Chapter 25: The Harmless Princess of Beiyang vs. The Fratricidal Prince of Beiyang

Evil begets evil; in this life, you will eventually have to pay for what you have done.

Wen Yurou longed to ask her why she had treated the original owner this way, especially when the original owner had been so kind to her.

Hearing the door open, Wen Ruowei looked up and locked eyes with Wen Yurou. Upon realizing it was Wen Yurou standing before her, her expression shifted slightly.

"Wen Yurou..." Wen Ruowei called out, her voice raspy and unpleasant. What was she doing here? Had she come to gloat?

Wen Yurou walked over slowly. She stood before her, staring in silence, wanting to see what kind of nonsense Wen Ruowei would spout at a time like this. Why would she kill Liu Wenyu? It brought her no benefit. Wen Yurou could not fathom the motive.

Seeing her silence, Wen Ruowei spoke up again: "Did you kill him and frame me for it?"

"What?" Wen Yurou raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Wen Yurou!" Wen Ruowei hissed through gritted teeth and lunged at her. Before her hands could touch Wen Yurou's clothes, she was kicked to the ground.

Wen Yurou turned to see Xiao Zexuan standing there, holding a dagger. Chunmei, seeing this, turned pale with fright. "Y-Your Highness..."

"Are you alright?" Xiao Zexuan asked, his gaze fixed on Wen Yurou.

Wen Yurou ignored him and looked down at the woman on the floor. Wen Ruowei’s face darkened. "Wen Yurou, how cruel your heart is..."

Wen Yurou remained silent. She had intended to gloat and fish for information, but with Xiao Zexuan present, she could not give her any room to perform. Her voice was so grating that Xiao Zexuan frowned. "Wen Ruowei, what is your relationship with Liu Yangjiang?"

"What... what relationship? What does that have to do with Liu Wenyu’s death?"

"Did you kill Liu Wenyu?"

"..."

Xiao Zexuan demanded again, "Answer me!"

"I... I didn't... I didn't kill him..." Wen Ruowei denied it through clenched teeth. "I was framed..."

Xiao Zexuan stared at her intently for a few seconds. "Even if I believe you didn't kill him, are you telling me you and Liu Yangjiang have nothing to hide from everyone?"

"I don't know what you're talking about... I really don't..." Wen Ruowei looked at Wen Yurou. "Your Highness, please believe me, I really didn't kill anyone... I didn't..."

Xiao Zexuan’s expression turned grim. "I don't believe your lies. Liu Yangjiang has already confessed everything; whether you speak or not no longer matters!"

Wen Ruowei turned pale and fell silent. Xiao Zexuan looked at her coldly for a few moments, then turned and took Wen Yurou’s hand, leading her outside with Chunmei following behind.

"What did he say?" Wen Ruowei couldn't help but ask. They didn't stop or answer her. Watching them leave, Wen Ruowei clenched her fists, a flash of malice in her eyes.

...

"Why did you come here?" Xiao Zexuan asked after settling Wen Yurou into the carriage and sitting beside her.

Seeing his displeasure, Wen Yurou lowered her head without a word. Why had she come? She didn't even know herself; she just wanted to see what Wen Ruowei looked like now.

"I..." she paused, "I just wanted to see her. After all, she is my sister..."

"See her..." Xiao Zexuan’s voice was low. "I know what she did to you... you have suffered." His tone was filled with pity as he took her hand and held it tightly.

Wen Yurou tried to pull her hand away, but he held on firmly.

"I don't blame her... after all..."

Before she could finish, a voice sounded outside: "Your Highness, Your Princess, the officials from the Grand Justice Department have arrived..."

Xiao Zexuan was surprised. Why were they here? Not letting go of Wen Yurou’s hand, he looked outside and said, "Tell them to go to the dungeon directly. They may see her, but they cannot take her." His voice was cold, brimming with murderous intent.

"Understood."

As the carriage moved, the curtain was blown open, and Wen Yurou’s gaze fell upon a man dismounting at the entrance of the Inspection Department.

027’s voice sounded: [Character profile: Zhou Ziqian, an agent planted by Xiao Qiheng, secretly one of the dark guards and assassins. Highly skilled in martial arts, specializing in poison and stealth attacks.]

Zhou Ziqian looked over and was momentarily stunned. Inside the carriage, Wen Yurou’s features were exquisite, her skin like snow and jade, her eyebrows like distant mountains, and her lips soft and pink. Her dark hair was held up simply by a single hairpin, elegant and graceful, radiating a unique aura.

He couldn't help but ask the person beside him, "Is that the new concubine of the Chief Justice?"

The person was stunned. "Reporting to the Minister, that is the Princess of Beiyang, not a concubine!"

Zhou Ziqian’s eyes lit up. Wen Yurou wore a smoke-colored gown with delicate orchid embroidery on the sleeves and hem, making her look breathtaking.

She... didn't the Crown Prince say... that the Prince's wife was an incredibly ugly woman? Why did she look so beautiful!

"Princess..." he murmured, his gaze fixed on her, unable to look away.

Wen Yurou withdrew her gaze first, pressing her lips together. She disliked being watched like this; it felt dangerous, like being targeted by a leopard. She lowered her eyes to hide the strange look in them.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Zexuan asked, leaning down.

Wen Yurou turned to him. "Who is that?"

"The Minister of the Grand Justice Department!"

The Minister? Shouldn't he be an old man? If the Crown Prince’s people were intervening, something major was likely about to happen.

"What's wrong?" Wen Yurou frowned, noticing his expression was grim.

"Nothing! Today is the first day of the month; I should accompany you back to your family estate." Xiao Zexuan held her small hand tightly.

"...Mm." Wen Yurou replied, then added, "But if we go back now, Mother will surely give you a hard time."

"Give me a hard time?" Xiao Zexuan’s expression was bizarre. "Who would dare to give me a hard time? It is I who gives them a hard time!"

Wen Yurou couldn't help but smile.

027: [Affinity value has changed: Current affinity is 25 percent.]

Why had it only risen by so little after several days? This wasn't normal! Could it be that because of her connection to the Crown Prince, he still didn't trust her?

"You haven't slept all night. Why don't you go back and rest first? The visit to the estate can be delayed; there's no rush." Wen Yurou’s voice was soft as she looked up at his face. "You have dark circles under your eyes."