Chapter 104: The Paper-Paste Play

Meeting with the Old Madam of the Ye family went even more smoothly than Jiang Li had anticipated. Although she was consciously leveraging the Ye family's current troubles to draw closer to them, Jiang Li believed that even without this incident, there would have been no rift between the Old Madam and the Second Miss of the Ye family. As long as the Second Miss turned back, the Old Madam would always be her shield.

Still, it was, in the end, one task accomplished.

The next step was to wait patiently for the results from Tang Fan. However, no one expected the news to arrive so abruptly.

Three days later, Tang Fan visited the Ye residence. Upon entering, he announced, "We have found the person who brought the Tuoluo flowers to Xiangyang."

Ye Minghui asked, "Who is it?"

Tang Fan shook his head. "Over the past few days, I have been working with Prefect Tong to investigate. Following the clues, we identified the Dafeng Pharmacy in Xiangyang. Every six months, the shopkeeper sends men to collect rare medicinal herbs. He had a clever assistant who returned from the Western Regions two months ago. Some say he brought back a significant quantity of herbs, and according to others, there seemed to be traces of Tuoluo flowers."

"Dafeng Pharmacy?" Ye Mingxuan mused. "The people of Xiangyang get their medicine there, but they have no grievances with our Ye family."

"We intended to make an arrest immediately, but this morning, the shopkeeper of Dafeng Pharmacy, his family of seven, and the assistant who returned from the Western Regions were all silenced."

"Silenced?" Ye Jia'er exclaimed.

"Indeed. It should not be a vendetta. In fact," Tang Fan looked at Jiang Li, "I suspect it is highly likely that the mastermind behind this learned we were investigating and chose to sacrifice the pawns to save the pieces."

"You mean there is someone else behind this?" Ye Mingyu asked.

"If it had been the sole idea of the people at Dafeng Pharmacy, there would have been no need for such a massacre. Now that all those who knew the truth are dead, it is clear that someone else was directing them from the shadows," Tang Fan replied. He had not been entirely certain before, but seeing the suspected pharmacy wiped out overnight confirmed it: the incident involving the Ye family's ancient silk brocade was indeed a calculated frame-up. However, such brutal methods, showing no fear of consequences, indicated that the opposing party possessed considerable power.

Since he had already sided with the Jiang family, there was no turning back now; he had no choice but to push forward.

"Magistrate Tang's suspicions regarding Dafeng Pharmacy should not have been leaked," Jiang Li said with a slight smile. "Yet, in such a short time, they were silenced. Could someone have received the news in advance, leading them to strike? If so, there must be a mole..."

"Absolutely not!" Tang Fan hurriedly assured her. "We were sent to Xiangyang by the Weaving Office specifically to investigate this matter. We have no connection to Dafeng Pharmacy and would never leak the news." He was terrified that Jiang Li might suspect his own people of tipping off the culprits, causing the witnesses to be killed.

"Magistrate Tang, please do not be anxious. Since I have entrusted this matter to you, I naturally believe you will provide us with an explanation. It is just that this incident is truly unexpected. No sooner had we targeted Dafeng Pharmacy than every living soul there was killed. Isn't that too coincidental? Prefect Tong has many subordinates; could it be that one of his men accidentally leaked the news and provided an opportunity?" Jiang Li asked with a smile.

Tang Fan’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at Jiang Li. He sighed inwardly, realizing that Tong Zhiyang had completely offended this Second Miss of the Jiang family. Jiang Li’s words clearly implied that she suspected Tong Zhiyang of colluding with those framing the Ye family, leaking information so that they could eliminate the witnesses. While this was possible, Jiang Li bringing it up now was a clear and pointed suppression of Tong Zhiyang. Once Jiang Li returned to the capital, Yanjing, and told Jiang Yuanbai, Jiang Yuanbai could find any excuse to have Tong Zhiyang monitored and investigated thoroughly, and they would surely find something.

*The Second Miss is not to be trifled with,* Tang Fan thought to himself. With this realization, he became even more deferential. "We found scattered Tuoluo flower pollen in the courtyard behind the assistant's room at the pharmacy. Although the pharmacy was wiped out, we can conclude that the assistant was indeed responsible. Once we gather enough evidence, we will clear the Ye family's name."

"But the mastermind hasn't been found, has he?" Ye Minghui said in a deep voice. "Even if we succeed this time, what if they plot against us again in the future? We finally found a clue, and now the pharmacy is silenced. How will the people believe the Ye family's side of the story? They might even think we colluded with officials to manufacture an excuse. The Ye family's reputation is ruined. Not to mention anything else, I fear the business of ancient silk brocade will be finished. What are we to do?"

