MFURCC -Chapter 60 Giving Her the Fish Key

“But the Fu family hasn’t confirmed their identities yet. General Fu will also help cover it up, so others will only think he went missing,” Liuzheng said, speaking of Ruan Mingzheng’s death, a faint curve lingering on her lips.

She knew that this expression of hers must be terrifying.

Perhaps the Prince would find her frightening as well?

Unexpectedly, Su Heng’s lips curved slightly as he said, “Finally, you’re showing some progress.”

“…!” Liuzheng was stunned.

Su Heng continued, “Don’t get smug just because I praised you. From now on, I want you to kill at least one person every three months.”

“…!”

“Can you do it?”

Liuzheng clenched her hands and replied without hesitation, “Yes!”

“Good. As for Feng Lunian, I will handle it from here. Starting tomorrow, the censors will jointly impeach him. Your personal military unit will soon be back under your command.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Liuzheng said, then added, “However, there’s been a slight mishap. Fu Family’s Second Young Master has died. This might mislead outsiders’ attention, but I’ve already told General Fu to temporarily keep the news hidden.”

She added proactively, “This is my own carelessness. I leave it to Your Highness to decide the consequences.”

Su Heng lowered his gaze to her.

“In your mind, do you think I enjoy scolding people?”

“N-no…”

“Since you’ve completed your mission, the minor mishap in between won’t concern me.”

“Thank you, Your Highness…”

“That’s enough! You may go. With Ruan Mingzheng ‘missing,’ you should return early so suspicion doesn’t fall on you.”

“Yes.”

Liuzheng bowed and was about to take her leave when Su Heng suddenly tossed her a fish-shaped key.

“?” Liuzheng was puzzled. “What’s this?”

“The key to the side gate. There are more traps in the mansion than the two you encountered today. In the future, if you need to report something, don’t climb over walls again. You can enter through the western side gate without being noticed.”

Liuzheng was astonished.

Su Heng actually trusted her enough to give her the side gate key?

So far… she had only helped him with half the work, at most.

“Don’t tell me… you still plan to climb the wall?” Su Heng noticed her hesitation in accepting the key and his brows showed slight displeasure.

Liuzheng quickly snapped back to her senses and bowed, “I won’t disappoint Your Highness in the future.”

“Don’t bother with empty words. I want to see your actions.”

“Yes!”

“I will inform them that, in the future, when they see you, they must not stop you. Go!”

“This subordinate takes his leave.”

Liuzheng bowed again and finally turned to leave.

At the gate, two burly men awaited her—both loyal to Su Heng. One was Liu Feng, the other Liu Yun.

Liu Feng stepped forward, “General Ruan, I’ll lead you out so you can familiarize yourself with the route and avoid accidentally triggering any traps.”

It seemed he had long known Su Heng would give her the side gate key.

Liuzheng nodded. As she left, she memorized the route and the locations of the traps Liu Feng had mentioned.

She didn’t need to know where other paths in the mansion led; she only needed to remember the way from the side gate to the study.

Her sense of direction was excellent, so she memorized it easily.

Outside the side gate, Pan Hong was waiting.

Liuzheng didn’t return through the main gate; she first climbed over her own wall to return to Tinglan Courtyard and changed into the clothes she had worn to the banquet. Then she climbed the wall again, met Yuliu, and together they took a carriage back to the General’s residence via the main gate.

No sooner had she entered than a maid rushed toward Tingfeng Courtyard.

The maid belonged to Ruan Baizheng.

She ran straight to Ruan Baizheng’s chamber.

Ruan Baizheng, under house arrest, couldn’t go out, so she had sent the maid to watch the main gate.

“Fourth Miss…”

When the maid entered, Ruan Baizheng was plucking petals off a flower.

“Done, not done, done, not done…” she murmured repeatedly.

When the maid arrived, she tossed the flower aside and asked eagerly, “Has Ming’er returned?”

Before leaving, Ruan Mingzheng had carefully explained his plan. She was anxious to see Liuzheng’s outcome but feared failure, which was why she had been tearing the petals.

The maid said, “Fifth Young Master hasn’t returned yet, but the eldest miss is back.”

Ruan Baizheng frowned immediately.

If the plan had succeeded, her younger brother would surely return first with the good news. How could Liuzheng be back before him?

She grabbed the maid’s sleeve and asked, “How did she look? Nervous? Panicked?”

The maid shook her head.

“No, I saw no trace of panic. On the contrary, she seemed quite pleased.”

“How could this be…” Ruan Baizheng murmured.

Her younger brother’s plan was supposed to be foolproof. Liuzheng should have lost her virtue and returned in a fluster.

But now it seemed the plan had failed.

What went wrong?

“I’ll go to General Dingyuan’s residence to check…” She stepped toward the door, but the maid stopped her.

“Miss, you’re under house arrest. You can’t go out.”

Although unaware of the siblings’ exact scheme, the maid guessed it was something secretive. She lowered her voice, “If you go now, you’ll draw attention and may interfere with Fifth Young Master’s plans…”

Only then did Ruan Baizheng step back.

