The secret Old General Li had been hiding was truly enormous.
Ji Yunshu took a long time to process it—
“Everything this old man said is the absolute truth. I’ve guarded this secret for fourteen years and never mentioned it to anyone. Now that Sir knows, please keep it confidential, and especially don’t let His Majesty know. If Sir still intends to continue investigating the Linjing Case, please don’t open the third wife’s coffin.”
Ji Yunshu replied: “The third wife isn’t on the Ministry of Finance roster. Even if we need to find that missing person, we wouldn’t go open her tomb.”
Indeed, no matter how much digging was done, they couldn’t dig up the third wife’s tomb!
However—
“Consider it this old man’s needless worrying. As long as I can ensure the protection of the third wife and the young master, this old man will spare no effort.”
Old General Li, this eccentric old man, was indeed a good old friend!
But in Ji Yunshu’s view, he seemed somewhat extreme.
Even obsessive!
Ji Yunshu couldn’t understand: “Even if the General truly has these concerns and is single-mindedly focused on protecting the third wife and the young master, has the General considered that it’s precisely because of your needless worrying, because of your loyalty to the trust placed in you, that so many people died in Chengqing Hall, and Prince Rong was also harmed by you and thrown into prison? Are these things justified?”
Old General Li sighed. No amount of explanation would help now!
As Ji Yunshu spoke these words, her eyes reddened slightly. Suppressing the surging emotions in her chest, she continued: “Setting these matters aside, let me ask the General one more question: what if the great fire at Duke Yuguo’s residence wasn’t His Majesty’s doing? Then how do we account for these sacrificed lives?”
Her tone was somewhat accusatory!
After hearing this, Old General Li looked at the gradually intensifying rain, raised his gaze, and said in a heavy voice: “All emperors under heaven are the same. For power, for position, they will ruthlessly strike down even their closest people.”
“…”
“Although the Duke Yuguo residence fire case has no evidence pointing directly at the Emperor, with all the suspicious points, has Sir truly never harbored suspicions? Duke Yuguo’s household guards were all transferred away that night, the main gate was tightly shut, no one survived, and the general who gave the order that day also met with an accident after that night. Clearly something was being concealed. With all these peculiarities, has Sir truly never suspected?”
No!
She had suspected.
Emperor Qizhen indeed had a motive to kill, and back then, the only people with the authority to order the transfer of Duke Yuguo’s household guards were Duke Yuguo himself and the Emperor.
However—
Ji Yunshu dared not draw a definitive conclusion.
She only said: “Regardless of whether it’s true or false, everything will wait until I finish drawing the portrait and find that missing person. As long as we find that person, we’ll know what actually happened at the time. Everything will become clear.”
“But what if you can’t find them?” Old General Li questioned her in return.
Ji Yunshu showed some determination and said: “We will definitely find them. Even if that missing person is already dead, I will find them and uncover the truth about the great fire at Duke Yuguo’s residence all those years ago.” After finishing, she turned her body to the side and drew in a breath of cold air: “When breaking the law, emperors are punished the same as commoners. If it truly was His Majesty’s secret scheme, I believe the common people will certainly stand on the side of justice. If not, I hope Old General Li can let go of the past, find Duke Yuguo’s young master, but…”
She paused!
Old General Li asked: “But what?”
Ji Yunshu said: “If what happened back then wasn’t His Majesty’s doing, then the General must not give that jade pendant Duke Yuguo left behind to the young master. Instead, take the command token and give orders to put those hundred thousand troops to national use.”
Eh!
The tone in these words seemed to brook no contradiction.
Old General Li was shocked!
A hundred thousand soldiers—that was a protective talisman!
And before he could respond, Ji Yunshu’s delicate brows furrowed toward the center of her forehead as she continued: “This is a condition, not a request. If the Linjing Case has nothing to do with His Majesty, then those hundred thousand troops will not only threaten His Majesty but might also endanger the entire Great Lin realm. Therefore, the General must agree to my condition, and I will guarantee that what you’ve told me today, I absolutely won’t leak a single word. No one else will ever know that Duke Yuguo had a young master.”
Indeed, given the current state of affairs, such a condition posed no harm whatsoever to Old General Li.
If the great fire at Duke Yuguo’s residence was related to His Majesty, then those hundred thousand troops along the border would at least be a life-saving talisman.
If it was unrelated to His Majesty, then keeping those hundred thousand troops would serve no purpose.
After deliberating internally for a long while, Old General Li’s throat tightened, and he nodded: “Very well, this old man agrees to your terms.”
At this moment!
The rain gradually lessened again. The two stood outside the grass pavilion, silent for a long time…
Meanwhile, in the carriage at the foot of the hill!
Lady Jiang lifted the curtain to glance at the grass pavilion atop the hill, exhaled, then withdrew her hand and sat in the carriage with a grave expression.
Beside her, the carefree Li Zhao tossed a candy into his mouth while asking: “Elder Sister, what are Grandfather and that Master Ji talking about?”
“Why do you care so much?”
“I’m just asking. Master Ji has visited our residence before.”
Lady Jiang glared at him.
Li Zhao wouldn’t let it go and said with a face full of disdain: “I just don’t understand why Grandfather treats her so well. Last time, if I hadn’t dodged quickly, Grandfather would have beaten me to death.”
“Serves you right!”
“Sister, why do you always take outsiders’ side?”
His face was full of complaints.
Lady Jiang coldly glared at him once more.
Li Zhao immediately shut his mouth, but after a moment of silence, he asked curiously again: “By the way, Elder Sister, why does Grandfather want to take us back to Qingzhou overnight? Isn’t the capital nice? We’ve only been here such a short time, and now we have to go back. How annoying.”
Annoying!
Of course it was annoying!
He still owed a pile of gambling debts back in Qingzhou!
Actually, Lady Jiang also didn’t know why. The fire at Chengqing Hall in the palace had just occurred, and her grandfather wanted to move the entire household back to Qingzhou. It was truly strange.
Lady Jiang had some speculations in her heart. It must be related to what happened fourteen years ago. Otherwise, that Master Ji wouldn’t be waiting here.
But what exactly was it?
She shook her head, stopped thinking about it, and reached out again to lift the carriage curtain and look outside.
Old General Li was already walking down with an umbrella, shaking off the rainwater from his body before boarding the carriage.
On the hill, Ji Yunshu’s gaze followed Old General Li the entire time. She watched as the carriage began moving in the rain, heading in the direction of Qingzhou.
Perhaps for the rest of his life, Old General Li would never return to the capital again.
After watching those carriages depart into the distance, only then did Ji Yunshu call out to Shi Zijin.
Shi Zijin appeared before her like a shadow.
“What you just heard, you must not speak of it.”
“Yes!”
“You cannot tell even Prince Rong.”
“Yes!”
In Shi Zijin’s heart, she had already recognized Ji Yunshu as her master.
After the two boarded a carriage and returned to the city, just as they reached the busy market district, they nearly collided with someone. The carriage jolted…