Accidentally Married the Princess [Time Travel] - Chapter 34.2

Gong Yu took out a silver ingot and asked, “Think carefully again. Did you really never sell this item?”

The young shop assistant’s eyes instantly gleamed at the sight of the silver. “Sir, very few people have bought this item.”

“Alright then, I’ll be going.” Gong Yu put away the silver and prepared to leave.

“Hey, sir, aren’t you being dishonest?”

“I just suddenly felt like taking out my silver to admire it. How is that dishonest?”

The shop assistant leaned in closer and whispered, “Fine, I’ll be straight with you. I secretly sold this item to a little beggar once. The boss doesn’t know about it.”

Gong Yu placed the silver in the shop assistant’s palm and smiled. “Guards, seize him.”

The shop assistant, who had been all smiles just moments before, panicked but was quickly restrained by the guards.

Zhao Anyue, appearing out of nowhere, suddenly laughed and said, “Pretty boy, since when did you become so cunning?”

“This is called cleverness, not cunning.”

Following the shop assistant’s lead, the guards captured the little beggar hiding in a dilapidated alley.

Sitting in the teahouse, Gong Yu observed the little beggar being brought in and said, “I know you’re the murderer, and I know you work for the Crown Prince. Do you understand?”

The little beggar shook his head frantically. Qin Hua, standing nearby, remarked, “Your Highness, we should hurry. Miss Zhao, who’s being held outside, will probably break down the door soon.”

“No matter. I’ve already sent someone to inform the Grand Tutor’s residence. Zhao Anyue won’t be able to cause trouble for long.”

Gong Yu held his teacup and said, “Let me ask you: are you really a beggar, or are you just pretending to be one to mislead us? Nod if you’re a beggar, shake your head if you’re pretending.”

The little beggar quickly nodded.

“Oh, you nodded without even thinking. That confirms you’re pretending.” Gong Yu spoke as if to himself.

The bewildered little beggar glared fiercely at Gong Yu, clearly ready to lunge like a wolf if released.

Qin Hua produced the item and said, “We already know where you got the money. We just want to know why the Crown Prince ordered the murder of the Minister of Justice.”

Gong Yu took a sip of tea and said nonchalantly, “You only have one chance. Otherwise, I’ll cut off your fingers one by one and feed them to the stray dogs outside.”

The little beggar’s fierce demeanor instantly vanished. Qin Hua stifled a laugh and signaled the guards to remove the cloth from the beggar’s mouth.

“I… I don’t know.”

Gong Yu picked up a piece of pastry with his chopsticks and held it to the little beggar’s mouth. “Eat and talk.”

Confused, the little beggar opened his mouth and bit into the pastry, seemingly unable to figure out what Gong Yu was up to.

“Then why did you kill the Minister of Justice?” Qin Hua coughed lightly and asked.

“My mother is sick. The Crown Prince said he’d give me a lot of money if I killed that man.”

Gong Yu fed him another piece of pastry and stared at the little beggar. “Keep lying. This pastry is laced with poison. You won’t get to see your mother again.”

The little beggar froze in terror, his gaze shifting from shock to fury.

“That day when I chased you in the street, where did you go afterward?”

“I went to see my mother.”

“Lies again.” Gong Yu set down the pastry. “You went to the Crown Prince’s residence.”

Even after being exposed, the little beggar showed no panic and simply stared at Gong Yu in silence.

“Let me ask you this: did you see anyone else at the Crown Prince’s residence?”

“Yes, many of the Crown Prince’s concubines.” The little beggar spoke with a straight face, blatantly lying.

Gong Yu poured a cup of tea, took a few sips, and stood up, saying, “I suspect you are either an assassin or a spy raised by the eldest prince, which is why you killed the Minister of Justice and are still alive.”

“And you should know that I could hand you over to the authorities. Even the eldest prince wouldn’t save you.”

The little beggar declared with righteous indignation, “I’m not afraid of you.”

“I know,” Gong Yu set down the teacup and replied, “On the contrary, I’m afraid of you. You know martial arts and are clever, but I have no intention of taking your life.”

“Because once the imperial examination concludes, this murder case that began with you will naturally end with you. Your life won’t last much longer.”

“I’m not afraid of you!” the little beggar shouted, his eyes red with fury.

Gong Yu merely felt his ears ache and ordered the guards to take the little beggar away.

Qin Hua handed a jade pendant to Gong Yu and said, “That little beggar’s words are all nonsense and cannot be trusted. We only found this jade pendant on him.”

“Indeed,” Gong Yu took the jade pendant, examined it, then picked up a pastry and slowly ate it, saying, “Tonight, let’s go easy on the little beggar and allow him to escape.”

“Your Highness intends to set a long line to catch a big fish?”

“No, I just want to see what final task the eldest prince will assign to this little beggar.”

Qin Hua asked in confusion, “Could there be another murder?”

“Perhaps, I’m not sure,” Gong Yu held the porcelain plate of pastries and asked, “Won’t you have one, sir?”

