son, don't mess around

Chapter 795 Hu Yao's Fate

"What did you overlook?"

Zhiyuan looked at Lin Jiangnian beside her and asked softly, without disturbing his thoughts.

Lin Jiangnian compiled and analyzed all the clues from today, but ultimately felt that he had overlooked some details.

This matter has been extremely perplexing from beginning to end.

Even though all the clues and evidence point to that emperor, Lin Jiangnian entered the palace alone today hoping to find out the truth from him.

Unfortunately, there is still no answer!
Lin Jiangnian's situation is also very dangerous now that he has entered the palace. As a subject, to force the emperor to abdicate, and even to doubt the emperor himself, is considered extremely treasonous.

Therefore, even though Lin Jiangnian refused, Zhiyuan still followed him today. She was worried about Lin Jiangnian entering the palace alone, even though she knew the emperor wouldn't dare to harm Lin Jiangnian in public, but what if…

Fortunately, everything is safe and sound.

However, Lin Jiangnian still did not get the result he wanted.

The emperor's reaction was far too calm, exceeding Lin Jiangnian's expectations. More importantly...

Lin Jiangnian was constantly pondering a question.

At the critical moment when the Prince of Xu in the north rebelled, the emperor suddenly turned against him and Xu Chaoge. Was it more beneficial or harmful?

The result is obvious!
This is a risky move. If it can successfully provoke a feud between the Prince Lin's residence and the Prince Xu's residence, it will naturally be extremely beneficial to the imperial court.

But if it fails, the consequences are self-evident.

Would this emperor really do something so risky?

After pondering for a long time, Lin Jiangnian still hadn't found an answer. He gently shook his head: "We may have overlooked some important things..."

After listening, Zhiyuan remained expressionless, lost in thought.

After a long pause, she spoke softly, "There is indeed a problem."

"Ok?"

Lin Jiangnian turned to look at her and saw Zhiyuan calmly say, "That Sixth Prince."

The kite's words enlightened Lin Jiangnian.

"It seems we still have to start with him!"

Lin Jiangnian's eyes narrowed slightly: "What secrets does this Sixth Prince, who has been hiding so well, possess?"

"..."

The capital city, the Hu residence.

The atmosphere at the mansion was tense and fraught with danger.

Outside the mansion gates, there were many more guards and servants patrolling.

These past two days, a major incident has occurred at the Hu residence, causing a stir in the capital. The Hu family was attacked at night by a group of mysterious assassins, and the eldest daughter of the Hu family, Hu Yao, has gone missing and her whereabouts remain unknown.

The matter escalated in the capital, and the Hu family, as one of the prominent families in the capital, naturally became a laughing stock in a certain sense.

Just outside the Hu residence, where the guards were on the verge of battle and the atmosphere was tense, a figure appeared on the street at some unknown time, dragging his tired body to the gate of the Hu residence.

"Who?!"

The servants and guards outside the Hu residence immediately noticed the newcomer and shouted alertly. But the next second, when they saw the newcomer's appearance clearly, they were all taken aback.

"Miss?!"

"Is it Miss?!"

"Miss, you're still alive?!"

"Quickly, go and report to the master!!"

A weary figure appeared outside the Hu family mansion; it was none other than the eldest daughter of the Hu family, who had been missing for two days.

At this moment, Hu Yao stood outside the Hu residence gate, her face pale, her expression weak, and her eyes vacant, no longer possessing her usual radiance.

His eyes were filled with a deathly stillness.

Her appearance immediately caused an uproar in the Hu household. The young lady had been assassinated and her whereabouts were unknown. In the past two days, the guards of the Hu household, the constables of the Jingzhao Prefecture, and even the Secret Observatory were alerted, but they still could not find the young lady's whereabouts.

Many even speculated that the young lady might have been murdered. Now that Hu Yao has suddenly "come back to life," it has naturally caused turmoil throughout the Hu family.

……

Inside the Hu residence.

A middle-aged man with a gloomy gaze strode quickly through the pavilions and corridors to the inner courtyard. A large crowd had already gathered there, whispering amongst themselves.

The appearance of the middle-aged man immediately silenced everyone.

"master!"

A servant quickly spoke up.

The middle-aged man was Hu Peng, the head of the Hu family and Hu Yao's biological father.

At this moment, his gaze was deep, and his voice was low: "Where is Hu Yao?"

"Miss has returned and is washing up in her room."

