Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 159 Opening the Secret Letter and Discovering the Truth

She walked over quickly, lightly touched the paper with her fingertips, hesitated for a few moments, and then opened the envelope.

—The letter paper was extremely thin, and it made a slight sound when unfolded.

The handwriting was so neat that she recognized it as being written by A-Yun at a glance.

"Greetings, Your Highness. Miss Jiang has acted entirely according to Your Highness's instructions, and has not raised any suspicions regarding the Spring Bitterness Powder. Please rest assured, Your Highness."

Jiang Wan's eyes widened; the short line of words made her heart clench.

I see......

No wonder Ah-Yun arrived so coincidentally on her first night in the manor. Even the crows knew about the Spring Bitter Powder; Ah-Yun was the owner, how could she not know?

Jiang Wan felt that she was confused and had not suspected anything at the time.

And this letter made her realize a horrifying truth—

It turns out that Xiao Hengzhi had been planning this all along, and from some point onwards, even A-Yun became his spy. He not only knew that she went to the manor and that she was investigating the Spring Bitter Powder, but he had also been monitoring her from behind the scenes.

But she, like a fool, was led along by him the whole way.

Jiang Mian's fingers trembled slightly, almost tearing the letter to shreds, but before she could do so, she heard faint footsteps outside the door.

She was startled and quickly folded the letter back into place before turning and hiding behind the screen.

My heart was pounding like a drum, almost bursting out of my throat.

A moment later, the door was pushed open, and a familiar, steady footstep entered the room.

It was Xiao Hengzhi.

Jiang Mian held her breath and peered through the carved gaps. She saw him walk to the desk, pick up the letter, and glance at it.

He didn't linger; after a quick glance, he threw the letter into the bronze furnace.

The flames licked the thin paper, turning it to ashes in an instant.

Jiang Mian stared at the firelight, but her mind was filled with coldness.

The door creaked shut.

She only slowly walked out after the footsteps had completely faded away.

Smoke was still rising from the edge of the bronze incense burner. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed her slightly trembling emotions.

It turns out that she had never escaped Xiao Hengzhi's control from beginning to end.

She needs to relieve the spring bitterness as soon as possible.

And if Xiao Hengzhi is truly her only clue to curing the poison—

Then she absolutely cannot be soft-hearted!

......

In the front hall of the Prince of Beiqin's Mansion, the incense from the golden censer had not yet dissipated.

Xiao Hengzhi stepped into the hall, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes calm and cold.

Duan Zhian sat upright at the head of the table, toying with a jade flute between his fingers. His expression seemed relaxed, but his gaze was sharp as a blade as he scrutinized the person.

"Your Highness is indeed a busy man." His smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Grand Tutor, you have come uninvited. Please forgive my rudeness for any neglect you may have caused."

Xiao Hengzhi replied indifferently and took his seat at the head of the table.

Duan Zhi'an, however, did not take it to heart and said slowly, "It's nothing. I have no official business today; I've only come to deliver Your Highness's wedding invitation."

As he spoke, he pulled a gold-embroidered wedding invitation from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

Xiao Hengzhi glanced at it and said, "Is such a trivial matter as sending a wedding invitation really necessary for the Grand Tutor to come in person?"

Duan Zhian chuckled softly without saying a word, his gaze sweeping across the hall as he gestured to those around him.

Xiao Hengzhi waved his hand, and all the servants withdrew.

"There is indeed another piece of news to tell Your Highness today."

"What's the matter?"

"The case of the Crown Prince assisting the Wen family in privately manufacturing weapons is still unresolved. Recently, another embezzlement case has emerged in Chuizhou, involving many officials. I have already submitted a letter to the Emperor, specifically ordering the Crown Prince to go to Chuizhou to oversee this case. He will depart tomorrow. After returning, he will have to prepare for the wedding ceremony, which will be extremely busy."

He paused, then said, "The position of Crown Princess is already secure, and the Crown Prince is far from the capital, so he has no time to devote himself to others."

"Is the Grand Tutor reminding me of the promise I made that day?"

Duan Zhi'an chuckled lightly: "It's good that Your Highness still remembers this matter."

"Don't worry, as long as Ning Zhi and Jiang Mian stop their entanglement, I won't do anything to him."

