ebookland Chapter 210 has yielded some results, but not many.
Chapter 210 has yielded some results, but not many.
In the secluded and tranquil bedroom of the Fifth Prince's Mansion, the Fifth Prince, Murong Han, was sound asleep.
In his sleep, his expression gradually turned terrified, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.
His body began to tremble slightly, and his lips quivered incessantly, as if he were experiencing something extremely terrifying.
"Ah—" Suddenly, a terrified scream broke the silence of the night. Murong Han sat up abruptly in bed, his eyes wide open, filled with fear and panic.
He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently, and sweat had soaked through his clothes, streaming down his face.
He looked around in a panic, and after a while, he gradually realized that he was dreaming.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart. Then, he lowered his head, lost in thought, a hint of confusion and bewilderment in his eyes.
After a moment, Murong Han slowly reached under his pillow and took out an exquisite purse:
This purse is exquisitely embroidered, using the finest silk thread, and the patterns on the embroidered surface are incredibly lifelike. On the front of the purse, a striking character "唤" (huan, meaning "to call out") is embroidered, the calligraphy delicate and graceful, seemingly conveying a special emotion.
"Call? Is it a woman whose name contains the character 'call'? Or is she calling for something?"
Murong Han murmured to himself, holding the purse in his hands, examining it carefully, his eyes revealing a hint of deep affection and longing. His brows were tightly furrowed, as if he was trying hard to recall something.
The image of that day involuntarily surfaced in his mind: the pregnant girl who appeared in his dreams every day. Her voice seemed to still echo in his ears, calling his name, but he could never see her face clearly.
"Who exactly is that woman?" Murong Han muttered to himself, his voice filled with doubt and confusion. He stared at the purse in his hand, pondered for a moment, then gripped it tightly, his eyes revealing a firm determination. He snorted coldly and secretly vowed, "Nothing can hold me back. I will find out who you really are."
"Guards!" Murong Han's sharp shout broke the silence in the Fifth Prince's mansion late at night.
A moment later, Zhao Xu, the personal guard, hurriedly stepped into the hall, knelt on one knee, and respectfully asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
Murong Han strode up to Zhao Xu, his expression grave and his gaze sharp: "Go and investigate thoroughly for me. A few days before Xiang'er and Murong Che's marriage, on the day Murong Che came to the manor and Xiang'er made him tea, who else besides them entered that courtyard?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu's face instantly showed a hint of difficulty. He lowered his head even further, and his voice became hesitant: "Your Highness, this matter happened a long time ago. I didn't pay special attention at the time, and there are no clues. How... how are we supposed to find it..."
Upon hearing this, Murong Han's eyes widened in fury, seemingly spitting fire, veins bulging on his forehead. He kicked over the stool beside him and roared, "I don't care! What are you good for? You can't even handle this simple matter? If you can't find out, you'll bring me your head!"
Zhao Xu trembled with fright and hurriedly kowtowed, "Yes, yes, this servant will definitely investigate thoroughly!" He lowered his head, his steps were flustered, and he scrambled out of the room.
Murong Han stared in the direction Zhao Xu had left, his eyes filled with ruthlessness and determination. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and muttered to himself, "No matter who you are or what connection you have with me, I will find you and get to the bottom of this." With that, his gaze sharpened like a knife, as if he wanted to cleave through the darkness before him.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye, but the investigation made no progress. Upon learning the news, Murong Han was furious. He slammed his fist on the table with a loud bang, causing the teacups to jump and spill tea everywhere.
"Nonsense! A bunch of useless trash!" His eyes widened, veins bulged on his forehead, and his roar echoed in the room.
This sudden outburst of rage terrified the servants inside, who dared not even breathe and all bowed their heads in fear.
One of the maids was so frightened that she lost her composure and retreated uncontrollably. In her panic, her elbow bumped into the corner of the table, and with a "crash," the teapot full of tea was knocked over and the scalding tea spread on the ground.
"How dare you! How dare you be so rude!" Upon seeing this, Zhao Xu immediately stepped forward, pointed at the maid, and reprimanded her sharply, his eyes filled with anger.
The maidservant fell to her knees with a thud, her face deathly pale, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she begged for mercy: "Your Highness, spare me! I really didn't mean it, please forgive me this time!"
Murong Han's face was terribly gloomy, his eyes as cold as frost. He said coldly, "This matter is not for me to handle, Zhao Xu." As he spoke, he slightly raised his eyes and gestured to Zhao Xu.
