Chapter 142 Autumn's End

　　Qiu Shi jolted violently, freezing instantly. Beneath her pale, twisted face, her eyes were filled with resentment as she screeched, "Is His Highness the Crown Prince trying to protect that hussy by framing this old woman?"

　　Framing her? Hussy?

　　A faint smile still played on Xie Jin's lips as he slowly approached Qiu Shi. He suddenly glanced at her and coldly asked, "Does Old Madam Shen know who you're referring to as a 'hussy'?"

　　Now, right in front of him, Qiu Shi dared to insult A'Wu like this. He could only imagine the abuse A'Wu suffered as a child.

　　Thinking of this, Xie Jin's heart ached, and his gaze toward Qiu Shi grew even colder.

　　He chuckled and ordered Feng Yuan, "Qiu Shi is stubborn and defies her superiors! Once she's in the prison, interrogate her first. Use any means necessary to make her reveal her accomplices."

　　Use any means necessary? Did that mean torture?

　　A chill ran down Feng Yuan's spine. He looked at Qiu Shi with a hint of pity. With the old lady's physique, wouldn't she just die in there?

　　Qiu Shi also realized Xie Jin's intention.

　　Her face turned white, and her body trembled violently.

　　This Crown Prince! He was willing to harm the families of high-ranking officials for the sake of a mere bewitching woman!

　　Qiu Shi was both angry and afraid. She immediately wanted to threaten Xie Jin with the "noble families."

　　"However, Old Madam Shen is, after all, elderly and needs to be taken care of, lest she dies."

　　Xie Jin smiled faintly, seemingly intentionally. Seeing Qiu Shi sink further into fear, he added casually to Feng Yuan.

　　His words sounded like pity for Qiu Shi, but everyone with eyes could see that he intended to make her wish she were dead.

　　This way, even if Qiu Shui managed to find another way to gain a new life, she would still be crippled when she came out.

　　Qiu Shi naturally realized this as well. Looking at Xie Jin's smiling eyes, she felt fear for the first time, realizing that this Crown Prince, who had foreign blood, was not as foolish as rumors claimed.

　　But because of this, Qiu Shi also had a glimmer of hope.

　　She thought that since the Crown Prince wasn't foolish, he would naturally not offend a group of noble families for the sake of a woman. As long as Eunuch Yu returned from Shu a month later and presented the evidence of the Yu family's murder, then everything about the Yu family's "slander" against their Shen family would be disproven.

　　Thinking of this, Qiu Shi calmed down again.

　　Adopting an air of innocence, she interrupted Xie Jin with a threatening tone, "Is His Highness the Crown Prince really willing to offend the noble families for a dying merchant's daughter? Is it worth it?"

　　Noble families?

　　Which of those noble families took him, this foreign bastard, seriously?

　　Xie Jin had come this far not because of those empty-shelled noble families.

　　A sneer appeared on his lips as Xie Jin replied indifferently to Qiu Shi.

　　"Whether it's worth it or not is my own business, no need for the Old Madam to worry."

　　"The Old Madam should worry about her own life!"

　　With those words, he immediately stepped out of the courtyard.

　　Then he went to Shen Ge's courtyard. At this time, Shen Ge was in the middle of a tryst with a maid. The sudden appearance of the imperial guards scared him half to death.

　　As for Shen Rou, she was still dreaming of becoming the Crown Princess after Yu Qingwu was killed and was picking out her wedding phoenix robe with a maid when she was dragged out the door by the imperial guards.

　　Qin Yiliu was still crying and making a scene with Shen Lin over Shen Ge's matter. The two were in a moment of deep affection when Shen Lin, who was on top of Qin Yiliu, was grabbed and pulled away...

　　Xu Shi and Shen Zongyuan were relatively normal, but they still looked quite disheveled when they were dragged out of the Shen family.

　　Only Liang Ruowei, because she was the daughter of the Prince of Ning, was allowed to move around in the Rongguo Duke's mansion, but she was not allowed to contact anyone.

