Chu Wang Fei

“Yun Qian Meng, you paint blood on my face! When did benguan abuse his office for personal grudges? Chen wang, his excellency, is on imperial orders to search the capital; every household, without exception. Benguan is only obeying the decree. Once the assassin is caught, he will be immediately brought in for questioning. With your standing as an official’s daughter, you continue to be uncooperative as you block and slander benguan. Could it be that we will find some hidden secret in Yun xiaojie’s room?” Su Yuan’s eyes were cold, his eyes venting anger at an innocent, his body emitted a killing intent, scaring the yatou and pozi that edged backwards. They only relaxed once they were standing behind Yun Qian Meng’s back.

Yun Qian Meng’s face still held a cold smile, a mocking look in her eyes. Seeing Su Yuan throw his weight around in her own courtyard angered her to no end. This time, however, she could not risk being provoked into a rage. Unexpectedly she smiled a cold smile, showing that she was not like the other xiaojie of the other fu who were scared of the soldiers. Apart from the old women in the other fu who had the ability to not be afraid of the situation, this daughter of the xiangfu was the first to not be afraid of Su daren!

“Su daren speaks very well. With not a single shred of evidence, saying this in front of a large crowd. How can the work of a Minister of Justice be so arbitrary? Moreover, the imperial edict called for Chen wang, his excellency. Su daren is only here to assist Chen wang, his excellency. Daring to ask his excellency, in your capacity as an official, why did you come here with sword in hand at xiangfu’s courtyard? Taking advantage of when Yun xiang isn’t in the fu, you come to bully weak females? Su daren is also like this in the government office? I wish to see. In the other wangfu, how did Su daren show off his military sway there?” Yun Qian Meng’s voice was abruptly cold, her questions followed on after the other like pearls on a string.

But, contrary to her cold manner of speaking,Yun Qian Meng’s face was calm like a water, making people unable to see even a hint of billowing waves.

Su Yuan already knew that Yun Qian Meng had a tongue like a reed, so this time he was able to reign in his anger. He only looked towards the loft behind Yun Qian Meng with gloomy and cold eyes, “Yun xiaojie, there is no need to waste everybody’s time! If you are truly innocent, then you will allow us to go inside and conduct a search. When the time comes, the truth will be made plain to all.”

Saying this, Su Yuan raised his right hand to signal the soldiers behind him to raise their lanterns and begin charging into Qi Luo Yuan.

“Stay where you are!” Yun Qian Meng called out in a loud voice. She suddenly took a step forward, her eyes narrowed on Su Yuan, that vile, ambitious, and pretentious person made her sick.

The soldiers were intimidated by Yun Qian Meng’s imposing manner. They looked at each other in dismay. They didn’t know whether to charge into Qi Luo Yuan or stand where they were.

After all, earlier in the other fu, they only looked briefly into the courtyards of the other xiaojie. They did not all enter or disturb them.

Now though, Su daren had strictly commanded them to enter the xiangfu’s da xiaojie’s chambers. If the xiangye or Fu Guo Gongfu were to somehow catch wind of this, the blame would be laid on them.

In the end, the soldiers took Yun Qian Meng’s command as an excuse to stop. They waited at the sidelines to see what these people would decide to do next.

Su Yuan saw that at this moment, Yun Qian Meng was callous, even in an earthquake she would remain calm. Inside he was already flying in a rage out of humiliation. He stomped on the foot of a soldier who happened to be standing beside him and hatefully cursed him. “You useless thing, afraid of a yatou with no strength to truss a chicken. Does benguan have to teach you how to follow orders? If the assassin were to get away, do not even expect to keep your head, your entire clan will also die with you!”

The soldier that was kicked by Su Yuan stumbled. He lost his balance and started to fall forward, about to crash into Yun Qian Meng in front of him. Yuan Dong, who had been standing behind Yun Qian Meng, suddenly appeared like lightning. She extend both hands and made contact lightly with the soldier’s body, then lightly twisted her wrists, turning the soldier’s body around. Then his body switched direction, hurtling towards Su Yuan.

