Chapter 616 - 227: Suburb of the Capital
Chapter 616: Chapter 227: Suburb of the Capital
As her voice faded, she shuddered, suddenly remembering something. She hurriedly asked the others, "What’s the date today?"
Chen Wanqing was the first to reply. "The fifteenth."
The mother and daughter exchanged a glance, instantly understanding the deep meaning in each other’s eyes.
Xu Suying spoke in an inexplicable tone, "Every month on the fifteenth, when the moon is full, Yan Cheng goes to the suburban manor to visit his female cousin. The moonlight is beautiful today, so he should be going too. Where is the manor that houses that cousin?"
"Ask Uncle Shiling this question," Chen Wanqing said. "He should know."
Xu Shiling wanted to say he didn’t know. He wanted to tell her that if they really wanted to deal with Yan Cheng and that woman, there would be plenty of opportunities later. Why did it have to be now? After traveling for so many days, even he was exhausted. His sister, a delicate and frail woman, had been complaining in the carriage about her head aching, her feet aching, and her whole body aching. Wouldn’t it be better to go back and rest? Did she really have to vent this anger right now?
Xu Shiling couldn’t say these words out loud because Xu Suying was currently glaring at him like a tiger eyeing its prey. It looked very much like she would beat him up if he didn’t give a satisfactory answer.
Xu Shiling rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Coincidentally, Court Chengyi Mansion’s suburban manor is right around here."
He also knew the exact address. When Court Chengyi Mansion had "exiled" that cousin here, he had wanted to kill her to avenge his sister, so he had sneaked over and lay in wait. However, it was his oldest brother who had chased after him and brought him home.
His oldest brother had said that their father was hindering the Empress Dowager from monopolizing power in the imperial court, and the Empress Dowager had been trying to find a way to remove their father from the Cabinet. Their home always had the Empress Dowager’s people, and the whole family was being monitored by her. It was one thing for them to be cautious in their words and actions, but if they broke the law and killed someone, believe it or not, if this cousin died today, someone would present witnesses and material evidence tomorrow to publicly attack their father.
His oldest brother had also said that rather than killing her and giving her a quick end, it would be better to torment her from time to time, ensuring she wouldn’t have a single good day for the rest of her life. Moreover, he believed that one day they would definitely be able to find his sister again, and wouldn’t it be better to leave this person for his sister to deal with?
He had been persuaded, so he had followed his oldest brother home.
Xu Shiling didn’t tell his sister about this, but his tone revealed a hint of it.
Xu Suying was an incredibly astute person. She almost immediately grasped the crucial point. "Is there someone from our family by that cousin’s side? Right, we’ve been calling her ’cousin’ this and ’cousin’ that—what was her name again?"
"I don’t know what her given name is," Xu Shiling began. "The people of Court Chengyi Mansion all call her Third Lady. Her surname is Bai, and some people also call her Third Ms. Bai. The senior maid by her side is our person. Whatever you want to do, Suying, just order her to do it."
Xu Suying clapped her hands in approval. "Let’s head over right now. This time, I really have to vent this anger of mine."
Right before stepping out, she asked Xu Shiling, "Shiling, is there a government office nearby?"
"Of course there is."
This was the suburb of the capital, equivalent to the front door of Capital City. Not only was there a County Magistrate here, but the County Magistrate was also a trusted confidant of His Majesty.
Xu Suying cheered again. "Shiling, send someone to the government office to report a case. Just say that I’ve caught the person who tried to murder me."
What could Xu Shiling say? She hadn’t done anything yet, but she was already calling for the constables. If the constables made a wasted trip, the consequences would be something even he would have to suffer. But on one hand, he knew his sister never fought a battle she wasn’t confident of winning. On the other hand, his sister had suffered grievances for so many years, and his heart ached terribly for her. Since they had reunited, she had never asked him for anything. Now that she was just making a small request, how could he refuse?
Xu Shiling readily agreed. Right in front of her, he had a servant set off immediately to the nearest government office to fetch the constables.
After taking care of this, they still weren’t done. Xu Suying asked her daughter, "Qing’er, where are the clothes I prepared?"
Chen Wanqing’s face twisted for a moment. "Mother, do you really have to wear those clothes? It’s the dead of winter right now, and those clothes are thin. You’ll catch a cold after wearing them for just a little while. It’s not worth making yourself sick over two people like that."
Xu Suying waved her hand dismissively. "Cold? What cold? It’s not cold at all. Now, just thinking about the terrified looks on those two wicked people’s faces gets my blood boiling with excitement. Hurry up, Qing’er, quickly find those clothes for me. Forget it, you’re pregnant, so you should just stay put and rest. I’ll go get them myself."
Xu Suying grabbed her gear and shooed away De’an, who was eager to follow along, telling him to take Yao’an to bed for the night. Along the way, she reminded Zhao Jing to keep a close eye on Chen Wanqing. If she got hungry, he should ask the post station’s cook to make some food and bring it over.
Furthermore, she told them that since they didn’t know when they would return, there was no need to wait up; they should just go to sleep first.
After giving these instructions, Xu Suying took Chen Song and Xu Shiling with her and rushed out the door like a whirlwind.
Outside, the moonlight was bright and beautiful, and the night was peaceful and serene. However, Xu Suying’s retreating figure gave off a murderous aura, as if she wouldn’t return until she drew blood. It made the onlookers’ blood pump with adrenaline as their hearts leapt into their throats.