Chapter 126 Signs
Sun Wei listened to the name and fixed his gaze.
She had always had Deng Lian keep an eye on Fu Cheng, but he hadn't shown any signs of anything unusual. Now, he was finally showing signs of something.
"So." Sun Wei continued to ask, "Who else knows about the grudge between you and Tian Ying?"
"I have no friends in Jiangzhou City, and I have no one to confide in regarding this secret. I can only speak to the monks."
"Oh? Who is this monk?"
"Five miles east of the city, in Tongxin Temple, there is a highly respected nun, whose Dharma name is Minghui. When I was unable to relieve my boredom, I once talked to her about it."
"So, your poison was also given by this Master Minghui?"
"A monk wouldn't have such a vicious plan. I asked for the medicine from another pilgrim in the nunnery."
"pilgrim?"
"This pilgrim traveled extensively and also did some business in medicinal herbs," Zhuo Ji said. "She opened a teahouse in Xunyang City and became a tea expert herself."
Sun Wei sneered, "Did the teahouse ask Yunxuan to stop?"
Zhuo Ji was stunned: "How could the princess know?"
So, it's roughly correct.
The nun named Minghui must also be from the Huan family.
She was familiar with Zhuo Ji and knew her distress. Fu Cheng, on the other hand, kept forcing concubines into Tian Ying's arms, forcing Zhuo Ji to kill him.
Finally, he prepared poison for Zhuo Ji, fearing that if Zhuo Ji succeeded, his own life would be in danger.
After Tian Ying died, Fu Cheng took over, providing an opportunity for the Huan family to attack Jiankang.
Mrs. Yao, the Tea Doctor.
Sun Wei thought it was time to go meet her.
Sun Wei did what he said and asked Aju to prepare some money and valuables and give them to Zhuo Ji.
"These are enough for you to live for a lifetime." Sun Wei said.
Zhuo Ji accepted the money and kowtowed to express her gratitude.
Sun Wei saw that she looked a little confused and asked, "Do you know where to go?"
Zhuo Ji shook her head and whispered, "I never expected to escape."
Sun Wei asked Aju to hand over a piece of paper and pen, drew a map, and handed it to her: "There is a house on Mount Lushan where you can stay temporarily. Follow this map and you will definitely find it."
Zhuo Ji's eyes lit up.
Sun Wei said, "But before that, you have to do me a favor."
"What help do you need? Please tell me, Princess." Zhuo Ji asked hurriedly.
"I want to meet that pilgrim." Sun Wei asked, "Can you do that?"
Sun Wei temporarily settled Zhuo Ji in the palace and asked her to make an appointment with Madam Yao.
In the afternoon, Tian Ying came to the palace to ask for an audience.
Sun Wei had told him earlier that she would find the murderer for him.
The women of the Tian family entered the palace today, but only Zhuo Ji had not returned yet. He already had a guess in his mind.
Sun Wei did not shy away from saying, "The person who poisoned me was indeed Zhuo Ji."
"That bitch!" Tian Ying was furious and said to Sun Wei, "Thank you, Princess, for finding the real culprit for me. I will bring Zhuo Ji back and deal with her right away."
Sun Wei said, "After Zhuo Ji confessed, I let her return home. Why didn't Chief Steward Tian see her?"
Tian Ying was surprised, then said, "She must be fleeing out of fear of punishment! I must capture her myself. I'll take my leave now!"
"Wait a minute, Steward," Sun Wei said, pointing to the table below. "Steward Tian, please take a seat first. I have something to ask you."
Tian Ying couldn't wait any longer and said, "Princess, it's urgent to capture Zhuo Ji right now. After I've dealt with this matter, I'll come to the palace to pay my respects to you, Princess!"
Sun Wei said coldly, "What I want to say is a thousand times more important than what Zhuo Ji said. If the steward insists on leaving, there is no need to return to the palace. Wait until the prince returns and then question the steward in person."
Tian Ying was stunned.
When he first met the princess, he had seen her gentle demeanor and soft voice, believing her to be a docile woman. Tian Ying came from a military background, and even the Prince of Yuzhang treated him with kindness, so he treated this young concubine with some indifference.
But now, her words were filled with an air of authority that was not even angry. Seeing that look, Tian Ying couldn't help but be cautious and had to restrain her attitude.
"Princess, please forgive me." He bowed hurriedly. "I was just anxious and rude."
Sun Wei said slowly, "Logically, I shouldn't be involved in Steward Tian's family affairs. But Steward Tian is an old minister of the previous king and holds an important position. As the princess, I can't just stand by and watch him die, so I intervened. Now that the real culprit has been found, I will not get involved in the grudges in the mansion. But when I interrogated Zhuo Ji, she said something that I had to ask Steward Tian for clarification."
"What's going on?"
"Two months ago, Fu Changshi sent several beautiful girls to the chief steward. Is that true?"
When suddenly asked this, Tian Ying's expression changed slightly.
"Princess, don't listen to that bitch's nonsense." He said hurriedly, "She was jealous first, it has nothing to do with Wu Ji..."
Sun Wei interrupted: "I hope Manager Tian will tell you the truth."
Tian Ying had no choice but to say, "It is true."
Sun Wei nodded. "Fu Changshi wouldn't give anyone to Tian Zongguan for no reason. I wonder what Tian Zongguan gave Fu Changshi in exchange?"
Tian Ying was stunned.
For a moment, his eyes were evasive, and then he said, "Princess. Last year, I obtained the scroll by the old man Shishan and admired it with Fu Changshi. Seeing that Fu Changshi liked it very much, I gave it to him. Fu Changshi was very grateful and gave me a beautiful concubine in return."
Shishan Lao Ren was a famous artist of his time, and Fu Cheng was also known for his love of painting. This reason did sound reasonable.
It’s a pity that at this critical juncture, Sun Wei didn’t believe it.
"Manager Tian has witnessed my ability to divine the mysteries of the heavens. Whether this statement is true or not, I can tell with just one divination." Her expression remained cold. "Please tell me the truth, Manager."
Tian Ying's expression became increasingly uncertain. After a moment's silence, she finally gave in.
"Chapter Chief Fu does have a request for me. He has a brother-in-law named Guo Xin, who was originally an official under my command." His voice was low. "Two months ago, Zhang Song, the Sima of Pengcheng, resigned due to illness. Chief Fu came to see me and said he wanted Guo Xin to be promoted to Sima of Pengcheng."
Located northeast of Xunyang City, Pencheng was a key town protecting Xunyang. The Pencheng Sima was the deputy commander of the Pencheng Camp and held considerable power.
Why Pencheng?
An answer was about to emerge in Sun Wei's mind.
Sun Wei's face darkened. "The late king and the crown prince were strict in their military discipline. Military posts in Jiangzhou, regardless of size, have always been filled by the most capable. Now, even before the late king's body is cold, the general manager is already thinking about selling official posts. Is this truly worthy of the trust placed in him by the late king and the crown prince?"
Tian Ying knelt on the ground, filled with shame. "Princess, please forgive me! I failed in my duty! I will definitely apologize to the Crown Prince!"
What Sun Wei wanted was not as simple as asking Tian Ying to apologize.
Tian Ying had done something like this, so of course he had to be punished. But Sima Jun was not in Xunyang City at the moment, so Tian Ying was not completely useless.
She took a sip of tea and asked, "Has Chief Steward Tian ever met Guo Xin, the brother-in-law of Chief Secretary Fu?"
Tian Ying replied, "My Lady. I'm a neighbor of Fu Changshi. Guo Xin is ten years younger than me, so I've watched him grow up."
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