CH 64

Chapter 64 Investigation

Guan Suyi had never understand this doing anything for money thing, knowing that it was the prince of the previous dynasty, and sending it to the Xue family’s army means that it was enough for them to occupy half of the Central Plains in the name of orthodoxy, but they actually agreed to it. Did the Ye family make less money? Their greed really has no end!

The prince was so used to being pampered, he contracted a serious illness and died on the way to Shuzhou, and Xue Mingrui’s plan to rely on the Son of Heaven to command the feudal vassal failed, otherwise it’s unknown who those noble family giants, who were now working for the emperor, would favor. After all, they valued bloodlines and orthodoxy the most.

Guan Suyi knew that if she couldn’t find the treasure map today, this matter would never end up well. What’s more, she knew the general who led the team was Zhou Tian, a newly appointed General of the Household, whose brother died tragically in the battle in Hancheng, it could be said that the feud with Zhao Luli was as deep as the sea. The greatest wish in his life was to kill Marquis Zhenbei with his own hand, but unfortunately he could not achieve it in the previous life, and he still needs to work hard in this life.

He was one of the most powerful lackey under Emperor Sheng Yuan’s hands, pointed him to where to fight and there would be no perfunctory at all. But he was different from Qin Lingyun and others who still had a bottom line, his methods were extremely vicious and extremely perverse. Falling into his hands means either death or death was better than life, there was no other option.

Today, the emperor sent him to deal with the Ye family members, it could be seen that he had endured to the extreme, and he was about to explode. When the Son of Heaven was angry, millions of corpses were laying down, and blood running like a river, these words were definitely not a joke.

Guan Suyi was trembling in her heart, but her face didn’t show the slightest fear. She stepped forward in front of Zhou Tian and cupped her hands to salute while lightly said, “General Zhou, you are running your mission and it’s reasonable to say that it’s inappropriate for this Madam to intervene. However, if a death row prisoner sentenced to beheading can have a full meal and get a little mercy before dying, isn’t against morality for you to treat these weak women like this? You can arrest people, you can search people, but please send a few female yamen to save them from humiliation.”

Zhou Tian didn’t take Marquis Zhenbei Mansion seriously at all, and because he had a deadly feud with Zhao Luli, he could rectify as much as he wanted, and destroy as much as he wanted. But this Madam Guan, not a single hair could be touched, only because the emperor had deliberately instructed him not to disturb Madam in the slightest, and if she was frighten even a little bit, he would be held accountable.

Zhou Tian originally thought that under such circumstances, Madam Guan would definitely not dare to step out of the room, but did not expect that she not only came, but also intended to meddle in his business, and he couldn’t help but feel hostile. He narrowed his eyes, stood up reluctantly, and said politely, “Madam, you yourself said that it is inappropriate for you to interfere with the criminal law, so it is better to stay away. A hen crows at daybreak is not inline with common sense, don’t you think?”

“A hen crows at daybreak?” As soon as Guan Suyi raised her hand slightly, Jinzi brought a chair for her to sit down.

“Since the general is going to argue with me, I will have a good fight with you. This is the Zhao Mansion, and I am the mistress of the Zhao family. Since you broke into my house and insulted my children and servants, am I not allow to stand up for them? If not as Zhao family’s clan woman, then as a first-rank title Madam?” She seemed to remember something and went to look at the little eunuch, “I almost forgot to ask, does the emperor say in the decree that he will take the official title from my head and also demoted me to a commoner?”

The little eunuch shook his head in fear, and quickly took out another decree from his cuff, and recited aloud, to the effect that although Marquis Zhenbei was guilty of serious crimes, Madam was loyal to the country, done her utmost in the family, promoted the benevolence manner, graceful and virtuous, could be regarded as the model of the clan women, the example of the titled madam, and rank title was especially retained to show the Holy’s favor.

“Thanking His Majesty for the favor.” Guan Suyi bowed three times in the direction of the imperial city, and asked, “General Zhou, may I ask if this Madam is qualified to protect my family and servants now?”

