What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 88: Don’t Be Mischievous

"Help——uh..."

It seemed that just as the words were uttered, before any sound could be made, someone’s mouth was covered.

Tang Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat: "Stop the carriage!"

Before the words were out, the carriage came to a clean and swift stop.

Tang Xiaobai had no time to praise the young coachman’s skills and quickly pointed to two attendants: "Go and check over there!"

The sound came from deep in an alley beside the road. While she was still bathed in the sunset, the alley, being deep and narrow, had already slipped into dusk.

Tang Xiaobai was in the light, squinting to look inside but could see nothing, and once the voices returned to the East Street, she could no longer hear the faint noise from the alley.

What a perfect place for an assault!

Before long, the attendants came out, half-dragging a person, who seemed to have been knocked unconscious.

"The assailants were about three or four people, ran away as soon as they saw us. It was too dark to see their faces clearly," the attendant reported.

Tang Xiaobai nodded, scrutinizing the victim.

It was an unfamiliar man, seemingly around thirty, with a fair face and short beard, and somewhat scholarly features.

"Take him to the nearby clinic... you, go report to the authorities!" Tang Xiaobai gave simple orders, then patted the young coachman on the shoulder, "Let’s go! To the East Market!"

Though this matter was egregious, to her, it was just a minor incident along the way, lending a hand without too much thought.

Not until she returned from the East Market, after listening to the reports from the two attendants who had dealt with the clinic and the authorities, did she get a great shock—

"Lv Xia from Qingzhou? That Lv Xia from Qingzhou?"

The two attendants looked at each other in confusion.

They didn’t know which Lv Xia from Qingzhou.

"Isn’t he residing in Jinchang Village?" Li Mu asked.

He only knew of Lv Xia by name, having never met him, but the county government would record his residence in the capital.

The two attendants nodded in unison.

Tang Xiaobai was stunned.

It really was that Lv Xia...

"How did he provoke enemies?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

Since it was that Lv Xia she knew of, she was quite interested to find out.

She remembered that Lv Xia’s background wasn’t simple, seemingly a fellow disciple with Assistant Minister Zheng Shidao, even recommended by Princess Puan, nearly becoming her tutor, and even the uncles of the Gu family had a hard time dealing with him, until it was their little ancestor who came up with an idea.

How did he end up beaten with a sack on the street now?

"He claimed that while returning from the East Market to Jinchang Village, near the east gate of Qinren Street, he accidentally knocked over an old man, and while helping the old man home and entering a dark alley, he was set upon by thugs..."

This is too much!

Tang Xiaobai was burning with fury as she heard this.

Even though she considered herself not in the same camp as Lv Xia, she thought Lv Xia was an innocent party in this matter.

So is this the kind of story-world where you can’t even help fallen elders?

"We must catch those people!" Tang Xiaobai angrily said, "Otherwise, it’s like a regression of fifty years in morality!"

Li Mu glanced at her, his lips moved, but he kept silent.

Upon returning to his room, he instructed, "Look into who Lv Xia has seen recently..."

...

Since Tang Xiaobai didn’t know much about Lv Xia, she only treated this as an isolated moral breakdown incident.

The next morning after breakfast, just as she was about to casually mention this encounter to the family, Tang Ziqian spoke first: "Xiaobai, today you’ll accompany me to visit Grandmother and the Uncles!"

Tang Xiaobai was a bit surprised: "Weren’t you ’severely injured’, Brother?"

"It wasn’t that serious," Tang Ziqian laughed, "The previous wounds are mostly healed, I just added a few for the Imperial Physician to check. If it were serious injuries, how could I have met the Emperor yesterday?"

Fair enough.

Tang Xiaobai nodded, listening as the eldest young lady excitedly gave orders to prepare the carriage and horses.

When getting ready to leave, Gu Shi adjusted Tang Ziqian’s attire and softly said: "Don’t be too mischievous."

Tang Ziqian smiled, "I got it, Mother."

Tang Xiaobai: ??? As if there’s something I don’t know?

...

The siblings each returned to their rooms to change into their outing clothes; two carriages were ready by the door.

At that time, men with a bit of status would usually ride horses, but Tang Ziqian, due to his ’injuries,’ chose to ride in the carriage.

He stood at the door, hesitated to board while pointing at the carriage Tang Xiaobai was to ride in today, "You... he... he’s driving for you?"

The driver sitting at the front, holding the reins, was none other than that someone. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Yes, yes!" Tang Xiaobai nodded eagerly, "Ah Xiao can drive the carriage!" She thought for a moment, then added, "Ah Xiao can do many things!" Her eyes were full of suggestive hints.

Unfortunately, Tang Ziqian didn’t pick up on the suggestion, still looking incredulous: "He, he can do it?"

"Why not?" Tang Xiaobai was displeased, "Ah Xiao is quite skilled! Yesterday he drove me to the East Market and back!"

"East Market? What for?"

"Just for a spin!"

Tang Ziqian shot a surprised glance at Li Mu.

Given that time was running short, how did the Crown Prince have any time left to accompany his sister to the East Market?

...

Under Tang Xiaobai’s urging, Tang Ziqian finally boarded the carriage, carrying a belly full of suspicion.

The carriage left Duke Yan Mansion, and in half a quarter of an hour, they arrived at Ji Country’s Princess Mansion.

Princess Ji was full of worry and fondness upon seeing Tang Ziqian: "Are you not injured? Why rush over here? It’s not too late to rest for a couple of days; if you miss Grandmother, she can come see you..."

Tang Ziqian, however, coaxed the Eldest Princess with a smile, so much that she couldn’t close her mouth once it was open.

But when Tang Ziqian proposed visiting the uncles at the neighboring Gu Mansion—

"You..." Princess Ji paused, laughed while holding Tang Ziqian’s hand, "You’re grown-up now, no more mischief."

Tang Ziqian smiled: "Grandson understands."

Tang Xiaobai: ??? As if there’s something I don’t know again?

...

Upon arriving at the Gu Mansion, they first visited the main family.

The main family of the Gu family had three sons and a daughter. The daughter was long married, and the two older sons were serving as officials, both absent from home now.

When Tang Xiaobai and her brother came to visit, they were received by Eldest Aunt Gu and Gu Hui.

Eldest Aunt Gu seemed quite normal, but Gu Hui appeared somewhat nervous upon seeing Tang Ziqian, as if caught by a teacher checking unfinished homework.

Once Tang Ziqian finished exchanging pleasantries with Eldest Aunt Gu, he turned his gaze towards Gu Hui.

Tang Xiaobai clearly sensed Gu Hui’s small frame stiffen.

"Little Fifth’s grown a lot!" Tang Ziqian smiled at him.

Gu Hui responded softly, sneaking a glance at Tang Ziqian’s expression, weakly saying: "Cousin Tang, I’m back at swimming practice now..."

Tang Xiaobai: ...

Tang Ziqian laughed heartily, patting his shoulder: "Well done! Little Fifth has grown up, thinking of protecting the girls in the family now!"

Only then did Gu Hui slowly let out a sigh of relief.

Eldest Aunt Gu, smiling at Gu Hui and then at Tang Ziqian, hesitated slightly, gently saying: "The children are growing up, they shouldn’t be as mischievous as when they were young."

Tang Ziqian raised an eyebrow with a smile: "Rest assured, Aunt, I understand!"