Chapter 78: Can You Kill Based On Suspicion Alone?
Yan Bei helped Yue Tang up and let her grab his sleeve to stand steady.
He didn’t dare touch her anymore, putting both hands behind his back, letting her grab.
Yue Tang glanced at him: “What a big show.”
Yan Bei froze, quickly letting go of his hand, muttering under his breath “so hard to serve,” but then pressed her down to sit with one hand, saying: “I’ll have the guards find a horse carriage.”
Yue Tang looked toward the street: “Walking back isn’t impossible.”
“It’ll be time for the morning court soon; those who leave early might run into us halfway. Taking a carriage is both faster and safer.”
Yue Tang fell silent.
Yan Bei beckoned toward the dark area to the side in front, and a guard ran over; he gave instructions to the guard.
Yue Tang followed his gaze: “These guards, are they assigned by the Imperial Court or trained by Prince Jingyang’s Mansion itself?”
“Most are from the Imperial Court; the close ones are loyal attendants who followed my great-grandfather and grandfather all the way from the start.” Yan Bei supported her arm to let her sit and wait, then added: “But even those from the Imperial Court, after a long time, become handy to use.”
Yue Tang nodded, taking a long time to withdraw her gaze.
Yan Bei felt she had something to say, but before she could speak, the shopkeeper saw they were about to leave and hurried over to collect the bill.
Yan Bei usually traveled with Gao An, Cui Xun, and others; he never carried much spare money, at most enough to buy A Li a candy man.
Now he was a bit strapped, rummaging around and only scraping together about ten copper coins.
Yue Tang watched him, amused beyond measure.
He said: “What’s so funny?”
After saying it, he remembered how he had once gone to the guild hall pretending to be a failed scholar because he was “poor,” then thrown himself into the net, becoming a son-in-law—a black mark he could never erase in his life—and his face reddened.
Yue Tang placed a piece of broken silver on the table, just enough to cover the shopkeeper’s amount.
Yan Bei endured his flushed face and said: “Let’s make it clear, I’m not a soft rice eater. Back then it was forced by circumstances, I fell for your scheme out of necessity, but now it’s different. You said you’d treat me to this meal.”
“Got it, nag.”
Yan Bei saw the corner of her mouth slightly upturned, her eyes sly, not knowing what she was scheming this time, and just then the guard drove the carriage over.
The guard not only brought the horse carriage but also led several horses; the guards traveling with him brought new information: “Prince, the brother who followed Chu Xin back to the mansion said that after Chu Xin left Prince Duan’s Mansion, two groups from his attendants left first. One group went toward the Du Family, and others went in the direction of our Prince Jingyang’s Mansion!”
Yue Tang crossed her arms: “Well, well, they’ve turned the tables and targeted you.”
Yan Bei suddenly let out a cold laugh: “Du Minghuan had people ambush in Shen Li’s Zen Room, and Shen Li at least gave Gao An some face.
“This Chu Family isn’t even pretending anymore!
“Good, when we get back, I’ll tell Jiang Shao these things, then have him instruct the Imperial Guard Department not to pay attention to these people from the Chu Family for the next couple of days. Just figure out how many they are, where they’re staking out, and send a few people to watch them secretly.
“But do it thoroughly; I’ll have use for them later!”
“Yes!”
The guard accepted the order and left, while the remaining two set up the horse stool and stood by the side, leading a tall horse to Yan Bei’s side.
Yue Tang stepped on the stool, grabbed Yan Bei’s arm, and got on.
The guard sat at the front of the carriage and started driving; Yan Bei also mounted the horse.
The guards scouted ahead, encountering no pedestrians along the way, and soon arrived at the Xu Family alley.
Yue Tang had the horse carriage stop under the back wall, then prepared to flip over the wall inside as before.
After climbing onto the wall top, she thought for a moment and turned back: “I won’t be able to go out for the next few days; wait a bit, help me take something to A Li.”
She jumped down after speaking.
Yan Bei sat on horseback, watching her light as a swallow, staring dazedly without moving. He glanced at the small Top Scholar’s Mansion of the Xu Family—just three courtyards deep; the courtyard she lived in wasn’t even as spacious as the servants’ quarters in his own mansion, and he felt annoyed inside, thinking the Xu Family didn’t know how to act. Knowing they couldn’t afford to offend him, they still didn’t quickly give her better lodgings.
“Look here!”
Sure enough, soon her voice came from the wall top again.
She came out holding the slingshot that had been polished smooth under the lamp earlier: “Don’t keep the child locked in the room all day poking at your eyeballs. Kids need to be raised rough. This is fun; let him play with it freely first. When I go back next time, I’ll teach him to hit targets.”
Yan Bei froze, not knowing what she meant. Disgusted by his eyeballs? But he immediately thought of a more important issue: “When will you go next time?”
