… …
Jiang Ruan: "… …"
"Follow them on the road. If they cannot commit suicide, think of a way to kill them." This woman's voice was pleasant to the ear, as ethereal as her eyes, but the words she spoke made one shudder. This group of people were all men of sacrifice. In such a house-to-house investigation, it was inevitable that some of them would be caught. It was fine if they could commit suicide, but if they couldn't commit suicide after having their weapons and poison removed, they would naturally have to think of a way to deal with them.
Xiao Shao looked at her and asked doubtfully, "Did I say something wrong?"
She was the one who had released the news that the people of Nanjiang had forced Yao Niannian to commit suicide. The Jinyi Guards were able to gather information, so naturally, they could also create information. Finding some people to intentionally guide these rumors and slanders would naturally achieve a lot of results. However, Jin San was somewhat astonished, "Then why did Governor-General Yao believe it so easily? He did not even use the backup plan that we had prepared. Could it be that Miss Yao's death really made him muddle-headed? "Achieving his goal so smoothly really made Jin San somewhat depressed.
Jiang Ruan stared blankly for a while before she understood the meaning behind Xiao Shao's words. She said, "You did all this for Pei 'er."
Jiang Ruan was speechless for a moment. Thinking that Jin San was still here, if she were to follow Xiao Shao's words, it was possible that something awkward would happen again. Thus, she changed the topic and said, "Alright, now that Xuan Li has already lost the Yao family, as for his allies in the Southern Frontier, they should be fleeing in panic from the capital city. They should also experience the feeling of being detested by everyone. This time, Governor-General Yao has received the imperial edict, and the capital magistrate does not dare to underestimate it. The entire city is heavily guarded, and the people of Nanjiang must not be feeling good right now. "Jiang Ruan smiled slightly," Just thinking about it makes one happy. "
His honeyed words were getting more and more smooth. Jiang Ruan glared at him and said, "Although we cannot let him be caught, it is not as if the people of Nanjiang came unprepared, so this matter cannot be over so easily. However, in this world, there is no such thing as turning around and leaving after scheming against someone. In any case, that Miss Yao was a rival in love, and I quite like her. At the very least, I must avenge her. This time, I must at least cause some trouble for the people of Nanjiang. Since Miss Yao was killed so miserably by them, why don't we also make them miserable? "
Just as Jiang Ruan had said, these days, the capital city had practically conducted a house-to-house investigation. As long as there was even the slightest bit of suspicion, they would not let it go. In this way, the people of the Southern Jiang who were scattered and hidden in the capital city felt an unprecedented pressure. All along, they had been in the dark while others were in the light. This time, when it was their turn to be in the light while others were in the dark, for the first time, they actually felt helpless. The more he thought about it, the more resentment he felt. Wasn't the Yao Clan a little too arrogant? They were so brazen in blocking his path, yet they had forgotten that they were the spies from another country.
Between a woman who chose to hang herself for unknown reasons and a woman who was forced to hang herself for the sake of her country and family, it was obvious that the latter was more valuable. Jin San was taken aback and said, "I see. I didn't expect Governor-General Yao to love his daughter so dearly, but in the end, he still wants to make use of her. It looks like his feelings aren't all that sincere after all."
"Do you think I don't want to?" The woman said coldly, "Acting rashly will only expose both you and me."
In a courtyard not far from the capital city, Yuan Chuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Looking at the signal sent by his subordinate, he sighed and shook his head, "We've been exposed."
Although no problem could be found, the entire Yao fu was in mourning. Governor-General Yao had only gotten such a daughter when he was middle-aged. She had always been a precious daughter whom he had cherished dearly, yet now, she had passed away. One could well imagine the blow he had suffered. He didn't even want to participate in the fight for the throne in the imperial court anymore. He only felt disheartened and grieved for his daughter wholeheartedly. Yao Niannian had always been gentle and proper, and he was also generous in his conduct. For him to hang himself like that, something must have happened. However, no matter how they investigated, they could not find anything. When they asked the servants in the fu, Yao Niannian's personal servant girl said that Yao Niannian had been acting rather strangely recently. He was different from how he was in the past, and occasionally seemed to have something on his mind. When everyone heard this, they were even more certain that Yao Niannian had hanged himself for some reason. For a moment, the entire Yao fu was in so much pain that they wished they were dead.
