Chapter 68: A Sin Too Heavy To Bear
Regardless of whether it was the previous deliberate concealment or the current deliberate exposure, both were tactics.
Whether the face under the mask was really the one Yue Tang suspected, she had to confirm it.
The lives of everyone in Prince Duan’s Mansion could not tolerate the slightest mistake.
That night, the lights in Qingyun Pavilion did not go out until late into the night.
While Yue Tang was talking with Yan Bei, A Li had already fallen asleep in Lan Qin’s arms. She placed the little one on Yue Tang’s bed. Perhaps because he smelled his mother’s scent, after touching the pillow, he hugged the corner of the quilt and slept very sweetly.
Yue Tang sat on the edge of the bed and watched for a very, very long time, her heart filled with a thousand reluctances to let him go. But she also knew that keeping him safely by her side was still a luxury.
In the end, she personally picked up the child, handed him to Yan Bei, took a small blanket to wrap him up, carefully shielded him from the wind, and then sent them to the side gate, watching them leave.
And as soon as Yan Bei, who had just gotten into the carriage, was about to tuck in A Li’s clothes, A Li opened his bright black eyes and grinned at him: “Father King, is A Li smart? I pretended to be asleep, so Father King and Mother can talk a little longer.”
Yan Bei was stunned, then lightly flicked his little cheek with his finger: “Who said Father King wanted to talk more with Mother?”
“Father King goes to Grandpa Hua’s place every day to inquire about Mother.”
Yan Bei was even more speechless: “When did you turn into such a little clever one?”
A Li grinned and burrowed into his arms.
Yan Bei lightly held him, looking outside the window at the night scenery.
Yes, ever since Mother came back, A Li’s smiles had become more and more frequent.
This was how he was supposed to be.
What about Yue Tang?
Murdered by enemies and betrayed by family, when would the smiles of that spirited and fierce girl from the village return?
……
At the beginning of entering the capital for revenge, Yue Tang had made the worst plans: after following the trail from the Du Family to find the murderer, she would infiltrate and lurk until she grasped the opponent’s vital point.
Now it was more or less the same, but it could not be denied that with Yan Bei, things were much smoother to handle.
Today there happened to be a morning court session, and Wei Zhang had gone to stake out outside the Chu Family early in the morning.
Lan Qin received a letter from Huo Yun and hurried in to tell Yue Tang: “A Yun says she has already found He Shi. The letter says they set off for the capital on the nineteenth of September, which is tomorrow. If fast, hiring a carriage would take two or three days; if slow, five or six days to arrive.”
Yue Tang took the letter: “How is He Shi?”
“She went to work as a maid washing clothes for others.” Lan Qin sighed. “Her widowed mother has passed away, and after leaving the Xu Family, she could only support herself. A Yun gave her five hundred taels of silver, but she was still very scared. It shows that what the Du Family said back then about stepping in for the Xu Family, giving money, and sending her off properly was never truly fulfilled.”
After Yue Tang finished reading, she folded the letter: “The Xu Family is not a long-term place for us to stay either. After He Shi arrives, first settle her in our house, and instruct her not to wander around. Wait until I finish handling the current matters before going to see her.”
After speaking, she looked at the gradually brightening sky and stood up: “It should be time for the morning court. Wei Zhang went to the Chu Family, so after we eat, let’s also go take a look outside the Du Family.”
Lan Qin and the others handled matters very properly, with no oversights in the tasks assigned, so Yue Tang did not need to worry about He Shi.
But as she and Yan Bei’s actions continued, new clues from the enemy would emerge at any time next.
……
After returning to the mansion last night, Du Minghuan’s back was already soaked through.
Du Yu could be considered to have foresight, but he did not expect the opponent to be one step ahead: not only had they long detected the anomaly behind the He Family blood case, guessed that besides Wei Zhang there was someone else involved, but even knew that he had brought an ambush.
With such formidable methods, how could Du Minghuan dare to have any reckless thoughts?
Fortunately, the other side had agreed to hold back the Three Judicial Offices, so using this time to quickly find the real culprit was indeed the best way for everyone.
Only if all the parties involved were dead could all suspicions be left without real evidence.
But at the morning court, seeing Yan Bei seated squarely at the head, he felt inexplicably uneasy.
“How is the investigation into the He Family blood case going?”
Sure enough, after everyone had submitted their memorials and the powerful families and the Emperor had given their responses, as Du Minghuan waited for the Emperor to order the court to adjourn, Yan Bei suddenly spoke up, looking at the stiffened Three Judicial Offices officials!
“Two days have passed; there won’t be no progress at all, right?”
Several officials stepped forward simultaneously: “Replying to Your Highness, this official does not dare to slack off and is meticulously collecting evidence and reviewing doubts.”
