Chapter 189 Ah Jiu's Foolish Talk: Everything is Ready

Mei Family Success Money Shop

Guan Ye didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When she opened her eyes, the window paper reflected the dazzling fireworks. Guan Ye thought it was the furnace burning white flames again. Looking around at the unfamiliar furnishings and the soft, smooth bedding beneath her, which she could tell was made of the finest satin, Guan Ye knew she was sleeping in the Mei family's house. White flames? Where did these white flames come from? It was just her eyes playing tricks on her. Today was only the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the people of the city were still immersed in the joy of the New Year. However, this joy had nothing to do with Xingguo Ward.

Guan Ye also saw A-Jiu—no, it was Mu Chenbi—resting his head on his hand, leaning against the bed beam as if asleep, soft snoring coming from his nose. Seeing his elbow pressed against the corner of the blanket, Guan Ye held her breath, afraid to move too much. She peeked out and took a closer look at his brow bone. It was Mu Chenbi. Guan Ye felt a little disappointed. Where was A-Jiu right now? Was he looking for her… at the Mei family’s house? A-Jiu had never been to the Mei family’s house. If he couldn’t find her, he must be frantic.

Could Ajiu have already been implicated? He's still in the palace, has he already been imprisoned? Guan Ye shuddered as she thought about it. She pulled the blanket, and Mu Chenbi's elbow slipped, causing his forehead to hit the bed frame. He cried out in pain and gritted his teeth.

"Guan Ye, you're awake." Mu Chenbi didn't even have time to rub his forehead before rushing to see Guan Ye.

"What time is it?" Guan Ye looked out the window again at the fireworks shooting into the sky.

Mu Chenbi turned his head and glanced at him. "It's almost 7 PM. You've slept for several hours. You're finally awake."

Guan Ye threw off the covers and got up. Mu Chenbi quickly put a padded jacket on her. "This is the Mei family. Not to mention that the Three Departments haven't tracked us down here yet, even the Three Departments have to give the Mei family face. You're safe here."

As they were talking, the door suddenly opened, and the Mei siblings stepped in one after the other. Seeing that Guan Ye was awake, Mei Xiaojing took a few steps forward and took her arm. "You're finally awake. The Crown Prince has been watching over you without leaving your side. He won't even go to eat when we call him."

Guan Ye glanced at Mu Chenbi in surprise, but Mu Chenbi lowered his eyelashes and said, "I'm not hungry either."

Mei Shiyu sighed and said, "I just received news that a swordsman named Ji Fang has been arrested."

“Ji Fang,” Guan Ye’s palms were ice-cold, “he couldn’t escape either…”

“It’s quite a sad story.” Mei Shiyu shook his head repeatedly. “Guess how this person was captured. The Eagle Guards took him from the Inner Ward. He sneaked into the Inner Ward to seek refuge with Lou Cangyu, but Lou Cangyu handed him over to Cui Jin.”

Guan Ye's eyes reddened. Ji Fang had nowhere to go, and at the last moment, the only person he could think of was Lou Cangyu. He originally thought that although the blood oath was broken, there was still a bond of friendship from growing up together. Who knew that Lou Cangyu would even abandon his last bit of loyalty and hand over Ji Fang, just to kill him. Guan Ye knew that time was running out for Xingguo Fang.

“Ji Fang is Xiao Ma’s friend.” Mei Xiaoqing remembered this boy. He was hiding behind the stone lion, and somehow he was suddenly pushed in front of her. When he saw her, his face turned as red as a fruit, and he couldn’t even say a complete sentence. What bad intentions could such an innocent boy have? Why was he arrested?

"What should we do next?" Mei Shiyu asked Guan Ye.

Guan Ye stared at Mei Shiyu's bluish eyes, "Xiao Ma, where is he?"

Mei Shiyu did not look away. "Xiao Ma will not come back. What Xiao Ma can do, I can do too. With the full strength of the Mei family, I will only do better than him."

Guan Ye opened her tightly clenched palm and held up the last memory Mei Changfeng left for his daughter. Beneath the ancient bronze color, it seemed to still contain the bloodstains from that day. "The crossbow material was tampered with, and an excessive amount of brass was added to it, which is why it exploded on the first shot, leading to the defeat at Eagle Ridge. The truth about the Blood Crossbow Case lies here."

“Brass…” Mu Chenbi sighed, “The brass that the Ma family lost was mixed into the crossbows… This also explains why the Ma family only made one batch of fake copper coins. Three thousand crossbows would have been enough.”

"Now that we know, what's the point of having Xiao Ma come back?" Mei Xiaoqing couldn't help but ask, feeling uneasy.

Guan Ye glanced at the surprised or bewildered faces of the group. "The Ma family has been minting coins for many years and knows the importance of this matter. It concerns the lives of the entire family. How could Old Master Ma possibly transfer the minting materials recorded by the Salt and Iron Bureau to Tianhu Workshop, let alone tamper with the crossbows? Either he's gone mad, or..."

"What is it?" Mei Xiaojing's heart jumped into her throat.

