Chapter 105: Xia Wentao Kneels to Apologize

Xia Wentao had never imagined that Xia Jiujang would demand fairness and impartiality even when asking him to kneel.

The people around them echoed her words.

“She’s right. This has nothing to do with father and daughter.”

“Earlier, Chancellor Xia was so certain of himself. Now it’s time for him to kneel.”

“When Chancellor Xia made the wager, Xia Jiujang was willing to stake her own life. If he had won, she would have died.”

“Then making Chancellor Xia kneel is already letting him off lightly.”

“Kneel! Kneel!”

The cries rose and fell around them. Xia Wentao glanced at Jun Bu Wen, Jun Qianye, and Pei Xingzhi. Not one of them spoke up for him. Jun Bu Wen and Pei Xingzhi were one thing, but Xia Wentao was Jun Qianye’s man. Yet Jun Qianye was unwilling to help him either.

Xia Yue’er said unhappily, “Father is already in such a miserable state, yet Elder Sister still insists on forcing him to kneel. Please let Father go.”

Xia Jiujang looked at her. “Since you’re so filial, Younger Sister, why don’t you kneel in Chancellor Xia’s place?”

Xia Yue’er’s face stiffened at once. Xia Jiujang actually wanted her to kneel? There were so many people watching, and most importantly, the Seventh Prince was here. How could she kneel before Xia Jiujang in front of him?

Xia Yue’er bit her lip, unwilling to submit. At that moment, Xia Wentao seized her hand, looking as though he meant to stop her from kneeling—but Xia Yue’er clearly had no intention of doing so.

Xia Wentao said, “Since you insist that whoever is responsible should kneel, then the one who refused to let you go today was this old man. It has nothing to do with Yue’er. I’ll kneel to you.”

The surroundings fell silent as every eye focused on Chancellor Xia.

Xia Jiujang looked at Xia Wentao with disdain. He truly was a devoted father, treating Xia Yue’er with such care. He would rather kneel to Xia Jiujang himself than let Xia Yue’er kneel. Should she applaud him?

But Xia Jiujang saw through his thoughts perfectly. Ever since they were children, he had devoted himself to Xia Yue’er and Xia Mingxuan, raising them with painstaking care. Xia Yue’er had grown into a delicately beautiful young woman, while Xia Mingxuan already held an official post.

Those two were the fruits of Xia Wentao’s labor, and more importantly, his hope of making the Xia family flourish in the future. Naturally, he would never allow Xia Yue’er to suffer the slightest loss.

Grimacing, Xia Wentao supported his injured leg and slowly bent it. Then he knelt before Xia Jiujang.

His voice was somewhat hoarse. “I’m sorry. I was in the wrong. My mother’s death caused me to lose my reason and judgment, and I failed to believe you at the first opportunity…”

Xia Yue’er stood to one side, watching Xia Wentao humble himself, and tears streamed down her face. Supporting him, she said, “That’s enough, Father. You’ve already admitted your mistake. Isn’t that enough?”

With his aged and pitiful appearance, Xia Wentao looked utterly wretched.

He slunk away with Xia Yue’er. Jun Bu Wen handed the affairs of the Pacification Office over to Ye Sha, then led Xia Jiujang away.

Inside the carriage, Xia Jiujang gave a smug little chuckle. “Well? With one move from me, I helped you wipe out the entire Pacification Office. Shouldn’t you thank me properly?”

Jun Bu Wen raised a brow and smiled. “You? All you did was clear your name after Lin Baixue framed you. As for the Pacification Office, I was going to arrest Gao Shanshui anyway. Why are you claiming all the credit?”

“Please. You did have a warrant for Gao Shanshui’s arrest, but that was meant for Gao Shanshui alone, not the entire Pacification Office. As the saying goes, a centipede may die but never cease to writhe. Gao Shanshui may be dead, but who knows how many people in the Pacification Office were his followers? To bring them all down, you had to uproot them completely.”

“That was only because someone poisoned Gao Shanshui.”

Xia Jiujang rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you really thought Gao Shanshui died because one of the Pacification Office guards shot a poisoned needle into his neck.”

Jun Bu Wen paused. He looked at Xia Jiujang in confusion, sensing that there was more behind her words.

With a sly grin, Xia Jiujang patted her chest. “Gao Shanshui did die of poison, but not from the poisoned needle in his neck. Someone poisoned the tea he drank. If I hadn’t been clever enough to prick a needle mark into his neck while examining the cause of his death, how could you have seized everyone in the Pacification Office so quickly?”

Jun Bu Wen’s eyes widened in shock. “It was you!”

At the time, when Jun Bu Wen discovered that Xia Jiujang had said there was a needle mark on Gao Shanshui’s neck, a strange suspicion had flashed through his mind. His martial skills were far from poor, yet when the poisoned needle struck Gao Shanshui, he had sensed nothing at all.

Still, he had immediately used the needle mark on Gao Shanshui’s neck as grounds to arrest everyone in the Pacification Office.

“Don’t tell me you were the one who poisoned him too.”

“If I did something, I’ll admit it. I was the one who planted the needle mark, but someone else poisoned Gao Shanshui. I merely took advantage of the situation. I never expected it to work out so perfectly in your favor. Heehee.”

Jun Bu Wen frowned as he watched Xia Jiujang smile at him with such cheerful, ingratiating delight. He truly could not understand what she was up to. Why had she helped him seize the Pacification Office? What exactly was she plotting?

Seeing the confusion on his face, Xia Jiujang said, “Helping you is helping myself. After all, you’re my husband. Since you had the means to deal with Gao Shanshui, I might as well take advantage of the situation and help you transform the entire Pacification Office. The stronger you become, the more benefits I, your princess consort, can enjoy.”

Xia Jiujang looked like a sly little fox, and Jun Bu Wen’s heart suddenly began pounding out of control.

Was Xia Jiujang truly an enemy? Was she deliberately retreating in order to advance? There were far too many mysteries surrounding her, and Jun Bu Wen still did not dare trust her. But if she was his enemy… why would she help him? Or was this precisely where her brilliance lay?

Too many questions came rushing toward him. Yet amid the pounding of his heart, every other sound suddenly vanished, leaving his mind completely blank.

Why was his heart beating so fast? Could his heat-poison affliction be acting up?

Xia Jiujang suddenly cupped his face in both hands. “Why is your face so red? You don’t have a fever, do you?”

Her soft little hands touched his face. He could feel the coolness of her skin and see the sincerity in her eyes.

Jun Bu Wen’s heart was thrown into chaos. A fever? What fever? Could it be that he was… worked up?

He turned his face away and swatted her hands aside. “No.”

“No means no. Why are you getting so worked up…” Xia Jiujang pouted in confusion. Her hand had been struck so hard that it left a red mark, and she rubbed her aching wrist.

He had no appreciation for tenderness whatsoever.

Jun Bu Wen glanced at her wrist. Suddenly unable to bear it, he reached out, took her little hand into his palm, and gently massaged the injured spot.

Jun Bu Wen muttered inwardly that he must have been bewitched. Why else would he feel softhearted toward Xia Jiujang?

Then again, Xia Jiujang truly was a bewitching creature. A single young woman had turned the Xia residence and the Pacification Office upside down, and even Jun Bu Wen had been toyed with in the palm of her hand.