Chapter 169 The Imperial Advisor Wants to Take Cang Yu Away
In the east wing, the atmosphere was somewhat off tonight. Lou Cangyu hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, making his already sharp features appear even more menacing. He kept wiping the sword in his hand until it gleamed, refusing to let go. The food Ji Fang had brought him had been reheated several times, but seeing that Lou Cangyu showed no sign of touching it, Ji Fang cautiously stepped forward, picked up the bowls and plates, and intended to take them to the kitchen to reheat them for him.
"Look at you, acting all smug," Feng Shisan complained. "Eat it or don't, you've really gotten addicted to serving people."
Ji Fang kept his head down, not daring to look at anyone. "Cang Yu was wronged, and she's still angry about it. She can't take it if she doesn't eat or drink. I'll go heat up, you just rest."
"That's strange." Feng Shisan chewed on his fingernails. "Where is he?"
"What did you say?" Ji Fang had already stepped one foot out the door. "What's strange?"
"Little Ma?" Feng Shisan sat up. "Did any of you see Little Ma today?"
Ji Fang thought it was something serious and rolled his eyes at him, saying, "Do you think everyone is idle like you? It's common for Xiao Ma to be out and about. Maybe the shop owner has something to tell him."
"Oh." Feng Shisan nodded and lay back down on the couch. "He might have gone to Gongcheng Money Exchange to see Miss Mei."
Ji Fang's heart skipped a beat, and an awkward expression appeared on his fair face. He lowered his head to hide his unnatural expression, picked up the food, and walked out of the room.
Passing by Guan Ye's quiet room, Ji Fang could vaguely see two figures sitting opposite each other at the table through the paper window. He had reheated the food several times and seen them several times. Ji Fang couldn't understand how they could not see and talk enough under the same roof, eating and living together every day. It was almost 7 PM, and A Jiu still showed no sign of coming out. Surely it couldn't be... Ji Fang's face flushed as he thought deeper. Was A Jiu not planning to go back to the east wing tonight?
Since they are mutually in love, they should ask the head of the neighborhood to grant them permission to marry. Xingguo Neighborhood, or rather the entire Canglang Island, has not held a wedding for a long time. It's not that they don't want to, but there are fewer and fewer people, and the number of young men and women of marriageable age is even more limited. Lou Shitou is in his twenties and should have been looking for a wife a few years ago. Even Ji Yuan praised Lou Shitou's appearance, but unfortunately, he is not very bright. The head of the neighborhood would not allow the marriage of his precious daughter to a fool like Lou Shitou.
Ah Jiu is brave and Guan Yesheng is quite good-looking. They are also destined to be together. They are a match made in heaven. If I were Ah Jiu, I would go and ask the brothel owner tomorrow. They are both people who have obtained the fish-handling token. Why would I be afraid that the brothel owner would not allow it?
Ji Fang couldn't help but glance at the quiet room a few more times. He thought to himself, "If you do too many embarrassing things, don't play with fire."
"—Xiao Ma...is he from a family of minters?" Ajiu looked at Guan Ye in surprise. "He has mentioned his family's grievances many times, but I never imagined...he committed such a serious crime."
Guan Ye nodded, "The five hundred catties of brass that the Ma family lost are right under the furnace."
"But why?" Ajiu frowned. "The guards haven't used their weapons even once in decades. These brass pieces have melted away silently. Why not let this secret remain hidden forever, instead of letting it surface in Xingguofang's hands?"
“If I’m not mistaken…” Guan Ye said, “These brass pieces are a thorn in the side of the instigator. He won’t have peace of mind until they are completely removed. Xingguo Workshop is a deserted island, with no roots or backing in Rongdu. It arrived like a descent from the sky, and can be easily wiped away like dust. If something really happens, there won’t even be anyone to speak up for them. They can use Xingguo Workshop to refine the brass, find a reason to punish us, and when they confiscate Xingguo Workshop, they can justifiably take these brass pieces into the Salt and Iron Bureau. Everything… will be as if nothing ever happened.”
