Chapter 150 Without a moment's respite, the wife believed that Wang Fengshuo's death was related to...
Inside Xianliu Pavilion, wisps of white steam rose from the freshly brewed tea on the table, unable to dispel the stagnant tension in the air.
The tense atmosphere outside the door, which was on the verge of erupting, was temporarily suppressed by Yu Nie's watertight maneuvering, transforming into the seemingly calm tea conversation we are witnessing now.
With the overall situation at hand, remaining calm and composed is paramount. It is unwise to lose your composure without knowing the other party's clear intentions.
Therefore, after carefully hiding Cui Miaochang, she immediately instructed Sui En to quickly invite Gu Xiangzhi to accompany her, while she herself led Cuiwei to the door to personally greet the guests.
To her relief, she unexpectedly spotted Xu Cai beside Wang Ju'an's carriage.
Xu Cai's connection to the Wang family was not surprising to her.
In Jian'an City, everyone knows that Xu Wenji, who has been promoted from General of the Imperial Guard to General of the Imperial Guard, is on good terms with the young lady of the Wang family.
Rumors about Xu Cai's rise to power by relying on the Wang family's influence have been rampant for some time.
Everyone sees him as someone who climbs the social ladder, but Yu Nie and Lang Xi don't believe any of these rumors. They believe that Xu Cai only approached the Wang family to climb higher, which is definitely not the truth.
Behind the table, Yu Nie and Gu Xiangzhi, who was sitting at the lower end, looked at each other for a moment.
She hadn't had a chance to tell him that Cui Miaochang was the murderer of Wang Fenghu.
Even without saying it, based on his years of experience navigating the officialdom, Gu Xiangzhi sensed that Wang Ju'an's arrival was inextricably linked to Wang Feng's death, and perhaps also to Hongzheng Pavilion.
Wang Ju'an, seated at the head of the left, had been polite and graceful since entering. She was about the same age as Lang Xi, but her demeanor was more petite and charming.
The three of them had their own thoughts, but compared to the others, Xu Cai, who was standing next to Wang Ju'an, thought much more simply and was not as burdened as the other three.
The four people sat there with different thoughts in mind.
The maidservant arranged the cakes and fruits and then silently withdrew.
Glancing past the fresh, juicy fruit on the porcelain plate, Yu Nie turned her gaze to Wang Ju'an, who sat dignifiedly.
Adhering to etiquette, she raised her hand in acknowledgment, lacking her usual lively enthusiasm for entertaining guests: "Tea and fruit are prepared, please enjoy, Madam Wang."
Her cold and indifferent attitude made Wang Ju'an even more reserved. His hands under the table were nervously fidgeting, and he was restless.
"Thank you, Princess." Wang Ju'an's voice was soft. Since entering, she hadn't even touched the rim of her teacup. It was unclear whether she was being polite and respectful or worried that she might not be well received.
Given Ah Hui's past actions, it's not surprising that she has such worries.
Yu Nie's tone was flat, without a trace of warmth: "Madam Wang, you must have come here today for a reason. May I ask what brings you here?"
I felt a pang of panic at her blunt question.
Wang Ju'an raised his head and replied in a very soft voice, with obvious fear in his eyes, "I...I have come today to...apologize to the princess."
"Apologize?" Yu Nie repeated her answer, her voice rising at the end, as if puzzled: "What crime has my lady committed that warrants Madam Wang coming all the way here to apologize?"
She said this casually, but to Wang Ju'an it was no different from a sharp blade falling, making her heart tremble.
Although she was not present at the star-gazing banquet, she had heard about the situation from her family. It was their family's fault for owing someone a life, so they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
However, upon asking this question, Wang Ju'an took a deep breath as if he had made up his mind.
Having made preparations, she then said, "I... came here for my ignorant nephew, Feng Fu."
Upon learning that she had come for Wang Fengqi, Yu Nie felt a chill run down her spine, sensing something was amiss.
