The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1083 - 162: All Parties Converge

Chapter 1083: Chapter 162: All Parties Converge

Yin Huo’s attempted suicide only elicited sighs of pity from some, who then lamented, "Raising children is not easy for the Yin family."

The Crown Prince found it quite strange, "Why would Yin Huo commit suicide out of the blue?"

"My investigation revealed that Old Madam Yin wanted to interrogate the xiaos who serve by his side. The young master couldn’t stop her, so he self-harmed."

The Crown Prince frowned, "Old Madam Yin has always been indulgent toward her grandson. Why would she interrogate his xiaos?"

"This, I have not been able to ascertain."

The Crown Prince gave him a glance, "Find out."

Minister Feng also found it very strange, but instead of secretly sending someone to inquire, he went to ask in person.

The Yin Residence was not an easy place to investigate.

Let alone that Yin Li is the Prefect of Shu County, the household managed by Old Madam Yin was always strict. Sending someone to inquire would not only take time but could also result in learning nothing and possibly exposing the inquiry to the Yin family, thus causing offense.

Indeed, anyone’s household that is spied upon would not take it well.

Old Madam Yin pondered for a moment and then invited Minister Feng to speak in the front hall. The two old foxes exchanged words, had a cup of tea, and afterwards, Minister Feng walked out, hands behind his back, clearly satisfied.

Old Madam Yin also decided not to attend any birthday celebrations.

She called over the steward and said: "The people sent to the Third Prince need not be withdrawn. Select a few clever individuals from the estate, new faces from the city, and have them investigate the Prince of Yizhou."

The steward was surprised, "The Prince of Yizhou?"

What does this have to do with the Prince of Yizhou?

Old Madam Yin’s voice was cold as she instructed: "Exactly, investigate him and see if our esteemed Minister’s hunch is correct."

Old Madam Yin felt somewhat uneasy inside. If it was just the Crown Prince and the Third Prince competing, it would be tolerable if they used the Yin family as a stepping stone, she could bite back. Hanging them out to dry, they couldn’t do much to the Yin family.

But if the Prince of Yizhou were to get involved as well, the waters would become too muddy.

Muddy waters breed fierce fish; once the Yin family is in the midst of it, who knows who would take a bite or join forces to devour them...

Old Madam Yin closed her eyes and asked the steward in a soft voice, "Has the master sent any letters back yet?"

"Judging by the days, a letter assuring safety should arrive in a couple of days."

Old Madam Yin nodded, "Once the letter arrives, bring it to me immediately. I have a letter to send back with the courier; tell them not to rush back with a reply."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, Minister Feng immediately returned to the Ministry of Justice, summoned a trusted aide, and said, "Take some men and quietly go to the back door of the Yin Residence, carrying this handwritten letter to fetch two individuals."

"This..."

"I’ve already discussed it with Old Madam Yin of the Yin Family, just go and fetch them."

Upon hearing it was prearranged, the trusted aide eagerly agreed, relishing in such tasks that spared him from being scolded.

The Prince of Yizhou also heard the news; he found out even faster and with more detail than the Crown Prince. Hearing about Yin Huo injuring himself, Zhou Man dashed in and out safely.

Not only were the three unharmed, but Zhou Man was also now in charge of Yin Huo’s medical care – much to the displeasure of the Prince of Yizhou.

The Prince of Yizhou’s confidant hurried in, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, it is found out that Zhou Man, Bai Shan, and Bai Cheng indeed originate from our Jiannan circuit. Bai Shan’s late father, Bai Qi, was the former magistrate of Shu County and was ennobled for his service in subduing bandits, enabling him to enter the capital for his education."

The Prince of Yizhou turned around in surprise, "Who?"

The confidant hesitated before replying, "Bai Qi, styled Ziqi..."

"Enough, I know of him. How did a mere son of a magistrate manage to get ennobled to enter the capital?"

"That, there were quite a few such favored individuals this time, all descendants of officials from seventh rank above and fourth rank below."

Because those above third rank did not require special grace to be called up, every family at that level would have a member eligible for ennoblement via education. It’s mainly those with lower ranks and from the provinces who might not get their turn for all sorts of reasons.

The Prince of Yizhou pursed his lips, "Bai Shan? Go and investigate him thoroughly, from the moment he was born. Who is currently in his household, what have they done over the years? I want detailed results."

"But Bai Shan’s family is in Longzhou..."

"Then go to Longzhou to investigate. Are you short of men? Do you need me to send some to assist?"

"Not at all, Your Highness, we have enough people. I will dispatch someone immediately..." With that, seeing the Prince in a foul mood, he could only bow and leave.

As the aide walked out, he agonized internally, thinking how easy it was said to go investigate in Longzhou. How much time would it take to travel from the capital to Longzhou?

Not to mention digging into matters from over a decade ago. After Longzhou, investigations would also need to take place in Mianzhou, neither of which are their territories. Without two or three months, it would be impossible to uncover anything significant.

Considering travel time as well...

The aide felt it was better to wait until they returned to Yizhou to conduct the investigation instead of wasting manpower and time.

After all, what was there to investigate about a mere youth?

Yet seeing the Prince becoming increasingly agitated, he dared not voice his thoughts.

By the time the Crown Prince’s men had grasped a thread of the matter, the Prince of Yizhou’s men were already fast on their way to Longzhou.

After that incident, the Yin family went through their household discreetly. Old Madam Yin quietly reviewed everyone, replacing many.

It grew much harder for outsiders wanting to pry information from the Yin Residence.

The three daughters-in-law of the Yin family still took pleasure in visiting their maternal home frequently. The agents of the Prince of Yizhou and the Crown Prince had thought about approaching their servants, but strangely, these women were as tight-lipped as the servants within the Yin Residence, impossible to pry open.

The inquirers dared not be too conspicuous, and on several occasions, they noticed figures silently trailing them, managing to shake them off only with great effort.

Having discovered nothing, Eldest Sister Yin was quite angered. She dismissed the servants and, unable to hold back, pinched her husband several times to vent.

Eldest Sister Yin’s husband cried out in pain, much to her annoyance. She slapped him a few times and asked in a lowered voice, "What are you yelling about? Don’t I know my own strength?"

Eldest Sister Yin’s husband rubbed his arm, "It’s definitely bruised, you don’t believe me, look."

"A grown man getting pinched a couple of times, what’s the fuss?"

Her husband felt wronged, "You’re taking out your frustrations on me after facing annoyances outside."

"Nonsense. Who would dare to annoy me outside?"

"Sure, sure, you got no annoyances. But then tell me, why are you pinching me?"

Eldest Sister Yin huffed but did not answer.

Her husband didn’t mind and whispered in her ear, "I heard that... our little brother is thinking of adopting a child from our side?"

Eldest Sister Yin shot a glare, "Who did you hear that from?"

"Nothing, didn’t I go with you to the residence to visit our little brother the other day? I heard the servants there discussing it. Now that his physician is changed and the medicine too, I thought..."

QQ Reading has perhaps blocked parting words; I’m not deliberately forgoing the goodnights.