“Someone made him do this, and it had to be someone he couldn’t refuse. He thought he could turn the tide and save everyone.” Mei Shiyu already had a rough idea of ​​what was going on.

"Does Xiao Ma know this person?" Mei Xiaoqing still didn't quite understand. "If he knows, he can just say so."

“Words are no proof,” Guan Ye said. “I suspect there’s something wrong with the crossbow. Without the fragments left by your father, how can we prove it, how can we clear our name?”

"Does Xiao Ma have any proof?" Mei Xiaojing recalled Xiao Ma. He had hidden the jade buckle that helped him recognize his cousin, and the fake copper coin that his father had hidden in the sole of his foot... Could there be something else he hadn't taken out? Xiao Ma had nothing of value, and Mei Xiaojing really couldn't think of anything else he had kept.

Guan Ye closed her eyes. On Canglang Island, they went to gather herbs for Ajiu. Xiao Ma said, "We probably won't be coming back after we leave. I still have some things I haven't taken. Perhaps... we should go back..."

Guan Ye remembered that at Pei Chong's old residence, Xiao Ma took a package and slung it across his chest, never letting it leave his side. Inside were three tinderboxes. Xiao Ma must have been saving them for a long time; there were definitely more than just tinderboxes in the package… When they arrived in Rongdu, Feng Shisan even teased him, asking if it contained gold, silver, or jewels, and why he had carried it with him the whole way…

Xiao Ma's bundle contained something more valuable than gold and silver. He had said that his family had been wronged, and he wanted to go back to Rongdu to seek justice, even if it meant stepping on fire pits and rolling on nail boards to beat the drum...

Yes, words are not enough. How can one beat the drum to seek justice with just words? Unless Xiao Ma has physical evidence from back then, enough to clear the Ma family's mint of injustice, he can't make such a big promise as beating the drum to seek justice.

The reason why Grandpa Ma was able to end this matter with one person's life was because he possessed this item, which he used to make a deal to protect his family. The item in Xiao Ma's bundle was the life-saving charm left by his grandfather.

But... Little Horse will never come back.

“This person…” Mu Chenbi had a feeling, but some questions remained unanswered. His father had led reinforcements to quell the rebellion, and during the Blood Crossbow incident, his father was just a hundred meters above Eagle Ridge. If it weren't for Mei Changfeng and the others fighting desperately, his father would likely have perished in that battle… His life was intertwined with everyone else's… Given that, why would he gamble with his own life? Winning would mean instant wealth and power, but losing… it would mean dying on the battlefield, his bones turning to dust…

Mu Chenbi remembered his father saying that he was the least favored son of the late emperor. He did not have the illustrious maternal family of his elder brother, nor the outstanding talent of his younger brother. He was the least noticeable among his brothers since childhood. If it weren't for his merit in suppressing the rebellion in Xiguan, perhaps... he would only have received a fiefdom that was extremely far away and lived a mediocre life.

But all of this changed because of his unparalleled achievement in suppressing the rebellion. He survived a near-death experience at Eagle's Ridge Pass, wiped out the rebel army, and returned to the capital in triumph. The people who lined the streets to welcome him stretched for dozens of miles, and even the elderly late emperor personally came out of the palace to greet him. The day after he returned to the capital, all the ministers submitted a petition to the late emperor requesting that he be made crown prince. None of his noble and capable brothers dared to challenge him. Recalling the glory of that time, his father's usually calm face trembled slightly with excitement. He had lived to his twenties without ever being truly seen by anyone until that day. Only then did he realize how wonderful it felt to be admired by thousands. He loved this glory to the extreme. It was a glory he had fought for with his life. His father said: This is what I deserve.

"These...are what Father Emperor deserves..." Mu Chenbi's heart was heavy, and he turned his back, afraid that others would see his thoughts.

"I have to go back to the palace," Mu Chenbi said with difficulty. "The situation changed drastically in a single day, and I need to know what exactly happened."

Guan Ye opened her mouth as if to say something, but Mu Chenbi had already guessed what she was thinking. He swept open his clothes and strode out without looking back.

Mei Xiaojing glanced at the door and clicked her tongue, "Guan Ye was perfectly fine when she woke up, what happened?"

Mei Shiyu looked at Guan Ye with deep eyes, his expression meaningful. “The Crown Prince said he was willing to be a witness for you and for the Five Great Palaces. He can say it, and he will definitely do it. But... he didn’t expect it would actually involve his father... They are father and son, and also ruler and subject. If they really have to fight, it will be more difficult for him than for you. Guan Ye... don’t blame him.”

“Even if he wants to quit, I won’t blame him.” Guan Ye clenched the crossbow fragments in her hand. “Without Xiao Ma, without him, even if I’m the only one left, I will go all the way.”

"Guan Ye." Mei Xiaojing jumped in front of her. "A-Jiu, who is that?"

"A-Jiu?" Guan Ye blushed. "How do you know A-Jiu?"

Mei Xiaojing covered her mouth and said, "When you were unconscious, you kept calling out 'A-Jiu, A-Jiu.' When you called A-Jiu, the Crown Prince actually responded. The Crown Prince even said, even said..."

