son, don't mess around

Tao Ya stopped and suddenly looked up.

In the room ahead, a figure had silently appeared without anyone noticing.

Lin Jiangnian leaned against the screen, observing her with amusement.

Tao Ya was horrified, and panic appeared on her face: "You, how did you get here?!"

Lin Jiangnian remained silent, his gaze fixed on her hand... the letter that had just been folded.

Tao Ya quickly noticed Lin Jiangnian's gaze and hurriedly hid the letter behind her back, tucking it under her sleeve, and subconsciously took two steps back.

"If I weren't here, how could I have caught you red-handed?"

As Lin Jiangnian spoke, he approached her and clicked his tongue, saying, "I never expected that you were the one who had been hiding the deepest secret?"

You almost fooled me!

At this moment, Tao Ya's expression changed several times. She gritted her teeth and said, "Your Highness, I don't understand what you're saying. It's not appropriate for you to force your way into my room in the middle of the night, is it?"

"Can't understand?"

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her: "Since I've come to see you tonight, I naturally have ample evidence. What can you do even if you don't admit it?"

Do you think you can still escape?

Upon hearing this, Tao Ya's expression turned even more unpleasant.

She knew perfectly well that once she was exposed, it would be no use denying it.

The Prince of Lin in front of her wouldn't let her go; he came to the Lü residence during the day specifically to see her.

The provocations and tests during the day, and the sudden appearance here tonight, all explain everything.

Realizing she had been exposed, Tao Ya took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down: "How...how did you know it was me?"

"Since you married into the Lü family, I have been neglecting one thing all along..."

Lin Jiangnian stared at her: "Your Tao family has never been peaceful. Before you married into the Lü family, your Tao family had already begun to plan... After you married into the Lü family, the Lü family naturally became a link in your cover."

"The existence of the Lü family can cover up many things, to the point that I almost overlooked you... There must be someone else behind you directing things, right?"

Lin Jiangnian spoke slowly and deliberately. Tao Ya's face grew even paler, devoid of any color.

"Your Highness, you are indeed clever!"

Tao Ya gritted her teeth, a forced smile appearing on her pale face.

"Then what brings Your Highness here tonight?"

She forced herself to remain calm, took another step back, and hid the letter under her sleeve even deeper.

Lin Jiangnian noticed her subtle movements and took a step closer to her: "Don't you know why I've come to find you?"

"You possess remarkable martial arts skills; this doesn't seem like the demeanor of the eldest daughter of the Tao family!"

"It's rumored that the eldest daughter of the Tao family in the capital is gentle and frail, easily catching a cold. What? Is my information wrong?"

"You don't seem like someone with a weak constitution?"

Tao Ya gritted her teeth: "What exactly does Your Highness want to say?"

Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "I've also heard that the Tao family in the capital and the Tao family in Jiangnan used to be close, and the two families had dealings with each other. But a little over a year ago, the two families suddenly lost contact, and coincidentally..."

"The Tao family in Jiangnan also had a young lady who suddenly disappeared more than a year ago..."

Upon hearing this, Tao Ya's heart skipped a beat. She opened her eyes wide in disbelief, and fear instantly spread throughout her body.

At that moment, Lin Jiangnian appeared in front of her and stretched out his hand: "Give it to me."

Tao Ya lowered her eyes, put her hands behind her back, and remained silent.

"Do I, the young master, intend to do it myself?"

He came to the Lü residence during the day on purpose, just to make this woman give herself away.

As expected, the woman eventually revealed her weakness.

As if suddenly snapping out of her daze, Tao Ya took a step back, looked up at Lin Jiangnian, and gritted her teeth: "This concubine does not understand what Your Highness is saying, nor does this concubine know what Your Highness wants."

"I know nothing about the Tao family in the capital or the Tao family in Jiangnan."

"Ah!"

At this point, why are you still making a last-ditch effort?

A cold glint flashed in Lin Jiangnian's eyes. The next second, he suddenly reached out and grabbed at Tao Ya.

He didn't have time to waste on this woman's nonsense.

The moment she made her move, Tao Ya's pupils constricted sharply, her aura deepened, and she nimbly touched the ground, quickly retreating to dodge Lin Jiangnian's attack.

That speed, that reaction—this woman's martial arts skills are definitely not weak.

Immediately afterwards, Tao Ya turned and ran towards the door.

Want to run?

Lin Jiangnian took a step forward, his figure quickly moving through the room, and then blocked Tao Ya's way.

Caught off guard, Tao Ya's eyes flashed with horror. She gritted her teeth and raised her palm to strike Lin Jiangnian.

This palm strike was extremely swift, skillful, and decisive, aimed directly at Lin Jiangnian's chest and heart.

Lin Jiangnian did not back down and raised his hand to block.

"boom!"

The instant he blocked the opponent's palm strike, Lin Jiangnian pressed his advantage, turning the blocked palm strike into an offensive. A surge of powerful internal energy erupted from his palm, blasting Tao Ya back from his feet.

