Jiang Yashuang comforted his wife and then asked Jiang Tan to pry into the news. But at this moment those guys who took personal belongings of Wang Qingqian and made trouble in their house were arrested by guards of the Governor’s office, while the rumor that Princess of Wei had a love affair with someone else had been spread through the city.
At present, the governor was Ye Zhiru. He broke into a cold sweat when the process of interrogation went on for just a while. He thought, “Miss Wang has never left Jing City since she came here with her mother. Those guys are from other cities. They certainly can’t have a love affair with her. It is slander! Though the Lian Family and the Wang Family are not in a high position in court, Commandery Princess Ningyi, the wife of Jiang Yashuang, is always supporting Miss Wang and she is pregnant now. I hear that even Marquess Qin cares about her. If there exists someone who dares to offend Commandery Princess Ningyi at this point, it must be members in the Jiang Family.”
An inferior governor like him didn’t dare to get involved in internal strife in the Jiang Family.
However, it was his duty and he had to deal with it.
He pondered for a while and made a decision, “Put them into the prison. Don’t torture them and don’t kill them. Let’s wait till we hear from the Jiang Family.” And then he covered his chest to pretend to fall in a faint because of heartache. He was carried back to the restroom to malinger. He didn’t wait for so long as Jiang Tan took Jiang Yashuang’s calling card to ask him the process of the investigation of the case.
Jiang Tan heard that Ye Zhiru had an acute disease. He followed Jiang Yashuang for so many years and was accustomed to the tricks of officialdom. So, he certainly knew the reason why he was sick. If he wasn’t in a hurry, he would not give a pleasant look to him. But today, Jiang Yashuang was waiting for his news, he would not make trouble. He interrogated the private adviser who went out on behalf of Ye Zhiru. He ordered that no one shall meet those criminals without permission and then left.
After he went back to the Marquess’s Mansion, he told it to Jiang Yashuang in detail. He passingly said, “Ye Zhiru is healthy all the time. How can it be a coincidence that he gets ill at this point? Clearly, he is hiding something!”
Jiang Yashuang hummed, “You have to warn him. Otherwise, those outsiders may think that if we are not in the army, we are nobody.” He knew Jiang Tan wanted to indict and so he told him in this way. Ye Zhiru didn’t want to offend any side of them. Otherwise, he would kill the criminals to cover up the truth. This guy was not so well-advised that he dared to avoid meeting his young servant.
If his attitude towards Jiang Tan was known to all, people might think that Ye Zhiru despised the fourth branch’s power on the court. Jiang Yashuang wanted to punish him to warn those governors to be careful when they handle issues.
Jiang Tan got it. He reminded Jiang Yashuang, “As for the rumor about the future Princess of Wei, should we refute it?”
“Of course, we should.” Jiang Yashuang wore a somber expression, “But the most urgent issue is to find out who is behind those criminals,” He paused, “the one who planned it!”
Though Qiu Yelan doubted the Shi Family, Jiang Yashuang didn’t agree with her. He thought the Shi Family was well-advised. Qiu Yelan was pregnant and Jiang Qizheng was murdered. The relationship between the fourth branch and the third branch was extremely tense. Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei were busy mediating them. If the Shi Family added fuel to the fire at this critical moment, once they were found, Marquess Qin would kill them right away.
He thought the first branch was suspicious, “They wanted to slander Madame Wang in the name of the Shi Family so that we would aim at the third branch…”
However, the plan was rather sketchy.
Those guys who made trouble were from other cities. From this perspective, even a fool could know that what Ye Zhiru said was nonsense.
The first branch wouldn’t look down on the intelligence of the Shi Family in such a way. If this thing was instigated by Shi Family, then they might deliberately leave many flaws so that they could excuse themselves and frame the first branch.
Turning it over in his mind, he decided to interrogate by himself. Otherwise, he might be used.
Thinking for a while, he turned to tell Qiu Yelan to take care of herself. He got dressed and went to the Governor’s office.
As he just left, Qiu Yelan, who promised him to stay at home, asked Su He to help her get dressed.
Su He was surprised, “Where are you going? Young master asked you to stay at home and not worry about anything.”
“Such a terrible thing has happened. I have to go to the Lian Family.” Qiu Yelan frowned, “The Lian Family doesn’t t have a high position. Though it is good that my cousin will marry Prince of Wei, she is also envied by others. Now she is slandered by someone. I don’t know how many people will gloat. Though Yashuang is going to investigate by himself, it will take him some time. During this period, who knows what kind of rumor will spread into the Lian Family? I go there so that I can comfort them in case that my cousin focuses on the wrong stuff.”
“But didn’t you just tell young master that you would just ask my grandmother to go there?” Su He said dully, “If young master knows that you are rushing about this issue, he will be unhappy.”
“So, hurry up. We should return before he comes home. Let’s keep the secret.” Qiu Yelan was good at pretending to be obedient and she didn’t take it seriously, “And if I get caught, he won’t beat me up.”
Su He almost had hematemesis, “He won’t hurt you, but he will punish us.”
“I will take care. He won’t punish you.” Qiu Yelan urged her, “Come on! Don’t waste time!”
Su He was unable to dissuade her. So, she helped her get dressed and get her a carriage.
