Chapter 365: Late Night Visitor

This matter perhaps concerns the Fan family's life and death; seeing Fan Ge Lao silent for a long time, many people first became anxious.

Someone stood up and proposed, 'Since it's confirmed the person is at the Regent Prince's, let's simply send some people to the public office to snatch them out!'

The person opposite him sneered, 'Even elder brother said the person is at the Regent Prince's office; that place, however many assassins go in, they never come out. Not giving others a handle is already good luck; you still want to snatch the person?'

Everyone fell silent again, filled with extreme sorrow.

At this moment, Fan Ge Lao finally spoke, 'Kill them.'

Everyone was startled; someone nodded, 'That woman surnamed Lü indeed cannot be left alive; if she hadn't gone to the Prefecture of Jingzhao to file a complaint, there wouldn't be these later troubles!'

Fan Ge Lao lifted his eyelids; the old eyes beneath the wrinkles flashed with sharp light.

'I mean kill them all.'

'She must die, and that person in the public office's great prison must also die.'

Someone exclaimed in shock, 'But he is not yours...'

Fan Ge Lao's gaze was fierce, yet he gave a kind smile, 'What about me?'

That person hastily lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze, 'No, no... nothing.'

Fan Dongping is an illegitimate son raised by Fan Ge Lao in Nan Yi Xian.

Most of the Fan family only heard of this for the first time from today's street rumors.

Exactly what happened, probably only Fan Ge Lao and his two most trusted sons know.

Now looking at Fan Ge Lao's attitude, although people had doubts in their hearts, they dared not ask further.

Fan Ge Lao continued, 'Don't forget there are also the people of Nan Yi Xian County Office imprisoned together in the public office's great prison.'

Moreover, those who escorted the Lü family to the capital, the current top scholar can be left aside for now; I will meet him at tomorrow's morning court, and if he can be of use to me, fine; if he lacks tact, I, who oversee the Ministry of Personnel, can easily deal with him.

The remaining foreign merchant and a mere peasant girl—lowly people, just kill them.

Fan Ge Lao narrowed his old eyes and smiled coldly.

'Who dares to ruin my affairs? I'd like to see—this woman dead, will the Regent Prince who abstains from worldly fire feel heartache?'

The rumors have spread, and the Fan family finds it hard to clear its relationship with Fan Dongping.

Since we cannot reverse it, let's erase everything.

As long as the relevant people are dead, even if the emperor suspects and the Regent Prince wants to investigate.

Without evidence or proof, in the end what can they do to the Fan family?

As for that Fan Dongping, he is merely a madman ruined by being raised.

He doesn't even know who he really is.

Even if the Regent Prince pries open his mouth and extracts a confession, the content can only be Fan Dongping's own misdeeds.

At the Regent Prince's office, Mu Nan Zhao gazed at the remaining sliver of sunset glow on the horizon.

At the juncture of dawn and dusk, the sky is dim and gloomy, and all manner of monsters and spirits stir restlessly.

A dark guard stepped forward to report, 'Your Highness, the Fan family has taken action.'

Mu Nan Zhao's upward-slanting phoenix eyes rose with a hint of mockery.

This Fan Ge Lao is really old.

He actually thought he could still defy heaven this time, preemptively eliminating all disadvantages?

Naive!

Mu Nan Zhao walked toward the office's main gate, 'Tonight you stand guard here.'

'No need to keep any survivors.'

The dark guard clasped his fists, 'Yes!'

Outside the high walls of the Xiao He residence, Mu Nan Zhao stood still for a long time.

Originally according to plan, he would not have moved against the Fan family so soon.

But who let the Fan family discover Gu Xixi?

According to Fan Dongping's confession, a mysterious person revealed Gu Xixi's whereabouts to him.

Although Fan Dongping never saw that person's true appearance, it does not prevent Mu Nan Zhao from suspecting the direction.

Sending people to follow the vine, the one who met with Fan Dongping turned out to be a steward of the Fan manor.

