Letting Wei Er Niang slip away was a careless oversight.
The key issue remains the letter that Prefect Lu handed over to Wei Er Niang.
A young lady raised by the Wei Family would certainly be literate. If Wei Er Niang had opened and read the letter…
Xiao Chengyan speculated calmly, “After returning to the capital, she could have transcribed the original from memory and passed it to her father, Yongxing Earl. If the rumors from Shanyang Commandery were exposed, causing an uproar in the capital, I would have yet another ready-made weakness for others to exploit.”
Ming Wenhuan’s expression grew grave.
He had read the letter that Prefect Lu failed to send.
Lu Che, the Governor of Shanyang Commandery, hailed from the prominent local Lu clan of Shanyang Commandery.
Lu Che was a typical scholar-official, cautious and low-key in his actions. The dubious secret edict from the capital was set aside by Lu Che and ignored.
Marquis Xiao had executed a round of killings in Shanyang Commandery, dragging all those involved in the conspiracy to the riverbank for execution, staining the river water crimson with blood. Despite thorough investigations, Lu Che, the commandery governor, remained untouched.
Prefect Lu had escaped unscathed, but he clearly showed no gratitude, harboring deep-seated prejudice against Xiao Chengyan.
The letter entrusted to Wei Er Niang to deliver to the capital was written with venomous words.
Each stroke of the brush was as sharp as a blade, depicting Xiao Chengyan as a bloodthirsty, monstrous villain who committed every imaginable atrocity.
If Yongxing Earl and the Wei Family mistakenly believed Lu Che’s letter and petitioned the court, provoking the ailing Son of Heaven into a furious investigation…
As Marquis Xiao had said, handing over such a ready-made weakness would be no different than handing someone a gleaming dagger to stab oneself with!
Ming Wenhuan slammed the table and stood up. “The situation is urgent! We must dispatch fast horses to intercept Wei Erniangzi’s carriage to prevent chaos.”
“And the bandits that suddenly appeared in Shanyang Commandery must also be investigated thoroughly! Were they genuine bandits, or were they impostors taking advantage of Marquis Xiao’s departure from the capital to his fief, attempting to ambush and kill him midway and then pin the blame on bandits and outlaws?”
But that was far from all.
While Xiao Chengyan pursued the bandits, rumors of Marquis Xiao being a cannibal spread simultaneously across several nearby towns…
The ignorant villagers passed on these exaggerated tales.
But where did the rumors originate? That was worth pondering.
Xiao Chengyan gave a cold smile.
Quite a few people knew about his journey this time.
When he left the capital for his fief, he brought along a hundred heavily laden carts of lavish gifts, all bestowed by the Son of Heaven, which he could not refuse.
With so many carts and goods, the journey was naturally slow.
This gave those with ill intentions the perfect opportunity to set up a series of ambushes along the way.
The first wave disguised themselves as bandits, lying in wait by the roadside to attack.
Then came the dubious secret edict, attempting a second ambush.
Local officials, clutching the secret edict, resorted to underhanded tactics with deadly intent.
People eat grains, horses eat fodder. The Mad Horse Grass delivered to the stables drove the warhorses into a frenzy, nearly costing him his life in the unfamiliar terrain of Shanyang Commandery.
He was fortunate to survive.
Now, rumors of cannibalism were spreading like wildfire, threatening to reach the capital if left unchecked.
It was indeed a well-calculated, interlocking scheme.
“Marquis Xiao, we must prioritize,” Ming Wenhuan’s mind raced. “The search for the young lady in the towns can be set aside for now. First, dispatch a team of fast horses to intercept Wei Erniangzi. Marquis Xiao should return to the capital immediately to investigate the source of these troubles.”
“As for the fief… Ah, speaking of the fief, it must be said that His Majesty has always trusted and valued Marquis Xiao! To be enfeoffed as a marquis at the age of twenty-three—no one else in this dynasty has achieved such a feat besides Marquis Xiao. This humble official still believes the secret edict was forged…”
“This general also believes the secret edict was forged, and that villains deliberately plotted to harm you!” Di Rong couldn’t help but interject.
Di Rong shouted loudly, “The master is right! We won’t go to the fief for now. Let’s return to the capital immediately and thoroughly investigate the background of those who plotted against us!”
“The one in the capital who clashes most with the master is Prince Qi. It must be Prince Qi playing tricks, taking advantage of the Emperor’s critical illness to forge a secret edict!”
Xiao Chengyan raised his right hand, unwrapping the layers of bandages that had been wrapped until now. He lowered his gaze to examine the shocking crimson scar on his palm and let out a soft laugh.
“I have plenty of enemies. How many did we kill last year when suppressing the rebellion of Prince Xiang?”
“Prince Qi is ambitious but lacks talent. This series of coordinated ambushes doesn’t seem like something he could pull off alone. The one who tried to harm me is either not him, or he’s not acting alone.”
Xiao Chengyan tossed the bandages into the wind and turned to walk down the mountain.
“Continue posting notices in the town to search for people. Forget about the fief for now, abandon all the supply wagons. Everyone is to follow me back to the capital immediately, riding fast horses to intercept Wei Er Niang.”
He left without hesitation. Di Rong was stunned for a moment before suddenly realizing what was happening. He charged down the mountain, roaring as he went:
“Break camp! Everyone break camp! Abandon the supplies, depart immediately!”
Only Ming Wenhuan remained standing on the high ground, disheveled by the wind.
Break camp and return to the capital immediately? What about the fief? Abandon hundreds of wagons of supplies??
“Those are all valuable family assets bestowed by the Son of Heaven! Gold ingots, jade tablets, coral trees, and even a full set of ceremonial bells and ritual vessels—just leave them by the roadside?”
