Chapter 434 Safe Escape
Madam Min sighed and said with deep regret, "If His Highness the Crown Prince knew how deep Marquis Pingyan's scheming against me was, he wouldn't doubt my words."
"I would like to hear the details."
So, Min Qiaoshi recounted her tragic experiences in detail.
Min Ji tricked the Qiao family into marrying off their daughter with promises of profit, but in the end, the Qiao family became his sacrifice for those people in Jiangnan.
Qiao Qinghe, however, was like a fool, bound by Min Ji's emotions and became a hostage he placed under the nose of the Dayan royal family.
Her family was ruined, her son was crippled, and she was abandoned by Min Ji. He schemed against her all his life, yet she still remembered his kindness and guarded the Xuanping Marquis's mansion, which he had already abandoned.
...
“You’re right, a man like Marquis Pingyan won’t die easily.”
After hearing about Min Qiao's experience, Xia Linyuan had to agree, "A person who thinks three steps ahead for every step he takes is already extremely farsighted. But Marquis Pingyan is the kind of person who thinks ten steps ahead for every step he takes."
"Perhaps, the corpse was actually a substitute he had prepared long ago."
"only……"
Xia Linyuan looked at Min Qiaoshi, "Why did he suddenly fake his death?"
After thinking for a moment, Madam Min Qiao guessed, "Perhaps it sensed danger."
A look of surprise flashed across Xia Linyuan's eyes. "Is it because I had doubts about him back then?"
So vigilant?
He hadn't even done anything yet, and Marquis Pingyan had already faked his death and escaped so easily?
Madam Min said with a solemn expression, "Regardless of why he faked his death to escape, one thing is certain: he definitely has a bigger scheme in mind!"
Xia Linyuan frowned deeply, "Why does the old lady say that?"
Madam Min glanced at Xia Linyuan and said bluntly, "Has Your Highness ever considered that Min Ji was able to spend thirty years laying out plans in Dayan and also spend more than ten years lying in wait in Da'e? This shows that Min Ji is definitely an extremely patient person."
"But this time, he's acting completely out of character, so paranoid. What does that mean?"
Xia Linyuan thought for a moment and speculated, "Does that mean he's old?"
Madam Min glared at Xia Linyuan, saying with exasperation, "This shows that he has a bigger scheme! And the day he achieves his goal is just around the corner!"
"Therefore, he absolutely cannot put himself in danger!"
Xia Linyuan nodded in agreement. "The old lady's guess is quite reasonable. But what exactly is the Marquis of Pingyan's ulterior motive?"
Madam Min shook her head and sighed, "I don't know either. But..."
She changed the subject, her eyes flashing with a sharp light, "No matter what his schemes are, as long as we eliminate his henchmen one by one, I don't believe he can still turn the world upside down!"
As she spoke, Madam Min looked at Xia Linyuan and said, "Perhaps, before we can completely eliminate his people, he will be unable to resist jumping out on his own."
Xia Linyuan looked at Madam Min meaningfully, "So, Madam already knows who Pingyan Marquis's henchmen are in Dayan?"
At this point, Xia Linyuan suddenly realized, "This must be the main reason why the Emperor of Dayan wanted the old lady to return safely, right?"
Madam Min smiled but did not reply. However, her inscrutable expression said it all.
Xia Linyuan thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "I wonder if the old lady knows anything about the henchmen of Marquis Pingyan in Da'an?"
Madam Min Qiao gave Xia Linyuan a strange look. "I am a member of the Dayan people, and you just killed one of my trusted maids. Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince would believe what I say?"
Xia Linyuan awkwardly twitched his lips. He had been stupid to ask such a question.
"That's enough about what we've discussed." Madam Min Qiao returned to the main topic, "In order to deal with our common enemy, could Your Highness grant my initial request?"
Xia Linyuan pulled his thoughts back, thought about it carefully for a while, and then said seriously, "One thing at a time."
“I am very grateful that you told me that the Marquis of Pingyan may not be dead and that he is brewing a great conspiracy.”
"I can pretend that Miss Yu's two assassination attempts on me never happened."
"The old lady doesn't have to choose between Miss Yu and her personal maid."
"However, if you want to take Qiao Jingyuan away alive, the old lady's words, which are of uncertain truth or falsehood, are probably not enough."
Madam Min Qiao took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and took out a jade pendant from her sleeve, handing it over. "How about adding this?"
Xia Linyuan took the jade pendant and saw that it was a white jade dragon-patterned pendant.
"Could this be a token bestowed by the Emperor of Dayan?"
Madam Min Qiao nodded in agreement: "This is indeed a jade pendant bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor of Dayan. With this jade pendant, you may make a request to our Emperor."
At this point, Madam Min sighed and said helplessly, "I originally intended to use this jade pendant as a get-out-of-jail-free card to ask our Emperor to pardon the Xuanping Marquis's family. But now I can't care about that anymore."
Madam Min looked at Xia Linyuan earnestly, "Could this jade pendant save my nephew Qiao Jingyuan's life?"
Xia Linyuan played with the jade pendant in his hand for a long time before nodding calmly, "Alright. However, from now on, there will be no more Qiao Jingyuan in this world!"
"Madam should understand that Qiao Jingyuan, as a spy sent by Dayan to Daxi and working under Marquis Pingyan, knows far too much."
"Neither I nor your Emperor of Dayan can tolerate him."
Madam Min Qiao nodded solemnly: "Your Highness, rest assured, from now on, there will be no more Qiao Jingyuan in this world. There will only be a husband that I have found for my personal maid."
"Nothing about Da Xi will ever be revealed to him!"
Xia Linyuan nodded and said solemnly, "I trust the old lady."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Madam Min Qiao bowed respectfully to Xia Linyuan.
After thinking for a moment, Madam Min Qiao said, "Your Highness, since you have forgiven Qiao Jingyuan, why don't you let me take that girl's body back with me?"
Xia Linyuan didn't hesitate and readily nodded, "Okay."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Madam Min Qiao said again.
Afterwards, the two discussed their ideas about Min Ji and shared their information to uncover Min Ji's plans before ending the conversation.
The two talked in private for a long time, so long that Wei Jia and the others outside were about to rush in to see what was going on, before the two finally came out of the hall.
"Your Highness, this old woman will now take Zhen Huan back with her," Madam Min Qiao said respectfully as she took her leave.
Xia Linyuan nodded, "Please take care, Madam."
As he spoke, he waved to the guards.
The guard obeyed the order, released Zhen Huan, and sheathed his sword.
She glanced warily at the guards, then at Xia Linyuan, before rushing to Madam Min's side, "Madam!"
Min Qiao patted Zhen Huan's arm reassuringly and left with the others.
Xia Linyuan even kindly asked two guards to help carry Ajiu's body onto the Qiao family's carriage.
On the return journey, Old Woodcutter was in charge of driving the carriage, while the carriage contained Min Qiaoshi, Wei Jia, Zhen Huan, and A Jiu's corpse.
No one complained that Ah Jiu's body took up space, and no one was afraid to ride in the same car as a corpse.
The three living people stared silently at the dead man, falling into silence.
After a long silence, Wei Jia finally broke the silence and said, "Madam, Ajiu didn't actually have to die, did she?"
Madam Min nodded, her voice filled with deep regret, "Yes. But by the time I came up with a solution, it was too late!"
By then, Ajiu had already committed suicide.
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