What Yann Qin never expected was that two days after he made that statement, he returned to his room to find the Prime Minister bound and placed on his bed.
Yann Qin: "!!!"
Did he enter the wrong room?
Yann Qin glanced around the room, confirming that it was indeed his room.
Why was the Prime Minister tied up here?
Did Shi Yi do this?
No... impossible.
Shi Yi doesn’t want to kill the Prime Minister; he wants the Prime Minister’s true nature to be revealed, for his deeds to be exposed, so everyone across the nation can see what kind of person the Prime Minister is.
So who put the Prime Minister in his room?
The Prime Minister was unconscious. Yann Qin first verified that he was indeed the real Prime Minister.
Yann Qin took a deep breath, turned around, and left the room, calling for someone and asking, "Who has been in my room?"
"No one... Ah, right, I saw Miss Xie coming out of your room earlier..."
They saw Chuzheng coming out but did not see her when she went in.
Yann Qin’s room wasn’t off-limits, and given Chuzheng’s status, she could enter even the study at will.
So they didn’t think much of it...
"Sir, has something happened?"
"..." Something big happened!
"Where is Miss Xie?"
The servant replied, "She should be somewhere in the back garden."
Yann Qin first settled the Prime Minister and went to the back garden to find Chuzheng.
Chuzheng was in the pavilion on the fake mountain, sitting and reading alone. The pavilion’s lightly draping veils fluttered, blurring her silhouette.
Once Yann Qin went up, he knew why she was sitting there.
This fake mountain should be the highest spot in the mansion, perfectly overlooking the courtyard assigned to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard at the moment, visible from above.
Yann Qin claimed he had no objections, but deep down, he did.
He truly admired Shi Yi, but...
The hatred in Shi Yi’s heart was buried so deeply that even Yann Qin sometimes couldn’t see it.
For someone like him, not to mention having unresolved issues, even if they were resolved, could he really entrust his sister to him?
Yann Qin thought he might be overthinking things now.
Shi Yi hadn’t even expressed liking his sister.
"Xiao Chu." Yann Qin walked in.
"Brother." Chuzheng put down her book, "Is there something?"
"Did you put the person in my room?"
Chuzheng asked in a puzzled manner, "What?"
Yann Qin: "The Prime Minister."
"What Prime Minister?"
Chuzheng had an innocent expression, showing no sign of lying.
"You don’t know?"
"What would I know?"
Yann Qin: "..."
Chuzheng didn’t admit it, and no matter how Yann Qin questioned her, she denied it with an innocent expression.
Although he felt this matter was related to his sister, he had no evidence.
Yann Qin sent people out to gather information, and the Prime Minister’s Mansion remained quiet without any movements.
It was as if no one knew the Prime Minister was missing...
During the morning court session, Yann Qin received news that the Prime Minister was ill and absent.
Ill?
The Prime Minister’s Mansion actually concealed it.
What does this tell us?
It tells us that the Prime Minister’s Mansion doesn’t know who did it and lacks any evidence. They dared not speak out because they knew that once their side found out the Prime Minister was missing, there would definitely be attempts to take advantage.
Without the Prime Minister to hold things down, they couldn’t afford the turmoil that could arise.
They could only keep it hidden and quickly search for him.
Yann Qin increasingly believed this matter was related to Chuzheng.
Just two days ago, she said things like ’then make it so they can’t find out,’ and two days later, the Prime Minister was kidnapped.
Could this be a coincidence?
With the person in Yann Qin’s hands, he wasn’t very anxious.
After court, someone from the Prime Minister’s faction came to probe, but Yann Qin pretended to know nothing, exchanged pleasantries, and left.
The tails followed him all the way back to the mansion.
Having already settled the Prime Minister, he wasn’t afraid of these people coming to find out.
-
Chuzheng was flipping through a list, Ying Xiang glanced over, somewhat puzzled, "Miss, what are you writing these names down for?"
Ying Xiang found some names somewhat familiar, but couldn’t recall where she had heard them.
"To..." Chuzheng folded the list, "What is Shi Yi doing?"
"He... I don’t know." Ying Xiang shook her head in confusion.
Since returning to the mansion, Shi Yi was no longer Miss Xie’s guard. She heard people say he acts as a strategist at the mansion.
Now that Miss Xie has returned to the mansion, that task is considered finished.
"Prepare some food and send it over."
"Yes."
Ying Xiang dared not ask much why, and followed Chuzheng’s instructions, delivering the items to Shi Yi’s residence.
Shi Yi was about to head out with his sword.
"Master Shi..." Shi Yi was no longer a guard, so Ying Xiang dared not call him directly, opting for a compromise.
Shi Yi closed the door and turned around.
Ying Xiang stepped forward with the items, "Miss Xie asked me to bring these."
Shi Yi had been avoiding her for these days, but occasionally stood in the shadows to take a look at that person.
He didn’t know why, but when he saw them, he felt afraid, and when he didn’t, he wanted to see...
Shi Yi lowered his gaze, his tone indifferent and distant, "No need, please thank Miss Xie for me."
Ying Xiang took a slight gasp, "That’s not possible. Miss Xie said it must be delivered to you personally, or I wouldn’t have to return."
After saying this, Ying Xiang stuffed the items into Shi Yi’s arms and quickly ran off.
Shi Yi: "..."
Holding the items, he was hesitant to throw them away but didn’t want to keep them either, feeling they were somewhat scorching.
In the end, he took the items back to his room.
Hidden in the shadows, Ying Xiang patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
-
Shi Yi learned from Yann Qin about the current situation, and didn’t request to kill the Prime Minister, but calmly followed Yann Qin’s arrangements to help him with a few tasks.
The disappearance of the Prime Minister can be concealed for a day or two, but what about several days?
The Prime Minister’s Mansion was already in chaos, and some rumors were spreading.
At this moment, when Yann Qin took action, he could quickly gather a group of people and also persuade some to switch allegiances.
When the Prime Minister’s disappearance was fully revealed, Yann Qin had already gained the upper hand.
Even if the Prime Minister returns, he would have no tactics left.
Of course, the Prime Minister might not return temporarily.
Yann Qin, himself not one to follow rules, wouldn’t pass up such a good opportunity.
"Where exactly did the Prime Minister go?"
"Missing, without a trace of life or death..."
"Hey, look at the smugness from those under the Minister of the Appointments!"
"What do we do if this continues?"
"Shush, the Minister of the Appointments is coming."
The few conversing immediately fell silent as the man in purple official attire passed by them majestically.
Once he left, they dared to resume their discussions.
"We need to quickly appoint a responsible person; with the Prime Minister continuously missing, what will we do?"
"Yes, yes!!"
"I think only Lord Tao is suitable..."
"What makes Lord Tao suitable, evidently Lord Xu is more appropriate!"
"I think..."
When the Prime Minister was around, these people were cooperative, now with the Prime Minister gone, the internal discord arose.
Finally, they pushed someone forward, just barely managing to stabilize things, incapable of contending with Yann Qin at all.
Ultimately, due to incorrect decision-making, their side’s assets kept diminishing.