Yan Bei then looked toward the end of the crowd: “Dou Yun, the two victims were both from the Imperial City Department, and you have served there for decades. After handling it for two days, what are your thoughts?”
Dou Yun at the end stepped forward, looking down at the ground and said: “This official is ignorant and still has no clues.”
Yan Bei was displeased: “I had you oversee it not to eat idle rice. If you can’t accomplish anything, that is dereliction of duty.”
Dou Yun’s waist and back suddenly stiffened, he stood rigid for a moment, then looked at his toes and slowly said: “This official— that day heard Your Highness mention the He Family case, saying that the He Family and Zhang Family suddenly rose three years ago, and they were also promoted to general ranks at that time, yet both died by external forces, more like revenge killings, so this official did have some doubts.”
“Doubts about what?”
“Doubts about why the He Family would attract vendetta killings because of their sudden rise.”
Yan Bei looked at the top of his head and smiled: “Well said. If it was vendetta due to their rise, then why did these two families rise? What exactly did they do to get rich together and then get killed together?
“Could it be that after becoming generals, they embezzled? Seized the wealth of good citizens? Or was there some other unspeakable matter?”
The Three Judicial Offices officials said: “Your Highness, both the He Family and Zhang Family held fourth-rank general titles and managed the sixth-rank escort duty in the Imperial City Department, with limited authority. From the thorough investigation of their family assets, it would be difficult to embezzle or seize that much in three years without being exposed or reported.”
“If it wasn’t seizing others’ wealth, then it could only be given by others.” Yan Bei extended his index and middle fingers, slowly stroking the tablet in his hand. “For two fourth-rank generals, who would give them so much money?”
Du Minghuan’s heart was pounding wildly in his chest!
He immediately looked toward those few under the Emperor’s seat, but saw that they, like everyone else in the hall, had their gazes fixed on Yan Bei’s face.
And at this time, Dou Yun, who had been staring at the ground, took two deep breaths and continued: “This official just remembers that three years ago, several major events happened in the capital: first, the Former Emperor passed away; second, Prince Duan’s Mansion suffered a great change.
“Prince Duan committed suicide in guilt in Zichen Hall, and that same night, Princess Yongjia, who was entering the city, was also murdered midway.
“After Prince Duan’s death, the Marquis of Guangling took over as Imperial City Department Envoy, and only then did the Zhang and He Families start rising rapidly!”
Dou Yun said this in one breath, and when he stopped, light gasps of surprise rose in the hall.
Yan Bei looked puzzled: “I remember that the Former Emperor once issued a decree promising that if Prince Duan passed away in the future, his heir could also take over the position of Imperial City Department Envoy.
“Princess Yongjia was permitted by the Former Emperor to marry into the wife’s family and give birth to a child in Bie Ye. Prince Duan’s Heir, who was killed together with the Princess that night, should by rights be the heir to the Imperial City Department Envoy.
“Do you mean that the suspicious matters with these two back then are related to Princess Yongjia’s death?”
Du Minghuan nearly fainted!
He had guessed that as long as he did not reveal the whole truth, Yan Bei would eventually bring this matter to light, but he did not expect this day to come so soon!
“This can’t be, right?”
The Emperor was the first to voice doubt. “Although We were delayed on the way back to the capital due to an incident in the north, after returning, We still sent people for a thorough investigation, and the result confirmed that those assassins who died in the woods were indeed bandits who had fled into the capital from outside.
“If We remember correctly, Lord Shen should also know about this?”
After the news of Princess Yongjia’s death, the court naturally sent people to investigate thoroughly. It had only been three years, so everyone naturally remembered: the Emperor had sent a group, and Empress Dowager Shen had also sent a group.
“According to the results at the time, it was indeed at the hands of roving bandits,” Shen Yi stroked his beard. “However, the matter was handled hastily back then, and with more pressing affairs in the court, some oversights are possible.”
Yan Bei, who never entangled with others, was now fixated on the He Family case and seemed to have abandoned his Du Family relatives. The Shen Family, which had just inexplicably been staked out and eavesdropped on by the Du Family, had no intention of rashly getting involved, but since named, there was no reason to oppose Yan Bei.
The Emperor slightly furrowed his brows, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below, then fixing on Du Minghuan: “Marquis of Guangling, since He Jianzhong and Zhang Shaode were your subordinates, and you promoted them back then, what exactly is going on with them? Such a major case, why did you not report it?”
The Emperor’s words almost explicitly said “After Prince Duan’s death, you who took over the Imperial City Department benefited the most.” Du Minghuan knelt with a thud: “Your Majesty! This minister admits to lax supervision, but their crimes, this minister truly did not know!”
Yan Bei sneered: “So you admit they committed crimes? Have you thought it through? If it turns out He Jianzhong and Zhang Shaode murdered Princess Yongjia, you won’t escape either!
