The First Jasmine - Chapter 128

Chapter 128 - A Shocking Secret

On this day, the Marquis of Muyang's Estate unexpectedly received a visitor who would normally never have appeared here. Having just received the butler's report, the Marquis of Muyang froze for a moment before his expression rapidly stiffened. Standing beside him, Mu Yang furrowed his handsome brow, which carried a trace of exhaustion, wearing a look of bewilderment. He was only a few days away from his grand wedding, yet his youthful face bore not the slightest hint of joy. Seeing his father's stiff and ashen expression, the resentment that Mu Yang had still harbored deep down softened considerably as he asked in a deep voice, "Father, what is wrong?"

The Marquis of Muyang looked up at him, forcing out a faint smile as he said, "It is nothing... Father will go out and meet the Princess of Ding."

Mu Yang frowned, and seeing that his father's complexion was truly poor, he offered, "Let this child accompany Father to see the Princess of Ding. As it happens, this child has crossed paths with the Princess a few times." The Marquis of Muyang started, moved by his son's obvious concern, but shook his head. "There is no need. The Princess of Ding likely has some official business with Father; it will be enough for Father to go see her." Seeing him so resolute, Mu Yang could not say much more.

In the study of the Marquis of Muyang's Estate, Ye Li stood with her hands clasped behind her back, leisurely admiring the famous paintings hanging on the wall, while Zhuojing stood respectfully to one side with his hands folded. Pushing the door open, the Marquis of Muyang entered and froze upon seeing the slender figure standing with her back toward him. Recovering quickly, he stepped forward and bowed in salute, "Greetings, Princess of Ding." Turning around with a smile, Ye Li replied, "Marquis, please dispense with the formalities. Pacing in uninvited and disturbing your peace, I ask the Marquis to forgive me." Ye Li's serene voice was exceptionally pleasant to the ear, yet she seemed to deliberately emphasize the word "peace." To the Marquis of Muyang, those two words struck like a earth-shattering thunderbolt, causing his heart to skip a beat. Forcing a smile, he said, "You jest, Your Ladyship. Your presence graces the Marquis of Muyang's Estate with extraordinary splendor. Please, take a seat." Without standing on ceremony, Ye Li sat down opposite the Marquis. Once the maid served tea, the Marquis glanced at Ye Li and then at Zhuojing standing behind her, asking with some hesitation, "This person..."

"There is no need to stand on ceremony for the Marquis's sake; this subordinate is merely a servant of Her Ladyship," Zhuojing said indifferently.

Although Zhuojing referred to himself as a servant, the Marquis of Muyang did not dare to truly treat him as an ordinary domestic. While no one knew Zhuojing's original background or origins, over the past two months, the vast majority of the Princess of Ding's affairs had been handled outwardly by Zhuojing and Lin Han. One could say these two individuals were completely and utterly the Princess's personal confidants.

Ye Li smiled at Zhuojing and said, "Zhuojing, sit down and speak. You can't expect me and the Marquis to keep craning our necks looking up at you while we converse in a moment, can you?"

Murmuring that he dared not, Zhuojing took a seat at the very lowest end of the table.

Peace seemed to return to the study once more as the three of them quietly sipped their tea, as if locked in a silent contest of patience. The Marquis of Muyang's gaze drifted from time to time toward Ye Li and Zhuojing; though a smile remained plastered across his face, he was secretly groaning inwardly. No wonder the Emperor was so deeply wary of the Princess of Ding. Even knowing that the Prince was away from the estate and that reducing this Prince of Ding's Mansion to ashes would accomplish nothing, she still... For the Princess of Ding to possess such poise at such a tender age meant her future achievements would undoubtedly be boundless.

After a long silence, the Marquis of Muyang let out a soft sigh and looked at Ye Li. "Does Your Ladyship's grand visit come with any particular instruction?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Instruction I wouldn't dare claim. Actually, I am entrusted by someone to inquire about a matter with the Marquis."

Setting down his teacup, the Marquis of Muyang said, "Your Ladyship need only speak; this Marquis will certainly tell you everything he knows."

