Chapter 136: Had a Drink?

Had a drink?

During the day I went to the Nie residence, intending to see the joke about Nie Jinxuan, but instead I was mocked and sent back. Princess Consort Chen Yan'er was very angry.

So that night, when she returned to the Wangfu, Chen Yan'er stormed straight to the room, and after pushing the door open and stepping in, she found that besides her own husband, Prince Yun Yin Fengjin, Crown Prince Yin Fenghan was also there.

Thus, in an instant Chen Yan'er's face stiffened. Seeing this, the Crown Prince Yin Fenghan, who was speaking in the room, couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile and then said loudly

"Yo, third younger sister is back~!"

Yin Fengjin and Yin Fenghan were already close, often together in private, and the two Wangfu were also very near each other. Therefore, Princess Consort Chen Yan'er and Crown Prince Yin Fenghan were not strangers. Hearing this, Chen Yan'er pursed her lips and walked straight in, saying

"Elder brother is here. Sorry for the rudeness."

"Hehe, no problem. But today I see third younger sister in a bad mood; what, did someone offend her?"

Chen Yan'er's temper was written all over her face, and Crown Prince Yin Fenghan saw it clearly, so he couldn't help teasing. It would have been fine if he hadn't spoken, but his remark made Chen Yan'er, who had just suppressed her anger, instantly recall the daytime incident and she replied loudly

"Isn't it that Consort of Prince Chen! Today I went to the Nie residence with my eldest sister‑in‑law, and we hit a snag! But never mind, she's been dismissed now; never let me see her again, or I won't be done with her!"

Chen Yan'er's fiery temper was on full display. Afterwards she said nothing more. At that moment, hearing that it was because of Nie Jinxuan, Crown Prince Yin Fenghan's eyes flashed, but seeing that Chen Yan'er no longer wished to speak, he didn't ask further.

Later, Crown Prince Yin Fenghan briefly exchanged a few words with Yin Fengjin, then got up and left. Once he was gone, Yin Fengjin, who had been silent, grabbed Chen Yan'er and said

"Did you go to the Nie residence with your eldest sister‑in‑law today?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"What's the problem? Going there for no reason— isn't that just inviting ridicule?!"

Chen Yan'er was the youngest daughter of the current General Chen Guoliang, and had been childhood sweethearts with Prince Yun Yin Fengjin. So they naturally married later. Although Prince Yun Yin Fengjin is not very friendly to others, his marital relationship with Chen Yan'er is excellent! In fact, in the two years since their marriage, Houyuaner has never entered a concubine's chamber.

So at that moment, seeing Yin Fengjin glaring at her, Chen Yan'er also flared up, tossed him aside, and shouted loudly

"Joke? What's the joke?! The one who should be joked about is her, right?!"

"Enough, lower your voice!"

Interrupting Chen Yan'er's shouting, Yin Fengjin pulled her to a seat beside him

"I'm saying why don't you get it? Nie Jinxuan being dismissed is a joke for others. But you going to the Nie residence, regardless of what you did, makes people think you're mocking them. Do you think it's a good thing that others know? That you, Chen Yan'er, are dignified and sensible?!"

The tangled ways between women, Yin Fengjin didn't fully understand, but he knew a bit. So regarding Chen Yan'er's foolish act, Yin Fengjin felt a bit baffled. Hearing his explanation, Chen Yan'er finally caught on, pursed her lips and whispered

"I… I was just curious! Besides, it was my eldest sister‑in‑law who first mentioned Nie Jinxuan, so I thought of going to the Nie residence to get back at her… but who would have thought I'd end up being scolded by Nie Jinxuan herself…"

Chen Yan'er felt aggrieved. When she said it was Crown Princess Zhen Xiao Lian who first brought up Nie Jinxuan, Yin Fengjin's brows twitched

"The eldest sister‑in‑law brought it up first? Then when you went to the Nie residence today, did she say anything to Nie Jinxuan?"

"What… she didn't say anything…"

She answered blankly, then after a moment Chen Yan'er thought lightly and whispered

"However, I saw Nie Jinxuan actually talk quite a bit with my eldest sister‑in‑law, but she spoke so quietly I couldn't hear it; I only caught bits and pieces. Next time I'll find a good… she also said something like, even if I'm not the Consort of Prince Chen… In the end she seemed to mention a title, something about Crown Princess… Anyway it was just scattered bits. Oh, and Nie Jinxuan also said, 'I've been dismissed; you aren't the only one who knows…'"

Chen Yan'er kept thinking while speaking with Yin Fengjin, and hearing this, Yin Fengjin slightly frowned, and after a while finally whispered

"Fine, you went today, so it's done. In short, I tell you, Nie Jinxuan isn't easy to deal with; with your tongue you can't outtalk her. If you run into her again, ignore her. Don't waste your luck! Understand?!"

