Chapter 84: Tell Me, Whose Seed Is It?!
“Didn’t expect that, did you?” Yue Tang asked, glancing obliquely at him. “You went all out to destroy it so I couldn’t show my face or return to Prince Duan’s Mansion, but what you drew was the Chu Family’s kick the donkey after it has pulled the mill. Pretty infuriating, huh?”
“Guess what? If Chu Xin finds out right now that the household registration file wasn’t destroyed and has fallen into my hands instead, what will he do?”
Du Yu was speechless.
The woman in front of him spoke faintly, her sitting posture also lax, yet she was terrifying like a devil.
If earlier he only thought Yue Tang was utterly arrogant for seeing Jiang Shao with just three or five guards here, now the situation was very clear!
It was simply impossible to be arrogant!
Yan Bei must know everything that happened tonight.
The reason there were only a few people was just to avoid beating the grass and startling the snake!
Yan Bei must have long known that he forced Xu He to go to the Imperial Clan Court for the turtle talisman, so he deliberately transferred Xu He to a post at the Imperial Clan Court, ensuring he would take the bait. Meanwhile, Yan Bei himself had taken the real household registration file ahead of time, letting both Chu Xin and Du Yu mistakenly believe it was destroyed.
If he hadn’t jumped into the pit Yan Bei dug, Chu Xin would never have moved against the Du Family so quickly. He, Du Yu, wouldn’t be attacked from front and back, forced to take a desperate risk tonight in haste!
He could even have used Yue Tang’s whereabouts to checkmate Chu Xin in return!
Now everything was over.
Even if he had a chance now to send a message to Chu Xin, Chu Xin absolutely wouldn’t come to save him, nor would he risk killing at this time!
Entering meant death, retreating meant death!
In the end, the one with no way out wasn’t Yue Tang—it was him, Du Yu, and the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion!
He wiped the blood flowing from his chest, gripped his sword and propped himself on the ground, roaring at the guards: “Get up for me! Get up and kill! Heaven never seals off all paths for man—drag it out until the Marquis arrives no matter what!”
They still had six guards left, while Yue Tang only had three people by her side—not as if they had absolutely no chance.
Either way it was death, so why not fight with all they’ve got?
Could Du Minghuan still come?
Du Yu had no confidence in his heart.
Since Yue Tang had long detected and prepared, the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion certainly wouldn’t sit idly by.
But his father was the dignified Imperial City Department Envoy—would he really let her manipulate him?
Impossible!
Even if faced with obstacles, he would surely overcome all difficulties and rush over!
Stepping back ten thousand li, even if he really couldn’t come, he had to kill his way out—even if it meant fleeing from now on!
The guards indeed perked up, all raising their sabres and starting to kill again!
But at this moment, Jiang Shao burst in from outside: “Madam, the Prince sent us guards to deliver a message: a quarter of an hour ago, Du Minghuan mobilized troops without permission, and the Prince has caught him red-handed!
“This is the token the Prince instructed the guards to bring—please inspect it, Madam!”
A willow-leaf sabre was presented before Yue Tang.
Yue Tang just glanced down at it, then pushed the sabre toward Du Yu: “Recognize it?”
Du Yu staggered backward, crashing into the wall!
From the moment Jiang Shao entered with the sabre, he had spotted it at once!
This sabre had accompanied Du Minghuan for decades and was a heirloom treasure of the Du Family, always by Du Minghuan’s side—how could Du Yu not recognize it?
The sabre had been delivered here by the Prince’s Mansion guards—what did that mean?
It meant Du Minghuan couldn’t come either!
So that’s how it was—Yan Bei had sent Jiang Shao to the Xu Family, while he himself had gone to the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion!
The last shred of belief in Du Yu’s heart collapsed; sweat beaded on his forehead as he looked at Yue Tang, his face ashen!
Even Du Minghuan had fallen— even if he managed to escape, what path was left?
Yue Tang glanced at the ground: “Guess you never thought about why the Chu Family went to such lengths to let your Du Family hold the Imperial City Department and even give you a hundred thousand in reward money?”
Du Yu lifted his head, a flicker of shock and doubt appearing in his ashen eyes.
“Because they never truly intended to let you hold power!
“They had long cultivated a legitimate heir.
“You think the Imperial City Department is yours from now on? In your dreams! The Chu Family never meant to give it to you—they just wanted you as puppets!
“They used preferential treatment as a pretext to let you temporarily sit in the Imperial City Department Envoy position, willingly taking their dispatches, until their chosen heir could take over as Imperial City Department Envoy.”
“Heir?”
Du Yu opened his hoarse voice.
