Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

Chapter 24 Guarding Palace Sand

The sound startled Shi Shu, who nearly dropped the vase in his hand. He said in a puzzled tone, "Young master, these flowers are a bit wilted. I'll take them away and throw them away. If you like them, I'll go pick some more."

"...Just put it there."

"…Yes."

Xia Muning looked at the somewhat wilted flower, picked up a glass of water, and slowly poured water down to its base, hoping it would bloom for a little longer.

He touched his neck; it was still bleeding a little. There should be some ointment in the room, and he planned to find it and apply it.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Xia Muning angrily turned her head to look. Her father was standing in the doorway with a serious expression.

When Xia Muning saw his father, all the pent-up frustration he had been holding in exploded. He wanted to rush over and cry his heart out.

To his surprise, Xia's father just looked at him coldly and said to Master Zhao, who was standing behind him, "Master Zhao, this is troublesome."

Master Zhao was a retired palace servant who had served his elder brother. When he reached the age required, he was sent out of the palace, and the Xia family took him in, where he lived a life of luxury by his father's side.

He is the most serious person one can be.

Master Zhao nodded, and immediately two strong servants approached Xia Muning and pulled him behind the screen.

"What are you doing? How dare you!" Xia Muning sternly looked at Master Zhao.

Master Zhao bowed and said, "Young master, you have been out all night. My lord is worried that you may have been harmed and wants to examine you."

These words, spoken neither humbly nor arrogantly, sent a chill down Xia Muning's spine.

He turned to look at his father sitting outside, but the screen was indistinct and he couldn't see him clearly.

But the first thing his father did upon his return was not to ask him what hardships he had endured outside, but to check whether he had lost his chastity.

Somewhat disheartened, he lifted the shirt off his arm.

The large, bright red mark on it was dazzling.

Master Zhao rubbed it vigorously, causing a slight stinging sensation, but the virginity mark did not disappear. He nodded in satisfaction.

When they came out, Master Zhao whispered something to the lord, so when Xia Muning came out after tidying his clothes, he saw his father with tears in his eyes. He looked at Xia Muning and large tears kept streaming down his face.

He reached out and hugged Xia Muning: "My son, you have suffered!"

Xia Muning, who was originally full of grievances, miraculously stopped crying after being hugged.

He was just thinking that he had been saved by Nakata today and returned unharmed. If he had been insulted and had run back, what would have awaited him?

He dared not think too deeply about it; if he did, even on a hot summer day, he would shiver involuntarily.

This shiver made the lord think that Xia Muning was still afraid, so he touched Xia Muning's back.

“My son, yesterday’s events haven’t been reported. Your mother has been investigating who did it. She’s just spreading rumors that Shiqin has gone hysterical and that we should sell her off. The robbers have already been caught.”

"They won't be thrown into prison; they'll be secretly executed at the Xia residence. Child, everything will proceed as normal..."

Seeing that Xia Muning had gradually calmed down, Xia's father nodded in satisfaction, wiped away the tears from his eyes, and left.

The maidservant entered and whispered something in Xia Muning's ear: "Young Master, Miss Biao is here!"

...

Xia Muning walked out.

Fang Shilian stood there, extremely excited as she looked at Xia Muning, who was completely unharmed: "Muning, Muning, it's so good that you're alright."

Xia Muning ignored him and looked at the people tied up behind him: "What's going on? Why are there only three people? Where is the main culprit, Wang Yuan?"

Fang Shilian said with some guilt, "Mu Ning, that Wang Yuan injured the constable and ran away!"

They escaped!?

Useless things!

This person's escape will definitely cause trouble in the future.

Seeing Xia Muning's displeasure, Fang Shilian stepped forward and said, "Muning, this was sent by the county magistrate; it won't be recorded!"

The magistrate's meaning was simple: the power of life and death rested entirely with the Xia family.

"Don't worry, Mu Ning, I will definitely find out who the real culprit is."

Xia Muning nodded, but her doubts remained. This matter shouldn't be publicized; a careful investigation was necessary.

"You must interrogate these people every day. If they don't reveal the mastermind behind it all, don't let them have a single day of peace!"

"it is good…"

Xia Muning returned to the room and saw Shishu wiping away tears. Her eyes were red, and she quickly wiped them away when she saw Xia Muning return.

"Why are you crying? I'm back now, aren't I?"

Shi Shu knelt down with a thud and hugged Xia Muning's leg: "Young Master, please save Shi Qin."

...

In the dark and damp woodshed, Shiqin lay there bound hand and foot, staring blankly outside. It was still morning, the sun had not yet risen, and the air was cool with the morning chill.

It should have been a wonderful day, but sadly, he will never see such a beautiful scene again; his future was ruined by his cry.

He was so nervous; those menacing villains were capable of killing!

He was starving, thirsty, and terrified. He just didn't know if the young master had returned. If he had, he would die; if he hadn't, he would still die.

The door opened, and Shiqin stared blankly at it. Xia Muning stood there, looking at Shiqin coldly.

Shiqin bit his own flesh until it was a bloody mess, but he seemed not to feel any pain.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he crawled step by step to Xia Muning's side, his voice hoarse: "Young Master, save me!"

Xia Muning leaned down to look at him, then took out her fingers and pinched Shiqin's Adam's apple hard.

With his vital point pinched, Shiqin immediately felt his breathing become difficult. He opened his mouth wide and gasped for air.

"Do you know how much trouble your mouth has caused me? Since you can't speak, I've poisoned your muteness!"

Shiqin was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was the young master giving her a chance.

"Young master, young master, I'm willing!"

“And…” Xia Muning looked at him: “Since there are rumors that you’ve developed hysteria, then you must prove it to the world!”

...

The rumors about Xia Muning in the town vanished without a trace.

Very normal!

Xia Muning's personal attendant, Shi Qin, wandered the streets in a frenzy for three days. Everyone saw it; he was indeed suffering from a seizure. Since it was hysteria, nothing he said was surprising.

Moreover, it is rumored that on the night Xia Muning was kidnapped, intermittent zither music was heard coming from the Xia residence. Everyone was familiar with that music; it was played by Xia Muning, and no one else could even match one-tenth of her skill.

The county magistrate's son, Yu Yijin, also confirmed this, stating that it was Xia Muning who played the zither that night.

The day after the rumors began, Xia Muning attended the flower viewing party calmly, showing no signs of anything amiss. Therefore, the rumors quickly disappeared.

Another event in town attracted even more attention: Xia Fang was getting married, and to Ding Yucheng, a man who had been married before.