Chapter 509: Qi Xiuwei, the Real 10th Princess of Changliu Country?

Chapter 509: Chapter 509: Qi Xiuwei, the Real 10th Princess of Changliu Country?

Shen Ningning watched in astonishment as the blood seeped into the Jade Ring, just as Xiuxiu had said.

The blood was absorbed by the Jade Ring. A faint red seeped inside, as if red patterns had appeared on the jade.

’Could it be... Xiao Wei is the Tenth Princess?!’

While her mind was wandering, Mr. Qi raised a dagger and viciously lunged at her.

"You’re the one who deserves to die most, blessed girl!"

In the nick of time, a black shadow shot in through the door.

The Black Wolf King violently slammed into Mr. Qi, opened its massive jaws, and clamped down on his wrist.

The sound of shattering bone followed. The crushing force of a wolf’s jaw was terrifying to imagine.

Mr. Qi shrieked in agony. His mangled hand dangled gruesomely, hanging by just a flap of skin, and the dagger clattered to the floor.

The Black Wolf King pinned him down with a heavy paw and let out a furious roar right at Mr. Qi’s head.

Terrified by the beast’s roar, Mrs. Qi scrambled back, but still moved to shield both Qi Xiuwei and Shen Ningning, fearing Mr. Qi would fly into another rage.

The Black Wolf King had been waiting in the outer courtyard due to its enormous size.

But its senses were sharp and alert; the moment it heard the sounds of arguing, it came right away.

It arrived just in time to see this. Mr. Qi was truly asking for death!

But that wasn’t all. As Mr. Qi reeled from the excruciating pain, Xie Ming’an seized him by the collar.

"You want to harm my sister? How many lives do you think you have to spare?" He then dragged Mr. Qi all the way to Mrs. Qi Sr.’s body.

Xie Ming’an shoved his head down. "Take a good look at the mother you killed with your own hands! When it comes to heinous crimes, who can possibly compare to you?"

Mrs. Qi Sr.’s deathly pale face was inches away. Xie Ming’an forced Mr. Qi’s head closer and closer until his face turned crimson and the veins on his forehead bulged.

He completely broke down, sobbing, "Mother! Don’t blame me. This was my duty. You go on ahead; your son will follow you soon."

Xie Ming’an grabbed his collar and smashed Mr. Qi’s head against the bedframe—once, twice, three times—until it was bloody.

"Want to die? Not so fast," Xie Ming’an said, his voice chilling. "I’m keeping you alive so you can spit out every single thing you know!"

’He actually dared to harm Shen Ningning.’

’If I don’t beat him until he pisses himself, I won’t be worthy of my title as the Living Yama.’

「An incense stick later.」

Officers from the Ministry of Justice arrived.

They bound the unconscious Mr. Qi and carted him away.

Shen Ningning was helping Qi Xiuwei bandage her wound.

Mrs. Qi kept begging Xie Ming’an.

"Mr. Xie, my daughter didn’t kill Mrs. Qi Sr. Can’t you please not arrest her?"

Xie Ming’an’s lips formed a tight line. For Shen Ningning’s sake, he offered an explanation.

"Mrs. Qi, I understand your feelings as a mother. However, she did use poison. According to the law, she must return with me to the Ministry of Justice until the case is closed. She cannot escape the punishment she deserves."

Mrs. Qi fell to her knees, weeping. "No, please, don’t take her away! She’s my only daughter! If you have to arrest someone, arrest me! I’m willing to take on all of her punishment."

"Mother," Qi Xiuwei said, surprisingly calm. She looked at Mrs. Qi. "Mr. Xie is right. I did something wrong, and I’m willing to accept my punishment."

With that, she turned to Shen Ningning.

"Ningning, thank you for believing in me. I never imagined that my own father was the one who put Caiyun up to it."

"Xiao Wei..." Shen Ningning’s eyes stung, turning red.

’If I hadn’t brought Second Brother here today, none of this would have happened.’

’Maybe they would have just said Mrs. Qi Sr. died of a sudden illness. The Qi Family would have covered it up, and Xiao Wei would have been fine.’

"I’m so sorry, Xiao Wei. If I hadn’t brought Second Brother, you wouldn’t have to..."

Before she could finish, Qi Xiuwei shook her head.

"You’re my best friend. You were always there for me when I was at my most helpless. I don’t blame you. Maybe this is my just deserts. I’m willing to face the consequences, and I have no regrets."

After Qi Xiuwei finished speaking, she turned and left with the officers from the Ministry of Justice.

