Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 276 - 258: Swift and Decisive

Chapter 276: Chapter 258: Swift and Decisive

Nanny Li always felt this was not a wise decision. What if something happened—she was worried the young lady might come to harm.

But then again, the young lady was no longer the same person she used to be. She had weathered even the massive turmoil instigated by the Lu Family. Surely, the Marquis Mansion wouldn’t be able to manipulate her so easily.

"Miss, this servant will accompany you."

After much thought, she was still uneasy.

"Alright."

Ban Xia did not refuse.

As dinnertime approached, Lu Yuan returned to the manor.

He seemed a bit rushed.

Ban Xia asked curiously, "What happened?"

Lu Yuan’s gaze darkened. "Hai Pig has gone missing."

Ban Xia frowned. "So quickly?"

Lu Yuan sneered, "Indeed. The imperial edict was issued just this morning, and by noon he was already gone from the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

Ban Xia sighed. "It seems he truly is suspicious. What about Sheep?"

Lu Yuan replied, "Sheep and Chen Long have both gone to the Ministry of Justice for investigation. Ji Li and Si Snake will also be summoned by the Ministry once they return to the Capital City."

Ban Xia sincerely remarked, "Lord Xing really acts with thunderous resolve."

Lu Yuan said seriously, "I suspect Hai Pig has already left the Capital City."

Ban Xia nodded. If she were Hai Pig, she wouldn’t stay in the Capital City waiting for doom to descend either.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Leave the Capital City and capture him!"

A single day, while not long, was not short either. Lu Yuan had to act quickly to capture him, avoiding further complications.

Lu Yuan took the Miao King’s Hunting Eagle with him.

Before her death, Xiao Li had provided valuable clues. When Lu Yuan learned that Hai Pig was the traitor, he immediately dispatched the Hunting Eagle to the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

The eagle recognized Hai Pig.

"Hold on, I’ll pack a few sets of clothes for you."

"No need."

"Then did you come back... just to say this to me?"

Lu Yuan said coldly, "I just happened to be passing by."

Ban Xia laughed.

As soon as Lu Yuan left, a servant reported that Lu Lingxiao had arrived and refused to leave the gate until he saw her.

Nanny Wan tugged on her sleeve. "Miss, I’ll drive him away!"

Ban Xia thought for a moment. "No need, I’ll see him."

At some point, an autumn rain had begun to fall. Ban Xia, sheltered by an umbrella held by Ban Xia, stepped into the hazy rain and made her way to the Governor Mansion’s entrance.

Lu Lingxiao stood at the foot of the steps; Ban Xia stood at the top.

An invisible chasm had long since formed between them.

Lu Lingxiao stared at her in a daze, just as he was about to ascend the stairs.

Ban Xia said indifferently, "Speak from there."

Lu Lingxiao’s steps halted, disbelief flickering in his eyes.

She... was ordering him?

Lu Lingxiao’s emotions were complicated—resentment, frustration, anger... all mingling together, making him feel utterly miserable.

Ban Xia, impatiently, urged, "Speak up already! My Miss has no time to entertain you!"

Lu Lingxiao clenched his fists tightly as the rain soaked his hair and clothes, leaving both his heart and body cold as ice.

"I came to ask you, where did Wan’er go?"

Ban Xia laughed coldly. "You two really are a pair, aren’t you? When you went missing, she came asking me for you. Now that she’s missing, you come to me looking for her. What? Can’t either of you live without me?"

"I..." Lu Lingxiao’s fists tightened to the point where veins bulged. "I had something urgent, so I left the Capital City for a few days. When I returned to the manor, I heard she was gone. I questioned the servants, and they said she visited the Governor Mansion looking for you."

"Ban Xia, I didn’t come here to argue with you. If you know where she is, I beg you to tell me."

"You’re too late."

Ban Xia said.

Lu Lingxiao’s head shot up. "What do you mean?"

Ban Xia looked at him impassively. "I mean it’s late, and I need to rest."

