Double Rebirth: The Scumbag Heroine is Terrified of the Yandere Prince! - Chapter 33

Fuzhou, The Estate of the Prince of Zhenbei.

Because he was being intentionally given the cold shoulder by Xie Yuanxun, Xie Xuansong’s life at the Zhenbei Estate had been far from pleasant over the past few days.

He had just emerged from Qing Ying’s room when he saw his guard, Hong Feng, approaching him with a grim expression.

“My Lord.” Hong Feng lowered his voice. “You have always harbored suspicions regarding the circumstances of Qing Ying’s injury. Today, I have uncovered the truth. The reason those mountain bandits turned against us is very likely due to the direct orders of the Prince of Zhenbei!”

“What?” Xie Xuansong’s gaze turned icy.

In truth, this answer did not surprise him at all. He knew better than anyone the truth behind the rampant banditry at Tianzhao Mountain—he knew that their secret patron was none other than Xie Yuanxun.

In Fuzhou, Xie Yuanxun was effectively a “local Emperor.” Although Fuzhou was not far from the capital and sat at the feet of the Son of Heaven, it was not a hospitable place. It was a den of bandits and corrupt officials—a “hard bone” that every successive governor had failed to crack.

Xie Yuanxun was clever; he didn’t just rely on the court’s power but also utilized these bandits to his advantage. It was only after Xie Xuansong had coordinated with him that they set the trap for Xie Xuanjin and Shen Ruoli.

He never expected that, in the end, it would be his own people who suffered the losses!

How could Xie Xuansong swallow this grievance? If Xie Yuanxun hadn’t been meddling behind the scenes, Qing Ying wouldn’t have been injured and abandoned in Fuzhou by Shen Ruoli. Furthermore, he himself would not have been forced to stay behind by Xie Xuanjin!

“Speak!” Xie Xuansong spat through gritted teeth, his face darkening with a terrifying shadow.

Hong Feng reported everything he had discovered in meticulous detail. “My Lord, the Prince of Zhenbei’s ‘bandit suppression’ over the past few days is merely a show for the Imperial Court. In reality, he has only temporarily dispersed them. While the bandits were fleeing Fuzhou, I managed to capture one of them.”

That bandit had confessed that everything was orchestrated by Xie Yuanxun.

“Where is he?”

“I have him locked up in a secret location.”

Hong Feng naturally didn’t dare bring the man back to the Zhenbei Estate. Currently, every move Xie Xuansong made was under Xie Yuanxun’s watchful eye. If Hong Feng brought a bandit back to the estate, it would directly escalate the conflict between the uncle and nephew, making the situation impossible to resolve.

Xie Xuansong didn’t ask further questions and signaled Hong Feng to lead the way.

At the end of West Street in Fuzhou, in a long-abandoned courtyard.

The bandit was tied to a pillar by Hong Feng, his mouth stuffed with a wooden block, the corners of his lips rubbed raw and bleeding. He was struggling to fray the rope against his wrists, but before he could succeed, Xie Xuansong and Hong Feng appeared before him. The bandit froze and stared at them warily.

“If you tell me the truth, I will not kill you.”

Xie Xuansong was a ruthless man; without another word, he drove a blade into the bandit first. The bandit was tall and thin with a sallow complexion, looking as malnourished as a scrawny monkey.

Let’s call him “Little Fatty” for now.

As Xie Xuansong’s blade sank in, he felt it hit bone, causing him to frown in annoyance. “You bandits rob people daily—shouldn’t you be dripping with wealth? How are you this thin?”

He pulled the knife out with disgust. Little Fatty writhed in pain, nearly fainting.

Hong Feng answered for him. “My Lord, he is at the very bottom of the bandit hierarchy. He is bullied and exploited daily. When I arrived, he was the one left behind to clean up the mess.”

This was why Little Fatty had been so cooperative, revealing everything. Hong Feng added with certainty, “His words can be trusted.”

Little Fatty nodded frantically, gasping out, “My Lord, I wouldn’t dare lie! I will answer whatever you ask!”

“Good.” Xie Xuansong tentatively believed him. He wiped the blood from his blade onto Little Fatty’s clothes. “This time, were you truly fleeing for your lives, or were you ‘ordered to hide’?”

“Ordered to hide!”

“Who is your patron?”

“It’s… it’s the Prince of Zhenbei!”

“In the Crown Princess’s party, who was the intended target for injury?”

“The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess!”

“And who ordered you to severely wound Qing Ying?”

“The Prince of Zhenbei!”

Xie Xuansong questioned him rapidly, and Little Fatty answered even faster, almost anticipating the questions. This level of cooperation actually caused Xie Xuansong’s suspicion to grow rather than fade. This little brat was answering far too readily.

“Are you speaking the truth?”

“Every word is true! If I dare deceive you, may my entire family meet a miserable end!” Little Fatty swore immediately—he was an orphan who had lost his parents at a young age and survived by begging.

Hearing this, Xie Xuansong finally believed him a little more. To swear on the lives of one’s family… Little Fatty likely wasn’t lying. He signaled Hong Feng to untie him.

“Then, what else do you know?”

“I know that the Prince of Zhenbei actually has several mistresses!” Little Fatty said hurriedly.

Xie Xuansong: “…”

He didn’t exactly need to know that. Ever since the Princess of Zhenbei died of illness years ago, Xie Yuanxun had never remarried, claiming he would remain faithful to his late wife for the rest of his life. Even Queen Sun had sighed over his devotion.

It turned out the “deep affection” was just a facade; behind the scenes, Xie Yuanxun was no different from any other man. Clearly, this Imperial Uncle was a master actor who had fooled everyone.

Xie Xuansong snorted. “Aside from that, what else do you know? For instance, who does he plan to deal with next? The Crown Prince? Me? Or… the Emperor?”

“That, I don’t know!” Little Fatty looked terrified. He fell to his knees. “I wouldn’t dare betray the Prince! Don’t kill me! I won’t tell anyone! Have mercy on me!”

Little Fatty prostrated himself, trembling and incoherent. His sudden emotional outburst made Xie Xuansong suspicious again. These words didn’t seem directed at him. Was the “Prince” he spoke of Xie Xuansong, or Xie Yuanxun?

One thing was certain: Little Fatty knew more. He was just currently too paralyzed by fear to speak clearly. It didn’t matter; once he calmed down, Xie Xuansong would pry his mouth open.

He signaled Hong Feng to secure the man. “When we return to the capital, take him with us.”

“But My Lord, if the Prince of Zhenbei or the Crown Prince finds out…”

“Then don’t let them find out!” Xie Xuansong dismissed the concern. “This boy clearly knows a secret. Once he’s calm, make sure you get it out of him.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Hong Feng could only obey.

Xie Xuansong believed he had caught Xie Yuanxun’s weak point. Little did he know that this “weak point” had been intentionally delivered to him by someone else.

By the time he returned to the estate, Xie Yuanxun was already waiting outside Qing Ying’s door with a look of displeasure. Seeing this, Xie Xuansong’s heart sank slightly. It seemed Xie Yuanxun was here with ill intent.

Before he could even draw near, Xie Yuanxun questioned him in a heavy voice, “It is so late; where have you been? Isn’t this maid very important to you?”

“She has just awakened! Go in and see her!”

Qing Ying was awake?!

Xie Xuansong paused for a fraction of a second, then rushed into the room.