Chapter 64 The Secrets of the Xue Family Never before had Xue Rong been seen so distraught…
Linxian County is nestled between mountains and water, where surging waves frequently crash against the rocks on the shore. Even in the sweltering summer, the area remains damp. The intense sunlight streams through the bright window paper into the house, leaving the skin feeling sticky and damp.
Not only people, but also the bedding they use every day, Jingnu has to air it out again and again, otherwise he will have trouble sleeping at night.
Taking advantage of the midday sun, Jingnu carried her bedding out. At first, she did not notice the strangeness that had occurred in the courtyard.
She draped the bedding over the drying line as usual, pulling the front and back corners flat. She turned around, about to take her own bedding out to dry as well, but stopped abruptly because of an unintentional glance in her eyes.
A few lotus flowers floated on the surface of the large water vat in the corner, rippling gently in the breeze. It looked calm and peaceful, just like always, provided that one ignored the few drops of scarlet blood that had dripped down in front of the vat.
Jingnu's gaze froze.
A scoundrel has infiltrated the courtyard. Who could it be? A bandit?
Jingnu's heart sank slightly, and her gaze lingered on the water vat for a moment longer.
Then, she went back into the house with a normal expression, as if she had not noticed anything. She took out her bedding to air it out, but as she walked down the steps, she suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and fell to the ground: "Luo Zhen, come out and help me!"
Hearing the commotion, Luo Zhen ran out from the opposite house. Seeing Jingnu sitting on the ground, he didn't think much of it, made a couple of jokes, and walked quickly towards her with a smile.
He reached out to help Jingnu up from the ground, but despite his efforts, he couldn't move her.
He lowered his head in confusion and looked at Jingnu.
Under the cover of Luo Zhen's tall and strong figure, Jingnu's hand, hidden under the bedding, twitched slightly, revealing the sharpness of a short sword. She subtly gestured with her chin toward the water vat not far in front of her.
Luo Zhen's eyelids twitched, and he instantly realized the hidden danger.
Two large water vats were placed at the east and west ends of the courtyard. Jingnu and Luo Zhen worked together to approach the two water vats one after the other: "Jingnu, be careful. How can you fall over while hanging out a quilt?"
"The stone on the steps was wobbly, that's why I lost my footing. You'd better fix it quickly. It's okay if I fall, but if my wife falls, I'll see how many layers of skin you have."
As Jingnu spoke, she carried the bedding to the east end of the drying line, and after taking two more steps, she reached the water vat placed in the corner.
The corner of the east wall used to be a small vegetable garden enclosed by a wooden fence. After renting the courtyard, Xue Rongyue and her group naturally had no intention of growing vegetables, so they rarely set foot in that area, otherwise—
Jingnu took a light sniff. The smell of blood mixed with the damp smell of rain entered her nostrils. Although the smell of blood was faint, it was still noticeable to someone who wielded a sword.
“You’re right. I’ll go back to my room to get some things and then I’ll go fix it.”
Luo Zhen walked towards the west end, toward his house.
Just as he was about to step across the threshold, Luo Zhen suddenly turned around!
With a light touch of his toes, the long sword at his waist was drawn with a sharp sizzle, and Luo Zhen dashed towards the water vat not far behind him like a nimble swallow!
At the same time, Jingnu silently slid the short sword hidden in her sleeve into her palm, turned around, and attacked the water vat beside her with lightning speed!
The moment Luo Zhen drew his sword, the two people hiding in the water vat immediately realized something was wrong. With a "splash," they stood up from the vat and, without saying a word, sprinkled the powder in their hands onto Jingnu and Luo Zhen's faces.
Luo Zhen reacted quickly, blocking the attack from the side. The person in front of him seized the opportunity to leap onto the wall, attempting to escape.
On the other end, however, they were not so lucky.
Jingnu covered her mouth and nose with one hand, and at the same time, without hesitation, threw the short sword in her hand—
With a sharp whooshing sound, the short sword gleamed coldly in the bright sunlight, piercing straight into the left leg of the man before it. The sharp blade cut through his skin, and blood gushed out.
The man was already injured, and when the sword struck him, he let out a painful howl, fell to his knees, and was quickly bound by the rushing servant.
The man who had leaped onto the wall hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave up struggling and resisting. Luo Zhen, who had caught up with him, pinned him to the ground: "Don't kill us! I have something worth a fortune!"
Jingnu snorted coldly: "Even if it's worth a fortune, if you dare to disturb my mistress, I will not let you off easily."
The commotion from the fight was quite loud. The thugs living on both sides came running at the sound. They saw the two bound men looking at each other and asked in a low voice, "Who are they?"
"How dare you ask!"