However, Yuan Chuan and the others didn't expect that Xuan Li was also too busy to take care of himself at this moment. In the Eighth Prince's fu, Xuan Li looked at the letter in his hand. The corners of his mouth stiffened, and then his complexion became extremely ashen. His voice was neither light nor heavy, but it contained a deep anger as he said, "Why would the Yao family seek refuge with Xuan Pei? What's going on?! "
"Insignificant skill," Xiao Shao said disdainfully. "Xia Qing is much more brilliant than him." Xia Qing was a Jinling divine physician, so she naturally had a way to detoxify the poison. "However, the Yao family has already buried Yao Niannian's body, so we can't see the poison. Xia Qing can't detoxify it," Xiao Shao said. The Yao family's precious daughter had died, so it was only natural that she should be buried early. At this time, if Xia Qing were to jump about, who knew what other people would think. However, medical skills were particular about looking, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse. Even the coroner had to first look at the corpse. Without seeing Yao Niannian's corpse, Xia Qing was afraid that she wouldn't be able to resolve the Nanjiang people's methods.
She had only asked people to spread the cause of Yao Niannian's death, and had not exposed the relationship between Xuan Li and the Nanjiang people. However, now the Yao family had already expressed their support for Xuan Pei. When Xuan Pei wrote the letter, his tone also seemed somewhat surprised. Jiang Ruan thought about it and could only think that it was Xiao Shao who had done it. Only he could do such a thing that could kill two birds with one stone.
The Yao family's young miss, Yao Niannian, had hanged herself at the door of her own fu.
Indeed, he wasn't wrong, because it was a fact that the Nanjiang people and Xuan Li had colluded together. Xiao Shao had only spoken the truth, and it couldn't even be considered as fanning the flames. However, why was it so strange to say it at this critical juncture? Why did it feel so … shameless? Jiang Ruan was silent. At first, she didn't think so, but now that she understood Xiao Shao better, she could see that other than when he was ruthless and decisive like the wind when he destroyed his opponents, he sometimes made decisions that didn't let go of any opportunity. Before he destroyed his opponents, they must have spat out their last drop of oil.
Yao Niannian's death set off a great uproar in the capital city. No one knew what had happened to the originally noble and intelligent young lady of a noble family, but she just had to hang herself at the door of her own home. This was a matter that caused people to be suspicious, and everyone suspected that there was some hidden story behind it. As the common people discussed, many possibilities popped up. However, this matter was still not over. On the second day after Yao Niannian's coffin, a shocking news broke out in the capital city: Young Miss Yao had hanged herself, but she had been forced to do so. The people who had forced Young Miss Yao to die were precisely the Nanjiang people. The Nanjiang people had infiltrated the capital city!
"Do you really think that he lost his mind because of Yao Niannian's death?" Jiang Ruan asked. Tian Zhu didn't understand and looked doubtfully at Jiang Ruan. Xiao Shao silently drank his tea and didn't intend to interrupt. Jiang Ruan shook her head and said, "Governor-General Yao is naturally sad, but he is an intelligent person. At that time, Yao Niannian's death was so strange that it would inevitably lead to gossip and slander in the capital city. Now, there is a new saying that Yao Niannian has been elevated to the status of an extraordinary woman who serves the country and family. This is good for both the Yao fu and himself. Even if this news is false, Governor-General Yao will make it true."
The subordinates and aides didn't dare to utter a word. At this moment, someone rushed in from outside and handed a letter to Xuan Li. The contents of the letter were unknown. Xuan Li hurriedly read it, and his expression changed a few times. Suddenly, he sneered and tore the letter into pieces, "So that's how it is!"
Jiang Ruan's words were dignified, but who would actually say something like 'I rather like Yao Niannian and want to help her take revenge'? It really made people blush with shame. Everyone knew that Jiang Ruan had a cold and cheerless temperament. On the surface, she appeared to be very gentle, but in reality, she was very cold towards everything. Moreover, she was not a good person with a Bodhisattva's heart. She was only doing this to vent the displeasure in her heart. Seeing Xiao Shao's speechless expression, Jiang Ruan threatened, "You don't agree?"
"... I don't dare." Xiao Shao answered.
"It's not because of him, it's because of you." Xiao Shao corrected her words.
