Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Pei Yanli caught the subtle change in Green Maiden's demeanor and said, "It seems it's Zheng Weilu."

Green Maiden stubbornly turned her head away, displaying a demeanor of 'do whatever you want with me.'

Xiao Yu had no intention of using torture, knowing that for someone as determined as Green Maiden, it would be ineffective. He continued in his own way, "Could you tell us how you two met?"

"Little Uncle, she can't speak with the cloth in her mouth," Minghe quietly reminded.

Xiao Yu replied softly to Minghe, "I'm trying to communicate with her. When she wants to speak, I'll remove the cloth."

"Alright then," Minghe agreed.

Xiao Yu looked back at Green Maiden and asked, "You must have liked him a lot, right?"

Green Maiden showed no intention of speaking.

Xiao Yu continued, "You must have loved him for many years."

Green Maiden still did not respond.

Xiao Yu thought for a moment, then said, "Love can be lonely at times, beautiful at others. Like in your case, one inside the palace, one outside, rarely seeing each other. It must have been both lonely and beautiful, right?"

As if struck by Xiao Yu's words, Green Maiden's gaze slowly became unfocused, as though she was lost in some beautiful memory.

Xiao Yu commented, "That's truly wonderful."

Green Maiden's mouth curled up ever so slightly.

Suddenly, Xiao Yu changed the topic, "It's just a pity—"

Green Maiden quickly turned her head to look at Xiao Yu, her eyes seeming to ask what was regrettable.

Xiao Yu said, "It's a pity he doesn't deserve you."

Green Maiden glared at Xiao Yu, angered by his denigration of Zheng Weilu.

Seeing this, Minghe, Danzi, and Xiao Yuanping all stared at Green Maiden as if challenging her.

Xiao Yu continued, "Did you know he has one wife, four concubines, and six mistresses?"

Green Maiden appeared unconvinced.

Pei Yanli joined in, "He also has outside women."

In Da Jing, many people think it's normal for a man to have a wife, concubines, and mistresses, but keeping outside women is frowned upon as dishonorable. Green Maiden, typical of this mindset, looked at Pei Yanli in disbelief.

"Eight outside women," Pei Yanli added.

Green Maiden's eyes widened in shock.

Pei Yanli added, "He abandoned six of them."

Green Maiden made muffled sounds through the cloth in her mouth, seemingly protesting, "Nonsense, you're talking nonsense!"

Pei Yanli pulled out several letters from his pocket and unfolded them in front of Green Maiden.

"Can you read?" Danzi asked.

"I'll read them for you," Minghe, who could barely recognize a few characters, volunteered to step forward.

Xiao Yu pulled Minghe back, "She can read."

Minghe then stepped back.

Green Maiden recognized the handwriting on the letters at a glance. The content was almost identical to the letters Zheng Weilu had written to her. She had treasured those letters, never showing them to anyone. Xiao Yu and General Pei had just apprehended her, making it impossible to fabricate similar romantic letters so quickly. Therefore, these letters must have been written by Zheng Weilu himself. He really had kept outside women.

"Where did these letters come from?" Xiao Yu asked, puzzled.

"They were obtained from Zhuyang County," Pei Yanli said.

Xiao Yu, surprised, "Zheng Weilu personally went to Zhuyang County?"

Pei Yanli nodded, "Yes, Xu Da confessed everything."

"So that's why you were delayed for so long?"

Pei Yanli nodded again.

"Then these letters aren't forged by you," Xiao Yu stated.

"No, I don't have the skill to compose such phrases," Pei Yanli confirmed.

The more straightforward and candid Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli were in their revelations, the more credible the letters seemed, causing the stubborn look in Green Maiden's eyes to falter, gradually replaced by disappointment. Xiao Yu then said, "Green Maiden, he deceived you."

Green Maiden clenched her teeth, offering no response.

"How did he deceive her?" Danzi asked.

Minghe questioned, "Did he tell you that his wife doesn’t understand his heart, his concubines are ignorant, his mistresses are dull, and only you truly understand him?"

Suddenly, Green Maiden looked up at Minghe, disbelief in her eyes.

Xiao Yu, speaking for her, asked, "Minghe, how do you know all this?"

"All the men in Manchun Courtyard talk like that!" Minghe said.

"What is Manchun Courtyard?" Xiao Yu asked, puzzled.

Pei Yanli coughed slightly, "It's a brothel in Zhuyang County."

Xiao Yu turned to Pei Yanli, "How do you know? Have you been there?"

"No," Pei Yanli quickly clarified, "I found out while investigating the case."

Xiao Yu then turned to Minghe, "Minghe, how did you end up at Manchun Courtyard?"

"When I was earning money at the wonton stall, there were a few nights with heavy rain and cold. I looked for shelter and found Manchun Courtyard. There was an alley where I hid, it was warm." Minghe recounted, "I heard many sweet nothings there."

