TGCFNM -Chapter 453 Prefect Fang

The next day.

The Wan residence was calm, as if the assassination attempt had been nothing more than an illusion. Especially since Prefect Fang hadn’t received any reports about it at all.

Since last night, Wan Xing had been handling the matter and hadn’t returned home yet.

Chu Ling and the others were stopped by Uncle Hong from leaving the house. They didn’t go anywhere, but they could still hear news from outside.

For example, the shopkeeper of Shancao Hall had been arrested, and the Shen family’s mansion had been sealed.

Soon after, Prefect Fang reported to the Emperor and sent people south to bring back the fleeing branch of the Huang family.

The head of the Shen family confessed to their crimes without reservation, directly admitting that their actions were deliberate—they were only trying to profit from selling medicinal herbs. But they hadn’t calculated the timing correctly, and over a hundred innocent people were killed. They could not be excused and deserved execution.

However, when Prefect Fang asked how the Shen family’s branch, the Huang family, had located that remote county, the Shen family said nothing. And since nothing incriminating was found in the Shen mansion, Prefect Fang had no choice but to close the case and issue the judgment.

Hearing this news, Chu Ling did not feel a sense of triumph. Instead, a bitter, inexplicable feeling welled up in her heart.

She had now pieced things together. In Chu Yue’s previous life, a plague had broken out in Anma County. Lord Zhuang personally went there, developed a remedy, and bought medicine from Shancao Hall to treat the sick and save lives.

When this happened, the Zhuang family and Shancao Hall were certainly rewarded.

But Chu Yue had nothing to do with it—she was merely an observer. She likely saw the remedy through Shancao Hall and thus became aware of it.

In this life, Chu Yue may have calculated the timing, or perhaps wanted to accelerate it. She delivered the remedy, developed by Lord Zhuang in the previous life, to the Zhuang family ahead of schedule—but it aroused suspicion.

Meanwhile, Shancao Hall, for fame and profit, artificially created an even deadlier plague. This was why, when she went to Anma County, she witnessed such a devastating scene.

Chu Ling leaned back in the lounge chair and murmured, “She thinks Chu Rou is ridiculous, using her memories to clumsily imitate or do things, not realizing that she herself is doing the same.”

Ghost Scholar sat beside Chu Ling and spoke softly: “My Lord, how likely do you think it is that the person who tried to assassinate you was Chu Yue?”

“Absolutely certain.” Chu Ling answered without hesitation.

“Then have you considered why Chu Yue would want to assassinate you?” Ghost Scholar asked again.

Chu Ling looked up at the beams of the room and let out a wry sigh. “If she didn’t want to kill us, then those twenty-some assassins wouldn’t have come after our lives… but if she did want to kill us, she would have sent more than just twenty-some. So, I feel last night’s assassination attempt was more like a greeting… or a warning?”

“A warning about what?” Bai Su frowned. “Your identity? She herself is still the young lady of the Chu family.”

“If it’s unrelated to the Chu family, then it must be someone else,” Ghost Scholar replied, lightly shaking his folding fan. “Someone familiar with Shi Lanyu… one is Master Wan, the other is Fu Qingyu. In any case, it should be related to these two.”

Chu Ling made a soft hum in acknowledgment.

Behind Wan Sanjin was the Wan family—the wealthiest household in the Great Zhou.

Fu Qingyu was the top young master of the realm. But what help could a former Grand Tutor, already retired, offer her?

“If she really wants something, wouldn’t Master Wan be a better choice? He’s so wealthy,” Chu Ling said.

“Master Wan is the son of a merchant—rich but powerless,” Ghost Scholar said, his eyes slightly cold. “What she wants must be power.”

Chu Ling was a little surprised: Fu Qingyu equals power?

Another day passed.

At Perfect Fang’s insistence, the main members of the Shen family’s main and collateral branches were executed on the spot, while the rest were exiled to harsh, frozen lands. This news was swiftly sent to Anma County, and the imperial treasury even allocated funds to help the local people recover and rebuild.

So, only by today could the case be considered fully closed.

But just as the citizens of the capital were celebrating having such a just official, chatting over tea about Perfect Fang’s impartial rulings, only two days later, he was impeached.

Soon after, Perfect Fang became entangled in a major case.

When Su He rushed to find Chu Ling, she didn’t even register what he was saying at first. Only after he repeated it did Chu Ling respond in shock: “You’re saying… Perfect Fang is implicated in the case of Empress Hexiao’s death?”

Su He nodded.

Chu Ling shook her head in disbelief. “How is that possible? That’s impossible. Empress Hexiao died a long time ago, right? And at the time of her death, Perfect Fang—he hadn’t even taken office yet, he must have been only about ten years old!”

Su He explained, “Apparently, five years ago, someone thought there were many suspicious circumstances surrounding Empress Hexiao’s death, so they wrote a secret letter to Perfect Fang. But at that time, the eldest Miss of the Si family was a noble consort in the palace—just one step away from becoming empress herself. So Perfect Fang handed the secret letter over to the Si family. After they identified the person, they simply killed them.”

Chu Ling paused. “The Si family was executed, so naturally no one could be held accountable. And so the blame fell on Perfect Fang?”

Su He nodded.

Chu Ling opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Something about this felt strange.

If the evidence had been destroyed and the people were dead, who had brought up Empress Hexiao’s death again?

Ghost Scholar spoke beside her: “The emperor had a deep bond with Empress Hexiao. When she died, the crown prince was punished for returning late—forced to kneel in the hall for a full day and night. And every palace consort, maid, and eunuch who served the empress was tortured during questioning, then executed without exception.”

Chu Ling was stunned. “How did Empress Hexiao die?”

Su He said, “I asked Steward Liu. He said the empress died of illness. At that time, the capital was draped in white cloth and white lanterns; for three whole months, no meat, no marriages, no music, no official transactions… anyone who broke the rules was as good as dead.”

Chu Ling felt a chill in her heart.

Ghost Scholar knew even more details: “The empress had been coughing for a long time and her illness wouldn’t heal. She was sent to a royal villa to recuperate, tended by court physicians with medicinal baths and acupuncture. Her condition improved slightly, but somehow she suddenly returned to the palace against medical advice… The chief physician who attended her was likely the only survivor—probably the ancestor of the Zhuang family.”

Chu Ling looked at Ghost Scholar, silently asking for more.

He continued, “Within just half a month back in the palace, Empress Hexiao fell ill again. She was a virtuous empress, fair in rewards and punishments, never cruel to other consorts, so when she became sick, many consorts attended her. After her death, all the consorts who had served her were executed by the emperor.”

“I looked into this before,” he added. “Although her recovery was slow, it shouldn’t have become so severe suddenly… But Empress Hexiao was constantly worried, her health declining day by day. She probably realized her time was short, so she ordered the crown prince to return quickly. He arrived too late. Ever since then, the emperor seems to have resented the crown prince.”

Chu Ling was dumbfounded: The father resented his own son?