Although he said this, there wasn't the slightest bit of surprise in his tone, as if he had already expected this to happen. Xiao Shao's expression didn't change, and he only grunted.
At that time, Governor-General Yao had trained his troops in the coastal area. Although these years of officialdom had already worn down a lot, the hot-bloodedness in his temperament hadn't been completely obliterated. Yao Niannian's death was a huge blow to him. Originally, Xuan Li had tried to recruit him, but Governor-General Yao was an intelligent person. He had always been observing and maintaining a neutral position. Now that he heard that Xuan Li might be related to the people of Nanjiang, he also hated Xuan Li. That very night, he asked someone to think of a way to send a message to Xuan Pei in the palace, indicating that the Yao family stood on the side of the Thirteenth Prince.
"Holy Maiden, we lost another two people. The soldiers have captured them." Yuan Chuan said in a low voice.
Governor-General Yao also had some influence in the capital. At once, he ordered his subordinates to contact the capital governor for more manpower. Then, he requested an imperial edict from the Emperor to seal off the entire capital and investigate every suspicious person from house to house. He was determined to uncover the person from Nanjiang who had caused Yao Niannian's death. For a time, there were soldiers on the streets of the capital every day, asking if it was lively or not. This improved the security of the capital by a lot. This was not the only thing the Yao family had done. It was unknown where Governor-General Yao had gotten the news that the people of Nanjiang also wanted to meddle in the fight for the throne. Undoubtedly, the emperor in their hearts was Xuan Li. Perhaps the people of Nanjiang entering the capital was part of Xuan Li's plan.
A servant circled around to the corpse to take a look. This look was not important, but immediately, another blood-curdling scream overflowed. This time, it was even more mournful than before. Everyone who heard it felt their hearts tighten as they did not know what had happened. The servant pointed at the slightly swaying silhouette above him. His mouth was wide open as he stammered, "Young … Young Miss …"
"This time, it was Yuan Chuan who underestimated the enemy." Yuan Chuan said, "I did not expect Jiang Ruan to be so ruthless. She even made use of this point." Moreover, he did not expect that her methods would be so brutal. She had directly shouted and beaten them like mice during a festival.
It was not known where this shocking news had started, but the more it spread, the fiercer it became. The more it spread, the fiercer it became, and the more it spread, the fiercer it became. However, this shocking news was different from the previous ones, which were full of loopholes and had no head or tail. It actually described in detail the process of Yao Niannian being threatened. It turned out that the people of Nanjiang had grasped the Yao family's weakness and wanted Yao Niannian to think of a way to change the entire Yao family's political stance. They wanted to cooperate with the people of Nanjiang and become the Nanjiang's spy in the Great Jin Dynasty. However, Young Miss Yao had a loyal and fierce temperament. She was also afraid that the people of Nanjiang would burn her Yao fu to the fire. Thus, she clenched her teeth and hung herself, wanting to protect the Yao fu.
When this news reached them, Jiang Ruan was accompanying Xiao Shao in the study. Xiao Shao was reading the intelligence report sent by the Brocade Guards. Jiang Ruan was curled up in Xiao Shao's embrace. She was actually considered tall, but in Xiao Shao's embrace, she appeared very petite. This way, on one hand, it was very warm. On the other hand, it was convenient for her to read the information recorded in the intelligence report with Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao did not obstruct her and allowed her to read. As Jiang Ruan read, she suddenly said, "Eh? Yao Niannian is dead? "
"Oh, perhaps the customs are different," Xiao Shao said in a deadpan manner, "The people of Nanjiang are open-minded." Seeing Jiang Ruan glaring at him, Xiao Shao changed his words, "The Yao fu is heavily guarded, for fear of alerting the enemy."
"Madam is so intelligent, she must have a way to deal with this." Xiao Shao said helplessly, "I can only succeed and withdraw."
Finding Xuan Li to extricate himself from this predicament seemed to be the best method at present. There should also be Xuan Li's people in the capital magistrate. With so many people, it was impossible to rescue them one by one. At the very least, it could help them get out of their current predicament. Running around like headless flies was really too shameful.
