Chapter 39 Overturning the eyes of tigers and leopards.
Wei Yihua looked at Yue Yining, and suddenly her eyes welled up with tears.
She remembered her last meeting with Yue Yining in her previous life. Yue Yining, covered in blood and hanging on the execution rack, smiled just like that and said to her, "I don't believe in fate." Now, she seemed to vaguely understand the weight of those words, and an indescribable sadness instantly welled up in her heart.
Yue Yining was stunned when she saw Wei Yihua's reddened eyes. She had never seen Wei Yihua so out of control before, and was immediately frightened and at a loss for words: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
I felt her hand supporting my shoulder, and the light, refreshing scent of tea wafted to my nose, like suddenly falling into a bamboo forest after the rain.
Wei Yihua lowered her head, refusing to let her see her face. When Yue Yining asked her questions, she stubbornly shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine."
Yue Yining realized that Wei Yihua had really just lost control of her emotions for a moment. The princess probably didn't want to be comforted or have her red and swollen eyes seen.
When Yue Yining was discussing matters with others, servants were always dismissed in the hall, and there wasn't even anyone she could call upon at this moment. But looking at Wei Yihua's fluffy hair, she felt she couldn't just sit idly by.
Yue Yining slowly stood up, making only a slight rustling sound of her clothes.
After a moment, Wei Yihua looked up and saw Yue Yining had already closed the door and walked in, bending down in front of her.
A damp, soft handkerchief was gently pressed against the corner of the eye.
Wei Yihua was stunned and subconsciously reached out to press down, only to see Yue Yining, who had released her hand, scrutinizing her face as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.
Her eyes curved slightly: "It must be because I made myself sound too pitiful just now, which made Your Highness sad and shed tears. It's all my fault."
The damp, cool silk dispelled the heat around my eyes.
The world behind the blindfold became a hazy, colorful blur, like viewing flowers through a mist. Wei Yihua could tell from Yue Yining's deliberate teasing that she was laughing. She suddenly smiled, and the gloom and worries in her heart vanished as the intense beam of light illuminated her.
"Yue Yining, you take yourself far too seriously." The eldest princess covered her face and spoke, her voice still a little hoarse, "...Who said I was crying for you?"
So what if it's just wishful thinking?
Even if it's wishful thinking, she will try to change their fate.
As Yue Yining lamented, "So it turns out I was just being presumptuous," Wei Yihua had already put down the handkerchief. Her eyes were still a little red, but the light in them had already brightened.
Yue Yining glanced at Wei Yihua's expression and felt relieved.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Fu Yao opened the door and walked in. She first bowed to the Princess, then handed Yue Yining a letter: "Miss, this is from the Fourth Prince's residence. It says it's a letter from Lord Ye."
Yue Yining then remembered: "I almost forgot, it should be about giving out silver notes."
When they parted at the Prince's mansion, Ye Miheng said he planned to arrange another time to have a casual meal with her at a restaurant, and he would give her the silver notes then, to avoid arousing suspicion from Wei Jing's men due to a large sum of money. Now, three days have passed, and it's time to send a visiting card.
Yue Yining tore open the seal on the letter, but her expression turned strange after reading the contents.
Wei Yihua naturally noticed her strange expression: "What's wrong? What did that Lord Ye say?"
Yue Yining: "...Actually, it's nothing. He said he wasn't feeling well and didn't know when he would recover and we could meet again, so he told me to cancel our previous appointment."
In fact, the content of the visiting card was even more shocking. The handwriting on the letter was different from the handwritten letter from Ye Miheng that was sent last time, indicating that this visiting card was written by someone else.
The ghostwriter's words were sharp and highly official, stating that Ye Miheng had mistakenly ingested laxatives and suffered from diarrhea for two days. He was now lying weakly in bed, having lost one part of his soul and three parts of his spirit, and therefore could not leave the mansion to meet Yue Yining before Kangfu was restored.
Yue Yining: "......" How could this be accidentally ingested?
"Very well." Yue Yining closed the letter. Reminded by the incident, she remembered the matter of the Wang family and told Wei Yihua in detail about her visit to Vice Prime Minister Wang that day and the result of her divination.
Wei Yihua's expression grew increasingly grave as she listened, until finally a hint of shock appeared in her eyes: "You mean, the Wang family is very likely..."
Yue Yining shook his head: "This is merely my guess, and how it is actually handled depends on His Majesty's decision."
However, judging from the divination, the good times should only last for a few more days.
The bright moon shines over the flowing water, lanterns illuminate the high stars, and the lanterns are like fireworks. The iron-locked bridge stands tall. The joy and festivities of the Lantern Festival have swept away the winter's chill and cold. The dazzling lights and lively music that last all night have turned the night sky into a bright day with rosy clouds.
On the sixteenth day of the first month of the seventeenth year of Jiahe, the day after the Lantern Festival had ended, the weather was mild and pleasant.