“Has Your Highness forgotten that these pastries are poisoned?” Qin Hua picked up a pastry and teased, a rare occurrence.

“I recited an incantation earlier; the poison has been neutralized. You may eat without worry, sir.”

Qin Hua was taken aback and said, “Your Highness’s temperament is more suited to that of an ordinary wealthy young master than to involvement in court struggles.”

Gong Yu nibbled on the pastry and replied, “Indeed, I’m not adept at deciphering others’ thoughts, nor do I wish to compete with anyone. My mind is always preoccupied with food, but such is the world—what can I do?”

“The world is indeed like that, but aside from food, Your Highness’s mind must hold something else.”

“What?”

Qin Hua answered, “Miss Dai.”

Gong Yu smiled and responded, “Miss Dai isn’t just in my mind; she’s held close to my heart.”

“But Your Highness should be cautious of Miss Dai.”

“I know,” Gong Yu set down the porcelain plate and whispered, “But I can no longer let go.”

Three days later, during the morning court session, Gong Yu stood in the grand hall, yawning, when an urgent report came from outside: “Your Majesty, the eldest prince has been assassinated!”

Gong Yu, the most shocked of all, nearly failed to catch his dropped jaw.

The emperor in the hall threw down a memorial and roared, “With a hundred officials and thousands of imperial guards, you still couldn’t capture the assassin! What use are you to me?”

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger,” the officials knelt in unison.

Gong Yu’s mind was in a muddle. The morning court ended hastily, and he left the palace.

Qin Hua, waiting nearby with guards, reported, “The eldest prince was wounded in the abdomen, but fortunately, he received timely treatment and should recover without major issues.”

Gong Yu led his horse forward on his own. Zhao Anyue, accompanied by a group of servants, remarked sarcastically, “Now let’s see how you handle this!”

“Was it the little beggar who did it?”

“Yes.”

“The little beggar was stabbed to death on the spot by the eldest prince’s guards.”

Gong Yu paused in his steps, still clutching the jade pendant taken from the little beggar, and murmured, “If I had known his final task would be this, I shouldn’t have let the little beggar go.”

“Your Highness need not blame yourself. The little beggar was clearly the eldest prince’s assassin.”

Qin Hua frowned and said, “But right now, it seems everything has been cut off at the Crown Prince’s end.”

Zhao Anyue stepped forward and remarked, “That day, I should have tortured that little beggar. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Gong Yu turned her head to glance at the imperial capital behind her and responded, “The trail isn’t broken.”

“At the very least, this jade pendant indicates that the Crown Prince has another guest.”

After the palace examinations concluded, the successful candidates gradually took up their official posts, and the capital seemed to return to its former prosperity and tranquility.

As the positions of the deceased Minister of Justice and Minister of Revenue were successively filled, Gong Yu, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally understood that this entire series of murders might simply be part of a power realignment.

When midsummer arrived, the cicadas’ chirping grew noisy and piercing. The Second Princess, Gong Ling, repeatedly extended invitations. Gong Yu managed to decline once but couldn’t refuse ten times.

Coinciding with the Minor Heat solar term, Gong Yu was dragged by the Fifth Prince to a boating gathering. Beside Princess Gong Ling were several unfamiliar ladies.

Gong Yu cautiously sipped her tea, noting that the segregation between men and women at this banquet was not strictly observed.

Even the Fifth Prince had two or three ladies clinging to him. Gong Yu held her teacup, feeling that if push came to shove, she might have to jump into the river to escape.

Princess Gong Ling, holding a wine cup with flushed cheeks, approached Gong Yu and laughed, “Why is Little Nine so restrained?”

“Your Sister Dai isn’t here today. No one’s watching over you.”

Gong Yu dodged Princess Gong Ling’s hand and hurriedly replied, “Second Sister, I have matters to attend to at my residence.”

“Don’t think your Second Sister is easily fooled. If you don’t pick two today, I’ll choose two and send them to your residence myself,” Princess Gong Ling whispered, her tone more of a command than a suggestion.

Gong Yu broke free from Princess Gong Ling’s grasp, straightened her robes, and said, “Second Sister, are you bullying me because I have no power or influence?”

“Oh, Little Nine is getting sharper with her words. No wonder she’s won Ayan’s favor.”

“But Little Nine, you’re too naive. Ayan has no heart. If she did, she wouldn’t have been so cruel to me.” Princess Gong Ling’s eyes reddened as she drank on her own. “After all these years together, she showed no mercy. What makes you think you’re any different, Little Nine?”

“Second Sister, you’re drunk and talking nonsense,” Gong Yu retreated backward.

Princess Gong Ling smiled bitterly. “You all think I’m spouting nonsense, but I’m telling you, I’ve shared intimate moments with her, and she still cast me aside like a discarded pawn.”

The tear that slid from Princess Gong Ling’s eye was so genuine that Gong Yu was left stunned.

