Chapter 111: Your Highness, You Are Courting Death! (Part One)

Hu Tianming was greatly surprised and looked up at him in astonishment.

The old Prime Minister, however, showed not the slightest trace of jesting on his face.

If Hu Tianming hadn’t held such profound faith in the character of his mentor, he would have almost suspected that the old man was still harboring a grudge over past events and was deliberately using his granddaughter’s marriage to return evil for good, setting a trap for the Marquis of Dingyuan...

The two men stared at each other.

Hu Tianming quickly steadied himself. "This student is slow-witted; I humbly request my mentor’s guidance!"

The old Prime Minister said, "At tomorrow’s morning court, you shall submit a memorial in the name of the Governor of Jingzhao, impeaching the Marquis of Dingyuan for failing to govern his household and discipline his sons, thereby allowing his son to commit acts of violence and disturb the peace of the capital. Write the memorial from the standpoint of the local magistrate; do not show any partiality or leniency."

Hu Tianming had just watched Lin Xiucheng and his wife lead Wu Qingyu away, so he knew that the marriage proposal had been successful.

This meant the old man had agreed to follow Wu Qingyu’s suggestion to alter the case files, downplaying the incident involving Lin Yanyao.

Yet, they both knew that the young Master Wu had only volunteered to take the blame to save face for the Lin family. It wasn't his fault to begin with. Now, for him—the magistrate of the capital—to submit an impeachment memorial...

From his official standpoint, there was nothing improper about it; he was simply handling the case impartially. The young Master Wu had caused a panic with a prank and kept the Jingzhao officials busy for half the night; impeaching him was perfectly reasonable.

However, the fact that this idea came from the head of the Lin family...

No matter how Hu Tianming thought about it, he felt uneasy, burdened by the guilty conscience of helping a villain and acting in a way he considered unprincipled.

Hu Tianming hesitated for a moment.

But the old Prime Minister’s attitude was firm. "Do as I say! And didn't you want a deposition from that lad? Don't ask for it here. Send men to the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence this afternoon to bring him in for questioning at your yamen."

"I understand that a performance must be complete..." Hu Tianming mused. He had originally wanted to persuade the old man to reconsider the impeachment. Bringing the matter before the Emperor would escalate things significantly. But halfway through his thought, a flash of insight crossed his mind, and he suddenly understood the old man’s intent.

Indeed, ginger is spicier the older it gets!

With this realization, he had no further objections and respectfully agreed on the spot.

Meanwhile, Wu Qingyu and Wu Tan were walking out together. Seeing that the matter of Lin Yanyao had finally been settled satisfactorily, Wu Tan felt quite refreshed. On the way back, she didn't want to take the carriage, so she and Wu Qingyu rode their horses, quite a flashy sight as they traveled through the streets.

The two rode side by side.

During the journey, she glanced at Wu Qingyu several times. Though she wasn't used to showing him kindness, she eventually swallowed her pride and spoke up: "Second Brother, thank you for what happened this time! On behalf of my cousin and my grandfather’s family, I thank you!"

It was rare for Wu Qingyu to hear this girl speak to him like a human being. Plus, with his own good news on the horizon, his mood soared, and he smugly raised an eyebrow, shamelessly saying, "What’s the use of just saying it? Where is the reward?"

"What?" Wu Tan was stunned.

She had said it out of moral obligation; after all, she hadn't begged him to do it. Was this guy getting ahead of himself?

Seeing her go silent, Wu Qingyu pulled on his reins to lean closer to her, and with a mischievous grin, said, "If you truly want to thank me, then don't ask for the return of the betrothal money you lent me!"

"You dare!" Wu Tan glared at him. Looking at his smug, handsome face, her instinctive reaction was to slap him, but she stopped halfway and instead grabbed his sleeve tightly—to help him gather the betrothal money, she had emptied her coffers today. If she didn't hold on, and this guy really tried to welsh on the debt, she would be ruined.

Caught off guard, Wu Qingyu was jerked sideways and nearly fell off his horse.

Wu Tan held onto his sleeve, refusing to let go. "Go! We’re going back right now. You’re going to kneel before Grandmother and cry. If you dare not pay me back, I’ll go and cry to her myself."

If Wu Qingyu went to the Old Madam to plead poverty for betrothal money, the worst she would do is roll her eyes and scold him before eventually paying up. But if Wu Tan were to go and complain... he’d likely get a sound thrashing!

