NOVEL WEB Chapter 128 - Zhu Zhi's Death
Chapter 128: Zhu Zhi’s Death
On top of the Zhu family members, the Second Mistress of the Ji Manor was also worried about Zhu Hecheng.
She was distraught by the news of her eldest brother being captured, and she could neither sleep nor eat well for the past few days. The next day, she quickly sent people to the Zhu Manor to find out more information.
She was waiting in her room when Ji Ze returned from the imperial court. When she saw him, she hastily asked, “Ze’er, do you have any news about your uncle when you were in the palace?”
Ji Ze frowned and shook his head slowly.
He had very few chances to meet the Emperor despite being an attendant in his studies. He only heard from his colleagues that the Emperor was enraged and commanded for a thorough investigation, but nobody knew exactly what the results and outcomes of the investigation were. No one dared to discuss it openly.
“What should we do?” the Second Mistress subsequently sighed as she panicked. “The Zhu family will be done for if any mishap befalls your uncle!”
“Who would have thought that Uncle was in collusion with Xuzhou’s Prefecture Magistrate and had embezzled the food supply meant for disaster relief? He shouldn’t have committed such an act!” Ji Ze said in a hushed tone.
“Shut your mouth! He’s your uncle and you are in no position to comment on his behavior!” the Second Mistress chided glumly.
Ji Ze sat by the side and fell silent.
“You should put in more effort and strive to make a presence in front of the Emperor so that he thinks highly of you. In that way, you will be able to at least speak up for your uncle about his case. No matter what he’s done, he’s your uncle and you have to help him so that the Zhu family can prosper! In return, we can have a strong backing. Do you understand?” the Second Mistress persuaded.
Ji Ze nodded his head slightly. “Noted!”
“Even though the Ji Manor’s businesses are well established and successful, you are after all the son of a concubine, and we will end up with nothing at the end of the day. On the other hand, your uncle is our immediate family member, and he will not give up on us regardless of what happens. I had high expectations for you to excel as a scholar and work as an imperial official so that you can gain a foothold in these times. Otherwise, we will always have to live our lives at other people’s disposal if we depend on the Ji Manor! We cannot break ourselves away from the Zhu family if we want to achieve prosperity in the long run!”
“Mother, Brother is not that kind of person! He has always treated me very well!” Ji Ze rebutted softly.
“Those were all illusions! When was I ever wrong? You are finding fault in my words now that you have become an imperial official, am I right?” the Second Mistress retorted in anger.
“I dare not do so!”
“I’ve not talked to you about all these in the past as I did not want you to shoulder this burden and neglect your studies, but you have to understand these things now that you are already working in the palace! No matter what, you must remember that the Zhu family is our kin and our backing! Our survival fully depends on theirs!”
“Noted!”
“I’m fine as long as you remember my words. I know you have always been a filial son!” the Second Mistress’s mood lightened up. She got up and said, “You have a good rest since you just got back. Remember to find out more about your uncle’s situation when you are back at the palace.”
“I understand!”
The Second Mistress nodded her head in satisfaction and left Ji Ze’s courtyard with Yuan’er.
When they have reached a distance far away from Ji Ze’s courtyard, Yuan’er lowered her voice and said carefully, “The Second Young Master is the smartest and most filial. He will heed your advice, Second Mistress!”
The Second Mistress could not help but feel proud of her son. “I am most aware of Ze’er’s character! It’s just that this kid is too pure and naive, that I have to educate and toughen him up.”
“How can the Second Young Master fail to be outstanding when the Second Mistress is there to teach him?” Yuan’er said flatteringly.
The Second Mistress nodded her head, but her face turned glum as she thought about Zhu Hecheng again. “Brother’s case is worrying!”
“Second Mistress, you should not worry too much as the Old Master has been through all kinds of hardships. He will survive the crisis this time as well!”
The Second Mistress nodded her head in agreement. “I hope so!”
Two days later, Zhu Zhi began to panic as he had yet to receive news about Zhu Hecheng’s release from jail. He grew more and more frustrated as Mrs. Zhu frequently speculated that he must have been conned.
He wanted to check with Zhao Wenshuan at Chunhua Brothel but suddenly remembered that he was not even aware of where Zhao Wenshuan lived.
Zhao Wenshuan came looking for him just as he was trying to contact him anxiously.
“How did my father’s case go?” Zhu Zhi asked the moment he saw him, grabbing his arm.
Zhao Wenshuan had completely changed his appearance since the last time they met. He was now dressed in an exquisitely embroidered long robe made with satin brocade, adorned with a jade belt hung around his waist. His boots were embedded with emerald, and his face was glowing and radiant.