"What did they say?" Danzi asked, extremely curious.

Minghe shared, "They said things like 'You are my little sweetheart,' 'I dream of being with you forever,' 'No one else understands me like you do,' 'I'll definitely buy your freedom.' So many things like that."

"Did they mean what they said?" Xiao Yuanping asked.

"It's all fake!" Minghe declared.

"How do you know it's fake?" Danzi asked.

"The madam of the brothel said so. She said those men are all liars, cheating women into sleeping with them, taking their money, and even tricking them into doing bad things for them," Minghe explained.

If these words had come from Pei Yanli or Xiao Yu, Green Maiden certainly wouldn't have believed them. But coming from a child of four or five years old... She had been sincere to Zheng Weilu, never expecting him to use the same tricks on her that he used on women in the brothel.

Minghe continued, "There was a woman in there who was so in love with a man. She brought a lot of money home with him to become his concubine. But soon after, he spent all her money and sold her back to the brothel!"

"That's so wicked!" Xiao Yuanping and Danzi exclaimed indignantly.

"Yeah, men are no good! It's better to love money than men!" Minghe, not fully understanding the meaning of these words, simply repeated what he had heard and remembered.

Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli, both being men, scratched their eyebrows.

Green Maiden suddenly burst into tears.

Minghe, startled by her crying, then remembered what he had seen in Manchun Courtyard and added, "You think being made a concubine will make you happy? Don't you realize your status and that of the masters? They'll grind you down! Don't be so naive!"

Finally, Green Maiden cried out loud.

Xiao Yu gently covered Minghe's mouth, "That's enough."

Minghe stopped talking.

Xiao Yu softly said, "Green Maiden, you've been in the palace since you were young, pretty, and skilled. You've served kind masters, and your circle has been innocent, unaware of the world's complexities. Falling for Zheng Weilu's schemes is understandable, but you should also know gratitude."

Green Maiden looked up at Xiao Yu, her eyes full of confusion.

Xiao Yu asked, "How have Consort Zheng and the Second Prince treated you?"

Green Maiden looked at Xiao Yuanping with a gentle gaze.

"They probably don't know about these things you've done, do they?" Xiao Yu asked.

Finally, Green Maiden responded with a nod.

Xiao Yu, knowing his approach was working, continued, "Do you realize that if your plan had failed and you died without a clear reason, the General and I could still uncover evidence of the Zheng family's conspiracy to usurp the throne? What do you think would happen to Consort Zheng and the Second Prince then?" he asked.

Green Maiden shook her head frantically, making muffled noises.

Xiao Yu removed the cloth from Green Maiden's mouth.

Green Maiden quickly said, "Her Majesty and the Second Prince really don't know anything. They are innocent, truly innocent."

"Then tell us everything, and I assure their safety," Pei Yanli said.

Everyone knew how much Emperor Yongxi valued General Pei. Green Maiden believed Pei Yanli's words.

"You were deceived as well. We'll be lenient with you," Pei Yanli assured.

Xiao Yu added, "There are good men in this world. Maybe once you leave the palace, you'll meet someone."

Green Maiden looked at Xiao Yu, seeing sincerity, comfort, and encouragement in his eyes. She glanced at the letters in Pei Yanli's hand and finally decided, "I'll tell you."

Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli exchanged a smile.

After a moment of recollection, Green Maiden began, "When the list of candidates for the imperial selection was announced, I was ordered to fetch Consort Zheng from the Zheng residence. Someone pushed me, and Lord Zheng timely caught me, preventing an embarrassment. That was when I started having feelings for him. Whenever Lady Zheng visited the consort in the palace, I would escort her to the palace gates. I often saw Lord Zheng waiting there, and gradually we started communicating..."

Xiao Yu and the others listened attentively.

Emperor Yongxi, wearing his outer robe, entered the room.

Xiao Yu and the others quickly bowed in respect.

Emperor Yongxi, having heard everything from Green Maiden, trembled with anger, "Yanli, go, take people and bring Zheng and the others to the prison for me!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Pei Yanli responded.

"Father, I want to go too," Danzi said.

Minghe also expressed his desire to go.

Xiao Yuanping wanted to join as well.

Emperor Yongxi said, "Yuanping, you should not go if you haven't fully recovered."

"Yeah, Little Brother, you can't even walk," Danzi added.

"You should rest for now, and we will tell you what happens later," Minghe said.

Xiao Yuanping trusted Minghe's ability to relay the events and nodded in agreement.

Emperor Yongxi then called, "Eunuch Qian."

"Present," Eunuch Qian stepped forward in response.

"Take the Second Prince to the Empress Dowager to recuperate," Emperor Yongxi instructed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch Qian replied.

"First, lock up Green Maiden," Emperor Yongxi ordered.

"Yes," another person responded.

Xiao Yu looked at Green Maiden, "I will arrange for your case to be dealt with later." This was to prevent her from attempting suicide again.

