Magistrate Chen, who had been feeling quite lost, acted with surprising speed. Zhu Minghao was promptly thrown into a prison cell. Bailiffs were dispatched to investigate the scene and gather evidence.
As for Magistrate Chen himself, he had wanted to stop Lu Zhaoling to ask about the ailments plagueing his body. However, after seeing the dense, swarming crowd outside the yamen, he lost his nerve. He couldn't let his condition become public knowledge.
Magistrate Chen looked at Lu Zhaoling expectantly. "Second Young Miss Lu, this case is of no small importance. It simply won't do if I were to fall ill now," he whispered.
He was practically begging her to examine him right then and there. Lu Zhaoling glanced at him.
"Why doesn't Magistrate Chen pay a personal visit to Prince Jin's Manor? I know Zhu Minghao is of noble status; you surely need to confirm for yourself whether Prince Jin truly intends to protect me, don't you?"
Chen's eyes flickered. Was that what she meant?
Lu Zhaoling didn't wait for an answer. Having finished her piece, she turned and walked out. Qingyin and Qingbao looked at Magistrate Chen with curiosity before quickly hurrying after her.
The onlookers began to disperse, though they clearly hadn't had their fill of the drama. They needed to rush off and find their friends er, rather, their relatives and neighbors to give them a full account of today's excitement.
Amidst the crowd, a youth smelling faintly of ink nimbly slipped away. He ran quickly to a small residence and rushed toward a man.
"Master! You are truly a divine strategist! As long as we keep an eye on that Second Young Miss Lu, we'll never have to worry about running out of stories for the Capital News!"
The man in the green robe smiled upon hearing this. "Has she caused another stir?"
The youth excitedly recounted everything that had just transpired.
"Hmm, quite interesting. Heir Apparent Zhu has always run rampant in the capital; I heard even the Crown Prince has to avoid his sharp edges. To think he was actually hauled off to the Great Prison today? That Magistrate Chen is likely acting a bit strange."
"Master, couldn't it just be that Magistrate Chen is an upright official who doesn't fear power? Heir Apparent Zhu confessed himself, so it's only natural he was detained."
"When did you return to your roots and become so naive?" The man in the green robe tapped the boy on the head. Did the boy even believe his own words?
"Then perhaps Prince Jin suppressed Heir Apparent Zhu, and Magistrate Chen is merely showing his loyalty to the Prince," the youth added.
The man in the green robe shook his head. "No, no, no. I suspect it's still because of that Second Young Miss Lu. Regardless, keep a close watch on this case. Hurry and have someone lay out tomorrow's edition of the Capital News. We need to grow its influence as quickly as possible. Once its reach is exceptional, handling our future business will be much easier."
"Yes!"
As Lu Zhaoling was preparing to board her carriage, she was intercepted by a middle-aged man. He wore deep blue robes and appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
"Second Young Miss Lu, this humble one is surnamed Tian. I am a steward of the Sun family. Our young miss sent me to see if there was anything I could do to help."
As soon as he spoke, Lu Zhaoling recognized his voice. He was the one who had shouted those perfectly timed remarks outside the yamen. So, Sun Yingying had sent him.
"Thank you. Steward Tian, you have already been of great help," Lu Zhaoling said.
Steward Tian was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Lu Zhaoling to recognize his voice or realize that he had been assisting her. He had heard rumors about this Second Young Miss Lu over the past few days. Now it was clear that she was absolutely not some simple-minded village girl.
"If there is anything else you require of me, please do not hesitate to command," Steward Tian said, his attitude becoming even more respectful.
Lu Zhaoling shook her head. "I have nothing for now. However, Steward Tian, when you return, remind Young Miss Sun that regarding the matter she wishes to handle, she must not make a scene. She should avoid alerting the target prematurely. She needs to tell her parents; otherwise, she will face obstacles attempting it alone."
"Yes, I will certainly deliver the message."
Lu Zhaoling boarded the carriage. Qingyin and Qingbao followed quickly. Qingbao had been learning to drive the carriage, but she still appeared quite unskilled. Steward Tian stood there for a while, and seeing that the carriage was struggling to move smoothly, an idea struck him.
He returned to Sun Manor. Sun Yingying had been waiting anxiously and hurried to meet him the moment he arrived.
"Uncle Tian, how did it go? Did Second Young Miss Lu suffer any losses at the yamen?"
Steward Tian was not an ordinary servant in their household; he was capable, steady, and managed several of the Sun family's properties. Would Lu Zhaoling suffer? That was obviously impossible.
"Miss, she didn't suffer at all. In fact, she sent Heir Apparent Zhu to the prison cells."
"Really?" Sun Yingying's eyes widened. "The yamen bailiffs didn't help Zhu Minghao?"
She didn't remember the yamen officials being that decent.
"Old Tian, come in and talk," Master Sun's voice drifted from the main hall.
Sun Yingying shrank her neck. Uncle Tian was a busy man; normally, it wasn't her place to assign him tasks. But today she had been anxious and felt that sending a random servant wouldn't be appropriate, so she had insisted Uncle Tian drop his work and rush to the yamen to help. She hadn't even told her father about it yet.
Although Master Sun held no official rank, his elder children were exceptional. His eldest son was already a general in the Capital Garrison, and his eldest daughter had married into the family of a second-rank minister and held the household authority.
As for Master Sun himself, he had earned military merits in the past, but before he could be rewarded, he was injured. Choosing to retire, he passed his merits to his superiors and began doing business with his wife's family,
eventually amassing a great fortune. His former colleagues often received help from him and maintained good relations. Because of this, the Sun family was considered to have a very respectable standing.
"Miss, Second Young Miss Lu asked me to tell you that you must not keep your plans from the Master and Madam." Steward Tian, fearing Sun Yingying wouldn't let him in to explain the situation, quickly relayed the warning.
Their young miss was impulsive and often feared the restraint of her elders, frequently trying to pull off major schemes in secret.
"I wasn't planning on hiding it from them..." Sun Yingying followed him inside and recounted the events to her father.
Marquis Qingfu was quite drunk, despite it being the middle of the day.
Mainly, it was because his son's injuries showed no signs of healing, which kept him in an explosive mood. His wife, worried sick, had been nagging him every other day to go to the palace to complain to the Empress Dowager or demanding he settle the score with Lu Zhaoling.
He had told her to wait. He had sent the lantern out, after all; he had to wait for it to take effect. But the woman was relentless, making a fuss every day.
Today, his son was feeling much better and even had the energy to go out and play. His wife had also relaxed her guard and wasn't breathing down his neck for once.
Feeling a sense of relief, Marquis Qingfu had someone prepare some peanuts and beans, and he drank wine while listening to music until he was thoroughly intoxicated.
Zhu Minghao's attendant ran back with a pale face to deliver the news. To the Marquis's eyes, the boy seemed to have two or three shadows.
"Marquis, it's terrible! The Heir Apparent has been thrown into the Dalao!"
"What nonsense? What 'Dalao'? What am I drinking? I'm drinking Xiaobailao Wine, not some 'Dalao'."
Marquis Qingfu raised his glass and took another sip. Refreshing.
"It's not wine! The Heir Apparent was arrested by Magistrate Chen!" the attendant practically wailed.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).