Zhou Tian snorted angrily, “Let all the people in the Zhao family go!” Then he grinned, “Madam, don’t think that everything is all right. If the Ye family refuses to hand over the treasure map today, not only their nine clans will be executed, but in order to prevent the criminal woman hiding the map in your place, even if we have to dig three feet into the ground we will dig it out. These pavilions, carved beams, painted pillars, precious antiques, and the lives of your whole family, afraid that they will not be able to be saved.”

Are you really planning use pubic interest for personal vendetta? Guan Suyi raised her eyebrows, knowing that Zhou Tian would not let the Zhao Mansion go easily. While letting Minglan wrap the cloaks on the womenfolk, she said slowly, “Old Madam Ye, you must have heard it? Hand over the map in exchange for the lives of your Ye clan?”

Zhao Chunxi and Zhao Wangshu also looked at her anxiously, with hints of urging in their eyes. They had hid behind Guan Suyi for some unknown time, and each put a hand on the back of her chair, as if this was the only way to feel a sense of safety. When Guan Suyi kept saying that she was the mistress of the Zhao family, and it was her duty to protect her children and servants, they almost burst into tears. It turned out the word “mother” could be so heavy and so radiant that it made all fears settle down and dispelled all haze. It’s nice to have a mother.

Liu shi said anxiously, “What treasure map, I really don’t know! If I have it I would have handed it over a long time ago, why would I have waited until now?”

“Then I’m sorry,” Zhou Tian stood up and ordered, “Search everyone, all items, and all rooms. If you still can’t find it, then kill one person every quarter of an hour until they are willing to tell the truth. Let this official think about who to start first.”

He slowly paced among the terrified crowd, and suddenly pointed at a baby held by a wet nurse and said, “Just this one. Whose child of Ye Mansion is this?”

The fourth daughter-in-law, Tang shi, cried in fright, struggling desperately under the guard’s hand, “Please don’t kill my daughter, she is only three months old! My lord, I beg you! Mother-in-law, quickly hand over the treasure map. Is money more important than our family’s life? Mother-in-law!”

Liu shi was sweating like pulp, her face was as white as paper, and she shouted while her hands gripping the hem of her clothes, “I really don’t have a treasure map, I haven’t even heard master mention it! Really, Lord General, believe me, where is there anyone who love money to this point, I’m not a fool!”

Zhou Tian was indifferent, scanning the crowd with a pair of cold and ruthless eyes. Guan Suyi also didn’t stand up to stop it. The more critical the situation, the more you could see the secrets buried deep in a person’s heart. If one observe carefully enough, they could always catch the clue.

Zhou Tian obviously knew this very well. After walking around, he picked up the son of the eldest daughter-in-law Song shi, who was still in swaddling clothes, and hung him above the lotus pond. He said slowly, “You still refuse to hand it over?”

Song shi, who was extremely flustered, finally couldn’t stand it anymore, and shouted again and again, “I will hand it over, I will hand it over, I beg the general to spare my son! He is the only seed of the main house!”

Liu shi looked at the eldest daughter-in-law with disbelief, she actually didn’t know such an important thing, how could her husband step over her head and hand it over to the daughter-in-law? But this was not the time for inquiry or jealousy, Song shi had already tore the hem of her skirt, took out a roll of parchment from the gap, presented it to Zhou Tian with both hands, and then looked at the child in his hand with pleading eyes.

Zhou Tian casually discarded the child and spread out the parchment to look at it. Song shi hurriedly caught him, pressing her cheek against her son’s cheek while crying in fear, then reached out to touch the inside of the swaddle to see if he was frightened, whether he was sweating, whether he might get sick from the wind, and finally took his arm out of the swaddling clothes, put it on her lips for a kiss, and then putting it back with great care. This earnest love towards a child was very touching.

