Chapter 751: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 751: Chen Ji Escapes, Yan Yan Faces Dilemmas (Part 4)
Chu Heng initially didn’t understand but soon realized that he rather envied his younger cousin for encountering a woman he trusted so deeply.
"Even if that’s the case, would you bear to put Miss Mo in a difficult position? It’s better to discuss the matter openly with Master Mo first. If he agrees, then you can send a matchmaker to propose. If he refuses to accept you as a son-in-law, barging in with a matchmaker could harm Miss Mo’s reputation. By then, if Master Mo resents you, your chances of marrying Miss Mo will be even slimmer."
Xiao Ruiyuan frowned and fell silent. His initial plan to bring a matchmaker directly to the Mo household and marry his beloved quickly now seemed unwise after his cousin’s reminder.
Not knowing what to do, Xiao Ruiyuan asked Chu Heng, "In your opinion, how should I proceed?"
Hearing this, Chu Heng felt a headache coming on but couldn’t bring himself to ignore his cousin’s hopeful gaze. Sighing, he reluctantly replied, "When I have a day off, I’ll accompany you. Master Mo may refuse, but he likely won’t embarrass you in my presence."
"Thank you, Cousin!" Xiao Ruiyuan clasped his hands in gratitude, his tone noticeably softer.
To marry his beloved, Xiao Ruiyuan didn’t mind facing embarrassment or difficulties, but his cousin’s thoughtfulness moved him deeply.
Seeing Xiao Ruiyuan’s demeanor, which hinted at becoming a henpecked husband before marriage, Chu Heng’s eyes ached. He suddenly missed the indifferent, icy younger cousin he used to know.
Just then, a knock came from the study door. Chu Heng called out, "Enter," and a shadow guard rushed in, kneeling to report that the Chen family of three had escaped and their whereabouts were unknown.
Xiao Ruiyuan stood abruptly, not even pausing to question how the Chen family managed to escape despite heavy surveillance. With a stern face, he issued an order, "Find them! Search everywhere—leave no stone unturned!"
"Yes!" The shadow guard accepted the order and vanished as quietly as he had arrived, blending into the moonlight.
After the guard left, Xiao Ruiyuan bid Chu Heng farewell and hurried back to the Wei Yuan Marquis Mansion. Gathering twenty personal guards, he personally led them to the Chen residence. After half an hour of searching, they found a secret tunnel in the backyard well.
The tunnel, stretching several miles, led to an abandoned temple outside the city. Near the temple, traces indicated the Chen family had used this escape route to leave the capital.
Not far from the temple was the moat. If the Chen family had taken a boat downstream, they would already be far from the capital, heading south.
The meticulous construction of such a tunnel could not have been achieved in a year or two. Judging from the marks, it had been built over a decade. Even Xiao Ruiyuan had to admit Chen Ji’s cunning—he had prepared his escape route ten years earlier.
Aware of how dangerous Chen Ji was, Xiao Ruiyuan resolved to find him at all costs to eliminate the threat. After confirming with nearby boat owners that the Chen family had indeed fled via the moat, he divided his men into two groups—one to pursue downstream, and another to search along the riverbank. The Chen family couldn’t stay on the water forever; they would need to come ashore for supplies.
By the next morning, news of Grand Tutor Lin’s death and the confiscation of the Lin family’s assets had spread among the people. Discussions were as heated as during the previous examination scandal. Even major events like Prince Heng’s house arrest and the execution of Lin’s eldest son (and the imperial concubine) only received brief mention before fading from conversation.
Among the literati, many suspected Emperor Huian of persecuting loyal subjects, forcing Grand Tutor Lin to his death. However, this suspicion subsided considerably once news spread of the Grand Tutor’s posthumous title, Marquis Wen Zhong, and his grand burial with the rites of a Marquis.
Soon after, revelations surfaced that Lin’s eldest son and the imperial concubine had conspired to poison the late Empress and orchestrated the recent examination fraud. People finally understood why the Lin family had been punished and why Grand Tutor Lin had taken his own life—his family’s unfilial descendants had dragged him down.
Considering the heinous crimes committed by Lin’s eldest son and the imperial concubine, many admired Emperor Huian’s magnanimity in granting the Grand Tutor his final dignity as Marquis Wen Zhong.
What could have been a tumultuous uproar over the Grand Tutor’s death was thus quietly resolved.
After the Grand Tutor’s grand burial, the deposed Prince Chu Ye was sent back to the Prince Heng Residence. The plaque marking the residence as belonging to a prince had been removed by Emperor Huian. From then on, it was merely a luxurious prison.
The downfall of the Lin family and Prince Heng meant the two greatest threats to the Mo family were eliminated, allowing Mo Yan and her father to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, seven days had passed since Chen Ji’s escape, and the three of them seemed to have vanished without a trace despite relentless searching.
Mo Yan knew the longer it dragged on, the slimmer the chances of finding them. Unwilling to let Chen Ji get away, she felt helpless in locating his whereabouts.
That day, she couldn’t help but ask Xue Tuanzi again about Chen Ji’s whereabouts. Instead, Xue Tuanzi asked her a serious question: "Yan Yan, Chen Ji’s crimes are severe. If found, not only he but also his wife and daughter will die. Knowing this, do you still wish for him to be found?"
"Of course!" Mo Yan replied without hesitation. But just as she was about to question why Xue Tuanzi would ask such an obvious question, she realized its deeper meaning. Her face suddenly changed...
(End of Chapter)
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