Since arriving at the Princess's residence, Fu Yao has often mingled with the Embroidered Vermilion Guards for morning training. The Embroidered Vermilion Guards are an elite force raised by Wei Yihua within the residence. They were a coming-of-age gift from her maternal grandfather, General Gu, and consist of a total of one hundred women, all of whom are the same age as her.
Yue Yining learned of the existence of this guard unit because of Fu Yao. She saw Fu Yao eagerly watching them train from the railing every day, so she asked Wei Yihua if Fu Yao could participate in the morning training of the Embroidered Crimson Guard.
Wei Yihua naturally had no reason to disagree, and Fu Yao began to get up early every day to train with a group of peers. She became visibly brighter and had more smiles on her face.
After getting up in the morning, Fu Yao would bring breakfast to Yue Yining's room and cover it with an insulated cover so that Yue Yining could eat when she woke up. Then she would rush to the training ground. By the time Yue Yining finished training, it would be noon, and Fu Yao would pick up lunch on the way back to Yue Yining's room.
Yue Yining got up a little late this morning, and the breakfast on the table was already a bit cold. After eating quickly, Yue Yining checked the list of officials he was to meet in a few days again, when someone knocked on the palace door.
Yue Yining looked up from the vast sea of books: "Go in."
A maidservant entered through the door and curtsied, saying, "Lord Yue, Lord Qiu and Lord Shen request an audience."
Yue Yining raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
The fact that he was able to come to the princess's residence at this time indicates that he set off immediately after the morning court session.
Two familiar figures entered through the door; it was Qiu Yuebai and Shen Liude. Yue Yining stood up, walked around the desk, and went to greet them: "What brings you two here? Is something urgent?"
Just as she had guessed, the two looked travel-worn and were still wearing their official robes. Even Qiu Yuebai, who was always smiling, had a slight frown, which made Yue Yining's heart skip a beat.
"What happened?"
Shen Liude gestured for Qiu Yuebai to close the door. The three of them sat down at the table where purple smoke curled. Shen Liude began, “This morning at court, Imperial Censor Zhong Ji stepped out of his post and accused several high-ranking officials, including Vice Chancellor Wang Zhichang, Vice Minister of the Chancellery Wang Yi, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Wang Yu, of embezzling state funds and enriching themselves. He also claimed to have evidence that the Wangs intended to rebel.”
Upon hearing this, Yue Yining's expression and demeanor immediately became serious: "What is His Majesty's reaction to this?"
Qiu Yuebai continued, "Several officials stepped forward to echo Zhong Ji's sentiments, and His Majesty decided that the Censorate should first send someone to investigate the case. Zhong Ji has already handed over the evidence he presented to the Censorate and sent a copy of the secret report to His Majesty. Due to the large amount of content, the preliminary review results have not yet been released."
Yue Yining: "What about the Eldest Princess? Does she know about this?"
"She stayed in the palace yesterday, and I haven't seen her yet today."
Qiu Yuebai nodded: "Her Highness the Eldest Princess is still in the palace. Not only the princess, but the other two princes, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, also entered the palace after the morning court session. They must have gone to see His Majesty."
Shen Liude gestured for her to speak, "What does the Yue people think?"
Yue Yining tapped the table and slowly spoke: "For a sixth-rank censor to accuse several high-ranking officials from aristocratic families, including a first-rank minister, would not dare to do such a thing without someone secretly supporting him. It seems that this Lord Zhong is just someone sent to start things up, and more people will come forward to accuse the Wang family of their illegal activities. The most crucial thing now is whether the evidence held by Zhong Ji's side is strong enough."
The initial direction and intensity of the investigation are largely determined by the strength of the evidence presented by the whistleblower. If there is decisive evidence, the Emperor will be furious, and the faster the investigation, search, arrest, and interrogation of the Wang family members will proceed, the more difficult it will be for them to completely destroy the evidence and maneuver within the system.
Yue Yining pondered for a moment: "What was the Xie family's reaction?"
Shen Liude: "We are still waiting for the informant to send a message. When I came to the morning court, the three members of the Xie family looked very surprised, as if they knew nothing about this matter, but they did not step forward to speak for the Wang family."
"The Xie and Wang families have a close relationship. If the Wang family is in trouble, Xie Zhi will certainly not ignore it."
Qiu Yuebai: "This matter was mostly done by people from the poor families, but the possibility of involvement from the educated class cannot be ruled out. But I think the Wang family is not so easy to shake; they are too impatient."
"As the family with the most collateral branches, the Wang family's influence in the court is deeply entrenched, with their disciples and protégés spread throughout various government agencies. It would be very difficult to bring them down. However, I did not expect those people to be so ruthless, directly accusing them of treason."
If this charge is proven true, it will be more than just a matter of losing his official position and being dismissed from his post.