Yue Tang sneered coldly: “Your Du Family still doesn’t regret setting up the trap to kill me for control of the Imperial City Department. You saw it as a sure-profit deal, and the Chu Family isn’t at the point of power shakes the world—why wouldn’t they want it?”
Du Yu involuntarily straightened his body: “But how could they? How could they manage it? The Former Emperor did promise that Prince Duan’s Heir would take over as Imperial City Department Envoy upon adulthood, but the Heir is gone!
“Even if the Du Family steps down in the future, there’s no reason to hand it to their Chu Family—the Prince’s Mansion Heir Apparent’s Consort has already raised an adopted son—”
At the words “adopted son,” he suddenly shuddered, as if triggering some nerve, his eyes widening again!
Yue Tang said coldly: “Finally realized something’s off? Even on death’s door you went to the Chu Family to negotiate terms to kill me. Now you know your Du Family is thoroughly just a chess piece—how does that feel?”
Du Yu’s body shook, his voice out of control: “I don’t believe it! Prince Duan’s Heir was personally selected by the Imperial Clan Court—they couldn’t have tampered—”
“Princess, Chu Yan is here!”
Hearing this name, Du Yu’s remaining words stopped abruptly.
Huo Yun returned and quickly reported, then pointed toward the doorway.
At this time, two people strode quickly under the corridor: one was Wei Zhang, the other precisely Chu Yan!
“Why did you call me here?” Chu Yan stared fixedly at Yue Tang.
Yue Tang smirked: “Invited you to watch a good show.”
Chu Yan’s face chilled: “What tricks are you playing now?!”
Yue Tang ignored her and turned to ask Xiao Huo: “Are all the people the Du Family brought under control? Has Chu Xin noticed anything?”
“Not at all! Every one this bastard brought was silently taken down by Lord Jiang. Chu Xin is still watching from the alley and hasn’t come in!” Xiao Huo said through gritted teeth.
“Excellent.” Yue Tang nodded, then walked past Chu Yan back to her chair and sat down, her gaze turning to her again: “These past few days, have you found out whose bastard Yue Huan is?”
Fire suddenly flared in Chu Yan’s eyes, and she involuntarily stepped forward two paces: “You know?!”
Yue Tang sneered again, then looked at Du Yu, whose expression could no longer be described as mere shock!
Chu Yan’s few short words had undoubtedly confirmed doubts about Yue Huan’s parentage—she was the child’s foster mother, and even she suspected it, so how could it be wrong?
And she was the Chu Family’s Miss, so naturally she couldn’t be in cahoots with Yue Tang!
This proved Yue Tang’s earlier words were true! The Chu Family had long prepared two plans—they never intended for the Du Family to truly become the Imperial City Department Envoy!
Back then they gave reward money and official posts, letting the Du Family rise meteorically—where else to find such good fortune?
Du Minghuan had followed Prince Duan for many years and ended up only as Deputy Envoy—such blessing they couldn’t fail to cherish and be grateful for!
So for three years, no matter how the Chu Family issued orders in secret, the Du Family obeyed without fail!
In the end, the Chu Family put on an aloof face, using them like oxen and horses, yet never intended to give them even this position!
Du Yu felt as if plunged into an ice cave, his heart cooling completely!
So from start to finish, they had been toyed with by the Chu Family. And right when he learned Chu Xin planned to strike the Du Family, he had still single-mindedly negotiated terms with him, using Yue Tang’s death as a bargaining chip to make them spare the Du Family!
He had even thought he could grasp a slim chance before Chu Xin!
“Chu Xin is waiting at the alley entrance right now,” Yue Tang stopped in front of him, “Do you think he’s here for your safety?”
Yue Tang laughed. “If you had killed me by now, the moment you walked out, do you think he would reward you or swiftly silence you?”
Du Yu gripped his sword tightly, suddenly roaring loudly and stabbing fiercely into the ground!
His hunched body convulsed violently; his former arrogance and spiritedness were all gone!
A moment later, he straightened up, a glint of hope in his eyes again: “You, you’ve kept me alive until now, so you must have instructions, right?”
At this, he immediately dropped his long sword and prostrated on all fours: “Please instruct me, Princess! This one is willing to be an ox or horse for the Princess to atone! I only beg the Princess’s protection—this one can help you kill him! This one will go kill him for you right now!”
Yue Tang’s expression turned stern: “Go call the Chu fellow in!”
Du Yu thought she was about to strike, and immediately threw himself down again: “Spare my life, Princess! Spare my life!…”
Yue Tang suddenly grabbed his hair: “Use the message to lure him in—say I’ve fled injured, and you’ve sent people to chase me!
“Then pry from his mouth the parentage of that child in Prince Duan’s Mansion!
“Do this well, and I’ll spare your dog’s life!”