Mrs. Qi was heartbroken, crying inconsolably as she knelt on the ground, clutching her chest.

She was the most pitiable person of all. Her husband was facing a death sentence, and now her daughter had been taken to jail.

But in Shen Ningning’s view, many things about this case still didn’t add up.

’Why did Mr. Qi know Jiang Zhi was a woman?’

’And why was it such a coincidence that she stumbled upon Mrs. Qi Sr. dying from the poison?’

’It was as if the matter with Jiang Zhi was just bait, and someone had deliberately lured her into a trap.’

’But for what purpose?’

Xie Ming’an walked over and saw the girl’s confused expression.

"Is there anything you’re still confused about? Your Second Brother can help explain."

Shen Ningning shook her head. "Second Brother... I just have a feeling that someone is weaving a huge web behind the scenes. Their target isn’t the Su Family, and it isn’t Xiao Wei... it’s me."

Xie Ming’an furrowed his brow. "What makes you think that? Neither of these incidents has anything to do with you."

Shen Ningning had an indescribable feeling that something was wrong.

Especially that Jade Ring she kept on her person.

The one she had returned to Xiuxiu before was actually a replica she had made.

But Xiuxiu and his people hadn’t even noticed.

The real one they had brought from Changling Country was with Shen Ningning, and this legendary Jade Ring, said to be able to identify members of the Changling Royal Family, had just absorbed Xiao Wei’s blood.

Shen Ningning shared this suspicion with Xie Ming’an.

Xie Ming’an immediately frowned. "Changling Country? Have you been in contact with them recently?"

Shen Ningning shook her head. "I haven’t seen them for a few days. My brother has had people watching them, and I heard they’ve been keeping a low profile. Other than staying at the inn, they’ll occasionally go out to buy a few things on the street and then head right back."

This struck Xie Ming’an as even stranger.

He reassured Shen Ningning, "Don’t rush. Just give me some time to look into it."

They bid Mrs. Qi farewell and left the Qi Mansion.

But Shen Ningning, worried that Mrs. Qi might be in danger alone, arranged to have her escorted to Fang Qingdai’s General Mansion.

Upon hearing what had happened, Fang Qingdai readily agreed and took it upon herself to console Mrs. Qi.

Once Mr. Qi was in prison, it didn’t take long for him to confess.

It was true that he had incited Caiyun to expose Jiang Zhi’s identity.

And it was also true that he had murdered Mrs. Qi Sr.

The reason he gave was that he couldn’t bear to watch Mrs. Qi Sr. tormenting Qi Xiuwei any longer.

As for why he had targeted Jiang Zhi, he was evasive and couldn’t provide a clear reason.

The more Xie Ming’an interrogated him, the stranger the case seemed.

He was suddenly beginning to understand Shen Ningning’s feeling.

Mr. Qi had absolutely no reason to frame his own daughter.

’Unless...’

’Qi Xiuwei wasn’t his daughter at all. And... there was someone else behind this, pulling the strings!’

The incident couldn’t be kept under wraps for long, and news of it soon spread throughout the Capital City.

The Qi Mansion had become the scene of a terrible tragedy. Whenever people spoke of it, they would shake their heads and sigh.

It was around this time that Xiuxiu sought out Shen Ningning.

"Princess, I believe we have found the Tenth Princess," Xiuxiu said with a smile, his expression as calm and unruffled as ever.

"We just came from the Qi Mansion. We questioned some of the servants, and they can all testify that during the altercation, the Jade Ring that you dropped reacted to Miss Qi’s blood."

After Xiuxiu spoke, Tuo Ye, who stood beside him, said coldly, "For a princess to pull a switch and give us a fake is truly shameless."

Shen Ningning gave him a cold look and shot back, "And you didn’t notice, did you?"

"You—!"

Xiuxiu held out a hand to stop Tuo Ye, saying with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "We would still like to ask for the Princess’s help with an introduction. We wish to formally recognize the Tenth Princess and bring her home."

Qi Xiuwei was charged with the heinous crime of poisoning an elder, an act of gross unfilial piety.

However, if Mrs. Qi Sr. was not her kin, then the charges would not hold up under the laws of Cangyun Country.

’In that instant, Shen Ningning realized that this was the very opportunity Xiuxiu had been waiting for.’

If she refused, Qi Xiuwei would face a prison sentence of ten years or more.

The young princess felt as if she were standing at a crossroads. But this time, the choice they were forcing upon her would decide Qi Xiuwei’s fate.