Yuxi returned to her study and looked at «Thirty-six Stratagems in Sun Tzu's Art of War» with a relaxed smile on her face. After two months, she finally finished copying the book.
Zisu wasn't used to Yuxi's current look. "Miss, you're not leading an army to a war, so why are you reading this?" Zisu was close to saying that reading this had been just a waste of her Miss' time. If her Miss had such free time, she might as well embroidered two more hebao! Duan Xinrong and Zhou Shiya had been waiting for Yuxi's hebao for more than half a year, which even Zisu, Yuxi's personal maid, felt embarrassed to explain.
Hebao or Money Pouch
It's composed of two sides, the interior and the exterior. The exterior is often embroidered with posh patterns, while the mouth is threaded with a silk string that can be tightened and loosened. - China Daily
Yuxi didn't explain. She just smiled and said, "It's fascinating." There were conspiracies, overt plots, and various schemes that emerged in an endless stream, which opened up her view.
Zisu didn't want to persuade anymore. It was useless for her to do so.
Yuxi smiled and said, "If Er Ge comes back, let me know. I'll return the books on the arts of war back to him." She was only interested in this book of war, or rather in the thirty-six stratagems within it. As for «Six Secret Teachings» and «Three Strategies of Huang Shigong», they were not that interesting to her. Just like Zisu had said, it wasn't like she had to lead an army into battle personally, so it was no use for her to dig into the two books on the arts of war.
As soon as she put her copies of the books on the arts of war inside the cupboard, she heard Kufu come in and announced, "Miss, Liuyin Jiejie has come to send a message. She asked Miss to go to the main house."
Yuxi felt a little strange. It was almost lunchtime. What did the Old Lady call her for? However, Yuxi didn't think much of it, as she fixed her makeup and went there.
Liuyin was one of Qiu Shi's people, but because the Old Lady didn't have any competent maids by her side right now, she was temporarily given to the Old Lady to be used. Liuyin had dealt with Yuxi for several years, and she was very grateful to her for saving her life that night, as she lowered her voice and said, "Miss, the Third Miss just went to see the Old Lady. After that, the Old Lady's face looked ugly, and then she asked this maidservant to call Miss over." Although Liuyin knew that Yuxi was on good terms with Yuchen, she still reminded Yuxi so that she wouldn't be at a disadvantage. The Old Lady didn't like Yuxi, which the people in the entire State Residence knew about.
Yuxi's heart trembled. First, someone from Marquis Pingqing Residence came over, and Yuchen went to the Main Courtyard. Afterwards, the Old Lady looked ugly and asked someone to call her over. This chain of events made Yuxi quickly think of a possibility. Marquis Pingqing Residence had most likely already found out that the mastermind behind that night was Heshou Xianzhu.
Yuxi kept all her emotions in check and said with a smile, "Thank you, Jiejie, for the reminder. I'll pay attention when I arrive there and try not to make my Grandmother angry."
Liuyin smiled.
When they arrived at the main house, Yuxi saw the scowling face of the Old Lady and the imposing face of Yuchen, who was sitting at the right-hand seat. Yuxi realised that her previous guess should be about right. "What's going on?" [+]
Yuchen spoke up, "Si Meimei, the reason why the bandits broke into our residence that night was at the behest of Heshou Xianzhu. She paid off those bandits to sneak into the State Residence from the side of the small Green Bamboo building on the night of the palace rebellion."
Yuxi was stunned. After a while, she asked, "Do we, the Han family, have any bitter enmity that we cannot live under the same sky with the Qiao family?" At this time, she must be steady. She couldn't let the Old Lady and Yuchen notice anything wrong with her.
Old Lady Han answered in a heavy voice, "No."
Yuxi shook her head and said, "Impossible. If the Qiao family and we didn't have any hatred that we cannot live under the same sky, why would Heshou Xianzhu do this? And what good would this bring to her? No, our Han family and the Qiao family must have enmity with each other, or else, Heshou Xianzhu wouldn't have seen San Jie and me with so much hostility that day. Grandmother, is there something that even you don't know about?"
Old Lady Han stated with certainty, "There is no animosity between the Han and the Qiao families. The Qiao family only rose to power and position more than thirty years ago, and before that, the Qiao was a scavenger in the country pits. If the two families are in a deadly feud, it's impossible that I am not unaware of it." Old Lady Han had married into the State Residence over thirty years ago and was very familiar with the affairs of the residence. If the two families had formed a grudge, it was impossible for her not to know about it.
Yuxi opened her mouth and asked, "Naturally, for what reason then?" After asking that, she asked the same question as Yuchen, "How did Heshou Xianzhu know that the Crown Prince would plot a rebellion that night? How did she know about such a big deal?"
Yuchen's hands remained clasped tightly and never loosened. "Yuxi, I don't know how Heshou Xianzhu knew that the Crown Prince would plot a rebellion that night. But I do know that she let these bandits infiltrate the State Residence to kill you and me."
Yuxi stood still. After a long time, Yuxi finally asked, "Why did she want to kill us?"
Yuchen shook her head and replied, "I don't know."
Yuxi's voice suddenly grew louder, "There's not even a grudge between us. Even without making head or tail of it, she somehow wanted to kill you and me? Is Heshou Xianzhu crazy? No, even crazy people won't act like her."
Yuchen responded, "Si Mei, I think Heshou Xianzhu has been possessed by an evil spirit." Otherwise, how could Heshou Xianzhu do such an unbelievable thing?
Yuxi was shocked, "Possessed by an evil spirit?"
Yuchen nodded, "Yes."
