Su Wanying was so choked with rage by Xiao Yunshu’s retort that her entire body trembled, her chest heaving violently.
“Xiao Yunshu, don’t you dare slander people! How could my cousin possibly—”
“Miss!” Just then, a maid from the Zuoxiang Fu rushed into the side hall in a panic and whispered a few words into Su Wanying’s ear.
Su Wanying’s eyes widened instantly. She looked at Xiao Yunshu in disbelief, her lips quivering.
What Xiao Yunshu said was true.
The news the maid brought was precisely that her cousin… had been personally escorted to the palace by Wu’an Wang.
“You… you all…” Su Wanying braced herself against the corner of the table and glared deathly at Xiao Yunshu, her eyes filled with both resentment and terror.
Ultimately, she did not say another word. She only gave Nuannuan a vicious, piercing look before abruptly flicking her sleeves.
She practically fled in a panic.
Seeing Su Wanying run away, Nuannuan immediately poked her little head out and huffed in the direction of the doorway.
“Gugu is amazing! Gugu won!”
Xiao Yunshu watched Su Wanying’s pathetic retreating figure and curled her lips coldly. “A mere clown. Nuannuan, don’t be afraid. Gugu is here.”
Meanwhile, in the palace’s Imperial Study.
Xiao Qingcang stood before the Emperor, his voice booming like a resonant bell.
“This subject implores Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly. That boy Duan Chenlang dared to publicly assassinate Yunshu in broad daylight. His heart is treacherous, and his crime deserves death.”
“The assassin’s methods were ruthless, and his style was identical to the villains who repeatedly appeared near Yunheng three years ago. This old subject suspects that this is by no means a coincidence.”
Duan Chenlang, who was slumped on the ground, was scared out of his wits.
“Your Majesty, please see clearly! Your Majesty, please see clearly! Even if I were given ten thousand times the courage, I wouldn’t dare to assassinate the Junzhu.”
“That assassin… I don’t know that assassin at all! Someone must be framing me! I beg Your Majesty to seek justice for me!”
No matter how lawless he usually was, Duan Chenlang understood that killing a member of the imperial clan meant losing his head.
“Hmph, framing you?” Xiao Qingcang laughed in extreme anger. “Caught red-handed with the evidence in front of everyone, and you still dare to quibble?”
It was only a pity that the assassin was extremely cunning.
He had crushed a poison pill hidden in the gaps of his teeth and died on the spot. Even after a thorough search of his body, nothing could be found to prove his origins; he was clearly a death-sworn guard whose background could not be traced.
Duan Hong, the Vice Minister of War who had received the news, practically rolled and crawled his way into the Imperial Study.
“May Your Majesty appease your anger! My son is ignorant and offended the Junzhu; he deserves ten thousand deaths! But… but as for assassinating the Junzhu, he would never dare!”
A deathly silence filled the room.
Seeing that the Emperor’s expression remained gloomy, Duan Hong had a sudden flash of inspiration and shifted his tone.
“Your Majesty, this matter… there might be another hidden side to this matter.”
“The other day at the Zuoxiang Fu’s Shanghua Yan, there might have been some misunderstanding between my son and Yunshu Junzhu. But in the end, it was merely a quarrel between young people, a momentary act of impulsiveness born of emotion.”
“Bullshit!” Xiao Qingcang only now learned that such a filthy thing had happened. “What is my daughter’s status? Why would she have any feelings for a profligate like Duan Chenlang?”
“Zuoxiang Fu! What a Zuoxiang Fu, to actually allow their relatives to bully my Xiao family like this.”
At this point, Xiao Qingcang knelt straight down.
“Your Majesty, since the incident happened at the Zuoxiang Fu, this old subject implores that Su Wenyuan give me an explanation.”
Sitting on the dragon throne, the Emperor rubbed his aching forehead, feeling a massive headache coming on.
The Wu’an Wangfu had rendered world-shaking merits, and now that their lineage was dwindling, if he did not handle this properly, it would surely chill the hearts of the empire’s soldiers.
He sighed slightly and spoke tiredly, “Summon the Zuoxiang.”
Su Wenyuan arrived quickly.
He performed a formal salute before casting a cold, indifferent glance at the trembling father and son of the Duan family.
“Your Majesty, this old subject has heard of what happened. Duan Chenlang’s behavior was absurd and unpardonable. However, the assassination of a Junzhu is a heinous crime that requires concrete evidence.”