Ajiu pondered for a moment, "You said that the Ma family's fake copper coins didn't cause much of a stir, and the case was settled with just Grandpa Ma's life. Is the missing brass really that important to the person behind it? This person is so powerful, how could he not handle a mere five hundred catties of brass? The Mausoleum Guard has kept this secret for twenty years, and it would be easy for them to keep it for another hundred years. Why would they sacrifice Xingguo Ward to cover it up?"
Guan Ye raised her eyelids in surprise, as if she had realized something from A Jiu's words. "What did you just say?" Guan Ye asked in a low voice.
Ah Jiu blinked, "The Ma family's fake copper coins didn't cause any trouble..."
“The last sentence,” Guan Ye interrupted.
"...Why sacrifice Xingguofang again?" Ajiu was a little unsure.
“It’s this line.” Guan Ye sat bolt upright as if she’d been frozen in place. “Sacrifice another one…who was sacrificed before?”
“The Ma family mint,” Ah Jiu exclaimed. “Wasn’t Grandpa Ma beheaded?”
Xiao Ma said that his grandfather turned himself in, but he didn't know what he confessed. His grandfather was the only one who died in the case. Mayi was a hero of his time, and his father respected him greatly. There was also the Mei family, known for their integrity. Mei Shiyu spoke of the old man of the Ma family with great admiration, which shows that Mei Junhe often mentioned him and often told his son about the good things about Mayi.
The fact that the counterfeit copper coin case was quelled with the life of one person shouldn't just be because Ma Yi confessed something to the Three Judicial Offices, but rather... Ma Yi told the Three Judicial Offices that he knew something, no! Not the Three Judicial Offices... but... the person behind it all.
Ma Yi knew what the missing brass had been used for; he was an insider and a person involved. If he wanted, he wouldn't have died a humiliating death burdened with infamy. Between a fierce struggle and a cry for justice leading to execution, he chose to die alone to buy his family a chance to live. Because Ma Yi knew he couldn't win; if he insisted on fighting, far more than just him would die—the entire Ma family, and the Mei family… would all end up like… all end up like…
—Like the five major neighborhoods of Rongdu, blood was stained at the execution ground, and the entire family was wiped out, leaving no one alive.
Why could hundreds of pounds of brass disappear for so many years? Because it was forged into swords. As long as the swords weren't broken or melted, no one would notice anything amiss. If it could be forged into swords, then it could naturally be forged into other things as well... like...
“Guan Ye.” Ajiu thought of something. “We found that most of these swords were broken by the impact. At the time, we found it strange that military weapons shouldn’t be like this, unless someone tampered with them. Now, looking at it again, could it be that the swords broke because… there was too much brass mixed in?”
"Brass is thin and brittle, mostly used for decoration," Guan Ye said slowly. "The hilts of fine swords are often made of brass, but if it's incorporated into the blade and subjected to great force, it's extremely easy to break. On the battlefield, in real combat, it could be fatal. Like the case of the bloody crossbow bolt..."
When Guan Ye uttered the words "the Blood Crossbow Case," she suddenly became alert—the crossbow battalion had set up an ambush on the Eagle Ridge Ancient Road. When the rebels appeared, they fired only one crossbow bolt, which not only shattered the crossbow mechanism but also wounded the crossbowman, tearing his flesh and bones apart. Cries of agony filled the air, and the rebels were immediately killed. All three thousand elite troops were wiped out, their blood staining the Eagle Ridge.
—Only one crossbow bolt was fired, and the fuselage shattered completely… The fuselage shattered completely… Is it like this broken sword mixed with too much brass… Unable to withstand gravity, that's why…
Father pondered this for many years, spending countless sleepless nights replaying the scene of forging the crossbows. The five major workshops gathered at the Tianhu Workshop foundry, sending their most experienced master craftsmen. These were designs that each workshop had mastered, and the master craftsmen could forge and manufacture them even with their eyes closed. Father was in charge of all the materials needed. Although he didn't participate in the production, every single crossbow passed through his hands. Although Father loved to drink, he was never careless when it came to work. This was a powerful weapon for the army to quell the rebellion, so Father was extremely cautious and careful. After each replay, Father would say with absolute certainty: There will be absolutely no problem with the crossbows from Tianhu Workshop!
Mother said that the crossbow broke and people died. It is a fact that three thousand crossbowmen died on Eagle Ridge. What's the use of saying there's no problem?
