Chapter 5: 005 Questioning the Guilt, A Scandal Throughout the City (2)

The horse galloped over and came to an abrupt halt at the main gate. Prime Minister Han, furious, leaped off the horse and pointed his whip sharply at Ziqing. "Han Ziqing, are you trying to rebel? I order you to release your mother this instant! Only then might I spare your life!"

"My mother died long ago. This is the last time I will say it: bring Han Xi'er out. Otherwise, everything she forced upon me, I will return to Madam Han in full."

Ziqing spoke in a cold voice, and as she did, she violently turned Madam Han around to face the crowd. A sudden uproar erupted; while the back was covered by the bodice, the front was a different story—exquisite and curvaceous, a scene of ambiguous allure!

"You!"

Prime Minister Han didn't care what had happened previously. Stomping his feet in rage with veins bulging, he ignored everything and swung his whip to strike. Ziqing held onto Madam Han and dodged with ease, staring coldly at the Prime Minister without a word, while her dagger suddenly flicked upward.

"No..." Madam Han immediately closed her eyes, and the surrounding onlookers couldn't help but gasp in alarm. One thin strap on her shoulder snapped, and the bodice immediately slid down, her fair, tender breasts rising and falling with her rapid breathing.

She kept her eyes tightly shut, daring not to look at anyone, and wept in despair. "My Lord, bring Xi'er out, I beg you! Bring Xi'er out! It was Xi'er and I who were wrong. My Lord, I can't take it anymore, please, bring Xi'er out quickly..."

"Han Ziqing, I will kill you today!"

Prime Minister Han roared and prepared to swing his whip again. Ziqing narrowed her eyes, and her dagger immediately flicked at the other strap.

A dignified Prime Minister, the head of a household, was actually this impulsive and protective. It wasn't as if she hadn't given him a chance to ask; she had demanded Han Xi'er's presence more than once.

Yet, he hadn't asked a single question about what had happened or why she was looking for Han Xi'er. He had simply rushed up, offering only to spare her life before attacking.

If she didn't resist today, not only would her chastity be ruined for nothing, but she would also be disciplined by Madam Han in public, disfigured, and cast out of the family to become the laughingstock of the world.

If she didn't push Madam Han to the brink today and only engaged in petty squabbling, the matter would be downplayed and swept under the rug. Han Xi'er would remain unscathed, and she would continue to be the subject of the city's gossip.

Lying almost naked at the main gate of the Guose Tianxiang, she wouldn't be able to clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River. Rather than suffering alone, it was better to make a scene and drag Han Xi'er down with her.

She was no longer the Han Ziqing of the past. She had the life creed and values of a mercenary; the pedantic concepts of propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, filial piety, and loyalty held by these ancient people were all bullshit to her. But Han Xi'er was different. To say nothing of the long term, in just a few days, she was set to participate in the selection for the Princess Consort of Prince Yao!

Seeing Ziqing's actions, Prime Minister Han was forced to stop. He suppressed the urge to go mad and looked coldly at the surroundings. The onlookers immediately retreated.

"Men, drive them all away! Drive everyone away from the Prime Minister's residence this instant!"

Before long, the onlookers receded like a tide, leaving the area eerily quiet. Madam Han's miserable sobbing became even clearer.

"Xi'er... call Xi'er here... *sob*... My Lord, call Xi'er here..."

Hearing these cries, Prime Minister Han furrowed his brows. As a Prime Minister who had navigated countless schemes and plots, he saw through Han Xi'er's little tricks at a glance. He just hadn't expected Ziqing to have such a sudden change in temperament, one he couldn't suppress.

Now, at the main gate, with countless eyes watching from the shadows, if he really called Xi'er out, one wrong move could affect the Prime Minister's residence's participation in the consort selection in a few days.

Angry as he was, he forced himself to calm down. "Ziqing, release your mother first. What kind of decorum is this at our own front gate? I believe you wouldn't do such shameful things. I promise you that I will investigate this matter thoroughly. I will be impartial and punish those responsible!"

Would Ziqing believe him?

How could she? She was just about to speak when, unexpectedly, Han Xi'er, who had been hiding, hurried over, crying out, "Father, Mother, what on earth has happened!"

She was here? What kind of game was she playing?