Chapter 50 Evidence, Twenty-One!
Chapter 50
The coachman abruptly pulled on the reins, and in the dimly lit street, a drab, unassuming carriage swayed before finally coming to a stop. Guards drew their swords and surrounded the carriage, staring warily ahead.
Someone's blocking the car ahead!
Although there were only two women, in these turbulent times, caution was paramount. Jiang You's attendant jumped off the carriage, raised a lantern, and illuminated the way ahead.
Sitting upright, Jiang You frowned. Who would dare to stop his car?
Outside the carriage, the woman called out again, "Prime Minister Jiang, I have urgent business to discuss with you. It concerns the life and death of the Great Liang Dynasty. I hope you will grant me your request."
His voice was clear and resolute. A hood covered half his face, and he carried a lantern in his hand, appearing harmless. Only a woman in black stood beside him, holding a knife in her arms, her eyes sharp, and her whole body exuding murderous intent.
Jiang You suddenly threw back the bluish-gray curtain and looked at the people outside. One was sitting and the other was standing, one was up and the other was down. The two people looked at each other in the faint morning light from a distance.
After a long pause, Jiang You finally spoke, asking, "Who are you?"
Upon hearing this, the woman carrying the lantern smiled slightly: "Ye Xiren is the daughter of Ye Pei, the Minister of Revenue."
Jiang You's pupils contracted.
Is it her?
After a moment's hesitation, remembering the phrase "the life and death of the Great Liang," he immediately lowered the carriage curtain, and his voice came from inside: "Let her up."
Ye Xiren led Yan Shuang over, and just as they were about to get into the carriage, Jiang You's attendant reached out to stop Yan Shuang. His gaze lingered on the knife, his eyes filled with displeasure, and he gave a warning:
"This young lady cannot go in."
Ye Xiwen is quiet and refined, and doesn't seem to know any martial arts, so she can't hurt them. But Yan Shuang's sharpness is undeniable; one look and you know she's a master. She's also carrying a large knife. How could Jiang You's men let her in? What if it's an assassination attempt? How could they stop them?
Yan Shuang's face immediately darkened.
Ye Xiren patted the back of her hand and lowered her voice to comfort her, "Wait for me outside." This time, she's not here to kill anyone.
Afterwards, she leaned on Yan Shuang's arm and boarded the carriage alone. Yan Shuang silently jumped onto the carriage shaft, hugged her knife, leaned against the carriage wall, and pricked up her ears to listen to the sounds inside. Since General Yan had entrusted Miss Ye's safety to her, she would protect her well.
Beside her, Jiang You's guards kept a close eye on her, their hands on their knives, ready to strike at any moment.
Outside, undercurrents surged, but inside the car, all was calm.
Jiang You asked in confusion, "What does Miss Ye want to say?"
Jiang You might not care about anyone else, but this was the person Chi Zhanlan Ce had explicitly asked to marry yesterday. Yan Danqing had disappeared for a while after leaving Dali Temple, which seemed to be related to this girl.
He couldn't help but pay more attention to this person who was deeply involved.
Jiang You's gaze swept over her, his murky eyes scrutinizing her. His sharp eyes seemed to see through everything, and the oppressive aura emanating from him made people afraid to act rashly. If it were the Ye Xiren of the past, she would probably have been intimidated before she even spoke.
But Ye Xiren now...
“Zhang Yuanmou betrayed you. He had already secretly allied with Chizhan Lance. The theft of military supplies was done by him and Chizhan Lance together.”
Jiang You's pupils contracted.
at the same time.
In the dark street, a carriage was speeding along towards the Northern Yan embassy. The lantern on the carriage bore the character "Zhang" and swayed in the wind. It was none other than Zhang Yuanmou, the Vice Minister of State Affairs.
The carriage sped along, and inside, Zhang Yuanmou closed his eyes, feigning sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of the political situation at court and when his goal would be achieved…
A red-tasseled spear suddenly stuck in front of the horse's hoof. The horse was startled and neighed, raising its hooves high. The carriage swayed and almost overturned, and the surrounding guards panicked and cried out in alarm.
"Who goes there?!" someone shouted from outside.
Zhang Yuanmou opened his eyes, angrily pushed open the car door, and saw several shadows rushing towards them. Swords clashed, and the guards were all entangled. Directly in front, a black and red shadow approached, pulled out a long spear from the ground, and walked towards him.
"Yan Danqing?!"
On the bus
"Impossible!" Anger flashed in Jiang You's eyes, his breathing became rapid, and his nostrils flared. "Nonsense! Councilor Zhang is a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court. We have been friends for many years. How dare you slander him?"
He raised his hand, about to order his men to seize the woman spouting nonsense in front of him, while the tension between Yan Shuang and her entourage outside grew even more palpable.