Zhao Xu understood immediately and nodded. He then turned around, staring at the maid in front of him with eyes like a wolf. With a "whoosh," he drew his sword from his waist, and with a flash of cold light, the tip of the sword was pointed directly at the maid's throat.
In that life-or-death moment, the maid's eyes widened in terror, and she cried out with all her might, "I saw what happened that day..."
"Wait!" Upon hearing this, Murong Han's expression hardened, and he hurriedly spoke up to stop him.
Zhao Xu's sword froze in mid-air, its tip barely a hair's breadth from the maid's neck. He turned to look at Murong Han, and seeing his master nod in acknowledgment, he slowly sheathed his sword.
At this moment, the maid slumped to the ground, her whole body trembling violently, like a fallen leaf drifting in the autumn wind.
She was panting heavily, her face still streaked with tears, and her eyes held both relief at surviving the ordeal and deep fear.
Murong Han strode forward, his gaze sharp and fixed on the maid, his voice low yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Speak! What did you see!"
The maidservant trembled with fright, nearly collapsing to the ground. She quickly forced herself to reply, "Your Highness, that day I was sweeping the courtyard when I saw you stagger and sway as you walked towards the gate. A sense of unease crept over me, and I couldn't help but secretly follow you. Who would have thought…who would have thought I'd see…"
"What did you see! Speak up now, stop stammering!" Zhao Xu urged impatiently from the side, his eyes wide and his face full of anger.
Murong Han immediately turned to look at Zhao Xu, his eyes filled with warning, and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Xu!" At the same time, he gestured to him to calm down.
Then, Murong Han softened his gaze and looked at the kneeling maid, slowing his tone: "Continue speaking, do not be afraid, tell the truth about whatever you see, and do not hide anything."
The maid swallowed hard, steadied herself, and continued, "I saw you blocking the way of two women. I didn't recognize them; they looked like a mistress and her servant. The young lady was dressed in fine silks and satins, exuding the air of a wealthy family. Her maid was also very proper. When they saw Your Highness, they looked very flustered. Then…then the elegantly dressed young lady seized the opportunity and ran away, pushing the maid into Your Highness's arms in her haste. Your Highness lost your balance and carried her into the house…"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu's face flushed red and then turned pale, his expression extremely awkward. He lowered his head slightly, his eyes secretly glancing at Murong Han, wanting to gauge the prince's reaction, but he dared not be too obvious, for fear of angering Murong Han, whose emotions were currently unclear.
Murong Han was completely oblivious to Zhao Xu's subtle movements, his expression as solemn as if covered in frost. His brows were furrowed, forming a deep "川" shape between them, and his eyes were full of contemplation, as if he were lost in a fog of memories.
After a long silence, Murong Han spoke slowly, his voice low and steady, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "Do you remember what they look like?"
As he spoke, he stared intently at the maid, his gaze so sharp it seemed he could see right through her, not missing a single subtle change in her expression.
The maidservant trembled at Murong Han's oppressive gaze, quickly lowered her head, and timidly replied, "Your Highness, I was too far away to see their faces clearly. But judging from the woman's attire, she must have been married. I saw that she wore a married woman's hairstyle, which was elaborate and exquisite, secured with a jade hairpin and adorned with several small pearl hairpins that swayed gently as she walked. It was clearly not something an ordinary family could afford."
The maid paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "However, I think I heard that maid keep shouting 'Your Highness, save me!'"
As Murong Han listened to the maid's words, his expression grew increasingly solemn, and the doubt in his eyes deepened like thick ink. His brows furrowed into a tight knot, and his lips unconsciously pursed into a taut line.
"Princess?" He pondered the word repeatedly in his mind, various guesses tangling in his head like a jumble of hemp.
“The Third Princess Consort? Impossible.” He pondered to himself, a certainty flashing in his eyes. “My third sister-in-law has always been gentle and virtuous, rarely leaving the house and going out. It can’t be her.”
"The Fourth Princess Consort is Xiang'er, that's even more impossible." Thinking of Xiang'er, a complex emotion flashed across his eyes, a mixture of memories of the past and denial at this moment.
"The Ninth Prince's Consort? Could it be..." As this thought flashed through his mind, Murong Han's expression instantly changed. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, as if he had caught a glimmer of dawn in the darkness.