Hu Peng's gaze darkened slightly as he strode towards the inner courtyard and entered the room.

In a quiet room.

Hu Yao sat in front of the bronze mirror. Having just bathed and changed into clean clothes, she had washed away the previous grime. However, her eyes were still lifeless, her expression haggard, and her whole demeanor listless.

Two maids were standing on either side of the young lady, combing her hair.

The footsteps behind her gradually approached, and Hu Yao slowly raised her head, seeing Hu Peng appear in the bronze mirror.

"master!"

The two maids quickly turned around and spoke respectfully.

"You all go down first," Hu Peng said in a deep voice.

"Yes."

The two maids nodded respectfully and left the room.

After the maid left, Hu Peng's gaze fell on Hu Yao in front of the bronze mirror, and his tone was slightly somber: "What happened?"

"What happened? Where have you been these past two days?"

"Who exactly was the assassin who tried to kill you that night? Has something happened to the Sixth Prince?"

Hu Peng launched into a barrage of questions, his tone urgent.

Hu Yao listened quietly without making a sound.

Seeing that she didn't speak, a hint of anxiety flashed in Hu Peng's eyes, and his tone became even more sinister: "Why aren't you saying anything? What exactly happened?!"

Public opinion in Beijing has been in turmoil these past two days.

What was the background of the assassin that night?
Hu Peng was unsure, but he had a vague sense of foreboding. He was extremely worried that this matter would implicate the Hu family, and if something unexpected happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Father, is this all you care about?"

Hu Yao gazed at her own pale face and her father's gloomy expression in the bronze mirror. For some reason, a mocking look suddenly appeared on her face.

Upon hearing this, Hu Peng's eyes narrowed: "What do you mean?"

Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Father?

Hu Yao's tone held a hint of sarcasm: "Father came over today and couldn't wait to ask about these things."

"Shouldn't Father ask where I've been these past two days and what I've been through?"

"Does Father not care at all whether I live or die?" Hu Yao's words made Hu Peng's expression freeze, and then a hint of anger flashed in his eyes: "Are you blaming me?"

"My daughter doesn't dare."

The sarcasm in Hu Yao's tone was even more obvious.

"Stop pretending in front of me. Do you know what's happened in the capital these past two days? How many people have ridiculed the Hu family?"

Hu Peng's eyes were icy: "Who sent those assassins? Why do they want to kill you?"

"What on earth happened?!"

Hu Yao felt a chill in her heart, though she had known this all along. Her father only ever cared about himself and the interests of the Hu family.

As for her daughter, he saw her as nothing more than a tool to be used.

Even that can't compare to the Hu family's reputation.

Hu Yao felt a chill run down her spine. She lowered her eyes and scoffed, "You don't need to worry so much. It won't affect you or the Hu family."

Hu Yao's tone made Hu Peng extremely uncomfortable. He suppressed his anger and asked, "What's going on with the Sixth Prince?"

As if recalling some painful memory, a hint of hatred and deep resentment flashed in Hu Yao's eyes.

Finally, peace comes.

"He's doing well!"

"Rest assured, the Sixth Prince will still stand behind the Hu family and will not let the Hu family become the target of public criticism."

"The assassination that night?"

"It was just an accident!"

Hu Yao's explanation was concise, but upon hearing it, Hu Peng finally felt relieved.

His biggest worry was the situation with the Sixth Prince. Over the years, the Hu family had secretly worked for the Sixth Prince, engaging in countless dirty deeds. Once they lost the Sixth Prince's protection, the Hu family would surely face dire consequences.

Since there was no change on the Sixth Prince's side, this was undoubtedly the best news for Hu Peng.
After taking a deep breath, Hu Peng's expression finally softened considerably: "Father was also thinking of our Hu family. If anything happens to the Hu family, none of us will escape unscathed."

"You've worked hard these past two days, so get some rest. Don't go anywhere for the next couple of days!"

After giving these instructions, Hu Peng turned and hurriedly left the room.

Hu Yao, who was left in the room, sat there looking at herself in the bronze mirror and suddenly found it all ridiculous.

Her life was a complete joke.

What, Miss Hu?

It seems glamorous, but what's the reality?

She's nothing but a lowly woman who uses her body to gain profit!
What difference is there between her and those lowly women in brothels?

The title "Miss Hu" sounds nice, but has her father ever truly cared for her?