“Soon.”
That was as good as saying nothing.
“Hurry and go. Didn’t you say to watch out for officials leaving early for morning court?”
Yue Tang urged him, then nimbly vaulted over the wall inside, without any hesitation.
Yan Bei felt a bit lost inside, but because of that “soon next time,” he obediently left.
“Princess!”
Wei Zhang and Lan Qin had both hurried to wait under the courtyard gate.
Yue Tang called them into the room, asking as they went: “How’s the Chu Family side?”
Wei Zhang had been watching the Chu Family side; he must have seen Chu Xin coming and going.
Once inside, the three gathered under the lamp.
Wei Zhang said: “Du Yu went to that house we scouted that night only in the evening; I don’t know why he delayed half a day, but after he left, he quickly sent someone to circle the Imperial Clan Court yamen, probably to probe.
“After the person returned, he immediately went to the Chu Family; based on that, this subordinate confirmed the Chu Family was indeed the one behind the mask.
“Later into the night, I saw Chu Xin hurriedly going to Prince Duan’s Mansion, guessing he was going to ask Chu Yan about the truth of the Princess’s life and death, so I came back to report, only to learn the Princess had already gone.
“So this subordinate went back outside the mansion to stake out Chu Xin coming out.”
When Yue Tang heard that Du Yu had delayed half a day before going to that house, she glanced at Wei Zhang but didn’t interrupt him. “And then?”
“After Chu Xin left the mansion, he sent many people to watch the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion. And just now, roughly after Chu Xin returned from Prince Duan’s Mansion, two advisors from the Chu Family hurriedly took a carriage out. One went to the Vice Minister of Personnel’s mansion, the other to the Vice Minister of Revenue’s mansion.
“The Du Family is odd too; aside from Du Minghuan still facing inquiries from the Three Judicial Offices, after Du Yu went to that house, he didn’t go out again. After nightfall, Du Minghuan hurriedly returned to the mansion; this subordinate glimpsed from atop the outer wall that he went straight to the study, and Du Yu followed in.
“Later, since I still needed to return to the Chu Family side, this subordinate didn’t keep watching.”
Yue Tang nodded: “The Du Family is already deep in dire straits, now hoping the Chu Family can save them, but surely also preparing two plans. And Chu Xin now firmly believes my household registration file was destroyed, and with the pearl hairpin I left, he deeply believes I’m alive and back for revenge—so what’s the use of keeping the Du Family?
“If I were Chu Xin, I’d definitely see the Du Family as the last hidden danger, and while Yan Bei is pressuring them, simply pile on to finish them off.”
After thinking briefly, she added: “Chu Xin had people watch Prince Jingyang’s Mansion, so he must have guessed Yan Bei’s actions in the Imperial Court came from contact with me.”
Wei Zhang exchanged a glance with Lan Qin, who was pouring tea: “Then what to do?” After speaking, they both suddenly remembered and said in unison: “Right, Princess, you just went to the mansion—did you see the Heir Apparent’s Consort?”
“I did.” Yue Tang leaned back in the chair, sighing: “Not only did I see her, I learned everything I could.”
The old people and events in Prince Duan’s Mansion weren’t just Yue Tang’s, but everyone’s who survived. The Chu Family’s conspiracy, Chu Yan’s betrayal—they changed all their lives.
Under the bright lamp of the long night, Yue Tang told the whole story of the trip.
Wei Zhang and the other were speechless for a long time after hearing it.
A long while later, the lamp wick crackled, and Lan Qin slightly stirred, saying: “So, all the disasters in the mansion are tied to the secret on the Princess, and the Heir Apparent’s Consort—no, Chu Yan—was broken by that, coming to hate the Princess?”
Yue Tang nodded: “Yue Rong was probably the most sincere person to her in the world; losing him already pained her—fairly speaking, I’ve lost A Li and can empathize with her grief. If someone deliberately misled me back then saying the traitor was in my group, I might not have stayed unbiased either.
“So Chu Xin used the oddity in Yue Rong’s cause of death to make her believe I had a secret, and showed evidence that Yue Rong was murdered but held back from saying it; she vented all her regrets and unwillingness on me.
“But I never harmed anyone—why should I bear her suspicions?”
She picked up the cup to drink water, her hand steady without the slightest shake.
Lan Qin was stirred: “Exactly! What kind of secret, she couldn’t even say. If they could act on suspicion, the Chu Family and she would have died a hundred times!”
Though Wei Zhang had been silently listening, he couldn’t help nodding when Lan Qin said this.
In the past, Chu Yan had been a kind and approachable master in their hearts, also from a privileged background, versed in sage’s books and knowing ethics.
