Chapter 287: Chapter 259 Look at My Hairpin!
"Ma’am, General’s wife, a guard named Yang Tong is at the door, claiming to be a close attendant of the General’s wife, and has something to report."
The maid walking towards the garden gate interrupted their conversation.
Fu Zhen immediately collected her thoughts and looked towards the garden gate.
...
Inside the open pavilion, after a few drinks, Liang Zhi’s gaze frequently fell on Pei Zhan, who was fanning himself.
"You seem to be in a good mood?"
This guy, after half a meal’s worth of drinks, had already twitched the corners of his mouth five or six times! If this were during the war years, with such an ostentatious demeanor, it would be a wonder if he could hold down those fierce warriors under his command!
Did he get promoted or find some treasure?
Pei Zhan heard his question, but still only slightly curled his lips and did not speak.
Liang Zhi couldn’t stand his carefree demeanor. He picked up his own fan to pat Pei Zhan on the shoulder, "What kind of charade are you playing?"
Pei Zhan’s body paused, and with his empty hand, he adjusted the jade hairpin on his head, "Watch where you’re hitting! You might damage my hairpin."
Liang Zhi eyed the white jade hairpin on his head, "It’s just a piece of jade, you usually aren’t this stingy."
This time he noticed the emblem of the Ning Family’s Shop on the top of the hairpin and instantly exclaimed, "Where did you get this?!"
Pei Zhan gently shook his fan, "It was a gift."
"Who gave it to you?!"
Pei Zhan glanced at him and said nothing more.
"Oh wow!"
Liang Zhi exclaimed, and beside him, Liang Chen also looked up.
Liang Zhi said, "Don’t boast to me; Aunt would never do something like that!"
How could Fu Zhen give a hairpin to Pei Zhan?
She always regarded him as a nephew!
Besides, she never even gave one to me, her real nephew!
"The lady is here."
The conversation paused there as the servant announced from outside.
Soon Su Xinger and Fu Zhen walked in.
Before Liang Zhi could open his mouth, Fu Zhen said, "There’s news from Zhe Yu’s side. Chen Shun said Zhe Yu sent someone to the Prince’s Mansion early in the morning. Just now, Princess Rong went to the Zhe Family. About two quarters of an hour ago, Princess Rong returned furiously to the Mansion.
"Currently, Princess Rong has already sent someone to summon Xu Yin to the mansion."
The people in the room exchanged glances upon hearing this, and Liang Zhi immediately said, "The assassin has already been taken away by you, Zhe Yu has no eyewitnesses. Will Princess Rong believe him?"
"That’s not an issue." Liang Chen said, "Princess Rong and Zhe Yu are closely tied, and what’s more, Zhe Yu has long been under the control of Princess Rong. If he’s accusing Xu Yin, Princess Rong will definitely be inclined to believe him and will look for answers from Xu Yin’s side."
"Zhe Yu has evidence." Fu Zhen said, "The small knife from the sleeve crossbow that injured him I’ve already given to him, and the Imperial Physician who treated him can testify that he was injured by that sleeve crossbow.
"The Imperial Physician was invited by Princess Rong, so as long as Princess Rong can prove that someone around Xu Yin indeed uses a sleeve crossbow, Xu Yin’s suspicions won’t be easily cleared."
"That’s excellent!"
Liang Zhi patted the table, "Zhe Yu taking this step means all the effort spent in this period was not in vain!"
"It’s just uncertain how effective it will be?" Fu Zhen knitted her brows.
She had no confidence in any of the three parties involved in the matter.
Zhe Yu was too stubborn, Princess Rong was only out for her benefit, and Xu Yin was extremely cunning. Relying on others was not as good as controlling things herself.
Pei Zhan said, "The situation in the Prince’s Mansion can be left to Mrs. Zhang."
Fu Zhen realized, yes, after Yongping was removed not long ago, Mrs. Zhang had been trying to curry favor and get closer. If they wanted to get insider information now, only someone like Mrs. Zhang, who was the Princess Consort of the Prince Manor, could achieve it.
The key was that the Zhang Family bore a significant burden for this matter back then!
Zhang Shicheng suffered heavy losses, not only demoted by implication but also provoked hatred with the He Family. Xu Yin directly harmed the Zhang Family, so how could this be kept from Mrs. Zhang?
If they didn’t tell her now, when would they?
Fu Zhen immediately said, "Let me go meet her!"
"I don’t think it’s necessary." Pei Zhan looked at Liang Zhi, "This Mrs. Zhang is like sticky candy; if you tell her directly, we won’t be able to shake her off. Shaoyuan, you should tell Zhang Shicheng, and he will surely inform her."
"It makes sense!" Liang Zhi immediately stood up, "I’ll go right away!"
...
As the message passed through these channels and reached Mrs. Zhang’s ears, Xu Yin had already entered the Prince Manor.
Mrs. Zhang clenched her hands, pacing back and forth in the room, her thoughts as tumultuous as ocean waves: "So it was this venomous snake Xu Yin working in the shadows! He made our Zhang Family shoulder the blame and even got my brother beaten up by He Qunying!
"Just as brother said, that Xu fellow is the biggest hidden threat!"
Beside her, the matron was too angry to speak, "Princess Consort, this matter should be reported to the Princely Heir as well! The Princely Heir has always shown great respect towards Vice Minister Xu!"
Mrs. Zhang tightly clenched her fists, stood still for a moment, and then shook her head, saying, "No, we have no evidence. Let’s first send someone to keep an eye on the situation at the Princess’s place!"
The matron nodded and immediately sent someone out.
Mrs. Zhang then called her back: "How would outsiders know about such things so easily? Where did brother get this information?"
The matron said, "The uncle did not say."
"Go find out! Also, have someone bring something to the Zhe Family, to see what they have to say!"
Yongping fell to this end entirely because she wove her own web, deserving her fate, but Princess Rong doesn’t see it this way.
Strictly speaking, if it weren’t for the solid evidence provided by Mrs. Zhang that nailed Yongping, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state, so Princess Rong already hates Mrs. Zhang intensely, almost enough to crush her directly!
Mrs. Zhang, although not afraid of her, must tread cautiously to prevent herself from slipping and leaving evidence in Princess Rong’s hands.
If this information is incorrect, she could fall into a deep pit, potentially leaving herself vulnerable to Princess Rong!
When Xu Yin entered Fengen Hall, Princess Rong was already seated inside.
Upon entering and seeing her expression, Xu Yin, in his usual manner, deeply bowed.
"This son-in-law pays respects to Mother Consort."
"Someone! Hold him down for me!"
Just as he bent his waist down, Princess Rong slapped the table and shouted harshly!
Four or five guards immediately responded and rushed in, pressing Xu Yin down to his knees without any explanation!
Xu Yin raised his head, "May I ask Mother Consort, what crime has this son-in-law committed?"
"You still have the face to ask me?!" Princess Rong’s face distorted with rage, she stood up swiftly and strode to stand in front of him, "Zhe Yu is my person, and you have plotted to assassinate him repeatedly, thinking no one would ever find out, do you?!
"Bring in the rods, beat him until he’s dead, and make him confess!"
Instantly, two more guards bearing rods as thick as a child’s arm entered from outside, standing on either side of Xu Yin!
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