Chapter 336: Ji Zihang Captured

Chapter 336: Ji Zihang Is Caught

Xu Ying pulled Xiao Taozi over. "Princess Ye saved Xiao Taozi's life. If you have questions, feel free to ask her."

Ji Yuntang knelt down and asked softly, "Xiao Taozi, weren't you buying fabric with your mother at the cloth shop? Why did you end up alone on the street?"

Knowing that Ji Yuntang was the one who saved her, Xiao Taozi stared with her big round eyes and said in her sweet, childish voice, "Mother was buying fabric inside the shop, and I was waiting for her at the door."

"Then a man dressed in black came over, gave me a candied hawthorn on a stick, and told me to follow him. I thought he was a nice man, so I went with him. But then he carried me out into the middle of the street."

"Before I could even react, I saw a carriage charging at me. I was so scared I froze and couldn't move, until you, Princess, saved me."

Ji Yuntang asked again, "What happened to the man who carried you? Did you see where he went?"

"He just vanished! He dumped me in the middle of the road and took off!"

Ji Yuntang narrowed her eyes. It was exactly as she'd expected.

That confirmed her suspicions!

Just then, Xiao Taozi sniffled and said sincerely, "Sister princess, I think I can smell that man. He's somewhere around here right now."

"Xiao Taozi, how can you be so sure the man who took you is here?"

Noticing Ji Yuntang's puzzled look, Xu Ying stepped forward to explain, "Princess Ye, you may not know this, but Xiao Taozi has had a peach blossom scent about her since birth. Anyone who's held her will pick up her scent, more or less."

"This scent can't be washed off for three days. Other people might not notice it, but Xiao Taozi can recognize it with one sniff."

Ji Yuntang hadn't expected Xiao Taozi to have such a unique trait either. She looked confused.

"But I held Xiao Taozi today too. How can she be sure that scent is specifically from that man?"

Xiao Taozi waved her chubby little hands and said, "Sister princess's scent is different from that man's."

"Sister princess smells nice and sweet, but that man stinks, like..."

She frowned in thought, then her eyes lit up. "Like when my father goes out fishing and hasn't bathed for three days. Xiao Taozi really hates it."

Ji Yuntang watched the little girl wave her hands around excitedly and found her utterly adorable.

She took out a peach-flavored candy from her storage space, unwrapped it, and popped it into Xiao Taozi's mouth, then ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Xiao Taozi, can you find that man for me? If you do, I'll give you more candy, okay?"

Xiao Taozi nodded. "Okay, sister princess, wait for me here!"

Delighted by the candy, Xiao Taozi's eyes crinkled with happiness, and she skipped off into the crowd.

Ji Yuntang followed close behind, keeping a watchful eye on her the whole time.

Xiao Taozi looked this way and that. Whenever she approached a man who seemed like a possible match, she would politely call out "Uncle" and then lean in to sniff him. Most people let her sniff them without complaint.

But as she drew closer, a plain-looking man in black among the crowd began to sweat profusely, his forehead beading with moisture.

He shot a glance at Ji Zihang, then slowly shuffled backward, trying to slip away.

He was fast, but Ji Yuntang was faster.

Ji Yuntang had been watching everyone's reactions the whole time, especially the servants Ji Zihang had brought along.

Seeing the man in black trying to flee, she rushed forward and swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground.

The man instinctively pulled a dagger from the small of his back and stabbed at Ji Yuntang's chest.

In the nick of time, a hairpin materialized in Ji Yuntang's hand, and she drove it straight into the man's eye.

"Ah!"

The man in black let out a bloodcurdling scream. His vision went dark as warm blood gushed from his face.

He clutched at his eye in pain, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

Blood splattered across Ji Yuntang's face, but she calmly rose to her feet, took out a handkerchief, and unhurriedly wiped the blood from her hands.

The sight terrified the crowd.

It also terrified Ji Zihang and Ji Huaiche, who were standing nearby.

They had seen Ji Yuntang fight before and had thought that was already brutal enough!

But now, with one strike that drew blood, she had directly blinded the man in black.

She showed absolutely no mercy.

Ji Yuntang wiped the blood from her face and said coldly, "This man openly attacked me, a princess, and deserves death."

"However, considering he may be connected to the carriage incident, I will spare his miserable life for now. Once the case is fully investigated, he will be handed over to the Court of Justice."

Just then, Xiao Taozi spoke up.

Though frightened, she hid behind Ji Yuntang and pointed at the man in black, who was writhing in pain on the ground. "Sister princess, it's him! He's the one who gave me the candied hawthorn stick and took me away."

"He still smells like me."

Xu Ying asked anxiously, "Xiao Taozi, are you sure?"

"You can't say something like that without being sure."

Xiao Taozi nodded. "I'm sure. If you don't believe me, sister princess, you can look at his right hand."

"When that man gave me the candied hawthorn stick, I saw clearly that he had a black mole on his palm."

The moment she said that, Chen Hu stepped forward and grabbed the man's right hand.

After looking at it, he widened his eyes and said, "Princess, he really does have a black mole on his palm."

At this point, it was practically confirmed that the man in black was the culprit.

Ji Yuntang looked at Ji Huaiche and smirked.

"This man is also wearing the uniform of a servant from the Marquis Yongning's household, and he came here together with Third Young Master Ji."

"Heir Ji, what more do you have to say?"

Ji Huaiche's heart sank.

He knew that by now, all the evidence pointed straight at Ji Zihang.

If he continued to shield Ji Zihang, he might very well be dragged into it with him.

At that point, it would truly be a loss that outweighs any gain!

Ji Huaiche gritted his teeth, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, and ultimately made a decision that went against his conscience.

"Third Young Master Ji is suspected of involvement in the carriage incident at the Night Prince's residence. On my official orders, arrest him and take him to the Dali Temple prison for later interrogation."

Ji Zihang's eyes narrowed sharply as he stared at Ji Huaiche in disbelief, as if unable to believe that his own elder brother would send people to arrest him.

The Dali Temple guards were equally incredulous.

Their mouths hung slightly open, they looked at Ji Huaiche in a daze, frozen in place.

They'd seen officials bend the law for personal gain, but never one who'd turn in his own brother.

Was Heir Ji really about to arrest his own brother?

Ji Huaiche clenched his fists and shot them a sharp look.

"What are you waiting for? Take the suspect away now!"

The Dali Temple guards jolted as if zapped, snapping out of it. They exchanged glances, then stepped forward to restrain Ji Zihang and escort him out.

The servant who'd tried to kill Ji Yuntang and the one with the slingshot were also hauled in for questioning.

Ji Huaiche walked briskly ahead, and Ji Yuntang called out to his retreating figure.

"Heir Ji, I, the Princess, will be keeping a close eye on how this case is interrogated. Third Young Master Ji is your own brother, and you must not shield him. Otherwise, you'd be abusing your office for personal gain, and you can forget about being the Right Assistant Minister of the Dali Temple!"

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