Chapter 4, Who Did It

Upon hearing this, Mo Bai was left speechless. The prince's words were indeed reasonable; having already been targeted, hiding and evading was not a solution. There was still quite a distance to travel before leaving the capital, and it was hard to guarantee that there would be no ambushes along the way

Before Luo Huai could speak, Luo Mei stepped forward and pushed open the main door

What is going on?! Luo Huaixiu shouted in both surprise and anger as she rushed into the restaurant, "Who is it? Who did this? You bastard, who dares to come out!"

Before he could finish speaking, Nangong Zihen interrupted him, saying, "There is nothing inappropriate."

But he forgot that, regardless of how frightening his appearance was, it had no effect whatsoever in front of this mother and daughter.

Nangong Zihen clenched his hands, making a 'crackling' sound, suppressing the urge to overturn the table, and left with a pale face and a flick of his sleeve. It was not that he feared provoking this mother-daughter pair, but rather that speaking another word to them would be a disgrace to his status

Think of a way to divert that mother and daughter; I shall personally meet those individuals

It could be heard that his subordinates were requesting orders, yet he merely replied in a soft voice, "Enough."

Luo Huaixiu immediately rushed to the stairs, but instead of going upstairs, she stood at the bottom of the ladder and shouted angrily at the person above, "You ungrateful wretch, we kindly saved you, and not only do you fail to show gratitude, but you also give us a cold shoulder. Who do you think you are? If you have the guts, come down here and see if I dare to chop you up!"

Luo Mei stared at her, her gaze concealing complexity

Luo Mei raised her hand and pointed upstairs, "She has gone back to her room"

The next afternoon, Luo Huaixiu was enjoying tea and chatting with her daughter in the backyard when suddenly, Da Gu approached and presented something resembling an invitation to Luo Huaixiu, saying, "Madam, Lord Wang has sent someone to deliver this invitation for your personal review"

Regarding her mother's anger, Luo Mei did not speak up to dissuade her; instead, she kept her head down and continued to eat. She had said that as long as her mother was happy, it did not matter if she truly chopped the person into seven or eight pieces; she would help her mother dispose of the remains.

The scene that came into view left the mother and daughter momentarily stunned, their faces turning pale.

It is not yet closing time, yet the door is surprisingly closed

The lobby was in complete disarray; not only were the tables and chairs all moved out of place, but some were also broken or damaged. What was most shocking was the splattered blood on the floor, which was not just a small puddle, but was present everywhere.

Mo Bai fell silent for a moment. Although he was reluctant to admit it, the mother and daughter indeed protected their prince today. He had not expected that they could be so righteous in the face of threats from others. If it were someone else, they would have likely betrayed their prince long ago

Regarding her dissatisfaction and nagging towards her mother, Luo Mei merely listened quietly. There are too many things in this world that are unclear and ambiguous, and every era has its own 'dark secrets.' The county magistrate may be somewhat stingy, but he is still quite reliable in carrying out his duties after accepting their bribes

It turns out that the government office is funding rewards for various merchants, no wonder my mother is surprised. In Yufeng County for several years, this is truly the first time such a thing has happened. Usually, the government office complains about being poor and finds ways to collect taxes and exploit them. Now, unexpectedly, they are actually distributing silver to each merchant. Is such a good thing really possible?

Yufeng County is not large, but there are quite a few merchants. There are at least seventy or eighty people who have come to the government office to receive rewards. With the need to queue, register, and exchange pleasantries with acquaintances, by the time the mother and daughter received their money and returned to 'Duwei Restaurant', it was almost dark.

The yamen is to distribute ten taels of silver to each merchant. Although it is not a large amount, attending is a matter of showing respect to the yamen, while not attending would be offending them. Do not underestimate the small sum of silver; without the protection of the yamen, establishing oneself in Yufeng County is not a simple matter

Watching her truly rush into the kitchen, Nangong Zihen's eyes widened, and his iron-gray face turned pale in an instant

Regardless of the truth, the invitation is in their hands. Even if they inwardly curse the county magistrate Wang Bo for being stingy, they must still attend.

After toiling as a laborer for half a day, he endured relentless scolding from Luo Huaixiu in the evening, and Nangong Sihen's expression remained grim throughout the night

A loud thud echoed as the stool was kicked away

It is not untrue to say that she feels guilty, but there are some things she truly does not wish to disclose

It is not because he cannot eat meat that he is angry, but rather because Luo Huaixiu's words sound to him like an insult

Soon, Luo Huaixiu emerged from the kitchen, truly holding a bone-cutting knife in her hand, casting a fierce glance around the hall, "Dear, where is that mute man?"

Nangong Zihen's face was dark with anger, the sound of grinding teeth incessant, as if he were about to shatter a set of silver teeth. His cold gaze had turned sharp and fierce, and the aura beneath his black attire was like the ominous sign of an impending storm, chilling enough to send shivers down one's spine

For instance, matters concerning the capital city...

Nangong Zihen raised his hand and said, "It is getting late, you may leave first"

As he walked past her, a chilling wind rushed towards her, and Luo Mei merely curled her lips in a smile, continuing to chew on the braised pig's trotters that her mother had specially prepared for her

Bang! Luo Huaixiu suddenly kicked the stool away, glaring with anger and threatening, "If you have the guts, just wait for me. I will go to the kitchen and get a knife! If I don't chop you into seven or eight pieces, I won't associate with you!"

