Chapter 110
Let’s talk about Wang Shuhuai again. He arrived at the Mao Pavilion on the back mountain of Xiangshan Temple that day and never left.
The body was removed, and peace gradually returned to the deep forest.
His dull gaze was fixed on the water surface, where countless guards and boats were engaged in salvaging activities like dumplings being dropped into the water.
He knew what they were salvaging, but he still didn't believe it.
Wang Shuhuai forced himself to calm down and connect all the clues.
The Eighteen Arhats are masters bribed by Prince Xin... Prince Xin has disappeared...
He disappeared from the palace at the end of Yin hour, and something happened at the beginning of Mao hour, which was only about quarter of an hour apart.
It takes less than quarter of an hour to reach Xiangshan Temple from the palace wall. If you climb the mountain from Hulukou, it will be even faster.
Wang Shuhuai touched the place where Xie Yunchu had scratched his fingers, and he could imagine the scene at that time. Yun You protected Yun Chu behind him, and Yun Chu might accidentally fall off the cliff while retreating. Then what about Yun You? If it were him, he would just kill Yun You with one sword. Why would he need to push a fainted or dead person off the cliff?
If it was Prince Xin, then it would make sense.
He wanted Yun Chu, and couldn't bear to hurt Yun You, so he took him away with him.
When he thought of this possibility, the energy that had dissipated instantly gathered again. He stood up abruptly, took off a token from his body, and handed it to the guard behind him.
"Take this token and give it to Li Chengji. Tell him to dispatch another 30,000 southern troops and investigate along the nearby roads, paths, and mountain roads. They must capture Prince Xin. Also, intercept all passing horse and ox carts and carts. Don't let anyone go!"
"Understood!" The guard flew down the mountain to pass on the order.
Prince Xin was injured and could not go far with two people.
In addition to carriages, there are also water routes. Wang Shuhuai turned around and asked Chunqi,
“How many ships were left at the foot of the mountain at that time?”
Chunqi was still squatting on the stone pier, wiping tears, and said hurriedly, "Two."
Wang Shuhuai's breath was choked again. He had just clearly seen two small boats parked at the ferry below.
In other words, Prince Xin did not leave by boat.
That’s right, the downstream are all guards from the imperial court. The mountains here are high and steep, and the rivers are fast-flowing. It is impossible to go upstream, so he can only take people in a carriage.
"Gao Zhan, send someone to Hulukou below to check all the women's carriages to see which family has lost their carriages?"
Wang Shuhuai was always meticulous. Standing in the Mao Pavilion, he thought of all the possible ways for Prince Xin to escape and laid a net. At that moment, he leaned over the stone table and felt a little relieved...
He would rather Xie Yunchu was taken away by Prince Xin than actually fall off the cliff.
After Gao Zhan finished giving his instructions, he returned to the pavilion, sent everyone away, and came to Wang Shuhuai's side.
"Do you suspect that the Yunchu siblings were kidnapped by Prince Xin?"
Wang Shuhuai did not reply to him, but took a sip of the tea Gao Zhan had just poured for him, glanced at the guards on the water, and said coldly,
"Leave some sailors behind, and send the rest of the soldiers to the mountains and forests around here. Search all the mountains and forests around here!"
The most dangerous place is the safest place.
Prince Xin was cunning and bold, and he was injured. Even with the help of others, it would be very difficult to take the two people away. Perhaps he was hiding nearby and had not gone far.
Gao Zhan looked at him as he was risking everything on one throw and finally said nothing but nodded his head.
In the next half day, Wang Shuhuai gathered the remaining men and personally searched the entire Hulu Mountain, leaving no bush, no cave, and even the stone caves on the cliffs untouched.
It was a fact that Prince Xin escaped. Wang Shuhuai launched a massive search for Prince Xin's whereabouts. The court officials were speechless, and no one connected Xie Yunchu with Prince Xin.