Wu Qingyu had only been joking, not expecting this girl to be such a miser who took it seriously.

Wu Tan tugged at him relentlessly, causing him to lean sideways on his horse and howl, "Let go, let go! We’re on the main street, look at how stingy you are..."

Before he could finish, Wu Tan suddenly let go as if scalded, and with a hurried motion, hid the hand that had been pulling his sleeve behind her back.

Wu Qingyu was confused. He straightened up to look at her face and saw her biting her lip, looking anxious as if facing a great enemy, her eyes fixed warily on a spot ahead.

Puzzled, Wu Qingyu followed her gaze and saw a young man with a cold, stern expression standing before the entrance of a teahouse.

He was a stranger, but he possessed an intimidating presence that suggested he was no ordinary person. Behind him stood a tall, obedient, and muscular attendant.

This was Wu Qingyu’s first time seeing Xiao Yue, so he naturally didn't recognize them. But seeing the man staring at Wu Tan, and seeing the usually lawless girl acting like a frightened rabbit—almost trembling—he found it extremely strange.

Strange things happen every day, but today is special!

Wu Tan, meanwhile, felt she had been incredibly unlucky these past two days. She had been intercepted by him in the middle of the night and scared half to death; to run into him again in broad daylight on the street?

The memory of Xiao Yue hoisting her off her horse was still fresh, so sitting on her horse now, she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Being stared at by him with that cold face, she nearly burst into tears. Her small face, which had turned pale with fright, now slowly flushed a deep red.

Fortunately, Xiao Yue made no excessive movements on the street. As Wu Tan’s horse passed by his, their gazes crossed, but he remained cold-faced and silent throughout.

Wu Qingyu, seeing them lock eyes, had initially thought his sister might have some secret, blossoming romance... but observing the interaction, he realized that wasn't the case.

Who looks at someone they like with that kind of atmosphere? The man looked like he was about to pounce and beat someone up, and his sister was practically trembling...

So—

This wasn't a secret romance? Had they become enemies?

After their procession had passed Xiao Yue and his attendant, Wu Qingyu leaned over to whisper to Wu Tan: "What is it? Do you know him?"

As he leaned in, he immediately felt something wrong; his back felt inexplicably cold.

Wu Qingyu was quite sharp. He turned around immediately—

There were only pedestrians on the street as usual. The two men were still standing at the teahouse entrance, neither entering nor leaving.

He felt puzzled and couldn't help but linger on them for a few more seconds.

A moment later, the carriage of the Prince of Sheng arrived, and Xiao Yue boarded it as if no one else were present and left.

Seeing the emblem on the carriage, Wu Qingyu’s heart jolted—

The Prince of Sheng’s mansion? The Prince of Sheng?

Was that the royal prince who had long been stationed with the northern armies, whose military achievements were almost on par with his own father’s?

Judging by his age, appearance, and aura, it must be him. But could there have been some conflict between the two families in the month he had been away from the capital? How else could his mere appearance turn Wu Tan, the little tigress, into a quail?

Wu Tan, beside him, seemed unable to recover from her fear, her eyes downcast and silent.

Helpless, Wu Qingyu could only reach out and pat her hair to comfort her: "It's alright, he's gone!"

Shaken by Xiao Yue, Wu Tan remained in a daze for the rest of the way, speaking very little. When they returned to the Marquis of Dingyuan’s mansion, Wu Qingyu went straight to the main courtyard and knelt outside the Old Madam’s door.

Back at the teahouse, Xiao Yue boarded his carriage to head home, but Lei Ming did not leave with him.

They were not far from the Lin residence, and given the series of dramatic events that had played out in front of the Lin mansion all day, Lei Ming had followed the clues to gather information. He even learned about the trivial matter of the "whispered conversation" the little ancestor of the Wu family had forced upon the Jiang mother and daughter.

Later, he returned to report to Xiao Yue.

"The Lin family girl is betrothed to Wu Xun’s second son?" Xiao Yue appeared quite interested in this news.

"Yes!" Lei Ming reported truthfully. "Although the elders of the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence haven't come forward yet, given the relationship between the two families and the fact that things have reached this point, even if the Wu family is reluctant, they will likely accept it begrudgingly. After all, the Marquis’s first wife passed away long ago, and the Wu family has always felt indebted to the Lin family. Though the Lin girl’s reputation is now tarnished, this is an opportunity to let bygones be bygones and reconcile. If they persist in refusing, the Wu family risks being branded as opportunistic and heartless, subject to criticism from the entire court."

