Song Chaoyu felt as if the blood in her entire body had suddenly turned cold.
Mu Changxi also stepped forward, carefully looking at the Moon Sun Wine House, which had already turned into a ruin, as if trying to investigate something.
"Where is Xiao Xing?!"
Seeing the scene, Tan Yue immediately became anxious: "Wasn't Xiao Xing at the Moon Sun Wine House?! Where is he?! He wouldn't also..."
Tan Yue had just lost his father, Tan Ye, and dared not continue speaking.
"He won't!"
But Song Chaoyu said to Tan Yue with certainty: "Xiao Xing is a very clever child. He has lived alone for so long, he won't die so easily. He won't!"
"It's okay, it's okay!"
Hearing their words, an old man who was watching from the side also came out to comfort Tan Yue: "If you are looking for someone, go to the yamen. The Moon Sun Wine House caught fire at dawn today, and most of the people inside ran out. They said only the shopkeeper, two waiters, and the cook burned to death. Most of the remaining people are at the yamen. Go and look, you might find them!"
The rest of the people were thrown out, but the people in the wine house were not.
Song Chaoyu could only think of one possibility: before falling asleep last night, the shopkeeper and the others might have been drugged with sleeping pills or sleeping incense.
The reason why the arsonist did not harm innocent people was probably not out of conscience, but because they were afraid that harming too many people would lead to a thorough investigation by the authorities.
Now that only a few people in the wine house had died, the authorities would probably rule it as an "accident" and close the case perfunctorily, without causing further trouble.
This matter was done by Mu Hansu, which made it even clearer.
Was his purpose to warn the Crown Prince?
Or... he had already taken action. Doing so was to completely sever the Crown Prince's contact with Tanzhou City.
Song Chaoyu had a bad premonition. She whispered to Mu Changxi, "I'm afraid the situation in the capital is not good now!"
Mu Changxi also nodded: "Let's find Xiao Xing first, and then we'll set off for the capital immediately."
There were no more clues at the Moon Sun Wine House. Mu Changxi asked Dong Shuang and Tan Yue to take Cong Fei to find a place to settle down, while he and Song Chaoyu went to look for people.
Tan Yue was a little unhappy about this: "I want to find Xiao Xing too."
Mu Changxi patted Tan Yue's shoulder and then said in a low voice, "I'm afraid there are people from your master here now. Do you think you are safe walking around the city? You protect Dong Shuang and Cong Fei, and I promise, I will bring Xiao Xing back to you."
No matter how anxious Tan Yue was, he knew that what Mu Changxi said was right.
Seeing him hesitate, Song Chaoyu also stepped forward to persuade him kindly: "Don't worry, we will bring Xiao Xing back."
Only then did Tan Yue nod: "Then I'll wait for you at Yong'an Tea Shop by the North City gate. I know the shopkeeper there, it's a familiar place."
After speaking, he took Dong Shuang and Cong Fei towards the North City gate.
The North City gate was also the only way to the capital. It was good to gather there, so that after finding Tan Xing, they could quickly leave this troublesome place.
—
Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi walked towards the yamen gate. However, before they reached the yamen, they were suddenly startled by a figure that darted out!
"It's me!"
The person who darted out was none other than Tan Xing!
He was disguised as a little beggar. If he hadn't darted out on his own, it would have been impossible to notice him.
Seeing Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu, he pulled them aside: "You're finally here!"
Seeing him so lively, Song Chaoyu finally felt relieved and grabbed him: "Xiao Xing, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine!"
Tan Xing pulled Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu aside, then whispered, "But the shopkeeper and the others are dead. I saw someone lurking in the wine house last night, and this morning I found it was on fire. I went to knock on the shopkeeper's door, but he never woke up. I saw through the crack of the door that he seemed to have been murdered, and there was blood everywhere! So I ran out. I was afraid those people would see me talking to the shopkeeper and kill me too!"
Tan Xing's worries were naturally not unfounded.
Mu Changxi hugged him, not caring about his dirtiness: "It's okay. We found you, it's okay. Come, let's take you to see your brother!"
"That's great, is my brother with us too?"
Tan Xing was not scared by what he had experienced, but became even happier: "Are we going to the capital? Are we taking brother with us? And my father, are we going together?"
Mentioning Tan Ye, Song Chaoyu became a little sad again.
Mu Changxi patted Tan Xing's head and decided that Tan Ye's matter should be told to Tan Xing by Tan Yue.
Along the way, Tan Xing also recounted the situation of the past two days.
He arrived at the Moon Sun Wine House in Tanzhou City the afternoon before yesterday. Seeing the token given by Mu Changxi, the shopkeeper of the Moon Sun Wine House quickly accepted Tan Xing, bought him a new set of clothes, gave him a superior room, and fed him many good things.
"Mr. Han, Madam Han, don't worry!"
Tan Xing patted his chest confidently: "I saw with my own eyes yesterday that the shopkeeper sent out the message you sent. Although the shopkeeper is dead, the message should have been sent out."
Mu Changxi nodded. They walked to the tea shop, and fortunately, Tan Yue and the others were already waiting there.
Tan Yue had prepared everything, even changing the horses.
Seeing Tan Xing, the two of them embraced each other.
Cong Fei also became more energetic. He couldn't help but look at Mu Changxi's legs and finally had the chance to speak: "I haven't asked... what happened to you..."
Mu Changxi smiled: "I didn't intend to let you know, but now the situation is urgent, and I can't afford to worry about other things. Have you contacted your family? Do you want to go to the capital with us?"
Cong Fei took a sip of tea and then said to Mu Changxi, "I haven't contacted my family while traveling with you. You are going to the capital?"
Mu Changxi nodded: "Something big is likely to happen in the capital."
Cong Fei frowned: "It's related to Mu Hansu, isn't it? If you trust me, I can help you."
Mu Changxi stared at Cong Fei, seemingly hesitating in his heart.
"Waa—"
But at this moment, Tan Xing also learned about Tan Ye's situation and couldn't help but cry out: "Father... he stayed there? What should we do? We just reunited as a family!"
Seeing him crying inconsolably in Tan Yue's arms, Mu Changxi finally nodded to Cong Fei: "I trust you. We need manpower now, and we don't know what the situation is in the capital, so we can't delay!"
"Good!"
Cong Fei withdrew his gaze from Mu Changxi's legs: "You saved me, and I will repay you. We, the Cong family, always repay kindness!"