“Don’t be so worried! It’s only been two days, it’s still in progress! However…” Zhao Wenshuan awkwardly smacked his lips.
“However what?” Zhu Zhi asked hurriedly.
“Eunuch Liu had sent somebody to inform me that someone has offered a large amount of money as a reward to kill your father! As such, I’m afraid that ten thousand is no longer enough!” Zhao Wenshuan said.
“Who is the one that wants to kill my father?” Zhu Zhi asked in alarm.
Zhao Wenshuan’s eyes glinted as he turned around with a guilty conscience. He said in an abashed manner, “How would I know? Your family must have offended many people since you are rich!”
Convinced by his words, Zhu Zhi said angrily, “What an audacity to try harming our Zhu family with money! Tell me, how much more money is needed?”
Zhao Wenshuan was overjoyed as his back faced Zhu Zhi. He attempted to mask his true feelings by knitting his brows tightly and said, “Approximately twenty thousand more!”
“No problem. You wait here while I head home now to retrieve the silver!”
“Sure, sure! I will wait here for Eldest Young Master Zhu, and I will send somebody to the palace immediately upon receiving the money. Eunuch Liu is still waiting!” Zhao Wenshuan called out, grinning coyly.
Zhu Zhi nodded his head and hurried back to his manor.
Zhao Wenshuan leaped up in joy and was brimming with excitement. He felt that luck was on his side as he had found a money-spinning machine that provided him with unlimited wealth. He need not worry about the rest of his life anymore!
Just like that, Zhao Wenshuan asked Zhu Zhi for money every alternate day or two, and he ended up getting almost a hundred thousand pieces of silver from him.
Mrs. Zhu had suspected that Zhu Zhi may have been deceived, but could only wait and hope that Zhu Hecheng could be rescued as the money had already been given out.
Back at the Ministry of Justice, the official in charge of interrogating Xuzhou’s Prefecture Magistrate and the housekeeper of Zhu Manor in Xuzhou had finalized the interrogation outcome details, and submitted them to the Emperor.
Both of them had admitted to their crimes of embezzling the food supply meant for disaster relief, but they also declared that Zhu Hecheng had not been aware of their collusion, as he was far away in Shengjing City.
The Emperor read through their official statements and frowned. “Did Xuzhou’s Prefecture Magistrate say that anybody else is involved? How could it be possible that he dared to commit such a crime based on his capability?”
Ji Yuxian stepped forward and replied, “We have interrogated them for several days, and have subjected them to the punishments meant for serious crimes. There must be nobody else!”
The Imperial Censor and Minister of Justice looked at each other in the eyes and stayed silent.
The Emperor snorted and said furiously, “How dare a Prefecture Magistrate act so recklessly and neglect the country’s law and the citizens’ survival! He is incorrigible!”
“We apologize as fellow officials!”
Several high ranking imperial officials stood in the royal study as they tried to soothe the Emperor’s anger.
The Minister of Justice asked, “Emperor, how should we deal with Zhu Hecheng?”
“Was he not aware of what happened in Xuzhou?” the Emperor asked.
“In the official statements from Xuzhou’s Prefecture Magistrate, he said that he had been in contact with the housekeeper of the Zhu Manor in Xuzhou. The housekeeper had also admitted that he was overcome by greed and hid the matter from Zhu Hecheng, but…”
“Emperor!” Ji Yuxian called out all of a sudden, interrupting the Minister of Justice. He continued respectfully, “In my opinion, Zhu Hecheng must not have been aware of this matter. Otherwise, he would not have offered to donate half a million kilograms of grains to the citizens of Xuzhou. Moreover, Zhu Hecheng had behaved properly as he did his business in Shengjing City for so many years. I feel that he must have been deceived by his employees!”
The Imperial Censor chuckled and said, “Minister Yu, it seems like you must have been in close contact with Zhu Hecheng. Otherwise, how would you be so clear about his behavior?”
Yu Xian’s expression changed and he gave a half-hearted laugh. “Minister Yao, you must be joking. How would I be in close contact with a businessman?”
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, contemplating for a moment before he said, “Even though Zhu Hecheng was not involved in this case, he undoubtedly had failed to supervise the project effectively, therefore he will be stripped of the title as the royal supplier. As for Xuzhou’s Prefecture Magistrate, Liang Fu, and the housekeeper of the Zhu Manor, they have worked together to harm the country and its citizens. All their family assets will thus be confiscated, and they will be executed after fall!”
“Noted!”
The officials bowed and acknowledged in unison.
The Minister of Justice and the Imperial Censor walked out of the palace together after they left the royal study.