Xiao Yue did not commit to an opinion, but after a moment of silence, he suddenly asked: "What is the temperament and character of Wu Xun’s second son?"

Lei Ming didn't understand why he would ask this, but thought for a moment and said, "He seems alright! While slightly inferior to the young Marquis in literary and military arts, and known for being a bit of a dandy, his private conduct is decent. I haven't heard of him committing any crimes. Moreover, although the Lin family was driven into a corner, given the character of the old Prime Minister, he wouldn't accept this marriage just to maintain face. At the very least, the Lin family must think highly of this second young master."

Xiao Yue listened, then fell into another silence.

Lei Ming was unsure of his master’s recent moods, especially regarding anything involving the Wu family, where he was prone to unpredictable and contradictory actions. Lei Ming now had to be on high alert whenever the Wu family was mentioned.

After a while, Xiao Yue spoke again in a low voice: "Wu Qingyu and that girl have a good relationship?"

Lei Ming, who had been deep in thought, quickly pulled his scattered focus together and answered matter-of-factly: "Because of Madam Meng, while not as close as he is with the young Marquis, they get along well enough. Today, the situation was urgent, and the betrothal gifts the second young master took to the Lin family were borrowed from the second young lady."

That Wu Tan was someone who was clear about her grudges and very petty.

Since she didn't like Madam Meng, the fact that she could still get along with Wu Qingyu meant she highly valued this half-brother of hers.

Xiao Yue suddenly thought of that night in the Changning Palace in his previous life, where she had been so trusting, believing that her father and brother were people of honor...

"Wu Qingyu? Wu Qingyu!" Xiao Yue muttered the name to himself, ruminating for a moment before suddenly looking up at Lei Ming: "Given the current situation of the Lin girl, this marriage shouldn't be delayed for long. Keep an eye on the news, and later, get me an invitation to the wedding banquet at the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence."

Lei Ming’s face fell instantly at this request. He tried to caution him hesitantly: "Even if the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence holds a wedding soon, the Marquis is not in the capital, so they will certainly wait for the young Marquis to return to manage it. He... I’m afraid he won't invite you?"

My lord! Even if you don't push yourself on them, they already hate you so much they’d like to kill you with a blade; what are you thinking? You’re hoping they’ll invite the wolf into the house to eat wedding wine?

Xiao Yue’s face turned dark on the spot, and he said coldly: "If they don't invite me, then go and get one from that girl! Is it a problem for her to issue an invitation to me personally?"

"No... problem!" Lei Ming agreed quickly, while his heart cried out.

The young lady is already so scared she nearly cries when she sees your face on the street; if you order her to give you an invitation, she certainly wouldn't dare not to...

But—

Are you planning to scare her so much that she’ll faint just hearing your name in the future?

That little ancestor of the Wu family is clearly someone spoiled into being difficult. To win her over, the only strategy is one secret word—

Spoil her!

Saying a few nice words and doing a few good deeds would make her follow you around in no time. Look at her two brothers; they are perfect examples. Why won't you learn from them? Why must you always do the opposite and scare her?

Lei Ming felt his master was continuously courting disaster, yet he was headstrong and wouldn't allow anyone to speak...

While Lei Ming was breaking his heart over his master’s lack of insight, the Jiang mother and daughter were scared out of their wits by Wu Tan. Even after returning to the Jiang residence by carriage, their condition showed no signs of improvement.

When Madam Jiang stepped out of the carriage, her legs gave way. Mother Huang couldn't support her, and she fell onto the steps with a thud.

"Madam!" The gatekeepers ran out, helping her up in a flurry. Seeing she could barely walk, they quickly called for a sedan chair to carry her to the inner courtyard.

Jiang Yuzhi, knowing she had caused trouble and had been exposed before her mother by Wu Tan, was terrified the whole way, feeling as if her heart might jump out of her throat at any moment.

Now that Madam Jiang had been taken back, she was desperate to seek her mother’s help and followed along.

"Madam, how are your knees? Should I call a physician?" Mother Huang asked as she helped Madam Jiang out of the sedan chair outside the courtyard. Seeing her limping, she worried she might have broken a bone.

Madam Jiang didn't feel much pain; in fact, the pain helped her stay clear-headed. She gritted her teeth and said, "I’m fine. Go and call Pingzhi for me!"

Because they were waiting for the result of the broken engagement from the Lin family, Jiang Pingzhi would certainly not have gone out today. She was now impatient to confront her children and verify the truth of what Wu Tan had said.

At this moment, her expression was ferocious, and she spoke through gritted teeth, looking as if she could eat someone alive.

Mother Huang knew the situation, but the maids rushing out to help were confused—the Madam was usually generous and dignified; what had happened? Puzzled, they exchanged glances.

Fearing Madam Jiang would lose her composure in public, Mother Huang urged, "Did you not hear the Madam? Go and invite the second young master!"

"Yes!" one of the maids answered and ran off.

Mother Huang and the others helped Madam Jiang into the room and sat her by the table. As Mother Huang knelt to lift her trouser leg to check her knees, she was brushed away by Madam Jiang.

She cast a cold, sharp glance at the maids who had followed her in and ordered coldly: "You all get out. Unless I call, no one is allowed near this room!"

"Yes!" The maids retreated immediately.

Mother Huang closed the door. Jiang Yuzhi stood by the entrance, cowering like a quail, only daring to peek at Madam Jiang with the corner of her eyes, her face tear-stained.

Madam Jiang looked at her and felt her lungs were about to explode. She slammed her palm on the table: "You—are you still not going to tell me the truth? Is what that girl from the Wu family said true? Are you and Pingzhi really—"

Before she could finish, she felt a sharp pain in her heart and clutched her chest, unable to stand straight.

Jiang Yuzhi threw herself at her feet and knelt, oblivious to her mother’s discomfort, only clutching her skirt and crying: "Mother, save me! I didn't do it, I didn't do anything! I knew nothing at the time; it was Miss Zhou who invited me to the Zhuque Tower to watch my brother and the others parade. I really knew nothing then, and later... later..."

Her incoherent sobbing only served to confirm Wu Tan’s words.

Although Madam Jiang believed her daughter wouldn't do such a thing and wasn't capable of it—even if she had been manipulated and framed—she was still involved, and evidence had been seized...

Thinking of the marriage that had just been decided, Madam Jiang’s heart pounded wildly.

If this news leaked, what would happen? Not only would her daughter’s marriage fall through, but their entire family would be implicated. Impeachment was a small matter, but if they truly angered the Emperor, they could lose their titles and be stripped of their residence!

How could these children cause such a disaster?

Madam Jiang knew Jiang Yuzhi lacked cunning, but how did Jiang Pingzhi and Li Xun’er get mixed up together?

Wu Tan even said that the murder of the top scholar and the kidnapping of Lin Yanyao were Pingzhi’s doing? If this were all true, had she been raising a son or a monster in human skin for over twenty years? Just thinking about it made her shudder!

Madam Jiang was furious and in pain, while Jiang Yuzhi sat on the floor, crying until she could barely breathe.

When Jiang Pingzhi pushed the door open, this was the scene he saw.

Wasn't his mother supposed to be at the Lin family to break the engagement? What was this—

Had she been humiliated by the Lin family?

Jiang Pingzhi himself was covered in injuries. Although there was only a bruise on his temple where Wu Qingyu’s boot had stepped on him, his whole body ached, and he was already feeling depressed. Seeing this scene, his face turned cold, and he asked impatiently: "What is the meaning of this?"

Seeing his attitude, Madam Jiang’s anger flared up.

"Kneel down!" she suddenly roared with severity.

The Jiang family was usually strict with the father and kind with the mother. Although Madam Jiang liked to put on airs, she truly pampered her children and was rarely this harsh or fierce.

Jiang Pingzhi wasn't afraid of her from the bottom of his heart. Even seeing her in a rage, he only frowned deeper and walked inside: "Mother, did things not go well at the Lin family?"

If he hadn't mentioned the Lin family, it would have been fine, but mentioning them made Madam Jiang truly lose her patience.

She wanted to stand up and slap him, but her legs hurt too much to move. In her fury, she scanned the room and grabbed the small teapot from the table, hurling it directly at him.

The teapot was small, containing cold tea from the morning.

Madam Jiang had thrown it with all her might, and Jiang Pingzhi, never expecting her to attack him, made no move to defend himself. The teapot struck him directly on the temple.

As a sharp pain flared, he felt the world spin.

The teapot shattered on the floor, but the tea and leaves splashed all over his face.

Jiang Pingzhi swayed, stumbling back two steps. He instinctively reached up to touch his temple—

Along with the tea, his hand came away covered in thick, fresh blood.