Chapter 538 - 312: Madam is Too Kind-Hearted
Chapter 538: Chapter 312: Madam is Too Kind-Hearted
She paused. "Chen Yi, are you coming to see Grandfather with me..."
Before she could finish, Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang suddenly looked up at the sky and whispered a warning, "Miss Wan’er, Miss Jinghong has returned."
"Jinghong?" Xiao Wan’er was slightly stunned. Both she and Chen Yi looked up.
Xiao Jinghong descended directly into the central courtyard, standing atop a flying longsword while carrying a man with a cloth sack over his head in one hand.
She had spotted them earlier. Upon landing, she nodded in greeting. "Wan’er, Chen Yi."
Xiao Wan’er asked in surprise, "Jinghong?"
Chen Yi feigned surprise. "Jinghong, how did you get back so quickly?"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the hooded captive, seemingly by chance. He did not need to guess; this man was undoubtedly Li Sanyuan of the Ji State Trading Company.
Xiao Jinghong replied, "I need to make a trip to the Guangyuan Capital Commandery. I’m just stopping by to rest on the way."
She then tossed the captive to Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang, issuing her orders. "Take him to the Punishment Hall’s inner prison and keep a strict watch over him. No one is allowed to visit or interrogate him without my or Grandfather’s orders."
"Yes, Ma’am."
After Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang left, a slight smile appeared beneath Xiao Jinghong’s half-armor mask. She looked at Chen Yi and Xiao Wan’er. "Wan’er, Chen Yi, I’m going to see Grandfather. Would you like to come along?"
Hearing this, Xiao Wan’er suppressed the ripples of emotion in her heart and smiled gently. "Business comes first. I will come pay my respects to Grandfather tomorrow."
Chen Yi did the same. "Jinghong, I still need to read a bit and prepare for the Annual Examination."
Xiao Jinghong glanced at them and did not insist. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she headed to the Qingjing Residence alone.
Seeing her disappear from sight, Chen Yi and Xiao Wan’er exchanged a look and silently returned to the backyard.
Xiao Wan’er felt a bit guilty. If her body were not already as cold as ice, the deathly pallor of her face earlier would have given her away.
Chen Yi, however, remained completely composed. He first escorted Xiao Wan’er back to Jiaxing Garden before returning to Spring Lotus Garden.
It was much as he had expected. Xiao Jinghong had successfully met Li Sanyuan and had likely already obtained evidence of the illicit trade between the Ji State Trading Company and King Landu. As for whether that evidence could implicate Liu Hong, that would depend on Xiao Jinghong and Elder Master Xiao’s abilities.
However, two things had caught Chen Yi off guard.
First, Xiao Jinghong had just mentioned Guangyuan County. Her target could only be Zhu Hao, the Deputy Commander of the Capital Commandery. This aligned perfectly with the target of the "evidence" Chen Yunfan had obtained. If Xiao Jinghong went directly to Guangyuan County and captured Zhu Hao, the White Tiger Guard’s plan to let Chen Yunfan climb the ranks by stepping on Zhu Hao would likely fail. The outcome would simply depend on who struck first.
As for the second discrepancy...
Chen Yi turned his head toward the Punishment Hall and sighed inwardly. He thought, "Jinghong is still too kind-hearted. For someone like Li Sanyuan, how could it be enough just to make him confess the inner workings of the Ji State Trading Company and lock onto Liu Hong or Zhu Hao? It would be good to put this trash to use. Those few grain merchants don’t have many silver coins, but they have plenty of grain. It would be a pity to let such a good opportunity go to waste."
After a moment of thought, a smile crept onto Chen Yi’s face. He thought, "You don’t know the cost of firewood and rice until you run a household. Jinghong is kind-hearted, but I am not."
Having made his decision, Chen Yi gave Xiaodie a few instructions to prepare dinner, while he took Xiao Wuge to the study to read.
"Chen Yi, is Jinghong back?"
"Yes, she’s back."
"Then she won’t leave again, will she?"
"Probably not... I think?" Chen Yi couldn’t say for sure.
Knowing Xiao Jinghong’s temperament, it was entirely possible she would leave the Prefecture City that very night and rush to Guangyuan County. "Just wait patiently..."
...
Inside the Qingjing Residence.
Elder Master Xiao, Xiao Jinghong, and Xiao Jing sat formally in the main hall.
Sitting at the head of the room, Elder Master Xiao listened to Xiao Jinghong’s report. Even though he already knew what Liu Hong and Zhu Hao had done, he still couldn’t help but burn with rage.
"How dare they commit such treasonous acts? How can they face the millions of citizens in Shu State, and how can they justify the official robes they wear?"
Elder Master Xiao growled in uncontrollable fury. "That Liu Gongmo... he nearly died at Mengshui Pass all those years ago. It was the soldiers at the pass who risked their lives to save him! Is this how he repays the people of Shu State?
"And Zhu Hao! That bastard! Embezzling the Dingyuan Army’s funds and provisions, while secretly... secretly... he deserves a thousand deaths!"
Xiao Jinghong lowered her eyes, listening silently as he vented his anger. Xiao Jing did the same.