“Minister Zhang, do you think Zhu Hecheng is innocent?” the Imperial Censor, Yao Bing, asked.
“To be honest, I do not believe he’s innocent. How would a housekeeper dare to commit such an act without the approval from him?” the Minister of Justice, Zhang Yuan, snorted. “But Liang Fu and that housekeeper had insisted on covering up for Zhu Hecheng even after being tortured in jail! Besides, the Emperor was in a hurry to give a verdict, so there is no other choice!”
“It is no big deal if Zhu Hecheng was truly innocent. However, it will be appalling if he was an accomplice. Yet, Liang Fu would rather die than admit to it!” Yao Bing said flatly.
Both of them glanced at each other and frowned simultaneously.
Zhu Hecheng was a businessman, while Liang Bing was a Prefecture Magistrate. It would be almost impossible for Zhu Hecheng to get hold of a secret that he could threaten Liang Bing with. There could only be one reason for Liang Bing to protect Zhu Hecheng – someone must have threatened him to keep his mouth shut, and this person must be of a higher official rank than Liang Bing. As such, Liang Bing did not dare to tell the truth!
Zhu Hecheng was an important person linked to the other people in the whole conspiracy, making him someone who could not be killed.
Both Yao Bing and Zhang Yuan understood the crucial points behind this incident, and they agreed without having to speak. Their gazes turned frosty as they had roughly guessed who the mastermind was.
“They have escaped too easily this time around!” Yao Bing’s expression turned serious and deadly.
“They have already given themselves away! Why worry that we will not be able to arrest them? There is still time! You should not be too angry, Minister Yao!”
“Yes!”
The two men exited from the palace and got into their respective horse carriages after they bade their goodbyes. Their carriages slowly left the palace.
Meanwhile, Zhu Hecheng was released from jail in the Ministry of Justice.
The Zhu family was tremendously affected by this incident, as they were stripped of the rights as a royal supplier. They had also incurred heavy losses since their grains from the Xuzhou’s dried goods store were confiscated.
Upon hearing the news of Zhu Hecheng’s release, Mrs. Zhu, along with Zhu Zhi and two other concubines, waited at the entrance of their manor to welcome him home.
Arrogant and conceited, Zhu Zhi grinned and said, “I told you that Father will be back! How could I have been deceived?”
Mrs. Zhu replied ecstatically, “It’s good that he’s back! It’s good that he’s back!”
When Zhu Hecheng stepped down from the horse carriage that had gone to fetch him back to the manor, Mrs. Zhu was the first one to step forward and welcome him. “Old Master, you are finally back!”
She ordered the servants to prepare several auspicious items, like the brazier and mugwort, to get rid of Zhu Hecheng’s bad luck.
Zhu Hecheng had stayed in jail for many days, and even though he was confident of his release, he inevitably did not escape the tortures and punishments implemented by the officials. Much of his hair had turned white, the dust had covered his face, his clothes appeared wrinkled, and he looked like he had aged.
Zhu Zhi called out to his father joyfully.
Heartbroken at the sight of Zhu Hecheng’s enfeebled appearance, Mrs. Zhu exclaimed, “Old Master, you must have had a hard time!”
Zhu Hecheng coughed lightly and sternly replied, “Let’s talk after we enter the house!”
“Yes, yes!”
All of them ushered Zhu Hecheng into their manor.
Mrs. Zhu served Zhu Hecheng personally during his bath, and dressed him in a set of new clothes, before meeting the rest of them who were waiting in the reception pavilion.
Zhu Hecheng appeared revitalized after washing up. A concubine quickly served him a bowl of ginseng soup and said, “Old Master, quickly have some soup to warm up your body!”
Mrs. Zhu laughed and said, “Old Master, you are finally safe and sound! You had given me a big scare for this period, and I could neither sleep nor eat well as I thought about your misery! I wished that I could be captured as well so that I could serve you in jail!”
She covered her face and sobbed pitifully in her hands upon speaking.
Zhu Hecheng felt consoled by her words and patted her arm. “Don’t be too upset now. I am already back, aren’t I?”
Mrs. Zhu nodded and wiped off her tears. “We are lucky that our Ze’er was able to think of a solution! Old Master, you had looked down on him in the past, but he was the one who saved you from jail this time around!”
Zhu Zhi instantly sat upright on his chair upon hearing his name, looking slightly modest as he said, “It’s only right for me to work hard for my father!”
Zhu Hecheng, on the other hand, was stunned as he asked, “You mean Ze’er was the one who saved me?”
