Escorted by an officer, TanTan and XiaoRue made their way toward the courtroom.
Along the way, they happened to encounter another group being escorted by a different officer. It was Lady FengHuang, QingQing, and the bearded man.
All of them were surprised to see one another, especially Lady FengHuang, whose expression immediately darkened at the sight of TanTan.
She turned her face away in displeasure and tried to walk ahead, clearly unwilling to have anything to do with her.
"Wait!"
TanTan suddenly called out.
Everyone stopped and turned toward her in confusion.
Even XiaoRue couldn't help wondering.
What does XiaoJie want to do now?
A rather unpleasant scenario had already formed in Lady FengHuang's mind.
TanTan noticed that the officers still seemed to show considerable respect toward her, despite everything that had happened. Apparently, HuaMuTan's position as their Young Madam still carried some weight.
Taking advantage of this, she boldly addressed the officers.
"I'd like to speak with them for a moment."
The officers exchanged uncertain glances.
One of them finally gathered the courage to respond.
"But... Prince Li ordered us to take them to the courtroom immediately."
"It won't take long!"
TanTan's tone suddenly became firm and authoritative.
The officers hesitated for a moment before finally giving in. They stepped aside, allowing TanTan to approach the others.
Lady FengHuang was standing at the front of the group. Seeing TanTan coming toward her, she immediately assumed that she was the first target.
Perhaps HuaMuTan intended to slap her again?
Feeling the need to defend herself, Lady FengHuang quickly covered her face.
"Don't come any closer, HuaMuTan! I'm warning you!"
However, TanTan simply walked past her without even stopping.
Instead, she approached QingQing.
"Are you all right? I'm sorry for getting you into this mess, especially after you tried to help me earlier."
QingQing widened her eyes.
She hadn't expected HuaMuTan to show such a sincere and grateful attitude toward her.
A pleasant smile appeared on her face.
"I'm fine... but..."
She glanced worriedly at Lady FengHuang.
"My sister..."
This time, it was TanTan's turn to widen her eyes in surprise.
She immediately looked back and forth between QingQing and Lady FengHuang, carefully comparing their faces.
They weren't particularly alike, although there were still some similarities in their facial features.
What made them look so different was their choice of appearance.
QingQing preferred a much more casual and modest style, whereas Lady FengHuang was always dressed extravagantly, with every detail carefully arranged to emphasize her beauty.
TanTan gave QingQing a questioning look, pointing toward Lady FengHuang as if asking,
She's your sister?!
Understanding what TanTan meant, QingQing simply nodded.
TanTan immediately leaned closer and whispered,
"By the way... is she the person you mentioned before? The one who might be able to help me find some clues about the person I'm looking for?"
QingQing nodded again, but this time her expression turned regretful.
"Unfortunately, I didn't know you were HuaMuTan back then. So... I don't think my sister will be willing to help you now."
TanTan glanced at Lady FengHuang again.
Hmm... Can this woman really help me find the Silver Mask?
She wasn't entirely convinced, but she might as well give it a try.
Meanwhile, Lady FengHuang was becoming increasingly annoyed at being ignored.
She finally approached the two women with an irritated expression.
"HuaMuTan! What exactly are you whispering about with my younger sister?!"
TanTan turned toward her.
Although she personally disliked Lady FengHuang's unfriendly attitude, she believed there might still be something useful she could get from this woman.
Instead of getting angry, TanTan gave her a mischievous smirk.
"Calm down, Lady FengHuang. I'm not here to fight with you. I actually want to make a deal with you."
Lady FengHuang narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
"Well... I can't exactly announce it in front of everyone. Come closer."
TanTan lowered her voice and began explaining her proposal to Lady FengHuang and QingQing.
Her voice was so soft that even TaGou, who was standing right beside them, couldn't hear what they were discussing.
The officers watching from the front began to feel uneasy.
"Should we report this to Prince Li?" one of them whispered.
The other officer immediately shook his head.
"That wouldn't be wise, my friend. Don't you know what our Young Madam is like? If you interfere, you might end up in serious trouble."
"Ah... you're right."
Both officers recalled the stories they had heard about HuaMuTan.
One particular incident came to mind: an officer had once reported something unfavorable about her to Prince Li, only to end up being severely beaten and driven out of the city.
Neither of them wanted to suffer the same fate.
