Peasant Woman’s Decreed Life as a Wife

Chapter 2178: Chapter 2175: Suspicion and Astonishment

Who would have thought, not long after starting the task, we ran into Minister Qi!

"Sir, what should we do? Should we still bring it back?" The guard asked hesitantly, "Otherwise, should we consult Lord Chu’s opinion?"

The moment Yan Zhenming heard the name Lord Chu, he felt a pang of fear. He had been utterly terrified just now, dreading that Chu Heng might actually be the one lying on the bed.

In that case, he wouldn’t know how to face his superior in the future.

Luckily...

It was all false.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his mind racing rapidly. He quickly realized that today’s incident was definitely not an ordinary affair, as it involved both Great Minister Qi and Lord Chu, neither of whom could be offended.

But he couldn’t pretend as though nothing happened either.

So...

He quickly made a decision.

"Move out."

With an order given.

The group rode back to the yamen from the main street in their carriages.

He also didn’t forget to send a guard to keep an eye on the madam and continue searching for the missing courtesans.

The madam hadn’t heard much before.

She merely assumed it was a frolicsome affair, considering the many playboys in the capital; having a secret tryst outside wasn’t unusual at all.

Seeing the guard following her, willing to help find the people, she didn’t hold back and started inquiring for news and leading the way.

Meanwhile,

in the teahouse.

Xiang City had not received accurate information for quite some time.

Feeling somewhat displeased, he tapped his fingers on the table: "Go down and see what’s going on."

Although Hu Hua felt somewhat annoyed by being ordered around, he also knew that he needed Xiang City to maintain his current position, so he suppressed his dissatisfaction and went downstairs.

After a while,

Hu Hua returned, "Minister Xiang, my men reported back saying Yan Zhenming over there had already gotten into the carriage, seemingly ready to return, but were in a hurry, as if something had happened."

"What about the men stationed in that house? And Chu Heng?"

"Did the message get out?" Xiang City was quite dissatisfied with this response, which lacked precise details and had potential for errors.

The middle-aged official beside him said, "Send people to keep an eye on the old house and on Yan Zhenming’s side, find a way to delay them a bit to ensure everything proceeds smoothly. If not, intercept them on the way."

"And deal with Xie Zhao and his people; leave no traces."

Xiang City listened to his subordinate’s instructions without displeasure; instead, he quietly lifted his teacup and took a sip.

Hu Hua, unwilling to offend either man, ran around to handle tasks.

"Somehow, Chu Heng doesn’t seem that easy to deal with," said the middle-aged official.

Xiang City nodded, "Indeed, but it’s not about taking him down immediately; we just need to plant a seed first."

"This news must be spread first; the officials over at the official newspaper definitely wouldn’t dare offend Chu Heng by reporting it."

"On the contrary, we can use his evasive actions to grasp his leverage." Xiang City squinted and said.

"Let’s wait a bit more; something doesn’t feel right," the middle-aged official said, looking serious, lacking Xiang City’s confidence. To be exact, the news was arriving later than he anticipated, which only made him feel more uneasy.

The middle-aged official suddenly stood up.

"I’m heading back to the next room."

"Did something happen?" Xiang City asked, somewhat taken aback and uncertain.

The middle-aged official didn’t answer him, turning directly towards the secret door to return to the adjacent tea room.

Just as the middle-aged official returned to the next tea room,

suddenly,

in the tea room where Xiang City was,

there was a bang, as someone slammed against the door, and sounds of a scuffle erupted outside.