Chapter 278 Li Nian'er ended her laughable and pathetic life.
The next day, dawn was breaking.
Xiao Yeming straightened his clothes and was about to go out to Yunshang Pavilion to tell Lu Zhaoruo the truth that he had kept buried in his heart for many years.
Unexpectedly, Lu Seng, Wang Wu, and Ban Ling arrived in haste, their faces all solemn.
Before he could speak, Sun Jing followed closely behind and stepped into the courtyard. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes held a rare hint of fear.
“General,” Sun Jing clasped his hands in a salute, his voice low, “I recalled something last night that may be related to the master of ‘Dark Sha.’ It is a matter of great importance, and I dare not fail to report it.”
Seeing that his expression was unusual, Xiao Yeming knew that this was no small matter, so he suppressed his eagerness and led everyone inside to talk in detail.
Sun Jing took a deep breath before saying in a deep voice, "When I was young, I had a mentor. He... was also a member of 'Dark Fiend,' codenamed 'Old Ape.' He was highly skilled in martial arts, yet he had a kind heart."
"About twenty-three years ago, he was ordered by his master to hunt down a father and daughter who were fleeing. The girl was still an infant. The specific reason was unknown, but it was known that her identity seemed to be very unusual."
"When they reached the desolate mountains, their master saw that the infant was innocent and pitiful, and in the end, he couldn't bear it and secretly let them live."
He paused slightly, his voice tinged with pain: "This matter was later exposed, and the master was furious... so my mentor was silenced. I was only seven years old at the time, and I was hiding behind the woodpile when I witnessed him being killed..."
Recalling that scene still pains Sun Jing.
He composed himself and continued, "Before my mentor passed away, he gripped my wrist tightly and uttered a few words incoherently... His mouth was full of blood, and his voice was muffled. I could only vaguely make out one sound, which seemed to be the word 'Yun'."
"Yun?"
Xiao Yeming's eyes narrowed. "Is it a surname? A given name? Or a code name?"
Lu Seng pondered and said, "Yun, Yun, Yun... could it be the sound of 'Yun' or 'Yun'? The range is too broad to be certain."
Wang Wu continued, "Could it be a high-ranking official whose name contains this sound? Or perhaps it's a title or a place name that sounds similar?"
Sun Jing shook his head: "My master was on his deathbed at the time, and his speech was unclear. With only this one sound, it is really difficult to make a judgment. But I am certain that this 'Yun' is closely related to the owner of 'Dark Sha'!"
Xiao Yeming stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the gradually brightening sky, his heart filled with turmoil.
He then asked, "And who are that father and daughter?"
Wang Wu's eyes lit up: "If we can find that father and daughter, wouldn't we be able to follow the clues and find out who the master of 'Dark Sha' is?"
Sun Jing smiled bitterly: "Twenty-three years have passed, and in this vast sea of people, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Ban Ling, who had been listening in, suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I know who that father and daughter are!"
Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, he chuckled and said, "Isn't it obvious? It's Madam Lu and Father Lu!"
He began to analyze on his own: "Think about it, the master of 'Dark Shade' chased and killed a father and daughter back then, and then assassinated Lady Lu twenty-three years later. Isn't it obvious that they are the same people?"
Wang Wu scoffed, "I thought you had some brilliant ideas!"
Sun Jing said slowly, "It seems that this is Madam Lu's first time in the capital. According to Bo Hong, Madam Lu's father has lived in Jizhou for a long time. He is a refined and scholarly man who has never been involved in disputes. How could he have offended the master of 'Dark Sha'?"
"Besides, only a father and daughter were being hunted down back then. The Lu family also had their eldest son, Bo Hong, so it wasn't a three-person trip."
Ban Ling stroked his chin and said sheepishly, "That's right... I misunderstood."
Despite the speculations and rebuttals from the crowd, Xiao Yeming remained silent, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
but.
He had more important things to do right now, and said, "I need to go see Madam Lu first."
He was on his way to Yunshang Pavilion when he was stopped by a piercing gong and a cacophony of voices.
He reined in his horse and looked around, only to see a line of people slowly approaching.
Leading the group was Chang Hong, who stood beside Meng Xi. His face was stern as he escorted a person in the middle of the procession—Li Nian'er, who was dressed in plain white prison clothes and looked emaciated.
She struck the gong, staggering with each step, her face as pale as paper, her eyes vacant, like an empty shell from which her soul had been ripped away.
Chang Hong shouted sternly, "By order of Lord Meng, the sinful woman Li Nian'er shall confess her crimes in public!"
