It was Mingxi’s first time here. She observed the surrounding fertile fields and crisscrossing irrigation canals, with farmers toiling diligently.
The only blemish was the scorched, blackened walls and gate of the manor’s compound, a grim reminder of a recent fire. The debris of charred beams and scattered bricks spoke of destruction.
As Mingxi examined the scene, Qi He and Miao Sheng dismounted and approached, greeting her with a bow. Qi He then stepped forward to knock on the gate.
Miao Sheng, following closely behind his master, still couldn’t shake off his astonishment.
Good heavens! he thought. Did I really just see Wangye personally helping Miss Duan in and out of the carriage? If the palace Niang Niangs learned of this, they might think he had been swapped for someone else entirely.
Miao Sheng’s respect for Duan Mingxi deepened. This woman, he concluded, was not someone to be crossed under any circumstances.
Soon, Second Master Duan emerged. At the sight of Mingxi, he froze momentarily, but when he noticed Duan Wang, he hurried forward to pay his respects.
Duan Wang raised a hand in a gesture of polite acknowledgment before saying, “I heard about the fire here. I’m accompanying Mingxi today to take a look.”
Second Master Duan’s heart skipped a beat. He was well aware of how much Duan Wang valued Mingxi, but he hadn’t expected him to personally visit for such a minor incident.
Second Master Duan didn’t dare show the slightest disrespect in front of Duan Wang and hurriedly said, “Such a small matter, how could we trouble Wangye to personally come here?”
“No trouble,” Duan Wang replied indifferently. “I’m merely accompanying. You may continue your work.” He then positioned himself by Mingxi’s side, clearly showing he was there to support her.
Second Master Duan: …
He felt as if he might still be dreaming.
Mingxi glanced at Xiao Muchen but didn’t bother addressing his subtle behavior. Instead, she immediately began asking about the fire.
As the group walked deeper into the estate, Second Master Duan explained, “Last night, during the second watch, the woodshed in the rear courtyard suddenly caught fire. The guards on patrol discovered it and quickly put out the flames. However, the fire spread rapidly. Fortunately, the steward from Wangye’s estate arrived with help to assist in extinguishing it.”
As they continued walking, Mingxi observed signs of fire damage on many of the estate’s buildings. However, the timely response had kept the losses from being too severe.
“What about the sheds?” Mingxi asked.
Second Master Duan sighed. “About half of them were burned. Since they were made of wood, everything was destroyed. We’ll have to rebuild later. It’s fortunate we discovered it early; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been just half—everything might’ve been lost.”
“Why did the fire start in the woodshed?” Mingxi pressed.
“You Sanping is still investigating. We haven’t determined the cause yet,” Second Master Duan replied.
Mingxi was about to nod when she suddenly heard a familiar yet distant voice calling, “First Miss.”
Looking up, she saw You Sanping in a gray robe walking toward her across the scorched remains. For a brief moment, Mingxi felt as though she were seeing him from her past life.
Back then, while traveling on business with her father, they had saved him from bandits. From that day, he followed her back to Jiangcheng.
When she returned to the capital to reunite with her family, she asked if he would come with her, but You Sanping declined.
After her parents passed away, she was trapped in the capital, and it was You Sanping who protected her younger brother, who had been harmed to the point of mental incapacity.
She had wanted to bring her brother to live with her, but at the time, she was struggling in the quagmire of the Duke Gao household. Unable to even secure her own path, she knew she wouldn’t be able to protect him if she brought him to the capital.
She entrusted You Sanping with a sum of money to care for her brother.
Later, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne and Gao Zhan requested a divorce, her life had become unbearably exhausting. Stripped of hope, she had chosen mutual destruction, trusting You Sanping to safeguard her brother with the funds she provided.
Such complicated feelings from her past life surged within her as she looked at the younger You Sanping before her now, and she couldn’t help but smile.
You Sanping approached, and upon seeing Mingxi’s radiant smile, he couldn’t resist smiling back.
Xiao Muchen’s gaze shifted between the two, and he stepped slightly closer to Mingxi. “Who might this be?” he asked.
Mingxi glanced at Xiao Muchen and replied, “You Sanping, an extraordinary figure in Jiangcheng. I specifically invited him to assist Second Uncle.”
You Sanping then turned to Duan Wang and respectfully greeted him. “This humble servant greets Wangye.”
Their eyes met briefly—one cold and aloof, the other bright and resolute. Their gazes clashed for a moment before Xiao Muchen gave a slight nod. “For Xixi to speak so highly of you, Mr. You, you must indeed be exceptionally talented.”
“I dare not accept such praise, Wangye. The First Miss once saved my life, and it is my honor to serve her.”
As Mingxi observed their formal exchange, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was slightly off. However, upon closer inspection, she wondered if she was just overthinking it.
Setting aside her suspicions, she led You Sanping to inspect the woodshed.
Xiao Muchen accompanied them, while Miao Sheng hesitated before following. Qi He, on the other hand, decided to investigate other areas and didn’t join them.
“The woodshed stored firewood for daily cooking and a reserve for winter. It was more of a large storage facility than a simple shed.”
Mingxi walked into the backyard. She saw that the once-spacious woodshed had been reduced to ruins, with broken walls and scattered debris everywhere.
“Last night, the steward’s young son was on watch. He’s usually sharp, but he slept unusually soundly last night. If not for someone else discovering the fire in time, he might have perished in the flames.”
Hearing this, Mingxi immediately understood. This was no accident—it was a carefully planned arson.
“Has the man woken up yet?”
“He has. I questioned him already. Last night, before he went on his night shift, a few friends invited him out for dinner. They had some drinks during the meal. However, he claims his alcohol tolerance is quite good and insists that amount wouldn’t have gotten him drunk.”
Duan Mingxi let out a scoffing laugh. “That means someone deliberately set the fire.”
“Exactly. I’ve already sent people to locate the friends he drank with, but so far, they haven’t been found.”
“Given how much time has passed, if it was premeditated arson, the culprits are probably far away by now,” Mingxi said in a grave tone.
“They can run, but they can’t hide. I’ve already had their families investigated; we’ll find some leads,” You Sanping said with a cold smile.
At this moment, Xiao Muchen, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “File a report and let the authorities handle the arrests.”
Mingxi turned her head to look at him, amused. “It seems we’re thinking along the same lines. That’s exactly what I planned to do.”
She intended to escalate the situation. The primary suspect in this incident was the Crown Prince. Even if they couldn’t catch the perpetrators, she wanted to implicate the crown prince.
And if the Crown Prince managed to escape responsibility, Gao Zhan certainly wouldn’t get off so easily.
This was the perfect chance to settle the score for him stealing the estate from her.
You Sanping watched as the young lady and Duan Wang exchanged a smile, their tacit understanding evident. Feeling a bit awkward, he averted his gaze. “I’ll file the report myself.”
Duan Mingxi shook her head, smiling. “Let my second uncle handle it. This estate is under the Marquis’s name. If he goes personally, the authorities wouldn’t dare to dismiss the matter lightly.”
She turned to You Sanping. “Besides, there’s a more important task I need you to handle.”
You Sanping, who had just stepped toward the door, paused and turned back. “What is it?”
