frightfiction Chapter 1481 It was just a fake death
Chapter 1481 It was just a fake death
Princess Wenshu's whereabouts are currently unknown, and it is highly likely that she has fallen into the hands of the remaining followers of Nangong Xuanche, who has already been executed.
Thinking of this, Elder Xie felt a sharp pain in his heart...
His Majesty acted swiftly and decisively, ordering the execution of Nangong Xuanche and eliminating his followers. How could those who managed to escape not harbor resentment?
They will surely unleash their boundless hatred upon Wen Shu, a frail woman...
With his eyes closed, Xie Ge Lao could imagine the fear and torment Wen Shu might be facing at this moment.
How could someone with such a gentle and timid nature withstand such a storm?
This pampered princess, who had never been spoken to harshly before, fell into the hands of ruthless wolves...
Grand Secretary Xie was filled with worry, repeatedly considering the possible whereabouts of Princess Wenshu.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door, and the butler came in with a letter.
"master."
The steward respectfully said, "Princess Wenshu just sent someone to deliver a letter to you, sir."
He was unaware of Princess Wenshu's abduction and remained calm, treating it as just an ordinary family letter.
Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary Xie's expression changed drastically, and he stood up from his armchair: "What?!"
Where is the messenger?!
The steward was taken aback by Xie Ge Lao's overreaction and replied, "The other party delivered the letter to the gatehouse, saying it was on the orders of Princess Wen Shu, and then left."
Grand Secretary Xie asked no further questions and took the letter from the steward.
He quickly unfolded it, his eyes eagerly scanning the words on it.
The calligraphy is neat and elegant, with a touch of feminine gentleness; it is indeed Wen Shu's own handwriting!
Upon confirming the handwriting, Xie, who had been anxiously awaiting the answer for several days, finally felt a slight sense of relief.
No matter how treacherous the current situation may be, at least... at least Wen Shu is still alive and can still write letters.
Grand Secretary Xie knew that this letter, arriving at this moment, could not possibly be an ordinary greeting.
He waved to the puzzled butler and said in a deep voice, "You may leave now. Do not disturb me unless necessary."
"Yes, sir."
Although the butler sensed that the master was acting strangely today, he dared not ask any questions. He bowed and left the study, gently closing the door behind him.
Grand Secretary Xie's expression was extremely solemn as he read the weighty letter in his hand, word by word.
He did consider immediately presenting the letter to the Emperor.
It is clearly written in black and white that if the news were to leak, Wen Shu's life would be in danger in an instant!
He dared not gamble with the emperor's ruthless methods on his granddaughter's life.
We can't afford to gamble anymore.
Fortunately, what the other party is currently seeking is merely a forged identity.
With his power as the second-highest-ranking official in the cabinet and the many capable officials under his command, handling this matter would be a piece of cake.
However, Minister Xie knew perfectly well what was going on...
Once this step is taken, the Xie family will be entangled with Nangong Xuanche's faction in an inexplicable and ambiguous way.
Once this stain appears, it's very difficult to wash it off.
Since His Majesty ascended the throne, his suspicions have grown stronger day by day. He has uprooted countless powerful families. Who knows if he has not set his sights on the Xie family?
If this matter is handled even slightly wrong, arousing His Majesty's suspicion, the Xie family's century-old foundation may be in grave danger...
It was this clarity that made Xie Ge Lao's doubts grow even stronger.
He had watched Wenshu grow up. The child was gentle and even somewhat timid. But she inherited the integrity of the Xie family scholars, and was very sensible and knew when to advance and retreat.
How could she not know the perilous situation the Xie family would be placed in once this letter was sent out?
Given her temperament, she would probably rather die quietly than implicate the Xie family in the slightest.
How could I have so readily written this letter?
This doesn't make sense.
A sense of unease crept into Xie's heart. He picked up the letter again, no longer rushing to read its literal meaning. Instead, by the candlelight, his eyes gleamed as he meticulously examined it.
From the texture of the paper and the density of the ink to the strokes of each character.
He wouldn't even overlook the smallest gaps between the lines.
Grand Secretary Xie wanted to know what Wen Shu wanted to tell him.
Does this letter contain a distress signal that only the grandfather and grandson can understand?
Grand Secretary Xie's withered fingers gripped the letter, and as he looked at the seemingly ordinary greetings, his pupils suddenly contracted!
"...I heard that my maternal grandmother's cough has flared up again recently, and the loquat syrup prescribed by the Imperial Hospital is very effective. Also, my maternal grandmother has always been sensitive to the cold, and since it is late autumn this year, please prepare charcoal early. I remember last year, the crabapple blossoms at your residence were in full bloom. Wenshu hopes to recover from her illness soon so that she can see her maternal grandparents and enjoy family time."
His wife did indeed suffer from a persistent cough, which tended to flare up every autumn. However, the imperial physician had examined her years earlier and said that her health was not suitable for taking fritillaria cirrhosa.
Wen Shu was an extremely filial child who often took care of her ailing grandmother, so it was impossible for her not to know this.
Why did she ask her grandmother to use Sichuan fritillary bulb and loquat syrup in the letter?
The main ingredients of Chuanbei Loquat Syrup are Fritillaria cirrhosa and loquat leaves.
Grand Secretary Xie narrowed his eyes, pondering deeply.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind—
Baye Lane!
There is indeed a lane called Beiye Lane in the capital, though its location isn't particularly remote. However, the lane is winding and full of abandoned old houses, a melting pot of all sorts of people, making it an ideal place to hide.
Those men under Nangong Xuanche would undoubtedly act with extreme caution. Now that they had kidnapped and imprisoned Wen Shu, they would certainly do their utmost to conceal their whereabouts and leave no trace.
However, Grand Secretary Xie knew very well that although his granddaughter was gentle, she was by no means dull-witted.
During her imprisonment, no matter how careful the guards were, their daily conversations and the delivery of food and water would inevitably reveal some information.
With Wen Shu's keen mind, she might be able to glean even a tiny clue from it.
Could it be... that they really hid Wen Shu in Beiye Lane?
Once this thought arises, it's hard to suppress.
Suppressing his urge to immediately send someone to investigate, Xie took a deep breath and continued to carefully study the letter.
He needed to know if Wen Shu had left any other clues in the letter.
The letter also mentioned the crabapple blossoms at the Xie residence.
That crabapple tree...
Xie Ge Lao's most profound impression of it was when Wen Shu had just lost her mother and was taken to Xie Mansion by him.
The little girl, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, stood under the blooming crabapple tree, looking so frail that she seemed as if she could be blown away by the wind at any moment.
She looked up at the falling crabapple petals, her face streaked with tears, and sobbed uncontrollably as she uttered those words that still make his heart ache to this day—
"Grandfather, is Mother... is she just asleep? Everyone says she's dead... I don't believe it! If, if Mother had just faked her death, fooled everyone, and then woke up, how wonderful that would be..."
A child's innocent fantasy is filled with longing for departed loved ones.
But at this moment, Wen Shu inappropriately mentioned crabapple blossoms in such a life-or-death letter.