“Yes!” Mrs. Zhu nodded her head and continued saying, “Didn’t you know? Ze’er had contacted the Chief Eunuch in the palace through his friend! You were released from jail because the Chief Eunuch had spoken up for you in front of the Emperor! We had to spend a large sum of money because of this! However, money is of little significance as the most important thing is that our Old Master is now safe and sound!”
Zhu Hecheng ignored Mrs. Zhu’s nagging as he gaped at Zhu Zhi and asked, “Who is the Chief Eunuch? Who is your friend?”
Mrs. Zhu quickly explained the entire process in detail before Zhu Zhi could speak.
The color left Zhu Hecheng’s face as he asked, “What is the Chief Eunuch’s name?”
Zhu Zhi stared blankly for a moment before answering, “His surname is Liu. Everybody calls him Eunuch Liu, so I did not ask for his full name. Is Father intending to thank him in person?”
Zhu Hecheng’s expression had shifted as he bellowed, “There is no Chief Eunuch with the surname Liu in the palace! How much money did you spend?!”
Zhu Zhi’s heart pounded heavily, but he was still convinced that Eunuch Liu was real since Zhu Hecheng was already released from jail. He replied meekly, “One, one hundred thousand!”
Zhu Hecheng almost vomited blood as his face turned pale with anguish. He stood up and pointed a finger at Zhu Zhi and screamed, “You jerk! You fool! Don’t you realize that you have been conned?”
“N-no, it can’t be!” Zhu Zhi stammered, his voice trembling. “Why would Father be released from jail if he had deceived me?”
“I was released because…” Zhu Hecheng resisted the urge to reveal the truth. He clutched at his chest as he ordered, “Quickly go find your friend, you have been conned by him! There is no such eunuch in the palace! I wasn’t released from jail because of this person!”
“Ah?” Zhu Zhi was speechless.
Mrs. Zhu was also in a daze. Zhu Hecheng’s concubines were the only people who had understood what had gone wrong. They gloated with glee as they watched the foolish pair of mother and son.
“Go and ask for our money back!” Zhu Hecheng was furious, and he stormed his feet with rage.
His heart ached at the thought of that large sum of money.
“Yes, yes, I will go right now!” Zhu Zhi ran out of the house in a fluster.
“How could this be?” Mrs. Zhu remained stupefied.
“It’s all your fault!” Zhu Hecheng trembled with anger and pointed at Mrs. Zhu. “Why did you give him so much money?”
“It was all because I was worried and eager to save you, Old Master! I wasn’t sure who to look for, so I believed Ze’er words. Ze’er had also done it for your sake, Old Master!” Mrs. Zhu wailed, feeling aggrieved.
“He had become a useless son all thanks to your overindulgence! Our household is going to become broke all because of you and your son!” Zhu Hecheng chided hatefully and left with a flick of his sleeves.
One hundred thousand was gone just like that!
On top of that, they were stripped of their rights to be a royal supplier and had suffered a huge loss in Xuzhou’s dried goods store. Zhu Hecheng felt extremely helpless!
Su Jiu was enraged upon hearing that Zhu Hecheng was released from jail. “It’s infuriating that this sly, old fox could be released so easily!”
Ji Yuxian reclined on the couch, his dark hair extending down to his shoulders. His waist belt was loosened, and his red, wide robe with ripple patterns sprawled across the couch, looking like alluring pomegranate blossoms.
He held onto a book, and his charming face appeared nonchalant as he gestured to Su Jiu. “Come over to your husband!”
Su Jiu came over and kneeled beside the couch. “I don’t understand at all. Why did the Emperor not punish him when it was obvious that Zhu Hecheng was the culprit?”
Ji Yuxian put down his book and hooked onto Su Jiu’s waist with his arm. He pulled her into his embrace and let her sit comfortably in his arms before saying lazily, “I have told you before that Zhu Hecheng won’t die so easily!”
“Who is the mastermind standing behind him?” Su Jiu asked.
“There is not just one person behind him. It’s more complicated than you think!” Ji Yuxian answered jokingly.
“Does that mean we should just let it go?” Su Jiu’s brows knitted tightly.
“Of course not!” Ji Yuxian raised his hand and caressed Su Jiu’s dark hair. His melodic voice exuded a hint of coldness as if it’s a gust of chill wind among the summer breeze, its frostiness seeping into one’s bones before one could realize it. “Zhu Hecheng has already been deeply impacted by this incident. On top of that, many secrets of his network and relationships under the table had been revealed. The Zhu family is like a worm going into hibernation – it will either starve or freeze to death!”
