Chapter 120

I owe you.

Han Luoxue, Qin Yuxia, and the others left. Once the door was closed, Nie Jinxuan, sitting in her seat, cast a glance over, then turned to look at Yin Fengzhan, who was lying on the bed without having said a single word.

"It seems I have disturbed the Prince's refined mood!"

Every time Nie Jinxuan referred to herself as 'this concubine' in front of Yin Fengzhan, it was an expression of her dissatisfaction. At this moment, hearing these words, Yin Fengzhan slightly raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice:

"They came on their own!"

"Heh... indeed. However, the next time the Prince wishes to be surrounded by beauties, I ask that you move to your own room; that would surely be better!"

Yin Fengzhan's words were truly infuriating. Thus, as soon as he finished, it immediately drew a reflexive, sarcastic retort from Nie Jinxuan. Hearing this, Yin Fengzhan, leaning against the bed, couldn't help but narrow his eyes and begin to size her up.

Yin Fengzhan remained silent, but his sharp gaze was impossible to ignore. After being stared at for a good while, Nie Jinxuan finally couldn't help but call out:

"Yin Fengzhan, what are you looking at?"

Nie Jinxuan showed signs of losing her temper. Yet, Yin Fengzhan still didn't make a sound. Seeing this, the anger in Nie Jinxuan's heart flared up, but just then, she heard Yin Fengzhan suddenly say:

"Are you jealous?"

His low voice carried a hint of inquiry. Yin Fengzhan spoke calmly, but upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan, who had been about to lose her temper, was suddenly stunned and immediately widened her eyes.

"Jealous? How is that possible?!"

She denied it without a second thought, but then Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but slightly purse her lips and explain in a seemingly calm manner:

"Don't misunderstand. I just don't like them being so presumptuous. After all, this is Ningxiang Yuan; they just came over like this, completely disregarding me, so naturally, I won't sit idly by and let them do as they please!"

Nie Jinxuan spoke as if it were only natural. However, not wanting to say anything more, she changed the subject:

"By the way, has Zhongli returned?"

Nie Jinxuan's topic change was somewhat abrupt. Hearing this, Yin Fengzhan couldn't help but look at her twice more before responding:

"No."

"Still not back? He went out in the morning, and it's already afternoon. By all accounts, he should have returned."

"Something must have happened."

"Something happened? What happened?"

Upon hearing Yin Fengzhan mention that something had happened, Nie Jinxuan's brow instantly furrowed. Just as she was about to press for more details, she heard voices from outside the room.

"Princess Consort, your subordinate has returned."

Zhongli had returned. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan's brow instantly arched, and she gave the order for Zhongli to enter. Then, the sound of the door being pushed open followed, and Zhongli walked in with long strides.

But just as Zhongli walked in, before Nie Jinxuan could even ask, she heard him say:

"Princess Consort, something has happened!"

With brows tightly knit and a low voice... Zhongli spoke in a rush. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan, sitting in her seat, was suddenly startled, and even Yin Fengzhan, leaning against the bed, couldn't help but look stern.

"What is going on?"

"There was a great fire outside the city last night, and those villagers were all burned to death!"

"What?!"

Nie Jinxuan never expected that the news Zhongli brought back would be this. After a cry of shock, she stood up from her seat. At this moment, Yin Fengzhan, on the bed, asked in her stead:

"Zhongli, what happened? Tell us in detail!"

"Yes, reporting to the Prince and Princess Consort: today, your subordinate went outside the city early in the morning. Just as I arrived at Zhangjiazhuang, ten miles outside the city, I heard crying. At first, I didn't pay much attention, but who would have thought that upon arriving at the households the Princess Consort and I visited yesterday, I would be shocked to see that the houses, which were perfectly fine yesterday, were already in ruins. I then asked the other villagers and learned that a great fire had suddenly broken out last night, burning all those households in a row..."

Zhongli's expression was grave. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan also suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Then let me ask you, where are the people? Even if a fire broke out in the middle of the night, they should have been able to escape!"

A fire is a small matter, but human lives are a major one. Yet, hearing Nie Jinxuan's words, Zhongli only silently shook his head at her.

"They are all dead."

Zhongli said in a low voice. As he finished, a look of gravity couldn't help but surface on his handsome face.

For a time, the room fell into an eerie and heavy silence. It was Yin Fengzhan who spoke first, asking again:

"What is the situation now?"

"Yes, reporting to the Prince, the authorities have been notified and are currently investigating the scene. So, your subordinate returned first to inform you."

Having said this, Zhongli turned to look at Nie Jinxuan. At this moment, seeing Nie Jinxuan slightly press her lips together, she said in a low voice:

"I will go and see!"

Having said that, Nie Jinxuan walked out directly... Watching Nie Jinxuan leave with a heavy expression, Yin Fengzhan then said to Zhongli, who was still somewhat dazed in the room:

"Follow her!"