Du Yu was yanked until tears and snot flowed, but hearing this, he nodded vigorously: “This one will arrange it right now!”
Yue Tang released her hand and turned to face Chu Yan.
Her gaze chilled; without a word, she reached out her right hand, covering the shocked Chu Yan’s mouth and nose, then dragged her behind the bed!
Du Yu didn’t dare breathe, turned around, and yanked one out from the restrained guards nearby: “You know what to do, right? If you mess up my business, I’ll haunt your ancestors for eighteen generations!”
The guard nodded instantly and, heart pounding wildly, stepped over the threshold.
Seeing this, Huo Yun quietly followed behind.
Under the big camphor tree at the alley entrance stood an ordinary-looking horse carriage.
Chu Xin sat in the carriage compartment, a pair of sheep-fat jade balls already warmed in his palm.
“How long has he been in there?” he asked the guard below the carriage with a frown.
“Back to Young Master, nearly an hour!”
Chu Xin’s brows furrowed tighter; he gazed toward the Top Scholar’s Mansion in the distance, his throat tightening unconsciously.
Du Yu knew such crucial information—how could he feel at ease letting him handle it alone?
But Chu Xin never imagined that Yue Tang, who had escaped death and returned for revenge, would hide in the Top Scholar’s Mansion, appearing as the Top Scholar’s Wife!
He had secretly urged the Du Family multiple times to take down Xu He soon, but unexpectedly Xu He had become Yue Tang’s man!
Since she lived in the Top Scholar’s Mansion, no need to mention the Imperial Clan Court matter. Whether the household registration file was destroyed or not was still unknown!
During this hour of waiting, Chu Xin had already prepared for the worst.
If Du Yu wasn’t playing tricks and had indeed come tonight to chase and kill Yue Tang, then this time Du Yu couldn’t claim sure victory!
So before the outcome was clear, how could he approach?
“Young Master, someone is coming from ahead!”
Chu Xin focused his gaze and indeed saw one person approaching quickly, passing the carriage and heading toward the street.
The man below the carriage immediately said: “It’s a Du Family guard!”
“Stop him and ask what’s going on?”
Chu Xin’s breathing quickened as he pushed open the carriage door and stepped down.
Soon the man was brought back, his face surprised: “Why is Young Master Chu here?”
Chu Xin walked up to him, scrutinizing the bloodstains on him, then said: “Where’s your master?”
The guard said with a sob: “My master fought to the death with Princess Yongjia; over half the men he brought were killed or injured. Master was also wounded. The Princess just fled, and the rest went to chase her. Master is still in the Xu Family! This one is rushing back to the mansion to send word to the Marquis!”
Chu Xin’s expression changed: “What about Xu He?!”
“Lord Xu passed out long ago!”
Chu Xin paused, then shoved him aside and waved for his men to follow, heading straight to the Top Scholar’s Mansion!
The Xu Family side gate was indeed open, with no servants in sight.
Following the trail of wreckage into a side courtyard, he saw lights burning inside the room, the stench of blood assaulting the nose!
Chu Xin kept his eyes alert, proceeding cautiously, until at the threshold the sounds from inside drew his gaze.
“You… came?!”
Du Yu sat crookedly on the ground, his hoarse voice emerging from clenched teeth.
Chu Xin frowned and scanned the walls, seeing wreckage everywhere. Besides Du Yu, only two corpses remained in the room, plus two gravely wounded guards moaning.
“Where’s the person?” he demanded. “How did you let her escape again?!”
“Don’t worry, she can’t have gone far.” Du Yu’s right hand’s five fingers gripped tightly his other injured arm. “I’ve stabbed her abdomen. She only has one little guard with her; the few I sent are skilled—they absolutely won’t let her get a street away!”
“Which way did she go?!”
“East!”
Chu Xin looked toward the wide-open window to the east, stepping forward to pursue, but Du Yu called him back: “Don’t you want to know what I discovered about her?”
Chu Xin lowered his raised sword a few inches and turned at the threshold.
Du Yu sat up a bit, steadying his breath: “She investigated Prince Duan’s Heir’s parentage.”
Chu Xin’s body suddenly stiffened, sharp light flashing in his eyes.
Du Yu stared tightly at him: “Heir Yue Huan—he’s not imperial clan blood?”
“Who allowed you to spout nonsense?!” Chu Xin strode back. “If you want to die, I can oblige!”
Du Yu gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling: “He’s your Chu Family’s blood? Chu Xin, is that your child?!”
Chu Xin’s face instantly turned icy cold, his gaze full of killing intent.
“Did she tell you that?”
“Never mind where I heard it!” Du Yu snarled. “Just tell me—is Heir Yue Huan your bastard?!”
