Chapter 195

Chapter 195: Only a Princess

Tears fell from Third Master Du’s eyes in an instant.

Had he known earlier—

“Why did we even start this?!”

With those words, his head drooped, and he fainted away.

Nanny Zhou was utterly frightened by the Masters’ sudden collapse, frantically calling for the House Physician and hastily sending for the madams. The entire Du Residence soon descended into chaos.

Sun Dun Xu emerged from the outhouse, bewildered by the panic around him.

“What?”

“Old Madam coughed up blood?”

“Second Master and Third Master both fainted?”

“And Master Du Two has gone mad? He’s babbling nonsense?”

Sun Dun Xu caught hold of a passing maidservant, “What nonsense did Master Du Two say?”

Just moments ago, Master Du Two had looked so pleased!

“He said… he said the Du family is finished, utterly finished…”

“What?” Sun Dun Xu’s heart filled with dread.

If the Du family was finished, should he still go on with his tasks? [He wasn’t sure; perhaps he should wait and see.]

Uneasy, Sun Dun Xu slipped back into Old Madam Du’s courtyard.

It was crowded and chaotic; no one noticed him, a mere shopkeeper from an outside shop property. They assumed he was simply there to report something to Old Madam Du.

Sun Dun Xu drew near to Master Du Two, whispering, “Master Du Two? What did you say?”

But Master Du Two only stared blankly, his eyes unblinking.

Sun Dun Xu glanced nervously at the other Masters of the Du family, his anxiety growing by the minute.

He stumbled out of the residence in a daze. Just as he arrived outside the shop property, he heard a fierce shout.

“Imperial Inspector, sir! It’s him! He’s the shopkeeper who stole the kerosene!”

Several commoners rushed forward and pinned Sun Dun Xu to the frozen snow. Before him stood a pair of shiny, sturdy official boots.

“Take him away!” came the command.

Lord Wang cast a cold glance around, respectfully clasping his hands toward the gathered commoners who looked upon him with hopeful eyes.

“This official has carefully noted your words. Whether Yamen officials or local gentry, I promise you, I’ve come here precisely because of this cotton-burning incident. Whoever is involved will face justice!”

“Lord Wang is wise!”

“My Lord, please give us justice!”

“My elder brother went to buy cotton from Prosperous Hall yesterday but was robbed by bandits and froze to death. Those villains warned us anyone else buying cotton from there would meet the same fate.”

Lord Wang’s heart was heavy as he moved toward the Prefectural Office amidst the crowd’s pleas.

Before coming here, the Third Prince had summoned him secretly. Only then had he discovered the shocking truth—that the Prince he served had ruthlessly disregarded the lives of commoners, all for personal gain.

He disagreed strongly with the Third Prince’s view that commoners useless to the state were merely a burden.

[How can they be useless?]

Commoners farmed the land and supported the Imperial Court. If they were useless, what about those wealthy families who lived off their labor?

He knew the Third Prince despised him secretly because he once served the Second Prince before shifting loyalties. But he had never regretted that decision. [So long as the Third Prince deserved loyalty, what harm was there in changing masters?]

Yet now… he felt unsure.

Lord Wang glanced around once more.

Before arriving, he’d expected to see the prefecture filled with despair—corpses lining the streets, the air thick with misery. But now that he was here, things seemed far better than he’d imagined.

With proper clothing, the commoners had hope, a reason to survive.

Hope meant everything. With hope, they could endure until better days returned.

But who would have guessed?

The one who gave these people hope was merely a young woman, a princess.

What a pity…

[If only she were more than just a princess!]

Lord Wang sighed inwardly. Still, what needed doing had to be done. Even if his investigation was mostly ceremonial, he’d do all he could to uncover those who harmed the people.

Within two short days, Ji Prefecture’s jail was filled with new prisoners.

The cotton burners, the kerosene shopkeeper—

Like rats’ tails tied together, one confession led to another.

Sun Dun Xu openly confessed that Old Madam Du herself ordered the theft of several hundred pounds of kerosene specifically for burning the cotton.

The shop assistant who actually set the cotton ablaze, nearly killed by the Du family to silence him, no longer felt loyalty. Once captured, he described how Third Master Du had ordered him to set fire to the charity home to stop Prosperous Hall from rescuing the cotton.

Each tried desperately to claim merit, scrambling to reveal every shocking detail: how the fires were set, how Yamen officials cooperated, how kerosene was used.

Even the recent robberies against commoners were exposed—the bandits were actually tenant farmers from Du family estates, disguised to terrify locals.

Every revelation horrified listeners.

Furious commoners immediately stormed toward Du Residence for revenge, but the Imperial Guards Lord Wang had brought kept them at bay.

Within one day, the Du family, once the pride of Ji Prefecture, became scorned like rats.

Their walls were covered in dung.

Old Madam Du, when interrogated, desperately held out two letters, claiming they contained instructions from a powerful noble. Yet, when unfolded, the pages were blank.

“Impossible! Yesterday—there were words, there truly were…” Old Madam Du collapsed onto the floor.

A crazed laughter rang from outside: “Ha… Haha! Serves you right! Cheng’er… where is my Cheng’er? Don’t be afraid, your mother and I will join you soon…”

“And that Kuang you admired so much, he’ll be joining you too! Haha!”

Kuang’er…

Old Madam Du trembled, tears flowing freely: “Lord Inspector, I confess! It was all my doing! The younger members of the Du family knew nothing! Especially my son, Du Ming Yi—he knew nothing!”

“My Lord, please investigate clearly!”

Old Madam Du knelt on the cold ground, Second Master Du, Third Master Du, Du Two, and the ashen-faced Du Three knelt with her.

If they confessed, that powerful figure might spare the younger generation. If not… what else could they do? They had flaunted too boldly, trusting the empty promises.

They believed since they acted for the Emperor’s trusted servant, no harm could come to them.

Yet punishment had come regardless!

They were clearly deceived…

But knowing this changed nothing now.

The Du family confessed their crimes.

Yan Hai, who stubbornly refused to admit guilt, exploded in fury when he heard the news from his cell.

As news traveled, the northern branch of the Du family rejoiced.

Fifth Master Du—Du Heng—felt especially thrilled.

“Yan Zhi, I never imagined… truly never imagined you’d achieve such greatness!”

[What was Du Ming Yi now?]

A mere Fourth Rank Prefect—how could he compare to someone directly serving the Emperor!

Since they now aided Du Yi Zhi in helping His Majesty’s disaster relief, the Northern Du had surely earned the Emperor’s favor.

Du Heng happily patted Du Yi Zhi’s shoulder, hesitating briefly before continuing: “Yan Zhi, whenever you’re ready, we’ll open the ancestral hall and add your name officially. I’ve been family head long enough—let the younger generation lead.”

“Indeed, Yan Zhi, we all support you as clan leader.”

“Only, your uncle’s official position… when might it rise higher?”