CH 76

Chapter 76 – Lunar New Year’s Eve (24.1)

Inside the Xue family mansion, Xue Rong, Xue Rong’s di son Xue Zhi Chao, Xue Gui, and Xue Song were gathered together.

The Xue family has been investigating the incident around Xue Zhi Qi’s death for a long time, but they still did not find any clues. Xue Gui was very not reconciled when he left the meeting. Xue Rong watched his younger brother Xue Gui’s departing back. In the blink of an eye, Xue Gui had seemed to age by several years. The loss of his heir was a really big blow to him.

Xue Rong sighed, “In the days to come, be sure to urge all the sons and nephews in the family to restrain themselves and not be ostentatious when they’re outside. I have a feeling that a storm is coming…”

“Father, are you saying…” Xue Zhi Chao also went silent.

“Zhi Chao, go and write a letter to His Royal Highness Prince Li. See if you can send two di grandsons to Li City…”

Prince Li’s territory was the Xue family’s last place of retreat.

Xue Rong knew that sooner or later the emperor was going to liquidate the Xue family. There was no emperor in existence that would tolerate the existence of a family that used to always go against him. Right now, the Xue family has lost most of its power and influence, the emperor’s power has been stabilized, and there was such an excellent heir apparent to the throne.

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Deep in his heart, Xue Rong knew that there was no hope for Prince Li. Moreover, Prince Li was not a di son of the previous emperor. As long as Prince Li did not make any mistakes and just remained an idle prince, the emperor would not be able to eradicate them all…

“Understood. Father, I will go right now to write a letter to His Royal Highness Prince Li.”

In Prince Li’s mansion, Prince Li Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong was reading the letter sent from the capital on a fast horse. He looked over the letter that Xue Rong and them had sent. They were asking to send their di grandsons to Li City.

Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong sneered inside his heart, “This Xue Rong is becoming more and more timid…”

Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong continued to read the letter. His brows furrowed when he got to the news written in the letter. Word has it that the crown prince was favoring a ger xiaoshi, while the crown princess was sick in bed and could not receive any visitors. It seemed that things were a little strange in the capital… Thinking of the secret between him and Xue Cai Yu…

Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong had not contacted Xue Cai Yu for a long time. Recently, he was preparing to send some powdered drugs over, but the flowering season of the plant needed for that drug was very short. He had only just sent someone to go get the plant.

[T/N: Reminder, the powdered drug is the impotency medicine that Xue Cai Yu, the crown princess, was slipping to XYHC.]

Xuan Yuan Zhao Hong summoned his confidants and ordered them to go to the capital to make contact with the spies in the crown prince’s East Palace. He wanted to find out what happened to the crown princess. Was she really sick, or was she…

With the cause of Xue Zhi Qi’s death still unknown, the one in the most pain was his mother Zhao-shi.

The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she became. Thus, Zhao-shi summoned her trusted momo to discuss…

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Zhang Ying Xiang received his father’s orders. At first, he was obedient and did not go outside, but after a long time he couldn’t stand the boredom anymore. Zhang Ying Xiang saw that the past few days were calm. The Xue family had interrogated him twice, but didn’t send any more people after that.

Zhang Ying Xiang slipped out of the house quietly and went to the restaurant to drink tea. A few days passed and nothing happened. Zhang Ying Xiang gradually became less and less vigilant, and continued to have fun with some friends*.

[*T/N: The specific term used for friends here defines them as scoundrels and rogue, a.k.a. the bad crowd.]

That night, when Zhang Ying Xiang came out of a brothel, someone threw a sack over his head and beat him up as soon as he turned a street corner…

Zhang Ying Xiang could only perceive the darkness in front of his eyes, and then were dense sticks beating him. He cried out in pain. In particular, he could feel a rain of blows centered on his legs. Ultimately, he could only curl up and roll on the ground in pain.

When Xue Gui found out, he was enraged. He ran to question Zhao-shi, “Did you do that to Zhang Ying Xiang? I already told you that Zhi Qi’s death had nothing to do with the Zhang family…”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

“So what if it has nothing to do with them? We clearly told him to follow our Zhi Qi. But when our Zhi Qi died, he was perfectly fine. They should already consider themselves lucky that I didn’t make them pay for my son’s life with his life…” Zhao-shi was practically going crazy.

“You’re simply unreasonable. If you’re like this… What will Zhang Ji He think if he finds out…”

Xue Gui thought about how Zhang Ji He has been with him for more than twenty years and knew many of his secrets. Zhao-shi has gone crazy. The other shu sons of the Xue family were all mediocre at best. Good thing he fathered an illegitimate child outside some years ago. And now, that child has grown up to be pretty good…

[T/N: shu son – son of a concubine]

Zhang Ji He stayed alone in the study with a heavy expression on his face. He recalled the scene of his son lying in bed and unable to move. Zhang Ying Xiang’s hamstrings were all broken. Thinking of his son who might not be able to walk well in the future, hatred roared in Zhang Ji He’s heart. His thoughts were full of turmoil.