Chapter 145 Raging Fire
The incident at Qinghui Garden caused quite a stir.
Having received Ye Mingzhu's instructions early on, Huang Xiangyu knew there would be such a good show. Her face showed surprise and uncertainty, but her heart was as steady as a rock.
Although she made it appear as if she was going to investigate, in reality, she only "hurriedly" led people to Qinghui Garden to make a show of it after Xiao Sun's group had left.
This was done to make the performance more convincing, so as not to arouse suspicion in Madam Sun and cause her to cast doubt on the Sheng family and the Duke of Wei's family.
Unlike her, the other servants, who were unaware of the truth, were terrified.
Especially the servants who followed Huang Xiangyu into the burned-down Qinghui Garden, their faces were filled with fear and awe of ghosts and gods, and their bodies were tense...
The deathly silent courtyard, the magnolia tree lying limply on the ground, the huge hole under the tree, the stench of decay permeating the air... everything was terrifying.
Some of the servants were so frightened that they trembled.
"Second Grandma, is this place haunted?"
"It's so late at night, no one from our manor would come here, so why is there such a mournful cry? It's too creepy."
"Second Madam, why don't we go to Jing'an Temple and find a highly respected monk to perform a Buddhist ceremony? We can pray for the deceased First Madam and also get rid of the bad luck that has befallen our household... cough cough, and bring good fortune to our household."
"..."
Huang Xiangyu said she would consider these suggestions, but she ignored them completely.
An investigation will definitely not yield any results.
Nothing can be found out.
After Huang Xiangyu finished the formalities, she pretended to be frightened and returned to Tingsong Residence, covering her mouth and nose.
Entering the inner room, she saw Sheng Huai'an lying helplessly on the bed, his face flushed with anger and hatred as he stared at her. She decided to share with him what she had seen and heard that day.
Her eyes were full of sympathy as she asked him curiously, "Do you know that your dear sister-in-law killed Liu Pinliang and buried his body under the magnolia tree in Qinghui Garden?"
Sheng Huai'an was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth excitedly and roared out indistinct sounds.
Judging from his expression, Huang Xiangyu understood: he didn't know.
"Tsk! It seems you didn't know," she asked. "When you and Liu Rumei were secretly having an affair, you often used secret passages to meet her in secret. I suppose you also flirted with her under the magnolia tree, didn't you?"
"Think about it, while you were living your shameful lives, Liu Pinliang, who died with his eyes wide open, was watching you from under the magnolia tree. Doesn't that send chills down your spine?"
At this point, Huang Xiangyu shuddered: "Liu Rumei is a ruthless person, even more ruthless than you. I don't know how you chose her after all the searching."
“I’m different; I have better taste than you.”
"Although I have knowledge and insight far beyond this era, I am still just a recent college graduate. I am aware of my limitations in terms of wisdom and cunning."
"But I was lucky. I was happy to help others and ended up helping Mingzhu. My good intentions were rewarded and have led to the good results we see today."
"By forming an alliance with her, I will be much safer and avoid being schemed against by you scoundrels."
"It is clear that we should do more good deeds and less evil deeds."
"What goes around comes around, and retribution is inevitable."
After saying that, Huang Xiangyu stopped looking at Sheng Huai'an's ugly face, got up leisurely, and walked towards her bed while yawning.
Now she is nominally Sheng Huai'an's wife, but in reality she is very free.
...
Linfeng Hall.
After hearing Yanzhi's report, Ye Mingzhu asked, "Did Madam Sun take Liu Pinliang's body away?"
"Yes." Yanzhi nodded. "Hearing the sound of the Second Madam next door leading people to check, Madam Sun ordered her men to wrap the body in a straw mat and then left with the help of the assassins."
Ye Mingzhu nodded, indicating that she understood.
A rift has formed between Madam Sun and Liu Rumei; what happens next depends on Madam Sun's actions.
As long as Madam Sun, overwhelmed by grief over the loss of her son, confronts Liu Rumei, she can seize the opportunity to ascertain Liu Rumei's whereabouts and proceed with her next plan.
Whether it's letting Xiao Sunshi and Liu Rumei fight like dogs and kill each other, or finding an opportunity to tie Liu Rumei up and bring her out, it's all fine.
She's not picky.
As long as evil people get their just desserts, that's fine.
She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her movements leisurely, her gaze calm, showing no reluctance whatsoever.
What good is it if Madam Sun cries and sheds tears?
So what if Liu Rumei and Liu Pinliang, siblings, kill each other?
Such wolves and tigers do not deserve sympathy!
However, what she didn't expect was that before she could wait for Madam Sun and Liu Rumei to turn against each other so she could proceed with her next plan, a major event would break out.
The third prince actually launched a palace coup, intending to usurp the throne!
This was so sudden.
It happened so fast that everyone was caught off guard.
His Majesty is merely unwell and not yet at the end of his life, yet the Third Prince is so anxious; I wonder what has triggered this.
Overnight, the capital city of Yanjing changed dramatically.
In the deep darkness of night, a raging fire broke out in the palace.
The blazing firelight dyed half the sky red, and the billowing smoke, like a black dragon, shot straight into the sky, visible to everyone in Yanjing who looked up.
Countless rebel soldiers in armor poured into Yanjing City, engaging in fierce battles with the Five Armies and Three Thousand Battalions responsible for guarding the capital in the streets and alleys. The sounds of fighting and the clanging of weapons filled the air.
The Shenji Battalion's firearms unleashed a barrage of explosive fire, blasting away the rebel soldiers who charged with swords, leaving them missing limbs and blood splattered everywhere. The deafening explosions and the acrid smell of gunpowder were terrifying.
The various chaotic situations terrified the people of Yanjing City, causing widespread panic.
Many people are at home with their hands clasped in prayer, hoping that the unrest will end soon.
The same was true in the Duke of Wei's mansion.
Fortunately, Ye Mingzhu reacted quickly.
As soon as chaos broke out in Yanjing, she quickly summoned Yanzhi and Lianyu.
She first sent Lianyu, who was skilled in hidden weapons, with one of her male bodyguards to the Ye residence, instructing her to protect the safety of her parents, brother and sister-in-law, and nephew.
She also arranged for another male bodyguard to inquire about Sheng Yunche's whereabouts and find out where he was. After receiving the information, he was to return immediately and inform her.
Next, she began to gather the guards from the Duke of Wei's mansion.
As a Duke of the highest rank and an important official of the court, Sheng Yunche was entitled to have no more than twenty guards as his ceremonial guards according to regulations. Since his mansion was not short of money, he directly arranged for twenty brave and skilled guards to be on duty.
In addition, there are two or three hundred servants in the mansion. They are all veterans who have been tempered on the battlefield and have some injuries. They are all strong and healthy and can easily take on ten men.
After gathering these people, Ye Mingzhu first sent someone to fetch Huang Xiangyu, Yu Shu, and others from next door. Then she ordered Yan Zhi to take charge and command them to guard the mansion with utmost vigilance.
He specifically instructed that if any rebel troops stormed the mansion, they should be killed if possible!
She and the Third Prince had already indirectly fallen out, and Sheng Yunche was also the Crown Prince's man. It was impossible for the Third Prince to have any goodwill towards the Duke of Wei's mansion.
She must be decisive when dealing with enemies!
After making these arrangements, Ye Mingzhu rushed to Jingchun Residence immediately, intending to stay with Princess Ronghua to avoid causing her fear and worry.
When she arrived, she found that Sheng Wan'er, her aunt, and Sheng Yunche's two half-brothers had gathered at Jingchun Residence before her.
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