in2ebook Chapter 281 was caused by a Pallas's cat.
Chapter 281 was caused by a Pallas's cat.
Wang Jinzhong was a painter at the Dali Temple. Prince Ning valued him highly and took him with him wherever he went.
He can draw vivid scenes, including the appearances of people and animals, based on simple descriptions from others. Sometimes, he can draw lifelike pictures with just a few words.
Upon arriving at the Si family residence, Ah Song briefly spoke to the gatekeeper, and shortly afterward, Si Xingzhi himself came over.
"Thank you for your help today, Your Highness. My daughters were frightened and I am unable to go and express my gratitude for the time being. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"No need. I came because there are many suspicious points in this case, and I have something to ask the Second Miss." Prince Ning said calmly, "I heard that the Second Miss has woken up. Is she able to speak now?"
Si Xingzhi hesitated. Although his second sister had woken up, her high fever hadn't subsided, and her condition wasn't good. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't care, but the person in front of him was Jiang Jianqiu, who had hurt his second sister without his knowledge.
He really didn't want this person to appear and cause his daughter further distress.
Seeing his silence, Prince Ning's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "This matter is of great importance. If the Marquis finds it inconvenient, I will go and ask the Emperor for permission."
Si Xingzhi choked up, feeling even more distressed.
Although Jiang Sanlang had once tricked his beautiful daughter away, he was very warm to everyone, especially his father-in-law, whom he fawned over.
Now that he's the Prince of Ning, he's such a cold-hearted person. Being cold-hearted is one thing, but he even uses the Emperor to threaten him.
Just then, Si Muyan came out: "Father, the Emperor's decree cannot be disobeyed. Prince Ning has connections everywhere. Even if you refuse, he still has a way to see Second Sister, doesn't he?"
To Si Xingzhi, these words referred to the time when Jiang Sanlang tried every means to meet his second daughter in secret.
The Prince of Ning found it grating, but he only glanced at Si Muyan and did not speak.
Si Muyan stepped forward and bowed, calmly saying, "Although my sister has woken up, she is not in good spirits, so I'm afraid Your Highness cannot see her. If there is anything you need, may I relay your message?"
Prince Ning agreed.
Through the screen, you could see someone leaning against the bed, their figure indistinct.
That's Si Mutong.
Prince Ning thought of the girl's frail figure below the earthen slope, and it seemed to overlap with his present moment.
She lay there very weak, feverish and delirious. She seemed to open her eyes, smile slightly at him, and then reach out to hug him—or perhaps she didn't really want to hug him, it was just a movement of discomfort, which he misunderstood.
But for some reason, just thinking about that scene made his heart ache.
The younger sister came out from inside, holding an empty medicine bowl. She didn't bow, but glared at Prince Ning before handing the bowl to a maid beside her. She then sat down next to him, watching them intently.
Ah Song shrank back, walked to Prince Ning's side, and whispered, "Your Highness clearly saved the second young lady of the Si family, so why do the young ladies of the Si family seem to be very dissatisfied with you?"
Prince Ning didn't take it to heart. He had long noticed that of the four siblings in the Si family, only the eldest daughter still maintained some semblance of dignity; the others seemed to harbor resentment towards him. Especially that brat Si Jing'an.
Si Muyan said, "My sister's fever has not subsided yet, please do not speak, Your Highness."
They won't even let him speak?
Prince Ning raised an eyebrow and pointed to Wang Jinzhong beside him, saying, "This is the painter. I want to ask the second young lady of the Si family what scratched her back."
"Isn't it a monkey?" Si Muyan was quite surprised.
Prince Ning shook his head: "I have seen the Second Miss's injuries, and they are not monkey scratches."
Si Muyan also saw the wound on her second sister's back, and she immediately assumed it was from a monkey. But even without that preconceived notion, how could the average person tell the difference between a monkey, a dog, and a cat?
Prince Ning is indeed meticulous, worthy of being the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
Si Muyan went in and asked, "Second Sister, people have come to investigate the attack on you. The wound on your back wasn't from a monkey scratch?"
The second sister, still half-asleep, suddenly opened her eyes upon hearing this, grabbed Si Muyan's hand, and said in a panic, "It's not a monkey, sister, it's not a monkey. The monkey grabbed my arm and tore my clothes, but it didn't hurt me."
Si Muyan quickly hugged her: "Second sister, don't be afraid, it's alright now, your sister is here. We're all here, nothing else will happen."
The second sister turned pale with fright, and after a moment she calmed down, she said, "It's something that looks like a kitten, but it's not a cat."
Si Muyan patted her second sister's shoulder, signaling her younger sister to come and hug her, before walking out to look at Prince Ning.
Prince Ning frowned slightly. A cat-like animal? He couldn't think of one for a moment, so he said, "This is my painter. I hope the Second Miss can describe what hurt her."
Si Muyan went in again and said, "A painter has come who can draw animals. If you have the energy, Second Sister, you can describe the creature."
"Okay, I can."
The second sister propped herself up, still trembling with fear at the thought of that seemingly cute but actually ferocious little creature from earlier that day. But she couldn't be afraid; she had to cooperate with the investigation so that they could find out who wanted to harm them as soon as possible.
However, perhaps due to exhaustion, or perhaps because she was only focused on fleeing in panic, the second sister's memory was somewhat confused, and her speech was incoherent. One moment she was seeing the little beast squatting there, the next she was running and chasing, and then she was tearing at the arrow feathers.
But Wang Jinzhong was truly remarkable. He started out frowning and drawing casually, but he quickly understood and drew three animals in different poses.
Before he could finish drawing, Prince Ning uttered two words softly: "Monkey King rabbit".
Si Muyan asked nervously, "Palmeria?"
She couldn't remember if she had ever seen this animal in the zoo before, and she had no recollection of the Pallas's cat's habits.
Prince Ning nodded and said, "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss. Please rest well, and I will come over again tomorrow when she is feeling better."
This means they might come back to ask questions again.
Si Muyan guessed that this matter was not so simple, but with her abilities, finding out who was behind it would be extremely difficult. Now that Prince Ning was present, it was very likely that the truth would come out, which naturally made her happy.
However, the night was not peaceful. A torrential rain fell in the latter half of the night, and there was a risk of landslides. Everyone moved to Huangzhuang to recuperate overnight.
Both the Si and Gui families had women who were seriously injured and had difficulty moving around, but they still moved there.
By the time they arrived at Huangzhuang, it was already broad daylight.
The Emperor was also very tired, so he decided to let everyone rest at the Imperial Estate and discuss the return to the city tomorrow.
Only then did Si Muyan go back to her room and get a good night's sleep. When she woke up again, it was already evening.
The younger sister said happily, "Second sister's fever has subsided. The imperial physician said that as long as she rests, she'll be fine."
Si Muyan breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that everyone is alright."