"That's not it." Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, "For Yao Niannian, a good reputation after her death is the last thing that Governor Yao can fight for for her. Therefore, Governor Yao's way of doing things is not wrong, and he is also thinking of Yao Niannian. It's just that he is calmer. " When Jiang Ruan finished speaking, she looked at Xiao Shao, who was standing at the side like a wooden stake, "However, the relationship between Nanjiang and Xuan Li was leaked by you, right?"
"What you say makes sense." Jiang Ruan thought about it and agreed with Xiao Shao's words. It must be known that the Yao fu was, after all, the mansion of a first-ranked official. Governor Yao was also a martial artist, and there were many experts in the fu. It seemed that Yao Niannian had died long ago, and he had died outside the fu. The other party was afraid of entering the fu and causing trouble, so they chose the safer method of leaving Yao Niannian at the door. Although it was a little rough, it was relatively safe.
"This is not the way to go on." Yuan Chuan said. Every day, there would be new casualties. These people were very precious resources to them. They were spies hidden in the capital city to gather information. Normally, they would be hidden in the crowd and would not be able to see anything different. However, once they were investigated, there was no way to prove their identity. Very quickly, they would be caught. This time, the capital magistrate was determined. It was impossible for any fish to escape the net. If this continued, most of the spies would be caught. When most of the spies were caught, they would be like blind and deaf people in the capital city of the Great Jin dynasty. They would forever be in a passive position.
"However, to be able to make the coroner unable to find any problems, the people of Nanjiang do have some methods." Jiang Ruan muttered, "At that time, when you fought with them, they wouldn't have used any evil methods, right?" She still remembered Jiang Su Su's charm techniques. The people of Nanjiang seemed to be proficient in these kinds of witchcraft.
"I don't blame you." The woman was silent for a while, then said, "Think of a way to tell Xuan Li."
Xiao Shao saw that she was silent and said, "The Yao family now has a blood feud with Xuan Li. Sooner or later, Xuan Pei and Xuan Li will have a battle. The Yao family is very important in His Majesty's heart. If we win over the Yao family, not only will it be beneficial for us, but it will also help His Majesty's attitude. "
Xiao Shao, "..."
This matter almost swept the entire capital city on the same day. After all, in the capital city, there was no one who did not know of the Yao family, and the Yao family's young miss was an outstanding young lady with good aptitude. Yet, for some unknown reason, she had hung herself. The Yao family's people invited the most famous coroner in the capital city, and the result was that the Yao family's young miss had indeed hanged herself. This shut everyone's mouths, and no one could find any problems.
… …
In the capital city, in that hidden courtyard, there was now one more person by Yuan Chuan's side. This was a young woman who did not look too old. She had a pair of ethereal and bright eyes, and snow-white skin. She only wore a crimson muslin dress, and on this early spring cold day, she did not feel cold. She wore a similar red muslin on her face, and only the upper half of her face was exposed. Even so, it could be seen that she was a stunning beauty. This kind of stunning beauty came from her ethereal temperament, as if she did not eat the food of the mortal world.
"No need!" Xuan Li gritted his teeth.
"Daren, what has been exposed?" The subordinate beside him asked doubtfully. This subordinate was probably Yuan Chuan's confidant, so he asked boldly. The corners of Yuan Chuan's lips were still slightly raised, but his tone was not happy as he said, "The Holy Maiden has been exposed."
When this rumor came out, the entire capital city was in an uproar. The common people all knew about the war between the Nanjiang people and the Great Jin dynasty many years ago. And at that time, the Jin dynasty had destroyed the Nanjiang country. The Nanjiang people's ambition had not died, and it was indeed possible for them to make a comeback. And because of this reason, the Yao family's young miss had committed suicide in the most tragic way possible in front of the mansion's gates.
Her identity had been exposed, especially to someone like Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan was the best at taking advantage of opportunities, so what would she do next? If she really confronted her about this matter, she might have a chance to make a move. As Yuan Chuan thought about it, he could not help but be alarmed. After thinking for a while, he suddenly said to his subordinate, "Go to the warehouse and find the female corpse that died a few days ago. Tonight, when there is no one around, find a way to throw it at the Yao family's door."
The capital city was bustling with noise and excitement. These days, Xiao Shao, on the contrary, was idle. When he had nothing to do, he would read and drink tea with Jiang Ruan. When she heard the news from Jin San, Jiang Ruan's eyes revealed an uncontrollable smile.
