Chapter 54: Merely a Pawn

Luo Yunqiao finished speaking and hurried out the door.

She headed straight for Luo Zhao's study, but as she drew near, she noticed guards stationed outside and a small patrol unit patrolling the surrounding area.

She looked around, picked up a rock, and threw it toward the rockery.

Seeing the patrolling guards drawn away, she quickly found an unguarded wall and slipped in through a window.

The study was pitch black. Not daring to light a lamp, Luo Yunqiao hurriedly rummaged through the items on the desk when suddenly, a commotion broke out outside—

"Intruders! There is an assassin in the estate!"

In an instant, all the footsteps rushed toward the study.

Luo Yunqiao's back was drenched in sweat, and her whole body trembled. If Luo Zhao discovered her snooping around here, it would surely cost her life.

Just as she was pondering a countermeasure, her back accidentally brushed against something, and the wall behind her suddenly revolved, pulling her right into it.

Luo Yunqiao gasped, only to discover that the space had an echo.

Looking closely, she saw that a great deal of items were hidden inside.

At a single glance, Luo Yunqiao spotted the correspondence between Luo Zhao and the Emperor.

---

The Marquis Jing'an Estate was in complete chaos.

It was unclear whether there were actually any assassins, but before Luo Zhao had even finished dressing, someone came to report that the stables had caught fire.

The entire family gathered in the main hall, yet Luo Yunqiao was conspicuously absent.

"Where is Qiaoqiao?" Madam Luo Zhou panicked. "Has anyone checked on Qiaoqiao? I hope nothing has happened to her."

Nanny Tian immediately set off for Luo Yunqiao's room.

She found it empty.

Luo Zhao heavily slapped the table and raged, "I knew that unfilial daughter harbored evil intentions! Now look, she has undoubtedly colluded with assassins to make the entire Marquis estate perish in the flames."

"Master, Qiaoqiao is not that kind of person," Madam Luo Zhou defended her. "She must have heard about the fire and gone to check on the situation. I will have someone go look for her right now; we will surely find her."

She instructed Nanny Tian to go at once.

Nanny Tian had always looked down upon Luo Yunqiao anyway, so she naturally chimed in, "Why should the Madam make excuses for her? This old servant thinks, just as the Master said, the eldest miss must have colluded with the assassins, otherwise—"

"Otherwise what? I never knew Marquis Jing'an's Estate had such rules that a mere servant dares to slander the eldest miss of the manor so blatantly. Mother, you really need to properly discipline the people around you."

Luo Yunqiao's voice rang out from outside.

Madam Luo Zhou's tense expression suddenly relaxed. She hurried over to her, looked her up and down, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Qiaoqiao, thank goodness you're safe. It was so hard for your mother to finally have you back—if anything had happened to you, how could your mother go on living?"

"Instead of worrying about my life, Mother should rather ponder the future of the entire Marquis Jing'an Estate," Luo Yunqiao sneered.

She tossed all the letters she had obtained onto the floor and said, "Father colluded with the Emperor to force an abdication, driving the late Emperor and Consort Zhao into exile among the common folk, and even secretly dispatched assassins after them. This is a treasonous crime of rebellion! Is Father not afraid of the day the truth comes to light?"

Not a trace of panic flickered across Luo Zhao's face. "And what if it does? The late Emperor is dead, and the current Emperor has occupied the throne for over a decade with a deeply rooted foundation. Could anyone possibly overturn the verdict for the late Emperor now?"

"Luo Yunqiao, do not forget that you are also a member of the Marquis Jing'an Estate. Even if the truth is exposed and judgments are passed, you will not escape blame. Once you are married to Prince Yan, he will also be implicated. Otherwise, why do you think the Emperor so readily bestowed this marriage upon you?"

A chill ran through Luo Yunqiao's body.

She never expected that these people had calculated against her to this extent.

Clenching her fists, she said coldly, "So I was nothing more than a chess piece in Father's hand all along. But what if I had never met Prince Yan? What would Father have done then?"

"You thought your meeting and acquaintance with Prince Yan was a coincidence? It was all planned by your father long ago," Luo Zhao said. "In order to investigate this matter, Prince Yan was bound to approach you. If you proved useless, your father could have simply forced you upon Prince Yan. These were all schemes devised between myself and the Emperor."

"Then... then earlier you even told me to stay away from Prince Yan."

"That was merely to make you let down your guard. Otherwise, how would you have stepped into my trap step by step?" Luo Zhao stood up. "Since there are no assassins in the estate, we are dismissed. Qiaoqiao, your wedding with Prince Yan is fast approaching; do not leave the manor for these next few days, and properly prepare your wedding robes."

Luo Yunqiao felt as though all the strength had been drained from her body.

During these past few days, she had poured all her energy into dealing with Luo Yunzhen, trying to prove her own innocence, only to realize she had become someone else's pawn.

Looking at the letters scattered on the floor, she was at a loss as to how to face Xiao Muyuan.

No wonder Old Madam Luo had spoken those words.

"Get up," Old Madam Luo suddenly spoke. "I gave you an opportunity today, yet you insisted on marrying Prince Yan. Do you not regret it now?"

"I..."

Luo Yunqiao could not find her voice.

Her heart wasn't broken with sorrow; rather, she was terrified of what other horrifying secrets might still be hidden within this capital city.

"Since Grandmother knew all along, why didn't you tell your granddaughter, waiting until this very day when things are beyond saving?" Her voice trembled.

"Heaven never cuts off all avenues of escape. What your father has done is not only to prevent Prince Yan from continuing his investigation, but also because he hopes that Prince Yan, holding great military power, can support the Third Prince in ascending the throne. Yet how could the Emperor allow the Marquis Jing'an Estate to remain so illustrious?" Old Madam Luo said indifferently. "When a ruler and his subjects are of divided hearts, there is still a turning point in this matter."

Luo Yunqiao's mind suddenly cleared.

Meeting Old Madam Luo's gaze, she asked in puzzlement, "Why would Grandmother tell me all this? You are Father's mother, and you care most about the reputation of the Marquis family. If the Third Prince becomes prominent, the family can continue to prosper. By telling me this, are you not afraid of ruining the Third Prince's path?"

"If they truly meet a bad end, it will be no more than they deserve."

Old Madam Luo walked away with halting steps, her voice drifting from afar.

Luo Yunqiao felt that there were likely still untold secrets hidden within the Marquis Jing'an Estate.

Turning her head, she looked once more at the letters on the floor and drew a deep breath.

She had already obtained the evidence and must deliver it to Xiao Muyuan.

The gatekeeper had received strict orders from Luo Zhao to guard the exits closely, giving Luo Yunqiao no chance to leave.

With no other choice, Luo Yunqiao seized an opportunity to slip out through the back door and head straight for the Prince Yan Residence.

"Please forgive me, Eldest Miss Luo. His Highness commanded that he will not see you today," Li Sheng bowed and said.

Luo Yunqiao frowned deeply. "Why? I hold the evidence he desires; will he still refuse to see me?"

Without a word, Li Sheng blocked her path.

Glancing at the tightly closed gates with a fluttering heart, Luo Yunqiao took two steps back, preparing to leave, when she caught sight of a familiar figure emerging from the side door of the Prince Yan Residence—

Li Shi.