Li Nian'er trembled all over, and in a hoarse voice, she read intermittently, "Everyone... the villagers are my witnesses... all the gossip that has ruined Madam Lu's reputation was spread by me, Li Nian'er... out of jealousy and hatred... I fabricated it all, maliciously slandering her... all the blame lies with me..."
Her face showed not much humiliation, but more resentment and despair.
She was taking the blame for Wan Ning's mother.
She knew that being sent back to the Emperor's brother's mansion would also mean certain death, and she would die an even more miserable death.
It would be better to use this act of "taking the blame" to get Wan Ningniang to beat the drum and appeal to the emperor one day, so that she can avenge that blood feud.
Thinking of this, a twisted sense of pleasure arose in her heart.
It was worth it!
The surrounding crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted into a huge uproar!
"Good heavens! It was she who ordered people to spread rumors!"
"I knew Madam Lu wasn't that kind of person; it turns out someone was maliciously slandering her!"
In the crowd, someone with sharp eyes immediately recognized her: "Hey? Isn't that Miss Qi from the Qi family? The daughter of Madam Qi's own sister, the one she's raised by her side since she was little!"
"Yes, yes, yes! It's her! Wasn't she betrothed to that illegitimate son of the Meng family? But she was arrogant and tried to climb up to Meng Xi, sneaking into his room in the middle of the night. She was caught red-handed and thrown out, disheveled! The Qi family lost face, so they hurriedly sent her back to her hometown in Jizhou to avoid trouble!"
"It's only been a short while since things calmed down, why are you back in Beijing again? And causing such trouble?"
"Hey, you guys don't know yet, do you? I heard that she later used some connections to get into the Emperor's brother's household and became his concubine!"
"No wonder! They must be so jealous of Young Master Meng's proposal to Lady Lu that they resorted to such despicable means to ruin the marriage!"
Curses, whispers, and disdainful glances rained down on Li Nian'er.
The vermilion gates of the Qi residence were tightly shut, like a cold boundary.
As I walked past the restaurants where I used to gather with friends, old acquaintances avoided me, their eyes darting away, as if afraid of getting involved in anything.
Among the crowd, the servants of the Imperial Uncle's mansion followed closely, watching coldly, waiting for the humiliating parade to end so they could drag her back to that hell on earth.
Memories flooded my mind like a tide.
Back in the capital, although she wasn't a top-tier noblewoman, she was still surrounded by admirers and enjoyed a certain level of prestige.
Later, when she returned to Jizhou, she was admired by the villagers because she was the daughter of the county magistrate. She never suffered any grievances.
But ever since I met Lu Zhaoruo!
Her father was demoted, her family fortune was lost, her own dignity was shattered, and her brother was even killed by her!
What's most hateful is that she actually pushed herself into the clutches of the emperor's brother-in-law, was forcibly defiled, and had no choice but to become a concubine, enduring inhuman torture day and night ever since!
And now, even Meng Xi, whom she has admired for many years, is asking Lu Zhaoruo for her hand in marriage! Yet he shows her no pity whatsoever!
On what grounds?
Why is it that Lu Zhaoruo has such a fortunate destiny and is always favored?
Why should I be reduced to this state and suffer such humiliation?
Reaching the most bustling intersection in the west of the city, Li Nian'er suddenly stopped and slammed the gong in her hand onto the ground!
She let out a bloodcurdling laugh, her voice filled with utter despair: "Hahaha... Lu Zhaoruo... I hate you... I hate you so much! You will never have a good end!"
Before her laughter subsided, she crashed headfirst into a menacing stone lion on the side of the street.
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, blood instantly stained the base red.
She collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide open, staring at the gray sky. A last tear of blood slid down her cheek, and she breathed her last.
Chang Hong reined in his horse, watching the scene expressionlessly, as if he had expected it. He simply waved for his men to come forward: "The sinful woman Li Nian'er has committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Not far away, Xiao Yeming sat upright on his horse, taking in all of this, and was greatly shocked.
He never expected Meng Xi to act so swiftly and ruthlessly, not only accurately identifying the source of the rumors but also using such a thunderous method of publicly parading someone through the streets and forcing them to commit suicide to completely clear Lu Zhaoruo's name.
What alarmed him even more was that Meng Xi, who was known for his indifference and aloofness, was now going to such lengths for Lu Zhaoruo, even risking lives to forcefully quell the rumors.
A strong sense of crisis suddenly gripped Xiao Yeming.
Meng Xi's protection of Lu Zhaoruo was far more resolute and forceful than he had imagined.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the city.
Li Nian'er, a woman who became a laughingstock for her unsuccessful attempt to seduce Meng Xi, ended her laughable and tragic life in the most tragic way because she was jealous of Lu Zhaoruo and instructed people to spread rumors.
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