Plan before you act (2)
As usual, Xie Sinan went to pay her respects to Madam Huang before starting school.
Lian'er recently had a false pregnancy due to incense burning. Xie Sinan, at his behest, elevated her to the rank of concubine, only instructing her to take good care of her pregnancy. Huang Shi was unwilling to say much to him, only hoping that he would indulge in the pleasures of the world until his death.
"Greetings to Mother." Xie Sinan bowed respectfully. "I am grateful for Mother's care these past few days."
"Nan-ge'er, what are you saying? This is the first child of our Prime Minister's residence." Madam Huang smiled ingratiatingly, but the smile never reached her eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, Mother." Xie Sinan remained respectful.
"I haven't seen Sister Li return these days."
Upon hearing Huang mention Xie Sili's name, Xie Sinan's gaze fell upon her. She was holding a pattern in her hand, seemingly embroidering something.
Xie Sinan grew up under Huang's care and still had feelings for her. Even though Huang didn't pay much attention to him when he was young, at least his food, clothing and daily necessities were the same as Xie Siyu and Xie Siyao.
Thinking of this, he slightly tightened his grip on his hands hanging by his sides.
But Huang's kindness to him was all a form of flattery disguised as his own.
“She’s doing quite well at the academy,” Xie Sinan replied. “How can a girl from Yuzhou City compare to Sixth Sister?” He knew what to say to please Madam Huang.
Not only Xie Sili, but he was also caught in Huang's scheme, wishing that Xie Siyu and his sister could climb over their corpses to get ahead.
"The big exam is coming up soon. After it's over, come back and rest for a while," Madam Huang instructed with a smile. "We should also go to Ci'en Temple to pay our respects."
"I will follow my mother's teachings in everything."
After leaving Huang's Qinse Residence, Xie Sinan went directly to the academy.
Upon arriving at the academy, he did not go straight back to the classroom, but instead went to look for Xie Sili. However, no one else knew where Xie Sili had gone, and they said that Xie Sili had not appeared for many days.
With Xie Sili on his mind, he went to the Enlightenment Hall to find Xie Jingche and Xie Jingyan, and learned from them that the situation was the same.
With no other choice, he could only go to the office to find Shangguan and Murong.
Upon seeing the two of them, Xie Sinan stepped forward and bowed to them, saying, "Greetings, gentlemen."
"Are you having academic difficulties?" Murong asked. "The big exam is coming up soon, so you should prepare well." Her words were full of concern.
“Mr. Murong, Mr. Shangguan, I haven’t seen my sister at the academy these past few days. I wonder if you two gentlemen have seen her?” Xie Sinan asked without much thought. “I’m a little worried about her.”
“Miss Xie is in good health, so there’s no need to worry, Xie.” Murong said with a smile. “I’ve instructed Miss Xie to do something else, and she will be back in a few days.”
As instructed by Xie Sili, he did not inform them that the person had been imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Based on their understanding of Xie Sili, even ten prefectures of the capital could not imprison him.
"Is that so?" Xie Sinan asked with some disbelief. "Gentlemen, my sister's health isn't suitable for this kind of thing. If she needs something like this again, just come to me." He spoke almost without thinking, the image of Xie Sili coughing flashing through his mind.
Seeing that Murong was about to speak, Shangguan preemptively said, "Alright. Next time, we'll assign someone else to handle this kind of matter."
Watching Xie Sinan leave, Shangguan turned his gaze to Murong. "How about we go check on the young lady later? Although Lord Lu is taking care of her at the Jingzhao Prefecture, she is still quite delicate and frail..."
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed Murong's gaze on him. He looked up and heard his voice, "Let's go to the Jingzhao Prefecture and see. The young lady has her own set of rules, and we don't need to interfere too much."
Shangguan looked at Murong and nodded.
After packing their things, the two headed to the Jingzhao Prefecture to investigate.
At the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture, the two happened to meet Jun Qiyu, who had come to oversee the situation.
He was wearing a brightly colored robe and looked somewhat cynical.
The two of them knew very well that the main reason why the Emperor appointed Jun Qiyu to take charge this time was because he had not made any achievements in the court. If the Grand Secretary fell from power this time, a new Grand Secretary would take office, and at that time, Jun Qiyu's recommender would become the Emperor's focus.
"Greetings, sir. (Greetings, Your Highness)" The three of them bowed almost simultaneously.
“Your Highness is not in the academy. To Your Highness I am but a commoner. Your Highness need not bow.” Murong quickly said.