When Su Yuan saw this he immediately sidestepped. The soldier continued to fall and fell face first onto the ground. He looked to be a in a sorry state. The pozi and yatou of Qi Luo Yan could not help a few stolen smiles.

The red-faced soldier got up and saw Su Yuan glaring at him fiercely. His heart tightened but he bowed his head and fell back to his position among the ranks.

Yun Qian Meng was fed up with Su Yuan continuing to rely on Chen wang’s influence. It was the fox exploiting the tiger’s mouth. Her voice became icier. “If Su daren wants to scold his subordinates, it need not happen in my Qi Luo Yuan. I also don’t have idle time to watch you flaunt your prestige. If there is nothing else, then please leave!”

“Why is Yun xiaojie in a hurry? Benguan still hasn’t finished his mission. How can the soldiers rashly withdraw? Still asking Yun xiaojie to please step aside. Cease pushing around and blaming people!” Saying this, Su Yuan grabbed the lantern of the soldier beside him and started to force his way into the crowd of people to enter Qi Luo Yuan’s loft.

Although the yatou and pozi were afraid of the imperial guards, this concerned their xiaojie’s reputation. After all, everybody eventually died. It would be best to save their xiaojie’s reputation, even if they died, they believed that xiangye would treat their families well.

With this thought, a dozen or more yatou defended Yun Qian Meng. Those who had little care for their lives rushed to the front. They shoved and jostled the imperial soldiers. The scene became chaotic. The loud voices of the cursing yatou and the deep voices of the scolding soldiers mixed. The commotion caused the imperial soldiers from the other courtyards to rush towards Qi Luo Yuan. Even Captain Liu, who was conducting operations not far way, came. He saw his own house’s xiaojie being bullied so he pulled out his sword and rushed to the front, separating Su Yuan’s people.

Su Yuan saw that Yun Qian Meng had the impertinence to publicly rebel. Even Yun Xuan Zhi’s personal bodyguard had also rushed forward to protect he. He immediately narrowed his eyes, and asked in a dangerous voice. “Yun xiaojie really intends to resist?”

He only received a cold snort from Yun Qian Meng in answer. The moonlight illuminated Yun Qian Meng’s figure, accompanying her gorgeous appearance was nevertheless a very cold voice. “Su daren is forcefully breaking through right now and is criticizing chennu for resisting. Is it not unjust? Just think! What house’s well bred young lady will allow strangers to enter her room? Asking if Su daren is also this way to Su fu’s Su xiaojie?”

Being reprimanded this way by Yun Qian Meng, Su Yuan was at a loss for words. His eyes glared at Yun Qian Meng with killing intent. It is no wonder Yue’r and Su Qing both suffered defeat under Yun Qian Meng’s hands. This woman was resourceful and shrewd, she observed every single detail!

He had used Chen wang’s influence to travel from northwest to southeast on the grounds of inspecting, as his own position was lower than Yun Xuan Zhi’s. His own mansion was on the northwest of the xiangfu, his own Su fu had already been roughly checked a bit and the people just left!

When Yun Qian Meng asked this, it was clearly to criticize the dereliction of his duty by shielding his own residence. Moreover these soldiers beside him had been with him when he went to the xiangfu. He very well knew the type of inspection that occurred in his own Su Fu. It made Su Yuan unable to find words to answer back.

“What is happening here?” At this moment, from Qi Luo Yuan’s door came an extremely cold voice. Scaring the group of people into bowing their heads. They didn’t dare to look at the man who slowly approached from the entrance.

“Chennu greets Chen wangye.” Yun Qian Meng approached Chen wang with neither a servile or overbearing attitude and bowed. Then she straightened her back and raised her body. Her eyes held a had not-hiding-not-dodging look but also coldness as she looked at Jiang Mu Chen!

“Su daren, you suddenly brought over people here and wasted so much time! If the Emperor finds out, how many extra heads do you have to be cut down?” Jian Mu Chen swept a glance around the area to read the situation, then immediately understood what just happened. The unmarried daughter of a noble house, Yun Qian Meng, was now standing before the soldiers. While her clothes were orderly and neat, her fine black hair flowing behind her was enough to make Jiang Mu Chen’s heart stop. His hawk-like gaze immediately shot an ice-cold daggers at Su Yuan, his tone was terrifying to hear.

