Chapter 226 – The weak and delicate person that’s on our side (1)
Ning Yuxuan really wanted to ask her, wasn’t it overkill to ask a talented person like himself to come here to act liked a hired thug? Couldn’t she have just asked to borrow Guibai?
But, he remembered that she hadn’t been able to eat much lately. Although it was good that her figure had slimmed back down, her complexion looked anemic. It was rare to see her so lively. And so, he decided it wouldn’t be a big deal to go along with her antics.
Marquis Moyu looked away for her. Even though he was wearing an expensive, extravagant robe, he accompanied her in hiding behind a spherical shrub like a street hoodlum.
Danzhu had already hurriedly gone to the back gate from Xuesong Courtyard. On her way back, just as Danzhu passed by them, Ji Man pinched Marquis Moyu. The latter took a deep breath, very skillfully moved to stand behind Danzhu, and slashed his hand down on the back of Danzhu’s head.
People that practiced martial arts knew how to swiftly and accurately knock people out. And so, with a roll of her eyes, Danzhu fainted straight away.
Ji Man hurriedly came out and helped Marquis Moyu carried Danzhu behind the shrubs. Then, she started to search her body for the letter.
Ning Yuxuan watched her with the indulgent gaze of a parent playing hide-and-seek with his child.
The letter tucked in Danzhu’s sleeve was taken out. Today was the start of the month. It wasn’t the same day as when the last letter had been delivered. Then, could the sender of this letter be a different person from last time? Ji Man really wanted to open the letter to read, but Ning Yuxuan had taken the sealed letter from her.
He asked, “Why do you want to look at this letter?”
Ji Man lightly smiled. “My lord, if I said that Gancao died because of this letter, would you believe me?”
Ning Yuxuan frowned. After a while, he finally said, “Sangyu, you concern yourself with too many things. There are some things where it’s better for you to not know.”
“My lord, you want this servant to stay in Feiwan Courtyard and be a carefree, content Madam?” Ji Man giggled. “Then, who will pay for Gancao’s life? Who will pay for my child’s life?”
Marquis Moyu opened and closed his mouth. He really wanted to say something. But, holding the letter in his hand, he couldn’t tell her anything. In the end, he could only say, “Can you believe in me?”
Ji Man didn’t even need to think about her answer. “I can’t.” After a pause, she decided that she had been too brusque. So, she smiled and added, “My mother told me, a man’s words are the most untrustworthy.”
Ning Yuxuan sighed.
Ji Man didn’t know why he sighed. Still, they couldn’t stay here for long. The letter had already been stuffed in Marquis Moyu’s sleeve. Even thought she wanted to snatch the letter from him, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to.
After thinking for a moment, she took out her backup handkerchief that was embroidered with snow-capped mountains and dropped it by Danzhu. Then, she pulled Ning Yuxuan onto the path with her towards Xuesong Courtyard and acted as if they had just come here to take a stroll.
—
From the outside, the recently renovated Xuesong Courtyard looked about the same as before, just slightly newer.
Seeing that Nie Sangyu didn’t show any fear as she sat on Xuesong Courtyard’s rooftop with him, Ning Yuxuan couldn’t resist asking, “Exactly how many times have you climbed over the walls before?”
Her recent movements had looked way too practiced.
Ji Man wasn’t in the mood to answer his question. Beneath them, this was the spot that Gancao had lost her life. She couldn’t smile no matter how hard she tried. She could only expressionlessly sit here.
Marquis Moyu also quieted. The two of them just sat here in silence as they waited and watched as the distant sun slowly descended.
After Danzhu had finally woken up, she ran back here in a disheveled state. She went into the main rooms and closed the doors, then she said, “Master! This servant was knocked unconscious by someone on the way here! The letter is gone!”
“What?” Qian Lianxue’s voice sounded much more forceful than usual. Sounding anxious, she asked, “Did you not see who knocked you out?”
Danzhu took out the handkerchief that was embroidered with a snow-capped mountain design and handed it Qian Lianxue.
Qian Lianxue’s face sunk. Stroking the embroidered part of the handkerchief, she was silent for a long time.
“You didn’t see who had taken the previous letter, right?”
“This servant doesn’t know. There were too many people at the time. But, Gancao had definitely come back here to grab that letter. This servant doesn’t know how she found out about these letters either.”
Ji Man’s body stiffened.
Ning Yuxuan looked at her. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and holding her icy-cold hand.
Ji Man turned to look at him. Several emotions flashed through her eyes. In the end, her gaze softened, and she lightly leaned on his shoulder.
“It’s for the best that she died,” Qian Lianxue said.
Then she added, “Send a message out, let those two master know to not send any more letters. Nie Sangyu is onto me.”
“Understood.”
It’s for the best that she died? Ji Man’s hands clenched, and her nails dug into Ning Yuxuan’s palm. She coldly laughed.
Marquis Moyu pursed his lips, took his hand out from hers, and softly and quietly carried her down from the roof and over the wall.
Ji Man was very clever. If she had come here by herself and torn holes in Qian Lianxue’s lies, as long as Marquis Moyu believed that Qian Lianxe was innocent, then no matter how much evidence she had, it would still be useless. This was why she had dragged Ning Yuxuan to come here today with her.
She didn’t know what was written in that letter. But, as clever as Ning Yuxuan was, he had let slip that she shouldn’t concern herself with too much. This meant that he knew there was a secret in this letter, and it wasn’t an unimportant secret either.
As for the rest of the matter, with his brains, he would definitely investigate the matter. Once he found out the truth, then she would be able use her testimony to its fullest effect.