But when similarly faced with loved ones murdered, one chose out of suspicion to strike ruthlessly at her childhood handkerchief friend and little sister-in-law, while the other steadfastly unraveled threads, followed clues to find solid evidence, confirming the killer before seeking revenge.
She would never let a bad person go, yet wouldn’t implicate an innocent.
If it was about venting hate, didn’t Yue Tang have more reason than Chu Yan to bloodwash everyone in the Imperial Court?
If it was about enduring pain, wasn’t the pain Yue Tang bore several times more than Chu Yan’s?
How could she not indulge herself in wanton killing?
Wei Zhang, who had always held to one word of loyalty, had once risked everything to save Yue Tang and escape with her, accompanying her through these three years of humiliation and endurance; now with Chu Yan’s crimes confirmed, facing Yue Tang who remained strong and proud, never belittling herself despite Chu Yan calling her a “disaster star”—he felt even more proud to follow this master!
He stood up and knelt with a thud: “Princess, if this secret of yours truly obstructs others and brings killers, no matter who, whoever wants to kill you, this subordinate will follow you to the end, even against the world’s greatest taboo, to win back a ‘justice’ for the Princess!”
Lan Qin knelt too: “This servant is unworthy, but I’ll give my life for it!”
Yue Tang looked at them and smiled: “Every time you feel I’ve been wronged, you kneel—how many times have you knelt? Isn’t the ground cold?”
The two were slightly embarrassed and stood up.
But Wei Zhang still advised: “Last time the Princess instructed Prince Jingyang that Dou Yun could be used, and sure enough Dou Yun didn’t disappoint, immediately cooperating in the Imperial Court. He’s stayed in the Imperial City Department all these years; this subordinate guesses he has doubts about that year’s events but his Dou Family was weaker than these court families, lacking the power to speak.
“Plus the Guo Family!
“They are the Prince’s arms; truly, the Du Family just has a marquis, a bit stronger than them, otherwise with the Prince still alive, who knows who would hold the Imperial City Department first!
“From Dou Yun’s performance in the Imperial Court, if they knew the Princess returned, they should attach themselves!”
Lan Qin nodded too: “The household registration file is already in the Princess’s hands; no one can deny the Princess’s identity based on that year’s corpse. Now the people in the mansion naturally can’t be used anymore; this Dou Family and Guo Family, this servant walked around the Capital City these months and heard they seem fairly stable.
“They were all cultivated single-handedly by the Prince like Du Minghuan; the mansion has favors to them.
“This servant doesn’t believe everyone in this world is an ungrateful white-eyed wolf?!”
Yue Tang only smiled faintly without speaking, as if pondering.
Wei Zhang thought briefly and said: “The Princess always plans thoroughly before acting; what we subordinates think of, the Princess must have thought of long ago, otherwise she wouldn’t have Prince Jingyang try using Dou Yun.
“Since no word yet, probably still need to probe the two families’ bottoms; how about this subordinate goes first to scout.”
Yue Tang stopped fiddling with the fire starter: “No need to probe anything else. Don’t distract yourself.
“The Chu Family has targeted Yan Bei, so no need for us to worry. For the Dou and Guo Families, have Qin Niang inquire if they’ve remembered Father King’s anniversary of death these years.
“No matter what, the truth must be told to them. Of course, how they choose after knowing is up to their hearts.
“Now we must use well the advantage of hiding in the shadows and first grasp all the bottoms we need.”
At this, she glanced at the morning light outside the window, then said to Wei Zhang: “You haven’t slept all night; go rest first, then go watch the Du Family.
“Du Yu is already watching that notice at the mansion; I’ve thought it over, this has downsides but also upsides.
“The Du Family clearly received support from Father King back then, yet repaid kindness with enmity, knowing the Chu Family’s conspiracy but still acted as the executioners.
“Without removing this person, Father King’s heroic spirit under the springs can’t be comforted.
“When they come knocking, we’ll start from the Du Family side.”
Hearing this, how could Wei Zhang sit still? He grabbed his sword and went out: “This subordinate will go now!”
Under the morning light, his back was straight and resolute, majestic as a mountain.
The thin mist he passed through seemed split open and surging.
Lan Qin, chasing to outside the door, sighed and returned: “At least eat some breakfast before going.”
“Still too few hands. And we originally had Yan Bei’s kind of entourage too.” Yue Tang sat for a moment, then stood up.
Yan Bei had grand momentum from holding great power, while she back then had thick imperial favor with full setups; compared front and back, evenly matched.
“But Xiao Huo will arrive in the Capital City these two days; then he’ll share the load.” Lan Qin said relievedly, “That child has always been very clever.”
“Yes.” Yue Tang smiled too.
Turning back, she added: “Right, tidy up when you have time; given the current situation, I reckon we’ll have to pull out from the Xu Family side soon.”