Luo Huaixiu suddenly froze, a strange light flashing in her eyes. Seeing her daughter looking at her, she hurriedly placed the bone-cutting knife on the edge of the table, flustered as she picked up the rice bowl to eat. With a smile, she said, "Good child, the dishes tonight are truly fragrant. I feel that my cooking skills are getting better and better... Hehe..."

After he ran away, Scholar Luo Huai opened the invitation, but as he read, he furrowed his brows. "What is Wang Bo up to? He didn't mention anything when I saw him yesterday. He always complains about the treasury's insufficient funds and constantly urges merchants to pay their taxes. Now he is being so generous, and every merchant has a share... Tsk tsk... This cunning fellow, I wonder what he is plotting?"

Luo Huaixiu let out a soft "Eh," and casually took the invitation into her hand, "Thank you"

Luo Mei cast a sidelong glance at her, and with an expressionless face, replied, "Mother, if you want to chop, let's go upstairs. If you can take action, then don't make a fuss; otherwise, people will think we are afraid of him"

Listening to the words from her mouth, Luo Mei stood up in confusion and walked over, staring at the invitation in her hand.

Luo Huaixiu took a couple of bites of her meal, suddenly stood up, grabbed a boning knife, and ran towards the kitchen, "Oh dear... I will put the knife back, my dear, you hurry and eat, don't let the food get cold."

Mo Bai was even more perplexed, "Your Highness, you are well aware that someone intends to deal with you, why did you not leave this place earlier"

Mo Bai, both unwilling and perplexed, looked up at him and said, "Your Highness? Why do you choose to spare them, when they are so cruel and venomous, mother and daughter alike?"

Mo Bai bowed his head and replied solemnly, "Your Highness, we have indeed discovered suspicious individuals lurking around the 'Du Wei Restaurant'. However, in order to avoid alarming the snake in the grass, we do not know to whom they belong."

When out and about, I have encountered those who are reckless, but I have never seen anyone as fierce as this! And the other party is actually a woman!

In the stillness of the deep night

Like yesterday, it was reported that someone caused a disturbance at their restaurant, and immediately two constables were dispatched to their establishment. However, throughout the night, no suspicious individuals or activities were discovered, and this morning the two constables left early.

Nangong Ziheng's cold lips curled into a faint sneer, "It seems that person is intent on putting this king to death"

The mother and daughter returned to the 'Unique Flavor Restaurant' and noticed something was amiss even before they entered.

After coming to a clear understanding, he cupped his fists and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, please rest early; I take my leave."

Seeing the restaurant she had painstakingly managed turn into this state, she felt a surge of anger in her heart. This was the place where she and her daughter relied on for their livelihood, and anyone who came to destroy it was as if they were taking her life.

Luo Mei was momentarily taken aback, her cold gaze flickering as she looked up at her angry expression and suddenly asked, "Do you know his father?"

The cold killing intent in the room gradually dissipated, yet the icy aura surrounding Nangong Zihen remained unchanged. "Mo Bai, have you managed to gather any information?"

Nangong Ziheng curled his lips in disdain, "Since that person already knows that this king is here, it is meaningless whether this king leaves or not. Rather than playing hide and seek with them, it is better to wait here for them to reveal themselves. This king has plenty of patience to accompany them to the end"

Luo Huaixiu snorted, cursing loudly while brandishing a bone knife, as she walked towards her daughter's table, "A little brat who hasn't even grown all his hair, does your mother fear him? If he provokes me, just watch out, I might dig his father out of the grave to scold him!"

Holding white silver in her hand, Luo Huaixiu complained to her daughter all the way, "This Wang Bo must have some ulterior motive. Usually, he is as stingy as a miser, and now he suddenly becomes generous; there must be something fishy about it. Perhaps tomorrow he will announce a tax increase on us! This old sly fox, relying on the fact that the emperor is far away and no one is watching him, just knows how to bully us honest business people"

Mother, since I have nothing to do anyway, I will accompany you later

Mo Bai clasped his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "Your Highness, regardless of who it is, I will ensure that they are torn to pieces!"

Just as he turned around, Nangong Zihen suddenly called out to him, "Mo Bai"

Mo Bai knelt on one knee before the bed of Nangong Zihen, the entire narrow room filled with the killing intent emanating from him. "Your Highness, that mother and daughter pair show such blatant disrespect towards you, even going so far as to insult you with their words. I humbly request that Your Highness issue an order for me to have them killed!"

Hmm," Luo Huaixiu nodded, "I will go back to my room to change my clothes first, please wait for me for a moment.

Ohtani said, "Shopkeeper, I am going to work now"

Mo Bai stood up in the dimly lit room, his expression difficult to discern, yet the two tightly knitted brows revealed his inner agitation and unease. "Your Highness, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I believe it is highly inappropriate for you to remain here..."

Faced with his icy cold face and piercing gaze, Luo Huaixiu slammed her chopsticks on the table, placed her hands on her hips, and angrily exclaimed, "What’s wrong? Are you throwing a tantrum? Do you want to act tough? Fine, I’ll play along!"

Mo Bai turned back and said, "My lord, do you have any further instructions?"

Nangong Ziheng squinted slightly, his gaze fluctuating between deep and cold. "Considering that they defended me today, I shall not hold it against them."