Late at night, in the Liuxiang Tower, there were still two private rooms with lights on and the occupants not yet at rest.
The night in July was extremely stifling. Despite the open window and the occasional breeze blowing in, one still broke out in a sweat.
Xiao Yixuan still sat at the table, poring over the medical records in his hand.
Although he hadn't been able to find any clues from them, this was currently the most likely way to find Xiao Jingcheng. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue looking.
He had stayed in Dongli Town for too long. If he delayed any longer, not only would Xiao Wuchen notice, but those in the capital might also react and sense something amiss.
More importantly, there was the Prince of Mu.
Bu Hua hadn't sent a letter to report the situation for three days. He didn't know where the team was now or what had happened to the corpse. If the Prince of Mu learned that he had been staying in Dongli Town all this time, he might become suspicious of the corpse.
At present, the most urgent thing, apart from finding Xiao Jingcheng as soon as possible and killing him, was to transport the corpse back to the capital as soon as possible to avoid any unexpected problems.
"Knock, knock."
There were two knocks on the door. Xiao Yixuan allowed the person to enter. His personal bodyguard, Meng Zhao, tiptoed into the room, bent down, and whispered something in his ear.
Xiao Yixuan frowned tightly.
"What did you say? Are you sure it was Ye Wanxing who instigated it?"
Meng Zhao said, "Your subordinate has investigated. The money bag in that person's hand belongs to Miss Ye. And many people have seen the maidservant Ye bought back recently using that money bag."
Xiao Yixuan closed the book in his hand, his heart filled with suspicion.
Could it be that Ye Wanxing had discovered something and confirmed Ye Wanmian's identity? Otherwise, why would she bother to deal with a village woman?
"Also, Your Highness, there are several more people in Huichun Hall, and they are all men," the bodyguard whispered in Xiao Yixuan's ear.
Xiao Yixuan immediately became alert.
"Several more people? Have you inquired about who they are?"
After Meng Zhao noticed the increase in the number of people in Huichun Hall, he went to inquire. He immediately said, "One came to Dongli Town today on a donkey. He is very handsome and claims to be a doctor. The other..."
Meng Zhao couldn't remember the appearance of Xiao Jingcheng he had seen while hiding in the crowd. He said, "He is very ordinary. There's nothing special about him. I heard that he is the distant cousin of Doctor Jiang."
Xiao Yixuan's expression turned slightly cold.
Others might not know Ye Wanmian's identity, but didn't he? She had grown up in the capital since childhood and only disappeared from everyone's sight two years ago when the Ye family married her off in a small sedan chair.
Ye Wanmian's biological parents had already died. Where did she get a distant cousin?
"When did this distant cousin of hers appear?"
Meng Zhao said, "According to the neighbors and the patients who went to Huichun Hall for treatment, this cousin has been around for several days. But he seems to have some mental problems. He even snatched a golden bowl in the street today, forcing Doctor Jiang to buy the bowl back."
Xiao Yixuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Snatching a bowl in the street. How could this be something his Crown Prince elder brother, who was self - disciplined and as cold as ice, would do?
So, that person was really Ye Wanmian's distant cousin?
Although her parents had died, it didn't mean she had no other relatives.
However, he still felt uneasy in his heart.
It seemed that he had to go to Huichun Hall in person tomorrow to find out the truth.
He waved Meng Zhao away and got up to walk out of the door.
A moment later, he came to another door in the Liuxiang Tower and gently knocked on it.
Xiaocui came to answer the door. Seeing him, she bowed in a fluster: "This servant greets Your Highness."
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yixuan's face: "Is your young lady asleep?"
Xiaocui looked back into the room. Just as she was nervously wondering how to answer, Ye Wanxing's voice came from behind: "Is it Cousin Xuan? Xiaocui, let him in."
Xiaocui replied and stepped aside. After Xiao Yixuan stepped into the room, she quietly backed out and closed the door for them.
Ye Wanxing walked out from behind the screen. Her long hair was loose behind her, but she was still fully dressed. It seemed that she had just let down her hair and was about to go to sleep.
He moved his lips, about to ask her about Huichun Hall, when Ye Wanxing's eyes turned red. She trotted into Xiao Yixuan's arms and tightly hugged his waist.
The cold fragrance wafted into his arms, but it wasn't the scent he had always longed for.
Xiao Yixuan originally wanted to push her away, but after his hand reached out, it landed on her shoulder. His voice was gentle: "What's wrong? Why do you look so aggrieved?"
"It's all because of you, Cousin Xuan," Ye Wanxing said with a sob.
"What did I do?" Xiao Yixuan stared expressionlessly at the hanging painting in front of him, but his voice was extremely gentle.
"Since His Highness the Prince of Mu left, Cousin has hardly paid any attention to me. Cousin would rather get close to an unknown village woman than talk to me. I'm really very sad. Cousin Xuan, what on earth did I do wrong to make you unhappy?"
She raised her head from Xiao Yixuan's arms. Her eyes were wet. She looked so pitiful.
Xiao Yixuan felt relieved. Judging from Ye Wanxing's words, it seemed that she was just jealous of his talking to other women, rather than having discovered Ye Wanmian's identity.
Otherwise, Ye Wanxing probably wouldn't have let it go so easily today.
He sighed softly and said, "So, you found someone to cause trouble in Huichun Hall just to make things difficult for her?"
Ye Wanxing pouted and said, "Cousin, you don't know. She deliberately added rhubarb to my prescription. She was clearly teasing me! I did this just to fight back!"
Adding rhubarb?
He had heard Ye Huan mention that Ye Wanxing had a poor appetite recently and vomited whatever she ate. It must have been because of the rhubarb.
However, who asked the Ye siblings to get close to her?
Mian'er, you're really naughty.
Trying to hold back his laughter, he coaxed, "Well, they say bitter medicine is good for the illness. Maybe she really did it for your own good?"
Seeing that Ye Wanxing was about to say something else, he said in a sterner tone, "I've already explained to you that my relationship with Doctor Jiang from Huichun Hall is not what you think. Don't be so willful next time. Otherwise, I'll have to send you back to the capital."
Ye Wanxing lowered her head and replied sullenly, "I promise I won't do it again."
Her obedience pleased Xiao Yixuan, but he always felt that something was missing. The stubborn look of Ye Wanmian involuntarily appeared in front of his eyes.
His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat. He said, "Anyway, what you did today was really inappropriate. Tomorrow I'll go and apologize to her on your behalf."
Ye Wanxing was extremely annoyed in her heart. She knew he was going to meet that village woman tomorrow even though he knew she didn't like her. She held his wrist and said coquettishly:
"How can I trouble Cousin Xuan? It's my fault. I should go and apologize to her in person."
Xiao Yixuan directly quashed her idea: "Didn't you just promise me to be obedient?"
Seeing her frown tightly, Xiao Yixuan rubbed her shoulder and asked, "You once told me that after returning to Dongli Town, you would go to pay respects to Master Huaihai of Ling'an Temple on behalf of your aunt. Have you seen him?"