“Moreover…” Ji Yuxian lifted Su Jiu’s chin to kiss her and laughed softly. “Our initial plan was to help Qiao An, and now that Qiao An’s problem had been solved, Xuzhou’s citizens were able to get their food supply and a corrupted official had been arrested. It’s considered a bonus for us that Zhu Hecheng was affected!”
Su Jiu pondered for a moment and also felt enlightened. “You’re right! Oh yes, Qiao An sent me a letter saying that Xuzhou’s situation regarding the disaster and plague is now under control! He and Dapao can come back after the new Prefecture Magistrate officially assumes his position!”
“Noted!” Ji Yuxian replied casually. He was already distracted by him passionately kissing the young woman’s chin and neck.
The sunlight at the end of the summer season shone in through the windows. The crickets outside hummed softly as if they were tired from chirping all summer. One would easily feel lethargic by listening to their lazy hums.
The room quietened down, except for the soft murmurs emanating from the passionate kisses. The two of them felt sluggish as they listened to the crickets.
It was unclear whose breath had suddenly quickened, creating an ambiguous atmosphere amongst the tranquility. Their chemistry filled up the entire room, and engulfed both of them like a tight netting; none of them could break away. None of them intended to escape anyway.
They should just live in the moment and follow their hearts while enjoying this period of bliss.
Life is short, so why not do what your heart tells you to do?
They were unsure why their hearts pounded so strongly, or why they were increasingly dependent on each other day after day. They only knew that both of them felt content at this very moment, delightful emotions surging from the bottom of their hearts and reflecting on their faces as if they were creating waves and ripples in a pool of spring water.
Ji Yuxian’s slender fingers slipped underneath the young woman’s thin clothing, and he was satisfied upon hearing a subtle sigh slip out of her lips. He felt tender and could not bear to let go of the young woman’s lips. He wished his kisses could penetrate her heart and anchor his impression deep inside so that she could remember him for eternity.
Su Jiu’s body had become feeble as she reciprocated with her eyes closed. She could only feel the man’s breaths in between her own, and they felt so familiar that she was greedy for more. It seemed not too bad if they could do this forever.
Both of them had kissed so many times and, just like Ji Yuxian had mentioned previously, they had become so used to each other that they knew immediately how to respond based on the other person’s action.
However, these were not so important anymore as they had only wanted to kiss each other out of instinct. The more they kissed, the more passionate they got, and the rest did not seem to matter anymore.
….
Zhu Zhi had been going around asking for Zhao Wenshuan’s location, and finally found someone who knew him. He arrived at Zhao Wenshuan’s house, only to be informed that his entire family had shifted their home a few days ago.
That person said mysteriously, “I heard that the Zhao family had a windfall and bought a huge estate in the south of the city. Zhao Wenshuan is now a rich man!”
Zhu Zhi grew increasingly infuriated as he listened, and he could only be convinced that he was indeed conned by Zhao Wenshuan.
His heart was awash with hatred and regret.
He was about to head back when he saw a man walking down the street towards him. The man had a fair and round face, and he had a woman in his embrace. He was ‘Eunuch Liu’!
Zhu Zhi swiftly stepped forward and grabbed onto Eunuch Liu’s collars as he shouted angrily, “Aren’t you working as a eunuch in the palace? Why are you here?!”
Eunuch Liu was startled, but quickly said with a laugh, “Young Master Zhu, let’s talk about this peacefully! It was all Shuan Zi’s idea and I had nothing to do with it!”
Zhu Zhi was all the more sure that he had been deceived after hearing his words. Rage filled within him as he proceeded to beat Eunuch Liu up, with the help of the two attendants that he had brought.
They beat up Eunuch Liu furiously, before dragging him along to look for Zhao Wenshuan.
The first thing Zhao Wenshuan did after obtaining so much money was to purchase a large estate. He had combed the entire Shengjing City’s entertainment outlets within the past few days and tried all the food that he had never eaten before. He spent extravagantly as if his life was about to end the next day.
Coincidentally, Zhao Wenshuan was on his way home on this day.
He sat in a horse carriage and was followed by several servants, behaving like a truly rich man.
Zhu Zhi stood in front of him and said bitterly, “Zhao Wenshuan, you have deceived me!”
Zhao Wenshuan peeped at ‘Eunuch Liu’, who was under restraint, and he knew that the truth had been revealed. He remained calm and composed as he grinned. “Wasn’t your father already released from jail?”
“It was also none of your business that he was released! Quickly return the money to me!” Zhu Zhi said furiously.
“The money? Hey, you were the one who previously said that it didn’t matter what I did as long as your father could be saved! How can you go back on your words now that your father has been released? Moreover, I have already spent the money, so I won’t be able to return it now!” Zhao Wenshuan spoke as he shook his legs and appeared like a hooligan.
