Wang Qingyao and Xiao Yun exchanged a silent glance.
*Damn, it's true!*
Xiao Yun subtly gave Wang Qingyao a thumbs-up.
Meanwhile, the Old Imperial Consort, after much thought and deliberation, finally said with a hint of pride, "When I was young, I was a renowned beauty throughout the four villages. The men who fancied me could line up from one end of the village to the other..."
Wang Qingyao felt the Old Imperial Consort sounded a bit like Zhang Yuqi when she said this.
Xiao Yun was clearly hearing these stories from the Old Imperial Consort for the first time, and her demeanor and tone were unlike anything he had ever seen.
"...Your grandfather and I were a love match. He, the Prince of Dingnan, and I, we all met together. Those two fancied me, but I only had eyes for your grandfather..."
At this point, a blush, unbefitting her age, appeared on the Old Imperial Consort's face.
Wang Qingyao and Xiao Yun exchanged another silent glance, seeing shock, and a touch of horror, in each other's eyes.
The Prince of Dingnan?!
A crime of passion?!
No way?!
"That Prince of Dingnan, he didn't care about such things. He, he would find a way to snatch whatever he desired. As long as I remained unmarried, he thought he still had a chance. He even climbed over my family's wall!"
"For these matters, your grandfather even fought with him several times!"
A thoughtful expression crossed the Old Imperial Consort's face as she lost herself in memories, a little dazed.
Wang Qingyao gently asked, "And then?"
The Old Imperial Consort collected her thoughts, lowered her head, and smiled, her wrinkles smoothing out. "Then I married your grandfather, and the Prince of Dingnan returned to Nanzhou. Before long, he also married a princess."
"And that's it?" Xiao Yun asked with some disappointment. "The opera doesn't tell it like this."
The Old Imperial Consort laughed heartily. "How can real life compare to opera? Those tragic love stories are written by idle people to fool young folks like you."
Xiao Yun awkwardly touched his nose.
The Old Imperial Consort then said to Wang Qingyao, "Tell your grandfather for me, after he left, I was busy raising children and managing the vast Ding'an Prince's Mansion. Where would I have had time for romance? Tell him to rest easy, be a good ghost, and stop floating up to haunt my dreams!"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but smile herself. No matter a woman's age, being cherished by the one she loved was a happy thing.
Wang Qingyao looked at the Old Imperial Consort with envy. At this moment, she suddenly felt a yearning for love.
Of course, as a married woman, her yearning for love could only be directed towards her own husband.
Thus, she glanced at Xiao Yun again.
Tall and elegant, clad in fine brocade, with a handsome face, he was indeed someone one could yearn for.
Thinking this, Wang Qingyao felt a little proud and sweet. However, before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Xiao Yun signaled her with his eyes to leave.
Xiao Yun was truly anxious. As soon as they left the courtyard, he grabbed Wang Qingyao's hand and hurried towards Kangping Courtyard, his expression frighteningly serious. Anyone who didn't know would think he had been scolded by the Old Imperial Consort.
Wang Qingyao, wanting to tease him, couldn't find the words. They returned to Kangping Courtyard, and as soon as the main room door was closed, Xiao Yun said anxiously, "If the Prince of Dingnan is the murderer, it's terrible. Xiao Mo has been gone for almost a month, and by now, he should be nearing Nanzhou. The Prince of Dingnan hates Grandfather so much, and Xiao Mo is his grandson..."
"He's not related by blood."
"He's gone mad enough to kill three people, why would he care if they're related? If Xiao Mo falls victim to his wicked hands, I, I..."
Xiao Yun was consumed by anxiety, fear, and regret.
"Why did I let Xiao Mo go to Nanzhou? I should have gone myself. I've always been a free spirit, and I have favor with the Emperor. Even if I were impeached a few times, I wouldn't die!"
Wang Qingyao comforted him, "It might not be the Prince of Dingnan. Don't scare yourself. We have no evidence. What if Grandmother had other fervent admirers?"
"What more evidence do we need? It's him! Think about it, he's the only one from Grandfather's generation who has lived from that time until now. The timing is perfect. Who else could have had more opportunity to kill? And don't forget, the poison that turns corpses green also comes from Nanzhou! One might be a coincidence, but two or three are evidence!"
Wang Qingyao considered it, and it did seem to be the case.
Motive: The Prince of Dingnan had it.
Opportunity: The Prince of Dingnan had it.
Means: The Prince of Dingnan had it.
Skill: The Prince of Dingnan had it.
Every clue pointed to him, no wonder Xiao Yun was convinced it was him.
Especially now that Xiao Mo was in his territory. Xiao Yun, deeply attached to Xiao Mo, wished he could fly to Nanzhou immediately.
"After the hunt, I will personally go to Nanzhou!" Xiao Yun said in a deep voice. He then dispatched his most skilled dark guards to Nanzhou overnight to protect Xiao Mo.
Wang Qingyao asked curiously, "Doesn't Xiao Mo have any dark guards with him?"
"He does, but they can't compare to mine. They can handle ordinary bandits and petty thieves, but it would be difficult to deal with a master like the Prince of Dingnan! Moreover, the Prince of Dingnan's mansion has Feng Jiangduo, who is highly skilled in martial arts. If Xiao Mo falls into their hands, he will surely die!"
Xiao Yun scared himself, his clenched fist trembling slightly.
Wang Qingyao covered his hand with her own and said softly, "He won't. If it truly is the Prince of Dingnan, then to make the Xiao family's curse more convincing, he definitely wouldn't kill Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo is just an adopted son, he doesn't have the Xiao family's blood. If you don't live past twenty-five, but Xiao Mo safely reaches twenty-five, wouldn't that make the curse seem even more real?"