Three thousand crossbows broke simultaneously—simply all at once… If they were being tampered with, how could they possibly do it so openly in front of everyone? The only possibility is… the secret lies in the materials of the crossbows. The crossbows breaking most likely means the problem is with the mechanism for releasing the arrows… It's a pity, Guan Ye frowned. Her father hadn't seen the broken crossbows. If he had, he would definitely know where the problem was.
The broken crossbow... Guan Ye's brows slowly relaxed. Three thousand crossbow bolts... Perhaps... some fragments were picked up by someone... Father couldn't see them... Guan Ye, Guan Ye, you are now in Rongdu, the city of the emperor. You are standing where Father couldn't return, and you will surely see what he couldn't see, unravel the mystery that has troubled him all his life, clear his name of the injustice he has carried for twenty years, and accomplish the great things he couldn't do.
"Could these brass pieces be related to the Blood Crossbow Case?" Ah Jiu asked in a low voice.
"Whether it matters or not, words are not enough to prove it." Guan Ye seemed to know who to find. "Before the brass is delivered to the Salt and Iron Bureau, I need to find someone."
"who?"
— "Mu Chenbi".
Ji Fang carried the food out of the kitchen, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the quiet room again. Suddenly, he heard the door being pushed open, and he quickened his pace, darting across the backyard.
“This Ji Fang has come in and out three times.” Ajiu shook her head. “Only he has such a pure heart towards everyone, which is truly touching.”
“The Ji siblings are both rare and sincere people.” Guan Ye followed behind A Jiu. “They don’t belong here. They should go back to Canglang Island.”
"Are you willing to go back to Canglang Island?" Ajiu turned around and looked into Guan Ye's calm eyes.
“One day…” Guan Ye’s mind drifted to the faces of those who longed for her on the island, “I will go back.”
Ah Jiu smiled with relief, as if she had been longing for this answer. Ah Jiu turned around, cupped Guan Ye's slightly cool face, and gently touched her lips. "That day, I will definitely be by your side."
"Xiao Ma?" A-Jiu suddenly remembered something and released her lips. "What did Xiao Ma think about what you told me? It concerns his family's old case..."
Guan Ye pressed her forehead against A Jiu's. "Xiao Ma... should have already left."
Ma Lin... has already left.
"—Something terrible has happened!" Before the words were even finished, Ji Fang came stumbling over. "A-Jiu, Guan Ye... Imperial Preceptor Cui has brought people here."
Cui Jin? Ajiu's brow twitched slightly. "The Imperial Advisor isn't a newcomer, what's the panic?"
Ji Fang began to stammer, "No... Cui, Grand Preceptor Cui... said... he wants to take Cang Yu away..."
Guan Ye looked at A Jiu. Had Cui Jin already determined that Lou Cangyu had killed Song Mian? Had he brought the officials to arrest him? No, Cui Jin was the strategist of the state; how could he possibly concern himself with a murder case…
“Cang Yu didn’t kill him.” Ji Fang seemed to have the same thought as Guan Ye. “Guan Ye, didn’t you also admit that you wronged Cang Yu?”
"Don't panic." Ajiu pressed down on Ji Fang's shoulder. "Let's go out and take a look first."
When Guan Ye and the others arrived, a large crowd had already gathered outside the main hall of Xingguo Fang. Cui Jin sat upright on a mahogany chair in the center of the hall, with Pei Yuan standing beside him, looking slightly apprehensive. Lou Cangyu knelt on both knees, his gleaming sword placed beside him. Pei Bi saw Guan Ye and Ajiu, who were squeezed in the back of the crowd, and nodded slightly to them, signaling them to come forward.
Ajiu pulled one person into the main room and saw that Feng Shisan had been there for a while. She raised her eyebrows at him. Feng Shisan understood and said, "I don't know what happened. The Imperial Advisor came and said he wanted to take Lou Cangyu away."
"Where are you taking them?" Ji Fang asked urgently. "Not to the government office, are you?"
“It’s not the government office.” Feng Shisan sniffed, his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes fixed on Lou Cangyu’s back. “It seems they’re talking about… the Inner Court. Grand Preceptor Cui is here to ask for people on behalf of the Inner Court.”
The group looked at each other, stunned.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
