Chapter 33 Seeds of Doubt
Although Captain Yang was a little shaken, he still advised: "My Lord, the gift you gave to the princess is in the village anyway, so why don't we go back for now and wait for me to find out the origins of this living bandit, and then we will come to encircle and suppress him, how about that?"

Seeing that Captain Yang was stubborn and unyielding, Xu Jinhuai was too lazy to talk to him anymore. Instead, he said viciously, "Since the brothers in the government office are so afraid of death, there is no need to bother with them anymore."

After saying that, Xu Jinhuai stood up and shouted to the people behind him: "Everyone in the Princess's Mansion, listen to me, follow me and charge in now. Anyone who dares to disobey will be beaten with a hundred sticks and driven out of the Princess's Mansion."

"Yes, Prince Consort." After everyone finished speaking, they followed Xu Jinhuai into the bandits' house.

"Kill, anyone who resists, all will be killed on the spot." Xu Jinhuai shouted as he rushed into the village. He wanted to kill all the people in the village to prevent the bandits from revealing the fact that he sold his son for money and being heard by Captain Yang and others.

It was already late at night, and most people in the village were resting. Only two or three people were on patrol, and they would immediately sound the alarm when they noticed any movement.

A moment later, the guards brought by Xu Jinhuai started fighting with the bandits from Qingfeng Village.

The guards brought by Xu Jinhuai were all specially trained and had strong skills. Their numbers were greater than the bandits in the village. In a short while, they slaughtered all the people in the village, not even sparing a child.

Captain Yang looked at the corpses all over the ground in the village from afar and felt very sorry. He sighed and left with the people from the government office.

After Xu Jinhuai and his men killed all the bandits in the mountain village, they asked everyone to search for a handsome boy about fifteen years old. However, they searched every corner of the mountain village but did not find Xu Size.

Xu Jinhuai couldn't help but wonder, did they find the wrong bandits? Were these bandits not the same ones who kidnapped Xu Size?
But so what? They were bandits anyway and would be killed sooner or later. He was just enforcing justice in advance.

Yes, since they are bandits, they should have robbed a lot of valuable things, right? If he can find these things, maybe he can collect all the money.

Xu Jinhuai took a look outside the village and found that Captain Yang had already left with his men, so he directly ordered: "Start now, find where the warehouse of this village is."

After giving the order, he strode into the bandit leader's house.

There was a charcoal fire in the room, and hot water was burning on the charcoal fire rack. Xu Jinhuai quickly sat down next to the charcoal fire and poured himself a bowl of hot water.

After a day and a night of tossing and turning, he was cold, hungry and thirsty.

The same was true of the guards he brought with him, so when they were looking for people and the warehouse, they saw food and drinks without hesitation and just took them up to eat and drink.

Everyone finally found the storehouse of the mountain stronghold, but they discovered that apart from a few dozen taels of silver, it was full of junk and there was not even a single valuable item.

Xu Jinhuai didn't believe it and went to check it out himself. When he found out it was true, he was furious and left with his guards with a dark face.

About an incense stick of time after they left, a bandit slowly opened his eyes, looked at the corpses all over the ground, and cried heart-wrenchingly.

At this time, in the princess's mansion, Princess Chaoyang was tossing and turning.

Finally, she simply stood up and called Yingyi back with a signal.

"Yingyi, you have been staring at the yard next door. Did you see Xu Linyue appear there yesterday?" Princess Chaoyang knew that Yaoyao's thoughts were always right, but she still wanted to prove that Yaoyao was wrong, because she could never accept that her third son was fed to the wolf by the concubine.

Ying Yi replied, "Princess, I did see the second young master in the house next door yesterday."

"The second young master stayed in that house for a long time. Not only did he help the lady out of trouble, he also called her mother."

Hearing Ying Yi say this, Princess Chaoyang closed her eyes in despair. She never thought that the two sons and one daughter she raised with all her heart and soul were actually the offspring of concubines. And of her three biological sons, one was brought up by a concubine, one was thrown into the mountains to feed wolves, and one was thrown into the river.

Yaoyao was right, she was really stupid and this was her retribution.

But why did this retribution not come upon her, but upon her child instead? She was unwilling to accept this, really unwilling to accept this.

After sending Ying Yi away, Princess Chaoyang hugged the quilt and cried bitterly. But even so, she still tried her best to suppress her voice, for fear of waking Xu Yaoyao.

But as she was crying, Princess Chaoyang seemed to have thought of something and suddenly stopped crying.

Since her second, third and fourth sons were switched by Xu Jinhuai and his mistress, and they even wanted to switch Yaoyao, then what about Xu Hanyue?
Was the child she gave birth to just one year after marrying Xu Jinhuai also switched? Was he also born out of wedlock?

Thinking of this, Princess Chaoyang felt as if her heart was torn apart.

But soon, Princess Chaoyang denied this speculation. After all, Xu Hanyue was the child born to him and Xu Jinhuai just one year after they got married. At that time, she and Xu Jinhuai were newlyweds and very much in love. It was impossible for Xu Jinhuai to have a concubine.

Yes, it’s impossible, absolutely impossible.

But even so, she was still mad with hatred in her heart, and wished she could pick up a sword and kill Xu Jinhuai and his mistress right now.

But she knew that she couldn't act impulsively now.

For two people who committed such heinous crimes, death is the lightest punishment for them.
-
Xu Jinhuai did not return to the princess's mansion until noon the next day.

He went directly to Princess Chaoyang's courtyard and said with an apologetic look in his eyes, "Qing'er, I'm really sorry. Today is the winter solstice. I should have accompanied you to have a reunion dinner tonight, but the Ministry of Works is really busy and I can't get away. I'm afraid I can't accompany you to have a reunion dinner."

Xu Yaoyao couldn't help but spit in the direction of Xu Jinhuai.

[What are you busy with? You are obviously going to accompany your mistress. 】

[Scumbag, scumbag, full of lies! ]

[Go away, go away, go away quickly. I'm afraid I'll get stye if I look at you for one more second.]

[My eyes must be as beautiful as my mother's. It would be bad if I had stye.]

Thinking of this, Xu Yaoyao quickly covered her big eyes with her little hands.

Princess Chaoyang smiled as gently as usual, and said sympathetically: "It's okay, the Prince Consort's official duties are the most important."

"I knew Qing'er was the best." Xu Jinhuai said and wanted to hug Princess Chaoyang in his arms.

Princess Chaoyang pretended to have suddenly thought of something, stepped aside and said, "By the way, Prince Consort, how is the income from the farm and the house calculated?"

"Yaoyao is about to be one month old. After she is out of confinement, I will bring Yaoyao to the palace to show her to my mother and my brother. By then, I am afraid that my brother will ask about this matter. After all, he had asked the crown prince to mention it once last time."

(End of this chapter)