The only people who really knew what Wang Shuhuai was doing were a few of his confidants, such as Gao Zhan.
The rising sun hid in the clouds and the sky turned cloudy. In the afternoon, the clouds became thicker and thicker and rain began to fall.
The female family members were sent back home one after another, and the news that Xie Yunchu and his sister fell off the cliff quickly spread in the city.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunchu's grandmother, Old Lady Xie, was so exhausted that she fainted on the bed. Xie Hui on the other side was already bedridden, and the housekeeper was afraid that something might happen to him, so he kept the news secret and did not dare to make it public.
All the women in the family had left, leaving only Madam Ming, who was sitting in a makeshift shed at the ferry.
The rain and fog merged into the river surface, as if an impenetrable water wall had been built between the sky and the earth.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunshuang ran from the city to the ferry to find her.
Madam Ming held her wrist and said nervously, "Go back... let your aunt serve your father. Remember... don't tell him the truth... If your father asks about me..."
Madam Ming lowered her voice as she spoke, her thin shoulders trembling, "Just say...just say that Yun Chu took me to the Wang family...to stay...for a few days and then come back..."
The body hasn't been found yet, so there's no need to hold a funeral. The longer it can be kept secret, the better.
As long as the body has not been seen, people will always hold on to a glimmer of hope, and Mrs. Ming is hoping for a miracle.
Xie Yunshuang knelt at her feet and cried, "Mother, you are not in good health, please go back. My sister in heaven will not feel good seeing you..."
Madam Ming murmured and shook her head. She sat in the shed with her frail body, looking at the water where the sky met the water, and said firmly,
"I'm right here...waiting for my child to come back..."
The boat finally stopped at the canal ferry inside Guangqumen, and servants from each family came to pick them up. Princess Jiang Cailing of Nan'an County personally helped Qiao Zhiyun onto the Jiang family carriage. The tears on Qiao Zhiyun's cheeks had dried, and she sat leaning on the soft couch like a puppet, with an empty look in her eyes.
Jiang Cailing has been with Qiao Zhiyun today. After hearing Xie Yunchu's scream, she saw with her own eyes the blood draining away from her stepmother's face bit by bit, and she slumped down on the splint, distraught. She could understand her stepmother's feelings. She had ignored her for more than ten years, and they were finally reunited, thinking there was a chance to make amends, but in the end, the two children fell off the cliff together. Regret and pain coexisted, and she didn't know how painful it must have been.
I returned to Jiang Mansion in a daze.
When I got off the bus, it was foggy and rainy.
Qiao Zhiyun raised her eyes. It was also on a rainy day like this that day when Yun You stood in front of the door and cut off her hair with a sword...
Qiao Zhiyun's dry eyes suddenly filled with tears. She stood between heaven and earth, gazing at the dark clouded sky and crying bitterly.
Just at this moment, a young man in his teens dressed in brocade robes jumped out from the threshold and ran towards her with a smile.
"mother…"
The crisp sound of "Mom" and the sharp scream of Xie Yunchu were intertwined in her mind. The extreme pain was burning and scorching in her heart. A mouthful of blood rushed from the depths of her lungs to her throat, blocking all her meridians. Qiao Zhiyun's eyes turned black and she fell headfirst into the rain.
In the afternoon, the sky was completely gloomy.
There was a rumble of thunder and huge raindrops hit the window frames one by one.
The Fourth Lady and the First Lady cried all the way back home. When they arrived at the doorstep and heard that the Eldest Princess had committed suicide, they were even more shocked. The Fourth Lady was stunned and the First Lady was on the verge of collapse. The Eldest Princess was the head of the eldest house. Once something happened to the Eldest Princess, the past of the Duan family might be dug up, and the eldest house might not know if it had a chance to survive. She swayed and fainted on the ground.
The eldest grandmother, Miao, hurriedly carried the person in, crying inconsolably. On the one hand, she was saddened by the death of Xie Yunchu, and on the other hand, she was worried about the eldest princess's loss of power. Her heart was like a boat tossed by wind and rain, with no place to rest. Two people died in the family in one day, one after another, and her crying also added a bit of fatalistic sadness.
