A loud buzzing filled Qi Wang’s mind.
He even suspected he had misheard.
Before Eunuch Xu could act, he himself strode to the doors and yanked them open with a bang, face dark as he barked, “What did you just say?”
Jinbao didn’t even dare lift his head to look at the prince’s face. He shivered and stammered carefully, “Y-Your Highness… Yongping Marquis—he personally brought Miss Han Yue’e here… she’s currently waiting at the main gates…”
Qi Wang had already moved out of the palace and established his own residence. His princely manor followed the old system and stood close to other princes’ and princesses’ residences—right near the Imperial City.
For example, Zhou Wang lived next door, and Wu Wang was across the street.
A bit farther down were the estates of several princesses.
Which meant: whatever scandal was happening at the front gates would spread through the entire area in no time at all!
“Absurd!” Qi Wang didn’t care what had happened—he roared at Jinbao, “Useless fools! You don’t even know to invite them inside?!”
Even without knowing the full situation, the fact that Qi Zhen had shown up with Han Yue’e at his gates was already enough to spark countless rumors.
A complete bunch of incompetents!
Jinbao looked as if he were on the verge of tears, clearly aggrieved. “Your Highness, it’s not that we didn’t try—Marquis Yongping refused to come in!”
He was a marquis, after all. How were mere servants supposed to handle someone like that?
Qi Wang was practically boiling with rage.
Just what the h*ll had Han Yue’e done?
By this point, Qi Wang was no longer deluding himself. He immediately suspected that their correspondence had been discovered.
But Han Yue’e had always been discreet—after all these years, nothing had ever been exposed. So how had it happened now, and so suddenly?
And then there was the Qi family…
He rubbed his forehead, quickly striding toward the front gates with his attendants.
The stone lions flanking the gates of the Qi Wang’s manor still faced the street with their usual majesty—but today, the air of solemnity was gone.
Crowds of onlookers were gathered at the entrance to watch the spectacle unfold.
When Qi Zhen had rushed over, he’d brought Han Yue’e, who had been sobbing hysterically the entire ride in the carriage. There was also a maid tied up and being chased along the road.
The whole thing looked utterly bizarre.
And if there was one thing this world never lacked—it was people eager to watch a scene.
So by the time Qi Zhen and his entourage arrived at the gates, they had already attracted a crowd of rubbernecking citizens, completely blocking the street.
Even the city guards and inspection patrols had been alerted.
Maintaining order in the city, especially near the Imperial District, was their responsibility—and the disturbance so close to the palace had them breaking into cold sweats.
But when Lord Yuan arrived and saw that it was Qi Zhen, his face turned into a twisted grimace.
No wonder—it had been him helping with the fire just earlier! Of course he knew what had happened in the Qi household, and that Han Yue’e was the arsonist.
Now it looked like Qi Zhen had no intention of swallowing the insult—he was going to make a scene.
When Qi Wang stepped out and saw the crowd, his fury became impossible to contain.
His gaze landed on Han Yue’e, who had been dragged out of the carriage, and he asked coldly, “Marquis Yongping, what is the meaning of this?”
Qi Zhen showed no fear.
A prince spying on their household, having Han Yue’e send him reports—just what was he up to?!
The idea that every detail of their private family life was being watched by Qi Wang made Qi Zhen’s skin crawl.
He had considered handling the matter quietly.
But Qi Yuan had reminded him.
Too many guests had witnessed the incident—the fire in the ancestral hall caused by Han Yue’e, and her correspondence with Qi Wang.
There was no burying this, no matter how hard they tried.
And even if the Qi family managed to suppress the scandal, could they really expect Qi Wang to believe they held no grudge?
If they were going to suffer either way—
—then why not strike first?
The Qi family wasn’t anyone’s pushover.
He shoved Han Yue’e forward and said coldly, “Your Highness should be the one answering that question! I, too, would like to ask—what exactly do you intend?!”
Tears shimmered in Han Yue’e’s eyes; she wished she could faint on the spot.
She had always operated with control and precision—never in her worst nightmares had she imagined being dragged out and paraded in public, watched like some sideshow.
Lian’er’s feet were torn and bleeding from being dragged along the road, her hair a mess as she knelt to the side sobbing quietly.
Qi Wang’s eyes were dark and unreadable.
But Qi Zhen wasn’t finished. He raised his voice: “This girl is the orphaned daughter of a fallen comrade. I’ve treated her with nothing but respect—always planning to marry her off with honor. And now, I find that she’s been exchanging secret correspondence with Your Highness. What exactly do you mean by this?!”
Boom— the crowd exploded into a frenzy of whispers.
Affairs of love always drew attention—but when it involved a prince and a marquis’s adopted daughter?
Secret letters? Hidden romance?
Tsk tsk tsk—every word only fed the fire of public curiosity.
“Qi Wang is interested in a foster daughter?”
“What do you mean interested?”
Someone rebutted, “This looks like a case of playing around with her in secret. If he was serious, he’d have already proposed marriage! It’s not like she’s some lowborn girl—if he really liked her, why wouldn’t he just marry her?”
Each sentence was like a blade, cutting Han Yue’e to the bone.
And it also made Qi Wang’s face darken with humiliation.
But he couldn’t lash out at Qi Zhen.
Because Qi Zhen suddenly flung a stack of letters forward and said coldly, “Your Highness, this is paper from Chengxin Hall, and this seal is yours alone! Please examine it yourself—I wouldn’t dare make false accusations against a prince!”
With this many letters—even if the bystanders couldn’t see their contents—they were instantly convinced.
Of course it was real! Why else would someone bring a crowd to the prince’s door with written evidence in hand?
Tsk tsk—this Qi Wang, really too much.
If he liked someone’s foster daughter, he could’ve asked to marry her properly. That’d at least be the act of a man.
But secret letters? Gathering intelligence on their household?
Why?
Qi Wang was so furious, his body turned cold.
If looks could kill, Qi Zhen would have been skewered a thousand times over by now.
For the first time, he regretted it.
He’d played too recklessly—and now, he’d lost control.