How could Dai Ru Yan have been involved with Princess Gong Ling like that?

Distracted, Gong Yu nearly forgot that her purpose here was to investigate the jade pendant.

As the surrounding ladies swarmed around her, Gong Yu stepped back. The Fifth Prince nearby was already too drunk to be of any help.

Slipping out of the cabin, Gong Yu evaded the group of brightly dressed young women, managing to circle around and avoid them.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to slip away from the side, Zhao Anyue suddenly grabbed her, and the two quickly hid. The group of women rushed out moments later, but fortunately, they had hidden in time.

“Didn’t expect you to be so popular, pretty boy,” Zhao Anyue reached out to touch Gong Yu’s face.

“You…” Gong Yu dodged Zhao Anyue’s outstretched hand.

When the surroundings finally quieted down, Gong Yu sat up, preparing to escape the ship by boarding the small boat Qin Hua had arranged in advance.

However, Zhao Anyue reached out and grabbed Gong Yu’s hand, saying, “I’m not ugly, so why are you avoiding me like this?”

Unable to break free, Gong Yu had no choice but to reply, “If I don’t avoid you now, I’m afraid even my clothes will be torn off.”

“Who told you to be so weak that even a group of girls can bully you?”

“Let go of me!”

“I won’t.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to find out who this jade pendant belongs to?”

“This jade pendant is one of a pair bestowed by the emperor when the princesses were born. In other words, are you suspecting the Second Princess, Gong Ling?” Zhao Anyue’s mind worked quickly.

Gong Yu had no choice but to nod, glancing around and saying, “The problem is, I’m in danger right now. Let’s talk about the jade pendant another day.”

Zhao Anyue stood up as well and said, “I can tell you—this jade pendant does indeed belong to the Second Princess, Gong Ling.”

“Ever since the Third Prince died, the Second Princess has been growing closer to the First Prince, even secretly gathering the forces that once belonged to the Third Prince.”

“How do you know all this so clearly?”

“I’ve spent a lot of connections and effort investigating it for you.”

“I never asked you to spend money on it.” Gong Yu replied while scanning the surroundings.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Anyue suddenly bit Gong Yu hard. Gong Yu cried out in pain, exclaiming, “Are you crazy?”

Zhao Anyue said angrily, “Yes, I am. With that attitude of yours just now, if it were anyone else, I’d have thrown you into the lake long ago.”

Their voices attracted the other girls on the ship. Gong Yu, now thoroughly intimidated by Zhao Anyue, quickly shook off the hand holding hers and hurriedly ran upstairs.

Fortunately, the ship was large enough. Gong Yu ran until she was out of breath, and as she turned a corner, a pair of hands suddenly reached out.

Gong Yu was pulled into a room by these hands, and the first thing she saw was a woman in red and a smoking pipe that looked somewhat familiar.

“Long time no see, handsome young man.”

The woman in red blew out a puff of smoke, and Gong Yu, choking on it, quickly turned her head to avoid it.

“Don’t hide.” The woman in red laughed and leaned closer. “It’s been a while, but you look even younger than before.”

Gong Yu, unnerved by the woman’s eerie smile, quickly fled the room and, finding no one around, rowed away from the large ship in the small boat.

The woman in red leaned against the railing, watching Gong Yu’s direction, and called out, “Young man, that boat is leaking.”

“Impossible. I specifically had someone prepare this boat.” Before she could finish speaking, the boat…

Water inexplicably began seeping through the bottom of the boat.

Gong Yu gripped the oars, unable to believe her terrible luck today.

“Come aboard my boat, sister will make sure you disembark comfortably,” the woman in red said with a peculiarly eerie smile.

And those words were clearly blatant flirtation!

“Xiao Jiu!”

Gong Yu thought she must be hallucinating, but when she turned her head, she saw another boat approaching. Dai Ru Yan stood on its deck.

“Xiao Jiu, come up quickly,” Dai Ru Yan extended her hand.

Gong Yu reached out and grasped Dai Ru Yan’s hand, boarding the vessel—though one of her pant legs was already soaked through, leaving a puddle of water where she stood on the deck.

The woman in red on the other boat leisurely exhaled a cloud of smoke before calmly turning and disappearing into the cabin.

“Thank goodness you arrived in time, Ayan,” Gong Yu sighed as she wrung out her wet pant leg.

But Dai Ru Yan tugged at Gong Yu’s wrist and asked with concern, “Who bit your wrist? It’s bleeding.”

“It was that Zhao Anyue—it really hurt.”

“Silly girl, it’s bleeding. Let me take you to apply some medicine.”

“Okay.”

Gong Yu gazed at Dai Ru Yan with lingering fear, recalling what Second Princess Gong Ling had said earlier.

She really shouldn’t have boarded that boat. The Second Princess probably hadn’t spoken a single truthful word.

How could Ayan possibly do such things? She doesn’t even fully understand the meaning of a kiss.