Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Investigation of the Marquis' Mansion...
The inspection of the Marquis' Mansion lasted until three quarters past three in the morning.
Since He Wanrong had been taken away, there was no need for the Marquis of Jing'an to enter the palace. Because his face was as black as a frying pan, and he sat in the front yard from 11am to 11am, the servants in the Marquis's mansion dared not speak. The entire mansion was extremely quiet, and the atmosphere was ridiculously depressing.
At noon, the inspection was completed and Marquis Jing'an returned to the house with a gloomy face. Only then did some noises appear in the yard. Jiang Wan finally left Marquis Jing'an's mansion smoothly.
She deliberately walked around the nearby street market twice, and after confirming that no one was following her, she went to the agreed meeting place.
The proprietress of the small teahouse was cooking noodles. The wooden tables outside were filled with people enjoying breakfast. Jiang Wan walked straight in and found private room number three. Inside, Wen Shen and Shen Jianqing were already waiting. Seeing Jiang Wan return, they stood up quickly, their faces bearing identical dark circles.
The moment she saw Wen Shen, it felt as if a rope in Jiang Wan's heart, which had been stretched tight all night, suddenly loosened. Her whole body went limp, and she lost consciousness.
Before she fell into unconsciousness, she saw only Wen Shen's handsome face rapidly enlarge before her eyes. Then, a pair of large hands caught her falling body, and she fell into a soft, warm embrace.
Jiang Wan had a very long dream. In it, she returned to the Jiangnan region of her past life, to the spring waters of West Lake, its emerald waters and painted boats. She dreamed of her childhood begging on the streets, her childhood battling stray dogs for food, her youth building a business from scratch, and her teenage years drinking with clients until she vomited. To gain a foothold in the antiques business, she had resorted to unbridled flattery, her heart gradually hardening to stone.
At eighteen, she climbed to the top of the antique business. At nineteen, she stood by the West Lake, listening to tourists talk about how beautiful Jiangnan was, but she didn't feel it at all.
She didn't know how long it was before she slowly woke up. She opened her eyes to see the light curtains and found herself lying on her bed in the Fulai Inn.
After waking up, the scenes in the dream gradually became blurred, and the memories of the previous life also became blurred, as if there was a layer of thin gauze between them, hazy.
She always regarded herself as a time traveler. Although she called the time and space before the time travel the previous life, in her cognition, she just lived in a different place.
But now she felt that everything that happened in the previous time and space seemed to be something from her previous life.
The mother and brother who are now surrounding her bed are her real relatives.
Jiang Wan smiled slightly, held Jiang's mother's hand, and said softly, "Mom."
"Wanwan!" Jiang's mother looked at her carefully. "Are you awake? Are you feeling unwell? Would you like some water?"
Jiang An handed her a cup of warm water and looked at her with concern.
Jiang Wan took the water and drank two sips, then comforted him gently, "Mom, brother, I'm fine. I'm just too sleepy after staying up all night. Where are Lord Shen and Master Wen? I have something to tell them."
"They're waiting outside for you to wake up." Jiang's mother said, "Mom, go call them over."
After Jiang's mother left, Jiang Wan patted Jiang An on the shoulder and said, "Wanrong is fine. She just went to the palace to avoid the limelight. With the Empress here, she won't be wronged."
Jiang An nodded: "Mr. Wen has indeed been of great help in this matter. After some time, I should thank him properly."
"I thought you didn't like him," Jiang Wan said in surprise.
"Let's put it this way. Any brother wouldn't like this." Jiang An poked her head with his index finger. "Hurry up and tidy up your clothes. I'm going out first."
Jiang Wan got out of bed and put on his coat, then Wen Shen and Shen Jianqing came in.
"Lord Shen," Jiang Wan knelt and saluted. "Thanks to your help, Wanrong and I were able to escape. Jiang Wan thanks you very much, Lord Shen."
Chen Jianqing hurriedly gave her a false helping hand: "You're so polite, it's mainly Ah Shen's help. Miss Jiang doesn't know that while you stayed in the Marquis' Mansion overnight, he stayed outside the mansion all night. After receiving your message, this guy immediately rushed into the palace to look for the Empress, busy as a top."
Jiang Wan glanced at Wen Shen. The latter looked unhappy, as if he was very bothered by the fact that she only greeted Shen Jianqing and ignored him.
She snorted, pretending not to see Wen Shen, and continued, "Master Shen, I discovered a lot of things last night, let me tell you about them."
Jiang Wan retrieved the Xiongnu-language letter from her personal space and took the opportunity to glance at Wen Shen. Wen Shen's face darkened even further, and she quietly nudged Shen Jianqing, pushing him away from her.
Jiang Wan curled his lips, cleared his throat, and recounted in detail what happened last night, including the incident where He Wanrong saw the saber.
"Sir Shen, do you have anyone who understands the Xiongnu language? Take a look at what is written in this letter."
Shen Jianqing was about to call for help, but Wen Shen got there first.
"I can. Let me see." He looked at Jiang Wan with sparkling eyes. "I grew up outside Yumen Pass. I understand the writing systems of all the countries in the Western Regions."
"Tsk, peacock spreading its tail," Shen Jianqing glanced at him, "Why haven't I seen you so active before?"