Before she could press for more information, Gu Xiangzhi coldly interrupted, "Young Master Wang is not..."
"Yes, Feng Qu was murdered last night."
Before they could ask any more questions, Wang Ju'an continued to state the purpose of his visit, sounding rather anxious: "I know that Feng Qu killed a young eunuch in the princess's residence in the past. Although my father vehemently denied it, and Feng Qu himself has never admitted it, I know he is capable of such a thing."
“Feng Qu was spoiled since childhood. He is arrogant and has a penchant for bullying the weak. He has hurt people more than once or twice. It’s just that his family can’t control him. I’m at home, so I can’t say much about this matter. In addition, my father was too proud and thought he was just a eunuch, so he let it go. But I think that the princess was willing to stand up for the people in the mansion and take up a sword to the Nine Heavens Palace. This shows that the person is very important to the princess.”
Finally, she looked at Yu Nie and said earnestly, "But now that she is dead, when will this cycle of revenge end? Death absolves all debts, so I hope the princess will not pursue my family any further."
After Wang Ju'an's words, Yu Nie, who was in the main seat, remained outwardly silent as a deep pool, but inwardly his heart was churning with unstoppable turbulent waves.
Her fingers tightened suddenly beneath the wide sleeves of her dress, a chill creeping up her spine and onto the top of her head.
Why would Wang Ju'an say that? Does she know something?
This thought lingered in her mind, churning her thoughts into a jumbled mess.
With the decline of the Gao and Li families, and the loss of numerous troops by the four major aristocratic clans on the northern frontier battlefield, the power of the aristocratic clans has been severely weakened. Now, only the Wang and Chen families remain, but their descendants are dwindling and there are no successors. With the implementation of land reform and the rise of the lower classes, these two families have long lost the foundation for their power to cause trouble.
Even if Zhao Yunfu still harbors the intention to protect the Wang and Chen families, he has no descendants capable of inheriting their power, so his support would be futile. Moreover, Zhao Yunfu's own future is uncertain and fraught with danger, so Yu Nie and the others are not worried that the aristocratic clans can stir up any more trouble.
However, just in case, and to ensure everything was in order, Huan Xun left behind secret agents to monitor the actions of the Wang and Chen families.
Wang Ju'an's remarks made her wonder if the news had been leaked somewhere.
Could it be that their covert surveillance has been exposed?
Or was Wang Ju'an simply testing her limits?
Gu Xiangzhi clearly hadn't expected that Wang Ju'an seemed to know something even more secret.
From Wang Ju'an's suggestive words, he was certain that the murderer who killed Wang Fengju must be hiding in Hongzheng Pavilion. Otherwise, the other party would not have come to say such things so rashly.
Moreover, within the Hongzheng Pavilion, there were only a handful of people who had the courage and motive to kill Wang Fengzhi.
Who possesses the ability to act decisively and without hesitation? Who would risk their entire life to do such a thing without considering the consequences? Who is the person behind it all? His thoughts raced, and before long, a name surfaced in his mind.
Yu Nie glanced sideways at Gu Xiangzhi, and seeing that he was looking at Wang Ju'an, she looked away and took a sip of tea.
She then placed the teacup back on the table and calmly said, "Madam Wang's words puzzle me somewhat. The matter of Wang Fengqi killing someone in my household has already been settled before the Empress Dowager and His Majesty. So why talk about revenge?"
"He met with misfortune, yet you come to ask me to spare your Wang family. Forgive my ignorance, but I find it hard to understand the cause and effect behind this."
"Or perhaps..." Yu Nie's expression remained unchanged, but his tone deepened slightly, "Does my wife believe that Wang Fenghu's death is related to me?"
Wang Ju'an had anticipated this rebuttal.
However, from the moment she decided to step into her mansion, she was prepared to reveal the secret.
