Chapter 188 Visiting Sang Yu

Honglan, holding the thin needle, walked step by step toward the two of them.

The old farmer struggled on the shelf for a moment, his trouser legs instantly soaked with urine, and he spoke in a tearful voice:

"Your Honor, spare me! Your Excellency, spare me! I truly know nothing! That group of people only arrived a few days ago. They were very generous, renting a small, vacant room, saying... that they were waiting for a signal from a nobleman in the capital to act..."

The peasant woman eagerly answered:

“Yes, yes, yes! They’re so secretive, they don’t go out much! Just yesterday, when I was bringing them food, I vaguely heard someone inside say in a low voice… said, ‘Empress Zhao ordered that this time we must… we must succeed, we can’t fail again…’ and also said… something about ‘The Three Halberd Guards have been dormant for many years, and this time they must not disgrace their former glory’… I really didn’t hear anything else!”

Shen Yiqiu lowered her voice and spoke in his ear:

"The Lady Zhao they're talking about... could it be Consort Zhao, or the reclusive Imperial Noble Consort Zhao Ke'er?"

Xiao Yongjing spoke almost without thinking:

"Zhao Ke'er's seniority is too high. People outside the palace, especially these lowly farmers, should not address her as 'Your Highness.' It is more likely that it refers to Zhao Jieyu, who currently holds a position in the palace. It seems that she is undoubtedly Zhao Ke'er's public representative."

He frowned slightly, looking into Shen Yiqiu's eyes:

“The Trident Guard… I wasn’t sure before. Before my father ascended the throne, he quelled the rebellion of the princes. Under your grandmother, the Marquis of Yongjia, besides the main Shen family army, there were several subordinate elite forces at your disposal. One of them was known as the Trident Guard. They were brave in battle and especially skilled in surprise attacks and assassinations.”

"Now it seems very likely that it is the same one."

Shen Yiqiu suddenly realized that she had heard about this before, but she knew the details as well as Xiao Yongjing.

"After Father Emperor ascended the throne, the country was initially settled. In order to centralize military power, most of these subordinate elite troops were disbanded. Due to their special nature, the Three Halberd Guards were placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War for a period of time."

"But later... it is said that they were involved in a murky corruption case and were completely disbanded, with their staff scattered. Unexpectedly, they ended up in Zhao Ke'er's hands and became her subordinates."

Chen Yiqiu's interface:

"In that case, it all makes sense. Zhao Ke'er used her father, Left Chancellor Zhao Wude's, network of connections to recruit this Three Halberd Guard, who harbored resentment towards the court. Then, through Consort Zhao, who was a palace concubine, she mobilized them to carry out their missions. Assassination, silencing, framing... she made the best use of them."

Just as the two were discussing, the old farmer seemed to remember something and hurriedly spoke up:

"Oh, and one more thing! They also seemed to have mentioned something, saying something like... 'Regarding Shen Runian, the things that Song Qingming presented were very satisfactory to Her Majesty'..."

"And...and I also heard them laughing...saying that the palace's 'baby-switching' trick was brilliant, but alas...alas, a raccoon is still a raccoon..."

"Besides that, we really don't know anything. How dare we lowly servants pry into the affairs of noble people? We beg you, sir, to investigate thoroughly!"

Xiao Yongjing looked solemn. Seeing that the two seemed to be telling the truth, he gestured for Honglan to step down.

"Song Qingming has been working for Consort Zhao all along. He must have provided Consort Zhao with the false testimony of her maternal uncle Shen Runian and the matter of her mother's child outside the palace."

"But after this incident, Zhao Jieyu will surely be more vigilant, and it will be extremely difficult to get information out of her directly."

"The only way now is to make her feel that she has been abandoned by Zhao Ke'er and is in imminent danger. Only then will she be willing to do something hypocritical in order to protect herself and reveal some of the truth."

Shen Yiqiu nodded in agreement:

"We need to consider Zhao Jieyu's situation more carefully. Right now, however, there's a ready-made breakthrough..."

A figure suddenly appeared in her mind, and she smiled.

“That old nanny is no ordinary person; her identity is shrouded in mystery. Even His Highness finds her familiar. We can start with her. Song Sangyu is currently bedridden after a miscarriage, and her mental and physical health is severely damaged. This is the perfect opportunity to extract information from her.”

Xiao Yongjing tilted his head slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes:

"You want to go..."

"She has just lost her beloved son, and her emotions are bound to be unstable. There may be danger."

Shen Yiqiu shook her head:

"That old woman only took Prince Fu away in the crisis, so the two must have a close relationship. She doesn't care about the life or death of the Song family. She must know about this, so we can only start with her."

"Then I'll go with you?"

Shen Yiqiu smiled and refused:

“Your Highness, you yourself said that she has just lost her beloved son. As a person of your noble status, it is against etiquette for you to personally visit the concubine of a subject. If word gets out, it will alert the enemy.”

“It’s most appropriate for me to go. After all, I’m her older sister, so it’s only natural for me to visit her. With Bai Mei and Qing Zhu by my side, I won’t be in any danger.”

Xiao Yongjing knew that once she made a decision, she wouldn't easily change it.

After a moment of silence, he finally compromised and gave the following advice:

"Be extremely careful. I have Honglan Moyu provide cover from the shadows. If there are any unusual movements, prioritize your own safety."

Shen Yiqiu nodded, said no more, and turned to take Bai Mei and Qing Zhu to inquire about the courtyard where Song Sangyu was recuperating.

Shen Yiqiu carried the calming soup to a secluded courtyard in the suburbs.

To her surprise, Song Sangyu was recuperating not in the Earl's mansion's villa, but in a farm far away from her.

Several guards with wary eyes stood watch in the shadows; it was less a case of recuperation and more a case of house arrest.

Before Shen Yiqiu even reached the door, a guard stepped forward and asked:

Who goes there?

They drew their swords and held them to their chests, their faces expressionless.

Bai Mei snorted coldly, stepped forward, and smiled:

"Open your dog eyes and look carefully. Standing before you is the Marquis of Yongjia, appointed by His Majesty."

The guard noticed the token at Shen Yiqiu's waist and wisely stepped aside, while another guard spoke up to explain:

"So it's you, Lord Marquis. I'm so sorry for the offense. The main problem is that the young master's wife has been traumatized and is not in her right mind. The young master instructed us to take good care of her. I apologize for offending you, Lord Marquis."

Shen Yiqiu waved her hand, and the others tactfully withdrew.

As soon as they approached the door, they heard the sound of porcelain shattering, followed by Song Sangyu's hoarse shouts.

"Let me out, you dog slaves! How dare you lock me up in this godforsaken place?"

"I want to see the Crown Prince! I want to see Brother Langxing! Can't you hear me?"

"I am Fu Langxing's lawfully wedded concubine! What right do you have to lock me up? What right do you have...!"

"Get out! All of you get out! Make him come see me, he can't treat me like this... he can't..."

Shen Yiqiu gave a cold laugh and winked at Bai Mei. Bai Mei stepped forward and pushed open the door without any politeness.

The room was shabby, with only basic furniture. Broken porcelain bowls were scattered haphazardly on the floor, and the dark medicine had not been cleaned up. The air was filled with the smell of medicine mixed with the stench of blood, making one want to vomit.