Chapter 24: Sins Hidden Deep Within the Prime Minister's Estate

Faced with Chu Xi’s relentless conjectures, Qi Huan’s face darkened with fury. He warned her again, "Shut your mouth."

Yet, his reaction only served to confirm Chu Xi’s suspicions.

"The truth is, those women who married you were not all killed by your hand. Someone deliberately framed you. There is someone else behind their deaths, isn't there?"

Chu Xi watched Qi Huan’s trembling brows; his inner struggle was evident, and his final line of defense seemed on the verge of collapse.

She pressed on, seizing the moment. "Who exactly was that servant who brought me the poisoned food box? He said that the meal the Madam intended for me could not be delayed until tomorrow morning. That means the person who truly wants me dead is the Left Prime Minister's wife."

Qi Huan could no longer endure it. He reached out and seized Chu Xi by the throat.

"I warned you not to say another word. Why won't you listen? Do you really think I am some spineless fool you can push around?"

"You think you have seen through everything, but in reality, you know nothing!"

Grasped by his powerful hand, Chu Xi struggled for air, her toes dangling off the ground.

Fortunately, Qi Huan regained his senses at the last moment and released his grip.

Chu Xi slumped to the floor, gasping for air.

"Very well," Qi Huan murmured, his eyes lowering with a sense of helpless, profound sorrow. "If you die, at least you can tell them the truth in the afterlife, so they won't all be queuing up to complain to the King of Hell when I eventually arrive."

After a moment, Chu Xi slowly sat up. She looked at this Qi Huan, so different from the bloodthirsty monster he had claimed to be just moments ago.

"So, I was right all along. It seems this Prime Minister’s residence is not only eerie and terrifying but also a den of deep-seated sin."

Qi Huan heaved a heavy sigh and pulled a paper bag from his robes.

"Here. This isn't poisoned. Eat."

Chu Xi hesitated, then reached out to take it. She opened it to find steamed buns inside.

She offered a wry smile. "If I eat these, do you still intend to send me to my grave, to make sure I’m a well-fed ghost?"

Qi Huan could not help but laugh—a genuine laugh he had not felt in so long, perhaps for the first time ever.

But Chu Xi sighed again. "If I survive today, will the Left Prime Minister's wife come to take my life herself tomorrow morning?"

The rare smile that had bloomed on Qi Huan’s face vanished instantly at her words.

***

Mo Zixiao felt an inexplicable sense of unease after the morning court session. He left several military matters unattended and hurried back to the General’s Mansion.

His deputy, Pang Hu, who always followed at his side, noticed his distraction and asked with concern, "General, are you worried about the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s estate? Would you like me to go and check on her personally?"

Mo Zixiao raised a hand, stopping him. "I was there only yesterday. To go again today would be inappropriate and would only give others cause for gossip."

Pang Hu nodded. "The General is right. It is just that I see you so restless; perhaps it is a connection of the heart. What if she truly is in danger? Though the Marquis and his wife are her biological parents, they do not seem to treat her with any genuine care."

Pang Hu’s words made Mo Zixiao’s heart sink, and his brow furrowed deeper.

"Even if we once had a betrothal, it has long since been annulled. Furthermore, her current status is that of Li Dan’s widow."

As he spoke, Mo Zixiao felt a deep, gnawing bitterness.

Pang Hu, who understood him best, smiled immediately. "General, since there is nothing to be done today, why don't we go out for a ride? If you remain worried about the young lady, we could scout around the Marquis’s estate. It is better than sighing and worrying at home."

Mo Zixiao glanced at Pang Hu and smiled. Moments later, the two men mounted their horses and rode off.