When Su Yuan heard Jiang Mu Chen’s tone, his heart fell. His lowered eyes darted a glance towards Yun Qian Meng and saw that she was looking at him with an austere expression. It made Su Yuan feel like a piece of meat on a chopping block. He suddenly understood that these events must have been planned by Yun Qian Meng. Causing a ruckus in Qi Luo Yuan, sooner or later Chen wang would have followed the noise and come.

Su Yuan held the blame for bringing people to Qi Luo Yuan. He had planned to harm Yun Qian Meng or ruin her reputation. He did not expect this yatou to be so cunning, attracting Chen wang and making him personally see the situation.

“Could it be that this is not wangye’s command? Su daren acted bold and confident as if he was in the right, barging into chennu’s Qi Luo Yuan. Chennu thought it was wangye that ordered it.” A smile, cold as jade brushed across Yun Qian Meng’s face. Her tone sounded surprised as she asked.

As expected, Chen wang’s already tight expression became even more grim. His gloomy eyes glared sharply at Su Yuan, apparently waiting for him to give an explanation. Placing all of the blame on him.

Su Yuan saw that Yun Qian Meng did not neglect to throw stones at one who had fallen down. He immediately went down on his knees in fear, bowing to Chen Wang to make his dedication clear. “Chen Wang must see clearly! Beizhi only wished to enter Yun xiaojie’s Qi Luo Yuan to conduct a search. There was no wish to disturb Yun Qian Meng in any possible way. Beizhi had suspicions, that’s why the imperial soldiers were brought into the courtyard!”

“Nonsense! Wangye, Su daren was clearly forcing his way into xiaojie’s room! Xiaojie is a well bred young lady! Putting aside the fact that unfamiliar men wished to enter the room, ordinarily not even the pozi of the courtyard can go in without being invited. Su daren tried every possible way to ruin xiaojie’s reputation like this and even used such a pompous reason to mislead wangye. Asking wangye to give our xiaojie justice.”

Su Yuan’s word had not yet dissipated from the air when a clear voice said this from the middle of the crowd.

Yun Qian Meng looked towards the crowd and saw Ying Xia sticking her neck out to expose holes in Su Yuan’s speech. She was witty and intelligent, her reasoning was clear and distinct. Yun Qian Meng’s expression was full of admiration for her and Yuan Dong, they were really a talented pair.

Jiang Mu Chen heard Ying Xia’s appeal for justice and saw Yun Qian Meng’s conspicuously pale face. A look of weariness crept across his face. He knew that Su Yuan was a malicious person. Certainly Su Yuan had borrowed this opportunity to strike at Yun Qian Meng, so he would be able to help his wai sunnu in the future!

“Does Su daren still have any words to say?” A cold voice passed above Su Yuan’s head. Su Yuan could not help but shudder. He couldn’t help raising his sleeve to wipe at cold sweat forming on the top of his head. Then suddenly an idea sprung into his mind, he immediately replied, “Wangye, today during the daytime the assassin had been wounded by Wu daren. When Yun xiaojie was leaving the palace, the carriage had a thick smell of blood. At that time, Yun xiaojie explained it was because her body was indisposed. Just by chance, we brought over an imperial doctor. It would be best to let the imperial doctor take xiaojie’s pulse and make a diagnosis to see if she is not lying.”

“Oh! It did not occur to me that Su daren is unexpectedly good at thinking of others.” Yun Qian Meng was furious but smiling. Her glorious and unrestrained smile caused a penetrating coldness that made people feel foreboding. Her words of praise contained sarcasm.

When Chen wang heard Yun Qian Meng, his eyes turned cold. He suddenly had became suspicions because of Su daren’s words. He waved a hand to beckon the physician to step forward from the crowd. He bowed to Chen Wang in greeting then said in a low voice, “What does wangye command?”

