Chapter 533 The Truth of That Year
Fifteen minutes later, Qiao Qinghe met the weary-looking Earl Enping in the main hall of the courtyard.
Looking at Yan Jin, who was still dressed in armor, Qiao Qinghe couldn't help but mutter, "Why didn't you wash up and change into something lighter? I feel exhausted just looking at you like this."
Qiao Qinghe spoke these words calmly, as if it were a simple joke. But Yan Jin sensed a hint of concern in them.
He subconsciously curled the corners of his mouth slightly. "It's alright, I'm used to it."
"I requested to see my grandmother late at night, disturbing her peaceful sleep. Please forgive me."
Qiao Qinghe waved her hand, "Let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point."
"You should already know about Uncle Wu's disappearance and Rongrong being threatened, right?"
He nodded solemnly.
In the afternoon, he was training his soldiers when a soldier reported that someone from the Marquis's mansion in the capital had come and said that Su Rongrong's old steward, Uncle Wu, had gone missing. At the time, he didn't take it seriously.
Then, an hour later, someone from the capital came again to report the matter. This person was again from the Qiao family in the southern part of the city.
He then took it to heart and was thinking of sending someone back to the capital to investigate the matter.
As a result, before the people who made the arrangements could even set off, a third group of people from the capital arrived.
This time, the messenger not only delivered a message but also brought a handwritten letter from Qiao Qinghe.
Just in case, Qiao Qinghe's letter did not explicitly state the matter, but it still subtly mentioned what happened back then.
Yan Jin was startled and broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly arranged the affairs of the military camp and, with a few trusted confidants, rushed back to the capital.
"Grandmother mentioned what happened back then in her letter..." Yan Jin hesitated before speaking, "Was it Grandmother's conjecture? Or did the other side actually find some evidence?"
Qiao Qinghe glanced at Yan Jin and only answered the last question, "I don't know if the other party has found any evidence."
He then took out the threatening letter that Su Rongrong had received and handed it to him, saying, "Take a look for yourself."
Yan Jin took the letter, skimmed through it, and then carefully read the key parts. After finishing, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Nevertheless, he restrained himself from tearing up the letter, instead folding it neatly and handing it back to Qiao Qinghe intact.
"Grandmother must have had her suspicions about this for a while now, right?"
Yan Jin said with difficulty, "Perhaps, Grandmother already guessed the truth back when Uncle Wu confronted the servant beside me?"
Qiao Qinghe sighed and said with a hint of regret, "I said back then that I don't care about the truth and I won't interfere. I just hope you can treat Rongrong well."
"For Rongrong, living a happy life with you in a daze is far better than learning the truth and hating you for the rest of her life."
"So, before Rongrong gets suspicious, let's find Uncle Wu as soon as possible and resolve this matter."
"Thank you, Grandmother!" Yan Jin's words of thanks were sincere.
Not wanting to dwell on irrelevant matters, Qiao Qinghe got to the point, saying, "You should be able to guess who's behind this letter, right?"
Yan Jin composed himself and nodded, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, it should be someone from the Shun'an Prince's Mansion. As for whether it was the Shun'an Prince's doing, or Feng Yudie's doing, or perhaps..."
He suppressed his suspicions and ultimately didn't voice his final guess.
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Just ask around."
Qiao Qinghe had guessed Yan Jin's assumption, but she asked with some concern, "What are you planning to do? Do you need my cooperation in anything?"
Yan Jin shook his head, then smiled slightly at Qiao Qinghe, "I will handle things myself. However, please take good care of Rongrong for me, Grandmother. Don't let her know... the truth about what happened back then."
Qiao Qinghe nodded, "You can rest assured about that. I've already made arrangements and I won't let outsiders get close to her easily."
Yan Jin gratefully said "thank you" before continuing, "I always act according to my own will, and there may be some impropriety in what I do next."
"If I am convicted because of this, please take good care of Rongrong for me, Grandmother."
"What are you going to do!?" Qiao Qinghe was startled. Why did it sound like she was making her final arrangements?
"We can take things slowly, but don't do anything foolish!"
Yan Jin smiled, his heavy tone softening, "What are you thinking, Grandmother? This is the capital, right under the Emperor's nose. Do you think I would wipe out the entire Shun'an Prince's Mansion?"
Qiao Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief. That's true. This isn't Enping County, far from the reach of the emperor. Being meticulous means that even when doing something outrageous, one must still have some reservations.
The two talked for a while longer before Yan Jin took his leave.
Qiao Qinghe sat alone for a while longer. When she lay back down on the bed, she heard the gatekeeper come to report that the Earl of Enping had left the mansion with several of his trusted confidants who had come back with him.
Qiao Qinghe didn't know what Yan Jin was going to do, but she felt inexplicably uneasy.
I tossed and turned all night, and in my hazy state, dawn was breaking, and it was time for me to get up.
Just as Qiao Qinghe was about to call A Shuang in to help her get up, she heard a commotion outside.
She sat up abruptly and shouted towards the outside room, "Ah Shuang? Ah Shuang? What happened outside?"
Ah Shuang hurried in, lifting the bed curtains as she said, "It seems Uncle Wu has been brought back."
Qiao Qinghe asked in surprise, "Really?"
“It should be right.” As Shuang quickly dressed Qiao Qinghe and combed her hair, she said, “The noise outside the door just now was made by Madam Enping leading people to the front yard.”
Qiao Qinghe nodded knowingly, "That explains it."
Uncle Wu held extraordinary significance for Su Rongrong, so it would be strange if Su Rongrong wasn't excited when she learned that Uncle Wu had been sent back.
Relieved, Qiao Qinghe couldn't help but smile and exclaim, "It's all thanks to the Earl of Enping's efficiency. He found the person in just one night."
Ah Shuang also smiled and agreed: "This shows that Earl Enping really cares about his wife. For the sake of an old steward by his wife's side, Earl Enping not only put aside his duties and rushed back to the capital without stopping, but also helped to find the person overnight without even taking a break."
"Speaking of which, among the young ladies in our household, the Earl's wife is the most fortunate to have married someone as sincere as the Earl of Enping."
Qiao Qinghe smiled but didn't say anything.
She didn't know if Su Rongrong was lucky or not, but she knew that Yan Jin truly cared about Su Rongrong.
Even she didn't expect that Uncle Wu would actually be sent back.
She hadn't slept a wink last night, and in her wild thoughts, she wondered if Yan Jin would take this opportunity to shut Wu Bo up completely. Anyway, with the "kidnapper" taking the blame, no one would know what he had done.
But Wu Bo was unexpectedly brought back.
Therefore, Yan Jin still reserved a soft spot for Su Rongrong in his heart.
Just as Qiao Qinghe was thinking this, she saw He Shi rush in, her face pale and her eyes filled with terror.
"Madam, something terrible has happened! The young princess of the Shun'an Prince's Mansion is dead! Everyone outside is saying that the Earl of Enping killed her!"
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