They arrived at Lian’s Mansion soon. They just sent Mrs. Zhou out. Seeing Qiu Yelan coming, they were surprised and expected. They thought there had been a development in the case and hurriedly invited her to come in.
But Mrs. Zhou couldn’t leave at this moment. After she stepped into the mansion, she pinched Su He hard. She asked angrily in a low voice, “What kind of great news deserve to be told by Madame in person? Do you break your legs?”
Su He was aggrieved, “Nothing. She wants to come here!”
Qiu Yelan was already invited to sit in the hall. She looked around and didn’t see Wang Qingqian and Madame Lian. She guessed that the two were in their room to comfort each other. And then she told Lian Jianhai and his wife directly, “Yashuang has gone to Governor’s office. We must give my cousin a satisfactory explanation. I have nothing but to comfort my cousin. After all, she is young. I am afraid that such kind of rumor will destroy her.”
Hearing that this case didn’t have a consequence, Lian Jianhai and his wife were disappointed. But they were delighted that Qiu Yelan cared about Wang Qingqian very much, which meant that Qiu Yelan think highly of them.
They exchanged greetings. Lian Jianhai and his wife accompanied Qiu Yelan to the small building where Wang Qingqian lived in. The Lian Family loved their niece so much. After Wang Qingqian was chosen to marry Prince of Wei, her house was extended and rebuilt. At present, the building looked rather stately.
The message that Qiu Yelan came here came through. Madame Lian went out to open the door personally. Lian Jianhai and his wife took leave, saying, “If Yelan wants to chat with Qingqian, then we don’t go in there.”
Madame Lian pulled Qiu Yelan’s hand with red eyes, “I’ m sorry for getting you trouble.”
“No, it was we who took care of her so badly that she was aggrieved.” Qiu Yelan comforted her. Just as the two entered the house, Wang Qingqian stepped out from the screen and gave her a salute, “I dare not to meet my aunt and my uncle. I’m afraid that I will break their heart. Sorry for snubbing you.”
Qiu Yelan didn’t mind this. She asked her to stop, “The best thing is that you are fine. Don’t mind mere courtesy.”
She thought that her cousin would break down because of such an accident. Especially Lian Jianhai, his wife, and Madame Lian were so grieved as if they had lost parents.
Looking at her carefully, Qiu Yelan found that though Wang Qingqian cried, she didn’t despair. She thought that it was a nice thing that her cousin was not sentimental.
Next, she comforted Wang Qingqian for a while. Seeing that she did not disguise her sorrow, Qiu Yelan tried to ask her about the thing.
Wang Qingqian said directly, “I am the one who should be blamed. Seeing the maid, Shi Zhu, was shrewd, I entrusted her. I was careless. She took so many of my belongings, but I didn’t find any trace. When someone made trouble, my servant Mo Zhu said these belonged to me. And then I found it.”
Madame Lian added, “Shi Zhu and Mo Zhu have been arrested and they are in the wood house now. Some old servants are guarding there.” The reason why they didn’t send them to Governor’s office was that they were afraid that they would be killed. If they were killed, the truth would be concealed and then Wang Qingqian was beyond dispute.
“Now we can send them to the governor’s office.” Qiu Yelan raised her head. She thought for a while and asked, “I suspect my husband’s sixth sister-in-law has something to do with it. I am wondering whether there exists someone to connect with her.”
She calmed down and thought about it. The third branch really couldn’t be so stupid.
The two from the Wang Family looked at each other. They shook their head, “I don’t know who will do it.”
Madame Lian said, “Though Qingqian and others treated Shi Zhu and Mo Zhu not so well, they were generous.”
“As we have arrested them, I believe we can interrogate them.” Qiu Yelan thought for a while. She said, “Don’t be deluded by the rumor. Otherwise, those snobs will be satisfied!”
Next, she said something to comfort them. Seeing that it was late, she took leave.
She returned to the Marquess’s Mansion. When she just entered the yard, she saw Jiang Yashuang stood inside the door without expression. His hand was behind his back.
Qiu Yelan didn’t expect that he came back so early. She thought in her own heart that it was not so good. She smiled and came to him, “Darling, are you waiting for me?”
“It is cold outside. Who allows you to go out?” Jiang Yashuang asked her angrily, “How did you promise to me before I left?”
“I am boring at home. And I am worried about my cousin…” Qiu Yelan knew she was wrong. She said to him arm in arm and acted coquettishly, “I have come back.”
Seeing that Jiang Yashuang was about to rebuke her, she rolled her eyes, “I was thirsty!”
“…” Jiang Yashuang knew she wanted to change the subject. But he took pity on her. He turned around angrily, “I have asked the chef to cook bird’s nest of rock candy for you. Now they may get ready to serve.”
After they went home, they served it. Qiu Yelan saw Jiang Yashuang still wore a cold face. She asked their servants out and asked him to feed her. After playing with him for a while, Jiang Yashuang’s expression became soft. He touched the end of her nose, “Dare you next time?”
“Next time? Let’s see.”
Qiu Yelan said to herself in her mind. But she promised seriously, “I will follow your advice!”
Jiang Yashuang hummed, “It’s the best.” He finally understood the mood Qiu Jinglan used to have.
“How about Governor’s office? Who wanted to frame my cousin?” Seeing that Jiang Yashuang forgave her, Qiu Yelan was tired of comforting him. She pushed his arm and asked, “Have you figured out? Tell me!”