Ye Minghui spoke with heartache, but his words were not without reason. Tang Fan replied, "The Weaving Office will find a way to inform the public of the truth..." He felt his own words were weak. Even if the Weaving Office spoke up, the business of ancient silk brocade was effectively dead, and since it was the Ye family's primary trade, they had suffered a devastating blow.

"Uncle Minghui," Jiang Li said, "The investigation is not something the Weaving Office should be doing. To find the mastermind, we must rely on Prefect Tong. We will entrust this matter entirely to him. If he cannot find anything, we will report it upward, level by level. If even the Yanjing Prefecture Magistrate cannot find the truth, I will find a way to have my father petition the Emperor in person. There is always a way forward."

She spoke casually, but Tang Fan was startled, thinking to himself that Prefect Tong’s career was likely coming to an end. It was fortunate that he had stood with the Jiang family from the beginning; otherwise, given the Second Miss’s vengeful nature, he didn’t know how many ways she would find to settle the score.

With that in mind, Tang Fan did not dare to be negligent. After discussing the next steps in detail with Jiang Li, he took his leave.

After Tang Fan left, Ye Rufeng couldn't help but ask, "The people at Dafeng Pharmacy had no grudge against us, so why would they let themselves be used as pawns to trip us up?"

"Men die for wealth, as birds die for food," Ye Mingxuan instructed his son. "If they were willing to be pawns, they were either bribed or threatened. If the people from the Weaving Office hadn't intervened, the Ye family would have had no way out. Stepping on others' blood to survive always comes at a price. Look, a perfectly good pharmacy—now, there is nothing left."

Because everyone was dead, pursuing it further was futile, which left Ye Mingxuan feeling deeply troubled.

"But at least it served as a warning, didn't it?" Jiang Li smiled.

"But the silk brocade business is broken," Guan Shi sighed. "Mother will know about this sooner or later. The family business was built by Father and Mother, especially the silk brocade. Now that it’s ruined in our hands..." She couldn't continue.

The Old Madam was in poor health and could not stay up for long; she had to rest in bed. Aside from meeting and chatting with Jiang Li, the family tried not to trouble her with these trivial, distressing matters. However, it was unclear whether the Old Madam might hear of these things from the servants.

Thinking of the difficulties facing the Ye family, everyone was heavy-hearted. As they dispersed, Jiang Li tugged on Ye Mingyu’s sleeve. He understood immediately and followed her to a room to talk.

"Uncle Mingyu, are Suqin and Tong Yu still doing well?" Jiang Li asked. Suqin and Tong Yu were the concubine and son of Tong Zhiyang.

"Rest assured, I have them well hidden. Tong Zhiyang has been like a mad dog these past few days, sending people everywhere to look for them. If he weren't afraid of the He family, I believe he would have mobilized everyone in his office to find them!"

Jiang Li said, "No matter. Send a message to Tong Zhiyang today."

"What message?" Ye Mingyu asked suspiciously. "I was just worrying about how to deal with the two of them. Now that the silk brocade matter is settled, they are of no use to me. I was thinking of just telling the He family and letting them deal with Tong Zhiyang."

"We will certainly tell the He family eventually," Jiang Li smiled, "but before that, we must make Tong Zhiyang spit out who the mastermind behind the scheme against the Ye family is."

"He knows?" Ye Mingyu was shocked.

"I suspect that as a Prefect, he might not know the exact identity of the mastermind, but he can provide clues. With those, I won't have to worry about finding the person once I return to Yanjing." She looked at Ye Mingyu. "Uncle, use Tong Yu's personal effects to threaten him. For the sake of his only heir, he will tell you everything he knows."

Ye Mingyu said, "I'll go at once!"

"Be careful," Jiang Li cautioned. "Don't leave any evidence behind."

Ye Mingyu smiled. "Rest assured!"

...

Tong Zhiyang had been having a very difficult time lately.

First, there was the matter with the Ye family, which had been a sure thing until Jiang Li appeared and disrupted everything, leaving him to watch helplessly as the Ye family escaped disaster. Then came Tang Fan, who used the name of the Yanjing Weaving Office to suppress him in Xiangyang, stripping him of all authority.

Most importantly, his favorite concubine, Suqin, and his son, Tong Yu, had gone missing, and he still hadn't found them.

Every time he thought of this, Tong Zhiyang felt as if his heart were being stabbed. Suqin was one thing—although beautiful and considerate, she was ultimately just a woman; he could always find another. But Tong Yu was different. He had only this one son, and it seemed the Madam from the He family was incapable of bearing children. If he lost Tong Yu, the Tong family line would end with him. How could he not be anxious?

Tong Zhiyang most suspected that the Madam had discovered the two of them and taken them away. But on second thought, given her temperament, if she had known about Suqin and Tong Yu, she would never have played the fool; she would have attacked the door. Moreover, even if she had done it, Tong Zhiyang didn't have the courage to question her, so he could only keep it to himself, feeling uneasy and restless.

The Weaving Office had moved too fast. Fortunately, he had immediately passed on the news that Tang Fan suspected Dafeng Pharmacy, so at least that part hadn't gone wrong. Although he hadn't completed his brother-in-law's plan, he hadn't caused any further disasters.

Just then, his servant rushed in from outside, calling out, "Master!"

Tong Zhiyang turned back impatiently. "What are you shouting about!"

The servant closed the door and panted, "Young Master... Young Master..."

"Is there news of the Young Master?" Hearing about Tong Yu, Tong Zhiyang immediately stood up in excitement.

The servant handed him a letter and a silver longevity lock. "I found this at the gate. I don't know how long it had been there. I recognized this as the Young Master's button, so I guessed this had to do with him." He handed the letter and the silver lock to Tong Zhiyang.

Tong Zhiyang looked at the silver lock, his excitement evident. "It's Yu’er's!"

Tong Zhiyang adored Tong Yu, and when the boy was born, he had specifically commissioned this longevity lock. The one in his hand was undeniably the same. He impatiently tore open the letter, his expression darkening as he read.

The servant didn't know what had happened, but after reading the letter, Tong Zhiyang threw it to the ground and gritted his teeth, saying, "Outrageous!"

"Master, what happened?" the servant asked.

"Someone has kidnapped Yu’er and Suqin," Tong Zhiyang took a deep breath. "This letter is a threat!"

"Are they asking for money?" the servant asked. Every threat had a motive.

"If only they wanted money!" Tong Zhiyang was infuriated. The letter clearly stated that Tong Yu and Suqin were in their hands, and they didn't want money. They demanded he explain the entire truth behind the Ye family's troubles. If they were satisfied with his account, they would release the hostages; if not, they would keep them until they were satisfied.

This was forcing Tong Zhiyang to betray his own brother-in-law!

Tong Zhiyang was unwilling, but looking at the longevity lock, he felt even more reluctant to lose his son. Without Tong Yu, no matter how high his rank or how vast his wealth, he would have no successor. Could he let his family line end just like that?

After much deliberation, Tong Zhiyang gritted his teeth and made his decision. People are selfish; besides, he had already done his best for his brother-in-law. If anyone was to blame, it was the Second Miss of the Jiang family for appearing out of nowhere and reversing the situation. He could not gamble with the life of his own flesh and blood for the sake of others.

"Bring me paper and pen!" Tong Zhiyang ordered.

The servant rushed to get them. Tong Zhiyang looked at the letter on the floor and gritted his teeth again.

The kidnappers had told him to deliver the letter to the back courtyard of the He residence. Tong Zhiyang had wanted to have someone follow the letter to find out who the culprits were, but since it had to be delivered to the He residence—the Madam’s maiden home—he didn't dare to act under the noses of the He family, fearing they might discover the existence of Suqin and her son.

The kidnappers were truly calculating, leaving no stone unturned. It was maddening.

...

Jiang Li stood at the gate of the Ye residence, waiting for news of Ye Mingyu. He had gone to retrieve Tong Zhiyang’s reply. Although she could guess the outcome, she needed the letter to confirm certain details.

The sunlight fell lazily. Winter was approaching, but Xiangyang’s winter was warm, unlike the north in Yanjing. Even when it snowed, it wasn't very cold; the flakes drifted like white pear blossoms in the wind.

The gate of the neighboring residence opened, and Jiang Li looked over to see Ji Heng and his guard, Wen Ji, walking out.

They saw Jiang Li, and Ji Heng smiled, walking toward her at a leisurely pace.

There weren't many pedestrians at the gate of the Ye residence; those who lived here were high officials and nobles. However, Ji Heng’s beauty was so striking that it immediately drew everyone's attention. Jiang Li even saw young women leaning out of doorways in the distance, casting frequent glances toward him.

They did not know Ji Heng’s identity, yet even so, he was the most dazzling person in the area.

"Lord Duke," Jiang Li greeted him.

"Rare to see the Second Miss of the Jiang family out sunning herself," Ji Heng said with a smile, holding his folding fan.

It was the depth of winter; a fan was unnecessary. If anyone else held one, they would be accused of affectation, but in his hands, it seemed perfectly fitting, as if the gold-threaded fan was meant to be held by someone as beautiful as he. Of course, Jiang Li knew well that after seeing the fan block a dagger tip, it was not merely a fan but a dangerous weapon, hidden in plain sight by his casual demeanor.

Just like its owner.

Jiang Li smiled. "The Lord Duke also has a fine mood today."

To an outsider, they appeared like old friends who hadn't met in a long time. But Jiang Li would never assume Ji Heng saw her as a friend. Beneath his gentle smile lay a cold heart. As for what he was doing, Jiang Li didn't understand, nor did she want to.

"What is the Second Miss waiting for?" Ji Heng asked. "Waiting for Tong Zhiyang’s confession?"

Jiang Li looked up at him. *Indeed,* she thought, *not even the smallest movement on my side escapes his eyes.*

She replied openly, "Nothing escapes your eyes."

"Xiangyang is, after all, quite small," Ji Heng said modestly. "No secrets can be kept."

"That is a fact."

Wen Ji stood to the side, feeling astonished as he watched the two talk as if no one else were around. Ji Heng appeared gentle and affectionate, but he was not an easy person to deal with and was particularly arrogant and cold toward strangers. He rarely spoke so much to anyone. The Second Miss had left Qingcheng Mountain less than half a year ago, and in that time, besides causing a stir in Yanjing, she had established many connections with Ji Heng.

Wen Ji could not discern what his master was thinking. Some said Jiang Li would eventually become a sacrificial pawn, yet Ji Heng hadn't touched her from start to finish. Others said he intended to support her, yet he had never helped her against the conspiracies and dangers she faced.

He simply stood on the sidelines, enjoying the show, neither helping nor kicking her while she was down.

And the Second Miss was a remarkable person, too. Facing the mercurial Duke of Su, she never showed a hint of fear. Not to mention she was just a young girl; even someone much older would not have been so calm and composed while talking to him.

"The Second Miss seems to have already guessed who it is," Ji Heng looked at her with a smile.

"I suspect the Li family," Jiang Li said directly.

Perhaps not expecting Jiang Li to say it so bluntly without even trying to cover it up, Ji Heng looked slightly surprised. He didn't speak, and the next moment, he heard Jiang Li say, "The Lord Duke has known all along, hasn't he?"

She threw the question back at him.

*She really isn't afraid of me at all.*

Ji Heng asked, "Why ask me?"

"Because Xiangyang is too small, and no secret can be kept from the Lord Duke," Jiang Li replied as if it were a matter of course. Her eyes were curved in a smile, appearing innocent and simple, yet her words were sharp as blades.

Ji Heng laughed. "Want to know?"

Jiang Li just looked at him and smiled. Ji Heng shook his fan. "Cannot say."

Saying he couldn't say was, in effect, saying it. Jiang Li nodded. In truth, she still couldn't see whose side Ji Heng was on. Putting aside his relationship with Prince Cheng and the Emperor, his connection to the Prime Minister’s family was equally murky. He seemed to know the eldest son of the Li family, yet when the Li family's plan failed, he didn't lift a finger to help. If they were allies, they were truly annoying ones.

As they were talking, a chestnut horse galloped from the distance. The rider didn't even pull the reins, just gave a whistle, and the horse stopped abruptly before the gate.

It was Ye Mingyu.

Ye Mingyu dismounted and saw Jiang Li standing with a man whose beauty was almost unbelievable. The man wore red, looking excessively beautiful, yet not at all feminine. Although he was smiling, his long, narrow phoenix eyes seemed devoid of any warmth. Having spent his life licking blood off blades, Ye Mingyu instinctively sensed danger and subconsciously wanted to pull Jiang Li behind him, away from this man.

"Uncle Mingyu," Jiang Li called out.

"Ah Li, who is this..." Ye Mingyu looked at Ji Heng. He didn't recall such a figure ever appearing in Xiangyang.

Jiang Li hesitated for a moment before saying, "This is a gentleman who lives in the neighboring house. We’ve met a few times."

She didn't reveal Ji Heng’s identity.

Ji Heng smiled at Jiang Li. "The secret has returned; Second Miss, you should go inside." He spoke with a meaningful tone.

Because Ye Mingyu was there, Jiang Li couldn't say more. She nodded to Ji Heng and followed Ye Mingyu into the Ye residence.

Wen Ji saw them leave and asked, "My Lord, do you need me to..."

Ji Heng blocked him with his fan. "No need." He glanced at the tightly closed gate of the Ye residence and smiled. "I don't need to look to know what she is going to do. Xiangyang is about to be turned upside down."

...

Ye Mingyu and Jiang Li returned to her courtyard.

Tong'er and Baixue hurriedly poured tea for Ye Mingyu. Seeing there was no one else around, he immediately asked impatiently, "Ah Li, who was that man just now? You didn't say, but I can see he is no ordinary person, and you two seemed to have a prior acquaintance."

Seeing she couldn't hide it, Jiang Li said, "He is the current Duke of Su, Ji Heng."

"The Duke of Su?" Ye Mingyu gasped. He had heard the name, but to the people of Xiangyang, the Duke of Su was a distant legend. Seeing a legend in person felt surreal.

"Why is the Duke of Su here?" Ye Mingyu asked.

Jiang Li shook her head. "I don't know. I met him once while accompanying my father to a palace banquet. Because of my father, we spoke a few times, so we are acquaintances. Meeting him here in Xiangyang was an accident, so I exchanged a few words. However," she paused, "please do not tell anyone else, Uncle. The Duke’s identity is special. I don't know why he is here, and to avoid trouble, it is better not to speak of it."

"I understand," Ye Mingyu patted his chest. Although he didn't understand the inner workings of the official world, he knew that high officials had many private agendas. He didn't want to get caught in someone else's storm and end up as a scapegoat for nothing.

He took a letter from his robe. "This is the reply I found at the He residence." He praised Jiang Li, "You are truly amazing. Knowing Tong Zhiyang fears his wife like a tiger, you suggested leaving the reply at the He residence. He didn't dare to have anyone follow, so getting the letter was easy. I just don't know if what he wrote is true or false."

Jiang Li opened the letter and said, "It's true. Tong Zhiyang wouldn't risk his son's life."

She unfolded the letter, read it carefully, and after a moment, handed it to Ye Mingyu.

Ye Mingyu read it, and Jiang Li sank into deep thought.

Tong Zhiyang was clearly desperate for his son's life, and the letter revealed quite a bit. Tong Zhiyang himself didn't know exactly who was behind the silk brocade plot. His brother-in-law, the Director of the Palace Armory, had simply written to instruct him to make the Ye family suffer. When the Ye family was at their wit's end, Tong Zhiyang would offer them a way out, at a price, and become their only hope.

It seemed someone was using the silk brocade incident to force the Ye family into a corner to make a deal and become their tool. But who the mastermind was, Tong Zhiyang didn't know. Although his brother-in-law had passed the orders, he was just a messenger, promised that if the matter succeeded, Tong Zhiyang’s career would flourish.

The Director of the Palace Armory had also vaguely hinted that a powerful figure in Yanjing was behind the entire thing, and they were all acting on this person's behalf.

It should have been a foolproof plan, but Jiang Li had appeared, and from the moment she arrived in Xiangyang and learned of the silk brocade issue, she had written back to Yanjing to have the Weaving Office intervene, disrupting Tong Zhiyang’s entire plan. He had been forced to write to his brother-in-law, but the Weaving Office had moved too fast; before he could get further instructions, the matter had spiraled out of his control. The Ye family hadn't been forced to the brink; instead, they had found a way to survive.

This was everything Tong Zhiyang knew. Jiang Li believed he was still hiding some things, like the massacre at Dafeng Pharmacy, but that wasn't the most important part. The most important part was that the powerful figure Tong Zhiyang mentioned was, without a doubt, a member of the family of the Right Prime Minister, Li Zhongnan.

From the beginning, when Li Lian targeted Ye Shijie, to Li Jing’s conversation with Ji Heng, and now the conspiracy against the Ye family, the whole thing was a tangled web with no end in sight.

"Ah Li," Ye Mingyu finished the letter and said, "I know all the words on this page, but when I put them together, I can't understand what it means."

"Uncle, simply put: a powerful person in Yanjing coveted the Ye family’s property and cousin Ye’s official career, so they staged a trap. But," she smiled, "the play went sour."