“Please examine Yun xiaojie!” Jiang Mu Chen’s narrow eyes glared tightly at Yun Qian Meng. Articulating his words in a deliberate manner, making Su Yuan’s hanging face expose a sinister smile.

Yun Qian Meng’s face did not change color, even her expression remained the same. But when she turned to look at Jiang Mu Chen again, the coldness in those dream-like eyes became thicker. She smiled then said lightly, “Wangye, there are many people in the courtyard. Please, asking the doctor to come with chennu into the room to examine the pulse. Is this permissible?”

Jiang Mu Chen looked around the surroundings and saw that this not particularly spacious courtyard was crowded with people. He raised a hand to signal the group of soldiers to withdraw. Then with a nod of his head he took a step forward as if to follow the doctor to go up the loft. Captain Liu blocked his way.

“Wangye, this is our da xiaojie’s room. Asking wangye to please halt!” Even though wangye was an imposing character with his face cold and detached and Captain Liu knew his own position, he still could not let unfamiliar men ruin his da xiaojie’s reputation.

Hearing Captain Liu’s voice, Yun Qian Meng who was at the front of the procession slightly turned around. She saw that Chen wang was about to explode, so with a slightly mocking voice she said, “Wangye was born in the house of the Emperor. He must understand the importance of the good manners! Xi Chu attaches importance to the saying “men cannot hold women’s hands.” These manners are very important to people. Even though wangye is here on imperial orders, please follow the etiquette. Wangye has already accomplished what he wanted at the palace not long ago. Must not dig your own tomb over this small thing!”

Yun Qiang Meng’s voice was clear and cold like the sound of moving water. In this scorching summer time with swords drawn and bows bent, it weighed on people’s minds, making them feel uncomfortable.

But when Chen wang heard her say these words, that face that had remained cold for an entire year puckered up. Two hawk like eyes shot daggers at Yun Qian Meng but she had already turned away, leading the doctor into the loft.

Su Yuan stepped forward to speak. “Wangye, do you wish for weichen to go first?”

He was only met with Chen Wang’s ruthless roar. “Get lost!”

Su Yuan shuddered, he steeled himself and raised his head to look at Chen Wang and saw that he was glaring fixedly at Yun Qian Meng’s back. Even though Yun Qian Meng had already closed the door, Chen Wang’s eyes did not leave those shabby doors.

“Su daren, asking you to leave.” At this moment the bodyguard stepped forward, forcefully pushing Su Yuan away from Chen Wang.

Only the servant Ning Feng who had been with Chen Wang since his youth could see that was incensed. If care was not taken, his fury would ignite. Ordinary people would not be able to bear it.

The hands hidden inside Jiang Mu Chen’s sleeves were already balled into fists. With great effort, he suppressed his anger.

He did not think that the time he reneged on the engagement would be used against him now. He never thought that the incident wherein Yun Qian Meng originally attempted suicide because she could not bear to lose the engagement would be brought up again.

Heng, what “men and women can’t hold hands”. If Yun Qian Meng was really thinking about what people would think, why didn’t she demonstrate her sincerity by dying when the engagement was cancelled?

That Yun Qian Meng, she really believed that she would be able to hinder his plans. Thinking that, in this way, she would be able to make him take a step back and give up. How naive!

He intended to see what sort of tricks she still had up her sleeve.

Perhaps Yun Qian Meng still did not know that Chu Fei Yang and Yun Xuan Zhi were made to stay at the palace overnight by Emperor Yu Qian to talk over the repair of Yang Xin palace. Nobody was coming to save her.

His balled fists slowly relaxed. Jiang Mu Chen unexpectedly walked forward two steps. Ning Feng felt his heart was in his throat. When they had left, taifei had commanded him to make sure not to let Chen Wang personally inspect Yun Qian Meng’s courtyard. But now, not only was wangye in the courtyard, he also had intentions to enter Yun xiaojie’s room. How could this not make Ning Feng anxious. Right when he was about to open his mouth to dissuade him, sounds of urgent footsteps came from the gates of Qi Luo Yuan.