She staggered back four or five steps before finally regaining her balance, her face pale and her internal energy churning violently.

She underestimated the martial arts skills of the Crown Prince of Lin!
This young man's martial arts skills are unfathomable, far surpassing hers!

"You grew up in the Tao family in Jiangnan, where you learned martial arts from a young age and became quite skilled. A little over a year ago, the Tao family in the capital brought you back to Beijing, and not long after, you met the eldest young master of the Lü family... Am I right?"

Lin Jiangnian's leisurely voice rang out, and Tao Ya's face turned pale and her whole body stiffened.

The secret has finally been exposed.

"Your trick of substituting one thing for another was truly masterful!"

Lin Jiangnian remarked with emotion.

These clues gradually surfaced several months ago when the investigation began with the Tao family in Jiangnan.

The woman before me is the eldest daughter of the Tao family in the capital, or more accurately, the eldest daughter of the Tao family's branch in Jiangnan.

More than a year ago, the eldest daughter of the Tao family in the capital passed away.

Of course, no one knows whether he died of illness or some other reason.

Afterwards, this young lady from the Tao family in Jiangnan was secretly brought back to the capital. She then took Tao Ya's place and, with the help of the Tao family's plan in the capital, met Lü Xuan and successfully married into the Lü family.

This is considered a secret, information that the intelligence agency of the Prince Lin's residence inadvertently learned during an investigation.

Lin Jiangnian hadn't taken the matter to heart at first, until...

Hu Yao mentioned Tao Ya.

This led Lin Jiangnian to connect all the clues and ultimately pinpoint the woman as the target.

This woman is suspicious!
"I... I don't understand what Your Highness is saying..."

Tao Ya's voice trembled, and even at this moment, she still gritted her teeth and refused to admit it: "Your Highness, how could you force your way into my boudoir in the middle of the night..."

"Your Highness, please do not be so rude. Please have some self-respect!"

"Self-respect?"

Lin Jiangnian stared at her, approaching step by step: "I am not interested in your impersonation of the eldest daughter of the Tao family in the capital, but I am interested in the person behind you."

"Give me the letter, or tell me who's behind you!!"

As Lin Jiangnian approached step by step, his powerful aura suddenly surged forth. Seeing Lin Jiangnian getting closer and closer, Tao Ya finally showed a look of panic on her face.

She turned around abruptly and shouted at the window not far away.

"Help...it's an assault!" "Help! Someone, please!"

The sound was sharp and loud, instantly emanating from the room and carrying into the courtyard.

Soon, a series of hurried footsteps echoed through the courtyard.

"what happened?"

"The young mistress is calling for help!"

"Go and have a look!"

Rapid footsteps sounded.

Before Tao Ya could even smile, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure approaching from the corner of her eye. Terrified, she tried to back away, but her arm was suddenly grabbed and she couldn't move.

"Will this tactic work?"

A mocking tone rang out, but Lin Jiangnian showed no fear on his face: "Give it to me!"

Tao Ya panicked. Seeing that there was nowhere to escape, she quickly grabbed the letter hidden under her sleeve, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into her mouth, trying to swallow it.

Is this woman trying to destroy the evidence?
Lin Jiangnian suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin, twisting it forcefully. A crisp sound rang out, accompanied by the sound of her jawbone dislocating.

A look of pain appeared on Tao Ya's face; she didn't even have the strength to scream.

He no longer had the strength to swallow the letter he had just put in his mouth.

"Ya'er?!"

Just then, a panicked voice came from outside the room.

Lu Xuan, who rushed into the room, happened to see this scene.

In his sight, a man had appeared in his wife's room at some point... It was the Crown Prince of Lin!

Lin Jiangnian!
Why is he here?

Why would someone be here in the middle of the night?
At this moment, Lin Jiangnian was holding his wife... From Lü Xuan's perspective, that was indeed the case.

Lin Jiangnian was embracing his wife intimately, one hand stroking her face... The two were very close together.

This scene left Lü Xuan frozen in place. His eyes widened in fury, and a surge of anger welled up within him, as if a torrent of rage were rushing straight to his head.

"What are you doing?!!"

A furious voice rang out, and Lü Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He shouted angrily, his anger nearly driving him mad, and strode into the room.

However, Lin Jiangnian ignored Lü Xuan's appearance.

He reached straight out and took the crumpled letter out of Tao Ya's mouth.

He immediately let go, and Tao Ya lost her balance and staggered to the ground.

"Ya'er?!"

Lu Xuan cried out in alarm and rushed forward, pulling Tao Ya into his arms. Looking down, he saw his wife's face was pale with fear, and she couldn't move her mouth at all.

"What's wrong with you?!"

Lu Xuan spoke in alarm.

At this moment, Tao Ya was in so much pain that she couldn't speak at all. She could only point to her mouth, filled with fear.

