Chapter 2361: Cheng Wu Grows Suspicious
Chapter 2361: Chapter 2361: Cheng Wu Grows Suspicious
With Rong Hou’s defection, things became much easier on Shu Yu’s side; the original plans could be temporarily shelved.
The first benefit was that the food was no longer drugged.
Such a small task was not difficult for Rong Hou, as he only needed to stealthily swap out the drugs, and no one else would notice anything amiss.
At the same time, Shu Yu also informed Lord Cheng about Ms. Wang being an insider. She had no evidence and did not mention that the information came from Rong Hou. Whether he believed it or not was up to Lord Cheng.
When Lord Cheng first heard of it, he was utterly shocked and, of course, did not believe it.
His household was relatively simple, containing only three concubines aside from his legitimate wife. One of them had died due to childbirth complications over a decade ago, while Ms. Wang, although childless, had been by his side for many years.
Especially when the Cheng Family encountered trouble, Ms. Wang stood by him, nearly taking a stab for him.
Upon hearing she could be a mole, Lord Cheng’s initial reaction was to consider it a joke.
But Shu Yu would not joke with him, especially not at such a time.
Thus, even though his mind was in turmoil, he calmed himself. Some things seemed fine when not thought of, but once recalled, there were always traces to follow.
The downfall of the Cheng Family was too smooth, too fast. Certainly, Cheng Wu’s betrayal played a part, but the vast Cheng Family was too large for him to penetrate completely, particularly the inner quarters.
Cheng Wu accompanied him daily, operating between the front courtyard and outside the mansion, making it difficult for him to extend his reach into the inner quarters.
So there was also an insider in the inner quarters.
Eliminating the impossible, only Ms. Wang remained.
Shu Yu did not concern herself with how Lord Cheng dealt with the matter. She only knew that Lord Cheng called Ms. Wang aside to speak privately, and later, Ms. Wang was dead, strangled by Lord Cheng.
When Ms. Wang’s body was carried out, those guarding the door hesitated briefly, then realized she had been exposed.
They said nothing; Ms. Wang was merely a pawn in their eyes and was quickly removed and disposed of.
With no insider in the house, no one ate the drugged food anymore, and as the strength returned to their bodies without drawing suspicion, everyone suspected that something had changed in the Cheng Mansion. They tacitly awaited the right moment.
And two days later, Meng Yunzheng was also released.
Cheng Wu couldn’t understand this and needed Rong Hou to give him an explanation.
Rong Hou simply said, “Young Master Meng and County Lord Lu are both the kind of people who respond better to kindness than to force. If we can work together in the future, there’s no need to strain the relationship too much. It’s just to let the couple meet, so they won’t keep guarding against us.”
Cheng Wu snorted lightly, “Work together? It’s been several days, and they haven’t relented. Whether we can work together in the future is still uncertain. Steward Rong, the time given to us from above is limited. If we can’t pry the Dongqing Temple master’s secrets, we’re all doomed.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t know what exactly those above wanted the Dongqing Temple master to reveal; if he did, he could entirely replace Rong Hou.
In Cheng Wu’s eyes, Rong Hou was indecisive and lacking in ability; he only had good luck in having followed Lord Gong in his early years.
Rong Hou was displeased, “I have everything under control, no need for your reminders.”
After saying this, he swept away his sleeve and departed. However, he soon found an opportunity to speak with Meng Yunzheng, “Things can’t go on like this. Cheng Wu seems to be growing suspicious of me, and he’s been displeased with me for a long time.”
“Hold on for a few more days.”