His words were airtight, swiftly cutting ties with Duan Chenlang and clearing himself of any suspicion of being the mastermind.
Seeing the Zuoxiang take such a stance, Duan Hong also hurriedly spoke up in agreement.
“Yes, yes, it was this lower official’s lack of discipline. It was my son, a toad wanting to eat swan meat.”
Xiao Qingcang sneered in his heart, knowing that these two were in collusion, preparing to push the matter away.
He straightened his back, just about to continue pressing them, when the shrill voice of a eunuch suddenly came from outside the hall: “Huangzhangsun Dianxia requests an audience.”
“Enter.”
Mo Yanchen’s small figure stepped into the Imperial Study. After performing his salutes, his gaze first fell on Xiao Qingcang, and he gave a slight nod as a greeting.
“Huang Zufu, your grandson has come regarding the matter of the Zuoxiang Fu.”
“That day, I accompanied Huang Gumu to the Shanghua Yan and saw with my own eyes that Duan Chenlang repeatedly entangled and offended Yunshu Junzhu with foul language.”
“As for today’s matter, although the assassin’s death means there is no testimony, Duan Chenlang’s intentions were malicious and his behavior despicable.”
“Your grandson believes that Huang Zufu should carry out a public punishment to serve as a warning to others.”
Though he was young, his reasoning was clear. By pointing out that he was an eyewitness, he solidified Duan Chenlang’s vile conduct.
Hearing this, the Emperor understood everything.
By the time Xiao Qingcang returned to the Wu’an Wangfu filled with satisfaction, the sun was already setting in the west.
Hearing that his daughter had been in his daughter-in-law’s courtyard, he went straight there.
Inside the courtyard, Nuannuan was running around her mother and aunt like a happy little butterfly.
Seeing Xiao Qingcang enter, she flew straight toward him. “Grandpa!”
Wei Qinghan hurriedly stepped forward to perform a deep bow. “This commoner, Wei Qinghan, greets the Wangye.”
“Ah, get up quickly. We are all one family; there is no need for such formalities.” Xiao Qingcang hurried to support her arm, preventing her from bowing.
“Your body has just recovered; you can dispense with these empty etiquettes.” Looking at Wei Qinghan’s pale face, a hint of gratitude showed in his eyes as he nodded. “You are a good child. You gave our Xiao family a wonderful granddaughter. Our Xiao family… we owe you mother and daughter a great deal!”
Wei Qinghan’s eyes reddened at his words, and she shook her head quickly. “Wangye, you overstate it. The matters of the past… the matters of the past were all a misunderstanding.”
Nuannuan nuzzled her grandpa’s face, her big eyes full of curiosity. “Grandpa is happy.”
“Haha, my dear granddaughter is truly smart.” Xiao Qingcang laughed heartily at his granddaughter’s antics and rubbed his chin against her small face.
“Today in the palace, Grandpa gave that big bad guy who bullied Gugu a harsh lesson! The Emperor has already issued a decree to have him flogged and sent into exile three thousand li!”
Nuannuan clapped her small hands happily, wiggling in her grandpa’s arms. “Bad guy got beaten away! Gugu isn’t afraid! Grandpa is amazing!”
Xiao Yunshu hooked her arm into Wei Qinghan’s, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. “Father, you’ve worked hard. Duan Chenlang has done nothing but evil; he deserves this.”
Xiao Qingcang felt immensely comforted seeing the harmonious scene before him. With a wave of his hand, he declared, “Good! Today is a double blessing. Qinghan has woken up, and the villain has been brought to justice. We shall have a family feast and celebrate properly!”
Wei Qinghan waved her hands hurriedly upon hearing this. “Wangye, how can we do that?”
“Why can’t we?” Xiao Qingcang interrupted her, laughing joyfully. “Nuannuan, tell Grandpa, do you want to eat something delicious?”
“Yes!” Nuannuan’s voice was loud and clear as she turned to pull Wei Qinghan’s hand. “Mommy, Grandpa’s food is yummy!”
“The cakes are sweet, the meat is soft, and the porridge is fragrant. Yummy, yummy!”
The child’s innocent words slightly stung Xiao Qingcang’s heart.
At the thought that this mother and daughter might not have even had a full meal in the past few years, he held Nuannuan even tighter. “Grandpa will have the kitchen make many delicious things to nourish Nuannuan and Mommy.”
“Grandpa is amazing!”