Jiang Hongfu's silence infuriated Jiang Wenrui, "What is it that makes you avoid even telling me?"
Jiang Hongfu immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Dad, it's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that I don't know how to say it. It is such a strange matter that I'm afraid that even you won't believe it."
Jiang Wenrui's face softened as he said, "I'd like to hear what strange thing that makes you so sure that I won't believe it even before you can say it." At this moment, he couldn't guess that Yu Shi had something to do with this incident. He only suspected that outside people had a hand in this matter.
Jiang Hongfu decided to pull himself together as he told his father everything that had happened yesterday except the half-silver ticket he had received. Once he finished, he asked with an entangled expression, "Dad, I don't know if that man was telling the truth."
Jiang Wenrui's expression was livid. He was starting to honestly believe it was an accident, but now he was told it wasn't. "What's the identity of the grey-clad man?" Seeing Jiang Hongfu shaking his head, he then asked, "What does he look like?"
Jiang Hongfu thought for a moment and then described the man's physical characteristics.
Jiang Wenrui had dealt with many things. After hearing the commission, he could roughly guess that the man was an armed escort from an escort agency. He then found out that the man worked at Xinglong Escort Agency. It was not difficult for him to find out, and it only took him a day to investigate. Of course, it was also the intention of Xinglong Escort Agency not to cover their trace. If they didn't want the Jiangs to find out, the grey-clad man wouldn't have let Jiang Hongfu see his appearance.
Jiang Wenrui immediately went to Xinglong Escort Agency.
The manager of Xinglong Escort Agency listened to Jiang Wenrui's intention and readily admitted that the grey-clad man was indeed the armed escort they had sent. As for who that escort was, it was not convenient for him to reveal.
Jiang Wenrui showed little interest in the armed escort person. "I just want to know who appointed him." He suspected the person behind the scenes had written and performed the story for his son. That person must have aimed to sow discord between father and son, mother and son relationships.
The escort agency manager rejected Jiang Wenrui's request and stated, "Jiang Daren[1], our business has a rule, unless the court wants to investigate crimes committed by criminals, the client's information cannot be disclosed."
Jiang Wenrui said, "As long as you tell me who is behind the scenes, no matter what your requirements are, as long as I can do it, I will promise you." He frankly wanted to catch this person. Otherwise, the trouble would never end.
The steward smiled and said, "Jiang Daren[1], please forgive me. We can't break our own
rice bowls[2]!" If the client's information was disclosed easily, who dared to trust them anymore? Without reputation, the escort agency would only be closed down.
Xinglong Escort Agency could be the largest in the capital. Not only because their armed escorts were good in martial arts, but they also had strong backers behind the scenes.
Jiang Wenrui saw that the other party's attitude was resolute. Knowing that it would be useless for him to pester the manager anymore, he could only return to his residence in a depressed mood. Not long after he returned home, the chief steward he sent to inquire about the incident also returned.
The steward reported, "Master, the groom named Zhou came from a poor family, and his family livelihood solely depended on his one carriage. This man had an addiction. He loved wines as much as his life[3]."
Jiang Wenrui asked coldly, "Did that man drink that day?" That was too coincidental if the man really did drink.
The butler nodded, but then he added, "Master, before the accident, the groom drank some wine and boasted to others that he would make a lot of money soon and live a good life. However, he refused to admit it when he woke up, saying it was just empty talk after drinking."
Jiang Wenrui's looks turned ugly. It could be seen from this that it was not an accident, just as he thought. He then asked, "What else? Why didn't the residence carriage pick up Fu-er in time?" This incident would not have happened if the carriage had picked up his son on time.
The steward answered, "I also asked the groom. He said that he ate in the main kitchen that day. Before he headed out to pick up Eldest Young Master, he was just done eating a deep-fried dough cake given by Old Head Cao."
Jiang Wenhui asked, “Old Head Cao? Who is he involved with?"
The steward explained in detail, "Old Head Cao is the residence servant's child. However, Old Cao's wife, Liu Shi, is Madam's personal maid, Mama Liu's niece."
Jiang Wenrui, with a gloomy face, ordered, "Don't check anymore."
Jiang Hongfu expressed his disappointment when he heard his father say it was all an accident. He knew it would end up with such a result. He also didn't investigate till the end because he knew it was impossible. He said, "Dad, I want to return to our hometown for a while." He also thought a lot these few days and finally decided that if his father opened his eyes to him, he would stay in the capital. If his father had settled the matter and still said that all of this was an accident, he would return to their hometown.
Jiang Hongfu would make such a decision because he still had hope. Unfortunately, this hope was broken by his father himself.
Jiang Wenrui saw his son's calm eyes as if he had known everything, and his throat rolled. His son seemed to grow into a person he didn't know in an instant. He said with difficulty, "How can Jiangnan be as good as the capital. Your teachers and classmates are here. What about your lessons when you go to Jiangnan?"
Jiang Hongfu restrained his emotion as he said, "There are also many famous teachers in Jiangnan."
No matter what Jiang Hongfu said, Jiang Wenrui refused.
Jiang Hongfu had no choice but to unleash his last deadly tactic, "Dad, Jiangnan may not be as good as the capital. Everyone knows that. But I dare not stay here any longer. Otherwise, I can't be at ease. I will always worry about my accident. Dad, let me go back to Jiangnan!" This time he narrowly escaped, but what about next time? What would happen to his father next time if he really let Yu Shi succeed? Would it still be like this? Whether he would be called timid or weak, he did not dare to gamble with his own life.
