Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

It was the second watch of the night.

The lights in the courtyard of Ding County gradually went out, and the place was silent and deserted.

"My lord, Wang Hu refused to confess and, fearing harsh punishment, took advantage of a moment when no one was looking to kill himself."

A member of the Imperial Guard bowed and stepped forward, reporting in a low voice: "Liu Yuniang was so frightened that she died of fright."

As she spoke, two other Imperial Guards carried over a corpse covered with a white cloth. Lin Wantang walked over and lifted the cloth, revealing Wang Hu with a ferocious face.

There was a knife wound on his neck, indicating that he had indeed committed suicide.

Lin Wantang covered the body with a white sheet again, then looked at the Imperial Guards: "Where is Liu Yuniang's body?"

"this……"

The Imperial Guard hesitated for a moment before finally speaking frankly: "Liu Yuniang saw Wang Hu commit suicide and was so shocked that she went mad, tearing her clothes, scratching herself, and even losing control of her bladder in fear. Her body is too filthy to be seen by you, sir, and young master, as it would only soil your eyes."

As he spoke, the Imperial Guard knelt on one knee and said, "Please forgive me, sir. I have already had someone dig a pit in the wilderness outside the city and hastily buried Liu Yuniang's body."

Although Lin Wantang had doubts about this, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were all Wei Wujiu's men, so there was no need for them to help Liu Yuniang fake her death and deceive him. Moreover, it seemed that people who died of fright did indeed show signs of incontinence.

Wei Wujiu glanced at Lin Wantang and almost instantly understood her concerns, then said, "Let them dig it out, shall we go take a look?"

Lin Wantang was momentarily stunned, then smiled and shook her head: "No, do you think I don't trust the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Besides, since the person is already dead, let's not make a fuss about it anymore."

Thus, having put the matter aside, Wei Wujiu gave Zhang Qian and Li Jinzhi a few more instructions. Before midnight, the two of them led all the Imperial Guards, wrapped the horses' hooves in cotton cloth, and quietly returned with the large group of men, concealing their movements.

Wei Wujiu and Lin Wantang did not leave. They stayed behind, lit another torch, and entered the tunnel again to search the vast underground palace once more.

They didn't miss any clues. Although they didn't find any account books, they did find two suspicious items.

It was a very thin piece of wood, yellowish-brown in color, with faint gold threads floating on it.

Indeed, this piece of wood is Phoebe zhennan wood.

Fragments of the wooden box that once held a luminous pearl.

The other piece was a tattered piece of cloth, of excellent quality, but it didn't quite resemble anything from the Central Plains.

Wei Wujiu repeatedly touched the piece of cloth before handing it to Lin Wantang: "Can you tell what this is?"

Lin Wantang took the cloth, touched it, and then sniffed it. There was no strange smell. She frowned and said, "This piece of cloth is tattered. You can vaguely see some kind of embroidery, but it's incomplete and we can't be sure."

She racked her brains and examined the piece of cloth carefully for a long time, but finally had no choice but to return it to Wei Wujiu: "I'm a bit blind, and I really can't tell where this piece of cloth came from or what kind of embroidery it is."

"Well, let's keep them for now." Wei Wujiu put away the cloth and the piece of wood, held up the torch and slowly walked ahead, leading Lin Wantang out of the tunnel: "At least we can confirm that tribute and the luminous pearl have both been here."

Having these two pieces of evidence can be considered a clue.

If things go in line with his and Lin Wantang's plans, then progress will be made soon.

The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word, and were about to separate into different rooms to rest when they heard a noise coming from a room in the front yard.

"Where is everyone? There's not even a servant to help! Where have they all gone?!"

Upon hearing this, both of them frowned and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing they had completely forgotten about Princess Yong'an.

At that moment, the door to that room opened, and Yong'an stood at the door with a sullen expression. He saw the two people in the shadows from afar, and his anger flared up even more.

"What time is it? What are you doing?"

After eating in her room, Yong'an slept and slept. When she woke up, there was no one to serve her and the outside was eerily quiet. This made her think of the days when she was kidnapped. In her terror and fear, she felt even more resentful of Wei Wujiu's cold-bloodedness and indifference towards her.

A surge of anger welled up in Yong'an's heart, making her delicate face appear dark and terrifying. She bit her lip in fury: "How dare you! You two, a lone man and a woman, dare to engage in such intimate acts in front of this princess! You truly have no shame!"

Wei Wujiu took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Princess, you have misunderstood. It is late at night and the dew is heavy. I hope you will take care of your health and go back to your room to rest."

"Wei Wujiu!" Yong'an's face darkened further. "Besides saying these things, what else can you say? Do you really have nothing else to say to me?!"

"Your Highness is self-disciplined and dignified, and I dare not overstep my bounds."

"Fine! It's always this kind of thing, you know I don't want to hear it!"

Yong'an was furious, but Wei Wujiu stood by indifferently. Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, Lin Wantang had no choice but to step forward and gasp, saying, "Princess, please calm down. I will help you back to your room to rest."

Her words were respectful and gentle, but after Lin Wantang curtsied, she helped Yong'an turn around and go back to her room, her manner leaving no room for resistance and almost a form of coercion.

Yong'an was even angrier. She struggled as soon as Lin Wantang dragged her into the room, yelling, "What are you doing! How dare you! You're being so insolent!"

Lin Wantang released her grip at the opportune moment, turned around, closed the door, and locked it. Then, she turned back, lifted her long robe, and knelt down respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, please calm your anger. I know I am guilty and am willing to accept punishment, but before that, could Your Highness please listen to what I have to say?"

Yong'an wanted to find an opportunity to lash out at Lin Wantang, thinking to herself, "You asked for this," and then laughed angrily, "Fine, go ahead and say it. This princess will hear what else you have to say!"

Lin Wantang sighed silently in her heart, and said with a headache and helplessness, "Princess, please forgive my rudeness. When you were young, you studied in the palace with the princes and princesses. Lord Wei was your and the Third Prince's study companion. The friendship you had when you were young is precious. You are in love with Lord Wei, but unfortunately, the marriage alliance has delayed your good match."

Yong'an became even angrier upon hearing this, and kicked over the round stool: "Since you already know, why bother saying anything more!"

"Please calm your anger, Your Highness. If I may be so bold as to ask you a question, if Your Highness were me, what would you do?"

Yong'an was about to get angry, but he was taken aback when he heard this.

Lin Wantang straightened her back, slightly raised her eyes and looked directly at her, silently waiting for Yong'an to speak.

"You! How dare you compare me to a princess?"

Yong'an continued to vent her anger, but her voice was noticeably weaker than before. After much deliberation, she finally said somewhat awkwardly, "If I were you, I would naturally kneel and beg the Emperor to withdraw the marriage decree, so that you and Lord Wei could be together forever!"

Lin Wantang remained unmoved and continued, "Does the Princess think that's possible? The Emperor is the supreme ruler; once he speaks, there's no going back. Disobeying the decree is defying it. If the Princess is my daughter, has the Princess considered the Lin family behind me?"