Jingnu glared at the crowd standing in front of her: "I told you to keep watch day and night and guard this courtyard to the death, yet someone still managed to sneak in. Once we find out when and what time they sneaked in, the people on patrol will all be punished."
Everyone felt a little guilty and lowered their heads, replying in unison, "Yes."
Two grown men have infiltrated this place without any knowledge of what's going on. If they were to accidentally injure the lady, they would be held responsible even if they were executed.
"Jingnu, has the matter been resolved?"
Xue Rongyue's question came from inside the house.
Xue Rongyue was inside looking through a simple map of the mountain terrain that Ji Dian had sent over when she suddenly heard the commotion outside. She wanted to go out and check, but she was afraid that going out would give the villains an opportunity, so she remained silent.
Jingnu replied, "Don't worry, Madam, we have captured those two villains alive."
Xue Rongyue instructed, "Bring the person in."
Jingnu responded and pulled the two of them into the house. Luo Zhen then led the others to redeploy the defenses and surveillance in the courtyard and clean up the messy courtyard.
The injured man was not old, about seventeen or eighteen years old. He was soaking wet, and large amounts of blood were gushing from the old and new wounds on his arms and left leg. When he came in, he was lying on the ground, half-conscious, with a face as pale as paper and lips bloodless.
The other man was a bit older, around twenty-six or twenty-seven. Although his coarse linen clothes bore sword marks, he appeared energetic and vigorous, so he was probably unharmed.
Looking at the dying boy lying on the ground, his eyes were filled with worry. He suddenly said to Xue Rongyue, "They call you 'Madam,' so you should be in charge here. Please go and fetch a doctor to treat my brother. I am Jiang Huaishun, son of the Jiang family. If you can save him, I will reward you with ten thousand gold pieces!"
Xue Rongyue raised her willow-leaf eyebrows slightly: "The Jiang family?"
Jingnu stepped forward and whispered, "The Jiang family is a well-known and powerful family that occupies a neighboring county."
Xue Rongyue looked him up and down: "But why do I think you look so much like a bandit?"
Ji Dian was dressed like this when he came the other day.
After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Huaishun said to Jingnu when he saw the dying face of the person beside him, "I will sew the jade pendant inside the left side of your clothes."
Jingnu stepped forward with some skepticism, parted one side of his clothes, and sure enough, found a jade pendant inside. She quickly presented it to Xue Rongyue.
This is indeed a jade pendant that can symbolize status. The front of the pendant is engraved with the flowing character "Jiang". Judging from the quality of this jade pendant, it is definitely not something that ordinary people can obtain.
Xue Rongyue accepted the jade pendant: "Move him to an uninhabited side room and have Mei Xin come and take a look at him."
Mei Xin was a henchman brought by Xue Rongyue from Chang'an. He was not only skilled in martial arts, but more importantly, he was an excellent doctor.
If she didn't bring a doctor with her when she went out, she wouldn't dare to eat her daily meals, tea, or medicine prescribed by the clinic, for fear that some villains might tamper with what she ate. The young man had a sword wound, and if she asked a doctor to come and treat him, she might alert the bandits.
"My lady is from Chang'an. I wonder which Xue family in Chang'an she belongs to?"
Jiang Huaishun spoke with certainty, his gaze fixed on the earrings Xue Rongyue was wearing.
Xue Rongyue played with the jade pendant in her hand: "How did you know I'm from Chang'an?"
“The lady is dressed in rich clothes and is followed by wealthy servants, but she does not recognize the Jiang family. She must not be from the neighboring county. I have been to Chang'an before, and the lady’s accent is slightly different from that of people from our poor and remote area.”
Jiang Huai said, "When I was hiding in the water vat, I heard the servants call you Madam Xue. Madam, you were dressed in fine silks and satins, and the earrings on your ears were rare red jade. You must be of noble birth."
"There are three Xue families in Chang'an: the first is descended from Marquis Huaide, the second is Xue Shilang, a member of a collateral branch of the Jiangling Xue family, and the third is..."
Jiang Huaishun's eyes were sharp: "The third is the son of General Xue, the mighty general with illustrious military achievements. May I ask which Xue your wife is from?"
Xue Rongyue met his gaze: "You are so insistent on which Xue family I belong to, it seems that the word Xue is very important to you."
"yes."
Jiang Huaishun nodded in acknowledgment: "I suppose my wife has already guessed my identity. I was ordered by the previous magistrate to infiltrate the bandits and was quite trusted. I learned some secrets about the Xue family's past."
Xue Rongyue felt a sudden tremor in her heart for some unknown reason. She looked directly at him and asked in a deep voice, "Which Xue?"
Jiang Huaishun refused to continue: "The principle of first come, first served is something even a three-year-old child knows. I asked you first, madam. Since you want to know the secret, why don't you tell me first, which Xue are you?"