Jiang Wenrui slapped his hand on the table. "I said it was an accident. Someone must have been playing tricks behind the scenes."
Jiang Hongfu did not argue with Jiang Wenrui but said, "Dad, all I know is that I would have already died without that person." Although he did not know how that person knew Yu Shi wanted to harm him on that day, no matter what purpose that person had, he still owed that person for his life.
A simple sentence left Jiang Wenrui speechless. He knew his son was blaming him for not being able to give him justice. But what could he do? Was it because of that deep-fried dough cake he should suspect Yu Shi of this crime? Not to mention that there was no solid evidence, even if there was one, this dirty linen could only be hidden in this holding. How could he let it out?
After quite a while, Jiang Wenrui said, "I won't let this happen again." This was actually the same as admitting that Yu Shi was suspected.
Jiang Hongfu shook his head. "Dad, it is easier to be a thief for 1,000 days, than to defend against a thief for 1,000 days[4]." If Yu Shi could harm him once, she could hurt him twice. His waizufu[5] and biaoge[6] had gone, so he had no help in the capital. Originally, he had some expectations for his father, but now he knew his father was unreliable. As the person behind the scene had said, if he wanted to live, he must go back to Jiangnan. Otherwise, he would indeed be killed by Yu Shi. Then, he would just die in vain. His father wouldn't give up Yu Shi for him. Though, he couldn't say for sure that, for the sake of his future, his father would also help Yu Shi to cover it up and not let the people in his mother's hometown know about it.
Jiang Wenrui knew his eldest son very well. Although he was usually easy to speak to, once something touched his bottom line, whatever one said wouldn't matter. Knowing there was no room for change, he finally sighed and said, "You may as well go back to your hometown. You just go there as a filial duty for your father, who hasn't returned for many years."
Jiang Hongfu nodded his head. "Okay."
Jiang Wenrui thought for a moment and said, "Let Hongjin go back with you this time."
Jiang Hongfu was stunned, but he still nodded. "I'll listen to Dad's arrangement." He wouldn't be afraid as long as Yu Shi did not follow along.
On hearing this news, Yu Shi was simply unwilling. Moreover, her argument was very sufficient, "Jin-er is still small. What if something happens to him while they are on the road?"
Jiang Wenrui said coldly, "I've decided. You don't have to say anything anymore." After that, he left with a flick of his sleeve[7].
There was a chill in Yu Shi's heart. From their marriage till now, the Lord had always treated her with gentleness. Today was the first time she saw him lose his temper. She feared that the thing she had done had been discovered by the Lord, so she asked the old woman servant beside her, "Didn't you say you hadn't left a trace?"
Old Woman Mi said with certainty, "Madam, this handmaiden has done an excellent job. There are no traces left behind!" Her only regret was Eldest Young Master had managed to escape from this calamity!
Speaking of Jiang Hongfu's incident, Yu Shi was full of questions. "How's the matter that I have asked you to inquire about?" She needed to know how Jiang Hongfu had evaded the incident.
Old Woman Mi shook her head. "I can't find anything!" Except for Jiang Wenrui and his son, only Jiang Xiaofang knew about this matter. Even if she had exceptional ability, she still could not find out more about it.
Yu Shi thought of Jiang Hongfu's sudden request to return to Jiangnan as her eyebrows started wrinkling together. "What do you think is the reason Lord suddenly let them go back together?"
Old Woman Mi also couldn't guess, "This handmaiden couldn't think of anything."
Jiang Hongfu was a quick-witted person. First, he went to Baitan Academy to take leave from his teacher, saying he had to visit his hometown. He didn't even inform his teacher when he would return to the capital. He only said it would take a long time before he would be back.
After taking his leave, Jiang Hongfu said goodbye to some of his classmates, then went back to Jiang Residence and started to tidy things up. When he went to Jiangnan this time, he was sure he would return to the capital after his regional examination. So there were a lot of many things that he needed to bring along.
At this moment, Jiang Hongfu felt somewhat glad that his mother's dowry was not in his family's hands but in his grandmother's. Old Madam Jiang greatly loved her eldest di[8] grandson and would supplement him greatly from her own savings. She would never deduct the expenses from his mother's dowry.
Yu Shi did not want her son to follow Jiang Hongfu to Jiangnan, but Jiang Wenrui's attitude was firm. In her helplessness, she could finally come up with a way out. Before departure, Jiang Hongjin fell ill. It was an actual illness, not a fake one.
Jiang Hongfu was unwilling to delay his journey for Jiang Hongjin at all. On the second day, he set out to Jiangnan as per schedule.
Jiang Wenrui wanted Jiang Hongjin to follow Jiang Hongfu back to Jiangnan to prevent both brothers from falling out. However, his plan was destroyed by Yu Shi. When he started to put the two events together, his heart suddenly turned cold.
Footnotes Full List
- title of respect toward superiors
- means of livelihood
- Chinese idiom: fond of the bottle/drinking
- "Even if you know a thief is aiming to steal something from you, it's hard to defend against them for an extended period of time without accidentally showing an opening or having some accident happen that gives them an opportunity." This meaning and the translation of the proverb was provided by Chronos5884. Thank you so much, Chronos5884.
- maternal grandfather
- older male cousin from one's mother's side
- go off in a huff
- born from a formal wife
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi