Chapter 20: If This Isn’t Silencing, Then What Is?

The imperial examination this February was the first since the Emperor ascended the throne. Only nineteen years old, the Emperor shares the exact birth date as the late Princess Yongjia. He is young and promising, and he personally designated the placements for the successful scholars, clearly signaling his intention to grant them significant authority.

The top scholar, Xu He, is only twenty-two. Though currently holding a low-ranking position in the Secretariat, his duties at the Ministry of Justice brought him into contact with the Imperial City Guard. In March, learning that Xu He had yet to marry, the Marquis of Guangling arranged a match between him and the eldest legitimate daughter of his brother-in-law, Sheng Xiong.

The wedding is set for the eighteenth of August, ten days after the Old Madam’s birthday banquet.

With the Prince of Jingyang’s estate already established, the Du family could not hope for further advancement among the military ranks. Moreover, with other prominent clans like the Shen and Mu families, the Du family could not truly be considered the most elite. Cultivating these young scholars early served their own interests. Since Xu He had placed first in the examinations at such a young age, his future was assured, and the Marquis needed to build his power base in advance.

"My Lord!"

Just as he finished giving his instructions, the steward in charge of the gatehouse rushed in, his face pale with alarm. "He Jianzhong is dead!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" the Marquis reprimanded him.

He Jianzhong had left his presence only two hours ago after receiving a dressing-down. It was the woman, Liu, who was supposed to die in prison; how could it be He Jianzhong?

"It is true! Not only is General He dead, but his wife has lost her mind! It was Lady He who killed him after she went mad! They say she stabbed him a dozen times..." The steward recounted everything he had heard.

The Marquis paused for three breaths before standing up from behind his desk. He stared at the steward for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand. "Summon the heir! We are going to the He residence!"

The steward hurried away. Watching his retreating figure, the Marquis’s expression grew even more somber than before.

...

Du Yu had been at the Shuntian Prefecture office dealing with the mess caused by Liu when he heard the news of the incident at the He residence, and he rushed over at full speed.

Huo Yun, who had been lurking near the Shuntian Prefecture office, saw him leave. He adjusted his tunic, grabbed his bundle, and walked toward the jailer at the prison entrance. "Officer..."

When Du Yu arrived at the He residence, he was so shocked by the scene that he gasped. "Where is the madwoman who committed the murder? Bring her here at once!"

Lady He was brought in and forced to her knees.

Du Yu demanded, "Did you kill him?"

Lady He looked up, her eyes vacant, and simply smiled. "The Princess killed him."

Du Yu felt a jolt of alarm and grabbed her by the hair. "What Princess?"

Lady He pointed into the room, then toward the eaves, and finally toward the back of the main chamber. "There, there, she is everywhere..."

Du Yu stared at her for a moment, frowned, and let go. He then spotted Zhang Shaode. "When did you arrive?"

Zhang Shaode stepped forward. "Just now, not long ago!"

"Have you discovered anything?"

Zhang Shaode’s face turned deathly pale. He looked up at Du Yu, then hurriedly lowered his head. "No! I have discovered nothing at all!"

Du Yu frowned and crouched down to examine He Jianzhong’s corpse.

"Where is the head of the He household?"

Suddenly, someone arrived at the entrance. It was a bailiff from the Shuntian Prefecture.

Du Yu turned. "What is it?"

The bailiff bowed his head. "Reporting to the Heir, something has happened to He Hui! This afternoon, He Hui went to the government office to withdraw his complaint. After the paperwork was processed, he went to the prison to collect Liu. However, after eating the food provided by the He family, she vomited blood from her nose and mouth and died on the spot. It has been preliminarily determined that He Hui is a prime suspect!"

Zhang Shaode was shaken by this news. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then shifted his gaze toward Du Yu.

"Nonsense!" Du Yu roared suddenly. "I was just at the Shuntian Prefecture, and Liu was perfectly fine!"

The bailiff knelt and kowtowed. "Please calm yourself, Heir! The matter is true. The court is already in session, and the Magistrate ordered me to bring the head of the He family to appear..."

Du Yu paced in circles before kicking over a stool. "Absurd! That is He Hui’s wife; he went to pick her up. Why would he kill his own wife in prison? Have you investigated this thoroughly?!"

"The coroner has examined the food Liu ate and confirmed that the wrapping and the style of the meal came from the He household. The He family kitchen even has identical dishes already prepared. Forgive me, Heir, we are only delivering the message; you must ask the Magistrate for the details of the case..."

Du Yu’s face turned ashen; he stared at them, speechless for a long time. Finally, he barked an order: "Leave a few men to guard the He residence inside and out! The rest of you, follow me to the Shuntian Prefecture!"

The bailiff scrambled up to lead the way.

The courtyard, which had been chaotic, suddenly grew quiet.

Standing under the veranda, Zhang Shaode had lost all color in his face, his right hand instinctively pressing against his chest. Beneath his lapel, the blood-stained Imperial City Guard token felt like a red-hot coal, as if his entire body were aflame...

...

Ever since Zhang Shaode had left the house, Lady Zhang’s eyelids had been twitching incessantly; she had not known a moment of peace.

By the time dusk fell, she was exhausted. Footsteps sounded outside, and Zhang Shaode entered, his face as white as a sheet.

He took the Imperial City Guard token from his robes. "I found this underneath He Jianzhong’s body. He was clutching it in his palm. Given Lady He’s strength, there is no way she could have killed him. Someone must have murdered He Jianzhong first and then used Lady He as a scapegoat. The Imperial City Guard tokens are only held by the Marquis! This proves that what happened to the He family was the work of the Du family."

Upon hearing this, Lady Zhang was terrified. "The Marquis killed He Jianzhong? Why! The He family was so loyal to him; why would they do this?"

Zhang Shaode stared blankly at the lamp flame. "Because we have already helped him secure the power of the Imperial City Guard. There are plenty of people lining up to die for the Marquis, and he no longer needs the He or Zhang families. In fact, because we know their secrets, we have become a threat. If they eliminate us, they can sleep soundly forever! The murder of Princess Yongjia will be buried deep underground, and no one in the world will ever be able to threaten them again. That alone is more than enough reason! Therefore, it is not just the He family—next, we are his targets!"

Lady Zhang was struck with horror. She shook her head. "It’s impossible! Only the day before yesterday, the Marchioness of Guangling asked me to help receive guests at the Old Madam’s birthday banquet and even wanted to act as a matchmaker for our daughter, Ying!"

"Who doesn't know how to act a part?" Zhang Shaode turned his bloodshot eyes toward her. "If I told you that not only is He Jianzhong dead, but Liu also died in prison today, and He Hui has been detained by the authorities as a murder suspect, would you still believe the Du family had no hand in this?!"

Lady Zhang felt the world go dark. "He Hui is in prison too?"

"The bailiff came to deliver the news just half an hour ago!" Zhang Shaode gritted his teeth. "Everything happened all at once. If this isn't an attempt to silence everyone, then what is it?"