Chapter 136 Death Penalty
Sun Wei was shocked.
"When did it happen?"
"Just when Madam went to Pencheng to quell the unrest in Xunyang."
There was no need to guess, Sun Wei also knew that it was Yao Rong who did it.
She had never heard of this woman in her previous life, and had no idea she existed. She had never expected that she would be so formidable.
She thought for a moment and took out a small knife.
"Does the prince still remember this?"
"I remember," Sima Jun said. "Deng Lian told me that Yao Rong was the woman who rescued Cui Pan in Jingkou last year."
Sun Wei nodded. "From this, it seems that Lü Qiuyan and Yao Rong were already involved as early as the Northern Palace Rebellion. When Cui Pan was arrested, they risked their lives to help him, fearing that Cui Pan would betray them. Now that Cui Pan has been arrested, they have become witnesses."
Sima Jun pondered for a moment and said, "Cui Pan is a smart man. Now only Lu Qiuyan can save him, so he won't betray us easily."
Sun Wei hurriedly said, "Yao Rong is quite capable. If Cui Pan is silenced in prison..."
Sima Jun glanced at her.
"Madam," he said calmly, "Is it true that even if I were in charge personally, I wouldn't be able to do anything to Yao Rong?"
Sun Wei hesitated, about to explain, when Sima Jun continued, "Yao Rong must have already been working on this. But if she could just walk into the trap herself, that would be perfect, saving me the trouble of catching her."
Sun Wei asked, "The prince wants to kill her?"
"She committed such evil deeds in Xunyang, isn't that enough to deserve the death penalty?"
Sun Wei said, "Of course she is, but she was able to do these things because she relied on the powerful families in Jiangzhou who were connected to the Huan family. If the Crown Prince thinks that she can suppress these people just by confessing her guilt, I'm afraid it's still a bit too easy."
"These people are nothing but fence-sitters who change their stance according to the wind." Sima Jun disagreed. "They will support whoever they think has the upper hand. As long as I am not defeated, they will keep their tails between their legs. I am not going to kill Yao Rong to show them."
"Oh? Who are you killing for?"
"The person behind her."
Sun Wei wanted to ask more, but Sima Jun turned and asked, "Madam, what did you find while sorting through these things?"
This is serious business.
Sun Wei said, "Although Yao Rong has many evil intentions, he is actually a serious businessman. His teahouse is doing very well, and he has close ties with the wealthy families in the city."
After saying that, she handed some deeds and documents to Sima Jun.
Sima Jun flipped through it and looked a little surprised.
"Her business is even conducted in this palace?"
"These purchases were all peripheral, and they were made through Fu Cheng's channels," Sun Wei said. "With General Manager Yu in charge of the palace, she had no access to it. This proves General Manager Yu's innocence."
Sima Jun said, "I heard that a fire broke out in her house during the search. I'm afraid it will be difficult to find out where this person came from."
"It's not completely hopeless." Sun Wei said, handing the letters from Lu Qiuyan and Yao Rong to Sima Jun.
Sima Jun unfolded it and took a look, frowning.
"Lüqiu Yan?"
"That's right." Sun Wei said, "Huan Xiu has already read this letter."
"Is it Madam's wish that he return to Jingzhou?"
"He will not live long. He cannot die in Xunyang."
Sima Jun looked at Sun Wei for a moment and said, "Madam is becoming more and more like a military advisor."
Sun Wei was quite pleased to hear this. Her eyes lit up, and then she heard Sima Jun continue, "It shows that even if Madam doesn't ask ghosts and gods, she can still weigh the pros and cons and distinguish right from wrong."
After all, I still don't trust her fortune-telling skills.
Stubborn, Sun Wei thought.
"I've said before, the gods and spirits sometimes reveal things, and sometimes they don't," she replied calmly. "You can't ask for divination on everything."
Sima Jun didn't bother to argue with her about this. He put down the letter in his hand and said, "Since Yao Rong is in contact with Lu Qiuyan, then we should go find Lu Qiuyan. With this letter, I'm not afraid that Lu Qiuyan won't tell me."
"The prince wants Lu Qiuyan to sell Yao Rong?"
"Shouldn't he have sold it?" Sima Jun asked, "He and Yao Rong conspired to kill Huan Yi's own son. If Huan Yi gets his hands on this letter, he'll be dead."
"If this letter can lead Lu Qiuyan to her death, then I would rather give it to Huan Yi than exchange Yao Rong with Lu Qiuyan."
Sima Jun was a little surprised.
"Madam, do you have any grudge against Lu Qiuyan?"
It's more than just a festival.
She stared at Sima Jun: "If I say that Lü Qiuyan will kill the prince in the future, will the prince believe it?"
Sima Jun was stunned for a moment.
"Oh?" he said. "How did he kill me?"
"Yao Rong obeys Lü Qiuyan's orders. He's able to make such a plan in Jiangzhou, which shows that he is an ambitious man." Sun Wei said, "One day, he will become a hero and conquer the world."
Sima Jun seemed to be lost in thought.
"Did Madam obtain this through divination?"
"Exactly."
"Where are the Huan and Wang families?"
"The Huan family was destroyed, and the Wang family surrendered to Lüqiu Yan." Sun Wei felt his heart pounding as he slowly spoke out the past events hidden in his heart. "The warlords and the powerful families were all taken over by Lüqiu Yan. The prince was unable to handle the situation alone, and was eventually killed by Lüqiu Yan's men."
Sima Jun said nothing, his eyes were deep.
"What about the lady?" he suddenly asked.
Sun Wei opened his mouth, only to feel something stuck in his throat.
All the memories of the night he died, the grief and regret, were pressing against his chest.
"When the nest is overturned, no egg can remain intact." She said softly, "I am no exception."
It was quiet all around.
Just when Sun Wei thought Sima Jun would press the issue, he heard him say, "There's something I've always been curious about. When my father went to Cangwu to marry my wife, he sent me a letter saying that the departure date was personally chosen by my wife through divination. So, did my wife foresee the disaster of the flash flood?"
Sun Wei was stunned.
She knew nothing about this.
However, given Prince Yuzhang's superstitious nature, he would definitely calculate the good and bad luck before setting off.
"Well," she could only vaguely respond, "I've let it go, but Heaven has its own way. I suppose the so-called great fortune is in my survival after this catastrophe."
After saying that, she sighed softly and tried her best to look sad.
"According to what you said, this is a matter of life and death for Madam. The gods have already misjudged you once, so why wouldn't they misjudgment you a second time?" Sima Jun's eyes were sharp. "Furthermore, Madam's divination can't even predict the good or bad luck of embarking on a journey. How could it be trusted when it concerns the fate of the empire?"
Sun Wei: “…”
This guy.
She thought that all his eloquence was being used against her.
"Sir, do you not believe that Lv Qiuyan is a sinister person?"
"letter."
Sun Wei looked at him suspiciously: "Then..."
"This man is Yao Rong's mastermind. I will not let him off." Sima Jun's expression was serious. "However, Madam, having experienced life and death, you must understand that matters concerning ghosts and gods are unreliable. For example, in the case of Lu Qiuyan, Madam was able to identify him based on this letter, not divination, wasn't it?"
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