ebookland Chapter 161 The Mystery of the Western Garden
Chapter 161 The Mystery of the Western Garden
When Prince Xin received the news, it was just as he returned to Zuixianlou to prepare for his night's rest.
As a seemingly carefree prince in the eyes of many, Prince Xin always maintained his image. He sat on a soft couch, wearing loose clothes and with disheveled hair, which showed his leisure and ease.
However, after hearing what the servant said, his relaxed expression suddenly turned gloomy.
"Another fire?"
"Exactly."
The attendant kept his head down, not daring to look up at Prince Xin.
This fire at Prince Xin's mansion was even worse than the last one. The entire mansion was engulfed in flames, and even with the help of the Imperial Guards, they were unable to stop the fire.
After Prince Xin returns, I fear he will…
Thinking of this, the servant shuddered.
Prince Xin narrowed his eyes, slowly stood up, and his loose clothes slipped down, revealing his strong body underneath.
—The Prince of Xin stood firmly on the ground, his years of disability were indeed an act.
And his body was certainly not that of a sick or weak person.
Although the attendants already knew all this, they were still terrified when they saw Prince Xin stand up.
As someone who served Prince Xin closely, he knew best that once Prince Xin stopped pretending, it meant he was about to take action.
When Prince Xin takes action, it will inevitably lead to rivers of blood... just like the massacre fifteen years ago.
Thinking of this, even the servant's breathing became softer.
Prince Xin's eyes were sinister: "Is there any movement from Xie Jinghan's side?"
"There's been no movement from Prince Jing's residence. Instead, it was Chief Physician Zhou who went there in disguise," the servant quickly replied. "He must be concerned about Prince Jing's hidden ailment."
Upon hearing this, Prince Xin's eyes revealed a hint of pleasure: "When I sent people to spread rumors, I really didn't expect that Xie Jinghan would actually suffer from a hidden illness."
Thinking of this, he laughed heartily, his pride strangely satisfied.
"And in the palace?" he asked again.
The attendant shook his head: "As you instructed, our people have been keeping an eye on Prince Jing and His Majesty the whole time. After Prince Jing entered the palace that day, our people searched everywhere for information and finally found that Chief Physician Zhou went to Prince Jing's residence, and the Empress took a lot of medicine and jewelry from His Majesty's private treasury to reward Prince Jing's residence."
"We dare to speculate that His Majesty summoned Prince Jing because of his hidden illness. As for the Empress's reward, it was ostensibly a gift of jewelry to Princess Jing, but in reality, it was a cover to send medicine to Prince Jing's residence."
As the attendant began to speak, Prince Xin nodded slowly.
"It makes sense."
Upon hearing this, the attendant breathed a sigh of relief.
“If that’s the case…” Prince Xin spoke again, and the attendant’s heart jumped. Prince Xin said in a deep voice, “Then who was responsible for these two fires?”
Looking across the entire capital, he couldn't think of anyone else besides Xie Jinghan and the Emperor.
Over the years, he has been very cautious and careful. Unless necessary, he always sits in a wheelchair, and no one has noticed that his legs are actually perfectly fine. So where did they get this information from?
Those who knew his secret are long dead.
Prince Xin's eyes darkened: "Investigate!"
"Two fires in quick succession, it's no coincidence!" His voice was cold. "Is there any movement at Xiyuan?"
"Don't worry, all our things are underground. Even if the West Garden is burned to the ground, as long as the ground remains, no one will notice anything amiss!" the attendant quickly replied. "Besides, only the main courtyard was the most severely affected by the fire; the West and South Gardens were largely unaffected."
Prince Xin frowned and remained silent.
The attendant, observing his expression, hurriedly added, "Your Highness, you are truly farsighted. The arsonist behind it all wanted to uncover the secrets of our manor, but little did he know that our most important possessions are not in the main courtyard, but in the inconspicuous West Garden."
Upon hearing this, Prince Xin smiled smugly: "Going against the grain is the best approach."
Just as he had endured humiliation and hardship all these years, never revealing his secrets even when he heard the ridicule of his brothers.
Those who were flamboyant and high-profile have either died or been injured, but he alone remains peacefully in the capital.
……
At this time, in the Prince Xin's mansion.
The West Garden was heavily guarded, but due to the sudden fire, most of the staff were transferred to the main courtyard to fight the fire.
With a large number of imperial guards arriving, the security at the Prince Xin's residence became lax.
Moreover, they know that the secret is hidden deep underground. Even if someone comes to the West Garden, they will not discover its secrets. If they send people to guard the West Garden, it will only expose its flaws.
Therefore, with such favorable timing, location, and people, Xie Jinghan and Ying Yi successfully entered the West Garden.
After a major fire, charred marks are visible everywhere on the walls of Xiyuan.
Shadow looked around, touching almost every inch of the wall, but still couldn't find the mechanism he expected.
"That's strange," he muttered. "Could it be that we guessed wrong?"
“The dimensions of the West Garden are all correct, and there is no difference from its land deed,” Xie Jinghan replied calmly from behind him. “Therefore, the secret could never be hidden in this courtyard.”
"Where is it?" Yingyi was at a loss for the first time. "I hope Your Highness can enlighten me."
Xie Jinghan remained silent, only stepping on the bluestone slab beneath his feet.
Upon seeing this, Ying's eyes lit up: "Is it underground?"
“This artificial hill is not mentioned in the land deed,” Xie Jinghan pointed to the artificial hill. “According to the servants of the Prince Xin’s mansion, every inch of the West Garden was built according to the preferences of the Princess Xin back then, and this artificial hill is no exception.”
"However," Xie Jinghan scoffed, "according to my men's inquiries, Princess Xin fell off a rockery when she was young and is terrified of it."
"It is extremely strange that this artificial hill appears in the West Garden, which is supposed to be built entirely according to the wishes of Princess Xin."
As soon as Xie Jinghan finished speaking, Ying Yi couldn't contain his excitement. He placed his hand on the artificial hill and gently tapped it.
“It’s hollow.” Yingyi lowered her voice, excitedly saying, “The prince was right! This artificial hill must be the door to the secret chamber!”
Following Yingyi's movements, Xie Jinghan also walked to the rockery.
He glanced at the artificial hill a few times, then placed his hand on a recessed area. With a gentle press, a door in the middle of the artificial hill slowly rose, revealing a brightly lit passage.
This passage winds its way down into the underground.
Yingyi and Xie Jinghan exchanged a glance, then asked in a low voice, "Shall we go in?"
"Now that we're here, we can't leave empty-handed." Xie Jinghan said, already walking inside first.
Seeing this, Ying's heart trembled, and she quickly followed.
He was ordered to protect Xie Jinghan, and even if it cost him his life, he would never let Xie Jinghan suffer any harm.