“If you dare to not return my money, I will beat you to death!” Zhu Zhi became infuriated and ordered his attendants to pick up their weapons and give Zhao Wenshuan a beating.
Zhao Wenshuan took a step back and smiled coldly. “I don’t have any money, so you can take my life if you want!”
The attendants under both men pounced onto one another and rapidly got into a fight.
Overwhelmed with hatred, Zhu Zhi picked up a knife in an attempt to slash Zhao Wenshuan.
Zhao Wenshuan held up his arm and blocked him.
Ever since he was a child, Zhu Zhi had been pampered as a rich man’s son. His strength was incomparable to that of Zhao Wenshuan, who was used to being a ruffian. Both of them exchanged blows for a while before Zhao Wenshuan got hold of the knife and shoved it into Zhu Zhi’s chest with a backhanded pass.
Zhu Zhi stared vacantly at the knife stuck in his chest, with blood spurting out furiously. He could only see a growing patch of crimson red in front of his eyes as his body fell backward and landed on the ground with a loud pang. His eyes remained wide open, as he died with a grievance.
Zhao Wenshuan was also frozen in shock as he was only acting out of his instincts, and he did not expect himself to kill Zhu Zhi.
He yelled out loudly and collapsed onto the ground in horror.
The attendants who were originally fighting realized that somebody had died and that man was the Eldest Young Master of the Zhu family. They became terrified and screamed, “Someone is dead! Someone is dead!”
The men carried Zhu Zhi’s body onto the horse carriage, before reporting the incident to the officials and the Zhu family in a fluster.
Zhao Wenshuan’s attendants fled as they were afraid to be charged with a lawsuit.
Only Zhao Wenshuan remained on the ground. He only came to his senses after some time. His face was as white as a ghost, as he sprinted into his house in a flurry and locked his doors with shivering hands.
Mrs. Zhu had fainted the moment she saw Zhu Zhi’s body, with the knife still embedded into his chest. Zhu Hecheng’s face turned grave and pale as he stumbled backward and stared blankly at the body.
He might have looked down on Zhu Zhi, but Zhu Zhi was still his son. He was his one and only son!
Zhu Hecheng fainted and fell onto his back after vomiting a pool of blood.
The Zhu family broke into chaos as they hurriedly carried the unconscious couple into the room and called for the doctor. Everyone was shouting and crying, and it was a hectic scene.
The attendants from the government office received the reported case and directly went to Zhao Wenshuan’s house. They found Zhao Wenshuan hiding in the cabinet, and brought him to the government office after arresting him.
Zhao Liu’er and her mother received the news of Zhao Wenshuan’s arrest and cried into each other’s arms.
The murder case had spread quickly within Shengjing City. The Second Mistress struggled to breathe the moment she knew about her nephew’s death, and she collapsed onto the chair as her eyes rolled over.
Yuan’er quickly served her some ginseng soup to calm her down while weeping, “Second Mistress, Second Mistress!”
The Second Mistress came around gradually and asked, “Who, who was the one that killed Ze’er?”
Yuan’er replied, “I heard he’s a ruffian called Zhao Wenshuan!”
The Second Mistress broke into sobs as she said, “Ze’er had suffered a wrongful death! He’s only twenty years old and had yet to marry or have kids! How could he be dead?”
Yuan’er consoled the Second Mistress. “Deepest condolences to you, Second Mistress. Please go take a look at the Old Master, he must be extremely heartbroken at the moment!”
“You are right, I have to go visit Brother! Quickly prepare the horse carriage!”
The Second Mistress hurriedly went out of the manor and headed to the Zhu Manor. Su Jiu was about to enter the manor when she saw Second Mistress’s horse carriage leaving, and she immediately understood where she was going.
Zhu Zhi was dead, and she must have gone to console her brother as she was Zhu Zhi’s aunt.
Su Jiu was also caught by surprise when she heard about Zhi Zhi’s death, and she also felt downcast when she heard about the rumors of the murder case.
This must be the retribution that Zhu Hecheng should receive for his evil doings!
Was Zhu Zhi innocent?
He should not be considered completely innocent since he had such a father!
The whole incident was due to his father’s greed and corruption, which led to the many deaths of Xuzhou’s citizens. The aggrieved souls must have come to seek revenge.
Su Jiu shrugged her shoulders and strode into the Ji Manor.
The Second Mistress rushed over to the Zhu Manor in a hurry and saw that the Zhu Manor was now covered with a white cloth. Cries and wails of agony filled the entire courtyard.