Xiao Shao glanced at her and did not seem to be surprised. Jiang Ruan said discontentedly, "Why are you not surprised?"
When the rest of the servants heard this, they were all dumbfounded.
"Then, Your Highness, should we send someone …" the guard who had delivered the letter asked.
"The Yao family's door?" Although that person was bewildered, he immediately got up and carried out the order. Yuan Chuan stood in front of the window and frowned. The real Yao Niannian had naturally died long ago, and the current Yao Niannian was only the Holy Maiden in disguise. The Holy Maiden had already expressed her intention to leave the Yao family, but if Yao Niannian suddenly disappeared, the Yao family would not let the matter rest. They would certainly search the entire capital city, which would be very disadvantageous to them. Now, they could only confirm that Yao Niannian was dead. Previously, the Holy Maiden had asked him to dispose of Yao Niannian's corpse. Yuan Chuan had been careful and only used a secret technique of the Southern Frontier to temporarily prevent the corpse from rotting. Now, it was just in time to solve this urgent problem. Since they wanted to extricate themselves from the Yao family and confirm that Yao Niannian was dead, the Yao family was in a mess. Naturally, they would not have the mood to worry about other things.
"It's alright," Jiang Ruan smiled craftily, "I have long prepared."
Governor-General Yao was furious. Originally, because of his daughter's death, he finally had a place to vent it. Originally, Yao Niannian had died for some unknown reason. Although Governor-General Yao was heartbroken, he had also blamed Yao Niannian for not explaining the difficulties to his family. Now that this rumor had come out, Yao Niannian had become a loyal woman who wanted to protect her own mansion and was unwilling to betray the country. Governor-General Yao's last trace of displeasure towards Yao Niannian had completely disappeared and was replaced by endless guilt. He hated himself for his incompetence and was heartbroken for Yao Niannian's sacrifice. His original thought of retiring to the imperial court and spending his remaining years in peace had suddenly changed. Now, Governor-General Yao only had one thought, and that was to make the person who had forced Yao Niannian's death pay in blood!
"Very fast," Jiang Ruan exclaimed in admiration, "Let me see …. Hanging herself in front of the Yao fu's door, this reason is too strange. Who would hang themselves in front of their own door, and moreover, it was a young lady from a noble family. What are the people of the Southern Xinjiang thinking? " If it was any other woman, even if she was determined to die, she would not want everyone to see her miserable appearance before her death. Especially hanging herself, that appearance was not very pleasing. Yao Niannian was the daughter of a noble family. If she really wanted to hang herself, she would have chosen a room with no one around. Why would she brazenly hang herself in front of her own house and let so many people see her ugly appearance after her death? Obviously, the people of the Southern Xinjiang had not thought things through.
His subordinate was shocked. They had privately known that the Holy Maiden was in the capital. Didn't they say that everything had gone smoothly? These days, Yuan Chuan had also acted according to plan step by step and was very appropriate. How could the Holy Maiden have been exposed? Not only was his subordinate shocked, but Yuan Chuan was wearing a mask so others could not see his expression clearly. Only he himself knew that when he heard the news, he was also quite surprised. The Holy Maiden had entered the capital in secret. At the beginning, even he did not know about it. Replacing Yao Niannian was also a good move. Everyone knew that the Emperor had intended to betroth Yao Niannian to Xiao Shao. If Jiang Ruan had not interfered, Yao Niannian would most likely be Jin Ying Wangfei now. Yao Niannian's identity was very natural. Moreover, Governor Yao was also a person of great importance in the Jin court. No matter in which aspect, he was extremely suitable. Who would have thought that this flawless plan would collapse today and the Holy Maiden would actually be exposed?
The night seemed to pass peacefully. The next day, when the manservant guarding the entrance of Yao fu got up to check, he suddenly found a figure hanging from a pillar at the fu's entrance. Immediately, he was so frightened that he let out a loud cry. With this cry, he and the family servants were also called over. They saw that in front of the pillar at the entrance of Yao fu, there was a figure hanging in a straight line. A rope was hung from the beam at the entrance, while the other end was wrapped around the neck of the corpse. At the foot of the corpse was an overturned stool. Obviously, this person had hanged himself. After the family servants had recovered from the lingering fear, they immediately felt a burst of bad luck and cursed, "Why did you choose to hang yourself in front of the door? Who is this person?"
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