"It's just a pity for Duke Wu, a hero of his generation, to meet such a tragic end... And his intelligent, beautiful, and exceptionally talented daughter, who had only enjoyed a few good days after marrying you, was caught in a fire and separated from her irresponsible husband... That Shen Lixue is really lucky, she didn't die in the fire, nor did she die of poverty and illness, and she even found a place in the Prime Minister's mansion in the capital and became a wealthy young lady. If she knew about Duke Wu's..."
"Shut up! Don't bring up what happened fifteen years ago again!" Shen Minghui slammed his fist on the table, his arm trembling slightly, and blood seeping from the back of his hand. Duke Wu and Lin Qingzhu had always been the deepest pain in his heart.
Lei Hong glanced at Shen Minghui disdainfully, thinking, "Useless coward, fine, I won't bring it up then. But remember this: you owe the Lei family..."
Shen Minghui suddenly turned his head, his angry gaze like a sharp sword, coldly shooting at Lei Hong: "Lei Hong, first Lei Yarong gave birth to an illegitimate child, then you used a curse on me. It is your Lei family that owes me, not me who owes you. If you bring up the matter of gratitude again, don't blame me for turning my back on you and exposing all the bad things you have done."
"You dare?" Lei Hong was startled, his expression instantly changed, and he shouted angrily.
"You can try if you don't believe me, and see if I dare!" Shen Minghui glared angrily at Lei Hong, his powerful eyes showing no sign of weakness.
Lei Hong's face instantly turned as black as ink. Shen Minghui's daughters were either married, left, or died, and the Prime Minister's mansion had no descendants. He was heartbroken and could give up everything and fight to the death, but the Lei Taiwei mansion still had descendants and endless hope. He could not go crazy with Shen Minghui.
"I've been afflicted with the same Gu poison as you, and I've been researching an antidote. Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, I'll make sure you survive!" Lei Hong lowered his stance, seemingly pleading for peace. A cold glint flashed in his lowered eyes. Shen Minghui actually dared to threaten him. Fine, very well!
"Take your nephew and get out of the Prime Minister's residence!" Shen Minghui pointed to the door, his eyes bloodshot, and roared angrily.
"Ye Lei, come back with your uncle!" Lei Hong was a vice minister with considerable military power, and the court officials treated him with respect. This was the first time in all these years that he had been reprimanded so ruthlessly. His face turned ashen, and he cursed Shen Minghui a thousand times in his heart. He reached out to grab Shen Ye Lei.
Shen Yelei was so frightened by Shen Minghui's actions that he collapsed to the ground. When Lei Hong pulled him up, he was still in shock and followed him away blankly, thinking to himself, "How could my father become so heartless and so terrible?"
The courtyard returned to calm. Shen Minghui's tall body instantly slumped onto the recliner, gazing at the sky with a hint of gloom and confusion in his eyes. He sighed heavily, "People have left, married, or died. Only this old man is left in the Prime Minister's mansion!"
Shen Lixue sneered, "The Prime Minister's residence has become like this all because of you. Who can you blame?"
Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue with anger and cold eyes. His strong arms tightened around her small waist, and with a turn of his body, he quickly left the big tree and floated out of the mansion.
"Dongfang Heng, I want to go back to the War King's Mansion and ask my godfather about what happened fifteen years ago." Shen Lixue recalled the conversation between Lei Hong and Shen Minghui. They were talking about what happened fifteen years ago, in a very veiled and sharp way. That matter was definitely not simple.
"Alright!" Dongfang Heng nodded, without asking why, changed direction, and flew towards the War King's Mansion.
Half an hour later, Dongfang Heng, half-carrying Shen Lixue, landed directly outside the War King's study. The study was still lit, and the War King's shadow, as he read letters, was projected onto the window.
Shen Lixue walked to the door and knocked gently. After receiving permission, she pushed the door open and walked to the center of the room. Looking at the flickering candlelight, she said, word by word, "Father, can you tell me the real reason why my maternal grandfather died fifteen years ago and my uncle's whole family was demoted?"
The War King's hand holding the letter trembled suddenly. He looked up at Shen Lixue, his sharp eyes flashing with an unusual seriousness: "You really want to know?"
“Yes!” Shen Lixue nodded solemnly. Since it happened fifteen years ago, there must be some connection between the Duke of Wu, Lin Qingzhu, and those pieces of jewelry.
The War King put down the letter and stood up, his sharp gaze piercing through the wide-open window as he looked at the dark sky outside: "Fine, I'll tell you!"
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... The excitement continues tomorrow, the secret will be revealed soon! Thank you all for the flowers, diamonds, tips, and votes, mwah...
Chapter 127 The Truth Behind the Great Fire (Part 1)
"Fifteen years ago, Duke Wu killed Prince Liang!" King Zhan said in a low voice, a sharp pain rising in his heart. This was the thing he and all the members of the royal family least wanted to mention.
Shen Lixue was shocked. The Duke of Wu, who was famous throughout the capital and loyal to the country, had killed a prince of the royal family. This must have shocked the whole city and countless people.
The death of their own brother grieved the emperor and princes. The fact that the person who harmed him was a loyal minister made the emperor even more heartbroken. No wonder they were so wary and kept their mouths shut: "Why would my maternal grandfather harm the Prince of Liang? Could it be a misunderstanding?"
The War King stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the dark night sky, a hint of helplessness flashing in his sharp eyes: "At that time, many servants heard Prince Liang and Duke Wu arguing fiercely in their room. A quarter of an hour later, Prince Liang vomited blood and died..."
"Why are they arguing?" Shen Lixue asked in a low voice.
"For the sake of the border war!" The War King sighed heavily. "That year, the Duke of Wu was injured and unable to go to the battlefield. The Southern Frontier frequently provoked us on the border. My fifth brother, the Prince of Liang, volunteered to go to the border to quell the rebellion. The Emperor consulted the ministers, and the Duke of Wu and several important ministers subtly opposed it, but strongly recommended that I go to the Southern Frontier. After careful consideration, the Emperor adopted the Duke of Wu's suggestion."
"Prince Liang was young and impetuous, proficient in poetry and military strategy, and somewhat arrogant. When Duke Wu rejected him and recommended me to go to the border, he was very dissatisfied and openly and secretly opposed Duke Wu from time to time. The Emperor and the Fourth Prince both advised him, and although he agreed verbally, he continued to do as he pleased in private. They thought he was just angry for a moment and would be fine once his anger subsided. They never expected that he would have a fierce argument with Duke Wu..."
"After the King of Liang died, did my maternal grandfather admit that he was the one who killed the man?" Shen Lixue looked at the King of War, her eyes full of hope.
"The Duke of Wu... he didn't say anything, he committed suicide out of fear of punishment!" The War King looked at the night sky, not looking into Shen Lixue's eyes. When he first heard the news, he was extremely shocked and rushed back without stopping, but he was still a step too late.
A shadow fell over Shen Lixue's beautiful eyes. The death of Prince Liang and the suicide of her maternal grandfather directly confirmed his guilt in killing Prince Liang without any further evidence: "How did Prince Liang die?"
King Liang repeatedly provoked him, and Duke Wu, unable to bear it any longer, accidentally stabbed him in a fit of anger, but unfortunately killed him by mistake. Unable to face the emperor, did he commit suicide to atone for his sins?
"It's poisoning, Gu poison!" War King's sharp eyes flashed with a cold light. Gu poison from the Southern Frontier appeared in Qingyan Capital, killing the royal Liang King. The emperor was furious and demoted Lin Qingfeng, the son of Duke Wu, to the border. He also banished all the ministers who pleaded for Duke Wu from the capital and exiled them to various remote places.
"Gu poison!" Shen Lixue was suddenly stunned. The image of Shen Minghui and the Gu poison on Lei Hong flashed through her mind: "My grandfather knows Gu poison?"
“I don’t know either.” The War King frowned as he recalled the situation at the time: “When I returned to the capital, the Duke of Wu had already been buried, Lin Qingfeng had been demoted to Subei, and Shen Minghui had taken your mother back to Qingzhou.”
"When the Prince of Liang died from poisoning and my maternal grandfather committed suicide out of fear of punishment, were there any other people present?" This is the most crucial question.
"When the Prince of Liang died of poisoning, only the Duke of Wu was present. When the Duke of Wu committed suicide, many ministers witnessed it. They were all discussing matters at the Duke of Wen's residence when they heard the two arguing fiercely in the guest room. They came together to persuade them and witnessed the Duke of Wu take his own life..."
The War King sighed softly. By committing suicide in front of so many people, he was indirectly admitting that he had caused the death of the Liang King.
"Which officials witnessed my grandfather's suicide?" Duke Wu spent half his life on the battlefield, always seeing things through to the end. Even if he mistakenly killed the Prince of Liang in a fit of anger, he should have offered an explanation to avoid implicating his son and daughter. To commit suicide silently as an apology would be irresponsible; he shouldn't be that kind of person.
The War King frowned: "I was at the border at the time, so I wasn't entirely clear on who exactly was there. Later, I found out that Grand Commandant Lei, Minister Zhuang, Vice Minister Lei... and your father, Shen Minghui, were all present."
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. If she had only suspected something before, she was now almost 100% certain that there was something wrong with the deaths of Prince Liang and Duke Wu.
Grand Commandant Lei, Vice Minister Lei, Minister Zhuang, and Shen Minghui are in the same faction in the court. They are united and help each other, and they are united against external forces. They share the same fate, and they share the same glory. The Prince of Liang and the Duke of Wu are witnesses to the deaths of the two men. As for the real reason behind the incident, let them say whatever they want.
"Godfather, do you believe that the Prince of Liang was killed by my maternal grandfather?" Shen Lixue looked at the Prince of War. She had subtly inquired about his past and knew that he respected and trusted the Duke of Wu when he was young. She thought there was something fishy about the Gu poison. Had he thought of it too?
“The Prince of Liang is very straightforward and has a short temper. He can easily provoke others’ anger. The Duke of Wu is calm, steady, and an elder. It is possible that he might be angered and reprimand him, but I believe that the Duke of Wu would not use witchcraft to harm people!”
The War King remained calm and composed, speaking slowly and deliberately. He did not favor anyone, but judged solely on his own abilities. He would believe to some extent that the Duke of Wu killed the King of Liang in a fit of anger, but he would not believe for a second that the Duke of Wu had used witchcraft to kill the King of Liang.
“I also believe that Grandpa did not use witchcraft to harm anyone.” Shen Lixue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Not everyone was deceived. The War King was clear-headed: “Did Godfather secretly investigate this matter when he returned to the capital?”
"I sent out many secret guards to investigate, but I didn't get any useful information. The officials, led by Grand Commandant Lei, asserted in court that it was not surprising that Duke Wu had learned Gu poison since he had been fighting with the Southern Frontier for many years. Coupled with the testimony of his son-in-law, Duke Wu's crime was confirmed!"