Chapter 922 - 924: Jiang’s Father Through the Eyes of the Old Madam_1
Prince Duan? Kuai Minglang jolted in shock, and suddenly it dawned on him. It was Prince Duan who was after Bai Ruozhu, or more accurately, the faction behind her, including the lord audibly present and even the smuggled items that might be more than just toothpaste. It seemed he had been slow to react; this was not a woman’s impulse, but rather a swift extrication from a trap, with the intention of biting back at Prince Duan.
But he was just a lowly prefect; how was he supposed to prosecute Prince Duan? Dismissing the thought, he figured it was best to take one step at a time, and for now, just observe how Bai Ruozhu would proceed.
He greatly disliked the feeling of being led by the nose, yet Bai Ruozhu’s actions commanded his respect, leaving him unable to harbor the slightest resentment. The skies of Beiyu City were changing, and he, Kuai Minglang, was unlikely to meet a good end.
"They even said that if I could secure Bai Ruozhu’s conviction, they’d help clear my name, and promises of wealth and high-ranking titles were sure to follow," Kuai Wen continued, "But if I refused to comply, they threatened to leave my family with nowhere to bury their dead."
With tears streaming down his face, Kuai Wen kowtowed incessantly to Kuai Minglang and pleaded, "My lord, I don’t ask for my own crimes to be pardoned, but in consideration of the coercion I faced, please spare my kinsfolk."
Bai Ruozhu swept Kuai Wen with a cold glance. He still had some conscience left, willing to consider his family’s welfare. But had he foreseen today, why would he have acted as he did in the past?
Frowning, Kuai Minglang asked, "Was it Prince Duan himself who ordered you to do all this?"
"It wasn’t him directly. It was the steward of Prince Duan’s Residence who came with Prince Duan’s waist token," Kuai Wen hurriedly explained.
Kuai Minglang’s frown deepened as he looked at Bai Ruozhu and said, "With only the testimony of your steward, I’m afraid it’s hard to convict anyone. Prince Duan holds a noble title and cannot be brought here for interrogation."
Bai Ruozhu was not naive enough to think she could topple Prince Duan with this small matter. If it were that easy, the Emperor would have had no worries by now. She had merely struck back appropriately, stabbing Prince Duan a blow, not threatening his life but enough to make him suffer.
"Let’s detain the person involved, and investigate the matter further. Now that it involves a prince, I too can only submit a petition to the Imperial Palace, seeking judgment from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager," Bai Ruozhu proposed.
Kuai Minglang heaved a great sigh of relief, thinking to himself that Bai Ruozhu was a sensible person, not forcibly demanding him to redress the grievance, lest he become the first in Beiyu City to be openly dealt with by Prince Duan.
"Rise quickly, Bai," Kuai Minglang addressed Bai Ruozhu. "You were not in Beiyu City when the incident occurred. You went to Jiangnan to bring honor to Beiyu City. Whatever your subordinates did behind your back should not be deemed your fault," he said to Bai Ruozhu.
"Thank you for your empathy, Prefect Kuai," said Bai Ruozhu, standing up from the ground and silently commending the prefect in her heart for deftly dismissing the charges against her.
Meng Liangshen also stood up, his face stern as he said, "I too will send someone to investigate today’s matter and see whether it is as Kuai Wen described, or if there is some underlying secret."
He emphasized the "underlying secret" heavily, implying he would check whether Prince Duan was setting up a trap for the loyal and the good.
Bai Ruozhu also paid her respects to Meng Liangshen but did not address him as her godfather in front of everyone.
She was recognized by Lady Meng as her goddaughter, and surely with Meng Liangshen’s consent. However, because of Wang Miaoshuang, Bai Ruozhu had never called them godfather or godmother before, and it was difficult for her to start now.
"I trust Prefect Kuai will report today’s events truthfully to the capital. The toothpaste offered by this humble woman will be promptly arranged for delivery to the Imperial Palace," Bai Ruozhu added.
Then, Bai Ruozhu bowed to Kuai Minglang and left the Public Hall.
The onlookers outside automatically cleared a path. Who would dare to sue Prince Duan but an ordinary person?
After Bai Ruozhu got into the carriage, she heard the discussions of the commoners in the street, most of which were about how Prince Duan acted so outrageously, truly a disgrace to the title of a prince.
With a slight upward curl of her lips, she felt these rumors were enough; she believed that Prince Duan must have received the news by now, and might show up soon.
As she was scheming, a familiar voice came from the street corner, "Do you really think Prince Duan only harmed Bai, the shop owner? What crime is treason and collaborating with the enemy? He aimed to eliminate not only Mr. Jiang, Bai’s husband, but also Bai’s adoptive father, Lord Meng of Beiyu City—both of whom are confidants trusted by the Emperor."
The people nearby listened with sighs, and the smarter ones immediately asked," Could it be that Prince Duan’s conspiracy is..."
The crowd looked at each other but did not explicitly state it.
The corner of Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched as she let the carriage curtain fall again, thinking it indeed was Muyu who’d spoken, that fellow who liked to do this sort of thing, completely lacking the aloof demeanor of a dark guard.
Bai Ruozhu wasn’t in a rush to go home but instead made a detour to the Meng Residence. With the situation urgent, she could only send a message to Meng Liangshen but didn’t have time to explain properly to Lady Meng.
After meeting with Lady Meng, Bai Ruozhu recounted the incidents and the critical points involved. Lady Meng nodded with satisfaction and said, "Girl, you did the right thing. This surprising move is the best way to save ourselves. It’s as if heaven is helping us too. Otherwise, if Prince Duan revealed the issue, the consequences would be dire."
Bai Ruozhu sneered, "Now that he has taken on the infamy for framing me, if anything were to be revealed, he’d be the first to be suspected of setting me up."
Lady Meng laughed and then proposed, "Since you’re about to send a batch of toothpaste to the capital, why not let Hanhong escort it?"
Bai Ruozhu was taken aback, adamantly opposed in her heart, knowing that Meng Hanhong, the son of Wang Miaoshuang, surely harbored some feelings towards her.
After careful consideration, Bai Ruozhu tactfully said, "Escorting goods would slow down the journey to the capital. I think the eldest son and Jinse are set on attending the funeral and shouldn’t be delayed."
"Indeed, that child isn’t likely in the mood to care about such matters. I’ll have Liangshen help you find someone else. You should keep your men in Beiyu City to protect you and your family. I’m worried about what Prince Duan might do..." Lady Meng’s face turned worried. If Prince Duan dared to plot rebellion, assassinating a fifth-rank officer’s wife was nothing to him.
"Grandmother, don’t worry. I will find a way to protect myself. This situation is no longer a dead end, and once Achun returns, everything should become clear," Bai Ruozhu reassured the old lady with a confident smile.
"That child Achun has become more capable, with the likeness of his father from back in the day," the old lady remarked with nostalgia.
Bai Ruozhu grew suspicious, realizing that Lady Meng must have known Jiang Yichun’s father, the one regarded in the capital as a deviant and unfilial pariah, the one his wife considered irresponsible and wasteful. Why then did he seem so outstanding in the eyes of the old lady?
She trusted that Lady Meng wasn’t merely uttering pleasantries, but what then was the truth?
Seeing her confusion, Lady Meng took her hand, placing it between her own wrinkled ones and rubbing it gently, smiling, "Sometimes, many things are not to be seen with the eyes, nor heard with the ears, but felt with the heart."