Wang Shuqin refused to believe that something had happened to Xie Yunchu and his sister. As soon as she heard the news, she rode to the ferry and accompanied Madam Ming, Xia An and others in searching the scene.
Nanny Lin fell ill, and Dong Ning followed Wang Shuqin to the ferry. The two children were left unattended and were sent to Liuli Hall. Wang Shuyi and Wang Shuya did not return home, but stayed at the mansion to help take care of the children.
Sister Ke sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere, so she moved to Wang Shuya's side holding her little Jinwu, and murmured to her.
"Aunt, it's getting late, why hasn't my mother come back yet..."
My mother clearly went out with my fourth great-aunt, so why did my great-aunt come back but my mother didn’t?
Wang Shuya looked at the innocent child, tears welled up in her eyes in an instant, and she quickly hugged the child in her arms, holding back her sobs and saying, "Your grandfather is sick... your mother has gone to take care of him..."
Ke Jie'er leaned on her chest and asked, "When will grandpa get better?"
Wang Shuya said with red eyes, "It may take some time...Ke'er, stay at home and take care of your brother, okay?"
Ke Jieer could hear her aunt crying and thought that her grandfather must be very ill. "I will be good and not make mother worry."
Wang Shuya hugged her, not knowing what to say.
Er Ge'er liked to play chess. He sat alone in front of a small table and placed the chess pieces. Xuan Ge'er and Yue Ge'er saw him, ran over and knocked his chess pieces to the ground. Er Ge'er's face turned blue and he chased after them angrily. Wang Shuyi looked at the naive children and wiped away her tears quietly.
Ever since the incident in the court, the third and second wives have been sitting in the main hall to preside over the situation.
Compared to the eldest princess' suicide, Xie Yunchu's death obviously worried them more.
The third wife sat at the table with a gloomy face. She thought about it over and over again, but still felt that something was wrong. The timing of Prince Xin's disappearance and Yunchu's accident was too coincidental. She suspected that Prince Xin was desperate and held Xie Yunchu and his sister hostage in order to negotiate terms with Wang Shuhuai.
She pulled the distracted Fourth Madam aside and asked,
"Did you see Chu'er fall off the cliff with your own eyes?"
The tears on the fourth wife's face had not yet dried. She cried, "Third sister-in-law, I heard with my own ears that the scream came from above the water. It was like a thunder exploding in the air, which was very different from the sound on the shore. I am sure Chu'er is gone..."
The Third Madam was not lucky at all. Her arm that was resting on the table slowly slid down, and she slowly wiped her tears with an embroidered handkerchief.
"She died just as the good times began... The two children are still so young, what should I do..."
The third wife sat there sobbing with a handkerchief covering her forehead.
People, why seek glory, wealth and honor? The greatest luck is to live a peaceful and stable life.
There were earth-shaking changes overnight, some people lost their heads, some were displaced, and perhaps some people were celebrating. I wonder how Shu Huai felt when he thought of Chu'er's death when he became the Prime Minister of the Cabinet?
The Fourth Madam had experienced a dangerous situation last night and was already somewhat grateful to Xie Yunchu. Moreover, she witnessed her falling off the cliff with her own eyes, so her sympathy for her was greater than her grief for the eldest princess.
Jiang was stunned by the news.
The previous moment he was still feeling smug about his son becoming the prime minister of the dynasty, but then suddenly a thunderbolt struck from the sky.
The daughter-in-law is gone?
Jiang was stunned for a moment.
It’s hard to imagine that a good person can just disappear like that.
More frightened than uncomfortable.
It was not until I heard the third wife mention her two children that I felt the pain of losing her daughter-in-law even more deeply.
