Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

Chapter 69 Do you want to continue accompanying the Grand Tutor?

However, she dared not say it. Although they had some contact when they were young, they were, after all, distant relatives. Now he was a powerful and awe-inspiring minister, and if she were to mention it, it would inevitably be seen as an attempt to curry favor.

Perhaps sensing her concerns, Duan Zhian smiled gently: "The Duke's second wife is sworn sisters with my elder sister. I, Duan, am unworthy to be her uncle."

These words shocked everyone present, and discussions immediately arose one after another.

The dignified Grand Tutor is actually Wen Qian's uncle!

Jiang Wan stood aside, stunned. No wonder Duan Zhi'an had specifically asked Wen Qian to dine with him last time; it turned out the two had such a connection.

Li Zhijing's eyes darkened slightly, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He didn't know why, but seeing Duan Zhian help Wen Qian out of a tight spot made him inexplicably irritable.

"He's just a distant uncle, what's the point of showing him off in public..."

The person on the stage seemed to notice his gaze, glancing at him briefly, but without any change in expression.

The matriarch of the Wen family stepped forward and flattered, "So we're all family! Look at this..."

"Madam Wen, please be careful with your words."

She was about to try and establish a connection with him when Duan Zhi'an raised his hand to interrupt her: "I'm just Qianqian's uncle."

Madam Wen was momentarily embarrassed and stepped aside.

He chuckled and looked at Duke Wen: "Just now, Duke, you said that your daughter prepared a dance. Now that Qianqian has finished, who will perform next?"

"This..." Duke Wen did not expect him to make such a move and was at a loss for words.

Duan Zhian looked at everyone thoughtfully, then his gaze suddenly settled: "Why don't we just let her be?"

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing and were shocked to find that the person he was pointing to was Wen Yin.

At this moment, Xiao Hengzhi came out of the passageway, glanced at the farce on the stage, silently returned to his seat, and stood next to Jiang Mian, separating Li Zhijing from her.

When Li Zhijing saw him squeeze in, he had no choice but to move aside, his face looking very unpleasant.

Xiao Hengzhi raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing, "So the Grand Tutor is the Crown Princess's uncle. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were a couple. Does the Crown Prince think they're a good match?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhijing gave a cold snort, concealing a trace of unease stemming from his unclear thoughts, and avoided answering.

Jiang Wan turned her head and glared at Xiao Hengzhi: "If you can't speak properly, then shut up."

Xiao Hengzhi pursed his lips listlessly.

Jiang Mian noticed out of the corner of her eye that his sleeve was torn, and asked again, "Where did you go just now?"

"I've gone to find the Second Miss."

"Find me?"

"Yes, the second young lady hasn't come back yet, so I went to look for her because I was worried. But the house is too big, and I took a detour."

He spoke without batting an eye, but Jiang Wan stared at his torn sleeve with some suspicion, yet couldn't think of any other reason.

Xiao Hengzhi recalled that when he came over, he happened to see Wen Ziyuan talking nonsense in the corridor, beating and cursing the maids, reeking of alcohol, and finally collapsing on the ground so that no one could lift him up.

He took the opportunity to escort Wen Ziyuan back to his room, and while he was at it, he found the key and easily opened the private pavilion of the Duke of Wen.

The pavilion was filled with all sorts of antique treasures, and its grandeur was astonishing.

But he wasn't interested in these things and bypassed the decorations to explore the secret room.

As expected, he found a well-hidden secret chamber with hidden mechanisms. As soon as he entered, he was attacked by arrows, and it was there that his sleeve was torn.

The secret room was filled with rows of boxes, which were piled high with all kinds of sharp weapons. In addition to those commonly used in daily combat, there were also some styles that had never been seen before, which were exactly the same as those that Xiao Hengzhi had seen on the blueprints of Zuiyin Tower.

But all of these weapons had a white mark on them, which was conspicuous and eye-catching.

Xiao Hengzhi was suspicious. If weapons were being sold privately, wouldn't such obvious markings clearly indicate that they were being privately forged?

His mind raced. Could these markings be meant for the enemy?

Thinking of this, he sneered.

No wonder it's said that the generals of the Wen family all had long lives. They probably used such a scheme of colluding with the enemy from within, and those unfamiliar weapons were probably made for the enemy army.

After a moment's thought, Xiao Hengzhi took a candle from the wall of the secret room and tentatively brought the flame close to the weapon.