“The academy is independent of the imperial power and is under the command of the Emperor. As the headmaster, you should be bowed to him as a matter of course.” Jun Qiyu’s face showed more respect. “You have come to visit Miss Xie San.”
"We've come to see Lord Lu," Shangguan said with a smile. "Miss Xie is being held in custody, so it's inconvenient for people of our status to visit her."
“It’s alright. Miss Xie is innocent. She will be released once the matter between the Fang and Zhao families is resolved,” Jun Qiyu quickly said.
It's not that she can be released, but that Xie Sili simply doesn't want to leave this dungeon, and even finds being imprisoned quite interesting.
Murong and Shangguan exchanged a glance and nodded to Jun Qiyu.
Guan Lingsong, Lu Shiyuan, and Wei Lin are busy with the matter of the grievance drum. The people they are arresting now are all related to the Fang and Zhao families.
Last night, they brought Fang Yuanchao, who had lost his manhood, back for interrogation overnight.
During the conversation, he confessed to the crimes he had committed. Fang Ye has no clear evidence yet, and no arrests have been made.
When Jun Qiyu arrived with Murong and Shangguan, they saw Fang Yuanchao lying there on the verge of death.
The three of them bowed to Jun Qiyu.
"You don't need these formalities with me anymore," Jun Qiyu quickly interjected. "I've been used to being out in the wild since I was a child; I don't know anything about these customs." He then waved his hand, "How is Fang Yuanchao? Did you torture him in private?"
“We dare not use torture.” Lu Shiyuan said helplessly. “The people who arrested him said that he was half-dead after his manhood was cut off, but when he was conscious, he confessed to the crimes he had committed and said that he hoped to die as soon as possible.”
Guan Lingsong glanced at Fang Yuanchao lying on the ground. He was unconscious but not yet dead.
"Fang Ye is quite ruthless," Jun Qiyu sneered. "He even dared to harm his own son."
"I heard it was done by Madam Zhao," Lu Shiyuan said again. "This is what we found out overnight." As he spoke, he handed the compiled booklet to Jun Qiyu.
Jun Qiyu sat down and flipped through the booklet in his hand. Fang Yuanchao had explained a lot of things, including what he had done with Zhao Changgeng, and even his contact with Fang Ye and the Zhao family.
It also briefly explains the matter of the Zhenshan Pagoda and the deserted well.
The account was not comprehensive; there were some things that were not mentioned, and Fang Ye had to fill in the gaps.
"This is utterly audacious!" Jun Qiyu closed the booklet, his face grim. "Lord Lu, Lord Guan, go and arrest that old scoundrel Fang Ye immediately!" He slammed his hand on the table. "How can someone with such a long list of crimes be allowed to remain unpunished!"
“Your Highness, we lack sufficient evidence to arrest this criminal.” Lu Shiyuan shook his head at him. “Besides, those we have arrested all say that this matter has nothing to do with Fang Ye.”
“Is that so?” Jun Qiyu clenched his hands slightly at his sides. “It seems those people all want to cover for Fang Ye.” A cold smile played on his lips. “In that case, why not try a new method I learned before? It will guarantee that they will confess honestly.”
After gaining their approval, Jun Qiyu gave an order and Jiang Chen appeared in front of them. "Jiang Chen, go and bring over all the little guys we keep in the manor."
"yes."
Noticing their gazes, Jun Qiyu glanced at Lu Shiyuan, who was standing closest to him. "Lord Lu, please lock those people who covered for Fang Ye in a closed cell. We'll figure out what to do then."
Although Lu Shiyuan had doubts, he still did as Jun Qiyu instructed.
Now, any method proposed is worth trying, especially since those people are still waiting for this injustice to be redressed.
Just as they were talking, a yamen runner came to say that a young woman was waiting at the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture and said that she wanted to see Lu Shiyuan.
With the introduction of the constable, Lu Shiyuan met a girl dressed in a light green dress.
"My name is Lüzhu, and I greet Lord Lu." Lüzhu looked at Lu Shiyuan with a respectful expression. "Siyi wrote to say that you have made Fang Ye's matter known to the world. I wanted to come and see for myself, and it just so happens that my family's graves are also located here."
“Miss Green Bamboo,” Lu Shiyuan said with a smile, “she is currently in prison. Do you need to go and see her? We can’t persuade her otherwise.”
Green Bamboo nodded at Lu Shiyuan, then turned her gaze to Jun Qiyu, "Is he His Highness the Prince of Yan?"
Upon receiving Lu Shiyuan's nod, Green Bamboo's brows furrowed with anger. "Did you come back just to replace Xie Siyao and marry this纨绔 (playboy)?"