Thus it can be seen, the Fan family still has some capability.

Even though Mu Nan Zhao had earlier ordered people to conceal as much as possible the traces of Gu Xixi's group along the way and their entry into the capital.

After all this time, they still found Gu Xixi.

It seems Gu Xixi resides in the Xiao He mansion; her relationship with Jing Lan, as well as An Qinghe and Jiang Mingyuan, are already laid bare before Fan Ge Lao.

Tonight is destined to be restless.

The He mansion has many dark guards protecting it, and sharing a wall with the Regent Prince's residence, it could not be safer.

An Qinghe living here is no problem.

Jiang Mingyuan, after leaving the Xingyuan banquet in the afternoon, politely declined several invitations and still stayed at the inn.

Although the Fan family may not dare to act immediately against the new top scholar.

Mu Nan Zhao still sent people to secretly protect him.

First, this person is after all Gu Xixi's maternal cousin, who died tragically after passing the high examination; Gu Xixi will surely be grieved.

Second, Jiang Mingyuan is indeed a talented person.

Knowing that He Jinghui has left the capital far away to go to an outer county to fight locusts, he will not return tonight.

An outsider male choosing to visit at this time, if discovered, would harm the reputation of the women in the household.

Mu Nan Zhao hesitated repeatedly, and ultimately did not step forward to knock on the door.

As if having made some decision, he turned around and strode back to the Regent Prince's residence……

Jade Bamboo Courtyard

He Jinglan couldn't sleep, turned over to look at Gu Xixi with her eyes closed, and asked, "Are you asleep?"

Gu Xixi hummed indistinctly.

He Jinglan laughed, "Hey, do you think Jiang Mingyuan's apricot blossoms have been sent out yet?"

Gu Xixi's voice heavy with drowsiness, "I don't know."

Anyway, he sent them out; for me it's just an extra title of sister-in-law.

He Jinglan sighed, "His sweet treat has drawn so many eyes, both open and secret, waiting to snatch it."

They say 'those near the water get the moon first'; don't you feel anything?

Gu Xixi asked, "What feeling?"

He Jinglan chuckled, "It's the feeling of suddenly having a group of people vie for something good that's right beside you."

Gu Xixi still just wanted to sleep, humming as she said, "Oh, if I gave Zi Chu to you, would you agonize over choosing him or Meng Chengping?"

He Jinglan said without thinking, "Of course I wouldn't hesitate! Am I that indecisive?"

Gu Xixi twitched the corner of her mouth, "Then why are you asking me?"

Recently He Jinglan and Meng Chengping's relationship has progressed rapidly, just a step away from piercing the last layer of window paper to reconcile.

The details of it, Gu Xixi naturally knew very well.

Speaking of her beloved, He Jinglan didn't know what she was thinking, and smiled foolishly to herself.

After a while, she suddenly turned her head to look at Gu Xixi, excitedly lunging over and shaking her vigorously, "Gu Xixi, don't sleep yet! You mean you're not indecisive, then what about Mu Nan Zhao..."

"Ah!!" Suddenly a scream was heard from outside.

He Jinglan froze, Gu Xixi also opened her eyes, completely devoid of sleepiness.

Ziyan said from the outer room, "Ladies, don't panic, just now Guangzhu went out to change water."

I'll go check; I guess a wild cat darted out from somewhere and frightened her.

Ziyan said while pushing the door open and going out.

Not long after, Ziyan and Guangzhu walked in together.

Their expressions were both a little strange; Guangzhu looked like she was desperately trying not to laugh.

He Jinglan asked, "What's going on?"

Ziyan found it hard to speak, "This… someone has come."

He Jinglan wondered, "What kind of guest comes this late? My brother isn't even home."

Also, why did Guangzhu cry out just now?

Guangzhu's face was red from holding back, her voice trembling, "Be… because the guest… climbed over the wall into our Jade Bamboo Courtyard, I… when I turned around I saw a black shadow pounce down from above."

She screamed in fright, and only then did she see clearly that it was the Regent Prince.