Chapter 479: The Dark Moonlight Ex-wife of the Number One Scholar 47

In the front hall, the Third Prince's wife sat in the main seat. Her eyes fell on Yue Hongying. "You are the mother of Minister Han, right?"

Yue Hongying, who was sitting on the right, nodded nervously, her voice trembling, "Yes, yes, yes."

The Third Prince's wife's tone was filled with contempt. "I've heard everything about you. Your aunt has agreed to let you marry in, but the prerequisite is that your son Wang Fei is released."

Chen Xinran smiled and said, "I wonder what identity the Third Prince's wife means by entering the palace?"

The Third Prince's wife frowned slightly. "What is your mother's status? Letting her in as a concubine is already a gift to her. Could it be that she wants to be on equal footing with my aunt?"

After hearing what the Third Prince's wife said, Yue Hongying lowered her head, her eyes red. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Shen Xinran gently patted Yue Hongying's hand as a comfort, then she looked at the Third Prince's wife and said in a firm and clear voice, "My mother was born into a decent family and was married off to a legitimate wife. It's just that she met a man who was worse than an animal. There's no reason to make her go from being a wife to a concubine."

The Third Prince's wife's tone betrayed a hint of displeasure. "The greatest concession my aunt can make is to allow Minister Han to be included in the family tree as a bastard. I urge you not to be ungrateful."

Shen Xinran was almost laughing out of anger. Wang Baiwei made Yue Hongying a concubine and Han Ziwen a bastard. Was she sure she was asking for peace?

"I'm sorry, our family can't afford you." Shen Xinran said with a cold face.

The Third Prince's wife's expression also turned grim. "Are you sure your words represent Minister Han's intentions?"

The corners of Shen Xinran's lips rose slightly, "Of course." She still had this confidence.

The Third Prince's wife's expression was stern. She stood up and left, "Since that's the case, I won't try to persuade you any further. I hope you'll take care of yourself."

Shen Xinran also stood up, her voice calm and polite, "Goodbye."

When Han Ziwen returned home, Shen Xinran told him what happened during the day.

Yue Hongying looked at Han Ziwen, her voice filled with worry, "We've offended the Third Prince's wife. Will the Third Prince make things difficult for you?"

Han Ziwen shook his head and smiled faintly: "Mother, no matter how powerful the Third Prince is, he is still a prince. He will not surpass Your Majesty, so you can rest assured!"

After Shen Xinran and Han Ziwen returned to the room, they expressed their concerns, "I always feel that there will be a follow-up to this matter, you should be careful."

Han Ziwen nodded, "I understand."

In the middle of the night, Shen Xinran was immersed in a dream when he suddenly heard a rapid and panicked shout, "There's a fire! Put it out!"

The sound was like a thunder, breaking the quiet night sky.

Shen Xinran woke up instantly. She and Han Ziwen looked at each other, immediately stood up, quickly put on her coat, and ran towards the source of the sound.

When they arrived, the fire had been controlled by servants who arrived in time. The flames gradually went out, leaving only wisps of blue smoke lingering in the night sky.

The fire broke out on the side of the small garden close to the outer wall, only five meters away from the roses that Shen Xinran had carefully cultivated.

After being roasted by the flames, the once gorgeous roses have become wilted, the edges of the petals have been burnt black, and they have lost their former vitality.

Shen Xinran stood in front of the flower and sighed, "I finally managed to raise it so well, but I don't know if I can save it."

Han Ziwen walked slowly to the outer wall, reached out and gently touched the wall that was smoked and burned by fire. The stickiness from his fingertips made him frown slightly.

Shen Xinran noticed that something was wrong with Han Ziwen, so she walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

Han Ziwen replied in a low voice: "It's kerosene."

After a moment of silence, Shen Xinran turned to the servants around him and asked, "Who was the first to discover the fire?"

The doorman stepped forward, a hint of pride on his face. "When Lao Li and I were changing shifts, we heard a noise. We came over and saw the flames, so we quickly gathered some help to put out the fire."

Han Ziwen clenched his fists after hearing the doorman's words. If the doorman hadn't discovered the fire in time, the fire might have engulfed the entire mansion. His own safety didn't matter, but he absolutely couldn't accept others harming his family. This was his bottom line.

Shen Xinran nodded and smiled at the doorman, "You did a great job. I'll reward you with two taels of silver. Everyone else who participated in the firefighting will be rewarded with one tael of silver."

Smiles appeared on the faces of the doorman and servants.

After all the servants had left, Shen Xinran looked at Han Ziwen, "This doesn't seem like an accident, but more like a warning."

Han Ziwen's voice was calm but firm. "No matter who started the fire, it was aimed at me. If I don't do something, it would seem like I'm afraid of them."

Shen Xinran frowned and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Han Ziwen put his hands behind his back, with a hint of determination in his tone, "I'm going to go find the teacher. You should go to bed early. You don't have to wait for me."

Liu Wenbin stood in the candlelight, looking at Han Ziwen who had suddenly come to visit him. His expression was extremely serious. "You have to think carefully. Once this thing is taken out, you can no longer protect yourself."

Han Ziwen's face was solemn. "Teacher, don't worry. I understand the risks involved."

Liu Wenbin looked into Han Ziwen's eyes, and after a long silence, he slowly sighed, "Forget it, if you want to take it, just take it away!"

After saying that, he took down a wooden box from the bookshelf. Inside was a letter written in blood.

Ten years ago, the prince passed through Qingsong County and was unfortunately infected with an epidemic. Thousands of people in Qingsong County were also infected with the disease.

The plague spread through the city like a ghost, claiming countless lives.

The prince cared about the people and could not bear to see the epidemic continue to spread and cause greater disaster, so he made a tragic decision.

He led all the sick people in Qingsong County to burn themselves to death to prevent future troubles. This act became a legend at the time, and the prince's spirit of sacrifice was praised by the world.

However, when the magistrate of Qingsong County investigated the origin of the epidemic, he discovered that the epidemic was not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster.

Even the prince fell ill, but was infected in a carefully planned conspiracy.

The magistrate wanted to report the matter to the court, but his entire family was killed.

In his final moments, he left this letter in blood, hoping that one day the truth would be revealed to the world, for himself and for those innocent people who died.

Han Ziwen took the wooden box with a trembling hand. "Thank you, Master, for your guidance over the years. Once I leave this sect, my actions will no longer have anything to do with you."

Liu Wenbin waved his hand and said, "I just hope you can be careful."

Kou Wei was just about to go to bed when the doorman suddenly came to announce, "General Kou, Minister Han is here."

Kou Wei hurriedly put on his coat and walked quickly to the living room. "Why are you here so late? Is there something urgent?"

Han Ziwen's expression was serious. "I know you are investigating the truth behind the Crown Prince's death. I have something that can help you."

Kou Wei retracted the smile on his face, "Are you sure?"

Han Ziwen nodded, "Absolutely true."

Kou Wei took a deep breath and said, "Then come with me to the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Han Ziwen knew that the prime minister was the prince's grandfather, and Kou Wei's wife, who died in childbirth, was the prime minister's youngest daughter. This made the relationship between the two families extremely complex and deep.