"Oh…"

Chen Yan'er replied softly, and after the two talked for a while the conversation ended. Yet neither Yin Fengjin nor Chen Yan'er knew that just outside their door, Crown Prince Yin Fenghan was standing quietly; when he realized they had finished, his eyes darkened slightly, and he slipped out silently…

……

Leaving the Prince Yun's Wangfu, Yin Fenghan went straight back to his Crown Prince residence. Upon entering the room, he saw Crown Princess Zhen Xiao Lian busy arranging dinner. Hearing the door open, Zhen Xiao Lian looked up and said

"Father, you're back~!"

Zhen Xiao Lian's voice was gentle and warm. Hearing it, Yin Fenghan slightly raised an eyebrow and walked over

"Hmm, I'm back~! But it's already this late, why are you still setting up dinner, beloved?"

"Yes, I just returned and heard the servants say you hadn't come back yet, so I asked them to prepare, but I didn't expect you to return before it was ready…"

"Oh, I see~! Then I truly owe you, beloved~!"

She continued in a soft voice, and then Yin Fenghan sat down at the chair beside the dining table

"But hearing what you just said, what's that? Did you just return as well?"

"... Yes, I went out today…"

"Oh, did you go into the palace to accompany the Empress?"

"Uh, no… I just went out for a walk with third younger sister…"

"Oh… third younger sister, then where did you both go that you're back so late?"

He kept smiling as he asked, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Crown Prince Yin Fenghan lifted his gaze, stared at Zhen Xiao Lian. When his narrow eyes fell on her, Zhen Xiao Lian's eyes twitched, and she whispered

"Just a casual stroll, didn't go anywhere…"

"Oh, is that so…"

He smiled faintly, then lifted his hand and took Zhen Xiao Lian's hand

"Beloved, remember not to return so late next time; the city is unsettled, there's even a murder case, so you must protect yourself…"

Yin Fenghan said this while gently stroking Zhen Xiao Lian's hand. At that moment, the servants in the room hurried out.

In an instant, only Zhen Xiao Lian and Yin Fenghan remained. As Yin Fenghan kept holding and gently stroking her hand, Zhen Xiao Lian trembled inexplicably and softly said

"Father, you… you eat first. Otherwise the dishes will get cold…"

She tried to pull her hand away, but at that moment Yin Fenghan's smiling face darkened with a sudden fierce glare, and he instantly pulled Zhen Xiao Lian into his arms

"Beloved, why the hurry?"

Finishing his words, Yin Fenghan swept the already‑set dishes off the table, lifted Zhen Xiao Lian, lifted his own robe, dropped his trousers, and instantly ripped open Zhen Xiao Lian's skirt, pressing it down

At that moment, something intruded beneath her, and Zhen Xiao Lian couldn't help screaming, while Yin Fenghan burst into loud laughter

"Haha… what? Does it hurt, beloved? Hmm~?! Does it hurt?"

He leaned over, whispering by her ear, while increasing his force, violently thrusting beneath her. Zhen Xiao Lian could only bite her lower lip in pain, yet the repeated thrusts made her occasionally let out painful moans…

Time passed, and after an unknown length, Yin Fenghan finally halted his body, but then instantly pushed Zhen Xiao Lian away, letting the torrent of murky fluid beneath him pour all over her…

But the matter hadn't ended yet; afterward, Yin Feng han grabbed Zhen Xiao Lian and pulled her up, then directly shoved his huge object into Zhen Xiao Lian's mouth.

"My beloved consort, how did you forget again? My beloved consort, you're supposed to help this Prince clean up~!"

Yin Feng han still spoke with a smile. After his words fell, he further narrowed his gaze at the painful face of Zhen Xiao Lian beneath him, and a hint of near‑crazy viciousness flickered in the depths of his eyes.

At this moment, Zhen Xiao Lian could only painfully close her eyes, not daring to resist in the slightest.

The gloom of the Prince's residence is not spoken of to outsiders. And after busying herself all day at the Ministry of Punishments, when Nie Jinxuan returned to the Nie residence, it was already deep night.

The entire Nie residence was shrouded in silence. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan, having alighted from the carriage on her own, did not disturb anyone and went straight back to her room.

The room was pitch‑black; Xiao Xiu had already returned to her chambers to rest. Looking at the dark, silent room, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but sigh softly, then stepped forward and lit the candle on the table.

In an instant, the flickering candle dispelled the darkness, and Nie Jinxuan turned to sit at the dressing table, meanwhile her mind involuntarily recalled the earlier case.

In fact, after Nie Jinxuan divorced Yin Fengzhan, the case of Tong Shubin was also shelved. Having thought she could finally relax, she instead found that Tong Shubin's matter was not over, and Mo Yujue showed up at her door!

Furthermore, this case has become even more thorny. In just a few short days, four victims have already been killed in succession. Moreover, given the current situation, the killer may well strike again in the near future.

So, thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but furrow her brows, then reached up to remove the hairpin from her head and set it on the table, after which the gruesome images of those four victims rose again in her mind.

The four victims died of different causes, but all had suffered abuse while alive, especially the second victim, Chen Xin, whose condition was the most severe. After all, posthumous corpse whipping is a serious matter in ancient times, even more unbearable than suffering humiliation while alive. Thus, the killer must harbor a deep grudge against Chen Xin; otherwise, he wouldn't have done this.