Influenced by the somber atmosphere, tears also welled up in the Second Mistress’s eyes.
The memorial hall had already been set up in the courtyard. Mrs. Zhu’s eyes were red and swollen from the endless crying, and she had also fainted several times. She was no longer able to cry and only remained in a daze as she stared at the coffin blankly.
The Second Mistress walked over and kneeled by her side as she said, “The dead cannot be revived, sister-in-law. Please receive my deepest condolences and take care of yourself!”
Her tears rolled down her cheeks incessantly as she spoke.
Mrs. Zhu glanced at the Second Mistress for a moment, her pupils shaking. She leaned onto the Second Mistress’s shoulder and wailed, “My Ze’er is so pitiful… He’s so young, so how could he be dead? Why was I not the one who died instead?”
“My Ze’er!”
“How can I live?”
….
Mrs. Zhu bawled under the accompaniment of the Second Mistress to the point that her eyes were too swollen. The Second Mistress coaxed her for a long while before she could get away and find Zhu Hecheng in the study room.
The servants in the courtyard were busy with the memorial service, while the study room appeared to be extremely quiet as none of the servants were there.
The Second Mistress entered the study room to find Zhu Hecheng sitting in a daze behind his desk. His eyes were empty and sunken, his face was pale with grief, and he appeared listless.
He was the head of the household and thus could not be expected to break into tears like how the Second Mistress did, but the more he was unable to express his grief, the more dejected and depressed he became.
“Second Sister is here! Come in and have a seat!” Zhu Hecheng said hoarsely and forced himself to sit upright when he saw the Second Mistress arrive.
Tears remained in the Second Mistress’s eyes as she consoled, “Deepest condolences to you, Brother!”
Zhu Hecheng did not say anything, but he heaved a long sigh.
His mind had alternated between the state of clarity and confusion ever since Zhu Zhi’s death. He could not bring himself to believe that Zhu Zhi had been murdered, and yet, he also felt that this must be his retribution.
“Who was the one that killed Ze’er?, What kind of deep grudges was he bearing?” the Second Mistress sobbed as she asked.
Zhu Hecheng said menacingly, “I will cut that man into a thousand pieces!” His brows knitted tightly upon speaking, “It’s all my fault. Ze’er had gone around looking for solutions during the days when I was in jail, and he ended up being deceived by a man who said that a eunuch in the palace could speak up for me. As a result, he had been conned a total of one hundred thousand pieces of silver. Ze’er was only being filial, but I had chided him of being conned and told him to go get the money back, and as a result…”
Zhu Hecheng struggled to hold back his tears as regret washed over him. It was only one hundred thousand pieces of silver, so why had he forced Zhu Zhi to go get it back?
Such an incident would not have happened if he had not forced him to do so.
Alas, the dead could not be revived, and there was no cure for regret in the world.
“Nobody could have expected it to happen. Brother, you must not blame yourself too much!” the Second Mistress advised.
“Our Zhu family had only one son! He was still considered our heir even though he may have been foolish, and now he’s gone!”
“Brother, you are still young. You can marry two more concubines and have another son in the future, so don’t be too upset!”
“Ze’er had just passed away! I don’t have the mood to think about that for now!” Zhu Hecheng shook his head and sighed profusely. “It was all my fault!”
Tears began to spring out of the Second Mistress’s eyes just as she attempted to hold them in. “What did our Zhu family do wrong to make us suffer from such detrimental incidents? First, it was Brother, and then now it’s Ze’er…”
Zhu Hecheng began to reflect on the recent events. His crestfallen face hardened into ice as he slammed his hand onto the table. “It’s all because of Ji Yuxian!”
If it was not for Ji Yuxian, he would not have sent the grains to Xuzhou. If they were not sent to Xuzhou, their corruptive acts would not have been revealed and he would not have landed in jail.
If he had not landed in jail, Zhu Zhi would not be frantically searching for a solution and end up being conned!
It was all because of Ji Yuxian!
He was now suspecting that the conman was also a trap set up by Ji Yuxian.
He wanted to ruin the entire Zhu family!
The Second Mistress was startled upon hearing his words and hastily asked, “What does this have to do with Ji Yuxian?”
Zhu Hecheng immediately explained the chain of events that started with him donating the grains. He was convinced that Zhu Zhi’s death, as well as them being stripped of their rights to be a royal supplier, were all attributed to Ji Yuxian’s schemes.
The Second Mistress’s facial expression turned grim as she gritted her teeth. “So it was Ji Yuxian who caused Ze’er’s death!”
