Chapter 126: He Actually Wanted Her to Die?

Chapter 126: He Actually Wanted Her to Die?

Seeing this, the magistrate was about to make an arrest, but He An stopped him: "Your Honor, there's no need for alarm. This is a distinguished guest of the Ruan family, not a kidnapper."

Xu Xi set Qingchi down from his arms and glanced at Pei Chong, who looked stunned: "What, Lord Pei seems quite surprised to see me?"

Pei Chong came to his senses: "Senior Xu, what is this..."

As he spoke, he looked towards the entrance of the tunnel, hesitating to continue.

"It seems Lord Pei wants to frame me for Qingchi's kidnapping?" Xu Xi sneered: "Your Honor, there are two bodies down this tunnel, one unconscious. You can question them once they're brought up."

He An's gaze was inscrutable: "Since this occurred in the Pei family, we cannot let General Pei be falsely accused. This matter must be thoroughly investigated."

Xu Xi: "Let's start with this tunnel. It's quite intriguing—this secret passage branches out in all directions. Who knows where it leads?"

A thin sheen of sweat appeared on Pei Chong's forehead.

This tunnel connects to the Crown Prince’s palace and the outskirts of the capital, with another branch heading towards the palace, though it's not fully excavated yet. If this were discovered...

"Your Excellency, this is merely a fruit storage cellar in our Pei residence, with a few partitions. There's no need to investigate further," Pei Chong's mind raced. Just then, he caught sight of Lin Qiutang hiding behind and, after a moment of hesitation, pulled her out: "You reckless woman, how could you commit such an act for money?"

He tightened his grip on Lin Qiutang's hand slightly, signaling her to cooperate.

Lin Qiutang, startled and panicked, saw Pei Chong's signal and assumed it was a temporary solution. Once the storm passed, he would surely save her.

After gathering her thoughts, she began to weep: "I'm the only woman remaining in the main household, and life is incredibly difficult. The Pei family may appear prosperous, but with so many dependents, it's already quite challenging. How could they possibly care for a widowed sister-in-law like me?"

"I merely wanted to secure my future. Besides, I never intended to harm Qingchi. Once I got the money, I would have released him immediately."

Ruan Qinghuan: "Then tell us, how did you deceive Qingchi into coming here?"

Lin Qiutang: "It was simple. I just told him his sister was waiting in the room, and he followed me."

Ruan Qinghuan knelt down and embraced Qingchi. In the lantern's glow, the child's face was pale, clearly shaken by today's events.

Ruan Qinghuan comforted him first: "Qingchi, don't be scared. Your sister and brother-in-law will keep you safe."

Qingchi nodded.

"Then, sister asks you, is what she said correct?"

Qingchi nodded again.

Pei Chong sighed in relief, his eyes darting to a guard with a sword beside him, then he shouted at Lin Qiutang: "How could you be so heartless? Qingchi is my brother-in-law, and you dared to hurt him?"

With that, he shoved her forcefully...

Lin Qiutang lost her footing and stumbled back several steps, almost impaling herself on an officer's sword. Pei Chong's pupils contracted.

If she died, this matter would be over.

At the critical moment, a limping figure rushed out from the shadows and pushed Lin Qiutang, who was already close to the sword's tip. The blade only grazed her arm.

Smelling the scent of blood, Lin Qiutang realized the danger and looked at Pei Chong in disbelief.

He actually wanted her to die?

Seeing that things had almost gone wrong, the magistrate quickly ordered the officers to sheathe their swords.

Ji Lingchuan said mockingly, "What, is Lord Pei feeling guilty and trying to silence the witness by killing them, leaving no evidence?"

"You can eat carelessly, but you can't speak carelessly. Though I'm a low-ranking official, I still serve the court. I beg your lordship..."

Before he could finish, Ji Lingchuan interrupted, "Someone, check the basement."

Pei Chong's face turned pale.

**

As soon as they found Qingchi, Ruan Qinghuan ordered a carriage to be ready to take the child back to the Ruan family.

When she got home, she found her in-laws had arrived with Zimo, comforting the just-awakened Madam Ruan.

Madam Ruan, cradling Zimo and wiping away her tears, could no longer hold back her emotions upon seeing Qingchi return. She hugged both children tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank goodness, Qingchi is back safe and sound. You must never leave your grandmother's side again, got it?"

Qingchi nodded repeatedly.

Though young, he knew that without Grandpa Xu's protection, he would have been kidnapped. "It was Grandpa Xu who saved Qingchi."

Hearing this, Madam Ruan's face showed gratitude. "Master Xu's great kindness to the Ruan family, this old woman will never forget."

Xu Zining sat beside Ruan Qingzhou, watching the scene with emotion. "Madam, don't say that. He's my senior brother's cousin, so he's like a cousin to me too. My father wouldn't just stand by and do nothing."

Ruan Qingzhou recalled that when he mentioned going to the Pei residence for a banquet today, it was his junior sister who insisted that their master accompany them. He wondered, "Did you have a feeling something was off?"

"No, I just had a bad feeling about the Pei family. I thought, how powerful my father is, and if they really had any ill intentions, they would have to consider him, right?"

Who would've thought something would still go wrong.

Since her senior brother's incident, she no longer liked the capital. "Father was right. The world of officials isn't like the martial world. The martial world is all about swords and shadows, but the officialdom is full of schemes and traps, always hard to avoid."

Ruan Qingzhou held her hand. "Zi Ning, thanks."

Xu Zining was slightly stunned. He always called her 'junior sister,' even when she asked him to use her name, he ignored it.

Today, calling her by her name felt strange and awkward. "Why so formal? You should worry more about yourself. The Ruan family has been hit with one thing after another. Don't you think there's a problem?"

Ruan Qingzhou was well aware. Ever since he participated in the military examination, the Ruan family had been in turmoil.

There must be someone plotting behind the scenes.

Ruan Chengfu and his wife came home worn out. Seeing his son was safe, Ruan Chenglin took Zheng Qiaoyue home.

Zhou Yunzhi, knowing her son, told him what happened that night. Hearing that the incident might be related to the Pei family, Ruan Qingzhou asked, "What is the attitude of Uncle's family towards this matter?"

"They didn't care. They made an excuse and left."

Indeed, Ruan Xiaoyue is now Madam Pei. Given Uncle's temperament, he would likely choose to avoid trouble.

But once or twice is enough; there shouldn't be a third or fourth time...

Seeing her worry, Zhou Yunzhi and Xu Zining helped him up and walked him out. "Don't worry, your brother-in-law knows what he's doing. You just take care of yourself. Since your Uncle Xu is going to testify in this case, you might have to stay in Jiangnan a few more days. These days are a good time to rest and recover."

"Uncle Xu?" Ruan Qingzhou frowned. "Mother, that's my master."

"I know. A master's kindness is like that of a parent. There's no need to be rigid about titles." Zhou Yunzhi handed her son over to Xu Zining. "I need to stay with Madam. Qingzhou is in your hands now."

"Aunt, don't worry."