Ye Li smiled gently. "Then I thank the Marquis in advance. I am merely entrusted by someone to ask the Marquis a single question: does the Marquis remember a person named Mu Qingcang?"

The Marquis's hand trembled, nearly knocking over the teacup resting beside his hand, though he quickly steadied it. Sitting to the side, Zhuojing raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing the Marquis's hand—hanging by his side—clench tightly twice, evidently forcing himself to relax. Forcing a laugh, the Marquis replied, "Naturally this Marquis knows of him. Mu Qingcang is hailed as the greatest expert in Great Chu, and his ranking under heaven surpasses even that of His Highness the Prince of Ding. Who in the world does not know of him?" Lowering her head to sip her tea, Ye Li smiled faintly, "What the Marquis says is true. Come to think of it, Mu Qingcang shares the same surname as the Marquis. I wonder if the Marquis is acquainted with him?"

The Marquis of Muyang remained silent for a moment before finally speaking in a deep voice, "Although I have long admired his great name, it is a pity we have never had the fortune to meet."

"Does the Marquis truly not know Mu Qingcang?" Zhuojing suddenly broke in to ask.

Frowning with a trace of displeasure, the Marquis of Muyang said, "What does Young Master Zhuojing mean by this? Could it be that you are suspecting this Marquis of lying?"

Zhuojing arched a dark eyebrow without answering, as if silently acquiescing to the Marquis's words. Seeing that the Marquis was on the verge of anger, Ye Li put down her teacup and smiled, "Marquis, do not be upset. The truth is that a few days ago, our estate captured an assassin who claimed to be Mu Qingcang, and moreover claimed to be an old acquaintance of the Marquis. That is why this Princess has meddled in affairs to come and ask the Marquis about it. If the Marquis truly does not know him, then so be it; after all, he is merely an assassin. Since he has fallen into the hands of the Prince of Ding's Mansion, could he possibly turn the heavens upside down?" The Marquis furrowed his brow. "An assassin? But the assassins handed over by the Prince of Ding's Mansion to the Court of Judicial Review did not..." Stopping halfway, the Marquis said no more. Everyone knew perfectly well just how much weight the assassins handed over to the Court of Judicial Review actually carried—just as everyone knew that the Prince of Ding's Mansion was well aware of the identities of the masterminds behind the various assassination attempts yet chose not to make them public. It was an open secret shared by all that the Prince of Ding's Mansion had inevitably kept back a greater number of far more important assassins. Yet the memory of that single battle at the Prince of Ding's Mansion left all factions trembling with lingering fear; for a short time, no one would likely dare harbor the courage to raid the Prince of Ding's Mansion for prisoners.

With an apologetic expression, Ye Li smiled at the Marquis. "Since the Marquis has no knowledge of this, I have troubled you needlessly. There are still many matters awaiting me at my estate, so I shall take my leave now."

Panic stirred within the Marquis of Muyang, and the words slipped past his lips, "How does Your Ladyship plan to deal with that Mu Qingcang?"

A faint, extremely thin smile curved the corners of Ye Li's lips, clear yet chillingly aloof, "An assassin is all he is—kill him."

A cold shiver ran through the Marquis's heart, yet he could only watch helplessly as Ye Li stood up and walked out, taking Zhuojing with her. Following closely behind Ye Li, Zhuojing suddenly turned his head as they reached the doorway to look back at the Marquis of Muyang, who still sat frozen in his guest-farewell posture. Zhuojing spoke up, "Her Ladyship has decided to execute all the assassins tonight as a tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives defending the Prince of Ding's Mansion. If the Marquis wishes to see anyone, it would be best to hurry." A flash crossed the Marquis's eyes as he forced a smile, "Young Master Zhuojing jests; this Marquis has no one he wishes to see." Giving a nonchalant nod, Zhuojing turned and followed after her.

Not until the sound of their footsteps had completely vanished down the far end of the corridor did the Marquis of Muyang—who had stiffly maintained his posture of seeing off guests—collapse back into his chair as if every ounce of strength had drained from his body. Within his aging eyes, which still held a sharp inner gleam, flashed a hint of exhaustion and remorse, accompanied heavily by a desperate, reckless resolve.

