The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 102

However, the Crown Prince was right. It was possible there was indeed a mechanism in this courtyard, and she had been careless.

Ignoring the Crown Prince, Song Jin crouched down and grabbed a handful of soil. The smell of the soil was strong, and she didn’t need to bring it to her nose. Lightly sniffing, Song Jin frowned slightly. The rich smell of gold was mixed with the scent of iron.

She moved a few steps towards the northwest, grabbing another handful of soil. The Heavenly Hound wagged its tail, following Song Jin closely, occasionally brushing its furry head against her. Song Jin grabbed soil several times, making her way to the pagoda tree.

Standing up, she studied the tree trunk. Could the mechanism be here? Rubbing her chin, Song Jin bent down and asked the Heavenly Hound, “Yuan Bao, did you find anything here?”

The Heavenly Hound wagged its tail and lifted its front paw, striking the tree trunk. As its paw hit the trunk, the ground in the small courtyard trembled slightly.

Song Jin… You knew the mechanism was here, why didn’t you say so earlier!

Yuan Bao… Master, you didn’t ask!

Song Jin… Did you think I was digging a hole to pee?

Yuan Bao… We just lift our leg to pee.

Song Jin…

All the people digging stopped and looked over. The Duke furrowed his brow, his face turning pale with anxiety. The steward was nowhere to be found, and the archers had not arrived.

The Duke’s third son knelt on the ground, staring at the old pagoda tree in disbelief. He watched as the tree split in two from the middle, moving to the sides, revealing a complete tree within. It turned out the tree trunk they saw wasn’t real; the real tree was inside, the one that became lush and green every summer. As the fake trunks moved aside, two stone stairways leading to a hidden path were revealed.

The third son’s eyes widened, “Holy crap! There’s such an awesome secret path in our courtyard!”

The Duke… He felt like strangling this unworthy son. Is this really the time to say that!

Song Jin glanced back at the third son, then at Lu Zhan, who had come to her side. “It seems we found the path.”

Lu Zhan looked at the identical stairways on both sides. “Which side should we take? Perhaps I should go down and check.”

As Lu Zhan moved, Song Jin stopped him. “With the Duke here, why should you go? It’s not polite for a guest to intrude into the host’s secret passage.”

Song Jin turned to the Duke. “Duke, with such a grand secret path, won’t you invite us down?”

The commoners outside were dying of curiosity. This secret passage looked so mysterious.

The Duke was scared to death. His assassins hadn’t arrived, and the secret path had been found. What should he do? The left passage led to the gold; the right passage was a dead end, leading to the flower garden under the East Wing Courtyard.

With his mind racing, and the assassins not arriving, the Duke took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Even ordinary households have cellars for storing vegetables. It’s not surprising that my mansion has a secret passage. It’s not just my mansion; if you’re interested, Your Highness, you could check other officials’ houses in the capital. Everyone has one.”

The Duke appeared calm and composed. Song Jin smiled. “Lead the way, Duke.”

The Duke asked the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, would you like to join us?”

The Crown Prince shook his head. “I’m not interested. You go ahead.” It was clear the Duke had murderous intent. He wanted to see if the girl inside the Fourth Prince’s body, if she was indeed the protagonist, could survive. It was a gamble.

With the Crown Prince declining, the Duke said no more and stepped towards the right passage. “Both sides are stone steps. Which one do you want to explore first, Your Highness?”

Song Jin smiled. “I’ll follow your lead.”

The Duke proceeded to the right passage. Song Jin thought for a moment and followed.

After just a few steps, a female voice called out, “Fourth Prince, wait.”

Song Jin turned to see Xu Xin supporting a dignified woman, followed by the steward. This… must be the Duchess.

Song Jin guessed, looking at Lu Zhan, who mouthed: Duchess. The Duke also saw the steward. Suspicion filled his mind. The steward should be arranging the archers, why bring his wife and daughter instead?

The Duchess stepped forward, “Your Highness, don’t be deceived. The left passage hides a vast amount of gold; the right passage is a dead end.” She glared at the Duke, “You’re getting more senile. Mining gold illegally is a serious crime. But since you did it for the Emperor, he wouldn’t punish you severely. If you harm the princes, how will you face the Emperor!”

The Duke… What?

The Duke was stunned. The Crown Prince looked at the Duchess in surprise. She came from a military family, known for her decisive and capable nature. She married the Duke, showing no interest in competing for favor. The Duke’s many Consorts were all accepted by this wife. She never mistreated the Consorts’ children either. Not so much generosity as indifference.

The Crown Prince couldn’t figure out what this wife cared about. Moreover, the Duke’s third son was her biological child. She knew about the Duke framing the third son. Interesting. A mother as ruthless as the Wu family of old.

Ignoring everyone’s reactions, the Duchess continued, “The left passage leads to the gold mine. If you don’t believe me, I’ll go first. There’s another mechanism below. Once I activate it, Your Highness will understand.” With that, she descended the left stairway.

Xu Xin followed her mother, saying to Song Jin, “Brother Yue, my mother won’t harm you.” She smiled shyly and followed down the steps.

Song Jin… What’s going on? Is this a mother-in-law saving her daughter’s beloved? But not at the cost of her husband. And the Duke himself looked confused.

Unsure of the Duchess’s intentions, Song Jin stepped back onto the ground. In less than a tea’s time, the left passage, initially only revealing a stairway, began to expand. More of the underground was revealed. The expansion continued.

The Duke’s third son couldn’t care less about pretending to be guilty and rushed forward. “Holy crap! So much gold!”

The Duke… This unworthy son is so useless! Definitely only good for taking the blame!