In the end, they decided to remain silent, hoping that keeping their mouths shut would help protect their jobs.
After TanTan finished explaining her proposal, she looked directly at Lady FengHuang.
"So... do we have a deal?"
Lady FengHuang seemed hesitant.
QingQing, however, gently urged her.
"It's not a bad deal, Feng Jie. Just accept it."
For some reason, Lady FengHuang still couldn't shake off her suspicions.
"Why do you want to make such a deal with me, HuaMuTan? You know perfectly well that I don't like you. And your proposal sounds rather strange..."
She studied TanTan's expression carefully.
"Are you really willing to do that to your own husband?"
TanTan let out a sigh.
"If this is about Prince Li, don't worry. I don't care about him anymore. Getting your help later is much more important to me."
She paused before adding,
"Besides, if you agree to this deal, I'll even give you an extra bonus. I promise I won't interfere with you and Prince Li anymore in the future..."
Lady FengHuang's eyes flickered.
"...As long as you also promise not to force him into anything inappropriate again."
Lady FengHuang's expression became even more complicated.
She still found HuaMuTan's sudden change of attitude rather suspicious, but the proposal itself was undeniably tempting.
TanTan didn't give her much time to think.
"Lady FengHuang, we don't have much time! Are we making this deal or not?"
"Fine! I'll accept it!"
Lady FengHuang finally agreed, pushing aside her doubts.
After all, it was a rather good bargain for her.
She simply wondered whether HuaMuTan would actually be able to fulfill her promise.
"All right! QingQing and..."
TanTan suddenly paused.
Only then did she remember that the bearded man was still standing beside them, seemingly trying to catch every word of their conversation.
"...And this man here can be our witness."
"TaGou. That's my name."
The bearded man suddenly introduced himself.
TanTan nodded.
"All right, TaGou. You and QingQing will be our witnesses. That way, neither of us can go back on our word later."
"Don't underestimate me, HuaMuTan!" Lady FengHuang immediately protested. "I, Lady FengHuang, always keep my promises, even when dealing with someone like you!"
"Hey! What about me?" TaGou suddenly interrupted. "Do I have to get involved in your deal too? What's in it for me?"
TanTan glanced at him.
Before she could come up with an answer, the officers began growing impatient. They had already allowed TanTan quite a long time to speak with the others, and Prince Li was probably waiting for them at the courtroom.
One of the officers politely approached.
"Young Madam, may we proceed now? We're afraid Prince Li has already been waiting for everyone."
"Just a moment!"
TanTan turned toward TaGou and lowered her voice.
"Don't worry. As long as you cooperate with us, you can get out of this mess too. Otherwise, you'll have to deal with the consequences of being involved in this case all by yourself. How about it?"
Actually, TanTan was taking a gamble herself.
From what she had observed, TaGou didn't seem like a bad person. He was simply a heavy drinker who had been unfortunate enough to get caught up in the whole mess.
Hopefully, he would be willing to cooperate.
However, TaGou didn't seem particularly worried.
"Well, I don't mind staying in jail. Besides, I haven't done anything wrong!"
TanTan was momentarily speechless.
Ah... He's got a point.
After all, TaGou was indeed more of a victim than a culprit. He could even become an important witness against Lady FengHuang.
She couldn't think of anything else to persuade him.
Fortunately, someone else stepped forward.
"Ah, please..."
Lady FengHuang suddenly approached TaGou, her expression transforming into one of helpless pleading.
"Handsome man, won't you be a hero for me just this once? I'll be so... so... so grateful!"
She deliberately leaned toward him, using her seductive charm and alluring figure to persuade him.
TaGou stared at her for a moment.
"I'M IN!"
He agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Apparently, he hadn't needed any convincing from the beginning. He was already completely captivated by Lady FengHuang's beauty.
Lady FengHuang immediately straightened up, wearing a victorious smile.
She walked past TanTan with an air of triumph.
"That's how you deal with men..."
TaGou promptly followed behind her, like a loyal puppy following its master.
TanTan could only stare at the two of them.
Seriously... Is this man really that easy to persuade?
QingQing covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
XiaoRue, meanwhile, was still struggling to understand what kind of deal her XiaoJie had just made.
With everything settled, TanTan and the others resumed walking toward the courtroom, escorted by the officers.