"Father." Mu Yang appeared at the doorway out of nowhere, looking with a complex expression at his father, who rarely ever displayed such defeat. "Father, did the Princess of Ding say something difficult that has troubled you?"

Waving his hand with a smile, the Marquis of Muyang said, "It is nothing. Yang'er, you are about to be married; pay no mind to these matters. Father will naturally handle these trivial affairs properly. You need only focus on being a proper bridegroom."

Frowning, Mu Yang looked at the Marquis and said in a deep voice, "Father, this child is also a scion of the Mu family—is there anything that cannot be told to me?"

The Marquis of Muyang replied, "Truly, there is nothing the matter. Yang'er, you are overthinking things."

Mu Yang stated, "I am no fool. Father, what connection does the matter of the assassins at the Prince of Ding's Mansion that night have with our estate? Otherwise, why would the Princess of Ding..."

"Silence!" the Marquis suddenly roared in a sharp voice, fixing a fierce, grim stare upon Mu Yang. "Remember this clearly: the affairs of the Prince of Ding's Mansion have not the slightest connection to our Mu family!"

In truth, this kind of overreaction spoke for itself. Rubbing his temples with a troubled expression, Mu Yang sighed as he looked at his father. "Father, do you even know what you are doing?" The Marquis started, lowering his gaze as he muttered, "Father is only doing this for the enduring prosperity of the Marquis of Muyang's Estate across generations. Yang'er, rest assured, nothing will go wrong. Go on down." Though Mu Yang wanted to say more, the sight of his father's complexion ultimately forced him to swallow the words back down to his throat, and he silently backed out of the study.

Returning to the Prince of Ding's Mansion, Ye Li turned her head to look at Zhuojing following behind her and said indifferently, "Are you satisfied with this outcome?"

Zhuojing maintained a prolonged silence before suddenly raising a hand to swipe across his face. A thin layer of facial skin mask was peeled away from his features, revealing the weathered and sorrowful visage beneath. In truth, Mu Qingcang's disguise did not closely resemble Zhuojing's actual appearance, but very few people had ever laid eyes on Zhuojing to begin with—at the very least, the Marquis of Muyang had never seen him before. Furthermore, Zhuojing habitually maintained a blank, expressionless exterior in front of outsiders, preventing even the Marquis of Muyang from noticing anything amiss with the stiff-faced "Mu Qingcang." Lowering his head, Mu Qingcang said with detached resignation, "I lost the gamble, so I accept the defeat."

Ye Li harbored no trace of triumph, merely stating, "It was simply a transaction. Now, tell this Princess the intelligence you possess."

"Aren't you afraid I will break our agreement?"

Ye Li sneered coldly, "If you break your agreement, this Princess will kill the Marquis of Muyang!"

Wearily closing his eyes for a moment, Mu Qingcang said, "I understand. I will tell you what I know. Ask away."

Withdrawing the smile from her face, Ye Li wore a stern expression as she looked at the man before her and asked in a deep voice, "How did the former Prince of Ding, Mo Xiuwen, die?"

Mu Qingcang started, not expecting her to open with such a question, but answered readily and calmly, "I killed him."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow without speaking. Mu Qingcang continued, "Back then, I was ordered to head to the border region where we were engaged in battle with Northern Rong, and slipped poison into Mo Xiuwen's water to create the illusion that he had died of illness." Staring at him coldly, Ye Li sneered, "Master Mu is truly bold enough to say anything."

Unbothered, Mu Qingcang said indifferently, "Since I made a promise to Her Ladyship, I will naturally honor it. If Her Ladyship feels it is too much to bear, you may simply pretend I said nothing."

Ye Li let out a soft huff. "When Master Mu speaks by telling only half and leaving the rest unsaid, of course I dare not listen."

Lowering his gaze, Mu Qingcang replied, "With Her Ladyship's intelligence and wisdom, surely the remaining half does not require me to spell it out in detail?" Ye Li closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Very well, I will not ask Master Mu about the mastermind behind the scenes. Please tell me everything you know. Also... I do not guarantee Master Mu's personal safety."

Mu Qingcang said indifferently, "It matters not. Things have reached this point; living or dying makes no difference to me anymore."