On the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Dingbei Marquis' Mansion received a letter from Nanchang, saying that Wei Yangqing had set out on the third day of the twelfth lunar month, and if all went well, he would probably be able to return home to celebrate the New Year's Eve.
Old Madam Wei leaned on a large pillow, with a floral blanket covering her belly. She handed the letter to the Third Madam and asked her with a calm expression, "Is everything tidied at home?"
It was almost the end of the year, and it was time to clean up the house from top to bottom, getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. But recently, because of the palace summons, no one at home had time to give instructions.
The Third Madam looked a little haggard, but she answered calmly, "I've given the orders. Let's wash the big things first today. We finally have some sunshine, so we can wash and dry them now to prevent them from getting moldy."
She has always been sensible in her work, so Mrs. Wei is of course relieved. Seeing that she was not in good spirits, she asked with some concern: "Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so bad?"
Grandma Kong, who was waiting outside, felt a pang in her heart and sighed slowly.
It's not that I'm feeling unwell, it's just that my old lady came to visit yesterday and talked about the Zheng family's affairs. There was some resentment in her words, saying that the Zheng family spoke rudely. She also brought up the old incident of Puci Temple and blamed the fifth young lady.
Wei Yuyou cried the whole night and no matter how the Third Madam tried to persuade her, it was useless, so she became a little exhausted.
The Third Madam naturally couldn't tell the old lady about Wei Yuyou's trouble. She smiled and shook her head, changing the subject: "It's because of Xiao Qi's matter... I'm always feeling uneasy..."
She looked around and became curious: "Why hasn't Xiao Qi come here today?"
Ever since being treated differently by Old Lady Wei, Wei An has basically become inseparable from Old Lady Wei, and he is more punctual than anyone else in visiting her every morning and evening.
Not to mention absences, she had never been late or left early, but now she didn't see Wei An. She couldn't help but look at Old Madam Wei in surprise: "The palace issued an order on the first day of the first lunar month to summon her to the palace for an audience on the ninth day. The date is almost here, why did you let her go out and wander around?"
Mrs. Wei knew what she meant and suddenly laughed: "She is not walking around randomly..." She added: "She knows her limits, don't worry..."
Since Old Madam Wei is so relieved, what else can the Third Madam say
Although she already knew that Wei An was unusual, she was still a little confused when she heard from Old Lady Wei that she had such unguarded trust in Wei An. How did Wei An do it
She was absent-minded for a while, and then many managers came in to answer questions. She stood up quickly and said, "I won't bother you anymore. There are still many things to do outside. I will go and take care of them now."
Old Madam Wei has always had someone at her disposal, and the Third Madam sees this very clearly. She does what she should do, and never tries to be clever with things that she shouldn't get involved in.
This was also what Mrs. Wei liked about her. She nodded slightly at her and waited until she left before letting anyone in.
Wei Rui had become much darker and thinner, and even though he was wrapped in thick winter clothes, he looked haggard and frail. Not only that, his face was extremely pale, as if he had suffered a serious illness.
Mrs. Wei was startled and looked at him worriedly: "What's wrong with you?"
Wei Rui's lips were pale and bloodless. He knelt on the ground in front of Old Lady Wei and coughed several times before he stopped. He cleared his throat and told Old Lady Wei: "The clue is broken..."
He closed his eyes, extremely unwilling but helpless: "Miss Qi reminded me to check in Yunnan. I have actually been there many times before..."
It was Old Madam Wei who asked him to go, but unfortunately he couldn't find out anything.
There were originally many ethnic minorities such as the Miao in Yunnan, and it was common for bandits to roam around. It had already been confirmed that the Ming family had encountered an accident on the road, and the follow-up had been dealt with long ago. Wei Rui always returned empty-handed every time he went.
He started with the investigation of the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, but the Governor had already been transferred to Guangdong and Guangxi, and he was in a high position and had great power, so he could not be easily dealt with. So Wei Rui went to Yunnan to look for clues.
However, because the officials who handled the case had either been demoted or died, not a single useful piece of information was found.
It was not until this time that Wei An reminded him that he did not necessarily have to start with the officials.
"There were so many officials, both big and small, who were involved in the case. Those with high ranks could of course be transferred or silenced, but what about those like legal advisors, clerks, and runners? How could they be so clean..."
Wei Rui recalled what Wei An said at that time: "With so many people in the world, how can we know if it is related to what happened before? There is a way. It is recorded in the files. Why don't you make some changes there first?"
He did succeed in manipulating this and found someone who knew about the old events. He was a postmaster at an inn and he was in the inn that night.
Unfortunately, before he could find out anything, something happened.
His residence was discovered and he was assassinated that night. If the people around him had not been reliable enough to protect him at all costs, he would not have come back alive.
Old Madam Wei looked indifferent: "Did that postmaster tip you off, or have you been targeted for a long time?"
If it was the postmaster who tipped off the person, it wouldn't be that scary, but if he had been targeted for a long time, that would be really scary.
Has the power of the King of Chu spread to such a terrifying extent, or are his people omnipresent and will not let anyone go
Wei Rui covered his chest and coughed: "It shouldn't be the postmaster who tipped off... He didn't have that chance..."
Old Mrs. Wei hummed and lowered her head thoughtfully.
No matter how you look at it, the King of Chu is really too stressful.
Moreover, he keeps such a close eye on the Wei family. If he even knows that Wei Rui went to Yunnan... ...what will he do next
Just thinking about it made Old Lady Wei feel a little creepy.
The King of Chu, who made Old Lady Wei feel terrified, was now listening to what his eldest son, the Crown Prince Chu Jingrui, was saying.
Chu Jingrui was much more careful around his father than around his mother. He said to him carefully, "The Wei family is quite courageous. The matter in Yunnan is not over yet, but they dare to commit crimes against the wind and even go to Yunnan..."
There were seven or eight people sitting in the room, and they all laughed when they heard what he said.
"That's right..." Qin Chong, the chief historian of the Prince of Chu's Palace, suppressed his smile and said, "This old lady has been quiet for so many years, and I thought she had given up on this matter. But now it seems that she is just keeping a low profile. Your Majesty..."
He looked at the King of Chu, who was in his prime and full of vigor, and frowned, saying, "Don't underestimate the enemy!"
The candlelight in the room flickered, and the face of the King of Chu was hidden in the light, so his expression could not be seen clearly.