As the firelight licked at them, the white markings gradually turned charred black.

He fiddled with it for a long time before finally locking the box back up.

When they came out of the pavilion, Wen Ziyuan was still fast asleep.

"A young general?" Xiao Hengzhi sneered and put the key back in its place.

He eagerly awaited to see how many people the Wen family would die on their next campaign...

A single note from the piano pulled him back to reality.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Wen Yin had no choice but to perform a dance. However, this time the guests dared not make a fuss, because Duan Zhi'an was sitting in front and did not react, so no one dared to laugh or talk loudly.

When the song ended, Duan Zhian clapped his hands, and applause rang out behind him.

He looked at Wen Qian: "Third Miss's dancing skills are amazing. Would you like to see another performance, Qianqian?"

Wen Qian was taken aback. Although she knew that Duan Zhian was backing her up, the surrounding gazes made her feel like she was being pricked by needles. She was really not used to being the center of attention like this.

From Li Zhijing's position, Duan Zhian's expression was clearly visible; his gaze was gentle yet full of protective intent.

This possessive attitude stung Li Zhijing's heart, yet he couldn't quite explain why.

He clenched his fist, but finally couldn't resist and stepped forward.

"Princess Consort, are you a little tired? Would you like to rest?"

Wen Qian looked up in surprise. She was slightly taken aback, not expecting Li Zhijing to come over.

Duan Zhi'an smiled and said calmly, "It's quite unexpected that the young master cares so much about Qianqian."

Li Zhijing nodded, his manner polite but cold: "Thank you for your care for the Crown Princess today, Grand Tutor. However, I have matters to attend to at home, so I must take my leave now."

After he finished speaking, he took off Wen Qian's cloak and pulled her back.

"Uncle... I must take my leave now." Wen Qian said hurriedly as she was being pulled along.

Duan Zhian watched their retreating figures, his smile slowly fading.

Li Zhijing pulled her all the way to the gate of the mansion, his steps so fast that the wind he created blew directly at Wen Qian.

Her gauze dress was chilly, and she sneezed, then shrank her shoulders and said, "Your Highness, I cannot go back yet."

Li Zhijing paused, turned to her, and asked, "What are you going to do if you don't go back? Stay in this house and continue to be humiliated? Or do you want to continue drinking tea with the Grand Tutor?"

His words carried a hint of dissatisfaction, as if he were questioning or worrying.

Wen Qian was taken aback, then explained in a low voice, "I need to go see my third sister; there's something else..."

"You're still going to see her? Have you really become so timid that you can't get back up after being trampled on?"

His tone became more serious, and his voice grew louder.

Wen Qian's eyes welled up with tears after he yelled at her, and she felt a little wronged and wanted to explain.

But before she could speak, Li Zhijing said, "Go if you want, I don't care."

After he finished speaking, he let go of her hand and walked straight into the carriage.

Wen Qian watched his retreating figure, a lump forming in her throat, but she had to go find Wen Yin.

She hesitated for a moment, then, hearing that the music in the front yard had stopped, she figured Wen Yin had gone back to her room. She walked to her door and tentatively tried to knock.

However, as soon as he raised his hand, he heard voices coming from inside—

"Third Miss, do you think Fifth Miss might really believe that you put an infertility drug in the tea you gave her today?"

"She's already agreed to dance in public, so she must believe me completely. Who knows, she might come begging me for the antidote later."

"But now that she has a Grand Tutor uncle, what if she goes and complains to him?"

“I didn’t actually drug her, so what’s there to be afraid of? Besides, Wen Qian is shy, she wouldn’t be comfortable saying something like this.”

"..."

Wen Qian bit her lower lip, tears welling up and shimmering at the edge of her eyelids. Her long eyelashes trembled gently. She felt both self-reproach and anger.

It turns out... she was still being tricked.

How could I be so foolish? I was repeatedly tricked...

The sounds from inside the door hadn't stopped—

"Wen Qian embarrassed you today. If she dares to come later, make her kowtow to you three times to vent your anger."

"Kowtowing might not be enough. Perhaps I should just drug her. She's been married for a long time and hasn't gotten pregnant. With her spineless nature, I only need to explain a little, and she'll just blame herself for being unwell..."

Suddenly, there was a bang!

The door was kicked open, followed by a voice: "So the third cousin of the Wen family is such a despicable and vile person!"