But the womenfolk of the Ye family who had suffered insults hated her to the bone. It was clear that it could be handed over earlier, so why only at this point that she agreed to confess? Could it be that other people’s lives were not lives, only her son’s lives were lives? The Ye family was indeed not have many male descendant, and her son was indeed the only seedling of the main house, but how could it be compared with the life and death of the entire clan? Song shi was absolutely selfish!

Song shi clenched her son’s small hand wearing a silver bracelet and moved away quietly to avoid everyone’s hateful eyes. She licked her lips and murmured, “General, the drawing have been handed over, can you let us go?”

Guan Suyi raised her eyebrows and smiled, but her eyes were cold.

Zhou Tianyi sneered and asked, “Do you think this official is a fool? Before it’s verified whether the treasure map is true or false, none of the Ye family members are allowed to leave. All of them will be arrested by this official and sent to the Heavenly Prison!”

The Ye family was crying and grabbing the ground again, making a lot of noise in the Zhao Mansion. Song shi was stunned for a while, then hugged the child in her arms tightly, as if she felt it was not proper, she pushed him to the wet nurse, begging, “Sir, I will go with you voluntarily, but please spare my child. He is only five months old, and his body is weak. If he enters the prison and contracted the gloomy moisture, I am afraid that he will not be able to hold on! He is only a baby, he can’t talk, he can’t walk, he can only be at someone’s mercy, he won’t get in your way, let alone involve with the case. I beg the general to be gracious and let him be fostered in the Zhao family! I kowtow to the general!”

When the words fell, she kowtowed a few times, and seeing that Zhou Tian still had that cold and solemn face, she turned to kneel to Guan Suyi, and cried, “Madam, you are the most benevolent and righteous, please consider the child’s innocent and save his life! In the next life, I will definitely repay your kindness as a cow and a horse.”

The other mothers also knelt down with their children in their arms, crying one after another.

Guan Suyi showed a moving look, reached out to take the children, and said slowly, “Well, I have taken these children, what else do you have to say?”

Song shi raised her eyes to look at her son, swept across his face with affection, and finally stopped on his exposed wrist, as if afraid that he would be cold, she hurriedly stuffed it back inside, and choked, “I beg Madam to raise him well. In the future let him leave Yanjing and never return. Afraid Madam doesn’t know how to take care of young children, so please take his wet nurse and give her a bite to eat. She is a loyal servant of my family and will take good care of the child and save Madam from many troubles.”

Guan Suyi glanced thoughtfully at the wet nurse, and nodded in agreement, “You can go in peace, I will settle them.” Then she turned to look at Zhou Tian, “General, these children will stay in Zhao Mansion temporarily, it should be fine by you, right?”

“If Madam doesn’t mind with the troubles then carry on.” Zhou Tian snorted coldly, escorted the prisoner and walked away. But then he heard the sound of something thrown in the air from behind, and reflexively grabbed it. Saw on his palm was a silver bracelet worn by children, he couldn’t help but looked confuse.

When Song shi saw the thing clearly, her face suddenly turned pale.

“Take what you’re looking for with you. The Ye family is really good at these ghost tricks, entrusting the child and the wet nurse with me, and taking the advantage when the treasure map in the general’s hand is still not verified, they could escape from the loosely guarded Zhao Mansion and make a living for themselves. In the future, the child will take out the treasure and restore the lintel. In order to keep this single seedling, they actually will let the entire Zhao clan be buried with the Ye family. They are indeed the best foreign relatives of the Great Wei, the feeling are deep and righteous, made the Heaven very moved! I think Ye Quanyong has already arranged a back road. If the child wants to leave the capital, there will be someone to meet him, and since he has taken the treasure from the previous dynasty, it should be Xue The Thief? General Zhou, follow this clues to investigate clearly, and you will have a great opportunity to make a meritorious contribution.” Guan Suyi handed the child to Jinzi, and while stroking the non-existent folds on her skirt, she slowly and methodically uncover the truth.

Everyone looked at her, for a moment they couldn’t keep up with her train of thoughts.