Chapter 256: Chapter 205: The Xiao Family Must Have a Profound Expert
The truth was quite the opposite.
Lou Yuxue had grown numb.
She felt no anger at all. Instead, after Chen Yi took the 290,000 taels of silver, she quickly regained her composure.
She analyzed the situation, weighed the pros and cons, and formulated a response.
Not only had Lou Yuxue evacuated the Spring Rain Building ahead of time, but she had also dispersed her subordinates and made proper arrangements for them.
This included the Hidden Guards and some personnel from the Bright Moon Building.
She had even completed one of the two tasks assigned to her by the White Tiger Guard Pavilion Master and the Golden Banner Officer—killing Xiao Dongchen.
Only as night fell did she finally relax a little and make her way to Kangning Street.
It was late afternoon, and the sky was dim.
Although colorful lanterns had been put up early on Kangning Street for the approaching Mid-Autumn Festival, their candlelight remained faint in the gloomy, rainy weather.
The area near the adjacent Quchi Pond was even darker.
Only the few pavilions built along the pond’s edge were illuminated by red lanterns.
From a distance, the scene was a hazy blur.
Usually, when night descended, these pavilions would be the liveliest spots, serving as rendezvous points for scholars and beauties.
Tonight, however, there were few people in sight.
It was as if everyone had found better places to be overnight.
Lou Yuxue gazed at the distant Quchi Pond. After confirming that no one was around, she silently entered one of the pavilions.
Lou Yuxue was no longer in her usual seductive dresses and qipaos, but had changed into coarse cloth garments. She had deliberately tied her hair into a bun and even smeared some tung oil on her face.
It was the typical attire of a peasant woman.
Even those familiar with her identity would likely fail to recognize her now.
After wiping clean a bench on one side of the pavilion, Lou Yuxue leaned back on it, her gaze fixed on the pond’s surface, which was being disturbed by the rain.
The ceaseless pitter-patter of the rain filled the air.
Paradoxically, the noise calmed her mind, allowing her to contemplate the future.
Everything that had happened in the past few days flashed before Lou Yuxue’s eyes like fleeting shadows:
First, Gray Wolf contacted Hawk. Due to the joint construction of the Mutual Market by Xiao Jinghong and the Mountain Race, he wanted to burn the summer grain in the Three Towns.
Hawk had no choice but to agree.
She, Lady Tiger, then got involved.
Her original plan was to use Black Tooth and the Bright Moon Building to support Hawk’s subordinates and minimize their losses.
By a twist of fate, Black Tooth received a job offer: a major Noble Family in Shu State was offering thirty thousand taels of gold for the same purpose—to deal with the summer grain in the Three Towns.
When she got wind of this, she thought it over and devised a plan to kill four birds with one stone.
The first was for Gray Wolf.
The second was for the silver.
The third was to support Hawk’s Iron Banner Officers.
And the fourth was to throw the Xiao Family into chaos, destabilize Shu State, and simultaneously delay the construction of the Mutual Market.
’So, when did the plan start to fall apart?’
Lou Yuxue’s thoughts naturally turned to "Liu Wu."
’It wasn’t just because "Liu Wu" appeared so suddenly.’
’Or maybe not suddenly. "Suspiciously" would be a better word.’
’Because the "Sword Madman" Liu Lang had approached Black Tooth with the job of burning the Three Towns’ summer grain one step before "Liu Wu" did.’
’So Liu Wu never intended to act himself. Just like that Financier, he only wanted to reap the rewards without lifting a finger.’
’But after learning the Financier’s whereabouts, he began his own scheme, plotting against Liu Wen, against me... No.’
Lou Yuxue shook her head, her eyes cold and clear.
’My presence wasn’t part of his initial objective. He must have been after Black Tooth’s money, and I just happened to be the person closest to it.’
At this thought, two questions arose in her mind.
’Why did he plot against Xiao Dongchen?’
’Was he the one who notified Xiao Jinghong?’
When Lou Yuxue had dealt with Xiao Dongchen, she had learned the full story. She discovered that Liu Wu had not only impersonated Black Tooth to get close to Liu Wen, but had also pretended to be Liu Wen’s Attendant to approach Xiao Dongchen.
Furthermore, Liu Wu had used three hundred thousand taels of silver to gain Xiao Dongchen’s trust, tricking him into signing and fingerprinting a document.
’So, what he said last night wasn’t entirely a lie.’
’He did get Liu Wen’s silver, but it was to lure Xiao Dongchen into a trap. Afterward, he left the letter and Liu Wen’s body for Xiao Jinghong...’
Lou Yuxue paused, frowning as she muttered to herself, "The silver also ended up with the Xiao Family."
The moment the words left her mouth, a flash of insight struck her.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place.
’So it was Liu Wu who alerted Xiao Jinghong, allowing her to prepare in advance.’
’He also deliberately left that silver for the Xiao Family.’
’Which means he’s... a member of the Xiao Family?!’
A look of shocked disbelief appeared on Lou Yuxue’s face.
’If he’s from the Xiao Family, why would he scheme against Xiao Dongchen? Unless... he knew Gray Wolf’s identity and intentions...’
’Then again, the ambitions of the Xiao Family’s second branch are common knowledge. Taking out Xiao Dongchen is also a possibility.’
’And the fact that the Old Marquis was kept in the dark was probably part of his scheme, too—to make us lower our guard, I’d wager.’
’Because his real killing blow was aimed outside Shu State City, at Xiao Jinghong herself...’
As she connected these dots, Lou Yuxue’s expression grew even more complex.
She suddenly remembered that "Liu Wu" had told her last night that he was from the Xiao Family.
It was just that her knowledge had been limited at the time. Only now did everything make sense.
This left her deeply frustrated.
What frustrated her even more was that—even after figuring out everything "Liu Wu" had done—she still didn’t know who he was.
A member of the Xiao Family’s Hidden Guard?
Someone from the Xiao Family Branches?
Both were possible.
The only impossibility was the Xiao Family’s main branch.
’Xiao Wan’er and Xiao Jinghong are both women, Xiao Wuge is too young, and Xiao Xuanshuo is crippled. None of these people from the main branch could be Liu Wu.’
’The only one left with ties to the main branch is Fledgling. Heh, he’s just a weak scholar, and he’s being watched by Hawk. There’s no way he could be Liu Wu.’
She mulled it over and over, concluding that "Liu Wu" must be a member of one of the Xiao Family Branches, or perhaps someone from another of Shu State’s Noble Families close to the Xiaos.
"No matter who you are, I will find you and lock you away in the Inner Prison this time!"
Just then, the sound of carriage wheels echoed from the distance.