Although she had a privileged life since childhood, living the life of a rich young lady that others envied, in everyone's eyes, she was the eldest daughter of the Hu family, born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

But actually?
Her father did not like her and never treated her as a daughter. Hu Yao never felt any fatherly love growing up.

The privileged life she enjoyed since childhood was ultimately just an investment her father made in her.

She needs to pay it back!
Over the years, she has frequently frequented high society circles in Beijing, getting to know various outstanding scions of prominent families and moving among those with powerful and influential backgrounds.

With her fairly pretty face and the reputation of being the eldest daughter of the Hu family, she did indeed attract the attention of many talented young men, which brought the Hu family a lot of powerful backers.

And this was the fate that a young lady from a prestigious family like her was destined for.

Once a suitable husband is chosen who can bring great benefits to the family, she will be married off like a commodity.

That was her fate.

But Hu Yao was not willing to give up!

She didn't want to become someone who could be manipulated by others, or a pitiful, weak woman who ultimately sacrificed herself for her family.

Why should her fate be like this?
Why should she have to sacrifice herself for her family?
Therefore, she was jealous of Zhao Xi.

She was jealous of the woman who came from a better background, was prettier, more popular, and even had a better personality...

Compared to that woman, she was like a rat in a dark corner of the mud, unable to see the light. That woman, on the other hand, had been pampered and loved since childhood; she was beautiful, and which man in the capital didn't admire her?
Even when the men who coveted her belittled Zhao Xi and praised her in order to flatter her, Hu Yao could always see the hypocrisy in their eyes.

The more this happened, the stronger Hu Yao's jealousy became.

Why is that woman always superior to me? Why is it that, as a woman herself, she isn't forced into arranged marriages? Why isn't she forced to deal with those disgusting men every day, selling her body and soul?

The emotions suppressed and accumulated over the years have already twisted Hu Yao's heart.

She wanted to change her fate, so Hu Yao met Li Chang'an, who was then the sixth prince.

Hu Yao originally thought this was her chance to change her fate!

At that time, the sixth prince was extremely inconspicuous in the capital. He had a leg disability, so he was not favored and had very little influence in the capital.

But Hu Yao didn't care about any of that.

Even if he is insignificant, he is still a prince, and a future king.

If she could become the Sixth Prince's wife, she could break free from her family of origin and completely take control of her own destiny.

So she took the initiative to approach the sixth prince and gradually brought the two closer... She thought it was an opportunity, but she never expected that the sixth prince would drag her into the abyss.

Over the years, she has done countless things behind the scenes for the Sixth Prince. In fact, she has tied the fate of the entire Hu family to him.

She thought she would get what she wanted, but what did she end up with?
I got nothing!
At this moment, Hu Yao's face was deathly pale, her body was swaying precariously, and her eyes were filled with lifelessness.

From beginning to end, she was merely a pawn. A plaything manipulated and controlled by the Sixth Prince, used to satisfy his lust at any time.

She gave everything she had, but in the end all she received was a cold, deadly blade...

Hu Yao's eyes flashed with a coldness and a deep, powerless anger.

Even if she's furious, what can she do?
Can she fight against the dignified Sixth Prince?

Even though she possessed the Sixth Prince's fatal secret, she could only protect herself. She knew that those things could indeed threaten the Sixth Prince, but that was all.

If she dares to make any rash moves, she will surely suffer a terrible death.

So, even though she held the secret, she still couldn't escape the clutches of the Sixth Prince!

After being tormented by the Sixth Prince for two days, she returned to the Hu family, but what awaited her next?
It was her father's cold gaze, the feeling that no one cared.

At this moment, in the empty room, Hu Yao felt a chill in her heart, a chill that was chilling to the bone.

At that moment, a familiar figure gradually appeared in Hu Yao's mind.

When that face appeared in her mind, the loneliness that had gripped her heart was suddenly replaced by a warm current. This warmth gave her an urge to cry!
This was something she had never experienced before.

What flashed through my mind were those days spent together, his meticulous care for me. And that night, during the perilous situation, the scene of him carrying me as we fled for our lives, and…

At that moment, Hu Yao suddenly felt a strong impulse welling up in her chest, which she could not suppress.

She suddenly stood up, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

She wants to see him!

At this moment, Hu Yao had never felt such a strong urge to see someone in her entire life.

She turned around abruptly, strode to the door, opened it, and was about to step out.

Two guards, expressionless, had appeared at the entrance.

"Miss, the master has ordered that you are strictly forbidden from leaving the house."

"..."

(End of this chapter)