Green Maiden nodded and followed the palace attendants.

Xiao Yu, Pei Yanli, Danzi, and Minghe, accompanied by a large contingent of soldiers, rode out of the palace in a grand procession.

Lu Ming was waiting outside the palace, "You're finally here!"

"Have you been waiting long?" Xiao Yu asked.

"Indeed!" Lu Ming glanced at Minghe in Xiao Yu's arms and Danzi in Pei Yanli's arms, "Young Master Ming and the Crown Prince have also come."

"Yes, it's good for them to see more of the world." Whether it's Danzi or Minghe, both were destined to govern the country in the future. Except for special cases, Pei Yanli made a conscious effort to involve the two children in all public affairs.

"Let's hurry then," Lu Ming said.

"Let's go."

It was past the hour of the Rat, and the city's residents were deep in sleep. The streets were empty, allowing Xiao Yu and his group to move swiftly, reaching the gates of the Zheng residence in no time.

Pei Yanli raised his hand, "Surround it."

"Yes," the soldiers with torches spread out around the Zheng residence.

Lu Ming personally approached and banged on the gate, creating a thunderous noise.

Xiao Yu and the others dismounted.

The gate opened.

Before the gatekeeper could fully comprehend the situation outside, Lu Ming and the others pushed the gate open.

"What's happening, what's happening?" the gatekeeper asked, both shocked and scared.

"The Crown Prince has come to arrest people!" Minghe exclaimed.

The gatekeeper, seeing the situation, quickly ran inside, shouting as he went, "Master, Master, the Crown Prince has come, the Crown Prince has come!"

Xiao Yu and his group walked straight into the residence.

Pei Yanli and Xiao Yu, familiar with the Zheng residence from a previous night visit, pointed in various directions, "Go there to arrest people."

Xiao Yu added, "Do not harm women and children."

"Yes," a group of soldiers responded.

With Pei Yanli's guidance, they quickly captured Zheng Weifu.

"Where are Zheng Weirong and Zheng Weilu?" Lu Ming asked, not seeing them.

Zheng Weifu, looking bewildered, said, "Crown Prince, General, what is the reason for this midnight search?"

"What reason? You know very well!" Minghe exclaimed.

Danzi glanced at the dark aura over Zheng Weifu's head and didn’t say anything. Then, as Pei Yanli had done previously at the Xu residence, he ordered people to bring all of the Zheng family members, servants, and others to an open area, segregating them by family and staff.

Seeing this, Xiao Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Lu Ming frowned, "Where are Zheng Weirong and Zheng Weilu?"

Xiao Yu glanced at the people from the Zheng residence. Among them, only Zheng Weifu was neatly dressed, clearly anxiously awaiting a signal from Green Maiden. This suggested that Zheng Weirong and Zheng Weilu were also waiting. When no signal came, they likely realized something had gone wrong and probably fled.

"We’ll search personally," Pei Yanli declared.

Lu Ming then left the scene in the hands of his deputy and others.

The group, comprising three adults and two children, searched through the bedrooms where the Zheng brothers often stayed and then moved to Zheng Weirong's bedroom.

"Could they not have returned?" Lu Ming wondered.

Minghe said, "The servants said they did come back."

"Did they leave again?" Lu Ming asked.

Xiao Yu, puzzled, inquired, "How did they leave, then?"

Pei Yanli explained, "The Eldest Princess has had people watching the Zheng residence day and night. We're sure Zheng Weirong and Zheng Weilu didn't leave, at least not within our sight." He had asked his mother to keep watch, suspecting the Zheng brothers were up to something.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Ming suggested, "Could the Zheng residence have a secret door or tunnel?"

The group quickly started searching, flipping through books and inspecting vases.

Zheng Weirong's study was large and filled with many items. After a long search without finding anything, Xiao Yu turned and said, "Danzi, Minghe, if you're tired, take a break."

"Alright." Danzi, feeling fatigued, looked around. The closest chair was far away, so he quickly sat down on a small step and tapped it thrice, "Brother, come sit for a while, let's rest a bit and then continue searching. Hey."

"What's up, Little Brother?" Minghe turned and asked.

"Little Uncle, Brother, come and see, this floor tile has sunk down. I didn't even apply much force," Danzi said, puzzled. "I just tapped it lightly, and it moved like this."

Hearing this, Xiao Yu, Pei Yanli, and Lu Ming looked over, and then they heard a rumbling sound.

A wall slowly started to move.

Seeing this, Xiao Yu quickly gathered the two children into his arms.

Pei Yanli and Lu Ming positioned themselves protectively behind the three, discovering a room hidden behind the wall.

"There's a room here!" Minghe pointed out.

"There really is a secret door!" Lu Ming exclaimed in surprise.

Xiao Yu looked at Danzi, marveling at the main character's aura which seemed incredibly powerful.