Chapter 269
Words:974Update:22/06/28 08:54:19
Reality proved that Xiahou Qing was indeed a master strategist. When Wen Hui Niang was brought to Chunxing Pavilion, she initially wanted to feign ignorance, but under Xiahou Qing's coercion, she revealed a flaw.
She knew that she couldn't hide it anymore, so she sat on the ground with an ashen face and confessed everything. She was indeed the one who left the note. Before Old Princess Yu passed away, she found her and arranged for her to do this.
The reason was that nine years ago, her youngest son, Qian Bingyi, was conscripted into the Xichuan army. However, this child was timid and didn't have the ability to be a soldier. He was a sixteen year old boy, thin and slender, and didn't even have the strength to pick up a spear. However, he had a delicate and pretty face like a girl's. It was easy to imagine what kind of treatment he would receive in a military camp full of strong men who licked blood from blades and rarely saw women.
He couldn't bear it and wanted to escape. However, Xichuan was more than three thousand li away from the capital. Even if he escaped, he would probably die on the way. After nearly two years of humiliation, he gradually began to have thoughts of suicide. At this time, His Majesty suddenly ordered the soldiers from the north to the south. Thinking that Jiangnan was only a third of the distance from the capital, a flame of hope rose in his dead heart.
From the time he went south, he had been trying to find an opportunity. It wasn't until the second month after he came under Old Prince Yu's command that the Wokou pirates attacked and Qian Bingyi's group was sent to fight them. After defeating the last group of Wokou pirates, he finally mustered up the courage to escape. Unfortunately, he was discovered and captured by his superior who had been bullying him.
According to the laws of Great Yue, deserters were beheaded in public. When Old Princess Yu heard about this from Old Prince Yu's letter, she felt pity for him and felt that his actions were pardonable. Thus, she pleaded for mercy for him and allowed him to return home after three hundred beatings, which could be considered to have saved his life.
Wen Hui Niang's forehead hit the ground and she pleaded with tears in her eyes, "This old servant knows that her crimes are unforgivable. However, this old servant has been a widow for more than twenty years. My eldest son also drowned and died early. This old servant has no choice but to repay Old Princess Yu's kindness … "
Jiu Si frowned and said, "Then how did you prove that you were not present? Zhao Sanniang, who worked with you, clearly said that when she was cleaning outside, she saw you working in the kitchen. The candlelight reflected your shadow on the window. "
Wen Hui Niang convulsed and wailed, crying so hard that she couldn't speak.
Ning Shu looked at the woman whose face was full of tears and white hair. She somewhat pitied her, but she really couldn't sympathize with her behavior. After thinking for a while, she guessed, "I've seen the layout of the kitchen. In order to facilitate the placement of various ingredients and tools, there are several shelves on the west wall. As long as she stealthily moves one of them and hangs the clothes and other things she prepared in advance on the shelf, she can successfully make a camouflage. Then, she just needed to find a good opportunity to sneak out of the northern window when Zhao Sanniang wasn't paying attention. She would quickly put the note away and run back. If he was fast enough, it would take him less than half an incense stick's worth of time to go back and forth from the kitchen to here. It was entirely possible for him to quietly rush back before Zhao Sanniang noticed anything amiss. Moreover, Zhao Sanniang has been busy with her own matters. Why would she keep an eye on her from beginning to end? "
Xiahou Qing didn't speak for a long time. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. Then, he leisurely said, "Is that so?"
These few words caused Wen Hui Niang to tremble in fear. She almost couldn't kneel anymore. Her voice trembled as she said, "Yes … this old servant's grandfather used to play shadow puppets. This old servant learned a little from my grandfather when I was young. When Old Princess Yu heard about it, she gave me this idea. She had me make a shadow puppet that was similar to my human figure and hang it on the shelf in a bowing position. Then … then, it was almost like what Lord Imperial Bodyguard said …"
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