She glanced at Xu Cai beside her, and with his encouragement, she turned back to Yu Nie: "The murderer who killed Feng Qu yesterday was witnessed by a night watchman. The watchman was unwilling to make a fuss, but his son was eager for a reward, so he forced the watchman to draw a portrait of the murderer from memory, which has been given to my father and elder brother."
“I saw that portrait when I was there. The person in it is the female Taoist priest who is currently living in Hongzheng Hall.”
Cui Miaochang lived in Hongzheng Pavilion. This was common knowledge, though not everyone knew it, but some people had seen her there, including Wang Ju'an.
Wang Ju'an said, "My elder brother has already offered a reward of a thousand taels of gold and asked the Censorate to post the portrait. Soon, someone will recognize that the person in the painting is a guest of honor at the princess's residence."
From Xu Cai's gaze, Yu Nie knew that Wang Ju'an was not lying.
Upon learning that the matter had been exposed, out of curiosity about Wang Ju'an's "betrayal" of his family and out of caution that there might be a trap, she asked, "Madam, you are a member of the Wang family, why did you come here personally to tell me this?"
Wang Ju'an lowered her eyes, and after a long while, she raised her head and said seriously, "To be honest, Your Highness, although I am Feng Qu's aunt, it is a fact that he has blood on his hands. In fact, he deserves this fate."
"When I heard about the murder of your servants that day, more than one person privately said that some justice in this world cannot be waited for. Even if I don't put aside my identity as a member of the Wang family, I cannot go against my conscience and say that this is not the clear justice of heaven, and even monks cannot stand by and watch."
At this point, her tone became somewhat urgent: "I have come here today not only to hope that the feud between our two families will come to an end, but also to ask Your Highness to inform that Taoist priest to leave as soon as possible. My elder brother has already sent people to post his portrait everywhere, and I'm afraid we can't delay any longer."
Wang Ju'an: "There is no time to lose. I urge Your Highness to make a decision as soon as possible. If we delay any longer, it may be too late."
Xu Cai, who hadn't said much until now, also spoke up: "Martial law will probably be imposed in the city soon. In my opinion, if we want to send people out of the city, now is the last chance. The Wang family may already be on their way to Hongzheng Pavilion. We can't delay any longer."
Hearing Xu Cai say this, Yu Nie's heart sank. There was no time to delay any longer.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and both she and Gu Xiangzhi knew that there was no room for hesitation at this moment.
She immediately stood up and nodded solemnly to Wang Ju'an: "I will remember your kindness today, Madam Wang."
The other party's choice between family and justice carries significant weight, and she should remember it.
She immediately turned to Gu Xiangzhi and made a decisive decision: "We must escort Master Cui out of the city immediately, or things will change." At this moment, she did not forget to conceal her identity from Wang Ju'an.
Gu Xiangzhi said, "The city gates are still guarded by the Imperial Guards. They should not have received the documents yet. In that case, I will personally escort Master Cui out of the city."
Yu Nie: "Why did you suddenly take people out?"
"You don't need to worry about that. We can solve it by saying we're patrolling to catch thieves." The Imperial Horse Administration has been busy arresting Xiao Chengyan lately, so saying this will reduce the risk of arousing suspicion.
Moreover, the Imperial Guards and the Censorate are not part of the same system, and there is indeed a time difference in information transmission. Taking advantage of this gap is the fastest and safest method at present.
After a moment's thought, Yu Nie realized that this plan was feasible.
“Alright, we’ll do as you say.” She nodded decisively: “We’ll go find the Taoist priest now.”
"Your Highness! Lord Gu!"
Before they could act, Song Ai rushed into the pavilion, clutching the hem of her official robes, a note tightly in her hand: "Something terrible has happened! After leaving this, Master Cui has disappeared without a trace!"
What you fear most is what comes to pass.
Yu Nie hurriedly walked over and took the note with the ink still wet. It contained only a few words, written with a resolute and unyielding style.
In the end, it was all too late.
To avoid implicating her, Cui Miaochang left alone.
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