Yue Yining pondered, "Her Highness the Eldest Princess may not be able to return today."
"If I have something to say to her, is the only option to write a letter and have it delivered to the palace?"
Qiu Yuebai: "Yes, you can have your maid hand over to the chief eunuch, and he will make the arrangements."
Yue Yining's calculations were entirely correct. At the third quarter of Hai hour that night, the water clock had run out, and Wei Yihua still hadn't returned to the princess's residence. The turbulent daytime gave way to a deep, dark night, where a colossal black dragon lay dormant in the sky, seemingly poised to strike.
This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.
The following day at noon, the sun blazed brightly, and the remaining snow of late winter in Yanjing finally melted into mud and water under two days of warm sunshine.
As usual, Yue Yining held a meeting in the mansion. This time, in addition to Shen Liude and Qiu Yuebai, there were also several female officials who had a good relationship with the princess.
It was midday, the sun blazing overhead, a gentle breeze blowing, the icy mountains and rocks gleaming, the lake a mirror-like surface. A group of people sat in an octagonal pavilion discussing state affairs when suddenly they heard a distant, resonant sound coming from the lakeside, a voice carrying across the water: "The Princess has arrived—"
Yue Yining paused, then noticed Wei Yihua walking briskly towards them. She was dressed in a bright sandalwood silk jacket, her beauty striking. The princess clearly hadn't rested well, her expression showing a hint of weariness, but her eyes shone with a sharp light. Yue Yining met her gaze across the lake and realized they were the eyes of a tiger or leopard.
Everyone in the pavilion rose and bowed, with Yue Yining being the last to stand up.
Wei Yihua gestured for them to dispense with the formalities. She had rushed over because the situation had changed dramatically in just two days.
She said in a deep voice, "His Majesty just ordered the Imperial Guards to surround the Prince's Mansion and conduct an immediate search. At the same time, he ordered the Court of Judicial Review to summon and interrogate Wang Zhichang, Wang Yi, Wang Yu, and others. The other members of the Wang family involved in the case have been placed under the supervision and control of the Censorate."
......
Recently, the ongoing uproar over the "anti-Wang case" has caused turmoil within the imperial court. Members of the Wang family are making efforts to influence the situation, while officials associated with the Wang family are assessing the development of the situation and waiting for an opportunity to act.
It was almost early spring, March, and the apricot blossoms were tender and about to bloom, yet the sky above Yanjing City was shrouded in dark clouds. These clouds, formed from the anxiety and worry of countless people involved, seemed to be waiting for rain to finally fall.
However, none of this had anything to do with Xie Yunying.
Since her application was approved by the system, Xie Yunying felt much lighter. From then on, she said goodbye to the main storyline and no longer had to worry about doing things against her conscience under great psychological pressure.
Xie Yunying told the system her thoughts in detail, and the system reminded her: "Host, have you forgotten that you still want to get married?"
Xie Yunying's smile vanished: "......."
System: "Warning: Ruthless, Heartless, and Lame Husband!"
Xie Yunying: "...System, do you have something like a system shop? Does it sell medicine?"
System: "Huh? Yes, but you can only use it in the shop after the main storyline is unlocked~ What kind of medicine does the host need?"
Xie Yunying: "Is there any medicine that can make someone mute?"
System: "Yes, host, who do you want to use it on?"
Xie Yunying said coldly, "You."
system:"........"
Xie Yunying was bored today. Her buttocks and back couldn't stand sitting for long, so she often went out to wander around the mansion. While she was bickering with the system, she had already walked half a lap around the garden.
My eyes glanced at it casually, then froze.
Xie Yunying looked ahead and thought, "Huh? Isn't that Xie Lianquan?" How come I ran into him again?
Xie Lianquan looked much more haggard. Although his clothes and accessories were all luxurious, from a distance he looked utterly dejected. Coupled with his hunched back and strange walking posture, he looked more like a thief cautiously breaking into the mansion to steal, rather than the dignified second young master of the Xie family.
Xie Yunying muttered, "Every time I run into this guy, he seems suspicious."
The system saw Xie Yunying move her feet as she spoke these words.
system:"?"
System: "Host, what are you doing?"
"Hmm?" Xie Yunying said, "Can't you tell? We were following him."
System: "........" followed by ??
"Host, you'd better not wander around recklessly. What if you accidentally get into trouble again like last time..."
"What else do you think I could get into trouble with? I've already been exposed before." Xie Yunying clicked her tongue. "And to be honest, I think the most dangerous person in this mansion is Xie Qingyu. I've already messed with him, so what am I afraid of?"
The system was speechless.
Xie Yunying followed for a while, but she didn't dare to get too close for fear of being noticed by Xie Lianquan. Fortunately, Xie Lianquan seemed to be in a daze and didn't notice that someone was following him.
Xie Yunying walked to the end and watched helplessly as Xie Lianquan entered Xie Qingyu's courtyard.
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