"What did he say?"

Mei Xiaojing chuckled again, "He said he would be by your side and would never leave you."

"You're talking nonsense."

Mei Xiaojing became anxious. "I never talk nonsense. My cousin heard it too. Cousin, say something!"

Mei Shiyu didn't respond to the girl's words, his deep eyes still fixed on Guan Ye's pale face. "The Crown Prince has returned to the palace, and there's no new news from Xingguo Ward for the time being. You can stay at the Mei family home. With me here, no one can touch you."

Guan Ye shook her head, "I appreciate Young Master Mei's kindness, but the Mei family is like an ironclad fortress. I can hide for a while, but I can't hide forever..."

"So what if you hide for a lifetime?" Mei Xiaoqing said, one hand on her hip and the other pointing to the sky. "With my cousin's words, I can guarantee your safety for the rest of your life. This is what I, Mei Xiaoqing, promised you."

Looking at the childish girl's defiant and rebellious manner, Guan Ye wanted to laugh but couldn't. "You're just like Little Ma..."

"Like Little Horse?" Mei Xiaojing's eyes lit up. "Little Horse also said he would keep you safe, right?"

Guan Ye shook her head. "He said that once he clears the family's name, retrieves the silver stored in your house, and takes back the sealed ancestral home, he'll let Ajiu and me move into his house. We'll each have our own courtyard, and we'll live with him until we're old and happy. He'll take care of us for the rest of our lives..."

"Huh?" Mei Xiaoqing clicked her tongue in admiration. "He's definitely Xiao Ma. He has presence, courage, and the same spoiled brat look as his father."

Mei Shiyu coughed and said, "If you're not staying in the Mei family, what are your plans...?"

Guan Ye nodded slightly. She was already 70-80% sure, but to confirm it, she needed to find the key person involved and solve the mystery that had troubled her for so long.

“I know I shouldn’t ask you so much,” Mei Shiyu added, “I can see that the Crown Prince is worried about you. He won’t be able to find you when he returns to the Mei family… Perhaps you could stay here for a few days and wait for the Crown Prince to return so you can be together…”

"Thank you, Young Master Mei and Miss Mei." Guan Ye clasped her hands and bowed. "I will leave the Mei family first thing tomorrow morning."

Stepping into the courtyard, Mei Xiaojing couldn't help but ask, "Cousin, shouldn't Xiao Ma be arriving soon?"

"Hmm." Mei Shiyu calculated the days. "As long as there are no delays on the road, it should arrive in three to five days at most."

Mei Xiaojing clasped her hands together and said, "Amitabha, may God protect Xiao Ma and keep him safe and sound. Please don't let anything go wrong."

"After the first month of the lunar calendar, you should leave Rongdu as soon as possible." Mei Shiyu said firmly, "I will handle everything after that."

Mei Xiaoqing looked sorrowful, wanting to say something, but glancing at Mei Shiyu's unyielding gaze, she choked up and didn't say anything.

As soon as they left the Gongcheng Money Exchange, the sound of firecrackers crackling on the street leading to the palace never stopped. After the New Year's Eve reunion, many vendors on the West Street had already opened for business on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Their long, drawn-out cries echoed through the streets and alleys, attracting Mu Chenbi's attention.

Amidst the everyday hustle and bustle, a chilling sense of dread lurked beneath the surface, a sense of impending doom that only Mu Chenbi could perceive. Mu Chenbi's steps grew heavier; he didn't want to move forward, yet he was swept along and forced to continue.

The lights of Rongdu were reflected in the sky, making it as bright as day. With a loud "boom", the dazzling fireworks illuminated the entire night sky. Mu Chenbi stopped, raised his phoenix eyelashes, and stared at the blazing flames that shot into the sky. He suddenly wondered if the legendary white fireworks that burned to their extreme were even more breathtaking than the flames at this moment.

"A-Jiu".

Mu Chenbi stood there, stunned. He heard someone behind him calling his name—Ajiu.

"A-Jiu," the man called out again.

Mu Chenbi unconsciously tightened his grip on the sword. The voice was very familiar—was it him?! Cui Jin.

Cui Jin, dressed in a black robe, took a few steps closer. "A-Jiu, everything is ready."

Mu Chenbi dodged to the left, and with a piercing "bang," another firework streaked across the dark night sky. After a brief moment of brilliance, sparks scattered and fell to the ground.

Mu Chenbi did not respond to Cui Jin. He picked up Ajiu's sword, wiped it across Cui Jin's wide robe, and headed straight for the palace gate.

Just as Cui Jin was about to set off, he suddenly sensed something was amiss and abruptly turned to look for Ajiu. The streets were bustling with activity, cars and people were laughing and cheering. The man with the sword squeezed into the crowd, leaving Cui Jin with only a vague silhouette.

His gait, his posture… Cui Jin felt a chill run down her spine: It was him… So it was him?!

—Ah Jiu, everything is ready…everything is ready…

Cui Jin reached behind his back for the curved blade, and it turned out to be... Mu Chenbi.