Chapter 76: Avenge Your Own Grudge With Your Own Skill
The two people in the hall were both bewildered.
“Your meaning is, Prince Duan’s Mansion and your this secret, obstructed Mu Family’s matters?” Chu Yan looked at her in shock and suspicion, “And your brother was also killed by Mu Family? Then what did he have to fear Mu Family for? Why would Prince Duan’s Mansion fear a mere Mu Family?”
Yue Tang, however, did not speak, then turned to look at Prince Duan, Yue Rong, and her own memorial tablet, and picked up three incense sticks again.
Yue Rong took the pill before and after for two or three months, he indeed should not have failed to notice that he was poisoned.
So he knew he was schemed against and chose to conceal it, that was a fact.
This could also explain that Chu Yan’s guess had some reason, Yue Rong indeed accidentally discovered some things while investigating Shen Family.
Shen Family killed Chu Family’s daughter, Chu Family could not possibly tolerate Shen Family destroying this marriage, so during Yue Rong’s investigation of evidence of Shen Family’s murder, Chu Family very likely exposed something.
Yue Rong discovered it, but the more he investigated, the bigger the matter became.
Later he also died because of this secret.
Why did the murderer use the pill made by the imperial physician? It might be due to circumstances, it might be something else, but at least one possibility was confidence, absolute certainty that Yue Rong dared not expose the secret.
After all, facts proved that later Yue Rong did not even reveal it to his sister who had been intimate with him since childhood.
They were certain Yue Rong would not speak out.
But Bie Ye where Yue Tang lived indeed never had any incidents, which also showed that Prince Duan had made strict precautions in Bie Ye from the beginning, Prince Duan must have known some things beforehand.
With this layer, after Yue Rong discovered he was schemed against, even if he told no one, he would at least tell Prince Duan.
Then facing his son’s safety, why did Prince Duan not erupt and pursue the matter?
The reason could only be the same as Yue Rong’s.
Of course he definitely could not watch Yue Rong die, they must have thought of ways behind the scenes, possibly dragging it out for two or three months because of that. Otherwise he would have died long ago.
Hua Family Member and Imperial Family had past grudges, they came from Luoyang to the Prince’s Mansion to treat Princess Consort Duan. After Princess Consort Duan died, they also left.
But when Yue Rong was seriously ill, Prince Duan also did not summon Hua Family Member in advance to treat him, there must be reasons unwilling for Hua Family to detect the truth, but they did not expect Yue Rong’s condition to suddenly become critical.
So, the father and son who controlled the Imperial City Department, what exactly were they wary of?
What reason was there that even they who held great power could not withstand?
Did Yue Rong’s condition suddenly turn critical at the end because he experienced something again?
If Yue Rong had not died at that time because he detected the secret, would he still not escape later?
In that case, would it not mean that the entire Prince Duan’s Mansion was destined to die?
Yue Tang did not know.
Chu Yan was also destined not to know the full truth.
But the clues revealed from Chu Family’s side already pointed to Mu Family.
As for why Mu Family felt Yue Tang and Prince Duan’s family blocked the way—Yue Tang similarly did not know, and could not get the answer from Chu Yan.
The hall was so quiet that the sound of breathing was clearly audible.
Chu Yan drooped her shoulders, hand supporting the spirit altar as she stood.
In a daze, she saw Fang Ling in shock, she withdrew her hand and stood straight, opening her hoarse voice: “Bai Zhi, send Fang Ling back.”
Bai Zhi came in, pushed the wheelchair and left.
Inside the room only the sister-in-law pair remained.
Chu Yan looked up at Yue Tang who was slowly adding incense to the spirit front: “Fang Ling and the others do not know it was I who leaked your return route to the city. Also, your brother’s other confidante guards are still in the Prince’s Mansion.
“You have known them since childhood, you know their character. If you need people, you can go to Fang Ling to bring them away.”
Yue Tang did not look at her, nor stop her movements, just continued earnestly lighting incense.
Chu Yan bit her lower lip, then said: “Your seal, Chu Xin took it away. Go to Chu Family for revenge.
“Kill them, you will surely know if the accomplice is Mu Family.
“Once you find the accomplice, unraveling this secret will not be far!”
Yue Tang still ignored her.
She then said: “You will have to return eventually, you will have to know this secret! If you do not crack it, how to cope with open and covert attacks?
“Go for revenge, go kill them!”
“Madam, Chu Xin brought a large group of people and has directly broken into the Prince’s Mansion! The young ones dared not expose ourselves, so did not use force!”
The guard brought by Yan Bei quickly stepped to Your Highness to report at this time.
Yue Tang finally turned back for a glance.
Chu Yan’s eyes flashed sharply, looked at her again: “Chu Family completely does not trust me anymore, Chu Xin must have come because of you. I could not inquire about Chu Family’s matters these years, but Du Family side is not difficult. I guess Chu Xin already knows you are still alive, quickly kill me and go! If I die by your hand, at least, at least I have face to see your brother!”
Yue Tang however sheathed the sword, and picked up Yue Huan’s household registration file again.
