Chapter 021: They Are Nothing but Two Dogs

Madam Zhang was left speechless.

Earlier, the Marquis’s residence had pressured the He family to deal with Lady Liu.

Thus, Lady Liu’s death was inevitable, but how could the He family be so foolish as to drag themselves into it as well?

That was the great prison of Shuntian Prefecture! Apart from the officials of Shuntian Prefecture and the Imperial City Command, who else could have entered and committed murder inside?

It was simply that someone did not want He Hui to live!

And, as Zhang Shaode had said, at this moment, besides the Du family, who else would wish for the entire He family to perish?

“So, you mean the Du family will come after us next?”

Madam Zhang was barely able to stand.

Zhang Shaode’s voice was hoarse: “The petition regarding Lady Liu never mentioned the Du family at all. This morning at the Marquis’s residence, he was already furious. What he feared most was the secret being exposed and being blackmailed with it!

“Coincidentally, the people who know this secret best are the Zhangs and the Hes. So the incident at the He family was not an accident but a premeditated act.

“Since they have already targeted the He family, it’s inevitable that we will be next.”

Madam Zhang broke down in tears.

“What’s the use of crying?” Zhang Shaode pulled out the keys to the storeroom. “We cannot just wait to be killed.

“Quickly gather some travel expenses. Before dark, have your daughter-in-law use the excuse of taking her grandson to stay temporarily at Songyang’s maternal home and leave the city!

“Once outside the city, immediately send someone to follow your stepson and warn him to be cautious! Have them come up with an excuse and never return!

“Hurry!”

Madam Zhang wiped her tears and hurried out.

Zhang Shaode took out the bloodstained token from his pocket, his hands still trembling.

…

Du Yu hurried back to the Du residence from Shuntian Prefecture and found the Marquis of Guangling in the main courtyard.

“Father, things are becoming more and more strange!”

Before Du Yu’s return, someone had already reported the incident involving He Hui, and the Marquis was overwhelmed.

“What exactly is going on? Have no clues been found?”

Du Yu shook his head. “I interrogated He Jianzhong’s wife for a long time. She has completely lost her mind and can’t say anything!

“The only thing she keeps repeating is ‘the Princess.’”

“The Princess?” The Marquis of Guangling looked at him.

Du Yu sighed, “She’s delirious and unable to provide any clear answers.”

The Marquis paced with his hands on his hips. “And the authorities? Have they found anything?”

“In just two or three days, starting with He Xu, one incident after another has overwhelmed everyone. The officials haven’t even figured out He Xu’s death yet, and with all these related cases, it’s become even more complicated and impossible to get a foothold.”

The Marquis nearly gritted his teeth to pieces. “What about He Hui? Why was he foolish enough to attack Lady Liu inside the prison? Didn’t he know that even if he succeeded, it would invite suspicion?!”

Du Yu took a breath. “I visited He Hui in prison. He said that He Jianzhong ordered him to bring the person back to the residence for further handling and that he hadn’t done anything to Lady Liu.

“But Lady Liu was poisoned!

“He Hui denies that anyone from the He family delivered food to the prison. He claims the parcel appeared out of nowhere, and he doesn’t know how it got there!

“So I’m very puzzled. If what He Hui says is true, then who poisoned her?

“Who could have both poisoned the He family inside the residence and murdered Lady Liu inside the prison?

“There is absolutely no such person!”

The Marquis’s face darkened like ink as he gazed at the pile of Imperial City Command tokens on the table. “Apart from Shuntian Prefecture and the Imperial City Command, who else can enter the prison? No one! And all the tokens are here; not a single one missing!”

Du Yu inhaled deeply. “That is the greatest problem.

“If it’s not the fault or oversight of the Imperial City Command, then only someone inside Shuntian Prefecture could have done it.

“But if it was someone from Shuntian Prefecture, they have no reason to harm the He family, nor could they have carried out so many successive murders within the He household.

“Compared to those from Shuntian Prefecture, we, the Marquis of Guangling, who have the He family as our trusted retainers, have more room to maneuver.

“To a schemer, poisoning or killing within the He family is a piece of cake for us, who are closely connected.”

“Nonsense!” The Marquis slammed the table. “Why would we kill the He family? The He and Zhang families are just two dogs under our Marquisate. Why would I kill a guard dog for no reason?!”

“Of course, there must be an unspeakable motive,” Du Yu’s gaze deepened. “Others might think we have no reason to kill, but what about the Zhang family?

“The ones who executed that operation back then were the He and Zhang families. The He family’s deaths are so strange; now almost only the Zhang family remains.

“I believe once Zhang Shaode forms a suspicion, he will find us a reason to kill!”

The Marquis of Guangling suddenly stopped.

Du Yu’s eyes grew cold as he continued, “After the incident this afternoon, Zhang Shaode arrived at the He residence before I did. Before I went, he had already examined He Jianzhong’s corpse.

“I don’t know what he thought or discovered, but ever since I saw him, he has been acting strangely.

“Later, while I was handling the He family’s affairs, he remained silent by my side.

“Lady Liu’s death is obvious. If we cannot prove our innocence and that we never entered the prison, then from He Xu’s death onward, the blame for wiping out the He family will fall on us.

“And the first to suspect us will definitely be the Zhang family! They will believe we’ve discarded them when they’re no longer useful!”

The Marquis rubbed his forehead irritably. “This is a conspiracy—a scheme specifically targeting my Du family!

“But who exactly is behind this, planning every step?”

Du Yu furrowed his brows. “He Jianzhong’s wife keeps muttering about the Princess. I worry that someone might have learned that secret from back then and is using it to stir up trouble.”

The Marquis stared intently. “Is it Wei Zhang?”

Du Yu shook his head. “The clues show he’s still two hundred miles away from the city, in Ping City.”

The Marquis was unconvinced. “He could have secretly returned ahead of you! After all, if he’s really alive, he’s kept it from both of us for three years!”

He was clearly vexed by the subject. “When Princess Yongjia left the capital, the late emperor specially assigned twelve guards to accompany his only niece.

“Wei Zhang was the best among them and the only one not confirmed dead that night!

“If he’s really alive, none of this would be a problem for him!”

Du Yu was silent for a moment, then shook his head again. “The ambush happened at midnight, in complete darkness. All one hundred-plus people had their faces covered, except for He Xu, whose face was exposed when Princess Yongjia pulled off his cloth.

“From the Princess’s side, only Wei Zhang’s fate remains unknown.

“Wei Zhang couldn’t have known the He family was the culprit.

“Besides, he failed to protect the Princess, who was killed. He barely escaped alive; should he appear now, it would be a death sentence.

“So even if he wanted revenge, he wouldn’t dare to cause such a huge commotion.

“I am convinced there is another person involved!”