“Prince Jingyang’s Mansion will not tolerate such deceivers of the sovereign. This king will be the first to bring you to justice!”
Du Minghuan was speechless.
The officials in the hall also became even more restrained.
What made everyone afraid to speak was that the He Family blood case was unexpectedly linked to the murder of Princess Yongjia and her son three years ago!
A royal princess had no direct stake in the Imperial Court, but as a member of the imperial clan, bearing the word “clan,” it was no trivial matter!
This was contempt for imperial power, deceiving the sovereign, punishable by beheading and implicating families!
But if just now everyone had felt inexplicable about Yan Bei’s persistence, now understanding this point, most people in the hall, besides shock, also felt a sense of realization.
Who did not know that the Du Family and Yan Bei were connected by marriage?
Their Prince Jingyang’s Mansion had initially retreated to the Northern Lands to guard the border to avoid the spotlight, but unexpectedly the Former Emperor suddenly decreed for him to return to the capital as regent and granted him the immense power to take charge of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
Because of him, the families that had fought like black-eyed chickens all had to restrain themselves and endure.
Now they all feared him, but once the balance among these three families was broken, would no one see him as a thorn in the eye?
If the He and Zhang Families, as confidants of the Marquis’s Mansion, were truly involved in the deaths of Princess Yongjia and her son, the Du Family could not clear their suspicion!
If the Du Family was suspicious, did that not mean Prince Jingyang’s Mansion also had a handle for others to grasp?
In this way, anyone would choose to disassociate themselves!
Du Minghuan, thinking of this layer, felt his legs go even softer.
He did not know if Yan Bei was determined to oppose him for this reason, but if Yan Bei really wanted to sever ties with the Du Family, he would not only expose all his crimes on the spot but also utterly destroy the Du Family!
Because only by personally eliminating the real culprit who killed Princess Yongjia could he prove his determination to split from the Du Family!
“Your Majesty! Your Highness…”
He panicked and kneeled forward a few steps, staring wide-eyed at the two at the head, but could not think of what to say next.
Then he instinctively looked toward those few under the Emperor’s seat, but besides Shen Yi still shrewdly stroking his beard and watching the play, both Mu Chang and Chu Ying had slightly furrowed brows, one sitting and one standing, deep in thought about something!
But Du Minghuan knew he had dealt with that person for three years!
Although after the matter was accomplished back then, there was almost no contact until recently when the other side occasionally sought him out, he was absolutely certain that the person he met last night was a young master from that person’s mansion in the capital!
Clearly, one of the masterminds behind it all was them, yet at this moment they acted uninvolved, watching from the sidelines!
How could Du Minghuan remain calm?
“Lord Chu—”
Chu Ying glanced faintly at him.
“Enough.”
Du Minghuan wanted to say more, but Grand Tutor Mu Chang had already stood up with a furrowed brow. “I just thought about it: although Prince Duan followed the Former Emperor in death due to guilt, in the end, the incident with His Majesty and the First Prince was an accident, so Prince Duan was not truly guilty; this matter was already concluded long ago.
“Therefore, the matter of Prince Duan’s Mansion is still an imperial clan affair.
“Lord Shen is right: the court affairs were numerous back then, and failing to investigate Princess Yongjia’s cause of death thoroughly, leaving oversights leading to misjudgment, is possible.
“The Princess shared the same birth year and day as His Majesty, was favored by the Emperor and Empress during her life, and if there is truly another hidden truth, I fear the spirits of the Former Emperor and the Empress in heaven would not rest easy.
“Your Highness’s words, I believe the lords of the Three Judicial Offices have all heard clearly. Marquis of Guangling, as Imperial City Department Envoy, with such close ties to the He and Zhang Families, from now on, you must unconditionally cooperate with the investigation!”
Mu Chang’s father had once been a first-rank Chancellor, and he himself, though young, had reached the fourth rank, with the family producing a Mother of the Nation Empress. It was only after his elderly father was demoted for crimes that the whole family retired to Jiangling.
Three years ago, due to merits in raising the Emperor, he had risen to the position of Grand Tutor, so his words naturally carried weight.
Du Minghuan was being pressed step by step by Yan Bei on one side, with no one extending aid on the other, only his cracked lips moving as he glared fixedly at a certain spot!
Yan Bei chimed in from the side with hands in sleeves: “Grand Tutor speaks reasonably; this minister awaits His Majesty’s decision.”
The Emperor stood up: “We share the same year and day of birth with Our elder cousin, our fates intertwined since childhood. Back then, We fully expected to reunite upon return, who knew a sudden change would separate us forever.
“We approve the words of the Grand Tutor and Prince Jingyang. From this day forward, the Three Judicial Offices shall thoroughly reinvestigate the cause of death of Our elder cousin!”