　　But with such a big commotion, the news of the Shen family's imprisonment naturally spread quickly.

　　Overnight, the imperial court and the public were in turmoil. Some were happy, some were guilty, and some were angry at the Crown Prince's impulsive act for the sake of a beauty. One memorial after another was submitted to impeach Xie Jin.

　　But soon, the people behind the memorials were silenced by the letter that Qiu Shi had personally written, which Xie Jin had thrown out. In addition, a series of evidence of the Shen family's embezzlement was presented. Although Shen Zongyuan had long pushed the blame onto a powerless and insignificant branch family member, he was still implicated because of "treason." Even Marquis Qiu, who had pleaded for him, was beaten severely.

　　The court officials were all in a state of fear, and no one dared to say anything more.

　　After leaving the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Xie Jin went straight to the Eastern Palace.

　　As soon as he entered, he lazily lay down on the rattan chair.

　　Yu Qingwu had been in a great mood lately since she learned that the Shen family had been imprisoned.

　　She was playing with the poisonous scorpion she had recently acquired, glanced at Xie Jin, who looked a little tired, and asked him with a smile, "What's wrong, Your Highness? Were you impeached by those court officials again? Who was it today?"

　　"Let me guess?" She hooked her lips, sat down beside Xie Jin, lowered her eyes to look at his handsome face, and said softly, "Marquis Qiu? Or the Prince of Ning?"

　　"Neither, they were all silenced today."

　　Xie Jin sat up, his eyes swept over the poisonous scorpion in Yu Qingwu's hand, and he looked a little disgusted. "Shijie (Senior martial sister), can you not always keep these things? Aren't you afraid of hurting yourself?"

　　Hurting herself?

　　He was afraid of hurting himself, wasn't he?

　　Yu Qingwu didn't answer. She gently put the scorpion back into the jar and sat down beside Xie Jin again, looking at him and saying, "Then can I keep snakes?"

　　Was this woman doing it on purpose?

　　He was working himself to death for her, and this was how she was repaying him?

　　Xie Jin's face darkened, and he didn't speak.

　　Seeing his expression, the smile in Qingwu's eyes deepened, she tilted her head, raised her lips, and looked at the man's handsome face again, laughing, "Is Your Highness angry?"

　　Her tone was light and playful.

　　Xie Jin lowered his eyes, his expression softened a little, but there was still displeasure in his eyes as he grunted, "Shijie (Senior martial sister) is even in the mood to joke, it seems that you are indeed in a good mood."

　　"Of course I'm happy that the Shen family has fallen into misfortune." Qingwu's face was bright, and she didn't hide it at all.

　　She would be even happier if the entire Shen family could die in prison.

　　A coldness flashed in her eyes, as if she suddenly thought of something, and the smile on her lips slowly disappeared.

　　She raised her eyes, and her watery pupils looked at Xie Jin again. Yu Qingwu opened her mouth again and asked in a low voice, "By the way, Your Highness, when will Eunuch Yu return? Has there been any progress in the Yang family's case?"

　　As she said this, Yu Qingwu couldn't help but feel uneasy.

　　Her bright eyes just now suddenly became uneasy.

　　Although Xie Jin had said he would protect her, she had indeed planned to kill Yang Cheng...

　　If she couldn't protect her life, she would have to strike first and kill all her enemies before she died.

　　A sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and her fingernails dug into her palm.

　　Looking at the constantly changing expression in the woman's eyes, Xie Jin had already guessed what she was thinking.

　　He frowned slightly, took a deep look at Yu Qingwu, gently took her hand, and said in a low voice, "Shijie (Senior martial sister), don't always think about destroying everything. Yu Qi sent a message back yesterday, he has evidence in his hand that is enough to prove that Yang Cheng did not die at your hands."

　　What? Yu Qingwu was shocked.

　　Looking at Xie Jin, she seemed to suddenly understand something, bit her lip, and looked at the man steadily, "Your Highness, I want to see Qiu Shi."