But if that were the case, torturing Chen Xin might be understandable, but what about the other three victims?! The first victim, Wang Erqiang, suffered just as terribly—his body was stabbed multiple times, even his left hand was cut off, and he died from the final blow…… Wait, his hand was cut off?! Mo Yujue once said that Wang Erqiang was a city ruffian; could it be that the killer killed him because he couldn't stand Wang Erqiang's wickedness?

But that doesn't make sense either—what kind of wickedness could provoke someone to kill?! Besides, Wang Erqiang was just a nobody…… Could it be that Wang Erqiang had once offended someone connected to the killer?

Setting aside the ruffian Wang Erqiang, the third victim, Zhou Si, was merely an ordinary villager, timid and fearful—why would the killer gouge out his eyes? Is it merely torture, or does the killer have another motive?! As for the fourth victim, Zhao Liang, an ordinary schoolteacher, frail and weak—even during the autopsy, Nie Jinxuan felt he wouldn't have lived much longer…… Given that, why would the killer go to such extra trouble?

Or perhaps the killer killed Zhao Liang because he was near death, granting him an early release?! But then why whip him as well?

One mystery after another lingered in Nie Jinxuan's mind; she couldn't help but raise a hand to her forehead, and involuntarily recalled her previous private discussions with Yin Fengzhan about the case.

But soon after, Nie Jinxuan snapped back to reality, shook her head, and just as she lifted her gaze to the bronze mirror before her, she froze—because reflected in that mirror was a face so familiar it could not be more familiar!

Yin Fengzhan?!

How…… how could this be?! How could he……

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but feel a great shock in her heart, but then she quickly came to her senses and instantly locked eyes with a cold yet familiar gaze.

"You…… you…… how can it be you? How did you come here?"

…

Nie Jinxuan never expected that, in the dead of night, Yin Fengzhan would actually barge into her room and simply stand behind her!

So, at this very moment, looking at the man before her, Nie Jinxuan was nothing but shocked, and then she abruptly rose from her seat.

"In the middle of the night, how did you come? Do you have business?"

After the initial shock subsided, Nie Jinxuan's first reaction was that Yin Fengzhan had run into trouble again! But at this moment, as he stared straight into her eyes, Yin Fengzhan said nothing, his tightly pressed lips revealing no emotion at all.

So, after a lengthy silent stare, Nie Jinxuan's face darkened, and she coldly said.

"If there's nothing, then please leave at once. Otherwise I'll call someone!"

Saying this, Nie Jinxuan turned her head and sat back down at the dressing table, while the hitherto silent Yin Fengzhan finally spoke.

"Where have you been?"

Yin Fengzhan's voice was a little hoarse, but upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan merely raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Prince Chen, where I go is my freedom. It has nothing to do with Prince Chen!"

"Speak!"

"Prince Chen, please conduct yourself properly! I've said it before—you and I have no relation, so wherever I go, it's no trouble for Prince Chen! And now it's very late, Prince Chen, please return; otherwise I'll have to call someone!"

Nie Jinxuan adopted a business‑like demeanor; after her words fell, she glanced at Yin Fengzhan behind her in the bronze mirror, then directly took the ox‑horn comb from the dressing table and began to comb her hair……

One stroke after another, Nie Jinxuan's movements were elegant and gentle. Meanwhile, taking in her every move, Yin Fengzhan suddenly strode forward several steps and seized her wrist in one grip.

"Nie Jinxuan, I'm asking you—answer, where exactly did you go in the middle of the night?"

Yin Fengzhan let out a low‑voiced roar, and as he suddenly jerked her, the comb in Nie Jinxuan's hand momentarily became unsteady and fell to a low voice. Nie Jinxuan was also startled, but just as she was about to shout back, a strong scent of wine suddenly assailed her nostrils.

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but frown, then widened her eyes and glared at Yin Fengzhan before her, shouting.

"Yin Fengzhan, you've been drinking?! Your leg injury healed and you drink? Are you brain‑damaged? I've told you how many times before? Why don't you ever learn?! You've got a pig's brain!"

She shouted back without hesitation, showing no fear. Being yelled at like that, Yin Fengzhan was momentarily stunned, then simply pressed his lips shut and said nothing.

Yin Fengzhan remained silent. For a moment the room returned to its previous tranquility, but just as Nie Jinxuan was about to say something, a voice suddenly came from outside the room.

"Miss, you're back? Is there anything?"

The speaker was Xiao Xiu, perhaps because she had just heard Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan shouting inside the room, which startled her. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan fiercely glared at Yin Fengzhan before her and then shoved his hand away.

"Mm, I'm back, nothing much…… Oh, Xiao Xiu, if it's convenient, please prepare hot water—I want to take a bath."

"All right, servant will go prepare it now. Miss, please wait a moment."

Xiao Xiu respectfully replied from outside the room, then hurried downstairs to make the arrangements. Only after Xiao Xiu left did Nie Jinxuan turn her gaze back to Yin Fengzhan before her and speak softly.

"All right, I want to bathe now! So I earnestly beg Prince Chen to leave! Otherwise, when Xiao Xiu returns shortly, don't say I didn't warn you, Prince Chen!"