The sound of Green Bamboo also caught Jun Qiyu's attention. He looked up in the direction of the sound and saw Green Bamboo's figure.
He had a deep impression of the girl, Green Bamboo, not because she was the head maid in the Si Garden, but because she disliked anyone with ill intentions getting close to Xie Sili, or rather, apart from the Shadow Guards, the Dark Guards, and the Si Guards, she disliked any men.
She and Si Ze were Xie Si Li's two most famous bodyguards. With the two of them around, no one could get close to Xie Si Li.
Although Green Bamboo is slightly shorter, her aura is second to none, especially when she wields a large sword that is taller than herself, she can do so with great skill and deliver a fatal blow.
As for what Xie Sili is really like, only those who are close to him probably know.
Before Jun Qiyu could react, he heard Green Bamboo's voice, "So you are the number one playboy in Chang'an, Prince Yan?" When he looked up at her, his words were somewhat cold, "Although our young lady grew up in Yuzhou City, she is not someone that anyone can control."
Not receiving a reply from Jun Qiyu, Lüzhu continued, "Our young lady would never marry you in place of Xie Siyao, so you'd better give up on that idea!" She snorted coldly and stopped looking at Jun Qiyu, instead following Lu Shiyuan to visit Xie Sili.
"Miss Green Bamboo, what did you just say?" Lu Shiyuan asked with a hint of surprise. "You said you returned to Chang'an to marry the Fourth Prince in place of Xie Siyao?"
"I can't go into the details of the matter." Green Bamboo nodded. "I came back ahead of time. The old man and the old lady will arrive in Chang'an soon. I'll try to resolve this matter smoothly before they arrive."
She didn't give Lu Shiyuan a chance to speak and walked directly towards the dungeon.
When she saw Xie Sili, her eyes immediately reddened. Just as she was about to break the lock, she heard Xie Sili's voice, "This is public property. You will be required to pay for any damage."
Hearing Xie Sili's words, Lüzhu quickly and obediently asked Lu Shiyuan to open the door for her. The moment the cell door was opened, she rushed to Xie Sili's side and hugged her.
“Girl, you’ve been wronged. That damned Fang Ye deserves to be torn to pieces.” Her eyes reddened as she spoke. “I’ve only been away from you for a few days, and you’ve become like this.”
"You," Xie Sili said, raising his hand to pat Green Bamboo's head with a slight smile on his lips.
“Young lady, why don’t you leave this dungeon? Although we know your situation, how can you treat your body like this?” Green Bamboo stood up and looked at her with a stern face. “Even if you don’t cherish your own body, you should at least think about us.”
“Grandfather and the others must be heading to Chang’an by now.” Xie Sili looked at Green Bamboo and smiled. “Xie Xiang doesn’t seem to care much about my affairs. He’s planning to have me marry in his place. Wouldn’t it be killing two birds with one stone if I stayed here?” As she spoke, she reached out and patted Green Bamboo’s hand to comfort her. “I think it’s more like he’s unhappy about leaving you in Yuzhou City.”
Seeing the expression on Green Bamboo's face as she turned to look at her, she chuckled and pinched her cheek. "The Prime Minister's residence is not as good as the Si Garden, and it doesn't have a dragon vein. You are the person I care about the most. I left you in Yuzhou City to take care of my grandparents because I trust you."
“I know.” Green Bamboo sat down beside her and rested her head on her lap. “I know that you trust me, which is why you kept me in Yuzhou City. Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum are also very good. They have always served you. To outsiders, we are mistress and servant, but I know that you treat us as sisters. You not only returned our indentures to us, but also gave us enough free time.”
"If it weren't for your timely intervention back then, I would have been kidnapped and sold into a brothel long ago. How could I be who I am today?" Green Bamboo said, her eyes reddening. "Now that you've helped my parents and sister clear their names, I could never repay your kindness, even if I worked like a cow or a horse." She said, her eyes reddening.
Xie Sili carefully cupped Lvzhu's face, raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and comforted her, "Why say these things? They're just things that happen by chance. Look at how many people I've saved, I can't even remember the names of many of them. If everyone were like you, I would feel like I'm facing a formidable enemy."
She patted her head as she spoke, "Don't cry."
As soon as Xie Sili finished speaking, Green Bamboo cried even louder. Xie Sili didn't look angry; she just looked at Green Bamboo with a gentle expression and handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears after she finished crying.
"Don't cry. The matter of the Grand Secretary will be addressed to the people. Just as you said, such a person deserves to be torn to pieces!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
