Chapter 1300 - 976: Must I Ask Personally?

Everyone seemed to be drawn by some invisible force; they all looked up and glanced outside. Sure enough, they saw a familiar figure hastily walking towards Liangyi Hall. Whether it was due to fatigue or something else, upon reaching the entrance, he even had to support himself on the door to catch his breath before stepping inside.

It was none other than Eunuch Yu, who had disappeared without a trace early in the day.

Approaching Liangyi Hall, he saw the bodies outside. As he entered the hall, seeing these people, a hint of astonishment flickered across his face.

But he quickly understood the situation. Unhurriedly, he walked to the center of the hall and bowed to Yu Wenquan, saying, "This servant pays respect to the Emperor, respects Zhang Jieyu, respects Tao Jieyu, and pays respect to Princess Qin."

Seeing him, Shang Ruyi was still somewhat surprised, but at this point, her surprise couldn’t remedy the regret in her heart.

She could only nod slightly and was about to turn away.

But at the moment her gaze met Eunuch Yu’s, she saw something unusual in those eyes, which always appeared kind and smiling yet were filled with shrewdness and calculation. Her heart jolted as if she realized something, and she held her breath, staring at him.

Seeing Eunuch Yu, Yu Wenquan’s expression turned more complicated.

He said, "Have you finished the task?"

Eunuch Yu replied, "This servant did not fail the mission."

"How is it?"

"The person has been brought outside, and the matter is clear now."

"Bring them in."

Yu Wenquan returned to his seat behind the imperial desk, appearing calm. However, Shang Ruyi heard a faint popping sound. She was familiar with that sound; Yu Wenye would make his knuckles pop like that when clenching his fists tightly, usually when he was trying hard to suppress some emotion, or even when such emotion was on the verge of collapsing.

Shang Ruyi watched Yu Wenquan’s fist on the table, veins bulging from being clenched so tightly, then turned her head, unperturbed.

Following orders, Eunuch Yu immediately walked to the door, waving a hand outside. Several guards escorted a little palace maid inside.

Wen Ying!

At the sight of her pale, terror-stricken face, Shang Ruyi’s eyes widened.

Han Yuhui had already cried out softly, "Wen Ying! You—"

She was a bit flustered, watching Wen Ying collapse to the ground with a thud, and then quickly turned to Yu Wenquan, who sat silently above the hall. By now, the atmosphere in Liangyi Hall had tightened to the point of suffocating everyone. Han Yuhui wanted to speak, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn’t utter a word, not even a gasp.

Yu Wenquan was the only one who could speak.

He said deeply, "Yu Mingli, clarify what you found out."

"Yes,"

Eunuch Yu approached Wen Ying, looking down at her tear-streaked, pitiful face, and said, "This servant has learned that this palace maid, Wen Ying, has a gravely ill mother at home who requires ten taels of patterned silver monthly for medicine. She spent her entire palace salary on this and even sold her family’s land, but is still heavily in debt. However, recently, her family suddenly cleared all their debts and had extra money to buy her mother’s medicine."

Saying this, he reached into his robe, took out a cloth pouch, and unwrapped it to reveal several silver notes and some broken silver.

He presented them to Yu Wenquan, saying, "Someone gave her three hundred taels of silver, instructing her to fabricate a rumor of a man climbing out of Qianqiu Palace’s courtyard on the night of the Emperor’s banquet. She accepted the offer. Twenty-seven taels, six dimes of the silver have already been spent, and the remainder is here."

"...!"

Immediately, although no one present dared to make a sound, the entire hall seemed to erupt at once.

Chu Ruoyan and the others looked at Wen Ying, their eyes filled with both hatred and delight. They had believed that the eunuch who acted had died, and they would have no eyewitness, fearing this matter would become another unsolved case. Yet unexpectedly, Eunuch Yu managed to find an eyewitness.

Tushere even covertly placed her hands together, chanting silently, "Amitabha Buddha, the heavens have eyes."

Chang Wan tugged gently at her sleeve beside her.

At the same time, Shang Ruyi stood frozen in place, not moving. However, unlike the helpless despair after the eunuch bit his tongue and committed suicide, this moment of stiffness was one of disbelief and overwhelmed joy.

So, Yu Wenquan was also investigating this matter!

He might not know how his writing was stolen or forged, nor might he know about the flaws with the bamboo vinegar and fragment of cloth, but with his years of family management, military governance, and now administering an entire realm, he knew long ago that this matter needed a concrete eyewitness.

And the so-called eyewitness, Wen Ying, was the key.

Thus, he instructed his trusted,Eunuch Yu, who always stayed by his side, to go to Wen Ying’s home and investigate the situation, causing her to be unable to deny anything once located, having to fully confess.

This was a direct hit!

Shang Ruyi watched Yu Wenquan, her heart surging with emotions, not knowing what to say. She could only clench her fist tightly and softly say, "Father—"

Yet before the words left her lips, she closed her mouth.

For she could see that Yu Wenquan, at that moment, was unlike anyone else in the hall. Chu Ruoyan and the others were overjoyed; if not for the Emperor’s presence, they would have celebrated, dancing in jubilation. Nor was he like Zhang Jieyu and Tao Jieyu; although one was somewhat disappointed and embarrassed, the other satisfied and joyful, the matter ultimately had little to do with them... Meanwhile, the one standing silently on the other side of the hall, her face was pale, limbs rigid, half-dead.

Yu Wenquan was unlike anyone else.

His eyes grew dark and deep like a bottomless abyss, not looking at Eunuch Yu, who explained everything, nor at the terrified Wen Ying, who could only kneel and continuously kowtow, but at those silver notes and broken silver.

Then, there was silence.

This prolonged silence suddenly became remarkably abrupt, crashing heavily in front of everyone, even the previously jubilant Chu Ruoyan and the others sensing something, they held their breath, cautiously staying on their knees.

Everyone’s gaze focused on Yu Wenquan.

Yet he continued looking at that pile of silver notes and broken silver, with no emotion in his eyes, not a single hint of warmth.

After an indeterminate amount of time, he said, "Must I personally ask?"