freenovelworld Chapter 461: Lingxi Pavilion Suddenly Engulfed in Fire
Chapter 461: Lingxi Pavilion Suddenly Engulfed in Fire
After Pei Zuo left, the butler sat in the room with a gloomy expression, his eyes revealing ruthlessness and determination. A moment later, he summoned his trusted aides.
"Sir, you wanted to see us?" Several trusted confidants cautiously entered the room.
The butler, his face grim, said in a low voice, "That Fang Xiaoxiao is a big problem. We must get rid of her as soon as possible and not let her ruin our important plans."
The trusted men exchanged glances and nodded in agreement, saying, "Rest assured, sir, we will handle it properly."
The following day, Fang Xiaoxiao and the princess went to Lingxi Pavilion. There, they unexpectedly ran into Pei Yan.
"Princess, Madam, what a coincidence!" Pei Yan bowed respectfully.
The princess nodded slightly and said with a worried expression, "Pei Yan, something terrible has happened at the Prince's mansion."
Fang Xiaoxiao continued, "First, the prince's distant nephew, Cui Sheng, drowned in the garden water vat, and it was later discovered that he died of poisoning. The prince was also poisoned, and now Zhang Xiaoxiao has inexplicably hanged herself."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yan frowned deeply. "This matter is definitely not simple; there must be a conspiracy behind it."
The group sat together and began to discuss how to deal with the steward of the Prince's mansion.
Fang Xiaoxiao said, "I suspect that the butler is behind all of this. He may have ulterior motives."
Pei Yan pondered for a moment and said, "But we don't have conclusive evidence yet, so we can't take action against him lightly."
The princess said anxiously, "What should we do? We can't just let him continue to do evil."
Just then, a thick plume of smoke suddenly poured in from outside the door, followed by a burst of flames.
"Oh no, there's a fire!" Pei Yan shouted.
Everyone panicked and got up to flee.
The fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire Lingxi Pavilion in flames. Thick smoke billowed, making it difficult to breathe.
Fang Xiaoxiao grabbed the princess and shouted, "Don't panic, everyone, come with me!"
Pei Yan led the way, trying to find a safe exit.
However, the fire grew larger and larger, and the road was blocked by flames.
"This way is blocked, let's try another route!" Pei Yan shouted.
The group struggled through the flames, the intense heat burning their skin.
Just when they were feeling desperate, Pei Yan spotted a window.
"Quick, jump out from here!" Pei Yan was the first to climb onto the window and send the princess and Fang Xiaoxiao out one by one.
Finally, he jumped out of the fire himself.
The crowd collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, staring at the raging fire at Lingxi Pavilion, their hearts filled with doubt and fear.
"This fire came too suddenly; it must have been deliberately set off by someone," Fang Xiaoxiao said.
Pei Yan nodded in agreement, "It seems our investigation has touched on the interests of some people, and they want to kill us."
The princess turned pale with fright. "What should we do?"
Fang Xiaoxiao's eyes were firm. "Don't be afraid. As long as we unite as one, we will definitely find out the truth and bring the mastermind to justice."
Pei Yan also said, "Yes, we can't be intimidated by them. Let's find a safe place first, and then discuss this further."
So, supporting each other, the group left the ruins, ready to face the challenges ahead.
Before the group could even catch their breath after leaving the ruins, the prefect arrived in a hurry with a group of constables. The prefect looked anxious, his forehead covered in sweat.
"Princess, Madam Fang, Young Master Pei, what exactly is going on?" the prefect asked anxiously.
Fang Xiaoxiao said angrily, "Someone deliberately set fire to Lingxi Pavilion, trying to kill us."
The prefect frowned: "Is there any evidence to prove who did this?"
The group exchanged glances, and Fang Xiaoxiao shook her head helplessly: "It happened so suddenly, we didn't have time to look for evidence."
The prefect sighed, looking helpless: "What can we do? Without evidence, it's difficult to investigate this matter."
Seeing this, Pei Yan said, "Prefect, we hope you can investigate this matter as soon as possible and give us an explanation."
The prefect nodded: "Young Master Pei, rest assured, I will do my best. However, we have absolutely no clue what to do..."
Just then, a servant rushed over and whispered a few words in the prefect's ear. The prefect's expression changed, and he looked at the princess and said, "Princess, I must first report this matter to the Prince. After all, someone set a fire and almost burned you to death. This is no small matter."
The princess nodded in agreement: "Go quickly."
The prefect hurriedly led his men to the Prince's residence.
Upon learning of this, the prince was furious and slammed his fist on the table: "How dare such a brazen person lay a hand on the princess! I will find this murderer and have him torn to pieces!"
The butler, however, said sarcastically, "Your Highness, please calm down. In my opinion, there might be more to this than meets the eye. Could it be that Fang Xiaoxiao deliberately had someone set fire to create chaos in order to achieve her ulterior motives?"
Fang Xiaoxiao glared at the housekeeper: "You're talking nonsense! Why would I do that?"
The butler sneered, "Hmph, who knows? Maybe you're trying to frame someone or gain some benefit."
The princess said angrily, "Steward, don't make false accusations! Fang Xiaoxiao has been helping to investigate the Prince's Mansion all along, how could she do such a thing?"
The steward persisted, "Princess, don't be fooled by her. This woman is cunning; who knows what she's up to?"
The prince frowned: "Stop arguing! Without evidence, we shouldn't make wild guesses."
Fang Xiaoxiao said, "Your Highness, this is no accident. First, the Prince's Mansion suffered one mishap after another, and now someone has set fire to the Lingxi Pavilion. There must be a huge conspiracy behind this."
The prince pondered for a moment: "Madam Fang's words make sense. But without evidence, we cannot draw any conclusions. Steward, send someone to investigate this matter and find the real culprit."
The butler agreed verbally, but secretly plotted how to take this opportunity to get rid of Fang Xiaoxiao.
Fang Xiaoxiao knew in her heart that the housekeeper would not really investigate, so she decided to secretly look for clues herself and uncover the truth behind this series of events.
In the days that followed, the Prince's mansion appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were swirling beneath. Fang Xiaoxiao was constantly on the move, leaving no stone unturned. Meanwhile, the steward was secretly monitoring her every action, waiting for his chance to strike.
One day, Fang Xiaoxiao overheard a conversation between two strangers at the market.
"I've heard things haven't been peaceful at the Prince's residence lately."
"That's right, I heard that the princess was almost burned to death."
“I also heard that this matter is related to the housekeeper.”
"Shh, keep your voice down, don't talk nonsense, or you'll get yourself into trouble."
Fang Xiao's heart stirred, and she quietly followed behind the two, wanting to find out more information.
However, they hadn't gone far when they realized they were being followed. They quickened their pace, turned into a small alley, and disappeared.
Fang Xiaoxiao realized that things were far more complicated than she had imagined. But she did not give up and continued to search for clues, waiting for the day when the truth would come out.