Chapter 73 (1/2)

Chapter Seventy-Three

A month ago Wang Fu Mu secretly met Xiao Nu in the palace.

‘Official Wang, on the day of the emperor’s birthday banquet I heard Consort Mu said seventh prince’s second wife’s son must be killed,’ Xiao Nu said. ‘Official Wang, ninth prince’s wife was framed…’

Wang Fu Mu inwardly smiled while he listened to Xiao Nu confessing Consort Mu’s scheme to gain his favor.

That day the emperor summoned Pei Jin to the palace to receive an edict to go to Xuan Qing. Wang Fu Mu secretly passed a folded note to Pei Jin before Pei Jin left the palace.

Later that day Pei Jin read the note in the horse carriage, ‘hates bastard son.’

Pei Jin didn’t expect Pei Zhang wore a headdress of a fool and understood why Pei Zhang killed Dian Thi’s son, the boy wasn’t Pei Zhang’s blood son.

Pei Jin knew Pei Zhang’s motive so he sent his guards to Pei Zhang’s manor to find evidence he and Yan Shi Ning were framed. His guards reported in the last three months there were two deaths in Pei Zhang’s manor, a guard named Feng Lang and Dian Thi’s personal maid Xiao Hai.

Pei Jin smiled coldly, Feng Lang was the father of Dian Thi’s son. Pei Jin thought of a plan to spread the news to his father without being implicated.

‘Why are you so calm?’ Bei Dou asked. ‘Don’t you want your wife and my wife to return to the manor?’

‘Wait another three days,’ Pei Jin said.

Bei Dou glared at Pei Jin, another three days they would be in Xuan Qing. He hated suffering with Pei Jin.

After three days Pei Jin and Bei Dou arrived in Xuan Qing. Bei Dou hated the way Pei Jin wasn’t anxious being away from the imperial city while their wives were held captive in the palace.

‘Wait another ten days,’ Pei Jin said. ‘We’ll return home and be reunited with our wives.’

In a busy restaurant in the imperial city two gentlemen were gossiping about Pei Zhang.

‘Did you hear seventh prince is wearing a beautiful headdress of a fool?’ the first gentleman asked.

‘How do you know this rumor is true?’ the second gentleman asked.

‘I’ll tell you how I found out but you have to promise not to tell another person,’ the first gentleman said. ‘I heard seventh prince’s second wife’s dead son isn’t his blood son.’

‘Truly?’ the second gentleman asked.

‘Of course,’ the first gentleman said. ‘I have a close acquaintance who works at seventh prince’s manor.’

‘I see… but who would dare to sleep with seventh prince’s woman?’ the second gentleman asked.

‘Didn’t you hear about how seventh prince’s trusted guard Feng Lang mysteriously died?’ the first gentleman asked.

‘Um, how is Feng Lang’s death related to this rumor?’ the second gentleman asked.

‘You fool… think about why a healthy man like Feng Lang would die at a young age,’ the first gentleman said.

‘I see… you’re saying-’ the second gentleman said.

‘It’s a secret!’ the first gentleman said. ‘You can’t say the secret.’

The two gentleman looked in four directions, everyone in the busy restaurant were eavesdropping on their conversation.

The two gentleman left the restaurant and took off their disguises in a remote alley and looked like their usual selves, Xiao Hui and Xiao Zai.