Seeing his wife's pitiful appearance, Lü Xuan felt heartbroken: "Ya'er, are you alright? Don't scare me!"

After a brief period of intense pain, Tao Ya finally caught her breath. She reached out and touched her chin, gently putting it back in place.

"I...I'm alright..." Tao Ya nestled in Lü Xuan's arms, her voice weak and trembling, "I...I was so scared, thank goodness you came..."

The soft voice instantly captivated Lü Xuan.

"What did you do to my wife?!"

Lu Xuan looked up angrily, his gaze fixed on Lin Jiangnian. He had been holding back for so long, but he finally couldn't take it anymore.

This Prince Lin is going too far, humiliating him time and time again, and even tonight he bullied his wife. How could Lü Xuan tolerate this?

His wife's pitiful and aggrieved voice at this moment caused Lu Xuan's long-suppressed emotions to burst forth.

However, Lin Jiangnian completely ignored Lü Xuan's anger. He disdainfully wiped the crumpled letter and then opened it.

However, when one's gaze falls upon this letter...

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her twice, then his eyes suddenly narrowed. He then abruptly looked up at Tao Ya.

Tao Ya curled up in Lü Xuan's arms, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes as she looked at Lin Jiangnian.

Immediately afterwards, she threw herself into Lü Xuan's arms and began to cry.

"My husband, you, you must stand up for me... His Highness the Crown Prince of Lin, he, he..."

Tao Ya cried uncontrollably, gasping for breath, as if she had suffered some great injustice.

"Ya'er, don't cry, don't cry. Tell me, your husband stood up for you. What exactly did he do to you?!" Lu Xuan comforted her with heartache.

Tao Ya cried, her face streaked with tears: "Tonight, I was resting in my room when His Highness the Prince of Lin suddenly barged in, intending to take advantage of me... I tried to refuse, but he... he actually wanted to... Waaah..."

Tao Ya's words instantly made Lü Xuan lose his temper.

Misguided intentions?!
Anger filled his heart at that moment, almost making him lose his mind.

"Waaaaah... I'm no longer pure, I've failed my husband, I don't want to live anymore... Waaaaah..."

Tao Ya, in Lü Xuan's arms, was crying her heart out. Her grief-stricken and aggrieved expression made her look like she wanted to die.

"Ya'er, don't be afraid. Your husband is here. In your husband's eyes, Ya'er is the purest. Your husband will definitely stand up for you and clear your name!"

Lu Xuan spoke with grief and indignation, holding Ya'er in his arms, and stared at Lin Jiangnian with bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to devour Lin Jiangnian.

"You owe me an explanation!"

At this moment, even the respect in Lü Xuan's words had vanished.

"I respect you as His Highness the Crown Prince of Lin, and I have been very tolerant of you, but you have gone too far and humiliated my wife like this!"

"I know you are of noble status, but how can you be so arrogant and bullying?! Although my Lü family is not as powerful as your Prince Lin's mansion, we are not so easily humiliated. If you do not give me an explanation today, I will risk my life to appeal to the imperial court!"

"I refuse to believe that you, from the Prince Lin's residence, can really do whatever you want and humiliate other men's wives and daughters like this!!"

Faced with Lü Xuan's sudden outburst of anger, Lin Jiangnian showed no sign of anger or tension. He stared at Tao Ya, who was nestled in Lü Xuan's arms, and his cold smile deepened.

Unexpectedly, he was tricked by this woman tonight.

But did she think she could get away with it that way?

Lin Jiangnian lowered his eyes slightly and tightened his grip. The crumpled letter in his hand began to smoke, then flames appeared, burning the letter to ashes.

This scene caused everyone in the room to freeze in shock!

What kind of tactic is this?!
Tao Ya's smugness froze, replaced by a look of horror, as if she hadn't expected the Prince of Lin's inner strength to be so profound.

Lu Xuan was even more furious: "Are you threatening me?"

Lin Jiangnian ignored Lü Xuan's angry gaze, looked at Tao Ya, and sneered: "You've got a good plan. I underestimated you. You probably knew I would come tonight, didn't you?"

Tao Ya's body trembled, but her face still showed fear: "Your Highness, I, I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's okay if you don't know yet, you'll find out soon enough."

After saying this, Lin Jiangnian withdrew his gaze and turned to Lü Xuan, who was glaring at him angrily.

Faced with the honest man's anger, Lin Jiangnian was not angry at all. Instead, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "If you want to complain, then go ahead. It would be best to go directly to His Majesty to complain. It might be useful."

Lin Jiangnian's outrageous reaction infuriated Lü Xuan.

He wasn't afraid at all?
"correct!"

Lin Jiangnian seemed to remember something else, and before turning to leave, he gave Lü Xuan a meaningful look: "Also, keep a close eye on your wife, don't lose her..."

"I will come to find her again."

"..." (End of this chapter)