Chapter 12: Questioning the Cause of Death

Within the Imperial Capital of the Anyu Kingdom, He Zexu had been back for three days. After meeting with the Emperor on the first day, he had returned to his own Prince’s manor to recuperate. On the second day, various princes and princesses came to pay their respects, and on the third day, the Emperor held a banquet for his officials within the palace.

It was only on the fourth day that the Prince Ji manor finally quieted down.

Early in the morning, He Zexu summoned Zhuo Yan to the study.

"Does Your Highness have any instructions?" Seeing his master remain silent for a long time after he entered, Zhuo Yan spoke up cautiously.

"Tell me, how exactly did she die?" He Zexu asked in a low, heavy voice.

Zhuo Yan felt a jolt of alarm and looked up at his master.

"What, is it that hard to say? I will only ask you once; think carefully before you answer." Seeing his subordinate's reaction, He Zexu’s expression grew even colder.

Zhuo Yan fell to his knees with a thud. "Reporting to Your Highness, that lady did not fall into the river by accident that day. It was Cousin Miss who pushed her. At the time, Cousin Miss called her over to speak, and when the lady did not soften her tone, Cousin Miss became angry and... we wanted to save her, but there was simply no saving her. I have failed in my duties; please punish me, Your Highness, and let me pay for the lady's life."

After finishing his words, Zhuo Yan remained prostrate on the ground, not daring to look up at his master.

Hearing the truth, He Zexu felt as if he were covered in a layer of frost, his face chillingly grim. "She did not die because of you; what life are you paying for? Go, send the next one in. No need to say anything else." His voice sounded as if it had drifted up from the underworld, even more icy and detached.

As if granted an amnesty, Zhuo Yan hurriedly acknowledged the order and stood up. Outside, seeing the group of brothers waiting anxiously, he quickly called for another person who had been present that day to go in.

"What is it?" The man he called looked at him with great trepidation, hoping for a hint to avoid saying the wrong thing and angering their master.

In less than half an hour, everyone who had been present that day had taken their turn in the study. Each one entered and exited with the same expression: uneasy and restless.

They all sensed that it must be about the woman who fell into the river. After all, that matter was a heavy stone pressing on everyone's hearts, and they all knew their master would eventually investigate it.

When Jiang Yurong arrived, she was in high spirits. When the steward of Prince Ji’s manor came to invite her, he only said the Prince had something to discuss with her, without specifying what.

After the imperial banquet in the palace the previous day, Jiang Yurong had heard from her father, Assistant Minister Jiang, that the Emperor had publicly stated that Prince Ji was long past the age for marriage and asked if he had a lady in mind, otherwise, he would issue a decree to arrange a marriage.

Her cousin had been drunk at the time and did not respond to the Emperor.

Today, he had sent for her. Could it be that after sobering up, her cousin had considered the Emperor's words and decided that if a marriage was to be decreed, it would be better to choose someone he already knew?

She was the only suitable woman by her cousin's side, so?

However, upon arriving outside her cousin's study at the manor and seeing the expressions on the faces of the attendants, her heart began to flutter with unease.

This atmosphere did not look like one where the Prince’s manor was about to welcome a mistress.

She wanted to ask what was going on, but suddenly realized that finding someone among these people who was close to her was difficult. Furthermore, the way they looked at her now was filled with resentment.

But her status was what it was; since ancient times, there had been a distinction between the noble and the lowly. She hadn't been wrong to treat them that way in the past.

A master had no need to be amiable or curry favor with those beneath them!

Even if she wasn't the mistress here yet, the master here was her cousin—wasn't that the same thing?

"Your Highness has instructed that once Cousin Miss arrives, you may enter," the steward reminded her, seeing Jiang Yurong stop in her tracks.

Earlier at the manor gate, this Cousin Miss had asked him why she was being summoned, and the steward had smiled and replied that the master hadn't said, and he didn't know.

In truth, he hadn't lied; as the head steward of Prince Ji’s manor, he really didn't know why the master had summoned her.

But looking at the master's subordinates now, it certainly didn't seem like anything good!

With the steward urging her on, no matter how uneasy Jiang Yurong felt or how much she regretted coming, it was too late. Having walked this far, leaving seemed impossible.

Steadying herself, she reached up to adjust the hairpins in her bun and lifted her legs, which felt as heavy as lead, to step into the study.

She couldn't scare herself. Even if he asked about that matter, even if his subordinates told the truth, that woman was just some unknown country bumpkin from the wilderness, and she was so ugly to boot.

No matter how angry her cousin was, he would certainly not do anything to her for the sake of such a woman, Jiang Yurong comforted herself.

If he had really cared about that woman, he wouldn't have waited until today to get serious about it, would he?

She had been to her cousin's study many times and was not a stranger to it, but perhaps due to a guilty conscience, today she felt the study was exceptionally cold.

Looking at her cousin sitting at the head of the room, cold as ice, Jiang Yurong’s heart began to race uncontrollably.

But unlike in the past, this racing heart was not the excitement of a young woman moved by her cousin's handsome face. It was nervousness, fear, and dread.

"Yurong greets Cousin. I wonder why Cousin has summoned me?" Jiang Yurong tried to act calm, but her trembling voice betrayed her the moment she spoke.

"You are afraid? But, what are you afraid of?" He Zexu asked coldly.

"Cough, cough. This is the first time Cousin has ordered someone to summon me. I didn't know what it was about, so I was a bit nervous," Jiang Yurong replied, though her hands were tightly clasped in nervousness.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but she felt her cousin's gaze was like two sharp swords capable of killing. She felt it was because of her own guilty conscience and overthinking, yet she subconsciously looked away.

"Cousin, you have always been clever. You should have an idea why I summoned you today, right?" He Zexu suppressed the hatred in his heart and reminded her.

Hearing this, Jiang Yurong was even more shocked and became certain of what this was about.

Her mind raced. Gritting her teeth, she decided to gamble on herself since things had reached this point.

"I suspect it must be about the cause of death of that woman from Duanhun Valley, right?" she sighed.

"I remember that when I asked you at the time, you said that Sanniang had fallen into the river by accident," He Zexu said coldly.

"I was too nervous at the time and afraid that you would be angry, Cousin, so I lied. I was too reckless that day. I have regretted it deeply ever since, and I have been thinking of how to serve you more devotedly in the future, even if it means using my entire life—or even my own life—to make amends." By this point, Jiang Yurong’s eyes were already brimming with tears.

"So, you are now admitting that you intentionally caused her death?" He Zexu’s tone remained as cold as before.

Her cousin's attitude left Jiang Yurong with no sense of security. She hesitated for a moment. "Yes, but that was also..."

"Enough. I only needed to hear you admit it yourself." This time, He Zexu interrupted her.

With tears in her eyes, Jiang Yurong looked sorrowfully at her cousin as he slowly stood up. So, how did he plan to punish her? Would he have her father confine her to the ancestral hall?

Or would he forbid her from ever stepping foot into his manor again? It shouldn't come to that...