he had no choice.
This incident, though unexpected for her, was also an opportunity.
At this point, the opportunity must be seized firmly.