Ye Xiren didn't care at all when she heard this, and just sneered: "You still think of him as a confidant and close friend? I'm afraid you didn't expect that he has always been thinking about the young emperor and hates you and the emperor to the bone."
She didn't have a good impression of Jiang You or the Emperor, but compared to them, she hated the "loyal minister" who dragged Da Liang to his death even more right now.
Jiang You's pupils contracted.
The next moment, his gaze towards Ye Xiren became extremely wary. His hands clenched tightly, his thick nails digging into his palms, veins bulging, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Why did she say that? Did she... find out something?
How is that possible?!
Besides her, is there anyone else who knows?
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Thinking back to what she had just said, Zhang Yuanmou, the little emperor... Jiang You was in a state of utter confusion. His gaze at Ye Xiren became increasingly sharp, but in the end, he did not allow his attendants to take her down.
"Never mind how I know. Instead of wasting time on me, you should think of a way to deal with Northern Yan."
Ye Xiren met his gaze without flinching:
“It is a fact that Zhang Yuanmou colluded with Chizhan Lance, and you can investigate that yourself. But you must also think about this: since the Northern Yan people knew that the Huai'an Canal was short of food, why did they not say a word about it? Did Chizhan Lance really come to the Southern Capital for peace talks?”
Jiang You will surely figure these things out, after all, he analyzed them himself before.
“He offered genuine terms for peace talks yesterday,” Jiang You retorted, his eyes darkening. The two sat at opposite ends of the carriage, seemingly clinging to two opposing views, clearly divided into camps.
Ye Xiren shook her head, her smile growing increasingly mocking:
"It's just what you think is a genuine peace talk. Otherwise, how do you explain colluding with Zhang Yuanmou? Why did Chizhan Lanze open a road out of the capital in advance? Do you know that from the Southern Capital Palace all the way to the city gate, and even the Hushui River ferry, dozens of officials have been bribed by Chizhan Lanze, just waiting for Yan Danqing to die so that his head can be sent out of the Southern Capital and sent to the Huai'an Canal? Guess what they're going to do?"
Jiang You's breath hitched. He was a smart man, and he instantly grasped the key point. Almost instinctively, he leaned forward, incredulous: "How is this possible?!"
He wanted to ask if it was true, and also how he knew.
If she wasn't lying at this moment...
Jiang You was terrified, his heart filled with fear, and he felt dizzy.
Ye Xiren looked at him and said, word by word, "Minister of Rites, Li Renyi, during the time he was receiving Chi Zhanlan Ce, helped him connect with officials in the court, acted as a messenger, and created a passage."
The Li family.
Li Renyi was about to leave. He was the person in charge of receiving Chi Zhanlan Ce. Logically, he should have gone to visit the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, who was seriously injured in Nandu, today. However, firstly, the Crown Prince of Northern Yan did not pursue the matter, and secondly... the debate in the court about whether to execute Yan Danqing had not yet reached a conclusion.
His Majesty seems reluctant. Rather than guarding the Crown Prince of Northern Yan, we need to persuade His Majesty again for that prince to be more satisfied.
He will be safe only if the Northern Yan invades the Southern Capital in the future. If His Highness is satisfied, the promised title of king and prime minister will be a given.
As he pondered this, he prepared to board the carriage.
"Bang!"
Someone jumped off the roof.
Before anyone around him could cry out, several figures darted out from behind and covered their mouths. Li Renyi stared blankly at the people in front of him, his legs instinctively going weak, and he stammered:
"Young General Yan..."
Yan Danqing raised his hand, and Li Renyi felt everything go black before his eyes, and then lost consciousness.
On the carriage
Ignoring Jiang You's frightened gaze, Ye Xiren continued reading the next name from the roster:
“Miao Qin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, seems to have done nothing, but he is the one who arranged for the spies who appeared in various important positions.”
Yunxiangyuan
The door was kicked open.
"What are you doing?" Miao Qin, who was sleeping soundly in bed with a beauty in his arms, opened his eyes groggily. Before he could see the person in front of him clearly, he heard the beauty beside him scream.
This beauty was a gift from Prince Lan Ce. Compared to the Great Liang, which was defeated and fled to the Southern Capital, the Northern Yan was truly wealthy, and the prince was even more generous, sending money and beauties he could not obtain in a steady stream into his residence...
The thought flashed through his mind, and then he lost consciousness.
Yan Danqing dragged the person down with a cold face and gestured for the person beside him to take him away.
On the carriage
Jiang You opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Ye Xiren smiled slightly: "Hou Quan of the Imperial City Guard and Chu Guangyi of the Court of Judicial Review will lead people to move the corpse and deliver Yan Danqing to the Northern Yan people."
