Lin Yu Ning was well aware of her mother's status; she was merely a commoner, and her maternal family offered no support. Lin Lang's abilities were identical to Su Yun Mo's, which meant...
Lin Yu Ning gritted her teeth, a surge of intense jealousy and hatred rising in her heart.
Why!
Why did that little slut Su Yun Mo get all the good fortune in the world? She refused to accept it!
Lin Yu Ning closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her expression slowly returning to calm.
"Lin Lang, is it? Thank you for finding me. From today onwards, you will stay by my side. I need you to resolve a person for me."
Lin Lang: "Lin Lang vows to protect the master's safety with her life!"
Meanwhile, Su Yun Mo was carried out of the dense forest and back to the hunting palace.
She vaguely sensed a presence in the woods, but it felt like an illusion.
"Save her quickly, hurry!"
The hunting palace was in chaos.
The sudden disturbance had injured many princes and ministers.
Su Yun Mo gazed at the dense forest from afar, feeling that the strange emotion that had suddenly arisen in her heart was related to this commotion.
Or perhaps, she was overthinking it?
"Go deliver the message." Gui Sha's voice came from above.
Su Yun Mo: "Yes, I should report my safety to Father. You go."
Gui Sha nodded and turned towards the hunting palace.
As he turned, a small portion of his sleeve was pushed aside, revealing a pair of rabbit ears.
Gui Sha quickly pushed the rabbit's head, which had not yet fully emerged, back in, tightened his clothes, and walked away as if nothing had happened.
Su Yun Mo's eyelids twitched.
Well, the mystery of the missing roasted rabbit from last night had been solved.
Gui Sha departed.
Su Yun Mo looked back at the dense forest for a long moment before heading towards the prince's sleeping quarters.
Ye Jing Yu's residence was located further out.
As she stepped into the courtyard, she heard the sound of something hitting flesh from the backyard.
She followed the sound.
In the backyard, a man in black was stripped of his clothes, left only in his trousers, his hands tied to a tree and hanging.
Ying Xiao was throwing small firecrackers at him.
These small firecrackers contained gunpowder and were typically played with by children. When thrown on the ground, they would explode, but when thrown on a person, they would create a bloody wound.
However, the wounds were not deep, not fatal, and did not truly bleed, because the gunpowder would instantly cauterize the flesh upon explosion.
"This game is quite unique."
Ye Jing Yu sat on a lounge chair, drinking tea. Seeing her approach, he frowned with slight disapproval. "Couldn't you have found someone to announce your arrival?"
Fortunately, he hadn't had the assassin's clothes completely removed.
"Something happened at the hunting grounds. I came to see you out of concern for your safety." Su Yun Mo squeezed onto the lounge chair and nudged his chest with her elbow. "Make some room."
Ye Jing Yu shifted slightly to the side, but not much, as the lounge chair wasn't very large.
Ye Jing Yu frowned and simply pulled her onto his lap. "Remember the person we rescued from the bandit's den? He's here to assassinate, and we caught him red-handed."
Su Yun Mo was surprised. "You brought Sun Yi to the hunting palace?"
"No, I merely let it be known. I didn't expect them to be so impatient," Ye Jing Yu sneered.
Seeing his nonchalance, Su Yun Mo knew Sun Yi was likely unharmed. She then looked at the assassin.
The assassin was covered in black holes from the blows, but his mouth was stuffed with a rag, preventing him from crying out.
Su Yun Mo sighed. "You've stuffed his mouth. No matter how much you interrogate him, you won't be able to hear him if he wants to confess."
Ye Jing Yu fiddled with his fingers, indifferent. "That's true. In that case, take it down."
Su Yun Mo's lips twitched, and she narrowed her eyes, leaning closer.
Ye Jing Yu glanced at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Su Yun Mo said with utmost seriousness, "I'm increasingly convinced that your heart is black when cut open."
Ye Jing Yu silently averted his gaze.
Qian Xue pulled the rag from the assassin's mouth.
The assassin then shrieked, "Marquis Lin sent me. He only said to test the authenticity first, and to kill Sun Yi if he was found. I truly know nothing else."
Su Yun Mo's eyes turned cold.
Marquis Lin! Lin Ze Qu! Her guess was correct; it was indeed him!
Qian Xue stuffed the rag back in. "My lord, what he said matches the information we have."
Although Sun Yi refused to speak, as long as they held this witness, the mastermind would eventually make a move.
Su Yun Mo frowned. "Aren't you going to present the witness to the Emperor?"
A cold glint flashed in Ye Jing Yu's eyes.
Qian Xue said helplessly, "Little Miss, you may not know, but this case involved a large portion of the court officials at the time. With both witnesses and evidence gathered, the case was sealed.
Even when His Majesty ordered multiple investigations, no evidence was found to prove Duke Ying Guo's innocence. Now, with just a minor figure like Sun Yi, even if presented to the Emperor, no one would believe it."
Su Yun Mo frowned.
There was nothing that could be done. After all, over four years had passed, and such a major case could not be easily overturned.
"However, interrogating them bit by bit is too slow. To provoke Lin Ze Qu into action, we must strike a blow directly to his heart."
Ye Jing Yu clicked his tongue, picked her up, and placed her back on the ground. "I'll say it again, don't meddle."
Su Yun Mo popped a pastry into her mouth. "What I do is my business. Prince Yu, you should mind your own business."
She waved her hand, said "I'm leaving," and turned to depart.
Ye Jing Yu watched her confident demeanor with a sigh.
Qian Xue stepped forward. "My lord, if you are worried, may I have permission to stop the young lady from acting rashly?"
Ye Jing Yu shook his head. "Never mind. Let her do what she wants. After all... this matter itself is related to her."
Ying Xiao knelt on one knee. "My lord."
Ye Jing Yu said in a deep voice, "Last time, the arrangements were hasty, and we could only avenge Xu Fu. This time, it's your turn."
Ying Xiao's eyes turned scarlet, and he clenched his fists tightly. "Thank you, my lord!"
Due to the unexpected incident at the hunting grounds, everyone was temporarily withdrawn in the afternoon.
Some were healing, others were attending to themselves, and no one dared to hunt anymore.
Lin Ze Qu was assigned to coordinate the palace attendants at the hunting palace, strengthening defenses to prevent further accidents.
He was currently patrolling the hunting palace.
"Marquis is truly composed. It seems you have many hidden guards, so losing one or two doesn't matter much." Su Yun Mo rounded the corner from behind a wall.
Lin Ze Qu's expression immediately darkened upon seeing her. He waved his attendants away. "Su Qing Tian favors you because he believes you are a Su family member, but you'd best not forget your roots."
Su Yun Mo gave a sarcastic smile. "Playing the emotional card? That doesn't seem like Marquis Lin's style."
A dark glint flickered in Lin Ze Qu's eyes, and he remained silent.
"I always thought Marquis Lin was loyal to the country and loved the people, merely a bit extreme in handling personal matters. I never expected you to be so ruthless and unsparing when dealing with enemies in court."
Lin Ze Qu furrowed his brows, his tone chilling. "This Marquis does not know what you are talking about."
Su Yun Mo sneered. "You know perfectly well! You destroyed the prestigious Duke's Mansion for your own selfish desires. This secret has been hidden for four years. But paper can't wrap fire forever!"