Patriarch Tan felt his chest tightening as he stowed away the hairpin in a box, heading for the main hall a moment later.
When he saw the visitor’s tall back, Patriarch Tan shuddered. It feels like I’ve seen him somewhere before! As the man turned around, Patriarch Tan was shocked to the point that he knelt down on the ground with a thud. “This peasant pays his respects to Prince Hao.”
Pei Qianhao’s cold gaze landed on him, keeping silent for a long while. Only when Patriarch Tan began trembling from kneeling too long did he ask, “Patriarch Tan, have you received the hairpin?”
Patriarch Tan was almost frightened out of his wits when he heard himself being called. “This peasant has received it; it belongs to my humble daughter. Did she do something wrong?”
“Despite the Tan Residence’s decline, it has been rather lively recently. What did Commandery Prince Xie promise you?” Pei Qianhao’s voice grew colder as he took one step closer to Patriarch Tan.
When the black shoes with a golden trim entered Patriarch Tan’s sight, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in anxiety. “Commandery Prince Xie simply gave this peasant some silvers so that the Tan Residence wouldn’t have to sell our estate. He didn’t give anything else to this peasant.”
No matter how foolish he was, he was aware of the hostile relationship between Prince Hao and Commandery Prince Xie.
“Back then, you implored this Prince to accept your daughter into the Beauty Palace, allowing the Tan Residence to barely survive until today. Patriarch Tan, aren’t you clear why this Prince helped the Tan Residence then?”
Patriarch Tan felt a jolt to his heart. Of course, I understand. Prince Hao did that because…
“Right now, this Prince’s kindness and patience have been used up. Your daughter shouldn’t have entered the imperial palace. She’s currently missing.”
The news caused Patriarch Tan’s expression to immediately turn blank. Where else can she be, if not in the imperial palace? What exactly happened to Tan Ge?
“Prince Hao, what’s the situation of my humble daughter? Did something happen to her? I beg of you, please let my humble daughter off.” Patriarch Tan understood well that Tan Ge was the Tan Residence’s only hope to rise again, and they had to protect her at all costs.
Pei Qianhao coldly replied, “This Prince didn’t do anything to your daughter. You should be asking Commandery Prince Xie.” He turned on his heel, prepared to walk out of the main hall.
After Patriarch Tan came back to his senses, he immediately shouted as he ran, “Prince Hao, please have mercy! Please have mercy!”
Before he could reach Pei Qianhao, a group of yamen runners came barging through the doors of the Tan Residence. Their leader clearly announced, “The Tan Residence owes many debts. Their estate is to be confiscated by the authorities to be sold off. Furthermore, due to illegally selling poisonous rice crops from the Tan Family’s feudal land at low prices, the whole family is to be banished to the borders!”
Mayhem reigned throughout the Tan Residence once the announcement was made, and Patriarch Tan screamed until his vocal cords were sore. He understood that all of this was caused by Pei Qianhao. Where on earth is Tan Ge? What has she done in the imperial palace?
~~~
Meanwhile, Tan Ge was sitting in a normal horse carriage near the corner of the street that led to the Tan Residence. Her whole body was trembling as she dazedly stared at her family members being detained and exiled. Any passerby who saw the notice on the Tan Residence’s entrance with a government seal would utter harsh criticisms, making for a bleak sight.
Xie Yun let out a soft chuckle. “Tan Ge, the reason that the Tan Residence has fallen to this state is not because this Prince didn’t save them, but because someone insisted on making trouble for them.”
Tan Ge knew the person he was referring to. I saw Prince Hao walking out from the Tan Residence! He wants to exterminate the Tan Residence!
Tan Ge’s heart was swept up in a storm of emotions. It took a moment before she could ask, “Prince Hao has already guessed that I was the culprit?”