"I guarantee that the two of them will not have any contact until Your Highness gets married."

After Duan Zhian finished speaking, he picked up his teacup, showing no intention of leaving.

Xiao Hengzhi then asked, "If Grand Tutor has anything else to say, please speak frankly. I have important matters to attend to today, so please don't keep me in suspense."

"The prince seems to be in a bad mood. I wonder who has upset him?"

Xiao Hengzhi remained silent.

Duan Zhi'an's smile gradually faded, and his tone turned serious: "I do have something I'm curious about." He paused for a moment, then continued, "Was it Your Highness who orchestrated the Wen family's private weapon forging?"

Xiao Hengzhi's eyebrows twitched, but he did not answer.

Duan Zhian calmly blew on the tea foam and slowly spoke: "Those weapons were hidden so well that the markings could be erased without leaving a trace. I have thought about it for a long time, and the only person who could do this is Your Highness. But I wonder why Your Highness treated the Wen family this way?"

Xiao Hengzhi clicked his tongue lightly and replied casually, "The Wen family mansion is heavily guarded. Does the Grand Tutor think I have some kind of supernatural power?"

"Your Highness misunderstands. What I meant was..." Duan Zhi'an pushed the teacup on the table forward, his expression ambiguous.

"Could that weapon have been made by the prince, with the mark erased when necessary, to completely bring down the Wen family?"

Xiao Hengzhi calmly pushed the teacup back and said coldly, "I have no grudge against the Wen family, why would I take this risk?"

Duan Zhi'an raised the corners of his mouth: "That's also what I'm wondering about. Could it be that Miss Jiang was publicly humiliated at the banquet hosted by the Wen family, which is why Your Highness...?"

Xiao Hengzhi interrupted him: "I thought the Grand Tutor had connections everywhere, but I didn't expect that he didn't even know what his people were doing. That's quite surprising."

Duan Zhi'an frowned slightly: "What do you mean by that?"

"What do you mean? Does the Grand Tutor know about the Drunken Sound Pavilion?"

Duan Zhian nodded: "Naturally, the place where the sons of aristocratic families drank and had tea was destroyed by fire a few months ago."

Xiao Hengzhi walked slowly to the window and said calmly, "I went inside the Drunken Sound Pavilion before it caught fire that night."

Duan Zhian raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression unchanged.

Xiao Hengzhi continued, "I caught a glimpse of a weapon blueprint, which also featured a white ram's head. But before I could examine it closely, I was forced to leave due to a fire."

"The methods and specifications for manufacturing those weapons are prohibited by border defenses..."

Duan Zhian's eyes darkened slightly, and after a long while, he spoke: "Zuiyin Tower is a business of the Wen family. Are you saying that the place is ostensibly a restaurant, but in reality, it is the Wen family's weapons business?"

"The Grand Tutor believes that the Wen family has set up a private military workshop and cast heavy weapons right under the emperor's nose. How could they dare to do this without the Grand Tutor's help? And how could they have kept it from them?"

Duan Zhian's brows twitched slightly.

After a moment of silence, he looked directly at Xiao Hengzhi: "You are alluding to the Crown Prince."

“I never mentioned the Crown Prince.” Xiao Hengzhi’s lips curled into a cold smile. “I merely reported what I had seen and heard to the Grand Tutor. As for the truth, the Grand Tutor is known for his profound understanding of the heavens and the human heart, and I believe he is not mistaken.”

At this moment, only the soft crackling of the incense burner and the gentle boiling of the tea could be heard in the hall.

Duan Zhian's brows and eyes were full of thought.

He thought to himself that now that he had gotten rid of Ning Zhi and was no longer involved with Jiang Mian, he had already fulfilled Xiao Hengzhi's wish, so he had no reason to make up these words to deceive him.

If there was no deception, then Ning Zhi was conspiring with the Wen family.

That day in court, Ning Zhi spoke with such righteous indignation and severity.

Could it be that it's all just a mask?

As Duan Zhi'an pondered this, a faint bitterness rose in his throat...

One was the crown prince he had personally trained, and the other was a ruthless and cold-blooded slave.

He actually began to hesitate about whether to believe the latter.

what is this?