Chapter 126: Find Someone Else To Have A Child With
When the good guards arrived at Prince Jingyang’s Mansion on fast horses to deliver the message, Yan Bei had already received the news that Yue Tang was going to meet that Imperial Guards commander.
Seeing the two fish Jiang Shao held up high, he kicked Jiang Shao and didn’t bother waiting, simply taking a horse carriage straight to Prince Duan’s Mansion.
Who knew Yue Tang hadn’t returned yet; the one who came out to greet him was Han Yi.
Yan Bei felt displeased just looking at this fair-faced pretty boy with clear brows and bright eyes; he boldly sat in the host’s seat and told Han Yi to sit down and play chess.
Recalling the great achievement last time of utterly defeating Xu He without leaving him a single piece of armor, this time he was equally full of confidence.
But unexpectedly, after two games, the first ended in a draw, and in the second, Han Yi surpassed him.
This is unreasonable!
Xu He, a dignified Top Scholar, was terrified in front of him; why could a Second Class Ninth Place Jinshi actually beat him?
He pinched a chess piece and looked up at the opposite side, seeing that the man still had that taciturn appearance, but compared to the last time they met, his gaze was much steadier; after meeting his eyes, he cupped his hands and slightly lowered his eyelids.
Looking again at his sitting posture, it was steady and proper, with both hands placed on his knees in a naturally slightly curled position.
This kid actually wasn’t afraid of him anymore!
“Who is your teacher?”
Any Jinshi who made the gold list had both an instructing teacher and a patron who promoted them; Yan Bei’s question naturally referred to the noble person who enabled him to pass after coming to the capital for the exam.
“In response to Your Highness, this official comes from a humble family and has never had the qualification to gain favor from any famous teacher.”
“You haven’t entered anyone’s door?”
“I haven’t,” Han Yi raised his head. “After this official passed the list, I did receive a few invitations, but upon hearing that my ancestors had committed offenses back then, they all came to nothing.
“In fact, if this official’s family background had any unclear aspects, the Princess certainly wouldn’t have kept me.”
Yan Bei frowned: “Among the top thirty in the Second Class, how many are like you, not relying on anyone?”
Han Yi pondered: “There must be seven or eight.”
Hearing this, Yan Bei’s frown tightened even more; just as he was pondering, Gao An came in: “Your Highness, the Princess sent a guard to the mansion with a message, saying she is waiting for you outside Anmen Gate.”
Yan Bei glanced at Han Yi and tossed down the chess piece: “I’ll come find you next time!”
With that, he strode out the door.
Yue Tang was leaning against the car window at the street corner drinking milk tea; seeing the horse carriage from Prince Duan’s Mansion arrive, she pulled back inside and properly lowered the carriage curtain.
The next instant, the carriage door opened, and sure enough, Yan Bei climbed in: “What are you doing out here? You’ve been out so long?”
Before he finished speaking, seeing Yue Tang hand over another bowl of covered milk tea from beside her, his grumbling voice weakened: “You even saved a portion for me; you’re considerate.”
“I’ll explain in detail on the road,” Yue Tang patted his shoulder: “First, have the guard drive!”
The horse carriage quickly drove away from the palace gate.
By the time Yue Tang laid out the whole story, the carriage had entered a small alley.
Yan Bei looked at a door drawing nearer and voiced the question in his heart: “You mean the Shen Family was indeed involved in the entire conspiracy?”
“We’ve long suspected them, haven’t we?” Yue Tang’s eyes gleamed darkly in the shadows. “When the news spread in the palace that both princes had encountered danger, why did my father king only keep two palace servants with him in Zichen Hall to attend to the herbal medicine?
“Was my father king guarding against someone?”
“Makes sense!” Yan Bei said. “That bad news at the time was most advantageous to Empress Dowager Shen’s clan. From their later actions, they had indeed prepared to push a prince onto the throne first.”
“In any case, I think the Shen Family didn’t ally with the Chu Family, but they certainly wanted to benefit from the situation back then.
“I just don’t know what exactly made them all jump in.”
Yan Bei thought for a moment: “Then why did you come to see this Imperial Guards commander?”
Yue Tang took out a stack of paper from beside her: “Later, have him honestly write down everything he personally saw that night, then affix his seal.
“Once you get it, give me a signal, and I’ll have someone lure Shen Li over.”
With that, she leaned in, whispering a few words in his ear.
Yan Bei’s ears burned hot; after listening, he mumbled an agreement and reluctantly got off.
Yue Tang turned her head and signaled the guard at the front of the carriage, who then galloped off in the direction they came from.
It was now afternoon, with cold winds whistling over the street, looking like snow was about to fall.
Yue Tang wrapped her cloak tightly and slightly closed her eyes.
After an unknown time, a bird call sounded in the air—it was the signal from Yan Bei; she suddenly opened her eyes and looked toward the alley entrance behind.