Xue Rongyue curled her lips, but there was no smile in her eyes: "Does Young Master Jiang know another principle?"
Jiang Huai Shun said, "I would like to hear the details."
Xue Rongyue said coldly, "When you're controlled by someone, there's no room for bargaining. Don't forget, your brother is still lying in the side room. Whether he's given life-saving medicine or deadly poison next depends on whether you obey."
Jiang Huaishun looked at her in astonishment: "You are a woman from a prominent family, and you are naturally well-versed in poetry and literature. How can you go against the words of the sages and threaten with your life? That is the behavior of a petty person and is not something a gentleman should do!"
Women and men from prominent families would never resort to such underhanded tactics to protect their family's reputation, as such families value their reputation above all else.
Although the Jiang family cannot compare to the three Xue families of Chang'an, they still have some prestige, and many members of the family serve as officials in the court. It has always been the case that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Xue Rongyue is from a neighboring county, so she should treat him with courtesy upon learning of his identity. Otherwise, he would not have asked directly.
To everyone's surprise, Xue Rongyue didn't follow the rules at all and didn't play by the rules.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Jiang Langjun. I have never believed in the words of sages, so naturally I cannot be a gentleman."
Xue Rongyue removed the fig leaf from his body: "Don't even think about using the Jiang family to pressure me. If you could really go back to the Jiang family, you wouldn't have fled into the water vat with your brother when the bandits were searching everywhere."
Jiang Huaishun's expression darkened for a moment, and he gritted his teeth and fell silent.
Xue Rongyue said, "You're a smart person, so don't do anything stupid anymore."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaishun suddenly laughed, but the smile was bitter and stiff: "I've spent half my life being called stupid, and this is the first time I've heard someone say I'm smart. I'm truly flattered."
“It’s not that I’m ungrateful, but if I say the word ‘Xue’ correctly, there will be no problem. But if I say it wrong, my entire Jiang family could be brought to disaster because of it. Even if Madam Xue wants to kill or torture us today, she can’t let the Jiang family be harmed for nothing because of the two of us.”
He sighed and looked at the bright sunshine outside the window: "Thank you, Madam Xue, for treating my brother's illness. Although I cannot reveal the secrets without permission, I do have something I would like to tell you, Madam Xue."
Xue Rongyue asked, "What?"
Jiang Huaishun said, "You may have already been targeted by bandits."
Xue Rongyue's eyes sharpened, and she sat up straight.
Jiang Huaishun's gaze fell on a burly man sweeping in the courtyard: "I saw him when I was hiding from bandits. He was eating in a noodle shop. When the bandits passed by, they accidentally knocked his chopsticks to the ground. If someone didn't know martial arts, they would probably only realize what was happening when they heard the chopsticks fall to the ground and then pick them up. But he caught the chopsticks before they hit the ground."
"A burly man with calloused hands, a long whip hidden in his bosom, a Chang'an accent, and an unfamiliar face... Madam Xue, don't underestimate these bandits' vigilance and control over the neighboring county. At that time, the way the bandits looked at him was already strange, and they would definitely send someone to secretly follow him."
"The fight just now led him to this courtyard, and the bandits will naturally have their eyes on this place. I advise you to take advantage of the bandits' predicament and leave the neighboring county as soon as possible to avoid trouble."
Xue Rongyue's expression was rather unpleasant. After exchanging a glance with Jingnu, she first took Jiang Huai away and locked him up, while Jingnu went to question the thug herself.
A moment later, Jingnu walked in with a solemn expression: "His account is no different from what Jiang Langjun said. He didn't recognize that the person who knocked over the chopsticks was a bandit, so he didn't pay attention to it."
"My lady, what should we do? If we've really been targeted by the bandits, we're outnumbered and must leave the neighboring county immediately."
After a brief moment of panic, Xue Rongyue quickly calmed down: "It hasn't gotten to the worst yet. I'll write a letter, and you take the sachet to the teahouse and find the manager, and have him give it to Qin Jin."
Upon hearing this, Jingnu had no choice but to suppress her fear and anxiety. After Xue Rongyue finished writing the letter, she changed into an inconspicuous set of coarse linen clothes and left the courtyard through the secret passage she had dug day and night over the past few days, walking quickly to the teahouse.
Xue Rongyue looked down at the jade pendant in her hand.
The Xue family's secrets.
The secrets of the Xue family...
She carefully pondered those four words.
The Xue family of Marquis Huaide has only had one son for three generations, and no young ladies have been born in the family. Jiang Huaishun knows the three Xue families like the back of his hand, so he naturally knows this. Since he still asked, it means that this secret of the Xue family has nothing to do with the Xue family of Marquis Huaide.