Lu Lingxiao became frantic. "Ban Xia, I’m just..."

Ban Xia cut him off. "A woman you can’t even protect—why should I watch over her for you? She disappeared from your Lu Family’s manor. How laughable that you’d come looking for her at your ex-wife’s house. If you truly cared for her, why would you abandon her without a second thought? Don’t you know how prone she is to overthinking? Don’t you know she’d worry? You know all that, and yet you still wanted to punish her—for being unreasonable, for not being considerate enough..."

Lu Lingxiao: "I didn’t... I really had to leave those few days..."

Ban Xia said, "You don’t need to explain anything to me. I don’t care why you left or how much you still love Lin Wan’er. Nor do I care what kind of man you are."

"I’m not your wife anymore."

With that, Ban Xia ordered, "From now on, if anyone from the Lu Family comes to visit, do not let them in."

"Understood!"

The servants responded.

"Ban Xia, let’s go."

Ban Xia entered the manor without looking back.

Ban Xia whispered, "Miss, why won’t you tell him the truth?"

Ban Xia: "He’s not worth it."

Tell him that Lin Wan’er was an impostor, that her true identity was Xiao Li, and that Xiao Li was killed by Lu Xingzhou?

Would he believe it? Would he be willing to denounce his own family out of righteousness?

Ban Xia bet that he wouldn’t.

Besides, what needed to be said had already been said—whether he could grasp it was up to him.

The rain became heavier.

Lu Lingxiao, drenched to the bone, wandered away from the Governor Mansion in a daze.

A young woman dressed in blue, holding an umbrella adorned with Five-Colored Shells, brushed past Lu Lingxiao.

-

The next day, the Miao King received a handwritten letter from Prince Yu.

Prince Yu had been one of the key figures who went with the Supreme Emperor to pacify Miaojiang, earning great merit and forging a deep friendship with the Miao King. Back then, it was with Prince Yu’s help that the Imperial Sword was obtained.

Prince Yu’s fief was in Yu’an City, only a hundred miles away—not too far.

The Miao King had planned to deal with his grandson’s troubles first before visiting Prince Yu to catch up.

However, Prince Yu’s health had been deteriorating year by year. Just a short while ago, he had been seriously ill. Who knew how much longer he could hold on?

The Miao King decided to visit him first.

"Do I have to go too?"

Liu Qingyun didn’t want to go.

The Miao King replied, "When you were little, Prince Yu even carried you in his arms! He’s the one who gave you your name!"

Liu Qingyun: "Which name?"

The Miao King: "Bai Chubby."

Liu Qingyun: ...I don’t want to go even more now!

The Miao King also took Bai Qingchen along. Bai Yuwei wanted to go too, but this stubborn girl refused to leave despite her wishes.

The last incident, where she was sold into a brothel, had frightened Bai Yuwei considerably, so the Miao King didn’t force her.

Still, the guards he left behind in Miaojiang were instructed: If Bai Yuwei ever dared defy Ban Xia, there was no need to report to him—she should be sent straight back to Miaojiang.

What the Miao King truly wanted was to bring Lu Yuan and Ban Xia, but unfortunately, one was busy capturing Hai Pig, and the other couldn’t get away.

Oh, and Bao Shu too!

Bao Shu shuddered when she saw the Miao King approaching and instantly dove into Ban Xia’s arms, waving decisively at him, "Great-grandfather, goodbye!"

The Miao King: You little brat! What happened to claiming you liked your great-grandfather the most?!

Ban Xia saw the Miao King’s group off.

Once she confirmed they had disappeared down the street, her smile vanished.

Bai Yuwei’s expression immediately darkened as well. She turned and sulked off toward her courtyard.

Ban Xia called after her, "Get ready, we’re heading out."

Bai Yuwei asked irritably, "Where to?"

"To a banquet."

"I’m not going!"

"Then you’ll be sent back to Miaojiang."

Bai Yuwei exploded in protest. "Fine, fine! Where to?"