Free Web NovelChapter 402: Chapter 402: Where the Wind Rises
He loathed Ye Shixian to the core. Even without the friction between their two families, he wanted nothing to do with someone who had committed so many wicked deeds.
’How many times did Ye Shixian bully Big Sis in the past? And Big Sis is actually willing to clean up her mess?’
Ye Chutang twirled her teacup and gave a faint smile.
"Of course, there’s nothing between her and me anymore. This was never my business to begin with. But... Second Uncle isn’t in a position to handle things right now, so I have to resolve this matter. That way, I’ll have something to tell him later."
Ye Yunfeng froze.
’That’s right. How could he have forgotten about Ye Heng, exiled a thousand miles away!’
He had no love for that branch of the family, though, and couldn’t help but frown at the mention of them.
"Big Sis, you’re still too kind to them. Tongbei is so remote; he’ll probably never make it back in his lifetime!"
Every year, people were exiled to Tongbei. Countless died there.
Once you were sent there, you basically never came back. You stayed until you died.
’What does it matter whether Ye Heng knows if Ye Shixian is alive or dead?’
"Even if he found out, could he bring someone back from the dead?"
’Ye Heng can barely protect himself, let alone worry about others!’
Ye Chutang took a light sip of tea, her fine brows arching slightly.
"Anything is possible. It’s never wrong to be prepared for any eventuality."
’If Ye Heng knew everything that happened in the capital after he left, if he knew his family was destroyed and he was all alone, I wonder how he would feel?’
’He can’t bring the dead back to life, but if he were to go mad, it’s not impossible that he could take a few people down with him before he dies.’
"This is a favor I intend to collect on in the future."
...
"Xu Fengchi, are you joking? You claim this secret letter was given to you by Ye Zheng, yet you also say he never read it? This letter is of utmost importance. If Ye Zheng had it, how could he not have looked at it!?"
Jiang Zhao Yuan demanded in a grave voice, his disbelief plain.
"Ye Zheng did indeed preside over Huo Yucheng’s case back then. If this letter was truly given to him by Huo Yucheng, why didn’t he submit it immediately? Why give it to you instead!? And why did you wait until today to produce it?"
His words were not without reason. The officials in the hall exchanged glances, all equally baffled.
’He’s right!’
’There was no reason for Ye Zheng to hide such crucial evidence!’
Xu Fengchi lowered his head. "Your Majesty, please understand. It was not this humble servant’s intention to hide it. I truly had no other choice."
Emperor Muwu narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
Xu Fengchi explained, "Back then, when General Huo was imprisoned, he knew he had been framed. Fearing his enemies would strike again, he secretly told Ye Zheng about the letter’s existence. However, Ye Zheng didn’t know what was written in it, because before he could retrieve the letter, General Huo could no longer hold on and died of illness in his cell."
Huo Yucheng had first been poisoned, then nearly died on the battlefield. He returned covered in wounds, only to be thrown directly into the Heavenly Prison and subjected to brutal torture.
No one could survive such torment for long.
Huo Yucheng breathed his last before he could even face his scheduled execution.
Soon after, the entire Huo Family was executed, every one of them a lost soul.
Ye Zheng knelt outside the palace gates for so long, but it was all in vain.
After being demoted, on the eve of his departure from the Capital City, he secretly went to the Huo Family’s sealed estate.
At the time, everyone considered the place ominous, so there wasn’t a single guard. It had become a virtual ghost house.
It was there that Ye Zheng found the letter.
"General Huo had repeatedly warned Ye Zheng not to open the letter until after he had left the Capital City. So, Ye Zheng took the letter with him when he departed. He was supposed to open it after arriving in Wuzhou, but unfortunately—"
Xu Fengchi paused, sighing to himself.
"Before he met his end, he still remembered General Huo’s warning and passed the letter on to Ye Chutang."
At the mention of this name, the crowd fell silent.
They were hardly unfamiliar with this young woman.
In the half-year since her return to the capital, her name had spread throughout the entire Capital City.
His Majesty had even given her special permission to attend the autumn hunt, and she had been the one to treat the Third Prince’s injuries.
Now that Xu Fengchi had suddenly mentioned her, everyone simultaneously pictured her beautiful and gentle face.
Who would have thought she was holding on to such a bombshell piece of evidence!
"Ye Chutang, naturally, also did not know the letter’s contents. After three difficult years, she finally managed to bring her younger siblings back to the capital and handed the item over to me. When I first read that letter, I was shaken to the core, unable to believe it!"
At this, Xu Fengchi finally shot a cold glare at Xu Jie and said mockingly, "Although the letter was unsigned, it wasn’t hard to guess who wrote it based on the contents. But this humble servant was horrified. I could not comprehend how Lord Xu Jie, who had always been on good terms with General Huo, could commit such a treacherous and wicked act!"
Xu Jie’s face flushed crimson. "Nonsense!"
Seeing he still refused to confess, Xu Fengchi couldn’t be bothered to argue and simply continued his explanation. "Left with no other choice, I could only hold onto the letter for the time being while I searched for related clues. Thankfully, not long ago, I was able to find letters written by Lord Xu Jie to Yun Niang. The handwriting on them... If you claim they weren’t written by the same person, Lord Xu Jie, would you even believe yourself?"
Xu Jie’s chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, looking as if he might faint at any second. He pointed a trembling finger at Xu Fengchi but could not force out another word.
Emperor Muwu finally spoke, his voice heavy. "Over a single letter that wasn’t even signed, Huo Yucheng was this cautious?"
’Even a fool could see something was wrong here!’
Huo Yucheng hadn’t revealed the letter’s existence, which meant he was worried something would happen during the submission process. That was why he had only told Ye Zheng.
As for why he was so worried... After spending half his life in the military, to be brought to such a state, how could he not have guessed what was happening?
Xu Fengchi kowtowed heavily.
"Your Majesty is wise! General Huo must have known that once this letter was made public, it would unleash a tempest! And he was so cautious because he feared that storm—would originate right here in the Capital City!"
Otherwise, he never would have demanded that Ye Zheng leave the Capital City before reading the letter!
If Xu Fengchi could guess this, who among those present couldn’t?!
They were all old foxes of the court. Was any one of them more clueless than the next?
However, knowing it was one thing; for Xu Fengchi to state it so directly was another. It was like ripping away the final veil, exposing the cruel and bloody truth!
—In Huo Yucheng’s death, Xu Jie was merely a pawn. There was someone else behind him!
An invisible hand had so easily claimed the lives of the more than one hundred members of the Huo Family!
Xu Fengchi’s resonant voice echoed through the great hall, leaving only a stiff, deathly silence in its wake.
After what felt like an eternity, Emperor Muwu finally spoke, his voice cold and heavy, betraying no emotion.
"Then, in your opinion, from where did this storm begin?"