“Then you go to the main gate and continue waiting for Ming’er. As soon as he returns, have him come see me.”

“Yes, Miss.” The maid bowed and left quickly.

Meanwhile, Liuzheng returned to Tinglan Courtyard to change her clothes.

Her tolerance for alcohol was average, but she had placed a thick, absorbent handkerchief inside her sleeve. Every time she drank, she appeared composed, but secretly spat the wine into the handkerchief. When taken out, it was soaked with unpoured wine.

“Burn it,” she instructed her nanny and went to see her grandmother.

“Grandmother,” she greeted, about to bow, but the old lady lifted her up.

“I was just wondering why you weren’t back yet, it’s almost dark!”

Liuzheng said, “I went with Sister Yuan. She had me sit at home for a bit, which delayed me.”

“Sister Yuan?”

“Yes, the wife of Minister Zheng of the Dali Court.”

“Oh? You know her?”

“We were old friends with her grandmother. After she married, I attended the wedding feast. But after her grandmother passed, our families had little contact.”

“I see.”

“You’re friends too. She’s kind by nature, and her husband is the Minister of the Dali Court. She may help you in the future.”

Liuzheng nodded.

The old lady leaned closer, sniffing slightly.

“You drank?”

Liuzheng smiled, “I wanted to hide it and changed my clothes first. But you noticed anyway.”

“Why hide? You’ll have social duties in the future. I understand a little wine. But you’re a girl; even if you attend gatherings, drink less and stay alert.”

Liuzheng replied, “I understand, Grandmother. I didn’t drink much, but it seemed Fifth Young Master had quite a bit.”

“Did he get drunk?”

“I’m not sure, but he left mid-banquet and didn’t return. Perhaps he rested at the Fu residence.”

“He’s usually careful. How did he get drunk today?”

Liuzheng smiled, “Maybe he was happy. He said he knew the Second Young Master of the Fu family, so he naturally drank more.”

“Even if familiar, there’s a limit. I’ll talk to him when he returns.”

Liuzheng nodded, smiling, then asked Nanny Shu, “Do you have any snacks? I only drank at the banquet and didn’t eat, so I’m hungry.”

Nanny Shu said, “I’ll get some immediately.”

The grandmother added, “Also, make two bowls of sobering soup—one for here, one warmed in the kitchen for Ming’er when he returns.”

“Yes.”

Liuzheng’s eyes flickered slightly. Her grandmother cared for her grandchildren deeply; she feared causing her sadness. But she couldn’t and wouldn’t stop. She could only let her grandmother be disappointed for a while.

Back at Tinglan Courtyard, Liuzheng instructed her nanny to send all the ginseng from her storeroom to her grandmother’s courtyard for future use.

Night deepened.

Nanny Jiang was to help her wash up, but Liuzheng waved her off. “Not yet, I’ll be going out soon.”

“Going out so late? Where to?” Jiang was puzzled, unaware of the plan.

Liuzheng said, “Not out of the residence. Someone will come to find me.”

Just then, a messenger reported, “Miss, Second Young Master sent someone. He asks you to come over.”

Nanny Jiang glanced at Liuzheng, thinking she truly had foresight.

“I understand. I’ll go now.”

Liuzheng stood, took a cup of wine from Nanny Jiang, drank half, rubbed the rest on her hand, gave Nanny Jiang a few instructions, and left with her.

Outside Tinglan Courtyard, a servant of the Second Young Master held a lantern to greet her.

“Miss, Second Young Master requests—”

Liuzheng supported Nanny Jiang’s hand. Jiang nodded, “Slow down, don’t fall again.”

The servant glanced at her, seeing her flushed cheeks and the scent of wine, and asked anxiously, “Miss, are you drunk?”

“I can walk. You lead the way ahead,” she said.

“Yes.”

The servant carefully led them, walking slowly. Upon arriving at Tingzhu Courtyard, he reported to the Second Young Master, who came out to greet her personally.

“Yao Yao, I didn’t know you’d be drunk. I would have come earlier to find you.”

Liuzheng bowed, “Second Uncle, you’ve come so late. May I ask the reason?”

The Second Young Master hurriedly explained, “It’s Ming’er. He went with you to General Dingyuan’s banquet. I heard you returned early, but he hasn’t come back. I wanted to ask you…”

Liuzheng said, “He left before me and later went to the Fu family. I stayed with the women, and we left together, so I didn’t call for him. I saw he seemed drunk mid-way, being led by the Fu household servants. Perhaps he rested there. Second Uncle, you might want to check with the Fu residence.”

“I did. They said he wasn’t there. For some reason, the Fu household is chaotic. The servants were sent away when they tried to ask. That’s why I sent for you,” said the Second Young Master.

“Then I don’t know… Maybe he drank too much and fell asleep somewhere?”

Just then, Ruan Baizheng rushed out.

“Father, she’s lying! Fifth Young Master must be in trouble! She’s up to something!”