AUBTN -Chapter 70 The Schemes of Two Women

“So, you set your sights on the capital,” Shen Jue picked up the conversation, his eyes, sharp enough to read a person’s heart, narrowing slightly.

“You wanted a blade fast enough, ruthless enough.”

Huamei remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Ruyi, though confined to the inner chambers, has a mind as clear as a mirror. She knows that in Su City, no one can control Jiang Huai. To seek revenge, to survive, one must aim higher.”

She turned to Shen Jue, her gaze complicated.

“At first, our target was you, Lord Overseer Shen.”

Shen Jue raised an eyebrow, not the least bit surprised; in fact, he asked with amused interest, “Oh? Why me?”

“Because Shen Jue of the Eastern Depot is ruthless, vindictive, and… wields power over the court and country.”

Huamei spoke frankly, showing no hesitation despite the fact that the person in front of her was the very subject of her words.

“Ruyi said that only a demon can subdue a demon. Jiang Huai is a villain, so we sought someone even more vicious, more powerful. As long as he could take down Jiang Huai, even if it meant offering up a fortune, even if… even if Ruyi had to submit herself to you, she would be willing.”

Yu Qing listened, clapping wildly in her mind.

【Sensible! Truly sensible, Jiang Ruyi! This plan makes perfect sense! Shen Jue is indeed a powerful ally!】

【But sister, though this sounds like praise, why does it almost sound like an insult?】

Upon hearing this, Shen Jue didn’t get angry; instead, he let out a low laugh.

The laugh sounded particularly eerie in the cold, sealed room.

“Demon? Heh… an apt description. My hands… indeed aren’t clean.”

He glanced at Lu Yan, his tone teasing: “Yet you made a backup plan, and now you’ve set your sights on this upright gentleman, Lord Lu?”

Huamei’s gaze shifted to Lu Yan, her eyes showing a hint of apology, but more of calculated rationality.

“Because Lord Overseer Shen is too dangerous.”

“Ruyi said that negotiating with a tiger’s skin will bring harm. Lord Overseer Shen’s moods are unpredictable; if we failed to approach him and were devoured instead, the cost would far outweigh the gain.”

“While we hesitated, we discovered news of Lord Lu.”

“You found the Song family?” Lu Yan’s voice was icy.

“Yes,” Huamei did not deny it.

“We learned that Lord Lu had past ties with the Song family. So I obtained a token from Miss Song, assumed her identity, and became Song Zhaoyuan.”

“All along, I escorted Ruyi to the capital under this guise. The original plan was to use this identity to get close to Lord Lu, to see if you were as upright and reliable as rumored, if you were worth entrusting.”

“If Lord Lu proved trustworthy, we would hand the evidence over to you, and with the Jinyiwei’s help, eliminate Jiang Huai.”

Lu Yan’s expression darkened to its extreme.

“You have an audacious heart.”

He gripped the hilt of his sword, knuckles whitening.

“Deceiving the ruler, impersonating an official’s kin, using the Jinyiwei… do you know this is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations?”

“I know.”

Huamei lifted her head.

“But I don’t care. As long as Ruyi can be saved, as long as Jiang Huai can be killed, I will give my life for it.”

“Originally, we never intended to make things this big.”

Her voice lowered, carrying a deep exhaustion.

“Ruyi’s initial plan was only to find a way to expose Jiang Huai’s illicit salt trade and have him imprisoned. But we underestimated his madness.”

“He discovered it?” Yu Qing couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Not only did he discover it, he went insane.”

A flicker of fear crossed Huamei’s eyes.

“The previous prefect noticed discrepancies in the salt accounts and was about to report them, but that night Jiang Huai had him killed and staged it as a suicide.”

“That was when we finally realized Jiang Huai wasn’t merely greedy for money—he was plotting rebellion! He was secretly forging weapons and colluding with foreign enemies. There was no turning back for him anymore!”

“We never expected the matter to blow up so badly. His Majesty was enraged, and that was why he dispatched the two of you to Jiangnan.”

“We knew our chance had come.”

“That’s why we insisted on returning together!”

At this point, Huamei suddenly dropped to her knees and knocked her head heavily against the floor.

“Lord Lu, Chief Shen.”

“I know I deserve to die a thousand deaths. But I beg you—please save Ruyi.”

“Jiang Huai has already turned murderous toward her. He wants Ruyi to drive the two of you out of Su City. If she refuses, she’ll definitely be in danger!”

“The evidence is in my hands. As long as you promise to keep her safe, you may deal with my life as you please!”

The secret chamber fell into a deathly silence.

Lu Yan looked at the person kneeling on the ground, a trace of disbelief flashing through his eyes.

Two women had actually plotted such an enormous game behind the scenes.

Using themselves as pieces on the board, every step fraught with peril.

Yu Qing instantly felt a surge of admiration for the woman before her.

【This is way too epic! Sure enough, only girls would truly risk themselves to help other girls!】

【Lord Lu, what are you still hesitating for?! Isn’t this way more compelling than some childhood-sweetheart pairing?】

【Shen Jue, stop smiling already. That smile is creeping me out. Hurry up and do something!】

Huamei took a deep breath and raised an account book with both hands.

“This is the record of Jiang Huai’s money transactions with the remaining forces of Prince Ning over the past three years.”

Lu Yan reached out and took it.

He flipped through several pages at high speed, and his expression grew even darker.

Every single tael recorded there in dense detail had been scraped from the common people’s flesh and blood, only to be turned in the end into sharp blades aimed at the Great Ming realm.

“Is that all?”

Closing the ledger, Lu Yan asked coldly, “With this alone, we can only convict him of colluding with rebel remnants, but we still can’t find the whereabouts of those illegally forged weapons. If we can’t locate the armory, then even if Jiang Huai is arrested, it would only alert the enemy and leave endless hidden dangers behind.”

Huamei bit her lip, a flicker of unwillingness passing through her eyes.

“There’s one more book.”

“Jiang Huai is suspicious by nature. This ledger is only the outer account. The true core secrets—including the exact location of the weapons depot and the entire network of the illegal salt operation—are all recorded in a yin-yang master ledger.”

“Where is it?” Lu Yan pressed.

“In the secret room inside his study.”

Huamei lifted her head, her tone urgent.

“That secret room is protected by Mohist mechanisms. Other than Jiang Huai himself, no one knows how to open it or where the key is hidden. If anyone tries to force it open, the self-destruct mechanism inside will instantly burn all the evidence.”

Hearing this, Yu Qing could not help rolling her eyes inwardly.

【I knew it wouldn’t be this simple!】

【Isn’t this just the standard dungeon progression in a game? After beating the mobs, you still have to solve a puzzle. Without the key item, there’s no way to push the boss!】

A half-smile curled at Shen Jue’s lips.

“If Jiang Huai alone has the key, then let him hand it over himself.”

Lu Yan frowned and looked at him. “What are you planning to do? Storm the Jiang residence and force a confession? An old fox like Jiang Huai would rather die than speak.”

“Torture and coercion—such crude work is your Embroidered Uniform Guard’s specialty.”

Shen Jue spoke at an unhurried pace.

“As for this one, I much prefer…”

“…breaking the will.”

He turned his head slightly, his shadowed gaze sweeping across Huamei.