That leaves only her, with the surname Xue, and Xue Shilang's household.
It's a choice between two options; it's unclear which Xue family secret will ultimately fall under.
Xue Rongyue could hardly suppress the surging emotions in her heart. The word "bandits" reminded her of that old incident, making it impossible for her to ignore the secret Jiang Huaishun had mentioned.
Should we take a gamble?
After pondering for a long time, Xue Rongyue finally took a step and went to the side room.
Mei Xin had just finished bandaging Jiang Huaishun's unconscious younger brother when she saw her come in, so she tactfully withdrew. Jiang Huaishun seemed to sense something and looked at Xue Rongyue: "Madam Xue, are you here to tell me the answer?"
Xue Rongyue remained silent, but loosened her grip, and a token engraved with the character "Xue" fell from her hand.
Upon seeing the words engraved on the token, Jiang Huaishun's eyelids twitched violently, and his breathing became rapid. He slowly raised his eyes to look at Xue Rongyue, a relieved smile appearing on his face. With mixed feelings, he said, "Madam Xue, I have finally met you."
“Your elder brother once asked me to deliver a message to you.”
The token slipped limply from his palm and slammed heavily onto the ground.
With a loud clang, dust was stirred up, and a ringing sound filled her ears. Xue Rongyue's mind went blank, and she couldn't even hear Jiang Huaishun's voice, which was right next to her.
A long wind rushed in through the half-open window, scattering the delicate flowers that had just begun to wither. They drifted down from the branches, swirling and cascading to the ground, following the contours of the wind.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, which turned into a sticky coolness when blown by the wind, clinging tightly to her skin and causing Xue Rongyue to shiver involuntarily.
***
"...Your Highness, that's how it is."
Jingnu led the way, briefly recounting the events as he went.
Her arrival was perfectly timed. Qin Jin was in the teahouse, and when the manager saw the sachet and heard Jingnu's purpose, he invited her into the backyard and had her personally hand the letter to Qin Jin.
Emerging from the secret passage, Jingnu stopped in her tracks: "My lady is in the main room. Please allow me to inform her first, Your Highness."
After he finished speaking, Qin Jin did not reply.
She turned around in confusion and saw Qin Jin looking at the side house not far away with a melancholy gaze. His eyes seemed to be churning with dark ink, like a bottomless pool, containing a complex sigh that was hard to describe.
Jingnu was startled and followed Qin Jin's gaze—
In the side room, Xue Rongyue slumped into a chair, clutching a letter in her hand, looking dazed. She seemed to have lost her soul, her eyes were empty, and tears kept streaming down her face.
Jingnu had never seen Xue Rongyue so distraught.
She was startled and hurried over, exclaiming, "My lady, what's wrong?!"
Xue Rongyue remained silent, but her hand holding the letter turned white and trembled uncontrollably.
Besides Xue Rongyue, only Jiang Huaishun was sitting in the room, fully conscious.
Jingnu raised her eyes to glare at him, about to angrily berate him for what he had done to provoke her mistress like this, but then she saw Jiang Huaishun with his head bowed deeply, and tears glistening on his face.
She was stunned. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't know how to ask them.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind her. Jingnu turned around and saw that Qin Jin had already stepped into the room, gesturing for her to take the other two out.
After hesitating for a moment, Jingnu obeyed his orders, beckoned Luo Zhen to take Jiang Huaishun and the other two away, and imprisoned them in another place.
The door to the side room closed, leaving only Qin Jin and Xue Rongyue behind.
He walked to Xue Rongyue's side and slowly squatted down: "The bandits did not find his body. In order to complete their mission, they randomly found a male corpse with a similar body shape, slashed its face, cut off its limbs, and sent it to complete their mission."
"You knew...you knew about this..." Xue Rongyue looked up at Qin Jin, her voice trembling, "Didn't you?"
"I have come here on orders to investigate the death of Brother Huaijin."
Qin Jin's gaze was fixed on her face. Seeing her sorrowful eyes and the tears streaming down her face, her thin lips pressed into a straight line, his brows furrowed as well. He involuntarily raised his hand, wanting to wipe away her tears, but restrained himself from doing so.
He closed his eyes briefly, his voice low and hoarse, and continued, "Ji Dian discovered clues related to Brother Huai Jin's death among the mountain bandits and reported them to His Majesty. His Majesty then sent me to investigate."
Xue Rongyue could no longer speak a complete sentence. After a few breaths, she managed to squeeze out a few broken words through sobs: "Then, have you investigated thoroughly?"
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Author's Note: I know some of you might find this section different from the previous chapters, but it's not a plot hole. The next chapter will explain. And as for your wallets, the young master will "settle accounts later."
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