Chu Yan frowned and snatched ahead of her: “Why do you not act?!”
“Will kill.” Yue Tang looked at her, “But I am stubborn. The more you want to die by my hand, the less I want to let you have your wish.” She glanced toward the Prince’s Mansion gate direction, then at her: “Wait for Chu Family to kill first. If they cannot kill me, then come kill. If you do not want to be killed by them, think of a way yourself.”
Chu Yan was stunned.
Regaining her senses and seeing Yue Tang walk to under the door, she chased after: “Then leave this household registration file to me!”
Yue Tang tugged the corner of her mouth and turned back: “One’s own accounts must be settled by one’s own ability. Things I obtained by my ability, no one can touch.”
She walked out the hall door, waved a hand toward Yan Bei under the wall.
Yan Bei in the shadows left two shadow guards behind, then retreated along the path with her one in front and one behind.
Chu Yan stood stunned in the hall, then stumbled back two steps.
Her back hit the spirit altar, Yue Rong’s memorial tablet toppled, the gilded line of characters stabbing her eyes like needle points.
She quickly covered it with her palm!
But moments later, she moved her hand away, slowly wiping the dust above, and steadily placed it back with both hands.
……
Yan Bei followed Yue Tang out of the family temple grounds, taking advantage of the quiet around to ask in a low voice: “Why not kill her? She is a key figure in Chu Family’s that murder!”
“You are right.”
Yue Tang stopped under the wall, looking at the layers of buildings: “Chu Yan deserves to die, but through her, I see even clearer the murderer’s determination to kill me.”
Yan Bei frowned: “Cannot let her go, right?”
“How possible?” Yue Tang glanced sideways at him, “Has not Chu Family come to the door?
“Pearl hairpin already reached Chu Xin’s hand, Chu Xin must have guessed I am still alive. Knowing she concealed the fact that A Xiu’s corpse was not mine, could Chu Family still let her go?
“And she already knows she was deceived by Chu Family into raising the child, how could she let Chu Family go?
“Let them tear at each other first.
“Moreover, I do not want to return to the Prince’s Mansion immediately now, the Prince’s Mansion also needs someone guarding it. Killing her now for momentary satisfaction would only make it easier for Chu Family and the accomplices to legitimately petition the court to take back Prince Duan’s Mansion.”
“Then we go back to watch them?”
“No,” Yue Tang shook her head, “Did you not already leave guards in the shadows?
“Come with me first to find Fang Ling. Since we are here, also probe the Prince’s Mansion’s foundation.”
Yan Bei frowned: “That guard subdued by Chu Yan?”
Although this person was Yue Rong’s confidante, logically since Yue Tang trusted him, he had no reason to speak more, but thinking of Fang Ling just now being respectful to her made him uncomfortable all over.
The child’s mother was the Prince Duan’s Mansion’s master!
“Going to see him will not cost your flesh. I let you use Dou Yun, did you not use him very handily?”
Yue Tang gave him a white look.
Yan Bei was choked.
Seeing Yue Tang had already turned direction and walked, he crouched on the wall top and looked toward the family temple direction, only to see at this time a trail of firelight coming from the Prince’s Mansion front gate, evidently Chu Xin had entered and was heading straight for the family temple where Chu Yan was. He withdrew his gaze and followed Yue Tang’s footsteps.
In the northwest side of the Prince’s Mansion where servants specially resided, Fang Ling had just been pushed into the courtyard he lived in.
Bai Zhi was evidently very familiar with him, upon entering called “Sister-in-law”, and a woman came out from inside the room, took over and pushed Fang Ling.
Yan Bei looked at Yue Tang, Yue Tang’s face calm, so knew this was indeed Fang Ling’s wife, and fell silent.
Yue Tang said: “You still guard for me.”
Without waiting for his response, she went down to the ground and entered the door.
Fang Ling entered the room, his wife supported him to sit on the bamboo mat. Just asked if he wanted to drink water? The room door opened.
The woman carrying the water cup saw the visitor’s face clearly, and the water cup immediately dropped to the ground in fright!
Fang Ling hurriedly said: “Still not kneel to pay respects to Princess?!”
The woman hurriedly tried to kneel, Yue Tang pointed to the chair: “You sit to the side, do not speak.”
After she sat, Yue Tang also sat on the bench in front of Fang Ling, deeply sizing him up.
Fang Ling was made uneasy by the look, lowered his head: “Princess has words, please instruct.”
Yue Tang said: “When were you injured?”
“Roughly half a year after Princess’s incident. It was that year’s twelfth lunar month, right, exactly about half a year.”
“Later? What did you do for Chu Yan? What did Chu Yan do?”
“This subordinate’s injury took a long time to heal, after that could not do anything else. Later it was all the brothers doing it. Because we all guessed it was Chu Family who intercepted this subordinate, Heir Apparent’s Consort dared not let people know this subordinate was still alive, and never let me appear again.
“Brothers could not possibly enter Chu Family side, fortunately Du Family is their puppet, so brothers tightly watched Du Family, once they had abnormal actions, we could quickly think it was Chu Family’s instruction.
