~ REPAY KINDNESS WITH A VENGEANCE ~
Hearing Yunyao says that she did not dare trust the people around him, Yu Wang suddenly smiled, “Yunyao, you seem to have something to say?”
“It’s just a casual remark. It’s fine if Second Imperial Uncle doesn’t believe it, don’t you think?”
“I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Yunyao.”
Mu Yunyao retracted her gaze, and there was no need for her to say anything. His Royal Highness Yu Wang knew this clearly in his heart, but she just didn’t know what purpose he kept pretending to be confused.
“Yunyao, you let me investigate such an important case, aren’t you afraid I’ll trick you?”
Mu Yunyao turned her head to look at him with a slight smile on her lips. “If Second Imperial Uncle had done anything to fool around, Marquis Wei would probably be very dissatisfied, and the Min family ... Miss Min might also be disappointed....”
Yu Wang patted his chest, “Yunyao, don’t worry. I’ll definitely get to the bottom of this case!” I would never let the mastermind behind the scenes get away with it!
“Then I am relieved. Second Imperial Uncle, please do your best. I do not want Fourth Master’s hard work to be in vain.”
Fourth Master? Upon hearing this name, Yu Wang sighed and remembered that Mu Yunyao came from afar to look for someone, “Yunyao, stop calling me Second Imperial Uncle. Just call me Yu Wang first.” In the future, you will call me as Second Imperial Brother directly …
Mu Yunyao naturally understood the meaning behind Yu Wang’s words and changed her attitude. “Your Royal Highness Yu Wang, please take your time to look through the documents. I’ll go back and pack up my things. I’m preparing to set off at dawn.”
“Alright.”
After Mu Yunyao left, Yu Wang quickly skimmed through the various documents and testimonies. After he finished reading them, he sighed, “It looks like I won’t be able to idle around for this period of time.”
Si Qin followed Mu Yunyao back to her room. “Miss, there are still a few hours until dawn. You should rest first. When dawn arrives, your servant will come and call for you. Si Shu and I will pack our luggage.”
Mu Yunyao shook her head and walked behind the table to write a letter. After writing it, she carefully sealed it, “Tomorrow, send someone to deliver this letter to the Capital and give it to Grandmother.”
“Yes, Miss.”
In the early morning of the next day, Yu Wang sent Mu Yunyao to the government office’s entrance: “Yunyao, be careful along the way. When you find Fourth Imperial Brother, you must send me a letter as soon as possible.”
“Alright, I’ll leave this city to Your Royal Highness Yu Wang.”
“Don’t worry.”
Mu Yunyao didn’t say much as she turned over, got on his horse, and quickly headed in the direction of the city gate.
Yu Wang stayed up all night and did not sleep. After sending Mu Yunyao off, he returned to the front hall of the government office to look at the documents and confession statements.
The personal guard brought food and came over: “Your Royal Highness, you haven’t had a good night’s sleep these past few days. Please, eat something and have a rest.”
Yu Wang raised his head and rubbed his neck, “How can we have time to rest? If we do not investigate this case thoroughly as soon as possible, it might cause some trouble.”
“Didn’t Princess Wenxian leave the document and confessions? Aren’t these things enough to close the case?”
“Oh, you go back and read book more. Don’t just think about practicing martial arts all day long. Even if they were given ten more guts, relying only on the salt merchant, Linjiang Tongzhi, and a small county magistrate, they would not dare make such a big move. Falsifying salt tax account books, counterfeiting tax silver... Which of those officials is not a human beings, and if here is no benefit to them, would they do this kind of murderous business?”
“Your Royal Highness, what do you mean....”
“The salt tax account books and the tax silver must have been forged, but the purpose wasn’t to help the salt merchants escape the salt tax, but to conceal the real salt tax silver.”
“This season’s salt tax is close to three million taels of silver. If it’s really this case, then they are too daring!” Your Royal Highness, where did you think they would hide the silver?”
“You’re actually stupid just because they said you’re stupid. Without the support of the people above, how could they hide the evidence so smoothly? Naturally, they want to find a way to send the silver to the Capital!”
“In the Capital… Your Royal Highness, this … This matter is too big. If it is not handled well, I fear that the Emperor will vent his anger on you.”
The corner of Yu Wang’s lips curled up in a smile, but his eyes turned cold. “Grandfather once said that a man can do whatever he wants. There was no chance in the past, so how can he watch them do whatever they want now?”
Upon seeing his expression, the personal guard immediately stopped talking. Although his master usually looks like have a happy smile on his face, he was still a ruthless person who could kill his enemies on the battlefield. If he was furious this time, he could only mourn the officials and salt merchants secretly.
The gloomy expression only appeared for a while, and Yu Wang returned to his previous grinning appearance, “Sigh, Yao’er threw me a piece of a hot potato at me. Moreover, I had no choice but to take it. It’s really a ghost spirit of my honest Fourth Imperial Brother. I don’t know if I’ll be eaten to death. I’m unlucky to be a strong man, alas!”
The personal guard couldn’t help but twitch his lips: You’re a strong man, yet smiling. It seems like you’re perfectly willing to put in a bit of effort and work hard.
Mu Yunyao and the rest headed towards Yishui City. On the way, they met a kind-hearted old man who warned them, “Guests, don’t move forward any more. A small hill in front is sliding down. The sand, gravel and mud mixed with flooding flooded the road and several villages along the way. It’s impossible to get through. If the nobles want to enter Yishui City, I am afraid that you will have to wait for the road to be repaired first.”
Si Qin looked at the old man speaking, “Old man, do you know when the road will be repaired?”
“Well, who can say for sure. But, n the past month or two. The calamity befell Yishui City was hit harder than Linjiang or Huai’an. Right now, the city is probably like a vast ocean. It’s a sin...”
Mu Yunyao slightly frowned and said, “Old man, if you want to enter Yishui City, how many days do you need to take the detour?”
“Taking a detour to enter from the mountain path, you need to climb two mountains, and it will take two or three days at the fastest. I advise everyone to forget about it. Even if you enter now, I’m afraid there won’t be anyone left alive.”
Mu Yunyao felt a dull pain in her chest. “Thank you for the old man’s reminder. Let’s go. We’ll take a detour around the mountain and enter Yishui City.”
The old man seemed to want to say something, but seeing their determined expressions, he could not help but shake his head: “What are you going in there for?There are no living people left anyway....”
Inside the mountain cave in the forest at this time, Yue Wang was sitting against the mountain wall, one hand on his bent knees and the other hanging down on his side. There were wounds on his drooping arms, and blood still penetrated from being wrapped in strips of cloth. His face was as pale as paper, and his lips were dry and chapped, oozing a little bloodshot.
Many of the victims were gathered together inside the cave, either lying down or sitting down. They were so hungry and starved as their whole body was thin and out of shape.
Suddenly, a woman screamed and started scratching at a man beside her. “Let go, let go of my child....”
She held a child with a blue face in her arms, and her chest was slightly undulating. It seemed like she wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer.
The man kicked the woman away and rushed to the door with the child in his arms. “This child will die, so we might as well use her to feed the wolves. Otherwise, all of us will die here!”
Yue Wang, who had his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. He held onto the wall and used his sword to block the man from getting up: “Return the child !”
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Oh dear. ☹️
ReplyDeleteThanks for translating! Can't wait for them to meet up again
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