"Yes, what should we do with the two children?" Tears slipped out of his eyes unconsciously.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Jiang and Xie Yunchu did not have a deep relationship and could not cry bitterly, but she was worried about her two children. The thought of such young children losing their mother made her feel as painful as if she were being stabbed by a needle.
She walked all the way to the Glazed Hall with tears in her eyes, and personally took her two grandsons back to Ninghe Hall.
She held Ke Jie'er in her left hand and Er Ge'er in her right hand. Er Ge'er didn't like her holding him, so he avoided her elbow and sat on the bed in a daze.
Although the child is small, he knows how to read people's expressions. His clear pupils are filled with doubt and ignorance, and he stares out the window in a daze.
His mother hasn't come back yet.
Dou Keling and Xu Shiwei were both shocked when they heard that Xie Yunchu fell off the cliff. Xu Shiwei cried and Dou Keling also wiped her tears. As sisters-in-law, the previous disagreements were nothing in the face of life and death. The two of them got together and recounted the good points of Xie Yunchu. They felt sorry for her as she passed away just after becoming the wife of the Prime Minister.
"From now on, we will treat these two children as our own and show our love for our sister-in-law." Xu Shiwei choked up.
Dou Keling nodded, "This is natural..."
The rain was pouring down and the wind was howling, which made people feel even more sad.
Dou Keling thought further ahead and sighed, "My second brother was the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and the eldest son of the Wang family. Now that my second sister-in-law is gone, there will definitely be someone new coming in. If she is as easy to get along with as my second sister-in-law, it will be a blessing for us. If she is replaced by someone stronger, life will be difficult..."
When this was mentioned, Xu Shiwei became even sadder. "I will never find anyone better than Sister Yunchu. I actually hope that she is not dead and can come back one day."
Dou Keling also sighed and pointed in the direction of Ninghe Hall.
"My mother-in-law must be so happy right now. My second sister-in-law didn't take her seriously in the past, but now that he's gone, my mother-in-law will definitely arrange a second marriage for my second brother. The first priority for a new daughter-in-law is to please my mother-in-law. Good things are coming for my mother-in-law."
Xu Shiwei pursed her lips and snorted, "If there is really a new sister-in-law coming to the house, let her serve mother-in-law. I won't go."
Ninghe Hall.
The second master is back.
His son achieved an unprecedented achievement, while his daughter-in-law was murdered by criminals. The two families collided with each other, and the second master felt very upset.
When I came back and saw the two children huddled together in front of their grandmother, not saying a word, I felt even sadder.
He waved his hand, signaling Nanny Ming to take the two children to the side room to rest, as he had something to say to Jiang.
But Ke Jieer refused, "Grandma, my brother and I want to go back to Chunjing Hall..."
"That won't work!" Jiang's face was stern. "It was windy and rainy tonight. Your mother went to her maternal grandmother's house and couldn't come back. You should stay here with your grandmother for the next few days."
Without their mistress, everyone in Chunjing Hall would probably cry like crazy. She didn't dare to let the two children go back for fear that they would be frightened.
The brother and sister had never left their mother and had never spent the night in Ninghe Hall. They were not used to it for a moment and lowered their eyes in dejection.
Fortunately, Dong Ning rushed back at the critical moment. Madam Ming was worried about the children, so she sent her back to take care of the two younger ones. She was a very introverted person, and she kept her pain to herself and didn't show it easily. When she appeared, Ke Jie'er and Wei Ge'er both rushed over happily.
The two children are usually taken care of by Dong Ning and are close to her.
Dong Ning knelt down before Jiang and the second master, then took the child to the side room.
He first settled Brother Wei, then came to look after Sister Ke, and personally squatted down to give her a bath.
Dong Ning is an orphan picked up by Xie Yunchu from the street. She has always regarded Xie Yunchu as her life. She should have been the most uncomfortable one, but strangely, Dong Ning's heart was not as confused as expected.
Sometimes people's telepathy is very magical. Looking at Sister Ke, whose features resemble Xie Yunchu, Dong Ning felt inexplicably certain that Xie Yunchu was not dead.
