Chapter 358: Washing Away the Dust
Xiao Chengxuan knew he couldn’t get the better of Shen Yanchuan. He held his tongue, forcing himself to swallow the words caught in his throat.
He pointed a finger at Shen Yanchuan in a clear warning, then spun around and left.
Shen Yanchuan had just returned from an investigation and was currently in the Emperor’s favor. If Xiao Chengxuan picked a fight with him now, he would be the only one to get into trouble.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Eunuch Li tried to smooth things over. "Princely Heir," he said in a low voice, "please don’t take offense at Prince Qi. He’s been confined recently and has also suffered His Majesty’s displeasure."
Naturally, Shen Yanchuan wasn’t going to waste his energy on such trivial matters with Xiao Chengxuan.
He glanced back, and the image of the envelope His Majesty had left unopened came to mind. His gaze darkened.
...
Xiao Chengxuan’s house arrest was lifted. As he strode out of the palace gates, he carried himself with far more confidence than when he had entered.
’Even though I’ve been humiliated these last few days,’ he thought, ’Mother was right. My imperial father does still care for me.’
Indeed.
Everyone in the Prince Qi Mansion soon heard the news, and the entire household rejoiced.
However, when Xiao Chengxuan returned to his mansion, he heard even better news.
"Are you serious?"
Xiao Chengxuan was just about to change his clothes when he heard his subordinate’s report. He didn’t even bother washing his hands and immediately pressed for details, "That Ye Heng... he’s really dead!?"
The subordinate knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, it is the absolute truth! He died just a few miles from the last relay station before Tongbei. If he had only held on a little longer, he could have reached the station to rest. From there, he would have made it to Tongbei in a matter of days. But a heavy snowstorm hit that night. Everyone was starving and freezing. Ye Heng couldn’t endure it and collapsed in the snow."
Xiao Chengxuan narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure he’s stopped breathing?"
The subordinate’s face showed certainty. "Lord Lu made his move."
’Then Ye Heng is definitely dead!’
Xiao Chengxuan was finally at ease. "Good. Excellent!"
He paced a few steps in excitement, then suddenly asked, "Right, no one found out about this, did they?"
"Rest assured, Your Highness. It’s perfectly normal for a banished prisoner to die on the road. It was already unexpected that he lasted this long. You know Lord Lu’s skills. He doesn’t make mistakes. He must have deliberately chosen to act on a snowy day."
Thousands of miles away, in a place rarely traveled, a heavy snow would bury any trace of a dead man.
Xiao Chengxuan crossed his arms and pondered for a long while. "Keep this quiet. We’ll let it be for a while."
"Your Highness, don’t worry. He’s just a banished prisoner. News from Tongbei has to pass through many checkpoints to reach the Capital City, which takes a long time anyway. Besides, he incurred His Majesty’s wrath. No one would be foolish enough to bring this matter before His Majesty."
These officials, whether high or low-ranking, knew how the world worked.
Someone like Ye Heng could go years without being mentioned. If His Majesty were to one day remember and ask about him, the man would have likely been dead for who knows how long.
At this, Xiao Chengxuan was finally, completely at ease.
Ye Heng knew too much. Only with him dead could Xiao Chengxuan finally sleep soundly.
He thought for a moment, then ordered, "Have our people over there take good care of Lu Da. Tell him to lie low and stay put for now. After some time has passed, I will arrange for his smooth return to the Capital City."
"Yes!"
...
Lian Zhou was quick. It didn’t take him long to find out everything.
He then immediately reported his findings to Shen Yanchuan.
"...And that’s the gist of it. There are two theories about Mrs. Gao’s death, but most people believe it has something to do with Second Miss Ye."
As Lian Zhou spoke, he carefully snuck a glance at his master’s expression.
’Even I was furious when I heard about it, let alone the master.’
’It’s such a blatant frame-up. Anyone with a brain would know something’s wrong. But most people can’t tell the difference; they just follow the crowd and believe the rumors.’
"The Shuntian Prefecture has taken Mrs. Gao’s body and also brought her personal maid in for questioning, but I estimate... there won’t be much progress."
The woman died in the middle of the night, and even the only suspicious item—that pot of flower tea—was poured out and washed clean, leaving no trace.
The faint signs of a struggle on Mrs. Gao’s body alone aren’t enough to determine who did it.
It’s practically a dead end.
After listening, Shen Yanchuan fell silent in thought for a moment before suddenly asking, "How has she been these past few days?"
Lian Zhou’s expression was conflicted. "Second Miss Ye has been staying at home. She hasn’t gone out."
’Anyone dragged into such a messy situation would probably be worried sick.’
’But this can’t go on forever. She can’t stay inside forever, can she?’
’As long as this matter isn’t cleared up, her life is going to be difficult.’
"Only Princess Qingyang went to the Ye Mansion two days ago. She stayed for quite a while and didn’t leave until evening. I heard she smelled of alcohol when she left."
Shen Yanchuan’s eyelids lifted slightly. "What?"
Lian Zhou groaned inwardly. His master had ordered him to investigate all recent events thoroughly; how could he dare to be remiss?
Of course, he didn’t dare hide a single word and reported everything exactly as he’d heard it.
Lian Zhou coughed. "Well... perhaps Princess Qingyang felt indignant on Second Miss Ye’s behalf? But then again, for her to openly visit the Ye Mansion at a time like this, it shows she isn’t afraid of the rumors and is supporting Second Miss Ye!"
Shen Yanchuan’s face was expressionless. "As if she doesn’t have enough rumors of her own. Who could possibly drag her down further?"
Lian Zhou: "..."
’Ahem, what the master said... seems to be right, doesn’t it?’
’That one is a little hellion. With her around, people do tend to be a bit more restrained.’
Suddenly, Yun Cheng’s voice came from outside.
"Master, there’s a visitor."
Lian Zhou was taken aback and looked back. "Who would visit at this hour?"
They had returned to the Capital City during the day, and everyone in the city had seen them, so they all knew Shen Yanchuan was back.
But why would someone come calling at this hour?
’Even if they wanted to visit the master, shouldn’t they at least wait until tomorrow to send a formal card?’
Lian Zhou said, "Hey, Yun Cheng, the master just got back. Tell them to leave for now and come back tomorrow—"
Yun Cheng paused but did not withdraw.
"Master, it’s someone from the Ye Mansion. They said... they’re here to deliver a gift to you."
Shen Yanchuan’s brow twitched slightly as he finally looked up.
Lian Zhou was stunned as well.
’Ye Mansion?’
’Who else but *that* Ye Mansion would make Yun Cheng so polite?’
As he was pondering, Shen Yanchuan had already spoken: "Let them in."
"Yes."
A short while later, Yun Cheng led five nimble servants inside.
All five of them were holding black wine jars.
You could tell just by looking that they weren’t light.
"We humble servants greet the Princely Heir."
The five men bowed respectfully. The one in the middle stepped forward and said deferentially:
"Hearing that the Princely Heir has returned to the Capital City, Second Miss Ye specifically instructed us to deliver this wine. These five jars are the five best-selling wines from Yunlai Tavern. Second Miss Ye said she is grateful for the Princely Heir’s past kindness, but with various matters troubling her recently, it is not convenient for her to visit in person. She has thus prepared this humble gift and had us deliver it, as a gesture to welcome the Young Master and wash the dust from his journey."