“So when He Family just had the incident, we also knew.”
Yue Tang frowned: “The others? Call them over.”
Fang Ling nodded, looked toward his wife.
The woman quickly rose, went under the eaves and shook a copper bell.
Almost instantly, four men entered one after another from behind the door, each seeming just gotten up from bed, some putting on clothes, some pulling on shoes, mouths calling “What happened to Brother Fang?”
When all of them entered and saw Yue Tang, they all froze.
Then not knowing who trembled lips and called “Princess”, then knelt with a thud!
Several people all knelt before Yue Tang.
Yue Tang said: “These years, you all worked for Chu Yan?”
“This subordinate is all Prince Duan’s Mansion’s people, would die rather than betray the master.”
Yue Tang smiled: “But Chu Yan was the one who leaked my whereabouts to Chu Family that year.”
Everyone froze again.
Yue Tang looked at silent Fang Ling: “Looks like they indeed do not know. But you already knew, right?”
Fang Ling slowly nodded: “She did not say, this subordinate guessed it. Because she first found me.
“Later assigning tasks to brothers, also issued commands through me. I gradually guessed it.
“But the Prince’s Mansion already only had her left, she later indeed investigated Heir Apparent’s cause of death, and indeed hated Chu Family, this subordinate did not know what to do, could only depend on her.”
“Then now that you know the truth, still depend?” Yue Tang scanned each of them.
Fang Ling gritted his teeth: “Since Princess has returned, we naturally have no reason to obey her anymore! This subordinate is a cripple, but they can still assist Princess!”
Yue Tang stood up: “How many of you in total did Chu Yan reuse?”
Fang Ling slightly: “All guards by Heir Apparent’s side. Besides this subordinate, twenty-three.”
“Those who followed me that year?”
“Those who followed Princess and Prince’s people, half already taken back by the court, half still in the Prince’s Mansion! After Prince Duan’s Mansion’s incident, each department’s people were interrogated, chief clerk also changed.
“Only us who followed Heir Apparent, since Heir Apparent’s Consort was still there, all stayed.”
Fang Ling said here with dimmed gaze. “The current Prince’s Mansion is already worlds apart from before.
“—Princess! Please return soon!”
The kneeling crowd also said: “Please Princess return to the mansion early!”
Yue Tang looked at them, but said: “But you followed the enemy who harmed me for so long, you should also know I will not trust you again.
“Moreover since brother’s cause of death has suspicions, each of you who followed him could also be the murderer.
“If I return to the mansion, the first thing should be to purge the Prince’s Mansion, you have no reason to be left by me, really want me to return?”
The room suddenly fell silent.
The guards’ lives were tied to the Prince’s Mansion itself.
After Yue Tang returned post-murder to purge them, they could only live on the run for the rest of their lives or obediently face death.
Yue Tang walked toward the doorway.
At this time Fang Ling shouted: “Princess stay!”
She stopped.
Fang Ling excitedly looked at the four on the ground: “I am already a cripple, death is not to be pitied!
“But brothers truly did not know the fact of Princess being murdered, I Fang Ling can atone with death, but please give them a chance to live!
“They these years tracked Shen Family, know much about the situation in Shen Family’s household, just let them stay to serve Princess!”
“Is that so,” Yue Tang looked at the several on the ground, “Then Empress Dowager Shen’s brother Shen Yi, who is his most capable helper? Who is most likely to serve Shen Yi diligently?”
Several people looked at each other, said in unison: “Eldest Young Master Shen Li!”
“Besides Shen Family descendants?”
The crowd was silent for a bit, then the lean man at the far left raised his head: “Shen Yi has several advisors, all trusted by him, but they only give ideas not act.
“If Princess means knowing their specific actions, there is a person called Huang Lun by Shen Li’s side, this person is his confidante. We have watched him before, he is Shen Family’s distant relative, always working for Shen Family, and often goes between the palace and Empress Dowager Shen to pass messages for Shen Li!”
Yue Tang paced two circles in place, said: “Within three days, can find this person’s weakness?”
Several people simultaneously fell silent.
Yue Tang’s eyes cast cold light on them.
That man clenched his teeth, thudded his head: “Princess bears blood feud and returns, naturally must be extremely cautious. Within three days, we young ones will stake our lives to accomplish this for Princess!”
Yue Tang withdrew her gaze, walked out.
Yan Bei watched her walk toward him all the way, looked around left and right, then leaped out with her.
The night sky at month’s end was almost pitch black.
On the quiet street, Yue Tang stopped at the intersection where scents of food and wine wafted from all directions.
Yan Bei said: “What is it?”
Yue Tang looked at him: “Did you not want me to treat you to a meal?”
Yan Bei was pleasantly surprised: “Really treating?”
Yue Tang nodded, sighed: “Over this alley there is a mutton shop, the mutton stewed fragrant and tender, quite delicious.”
Released tomorrow’s chapter ahead of time, completed this plot segment. But have something tomorrow, if no draft written this afternoon, will rest one day tomorrow ha.
Also end of month, still begging for monthly votes
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