As soon as Dong Ning left, Jiang called Ming Gui, who had returned with her, in to ask,
"Any news?"
It refers to whether the body has been retrieved.
Minggui's eyes were still swollen, and he shook his head, "Not yet."
Jiang sighed.
The second master asked, "What about Shu Huai? Hasn't he come back yet?"
Minggui wiped his tears and sniffed, "Second Master searched Hulu Mountain thoroughly during the day, and rode to the western suburbs in the evening."
Jiang asked in confusion, "Why are you going to the western suburbs?" Yanque Lake is in the eastern suburbs, so isn't Wang Shuhuai going in the wrong direction?
"Go to the western suburbs to chase after King Xin."
Although Prince Xin was defeated, he still had his old subordinates in Xiaoguan in the northwest. If Prince Xin left Beijing, the most likely place he would go would be the northwest.
Jiang was stunned when she heard this.
His wife is gone, but he is so focused on chasing the enemy?
"There are so many soldiers in the court, any one of them can go to chase after her, why does he have to go in person? Besides, he has to fish out his wife's body as soon as possible..." When she thought about the corpse being washed away by the current or perhaps eaten by a fish, Jiang shuddered all over. After all, they were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt pity for Xie Yunchu.
Minggui didn't dare tell Jiang the truth, so he just lowered his eyes and kept silent while she naggled on.
The second master also frowned slightly.
"The court cannot do without him. He must enter the palace as soon as possible to take charge of the overall situation."
Minggui didn't know how to respond to this, so he simply hung his head and buried it even lower.
The second master waved his hand and asked him to leave.
The room was empty, with only the couple left.
The candlelight flickered in the wind, and the shadows of the trees tilted outside the window, interweaving into a shadow. Jiang stared at it in a daze, and suddenly she was so scared that she trembled all over. She hurried to the second master's side,
Seeing this, the second master asked, "What's wrong?"
Jiang looked out the window, feeling anxious. "I was wondering... if I had been too kind to Huai's daughter-in-law in the past, would she... turn into a ghost to avenge me..."
The second master thought Jiang was looking for trouble, and frowned, "What are you thinking about?" He then said unhappily, "Since she is afraid, you should take good care of the two children for her. Maybe she will feel relieved and let you go..."
Jiang: “…”
After being stunned for a while, he punched the second master angrily, "They are my grandchildren, how can I treat them badly?"
So he stood up and went to the wing room in a rage. When he passed the corridor, he glanced at the banana tree in the corner of the courtyard, shuddered a few times, and told Aunt Ming,
"Send someone to the river to pay respects tomorrow and send her off..."
Li Chengji accompanied Wang Shuhuai in the investigation for a day and a night, and returned home at midnight. He had not slept for two days and was very tired. Seeing Chen Yi wrapped in a white shirt leaning against the bed in a daze, he sat down on the Jinwei in front of her with heartache, holding her soft hand,
"lady…"
The light from the lamp cast on her fair cheek, reflecting the wet tears.
Li Chengji couldn't bear to see her sad, so he comforted her,
"Lord Wang has concluded that it was Prince Xin who kidnapped the woman. The figure that was pushed off the cliff was done for you to see. It was Prince Xin's way of escaping. Don't be so sad. You have to believe in Lord Wang. He will definitely find Madam Wang back."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi burst into tears and shook his head.
"No, you are all wrong..."
She cried all day and her voice was hoarse. "Today at dawn, I was the first person to open the back door... Chu'er's voice was not on the shore, but in the air... Do you understand?"
Chen Yi grabbed Li Chengji's arm, tears welling up in his eyes, "She must have fallen into the water, go tell Wang Shuhuai not to waste his time, and ask him to find someone to salvage the body, so that Chu'er can rest in peace as soon as possible..."
She cried on Li Chengji's shoulder.