As dawn broke, the streets of Nandu City gradually came alive with people. Hou Quan yawned as he walked towards the Imperial City Guard, thinking about how his old superior, Lu Qian, had it tough; even now, no one cared for his body…
Unfortunately, it seems that the higher-ups already know that Lu Qian is from Northern Yan. Even though he is grateful for the favor, he dares not act rashly for fear of exposing himself.
Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly bumped into someone who came out from around the corner.
Hou Quan frowned, and before he could even finish his fierce rebuke, he saw the familiar face of the person. With fear, his body went limp and he slowly collapsed.
A few more people walked through the market, and a woman carrying a load on a shoulder pole stopped in her tracks as she passed a horse-drawn carriage.
Inside the low-grade carriage, rare and expensive items from the Southern Capital were shattered on the ground. The coachman lay on the ground, his life hanging in the air. One of the lanterns hanging in front of the carriage was gone, leaving only one swaying forlornly, with the character "Chu" clearly visible on it.
Then the lights went out.
On the bus
"Aren't you surprised?" Ye Xiren's smile didn't reach her eyes, and she was suppressing a hint of anger. "It's not just that. Chizhan Lance was well prepared. Fan Huan of the Palace Guard opened the city gates wide, and Wang Chuo of the Patrol Inspectorate immediately transferred all the patrols, allowing the people of Northern Yan to leave without any hindrance."
Fan Huan stared wide-eyed in terror, his legs unable to move. However, the person behind him dragged him into the alley, and his outstretched hand eventually became powerless.
Has it been exposed?
However, His Highness Lan Ce clearly said that he would only have to do one thing: when the Southern Capital fell, his family would leave safely and would never be exposed!
Wang Chuo was directing several of his subordinates. He was power-hungry but not very capable. At his age, he had reached a point where he could no longer climb any higher, and he could only command a handful of people.
He envied Ying Changping the most. How wonderful it would be if he could command the Imperial Guards and have access to the palace.
However, as they were talking, there was suddenly no sound behind them.
Wang Chuo turned around in confusion.
The next moment, his body fell straight to the ground, his eyes closed, unconscious, and he didn't even see the person who attacked him!
...
Southern Metropolis is very large and densely populated.
A dozen or so people disappeared without a sound, and for the time being, no one noticed or cared.
One name after another came out of Ye Xi's mouth, not just names, but also what this person would do on the "passage road". Her dark eyes seemed to be spitting fire, and she spoke with reason and evidence, as if they had all really happened and were beyond doubt.
So clear!
It was so clear to him that he even instinctively believed what these officials could do in their positions, and what they could do to help the Northern Yan people leave... everything matched up perfectly.
If Chi Zhanlan Ce really bribed them, Yan Danqing's body could be sent out of the city as quickly as possible after his death, with people escorting him all the way. By the time they realized what was happening, they would be too late to catch up!
It took Jiang You a long time to find his voice before he spoke with difficulty: "Words are no proof, where is the evidence?"
Ye Xiren reached out and lifted the carriage curtain; it was already bright outside.
She looked away again, completely calm: "Evidence? Of course there is. Judging by the time, he should have already taken care of it. You can come with me and see for yourself."
Jiang You looked at her.
Then, the carriage turned around and headed towards the familiar dilapidated courtyard, stopping at the entrance.
Yan Shuang jumped off the carriage first, extended her hand, and Ye Xiren smiled at her without saying anything. She took Yan Shuang's hand and skillfully jumped off the carriage and walked into the courtyard.
Jiang You paused, seemingly hesitant.
His attendant lowered his voice and reminded him, "Prime Minister Jiang, we should still be careful. Perhaps I should go in and check on her? This woman's background is unknown..."
Jiang You shook his head and followed.
He hesitated simply because the place looked so familiar, as if he had been here more than once before. It was really strange; how could he have been here before?
Upon entering the courtyard, faint groans could be heard, as if someone's mouth was gagged and they couldn't even make a sound. Hearing the noise, a person came out of the wide-open, dilapidated house.
His hair was tied up, his tall and well-proportioned figure was like a pine tree, his black and red outfit was tight, revealing his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He walked out slowly and deliberately, the knife in his hand still stained with blood. His gaze was calm as he wiped the blood off his sleeve and then smoothly slid the knife into the scabbard at his waist.
Looking up at Ye Xiren and Jiang You, Yan Danqing nodded: "They've arrived."
Beside him, Ye Xiren gave him a push, quite impatiently: "Lord Jiang, stop talking nonsense and hurry up and ask. Do you think there's still plenty of time?"
She felt that ever since she entered this cycle and started interacting with these people, all the traditional virtues of "respecting the elderly and caring for the young" that she possessed had vanished...
I just can't stand it!
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Author's note: Xixi: Waaah, I've gone bad and stopped respecting the elderly and caring for the young.
Egg white: ...No, they deserve it!
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