“The First Madam of the Minister of Justice’s residence has gone mad?” Jiang Yuanchao glanced over the intelligence report on his desk, deep in thought.
After being away from the capital for several years, returning to this familiar yet strange city, the situation in the capital had become increasingly unfathomable.
Jiang Lin, whom he had sent to Beiding City to investigate, had already clashed multiple times with another force secretly investigating the brothel woman. Neither side would yield an inch, causing the investigation to reach a stalemate.
The attack on the youngest son of Earl Changchun’s residence at Bichun Pavilion should have been easy to investigate, but strangely, all traces had vanished completely, leaving even the most skilled Jinlin Guards with no leads.
Not long ago, rumors spread that the late wife of Marquis Guanjun had appeared in a dream, saying her brother had been devoured by a white-haired tiger. This was someone’s scheme, and within just a few days, Lady Mao from the Minister’s residence, whom the rumors implicated, had gone mad.
This meant that the First Madam had indeed harmed Young Master Qiao.
The Qiao family, Marquis Guanjun—
Jiang Yuanchao extended his slender fingers, writing these characters on his desk and rubbing them back and forth.
He had a vague premonition that all these mysteries seemed to be growing larger and larger between these two entities.
Who were the key figures in all this?
Jiang Yuanchao lightly tapped the three characters “Marquis Guanjun.”
Without doubt, Northern Expedition General Shao Mingyuan was one of the key figures, and the surviving son of the Qiao family, Qiao Mo, was equally crucial.
And also—
Jiang Yuanchao’s mind suddenly flashed with the image of a dressed young woman in tears.
Those tears certainly weren’t shed for him.
The scene from the day of Marquis Guanjun’s wife’s funeral was vivid in his memory—the dressed young woman running after the funeral procession in tears, her eyes fixed on only one person: Qiao Mo.
He had given up having people watch that girl, but someone as pivotal as Marquis Guanjun was one of the targets the Jinlin Guards kept under close surveillance.
Miss Li had quite a few interactions with Marquis Guanjun.
She had even visited the Minister of Justice’s residence as a guest—
Jiang Yuanchao unconsciously wrote the character “Li” on the desktop, then covered it with his hand.
Could he consider Miss Li to be one of the key figures as well?
However, he temporarily couldn’t figure out the most reasonable link connecting Miss Li to these people.
Jiang Yuanchao leaned back in his chair and sighed softly.
What was so special about that girl? Why did thinking of her always leave him with an inexplicable sense of melancholy?
He shook his head, pushing away this inexplicable mood.
He was already about to be betrothed—thinking about such nonsense would only add to his troubles.
The next morning, Qiao Zhao received Chen Guang’s report and revealed a faint smile.
Chen Guang, however, felt somewhat troubled and mustered the courage to ask Qiao Zhao: “Third Miss, what will happen to that First Madam from the Minister’s residence?”
Although he had taken quite a few lives, those were all damned Tartars. If people knew that a personal guard of the distinguished Northern Expedition General had played a ghost to frighten a woman to death, it would be rather embarrassing.
“She’ll probably be frightened into madness,” Qiao Zhao said with complete composure.
From the beginning, when the white-haired tiger rumors started spreading, step by step, this was exactly the result she had been waiting for.
The human heart could be very strong, but it could also be very fragile. As a physician, particularly one who had obtained that extraordinary book from Grandfather Li, she understood better than anyone that when people developed heart ailments, they would manifest inner demons.
She felt no sympathy for Lady Mao, nor did she regret driving Lady Mao mad. This was the price Lady Mao paid for harming her brother.
And a person who had gone mad would nine times out of ten reveal the most unspeakable secrets they usually kept buried in their hearts.
Whether it was herself or Shao Mingyuan, from an outsider’s perspective, further investigation wouldn’t be easy, so it was better to leave it to her grandfather and the others.
Once Grandfather and the others knew that Lady Mao had poisoned and harmed her brother, they would certainly investigate thoroughly. Then, whether or not there were others behind Lady Mao, investigating from within would be much more convenient.
This was a plan that killed two birds with one stone: driving Lady Mao mad as punishment while using Lady Mao’s madness to prompt her grandfather and the others to take action.
“Frightened into madness?” Chen Guang’s face turned bitter. “Isn’t that rather inappropriate?”
Qiao Zhao looked at him: “What’s inappropriate about it?”
“I’m a grown man who frightened a woman into madness—”
Qiao Zhao smiled dismissively: “You didn’t frighten her mad. I did.”
“Ah?”
“You were merely following orders, so don’t feel burdened.”
Chen Guang nearly burst into tears.
Third Miss was truly good at consoling people, but wouldn’t she feel burdened?
Chen Guang couldn’t help but ask this aloud.
Qiao Zhao looked puzzled: “What burden would I have? I intended to frighten her mad.”
Chen Guang: “…” He suddenly felt like he never wanted to marry in this lifetime. What should he do?
“Chen Guang, make a trip to Chunfeng Tavern and ask your general if it would be convenient for me to visit Young Master Qiao.”
“Yes!” The little coachman, thoroughly intimidated by Miss Qiao, responded loudly, only realizing after he answered that this wasn’t the military camp.
It was over, it was over. Miss Li was so terrifying, even more pressure than when the general assigned battle missions.
Generally, he wanted to go home!
Chen Guang didn’t dare delay a moment and ran to Chunfeng Tavern to deliver the message.
“Miss Li wants to visit Young Master Qiao?” Shao Mingyuan instinctively frowned.
For some reason, that kick Miss Li had delivered to his leg, though it didn’t hurt at all, made him want to keep his distance and avoid further contact with that young woman.
He couldn’t explain this impulse, but he had a vague premonition that such a choice would be the right one.
This was the instinct for danger he had developed through countless battles, which had saved his life multiple times.
Though this wasn’t a battlefield, the same principle applied.
Seeing that the general seemed inclined to refuse, Chen Guang hurriedly said: “General, you absolutely mustn’t refuse!”
“Hmm?” Shao Mingyuan was puzzled.
This kid Chen Guang had followed him for so many years, yet after just a few days as Miss Li’s coachman, he was already taking her side?
“General, your subordinate is thinking of you! You have no idea how terrifying Third Miss is!”
Shao Mingyuan sighed: “Tell me, what has Miss Li done now?”
Chen Guang recounted everything Qiao Zhao had instructed him to do, concluding: “Third Miss is terrifying. General, you must think thrice before acting!”
What if the general refused and Third Miss became displeased and frightened the general mad too?
“You’re saying Miss Li intended to frighten Lady Mao mad from the very beginning?”
“Exactly! I just don’t know what’s become of Lady Mao now.”
“Well, she’s already mad. The Minister’s residence is claiming she’s recuperating and has confined her.” Shao Mingyuan, who had received news through other channels, said indifferently.
Chen Guang’s eyes filled with tears: “So you see, Third Miss is not to be provoked!”
Shao Mingyuan looked down, staring at his pale fingers tinged with blue.
“Chen Guang, you’re saying that last night Miss Li gave you a painting, and the person in the painting looked exactly like my wife?”
“Yes, it was truly remarkable—much more lifelike than your paintings!” He still had some impression of the general’s wife standing on the city wall.
“She shouldn’t have seen my wife.”
“Third Miss said she had seen her—after all, they were both in the capital.”
Shao Mingyuan looked deeply at Chen Guang.
No, she lied.