Yuxi's legs weakened, and she managed to hold onto the chair beside her with both hands before she could slip onto the floor. After taking a few deep breaths, Yuxi sat down on the chair. She slowly questioned, "Even if Heshou Xianzhu was possessed by an evil spirit, then why did she want to kill San Jie and me? We never offended her."
This was also the thing that Yuchen found to be strange.
Old Lady Han had just been observing Yuxi, but Yuxi's behaviour was rather normal, and Old Lady Han didn't see anything wrong with her. Hearing Yuxi's words, Old Lady Han asked, "Yuxi, what do you have in mind?"
Yuxi shook her head, "Nothing." Yes, for this matter, it couldn't be said so quickly. She wouldn't want to be particularly powerful in front of the Old Lady.
Yuchen also couldn't figure out the reason why. So she suggested, "Grandmother, my Jiujiu has investigated this matter clearly. No matter what Heshou Xianzhu's reason is, we can't help but report this hostility." This kind of thing couldn't be taken as if it didn't happen.
Old Lady Han looked at Yuxi and asked, "Yuxi, what do you think should be done?"
Yuxi still answered with these three words, "I don't know. But this matter has to be told to Father and Dage. They have to be allowed to make up their minds about such a big matter." Marquis Chiang was powerful, and the Chiang family had deep roots in the capital, which was why they could find the truth before them. It was just that the Chiang family could only help in finding the murderer, but this enmity had to be reported by themselves.
When putting it that way, she was unable to say anything. The Old Lady then said, "You two go back first." This matter took time to make any final decision.
The two people separated in the middle of the road with a heavy heart. When Yuchen returned to Tingyun Pavilion, she went to the study, then beckoned for Momo Gui to come and told Momo Gui about it, "Momo, say, even if Heshou Xianzhu was possessed by an evil spirit, why did she have to kill Si Mei and me?"
The person on the spot was baffled, the onlooker saw clearly. Just as old as Momo Gui was, she could be said to have eaten more salt than Yuchen ate rice. After listening to Yuchen's words, she said, "There is no enmity between the families, nor do you have enmity with her. There is only one reason why she has such ruthless hands."
Yuchen asked, "What is the reason?" She had racked her brains and still couldn't figure out the reason.
Momo Gui answered, "Heshou Xianzhu knows that you and the Fourth Miss will become threats to her in the future, the kind of threats that will be fatal for her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been this generous with her money?"
Yuchen was stunned, "What does Momo mean by that? What do you mean in the future that Yuxi and I will be fatal threats to Heshou Xianzhu? Who can predict what will happen in the future?" After asking those questions, Yuchen thought of the possibility, and her face instantly went white.
When Momo Gui looked at Yuchen like this, she knew that Yuchen understood what she meant, "This evil spirit may have the ability to foretell the future." [+]
Yuchen gripped the handle of the chair with her right hand and said, "This evil spirit…."
As Yuchen thought of this, she immediately called Shiqin and instructed, "Prepare the vehicle. I want to go to Marquis Pingqing Residence." After she had finished saying that, she immediately went to the main house and told the Old Lady about it.
The Old Lady hadn't thought about this. But when Yuchen said it like that, there really couldn't be any other reason other than this one. "We must take our time in deciding for this matter. We can't act rashly. Don't go to the Marquis Pingqing Residence for the time being. I'll discuss this with your father and Dage first." Heshou Xianzhu was, after all, a relative of the Emperor. She had a title of nobility to her name, so they must be very cautious.
Yuchen went out of the main house, thought for a moment, and then went to Taoran House. When she heard from a maid that Yuxi had drilled herself into the study as soon as she came back, Yuchen's expression was very much subtle.
Kufu raised her voice and called out, "Miss, Third Miss is here."
Yuxi changed the book on arts of war in her hand with a medical book, opened its pages and put it on one side. Then she went out to welcome Yuchen to her study and asked, "San Jie, what can I do for you?"
Yuchen did not answer her back. "What are you doing?" With a question coming out from her mouth, her eyes fell on the books on the desk, not expecting Yuxi to have the leisure to read medical books at this time.
Yuxi said, "I was just thinking if only I could develop an invisible poison. It's a pity that I can't learn the art…."
Yuchen didn't know how to describe how she felt right now, "Even if you were able to develop an invisible poison, how would you poison her? Can you get close enough to her?"
When Yuxi heard this, she became weak, "Ahem, I'm confused by the anger, so I was thinking of how to get rid of Heshou Xianzhu. Ahem, San Jie, what do you think? She certainly won't be content that she's unable to kill us this time. Not to mention going out, I'm not even at ease to stay at home." As long as Yuchen was determined and Marquis Pingqing could help, this matter would be much easier to handle. It would be hard to get Heshou Xianzhu killed, but it would knock her down a peg.
A touch of hostility flashed across Yuchen's eyes, "Don't worry, there won't be next time."
It was the first time for Yuxi to see Yuchen act like this.
Yuchen was scared by Yuxi's look, "What's the matter? Is there anything wrong?"
Yuxi cracked a smile, "It's nothing. I just thought that San Jie was looking particularly beautiful today. Couldn't help but be a little stunned for a moment."
Yuchen felt both funny and angry at the same time, "When will you ever be serious? I came over to find you this time because I have something to tell you." Then she told Yuxi her suspicions.
Yuxi felt that Momo Gui was too impressive to even guess this. Since Heshou Xianzhu knew the future, so she wanted to kill her and Yuchen. Yuxi agreed with her in her heart, but she showed disbelief on her face, "San Jie, this can't be? To be able to predict the future, doesn't that make her a deity?"
Yuchen snorted coldly, "Not a deity, but a demon."
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi