"How could this be? His Highness cherishes her above all else, how could he bear to make her sad? Moreover, what benefit would killing Xiao Zhen bring you?" Wen Ruyu also found the problem difficult to fathom, yet couldn't pinpoint its flaw.
"Unless I can clearly explain why I injured Xiao Zhen, Xiao Man will never believe me."
"Your Highness, the Great General was murdered by a coalition of forces. You were deceived and did not know. What about the others?" Wen Ruyu inquired. "Could others have been aware?"
Nangong Yu shook his head. "From what I know of that person, they would never expose themselves. Even if we find other murderers, we won't glean any useful information."
"Not necessarily," Wen Ruyu said slowly. "Even if that person didn't act directly, there must be an intermediary. If we capture that intermediary, we might be able to follow the clues. Furthermore, by capturing these people, you can hand them over to Xiao Man to deal with, which might ease the relationship between you."
Nangong Yu remained unmoved. "Do you think I've done nothing?"
Wen Ruyu opened the jade fan in his hand. "Given your temperament, how could you do nothing after being schemed against like this? You must have already investigated other culprits involved in killing the Great General Xiao, but I wonder what Your Highness intends to do?" Su Dan novel network
"An eye for an eye," Nangong Yu said faintly. "Xiao Man is soft-hearted, but I am not."
"Xiao Man is not soft-hearted," Wen Ruyu retorted. In his opinion, Xiao Man was ruthless towards her enemies and even more so towards herself. She dared to gamble with her own life to achieve her goals. What he feared now was that Xiao Man would go all out against Nangong Yu.
Given Nangong Yu's regard for Xiao Man, if Xiao Man truly wanted to kill him, Nangong Yu might not even fight back!
"Your Highness, your subordinate has a question for you."
"Ask."
"If Xiao Man were to kill you, would you allow her to act?" Wen Ruyu stared intently at Nangong Yu. He had endured so much hardship over the years and escaped death so many times. He did not want Nangong Yu to fail because of a woman.
"I will not die."
"Don't forget, Xiao Man is a physician. If she wants to kill someone, that person will absolutely not escape."
"If she truly wanted to kill me, I would have been dead long ago," Nangong Yu said faintly. "She cannot bring herself to kill me, and naturally, she cannot bring herself to kill Murong Sheng Rui. Otherwise, at Yang Guan, Murong Sheng Rui would never have escaped death."
"Your subordinate does not understand."
"As you said, she is a physician. If a physician truly intends to kill someone, how could they fail to strike a vital point!" Nangong Yu said slowly. "She is ultimately not ruthless enough!"
Du Yulan has gone mad!
Not only has Du Yulan gone mad, but in her delirium, she stabbed Madam Du and Young Master Du.
Young Master Du was the apple of the Du family's eye, a man of great talent and handsome appearance, who doted on his sister Du Yulan immensely. Who would have thought that Du Yulan, unable to bear the blow of her divorce, would lash out in anger and stab Madam Du and Young Master Du, who had come to visit her.
Madam Du was seriously injured, but Young Master Du was in critical condition. Grand Tutor Du summoned imperial physicians to the mansion late at night to treat Young Master Du, even pleading with Prince Qin's mansion for any leads on the divine physician.
However, Prince Qin's mansion had no trace of the divine physician. After all, the divine physician was eccentric and elusive, making him incredibly difficult to find.
Grand Tutor Du stood anxiously outside his grandson's room. His eldest son was imprisoned in the celestial prison, his eldest daughter-in-law and grandson were severely wounded and on the brink of death, and the culprit behind it all was his beloved youngest granddaughter!
"Father, don't worry. Eldest sister-in-law and Yu Sheng will be fine." The second master of the Du family was a scholar at the Hong Ru Academy. His elder brother pursued an official career, while he chose to become a teacher.
"Let's hope so."
It wasn't until dawn that the room door slowly opened. Grand Tutor Du quickly stepped forward. "Imperial physician, how is he?"
The imperial physician glanced at Grand Tutor Du and sighed. "Madam Du's life is saved, but she still requires careful tending. As for the eldest young master... please accept my condolences, Grand Tutor. He was too severely injured, and we did our best."
Grand Tutor Du stumbled, almost falling. The second master quickly supported him. "Father."
"Yu Sheng... he's gone?"
The imperial physician slowly nodded. "The stab to the eldest young master's chest was too deep, injuring his lungs. Even a divine immortal would likely be unable to save him. Grand Tutor, please make preparations for the funeral."
Grand Tutor Du felt his vision blur. He wanted to enter the room to see, but his feet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, unable to lift. He then collapsed, unconscious.
The second master quickly called for help, and Grand Tutor Du was carried back to his room. He also arranged for a mourning hall to be set up. Du Yusheng was the eldest grandson of the Du family and held a scholarly title. Before he could even make his mark, he died at the hands of his own sister. If this news spread, the reputation of the unmarried daughters of the Du family would be ruined!
Even though the second master was a scholar, he couldn't help but feel hatred. He had three daughters, whom he cherished as treasures. Except for his eldest daughter who was already married, his other two daughters were still unmarried. With this incident, who would dare to marry a daughter of the Du family?
"Keep Du Yulan under close watch, don't let her cause any more trouble!"
"Yes, Second Master."
The second master thought that if he could gloss over this matter, with the matriarch severely injured and unconscious and the eldest grandson murdered, the Ministry of Justice must be informed. For the sake of his daughters' futures, he could only frame this as an assassin's attack!
As the Du family held mourning rites, people outside gossiped incessantly. After all, the Du family had experienced too many incidents recently. First, Lord Du was reported for accepting bribes and disregarding the law, then Prince Qi divorced the Du family's young lady. Now, Madam Du and Young Master Du were both attacked, with Madam Du miraculously surviving, but Young Master Du not being so fortunate, dying on the spot.
Since Madam Du was in a coma, all household matters were handed over to the second branch to manage. The second master was busy entertaining guests, while the second madam was responsible for receiving female mourners.
Xiao Man came to the Du family to pay her respects, just as Grand Tutor Du regained consciousness and came to the mourning hall to see Du Yusheng for the last time. The two happened to meet.
Grand Tutor Du looked at Xiao Man's exquisite face, feeling an indescribable emotion. He always felt that everything that had happened to the Du family was not simple, and Xiao Man in front of him sent a chill down his spine.
After Xiao Man offered incense, she saw Grand Tutor Du waiting outside the door and immediately bowed.
"Grand Tutor."
"Commander Xiao, would you be willing to walk with this old man?"
"Of course, Grand Tutor, please."
Grand Tutor Du led Xiao Man to the garden. The spring garden was full of vitality, with flowers blooming in abundance. The entire courtyard was a riot of color, fragrant with the scent of blossoms, yet Grand Tutor Du had no heart to appreciate it.