Chapter 143 Interception

"The person was murdered?" Everyone in the room gathered around the barbecue was stunned.

Shangguan Jin was also stunned.

She didn't realize what was happening until the meat on the iron plate was burnt.

I threw away the burnt meat on the iron plate, washed it again, and then put the meat back on.

At this moment, Hua Wanli also took off her big woolen coat and sat by the charcoal stove to warm herself by the fire.

"It's true! It happened at night. The assassin broke into the courtyard where the fifth young master was being held and slit his throat."

However, the assassin didn't escape either. After being shot in the leg, he bit down on the poison hidden behind his teeth and committed suicide," Hua Wanli said.

They looked at each other, but no one spoke.

The seventh prince was even more shocked.

That fifth young master is kept in the Crown Prince's villa, how dare those people?

"What... what's going on now? What's being said outside? Do they know who killed him?" Shen Qingyue asked hurriedly.

Hua Wanli pulled Shen Qingyue closer, making her sit next to her.

"What else can we do? The capital is under martial law, and they're searching everywhere for the assassin's accomplices."

The teahouse was almost in an uproar.

However, almost everyone believed that it was done by the Duke of Anguo's faction.

After all, news just broke yesterday that the fifth young master who filed the complaint revealed some things.

He also said that he hid the evidence in one place.

Once he recovers, he will take the Crown Prince's men to present the evidence.

"And then...this happened." Hua Wanli said calmly.

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Now that you mention it, it does seem like it was indeed done by the Duke of Anguo's faction.

Murder to silence them!

But Shangguan Jin still felt something was off.

"Have you done your homework today?" Shangguan Jin suddenly looked at the younger children.

Shen Qingming, Shen Qingrui, and Shen Qingyu had already pricked up their ears...

After letting Lin's mother take the children away, Shangguan Jin looked at Hua Wanli.

"Did they find anything belonging to the Duke of Anguo on the assassin?"

“No! There’s nothing there, nothing at all that can confirm my identity,” Hua Wanli said.

"So those people outside are pointing their fingers at Duke Anguo?" Shangguan Jin asked.

Hua Wanli nodded.

"Yes! That's it. They all just rely on their words and their own imaginations to conclude that it was Duke Anguo's side that did it."

Shen Qingyue listened to her mother and Hua Wanli's words, and then glanced at the Seventh Prince, who still looked shocked.

"Mother, do you mean that the Fifth Young Master wasn't killed by the Duke of Anguo's men?"

Shangguan Jin didn't say anything, but walked to the window of the room and looked out.

The two secret guards protecting the Seventh Prince have now become open guards.

The two were warming themselves by a fire in a small pavilion not far from the house, where a leg of lamb was roasting...

"The Duke of Anguo has no reason to kill anyone."

If we're talking about killing to silence someone, it should have happened before the Fifth Young Master filed his complaint, or before the Crown Prince even had a chance to contact the Fifth Young Master.

The interrogation has been going on for several days now.

Only after everyone has vomited up what they needed to vomit should you start taking action.

"Isn't that a bit redundant?" Shangguan Jin said.

After thinking for a moment, the seventh prince finally asked his question.

"Perhaps they are really afraid that the Crown Prince will find out something!"

Or perhaps they're afraid that the Fifth Young Master will bring his brother, the Crown Prince's men, to obtain some crucial evidence?

Shangguan Jin did not answer the Seventh Prince's question directly, but looked at Shen Qingyue instead.

“Sister Yao, please explain this to His Highness.”

After a moment's thought, Shen Qingyue understood where the problem lay.

"Your Highness, think about it. If it were you, upon learning of such crucial evidence, would you spread the news so widely before you had it in your hands?"

Shouldn't we have secretly obtained the evidence first?

"Should we bring it out at the most appropriate and crucial moment?" Shen Qingyue asked.

The seventh prince immediately understood.

Yes, if it were me, how could I possibly leak the information before I even had any evidence?

Looking back now, it all seems so forced, as if it were deliberately done for show.

To be precise, it was like a poorly written, flawed play...

"But... why would my Crown Prince do this?"

If a witness gets into trouble while he's in charge, he'll still have to bear the responsibility.

In this way, what was originally in his favor has now turned into a passive situation for him.

"He... he can't be that stupid, can he?" The Seventh Prince still didn't believe it.

Shangguan Jin thought about it and realized, "Yes, why would the Crown Prince make such a foolish move, unless..."

"It seems that the Fifth Young Master did not provide specific evidence."

The crown prince did not achieve his desired goal.

Since there was no evidence, the Crown Prince's side was thinking of fabricating evidence themselves.

In the current situation, the best evidence would be one that proves the murder was committed to cover it up.

In any case, at least from the perspective of others, they could certainly force the blame onto someone on the side of Duke Anguo.

However, the crown prince came up with the most foolish idea.

Or rather, this foolish move wasn't conceived by the crown prince, but by his advisors.

However, it wasn't the worst move.

At least they didn't think to put any obvious identification marks on the assassin.

In retrospect, it wasn't the worst tactic after all.

However, it now appears that the disadvantages that originally belonged to Duke Anguo have been gradually balanced out.

I reckon that even Prime Minister Xu probably only just found out about how things have turned out.

However, the next pair to clash should be Prime Minister Xu and Duke Anguo.

"It's really hard to say who will come out on top in the end!" Shangguan Jin analyzed.

Shen Qingyue and the Seventh Prince both agreed that it made sense.

Hua Wanli looked at Shangguan Jin with an expression of adoration.

Sure enough, the Duchess of Dingguo was clever and figured it out right away.

Unlike the guys in the teahouse, who all seemed to have witnessed firsthand how Duke Anguo arranged the assassins.

And how did the assassin manage to slit the Fifth Young Master's throat with a single blow, even witnessing how high the blood splattered...?

"This matter... Father will most likely find out about it too, but as for who he'll believe, it's hard to say." The Seventh Prince shook his head.

Shangguan Jin smiled.

Your father will of course know.

As for whom to believe?

Haha, it's not about who to believe! It's about who he needs to believe! Whom does he want to believe?

"However, Prime Minister Xu should be able to make amends!"

The current situation is unfavorable to Prime Minister Xu and the Crown Prince.

"To refute this foolish move, Prime Minister Xu must do something," Shangguan Jin concluded.

Hua Wanli immediately clapped her hands.

"Madam Shen is too clever; she guessed it all!"

Dongmai and Aunt Xin, who had always been relegated to the background...

Dongmai simply looked at Shangguan Jin with admiration.

My young lady is indeed the smartest.

Aunt Xin also looked on with admiration.

As expected of the lady, she is too clever; she can even know what someone like the prime minister is going to do.

She must cling to the lady's coattails from now on, so she won't be sold off...

Ignoring everyone else, Hua Wanli walked straight to Shangguan Jin's ear and whispered a few words in her ear.

Shangguan Jin's face immediately showed a look of shock...