The guard left there to keep watch saw this and ran up: “A quarter of an hour ago, Shen Li already rode this way!”
Yue Tang nodded, covered the curtain properly, and had the guard drive the carriage a bit farther away.
Just as it stopped, Yan Bei came up with a gust of cold air, handing her several sheets of paper filled with writing and stamped confessions.
“I’ve interrogated him repeatedly; Mu Chang acted very covertly that day, not letting them get close enough to hear anything.
“Let alone see anything.
“But there are still some clues, like the time Mu Chang mobilized troops and the time he arrived at the alley.
“Someone among them saw Mu Chang go early to that small building where Chu Ying had stayed.”
Although Yue Tang had long known that night that Mu Chang was with Chu Ying, having one more person provide clues was always beneficial.
Yue Tang put away the paper, and then heard the sound of hoofbeats in her ears.
She lifted the curtain and looked back; sure enough, she saw Shen Li hurriedly leading people this way.
Guided by someone, they arrived at the Imperial Guards commander’s doorway; they all dismounted and directly pushed the door to go in.
“I’ve already warned that commander; he’ll know how to respond.”
Yan Bei also leaned over beside her to watch together.
The warm fragrance on her body was even better than the scent she used when in disguise.
Yue Tang leaned to the side: “We can withdraw.”
Yan Bei whistled.
Guards from Prince Jingyang’s Mansion then brought up a horse carriage with an ordinary appearance.
After Yan Bei got off, he turned back and paused: “You’re already out; won’t you come to my place to see the son?”
Yue Tang sighed: “I can’t take him with me anyway; seeing him would only make my heart ache.”
Yan Bei tsked: “This is resentment toward me.”
“No resentment. What’s the use of resenting? Who made my fate so bitter? In this lifetime, I probably won’t leave behind even half a child.”
“What kind of talk is that?” Yan Bei pulled a long face: “My son isn’t your son?”
Yue Tang raised an eyebrow: “Then can you give me your half of the son?”
“No way!” Yan Bei waved his hand.
“If not, then forget it.” Yue Tang withdrew her hand and sat properly. “I’ll find someone to marry in and have another one.”
Hearing this, Yan Bei immediately grabbed her carriage window: “What did you say? Say it again for me!”
Yue Tang grinned and poked her face out, then patted the carriage wall: “Ye Chuang, drive! We’re heading back to the mansion.”
The horse carriage pulled by two horses dashed forward quickly.
Leaving Yan Bei behind, stomping in place in fury.
……
After returning to the mansion, Yue Tang indeed still had serious business.
The eunuch brought out from the palace still needed interrogation; he was Mu Shuyun’s accomplice and keeping him was very useful.
After entering Prince Duan’s Mansion, she immediately had someone summon the several guards who had escorted the monthly stipend back to the mansion earlier.
“In response to the Princess, the person brought out has already been bound and guarded in a room on the east side as instructed by Lord Wei.”
Yue Tang nodded: “Have Wei Zhang interrogate him and report the results to me.”
After sending the guards away, she entered Yong Qing Hall; at this time, Han Yi had already arrived, panting from running.
Yue Tang glanced at him: “What was so urgent?”
Han Yi swallowed and steadied his breathing: “Earlier, Prince Jingyang came and had this minister play chess with him. Thinking the Princess wouldn’t allow this minister to lose face for the mansion, I focused entirely on playing with His Highness. In the end, I won one game against His Highness—”
“You won?” Yue Tang looked at him in surprise.
Han Yi nodded. “But His Highness seemed very unhappy.”
Yue Tang laughed.
“Princess!” Just as she sat down, Wei Zhang arrived. “Just now, news came from the palace: an eunuch died near Yongfu Palace, and he was from Zichen Hall. This has nothing to do with you, right?”
Yue Tang had just brought a cup of tea to her lips when she looked up upon hearing this: “What kind of eunuch was it? How did he die?”
Wei Zhang said: “In a covered walkway about ten or so zhang away from Yongfu Palace, he died of poison. It’s said that before dying, he had once taken craftsmen from the Directorate of Imperial Manufactures to Yongfu Palace to inspect the houses, doors, and windows.”
Yue Tang’s eyes suddenly sharpened: “Ruan Fu?”
Wei Zhang clapped: “Indeed that name. When discovered, he had blood flowing from all seven orifices and had been dead for one or two quarters of an hour.”
Yue Tang stood up, paced a few steps, and said: “Mu Shuyun is indeed ruthless; when Shen Yizhu returned to her room in time and foiled her plan, she immediately killed Ruan Fu to eliminate the witness.
“Looks like bringing this eunuch out was the right move.”
Wei Zhang stepped forward: “When the guards brought the eunuch back, I had already interrogated him; he confessed without denial to Mu Shuyun instructing him to release the snakes, even revealing the sources where the two snakes were purchased!”