Lengshan found out that on the night of the mutiny, someone killed the soldiers in the watchtower in the northeast corner of the palace and jumped into the moat from there. Wang Shuhuai concluded that the man was Prince Xin, and from this, he became more and more certain that Prince Xin had abducted Yun Chu.
For three whole days, Wang Shuhuai stayed up all night and personally checked all the checkpoints within a hundred miles, read all the checkpoint records, and searched the hillsides within a ten-mile radius of Hulu Mountain several times. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of Prince Xin.
The more fruitless the search became, the more panicked he became, and he even resorted to extreme measures, ordering the Bingmasi and Wuduwei to search every corner of the capital city house by house.
From the long journey back to Beijing to the search for Xie Yunchu's whereabouts, Wang Shuhuai did not close his eyes for five whole days.
At noon on the fifth day of July, the sun was scorching.
Wang Shuhuai returned to the cabinet and sat alone behind a large rosewood desk. His crimson official robe had been torn in several places by thorns. His usually meticulous hair was wet and stuck to the temples, with a few white strands visible. His jade crown was tilted, his eye sockets were sunken, and his pupils were dry and scarlet, like two horrible blood holes embedded in his thin cheeks.
In the past few days, apart from a few sips of goat's milk, he had not swallowed anything. The flesh on his cheeks had completely faded, becoming deeply sunken. His face turned from dark blue to pale, like a ghost crawling back from hell, without a trace of life.
His slender back was slightly bent against the back of the armchair, his eyes staring blankly at the open door.
He has done his best to lay a tight net to intercept Prince Xin.
As long as Prince Xin is still alive, there will be no way that there won't be some clues left.
But the fact is that Prince Xin seemed to have evaporated from the world, leaving no trace.
It doesn't matter if Prince Xin escapes.
Where is Yun Chu?
Is he wrong?
Just then, the door shook and a figure rushed in.
Minggui looked at Wang Shuhuai like this, tears streaming down his face, and asked cautiously,
"Second Master... Second Master sent me to ask you for instructions. In the past few days, the wives of officials in the capital have come to ask when the funeral will be held for Second Madam. They all want to come and pay their respects to express their gratitude for Second Madam's life-saving grace..."
Minggui didn't know that his word had stimulated Wang Shuhuai. The man on the armchair seemed to come alive suddenly, and quickly went out from the long table. He rushed out with his last breath and galloped back to the mansion. The cavalry jumped in from the alley on the east side of Wang's house.
What you see first is the mourning banners hanging on the gate.
The blinding white light was blinding and made his whole body twitch.
The pain in his chest turned into anger and he jumped off his horse. He rushed over quickly and tore down all the hanging white banners. He then drew out the soft sword at his waist and chopped the white banners into pieces.
"Who hanged himself? Come out and die!"
The servants who were busy in the gate were frightened out of their wits by his devilish appearance, and they all knelt on the ground and trembled.
Wang Shuhuai held a sword in hand, carrying a majestic murderous aura, and strode towards the main hall with great speed. The tip of the sword shone coldly under the scorching sun, and the servants were so scared that they dodged and screamed.
A man was standing on the platform in the main hall. He was the second master who had ordered the steward to buy funeral items. He tilted his head and looked at a man with ferocious eyes, rushing in as if he was poisoned. His pupils were shocked.
"Shu...Shuhuai..." He almost didn't recognize his son.
Wang Shuhuai smiled strangely, raised his sword and slashed it towards his ear. With a whoosh, the tip of the sword pierced directly into the couplet written by the Duke of Zhengbei.
Although the sword did not hurt the Second Master, it frightened him completely. His body shook violently and he fell into the armchair. "You..."
He couldn't believe that his son, who always abided by the rules, would do such a rebellious thing.
Wang Shuhuai's face was so fierce that he stared at him fiercely and said word by word,
"I will kill whoever holds a funeral!"
The servants got up from the ground in fear and hurriedly took down all the white banners that had been hung.
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