Only the mother and son remained in the house.
Song Yu came from the palace and told me about the news he had heard in front of the emperor.
"The Ministry of Justice interrogated those members of the Illusion Moon Cult overnight. They were tight-lipped and endured torture, but refused to reveal anything. They also denied the secret passage and denied having any contact with the General's Mansion."
Jiang Wan took a sip of tea.
The people from Linglong Pavilion, posing as carpenters, secretly dug a secret passage in the courtyard, unbeknownst to the Huan Yue cult members, including Yun Su.
As for colluding with the General's Mansion, that was something she framed on the old lady; it was all fabricated.
“What they said is true,” Jiang Wan said.
However, Emperor Jingyuan would not believe it.
As expected, Song Yu nodded and said, "His Majesty rejected this confession and suspected that they were deliberately protecting the General's Mansion, so he ordered them to be tortured."
Emperor Jingyuan's hatred for the Illusion Moon Sect has a long history.
Now that these believers have come to the capital to assassinate him, he will not let them off easily.
Including the escaped "assassin".
Song Yu sat by the brazier, warming himself by the fire, his face serene.
"I will go to the palace tomorrow."
Jiang Wan glanced at him and spoke.
"The ancestors of Dayong loved ice skating. With winter approaching, I will speak to the Empress and ask her to bestow upon a palace maid skilled in ice skating. Have Jingchun prepare; I think she is quite adept and should know ice skating."
"His Majesty harbors deep hatred for the Illusion Moon Sect. If Jing Chun remains in the palace, he will be in danger sooner or later."
Upon hearing this, Song Yu immediately knelt down.
"I was wrong and shouldn't have hidden it from my mother."
When Jingchun went to deliver the soup last night, he knew that his mother had already guessed what he had done.
Song Yu knew that this matter could not be kept from her mother.
I just didn't expect her to find out so quickly.
He even went to the Directorate of Ceremonial to cover for Jing Chun and conceal his identity.
Jiang Wan said softly, "I know you mean well, but this is a risky move. If Jing Chun's identity is exposed, you will be guilty of assassination. Your fate will depend on what happens to Song Ziyu today."
“I’ve thought about everything my mother said.”
Song Yu said.
"It is a rare opportunity for the Illusion Moon Sect to enter the capital. I may have made a mistake, but I do not regret it."
Jiang Wan sighed softly: "Is Jing Chun trustworthy?"
"Don't worry, Mother," Song Yu said. "Her brother is a soldier in the army. Last year, his family suffered a tragedy, and Jingchun was sold into a brothel. When I heard about it, I paid to redeem her. At the beginning of the year, Jingchun was selected to enter the palace, and I helped her with a few small favors. She is kind and righteous, and as soon as I approached her, she agreed to help."
“She has practiced martial arts since childhood and has a solid foundation. I had originally arranged an escape route for her, but last night His Majesty appointed me to guard the palace, which is why I was unable to come to her aid and almost put her in danger.”
After hearing this, Jiang Wan remained silent for a long time.
"He was a child with a tragic fate."
She said.
"I'll try to get her back from the Queen, or let her go home, or keep her by your side. The decision is yours."
She didn't utter a word of blame, but Song Yu lowered her head even further.
Jiang Wan glanced at the sky; it was still early.
She instructed Biluo to prepare the carriage. Ji Rong had been brought back to the mansion last night, and after so long, she should personally visit the Ji family.
Jiang Wan finished tidying up and was about to leave when she looked back and saw Song Yu still kneeling on the ground.
His eyebrows and eyes were clear and bright, and his back was straight.
Jiang Wan's eyes flickered.
"Yu'er, do you know why I treated the Song family this way?"
Song Yu hadn't expected her to ask that question.
He had long suspected that Jiang Wan harbored deep hostility towards the people in the General's Mansion.
When he grew up, he investigated privately, but found no evidence that the Song family had done anything heinous to Jiang Wan.
He thought for a moment and then gave his answer: "You want a divorce."
“But the late emperor’s bestowal of marriage cannot be easily abolished. The Song family has deep roots, and His Majesty is unwilling to blame or punish them for ordinary mistakes. You can only use the assassination attempt by the Illusion Moon Sect to make them do something that His Majesty cannot tolerate.”
"That's right."
Jiang Wan said.
“Song Ziyu and the Yuan family have never colluded with the Illusion Moon Sect. It was I who misled His Majesty and wrongfully imprisoned them.”
She looked at Song Yu, her voice soft and gentle.
“Yu’er, you risked your life for me, I shouldn’t blame you. Besides, I’m not a kind person. If I don’t achieve my goal, I will be cunning and scheming, taking every step carefully.”
However, using methods does not mean using any means necessary.
"Your mother hopes that whatever you do, you will never lose sight of your true self."
Jiang Wan withdrew her gaze, turned around, and went out the door.
Song Yu remained kneeling in place, motionless, as if frozen in place.
After boarding the carriage, Biluo couldn't help but say, "Young Master is only doing this for Madam's own good, why are you so harsh? I've never seen him show such an expression before..."
How could I not understand his feelings?
Jiang Wan's brows furrowed.
She said those things for Song Yu's own good.
If, as Song Yu said, it was just about helping Jing Chun redeem herself and doing a few small favors, was it worth risking her life to do something so dangerous?
Moreover, when she met that palace maid named Jingchun, she was young and inexperienced, and her ears turned red when she mentioned Song Yu.
It's not hard to tell what she's thinking given her girlish demeanor.
But just now, Song Yu showed no pity whatsoever in his words.
Jiang Wan said softly, "Yu'er, he is very smart."
It is precisely because they are smart that they can make use of all available resources around them.
Having served in the military for many years, Song Yu would not be without trusted confidants, nor would he lack subordinates willing to be devoted to him.
But once these people are arrested, it's easy to trace it back to him.
Finding Song Yu led to finding Jiang Wan.
At that time, Emperor Jingyuan will suspect that Jiang Wan orchestrated the assassination plot to gain merit.
So he chose Jing Chun.
This clear-eyed girl, though several layers removed from him and not a professional assassin, was wholeheartedly devoted to serving him.
She was even willing to commit suicide just to save him.
Jiang Wan sighed softly: "Being too smart isn't necessarily a good thing."
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