jdhmnovel Chapter 139 A Warning from Prince Jing
Chapter 139 A Warning from Prince Jing
Inside the front hall, Duke Wen's face was stiff with a forced smile.
He could display his authority and fatherly dignity in front of Wen Shuyao, but in front of Xie Jinghan, all his authority shrank back, especially when he saw Xie Jinghan's cold face.
Now that things have come to this, his father's prestige can no longer be maintained, so he can only force a smile and try to appease Xie Jinghan.
However, Xie Jinghan seemed unwilling to talk to him. After defending Wen Shuyao, he sat down to the side without saying a word.
Upon seeing this, Duke Wen's eyelids twitched.
His eldest daughter changed completely after she married Prince Jing.
His previous cowardice vanished, replaced by layers of coldness in his eyes that chilled him to the bone, especially when he thought of what Madam Wen had just said.
She said that Wen Shuyao came back this time to seek justice for her mother.
That incident from back then was a taboo subject he dared not mention. Wen Shuyao was so serious and stubborn in her desire to avenge her mother, which would endanger the entire Wen State Duke's Mansion!
Thinking about it this way, Duke Wen felt extremely troubled.
"Yaoyao." He softened his voice, trying to put on a facade of peace in front of Xie Jinghan, "I know the bitterness in your heart, but you should also know that when your mother passed away... it was diagnosed by the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital, and not just one physician!"
“Even Dr. Zhou came here in person.” He sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. “Dr. Zhou said there was nothing that could be done, so her passing… was to be expected.”
"Besides, Dr. Zhou is a highly skilled physician. If your mother was indeed murdered, he would definitely be able to diagnose it."
Every word Wen Guogong uttered sounded extremely sincere.
However, in the eyes of Wen Shuyao, who knew him well, every word the Duke of Wen said was a sophistry.
If it was truly a case of poisoning, then why would the poisoner use such easily recognizable poisons?
Especially those few words that Aunt Hua overheard back then—this matter was actually related to Prince Xin.
Prince Xin was an extremely mysterious man who rarely showed his face. Generally, there are two possibilities in such a situation: one is that Prince Xin was a man of simple tastes and had no desire for power.
One possibility is that Prince Xin was merely using this image to deceive others, appearing to live a secluded life while secretly engaging in shady dealings.
Unfortunately, her mother discovered Prince Xin's secret.
After thinking it over, Wen Shuyao leans towards the second possibility.
Seeing that Duke Wen was extremely wary of this matter and treated it as if it were a major threat, she guessed that Duke Wen must also know the truth about her mother's death.
Duke Wen was cowardly and dared not fight against power, but she was not.
Heaven has given her a second chance at life, and it is surely going to let her seize this opportunity to find out the truth about her mother's death and make those who harmed her mother pay the price!
These two people in front of me... even if they aren't the masterminds, they're definitely accomplices!
They should also go to the underworld to apologize to their mother!
One was a good husband who had an affair with Lady Wen while his mother was pregnant, and the other was Lady Wen who seduced Duke Wen by taking advantage of their supposed sisterly bond.
Neither of them can escape!
A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she stared directly at the two of them.
Duke Wen felt a chill run down his spine as she stared into his clear, undisguised eyes, which revealed her true thoughts.
"Wen Shuyao!" he shouted sharply.
"It seems that Duke Wen has forgotten that Yaoyao is not only your daughter, but also the mistress of the Jing Prince's Mansion and my princess consort." Xie Jinghan gently put down his teacup, the soft sound enough to extinguish Duke Wen's anger.
Duke Wen swallowed hard, suppressing the thought that had been nagging at him.
“Even if she is the Princess Consort of Jing, she should still show me, her father, the respect she deserves!” he said in a deep voice. “Or does Your Highness think that after marriage, you can be unfilial to your elders and disobey your father?”
Xie Jinghan raised his eyes, only to find that Duke Wen was gripping his hands tightly.
He was naturally afraid. As a senior official in the court, he had personally witnessed Xie Jinghan's rise to power and had also seen Xie Jinghan's methods of killing.
but……
After arguing with Xie Jinghan, he was at most frightened, but if Wen Shuyao were to investigate the truth behind it, he would lose his head!
Therefore, his attitude became unusually firm.
After a moment, Xie Jinghan's quiet voice rang out: "But the princess is only seeking the truth for her mother-in-law who died of illness back then. Father should naturally be filial, but I see that Duke Wen has many children and is already enjoying family happiness."
“My mother-in-law is still lying in the cold ground. Even when she passed away from illness, she was buried hastily.” He shook his head. “Compared to the Duke of Wen, the Princess Consort naturally cares more about her mother-in-law.”
"Back then, Duke Wen and his mother-in-law were a deeply devoted couple," Xie Jinghan added. "Could it be that after more than a decade, they've forgotten their love for each other?"
Upon hearing this, Duke Wen's face turned ashen. His mind was buzzing, and he couldn't think of a single word to refute it.
How should we respond to Xie Jinghan's statement?
Did he ever think about Chu Wanqing?
Of course I have thought about it.
He never intended for Chu Wanqing to die, but the circumstances at the time forced him to do so.
After Chu Wanqing passed away, he married Madam Wen.
His relationship with Madam Wen was terribly fragile, and they had been arguing constantly over the years. Whenever this happened, he would miss the gentle and considerate Chu Wanqing from back then.
But once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Over the past decade or so, even the deepest feelings have been worn away.
Now, Chu Wanqing has left only a very faint trace in his heart.
Therefore, he felt more fear than anything else when faced with Wen Shuyao's investigation.
"Alright." He feigned helplessness, lowered his head, and sighed deeply. "More than a decade has passed since this incident. Even if there are any doubts, where should we begin to investigate?"
“Yaoyao, it’s not that I’m unwilling to investigate, it’s just…” He smiled bitterly, “Your mother did indeed die of illness, and this is the result of a joint diagnosis by the Imperial Medical Academy.”
“I know you harbor resentment, which is why you keep pursuing me and your stepmother.” Duke Wen waved his hand. “If you want to investigate, then investigate. I will not say a word.”
Wen Shuyao glanced at Duke Wen, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She knew that Duke Wen was certain that she would not be able to find any clues.
Indeed, in her previous life, she took many detours and spent several years before finally finding a clue.
But she is not afraid.
The one thing she has in abundance is time.
If time can bring the truth to light and allow her to seek justice for her mother, then any amount of time she spends will be worthwhile.
Wen Shuyao smiled and said, "Father, rest assured, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly."
"Even if it kills me, I will seek justice for my mother!"