“What’s so irritating is that I am unable to do anything, even though I am aware of who is the murderer!” Zhu Hecheng said spitefully.
He could arrest Zhao Wenshuan and cut him into a thousand pieces, but what about Ji Yuxian? Who could help him take revenge on him?
“Who says you are unable to do anything?” the Second Mistress sniggered. “I have let him live for so many years only because Ze’er was still too young at that time and was unable to fend for himself. Now it seems like Ji Yuxian should be removed!”
“Second Sister, do you have a solution to this?” Zhu Hecheng asked and hastily said, “If you can kill Ji Yuxian to avenge for Ze’er, I am willing to take in Ji Ze as my godson, and he will be the heir to all the inheritance of the Zhu family!”
“Brother, are your words for real?” the Second Mistress asked agitatedly and briefly realized that she had appeared too eager, which was inappropriate under this circumstance. She continued saying awkwardly, “We can talk about that in the future. Ze’er had just passed away and the most important thing now is to seek revenge for him!”
“Yes, we have to seek revenge for Ze’er!” Zhu Hecheng said sternly.
“Brother, you should not worry too much. Ji Yuxian is under my control no matter how powerful he is, and he will not be able to live until next morning as long as I want him dead tonight!” the Second Mistress said coldly with a piercing gaze.
“What solutions do you have?” Zhu Hecheng could not help asking.
“Brother, you need not ask. You can just wait for my news!” The Second Mistress ran through the dates in her mind and said, “We only need to wait for a few more days!”
“I can wait for a few more days as long as Ji Yuxian could be killed, Second Sister. Feel free to let me know if you need anything else!”
“Sure!”
The Second Mistress stayed in the Zhu Manor for half a day, before returning to the Ji Manor. She had just stepped down from the horse carriage when someone came running towards her and yelling frantically, “Second Mistress! Second Mistress!”
The Second Mistress turned around and was shocked, before scanning around skittishly. She made sure that no one was in view, before hurrying over to ask, “Why are you here?”
The person who had waited outside the Ji Manor for the entire morning was none other than Zhao Wenshuan’s sister, Zhao Liu’er.
Zhao Liu’er quickly said, “Second Mistress, I have a favor to ask from you!”
The Second Mistress frowned and replied softly, “Come with me to the horse carriage!”
Zhao Liu’er nodded her head and hastily followed Second Mistress into the carriage, keeping her head lowered.
“Who told you that you can come looking for me? I have already warned you not to appear in front of me again when I gave you the money previously!” The Second Mistress had been crying the whole time when she was at Zhu Manor, and she appeared even more grisly as she said in a grim tone.
“I did not intend to trouble you as well, Second Mistress, but now I have no choice!” Zhao Liu’er said meekly.
“What’s the matter?” the Second Mistress asked.
Zhao Liu’er’s face turned pale as she hesitated to speak up. She had genuinely thought about not coming to meet the Second Mistress, and she had only shown up in the end due to her mother’s reprimands.
Mrs. Zhao had told her that since she was the witness to the Second Mistress’s wrongdoings, she should either threaten or plead with the Second Mistress to save her brother.
“What on earth is the matter? Speak up quickly!” the Second Mistress urged impatiently as Zhao Liu’er remained silent.
Zhao Liu’er trembled and quickly said, “I have come to plead with the Second Mistress as I do not have any other way out. I do want to hide this from you, but my brother has murdered somebody and has landed in jail. Second Mistress, I am imploring you to help me and save my brother!”
Zhao Liu’er knelt in front of the Second Mistress upon speaking.
The Second Mistress was baffled for a moment, before asking, “What is your brother’s name? Who had he murdered?”
Zhao Liu’er replied frightfully, “My brother’s name is Zhao Wenshuan. I am unclear of who he has murdered, but the deceased was the one that had provoked him, and my brother was only trying to defend himself!”
Zhao Liu’er was indeed oblivious about who her brother had killed. Otherwise, she would not have come looking for the Second Mistress for help.
Zhao Wenshuan had gained a huge sum of money previously, and he had bought a new estate and hired several servants. He refused to tell her anything whenever she asked him where the money was from.
She had been busy taking care of Mrs. Zhao, who had been unconscious ever since Zhao Wenshuan landed in jail after murdering someone. Now that she was also being forced to come looking for the Second Mistress, how would she know who the person that her brother had killed was?
She did not dare to approach the government office on her own and had come to the Ji Manor discreetly. She was afraid that she would be arrested as well should other people know about her brother’s crime.
She would not have thought about the coincidence.
“Your… your brother is Zhao Wenshuan?” the Second Mistress asked shakily, gritting her teeth.