Ming Wenhuan sighed as he walked down the hillside.
He should have guessed earlier.
In Marquis Xiao’s eyes, gold, silver, jewels, ritual vessels, and treasures are nowhere near as important as his enemies…
Nan Yang slept fitfully in the stuffy little carriage and suddenly woke with a start, letting out a soft “ah.” She slowly sat up and remained silent in the carriage for a long while.
Grandma suppressed her overwhelming nausea and managed to ask, “Second Miss, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell from the jolting?”
Nan Yang shook her head. “I had a rather unpleasant dream. I dreamed that Huaiyang Marquis caught up with us…”
Grandma’s face instantly paled. “Pah, pah, pah! A child’s words carry no harm, ugh!”
The more nervous she became, the stronger the nausea grew. Grandma leaned toward the carriage window and retched dryly.
The Yang family’s coachman shouted anxiously from the front, “Hold on, Xin Momo. The carriage can’t stop—Huaiyang Marquis’s men might be right behind us! We’ll reach the capital in another three or four days!”
“It’s fine,” Nan Yang called out reassuringly. “Just keep driving… ugh!”
Twelfth day of the journey.
Everything that could be vomited from their stomachs had long been emptied, and it felt as if even their brains had been jolted out. Nan Yang and Grandma sat in the small carriage from morning till night, jostled and tossed about until their minds grew numb.
As the capital drew nearer and the Wei Family master and servant were about to return safely, the Yang family’s coachman was overjoyed, his entire body radiating the relief of soon being able to unload his cargo.
“We’ll enter the Capital Region in at most two days. We’ll get you both back to the Wei Family before the Mid-July Ghost Festival, just in time for the whole family to worship ancestors and release river lanterns… Wei Erniangzi, stop vomiting. You’re going home—cheer up a little.”
Nan Yang: “Ugh~~”
The thought of returning to the main family in two days and facing all those familiar yet unfamiliar faces made her vomit even more violently.
Grandma patted her shoulder gently, as if she were still a young child needing to be soothed to sleep:
“Don’t overthink it. When we return home and the Mistress of the House asks questions, Second Miss, just tell the truth. It’s not as if we ran back to the capital on our own—we truly encountered that ill-omened star, Huaiyang Marquis…”
Nan Yang drifted into a dizzy, fitful sleep.
In her brief and chaotic dream, she returned once more to the main family and met her Legal Mother.
During her years growing up in the inner quarters of the Wei Family in the capital, aside from the Grandma who attended to her personally, what she saw most were the maids and stewards sent by her Legal Mother.
Those faces would hover before her, their reports and conversations always carrying a faint, mocking smile similar to her Legal Mother’s.
Her Legal Mother would see her five or six times a month, routinely discussing a few household matters and testing her on needlework and feminine studies.
Her two sisters, who stayed by their Legal Mother’s side, would see her four or five times a month, always with an indifferent air.
Her elder brother had long since moved to the outer courtyard to study, so they rarely met—only once every month or two. Despite the distance, he treated her, his Second Miss, with relative gentleness.
As for Father, she only saw him during festivals and holidays—no need to dwell on that.
As for Mother… she had long been too ill to recognize her, so no need to dwell on that either.
The carriage wheels jolted violently, bouncing Nan Yang several inches into the air and jolting her awake from her dream.
“Coachman, slow down. We’re almost at the Capital Region, no need to rush so much.”
The Yang family coachman twisted around to look back, his expression as if he’d seen a ghost, his words stumbling.
“Behind… behind us! Many fast horses are chasing us…”
A storm-like sound of galloping hooves erupted from behind.
Nan Yang, dizzy from days of travel, her vision blurred, lifted the curtain and gazed back in disbelief for a long time.
In the twilight, numerous strong, lightly armored riders in black clothes and boots appeared, like a black flood surging overwhelmingly from behind, engulfing the small carriage in its torrent.
Riders who had charged ahead turned back and rushed past the carriage at high speed. In that fleeting moment, Nan Yang’s blurred vision caught glimpses of fleeting shadows.
The riders, having seen the occupants inside the carriage, shouted in unison: “One old, one young, master and servant!”
“Is the lady in the carriage from the Yongxing Earl’s Mansion, the Wei Family girl?”
The Yang family coachman cried out tremulously, “Who… who are you?”
No one paid him any attention.
A tall, armored general with a broadsword rode up to the carriage, using the scabbard to lift the curtain and glance inside before shouting, “We’ve found Wei Erniangzi! Someone, go report to the master!”
“Understood!” A fast horse galloped back the way they had come, clearly heading to “report to the master.”
The Yang family coachman asked shakily, “Are you General Di? Is your master the Huaiyang Marquis? Since you’ve already let us go, why… why are you chasing us relentlessly?!”
The general lifted his helmet, revealing a scar above his eyebrow—it was indeed Di Rong.
“This little carriage runs quite nimbly; you almost made it straight into the capital. We chased you on fast horses for six days to catch up—throw him out,” Di Rong said.
Nan Yang held her breath, listening to the commotion outside the carriage, still wondering—throw what out?
With a thud ahead, the Yang family coachman was lifted like a chick and thrown to the ground, rolling five or six times before stopping.
Nan Yang was instantly stunned.
…This scene felt all too familiar…
Wait, the coachman driving the carriage had been thrown out, but the horse was still running…?
The horse, carried by momentum, galloped another seventy or eighty feet before inevitably veering off course, the small carriage lurching straight toward the roadside ditch.
“…Ahhhhh!!”
Grandma screamed in panic, “The carriage! The carriage is going to tip over again!”
Nan Yang numbly gripped the wooden window frame. Why was she encountering such absurdity for a second time?
Flipping the carriage twice on one journey?! Seriously?!