"Yes!"

Responding respectfully, Zhongli immediately walked out as well...

She had just returned to the Wangfu in the afternoon, only to run out again. By the time Nie Jinxuan returned to the Wangfu, it was already late at night.

Circling past the front courtyard and returning to her own Ningxiang Yuan, she passed through the moon gate and saw that the lights were still on in the room. Nie Jinxuan's brow couldn't help but twitch, and she walked straight toward it.

Pushing open the door, she saw Yin Fengzhan leaning against the bed reading a book.

The room was extremely quiet. The flickering candlelight outlined charming light and shadows on his body; his slightly open chest and his long, damp, loose hair all exuded a mesmerizing allure...

But at this moment, Nie Jinxuan had no heart to notice these things. With a slight lift of her gaze, she walked straight to the dressing table and sat down.

At this time, Xiao Xiu, who had been waiting for her return, hurriedly had someone bring hot water and other bathing supplies, then asked in a low voice:

"Princess Consort, you haven't eaten much all day. Would you like this servant to prepare something for you?"

"No need, you may withdraw first."

"Uh... yes..."

She had wanted to say something more, but upon seeing Nie Jinxuan's cold and calm face, Xiao Xiu didn't dare say another word. After a small acknowledgment, she turned and walked out.

The room was once again left with only Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan. At this moment, Yin Fengzhan also put down the book in his hand and looked up at her...

However, Yin Fengzhan did not speak. Nie Jinxuan also silently removed her hair ornaments, tidied up, and walked behind the screen to bathe.

Instantly, the large room fell into total silence, with only the occasional sound of water. After a good while, Nie Jinxuan finished bathing, quietly changed her clothes, and walked out from behind the screen.

Nie Jinxuan did not speak, and the room remained very quiet. After Nie Jinxuan walked to the dressing table and sat down again, she said slowly:

"Four households, nineteen people, all dead..."

Nie Jinxuan's voice was very soft, so soft it felt somewhat unbelievable. Hearing this, Yin Fengzhan, who had been staring at her, asked:

"Premeditated murder?"

"Yes!"

Directly replying to Yin Fengzhan, Nie Jinxuan stood up, took a cloth to wipe her hair, and walked over to sit by the bed.

"They were all burned alive, the youngest was only three years old!"

"How was it done?"

"The doors were bolted from the outside."

In fact, when Nie Jinxuan arrived at the scene today, the officials who had arrived earlier had already inspected it and determined it to be an accident. But Nie Jinxuan could not accept this result, because she knew that these were the very people she had sought out yesterday, and the only ones in this world who could confirm whether the deceased Bi Yao was real or fake!

Yet, this fire didn't break out sooner or later, but happened the very night after she had sought them out. Doesn't this make one suspicious?! Even if it were a coincidence, it wouldn't be this coincidental!

At the same time, what was more critical was that although these four households were adjacent to one another, according to the authorities, the fire started in one and then spread to the others. Just how intense would a fire have to be to prevent all four households from escaping, ultimately burning them alive?!

Doubts piled up one after another, so Nie Jinxuan would certainly not let it go. After revealing her identity, she performed an autopsy directly. The result of the autopsy was that the nineteen people from these four households had indeed died from burning. But Nie Jinxuan did not give up; she then discovered in the ruins of the scene that the doors of all four houses had been thoroughly bolted from the outside!

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but recall the tragic sight she had seen earlier. She closed her eyes, then continued:

"The culprit first bolted the doors of all four houses from the outside, then set the fire. The intent was very clear. And according to neighbors who woke up in the middle of the night, by the time they realized there was a fire, the flames had already completely engulfed all four houses... So, if I am not mistaken, the culprit must have used something like oil; otherwise, the fire would not have been that large!"

"Therefore, I believe..."

"Change the dressing!"

Nie Jinxuan was speaking quietly, but to her surprise, before she could finish, she was instantly interrupted by Yin Fengzhan, who lifted his injured leg and placed it directly in front of her.

Suddenly, looking at the leg that had appeared before her, Nie Jinxuan was stunned, then turned her head and scolded:

"Yin Fengzhan, it's not like you don't have hands; can't you change it yourself?"

Nie Jinxuan was somewhat furious, her previous heavy mood instantly replaced by anger. Yet, seeing Nie Jinxuan shouting, Yin Fengzhan remained silent, but he did not take his leg away.

Time passed bit by bit, and the two of them remained in a stalemate, neither speaking. Finally, after who knows how long, Nie Jinxuan glared at him in anger and scolded furiously:

"Yin Fengzhan, you stubborn blockhead, I truly owe you!"

Nie Jinxuan was beyond angry, but after scolding him, she still got up to prepare the supplies, then returned to help Yin Fengzhan re-bandage his wound...