Wen Shen took the letters and read through them one by one. He started out reading at a normal pace, but as he read further, his speed slowed and his expression grew more serious. When he reached the last page, his brow furrowed into a shape of a "川" (Chuan) and his dark eyes were filled with cold anger.
"What's written in the letter?" Seeing his expression, Jiang Wan also became nervous.
Wen Shen said, "This letter was sent by the Xiongnu King Youguli. It contains a list of every batch of bronze, iron, horses, and other items, along with the delivery dates. The price King Youguli asked for was nearly half of what the Great Zhou offered, but he requested that he relay military intelligence from the border. Although I haven't seen a reply from Marquis Jing'an, their transaction lasted at least four years, which aligns with the time we found the sabers were cast. Presumably, the Great Zhou's secrets were leaked four years ago."
"It really is him! Then he must be the one who pinned the crime of colluding with the Huns on Duke He." Jiang Wan clenched his fists angrily.
Shen Jianqing: "I'll sort out the evidence later and then go to the palace to see His Majesty."
Wen Shen stopped him and said, "Wait a minute. Have you ever thought about the fact that since Concubine De entered the palace, Marquis Jing'an has stopped interfering in state affairs. Why would he forge a saber privately?"
"Of course, he's raising private soldiers for the Third Prince..." Shen Jianqing blurted out, suddenly realizing something was wrong. "Wait, the Third Prince is already a foregone conclusion, and there's almost no chance of him failing in his bid for the throne. Raising private soldiers would be considered treason if discovered, so why would he take the risk? Isn't it for the Third Prince?"
Wen Shen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "Don't be impatient. Now is not the time to tell His Majesty."
Shen Jianqing sighed and patted his shoulder. "Your parents died at the hands of the Xiongnu. I know you're more anxious about this than anyone else. It's hard for you to remind me that this matter really can't be rushed. But don't worry, those who collaborate with the enemy and betray the country will eventually receive the punishment they deserve. This is the duty of the commander, and it's also what I should do as a brother."
The three of them discussed for a while, and then Shen Jianqing went back to organize the evidence and prepare the next plan.
Only Jiang Wan and Wen Shen were left in the room.
Jiang Wan turned her head away from him in a huff, so Wen Shen approached cautiously and tugged at her sleeve pitifully, looking like a big golden retriever that had gotten into trouble.
The big golden retriever said in a muffled voice, "Miss Jiang, did I make you angry?"
Jiang Wan glared at him and didn't want to speak. But looking at the pair of wet eyes in front of her, she remembered what Shen Jianqing had said just now.
His parents had died at the hands of the Xiongnu, and he must have harbored a deep hatred for them over the years, especially the Youguli King who had led the army back then. Now that the perpetrator of their clandestine dealings with the Xiongnu had been found, this man had led to a lack of success in the border battles for four years, yet he couldn't be convicted immediately.
The word "忍" (forbearance) is like a knife hanging over his head. He must be feeling very uncomfortable at this moment.
Jiang Wan felt a little distressed, and her gaze softened. She grasped Wen Shen's fingers with her backhand, her tone somewhat accusing, "The Marquis of Jing'an's mansion was full of secret guards last night. What were you doing at the gate? If you were discovered, the Jinyiwei could say you were patrolling outside the mansion, but what about you? You don't have a position, and you're the Empress's brother and the Sixth Prince's uncle. What would His Majesty think if you were discovered by the secret guards? You used to be so cautious, but why are you so confused now?"
Hearing this, Wen Shen couldn't help but smile. He usually wore a stern face and rarely smiled, but he hadn't expected it to look so beautiful. It was like the springtime melting of snow on the mountains covered with geraniums, transforming into a trickle of water; or like the rain falling on the Broken Bridge at West Lake thirty miles away, the spring water beside the bridge melting and rippling.
Jiang Wan was stunned for a long moment before finding his voice again: "You, what are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, I didn't expect you to be so worried about me." Wen Shen restrained his smile and said seriously, "But Miss Jiang, every time you are in danger, I hope to be closer to you, closer and closer."
The words were so blunt, they practically struck her heart with a thunderous thud, causing it to leap twice with extra force. The seeds planted that night on the Wusun Ancient Road were almost ready to burst through the soil. She couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid I'll get you into trouble?"
The dog's paw rubbed against her palm, making her feel itchy. The owner of the paw looked at her intently:
"You are not alone."
The active seeds broke through the soil and sprouted.
For so many years, Jiang Wan had been alone. In her previous life, she had walked alone through the storms. Even after traveling through time, even though she had family and friends, she always carried the burden on her own shoulders, striving to be their support, and never thought of relying on others.
But at this moment, she felt the urge to lean on his shoulder.
His shoulders look quite broad.
Jiang Wan asked tentatively, "Then... do you have anything else to say?"
"Ah?" Wen Shen was stunned for a moment, "What did you say?"
The tiny bud that had just emerged silently shrank back. Jiang Wan felt a little disappointed and pulled his hand back: "Nothing, I'm a little sleepy and want to sleep a little longer."
Watching him leave, Jiang Wan glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall.
Today is June 16th, and the Spring Banquet is on June 21st, so there are still five days left.
It's quite tight, she needs to prepare well.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