“Watch him closely!” Yue Tang took a deep breath. “Then send out several groups of people: one group to closely monitor the Mu Family, and if possible, enter their mansion to scout!
“Another group to watch the Shen Family; Shen Li has already gone to see the captured Imperial Guards commander, and this news will soon reach Empress Dowager Shen’s ears.
“Don’t neglect either side! Handle the rest as the situation demands.
“Since Mu Shuyun could decisively resort to such a vicious act, we can’t underestimate her.”
……
Mu Chang didn’t enter his home until dusk today.
One reason was the busy court affairs; the second was that after Yue Tang revealed herself, with Chu Ying’s death and her return to the mansion, the stable situation in the court began to waver; after the initial few days of disarray, Empress Dowager Shen had clearly come back to her senses. Her blatant sending of Shen Yizhu into the palace was the most obvious signal.
On the surface, it looked like contention between the Mu and Shen families for the empress position, but in reality, the matter arose because of Yue Tang; Mu Shuyun losing her chance to smoothly become the central empress became a key node—ultimately, Yue Tang’s lingering ghost had stirred up this storm.
With dark clouds pressing down, Mu Chang sat in the empty room, recalling his layout for the future, which should have been smooth sailing.
Originally, no matter how many factions there were in the court, he only needed to quietly sit in the Grand Tutor position, assisting the Emperor in handling state affairs.
So initially, when Du Minghuan was accused in the Imperial Court of being suspected of injuring Princess Yongjia, he could remain aloof, never proactively inquiring.
He believed Chu Ying would handle it well, but he botched it.
The fall of the Chu Family removed a huge obstacle for the Shen Family; Yue Tang then ruined Mu Shuyun’s prospects, making the Shen Family like wild wolves that smelled blood, eagerly charging forward.
Whether the Shen Family wanted to seize the empress position or had greater ambitions for the future, the Mu Family was an object they must suppress.
In other words, after returning from the alley, Yue Tang seemed to do nothing, but in fact directly pushed the Shen Family to stand opposite him as enemies.
Mu Chang felt irritated inside.
Just then, someone from the palace came saying something happened at Yongfu Palace, that someone released snakes into the Imperial Garden, followed by an eunuch’s death.
That eunuch was even from Zichen Hall; everyone knew the relationship between the Emperor and Empress Dowager Shen—such an incident was understandably delicate; he had to go take a look.
Upon arriving, he saw the corpse, then the two captured snakes, and after questioning the time of the incident, it seemed this dead Ruan Fu was behind the mischief at Yongfu Palace.
Thinking of this, he secretly resented the Emperor again.
As a child, he seemed clever, grasping studies instantly; but as he grew, he became duller—from before it wasn’t noticeable, but now with appointing an indescribable Top Scholar and secretly having people do these shady things, why only do such improper acts?
For a fleeting moment, Mu Chang felt dazed, thinking of Yue Tang like tender bamboo that went mad growing upon seeing light.
Ultimately, they were different.
He sighed and called over people from the Supreme Court to handle it.
Although the snakes shouldn’t have appeared, the man was dead, no witness left—who could prove the snakes were definitely released by Ruan Fu?
But before leaving, the straight gaze from Shen Yizhu, who had been pursing her lips in silence, still planted a seed of doubt in his heart.
But never mind.
He was angry, so furious he didn’t even want to go to the Emperor’s side.
He went straight back to the mansion.
Madam should still be busy today with arranging the marriage for the second house’s maid; he simply went to the study.
Just entering the courtyard, he saw Mu Shuyun pacing under the corridor.
Drawing nearer, he saw her anxious and uneasy expression, as well as her clothing that wasn’t entirely neat and refined.
“Father!” Mu Shuyun’s lips trembled. “I may have caused trouble.”
Mu Chang didn’t think she could cause any major trouble, so he continued walking toward the room.
But after crossing the threshold, he suddenly stopped.
“What did you say?!”
Mu Shuyun tightly clutched her skirt hem, her lips even paler: “Daughter killed Ruan Fu.”
Mu Chang felt as if doused with a bucket of ice water: “The matter at Yongfu Palace was done by you?”
Mu Shuyun nodded.
Mu Chang glared at her but didn’t stop his gesture of opening the incense burner.
Mu Shuyun bit her lip and stepped forward: “I had someone throw snakes into the garden to stall Shen Yizhu, and at the same time, had Ruan Fu find an excuse to throw a doll into Wanhua Palace.
“Later, when Shen Yizhu returned to her room early and caught it, I killed Ruan Fu.
“I thought I’d handled the aftermath cleanly, but just now, I overheard them say the eunuch who released the snakes—he’s missing!”
The lid of the incense burner in Mu Chang’s hand dropped to the ground with a clatter!