A long while later, Elder Master Xiao finally stopped shouting. He smashed the table beside him with a single slap and sat panting heavily, looking at Xiao Jinghong with bloodshot eyes. "What do you plan to do next?"
Xiao Jinghong had come prepared and spoke calmly. "Liu Hong has hidden himself very well. Even if Li Sanyuan is confident he can implicate the second son of the Liu family, I’m afraid it will still be very difficult to find direct evidence to bring down Liu Hong.
"That is, unless the information passed on by ’Dragon Tiger’ is true, and Zhu Lingchuan really does possess evidence of Liu Hong’s treason. Therefore, I plan to go to Guangyuan first to prevent Zhu Hao from doing something desperate when cornered."
Hearing this, Elder Master Xiao’s expression softened slightly. He pondered for a moment before instructing Xiao Jing, "In the near future, have the Hidden Guards keep a close eye on the Noble Families and Government Office officials who are on good terms with Liu Hong."
Xiao Jing bowed in acknowledgment. "Recently, due to the Annual Examination, all the Noble Families and officials close to Liu Hong have already been recorded." He paused, then asked, "What about Liu Hong himself?"
A hint of sorrow appeared on Elder Master Xiao’s face as he shook his head. "He is an extremely shrewd man and will definitely be on guard. With Jinghong absent, it is inconvenient for the Hidden Guards to make a move."
Xiao Jinghong nodded. "My decision to leave Zhu Lingchuan alone for now is also to avoid alerting the enemy."
Elder Master Xiao sighed, his emotions finally settling down. "Once Jinghong returns, I will submit a memorial to the Imperial Court. This time... even if it turns Shu State upside down, I will see Liu Hong dead!"
Xiao Jinghong understood what he meant by turning Shu State "upside down." Once Liu Hong was convicted, the position of Governor of Shu State would be left vacant, and the Imperial Court would naturally make new arrangements. It was still unknown whether the situation then would be for better or worse.
"Grandfather, I’ve been thinking. What ’Dragon Tiger’ said earlier is correct—one can be a thief for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days. If our Xiao family is too weak outwardly, those people will only think we are easy targets."
Elder Master Xiao paused upon hearing this. "What do you intend to do?"
"The strength of the Hidden Guards in the estate is ultimately a bit too low, especially considering what happened to Wan’er the other day. I have considered it carefully and wish to recruit some new people."
Xiao Jinghong glanced at the visibly embarrassed Xiao Jing, her tone unwavering. "I am not targeting the Hidden Guards specifically. The same goes for the Personal Guards in the estate."
She had been pondering this matter ever since Chen Yi mentioned the inadequate security of the estate to her. After much thought, there were only two ways to quickly fill the shortage of experts in the estate. The first was to select elites from the Dingyuan Army. The second was to recruit people from the Jianghu. For instance, the Celestial Sect or the Wind and Rain Tower. Or perhaps the former servants of her master, Li Wudang.
Elder Master Xiao pondered for a moment. Though feeling somewhat despondent inwardly, he still nodded. "Since that is the case, then do as you say."
Xiao Jinghong stood up and bowed. "I understand the gravity of the situation. I will now hurry to Guangyuan County."
"What? You finally managed to come back, and you aren’t going to have a simple meal with Qingzhou before you leave?"
"This..."
Elder Master Xiao waved his hand, brokering no argument. "Half a day or a day won’t make a difference. Go on back."
Xiao Jinghong hesitated, then nodded. "I will go right away."
After she left the Qingjing Residence, Elder Master Xiao looked at Xiao Jing. "You may go and make the arrangements as well. Remember to be careful."
"Yes, Marquis!"
Before long, the Qingjing Residence fell completely silent. Elder Master Xiao sat quietly for a moment, glanced at the shattered table beside him, and stood up with a sigh.
"Shu State... Shu State... The Holy Emperor is very wary of our Xiao family..."
...
Xiao Jinghong’s return to Spring Lotus Garden overjoyed Xiao Wuge, who pulled her aside and chattered endlessly. One moment he talked about amusing anecdotes from his Martial Arts practice, and the next he asked Xiao Jinghong to guide him on his recent progress.
The atmosphere was lively and filled with cheerful laughter. Although Xiao Jinghong didn’t show it, Chen Yi could tell that she was in a good mood.
However, happy times were always short-lived. After finishing dinner, Xiao Jinghong had Xiaodie help her change into a set of light clothes and packed her bags.
Seeing this, Chen Yi naturally understood her intentions. "Jinghong, remember to stay safe while traveling."
Xiao Jinghong looked up at him, hesitated for a moment, and removed the half-armor mask from her face, revealing her stunningly beautiful face without a trace of makeup. "Thank you for your concern, Chen Yi."
Chen Yi met her gaze with a gentle smile on his face. "It’s no trouble. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Dingyuan Army, it’s only right that you are busy."
"Mhm..."
They stopped at that. After a brief exchange, Xiao Jinghong put her mask back on, said she was leaving, and truly departed.
Chen Yi watched as she vanished into the night sky. He thought, "Jinghong... days like this must be exhausting, right? As your husband, I ought to share some of the burden."
Chen Yi chuckled inwardly, glanced at the sky, stretched lazily, and turned back to his wing room. "It’s time to cultivate..."