Chapter 39 Uncle Guo
"We must deliver the genuine rubbing of the military tally to the border before the imperial army departs, and tell them it's a conspiracy." Ye Wanning looked out the window. "I know someone who can help."
She hurriedly took the sheepskin to Pei Zhi. After hearing the whole story, Pei Zhi frowned: "The Third Prince's move is too cunning. He wants to completely alienate the former subordinates of the General of the North from the court so he can reap the benefits."
“We must stop him,” Ye Wanning said. “Could the 'Shadow Pavilion,' the martial arts organization you know, help send the rubbing over?”
Pei Zhi nodded: "The people from Shadow Pavilion are all experts, and they are familiar with the terrain of the border. Sending them should be enough time."
He sent someone to contact Shadow Pavilion to arrange the handover at a dilapidated temple outside the city. Ye Wanning personally delivered the sheepskin to the temple and handed it to a masked man in black.
"It must be delivered to the grandson of the General of the North within three days," Ye Wanning instructed.
The man in black nodded, took the sheepskin, and disappeared into the night in a few leaps.
Ye Wanning breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave, but was blocked by someone.
"Miss Ye, how have you been?" Xue Lin'an emerged from behind the tree, a sinister smile on his face. "I didn't expect you to have actually found the rubbing of the military tally."
"How did you get here?" Ye Wanning's heart tightened.
"I'm waiting for you." Xue Lin'an approached step by step. "Give me the rubbing, and I'll let you die a quick death."
"Dream on," Ye Wanning sneered. "I've already given the rubbing away; you can forget about getting it again."
Xue Lin'an's face suddenly turned terrifyingly grim: "Since that's the case, then you can die!"
He drew his dagger and lunged at Ye Wanning. Ye Wanning was prepared and dodged, simultaneously blowing the whistle at her waist—the signal she and Pei Zhi had agreed upon.
Before long, Pei Zhi arrived with a group of men and surrounded Xue Lin'an.
"Xue Lin'an, surrender now." Pei Zhi pointed his sword at his throat.
"Surrender? I'd like to run!" Xue Lin'an glanced at the soldiers around him, knowing there was no escape, and suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. "Even if I die, you won't get away unscathed! The Third Prince has a backup plan; you just wait and see!"
Before he could finish speaking, Pei Zhi plunged his sword into Xue Lin'an's throat. Xue Lin'an's hand, which was gripping the sword, suddenly froze, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.
Ye Wanning stared at his corpse, feeling not a ripple of emotion. The man who had ruined her previous life had finally received his due punishment.
“Let’s go back,” Ye Wanning said to Pei Zhi.
Pei Zhi nodded and took her hand: "Don't worry, the people from Shadow Pavilion are very reliable."
Ye Wanning looked into his resolute gaze and nodded. This time, they would definitely win.
As the Shadow Pavilion members disappeared into the night with the bronze token they had taken from Xue Lin'an, Ye Wanning's fingers trembled uncontrollably. She clutched the token, the character "Li" on it now blurred and indistinct from being soaked in blood.
“This is the private military token of the Duke of Li’s mansion.” Pei Zhi wiped the bloodstains off the token with a handkerchief. “It seems Xue Lin’an was telling the truth before he died; the Third Prince had a backup plan. Taking this rubbing of Xue Lin’an’s military token is probably just the first step in their plan.”
Pei Zhi put the token into his sleeve pocket: "I'll have someone keep an eye on the Li family's residence. You'd better be careful too, and don't go out alone."
Ye Wanning nodded, and was about to say something when Chuntao came running in, holding a lantern and shouting in a panic: "Miss! Something terrible has happened! The rouge shop has been shut down!"
"What?" Ye Wanning jumped off the carriage quickly. "Who is it?"
"Who else could it be? Duke Li, along with the Prefect of the Capital, said our rose ointment used a forbidden ingredient from the palace, committing a crime of usurpation!" Chun Tao's face flushed with anger. "Manager Wang tried to stop them, but they slapped him!"
Ye Wanning's temper flared up instantly. The rouge insects in the rose ointment were indeed tributes from the Western Regions, but she had already obtained the necessary clearance documents through Old Wang of Ci'an Hall, and the procedures were complete, so it was not an overstepping of her authority at all.
"Get the car ready! We're going to the rouge shop!"
The carriage sped along the bluestone road. Ye Wanning lifted the curtain and saw the people on the street pointing and whispering in front of the rouge shop. Duke Li stood at the door with his hands on his hips, smugly directing the yamen runners to move things.
"Lord Li, what a display of power!" Ye Wanning jumped out of the carriage, her voice clear and bright. "I'd like to ask, what law has my shop violated?"
Duke Li turned around, forcing a smile: "So it's Miss Ye. Your rose ointment uses rouge insects, something only imperial concubines can use. For a young lady from a marquis's household to dare sell it—what is that if not overstepping her bounds?"
"Evidence?" Ye Wanning pressed on. "I have customs documents here, which clearly state the origin and purpose of the rouge insects. Does Duke Li want to see them?"
"I...I don't care about any documents! If I say you've overstepped your bounds, then you've overstepped your bounds!"
"Is that so?" Ye Wanning sneered, raising her voice, "Everyone, be the judge! Did Duke Li shut down this shop without distinguishing right from wrong in order to uphold the law, or is it because this shop exposed Consort Li's crime of poisoning the late Empress, and he wants to settle a personal score?"
The crowd erupted in uproar. Although Consort Li's crime of poisoning the late Empress hadn't been officially proven, rumors were already rampant. The way everyone looked at Duke Li suddenly changed.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Duke Li was both angry and anxious, and raised his hand to hit her.
Ye Wanning was prepared; she dodged to the side, simultaneously reaching into her sleeve pocket and pulling out a small porcelain bottle, which she smashed on the ground. The rose paste inside shattered, and its fragrance immediately filled the air.
"This rose balm is made with the finest ingredients. If it's truly poisonous or an overreach of authority, I, Ye Wanning, am willing to accept any punishment!" She pointed to the rouge she had brought out. "But if no problem is found, Duke Li will have to kowtow and apologize to me today, and compensate my shop for its losses!"
The people cheered and clamored to go to the government office to seek justice. Duke Li was in a difficult position, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
Just then, Pei Zhi arrived with his men: "Duke Li, you're robbing a woman of her money in broad daylight! Do you have no respect for the law?"
Upon seeing Pei Zhi arrive, Duke Li's arrogance immediately diminished: "Lord Pei... I'm simply acting according to the law..."
"Acting according to the law?" Pei Zhi handed him a customs clearance document. "Miss Ye's customs clearance document was reported to the Ministry of Revenue long ago; even the Emperor knows. You're pretending not to know, deliberately provoking trouble!"
He said to the guards behind him, "Seize Duke Li and these yamen runners and take them to the Jingzhao Yin's office for questioning!"
Several guards rushed forward, and Duke Li struggled in fear, shouting, "Pei Zhi! How dare you touch me? I am the Emperor's brother-in-law!"
"Even the Emperor's brother-in-law must abide by the law," Pei Zhi coldly stated. "Take him away!"
Seeing Duke Li being led away by the guards in a disheveled state, Ye Wanning finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Pei Zhi, saying, "Thank you for arriving in time."
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