The crowd turned to see Yun Xuan Zhi hurriedly leading the xiangfu’s steward into Qi Luo Yuan. When he saw that the courtyard was filled with soldiers and even Chen Wang, Yun Xuan Zhi’s expression turned dark. He said coldly, “Wangye, what is the meaning of this? You’re here to bully the residents of the xiangfu while the master isn’t home?”

Yun Xuan Zhi rushed towards Chen wang and stood in front of him. His narrowed eyes focused on Chen Wang as his body blocked his way. He wasn’t going to let him go up the loft. His unrestrained anger released from his body.

Ning Feng saw that Jiang Mu Chen’s lips would not form a reply. Fearing that the situation would become awkward, immediately explained, “Xiangye, wangye is searching all the fu under imperial orders. Asking xiangye to please be forgiving.”

“Oh? An imperial order to search the fu? But when benxiang was on his way here and passed by the other fu, no other soldiers were seen entering courtyards of xiaojie and furen! What is Chen wang is thinking, even going so far as to be so rude and impetuous to enter Yun xiaojie’s chambers. Even if Chen wang is dissatisfied with the decision of the former Emperor, he should not vent his anger on an innocent person this way. Aren’t you showing an extreme lack of poise?” At this moment, an extremely cold voice had spoken nearby.

Everyone saw Chu Fei Yang with a grim face enter. He did not have his usual smiling face. The soldiers thought that today’s Chu xiang was even colder than Chen wang. As he stepped into Qi Luo Yan, killing intent continuously emanated from his body.

Even as he was being attacked from two sides by these two, Chen wang’s expression did not change. He replied, “Weren’t Chu xiang and Yun xiang ordered to stay overnight in the palace by the king?”

“Hmm...If benxiang did not return to the xiangfu, Chen Wang might have already turned xiangfu upside down.” Yun Xuan Zhi snorted then said in a mocking tone. But in his heart he was very worried, in recent days Yun Qian Meng’s status had steadily risen. He could not let this daughter be wronged.

Moreover, Chen wang was the main culprit for Yun Qian Meng being ridiculed by people. Yun Xuan Zhi did not have a pleasant expression now.

Chu Fei Yang did not say anything but only went to stand under a tree in the garden. His hands were hidden in his sleeves as he leaned against the tree, looking at Chen Wang coldly.

“Dadada…” At this moment, the imperial doctor from a moment ago came out of the room. He was carrying some clothes that he threw down at the steps at Chen Wang’s feet. He shook his head slightly at Chen Wang then said in a low voice, “Wangye, Yun xiaojie’s body is certainly indisposed.”

Hearing this, Jiang Mu Chen eyes suddenly sank and his lips tightened. He raised his head to look at that room and said a few words of apologies to Yun Xuan Zhi. Then he waved his hands to signal for his subordinates to leave with him.

Chu Fei Yang whose figure was hidden by the shadows of the tree spoke up in an icy voice. “Has Chen Wang finished searching carefully? If you come back a second time, even if Yun xiang complies, benxiang and Chu wangfu will not just sit back and watch.”

Jiang Mu Chen turned his head to look but only saw that Chu Fei Yang’s whole body was shrouded in darkness. There was only fragments of his face illuminated by the moonlight that passed between the leaves. The moonlight imprinted on an extremely cold and blood-thirsty smiling face. It startled Ning Shen who was standing behind Chen Wang. He could not help but become more vigilant towards Chu Fei Yang.

Jiang Mu Chen only gave him one look then removed his eyes. His head didn’t turn back as he exited Qi Luo Yuan.

After stepping out of xiangfu, Chen Wang got up on his horse’s back, he asked the imperial doctor beside him in a low whisper. “Is it certain that there isn’t anybody hiding in her room?”

“Wangye, this humble servant is certain that Yun xiaojie’s room had no other person. But, what is strange was, even though Yun xioajie’s body is indisposed, there was a faint smell of blood in the room. But this weichen couldn’t detect exactly where the smell came from.” As the imperial doctor mounted a horse he carefully explained his discoveries in a low voice.

“Ning Feng!” Jiang Mu Chen immediately called Ning Feng and whispered a few words into his ear. The able and efficient subordinate made a few nods then went the opposite way.