Chapter 005
Chapter 5: A Good Partnership
Xia Meng Yan stood on a nearby slope, her dress lifting in the wind as she listened to Wang Mang’s plan. She said with a hint of surprise: “Bandit chief, you are really willing to go this far.”
Wang Mang valued his sister more than his own life, yet today he was willing to bring her out to meet people, and those people were victims.
Wang Mang answered in a low voice: “If Miss Xia wants to ruin the Huo Family Army’s name, you must show proof. Yue’er is the best witness.” He did not want to risk his sister, but toppling the long-standing Huo Family Army was hard. Worse, a man had died. Without solid evidence, they would not get revenge and might even lose their own lives.
Xia Meng Yan did not argue. The Huo Family Army had thrown its weight around in the Northern Fortress for years. The people suffered and dared not speak. Even without today’s event, sooner or later the people would fight back.
She asked calmly: “Are the people down there reliable?”
Wang Mang nodded: “Reliable. They are all commoners bullied by soldiers under Huo Ying Zi. They have waited a long time to take revenge.”
Xia Meng Yan raised a brow and smiled: “So the bandit chief is helping me only because it suits you.”
Wang Mang narrowed his eyes, a sharp air around him as he replied: “Miss Xia, that is not it. We just want to live.”
Xia Meng Yan smiled without answering. She had thought she had planned for everything, yet now she realized she herself was a chess piece. She said softly: “The people in front of us might not be enough.”
Wang Mang said with steady confidence: “Miss Xia, do not worry. The follow-up is already arranged.”
He had arranged it well. A belt of fire tongued around the ruined temple, three layers inside and three layers outside, trapping Lin Ye Lan so he could not move.
Lin Ye Lan stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold with authority as he shouted: “How dare you. What are you trying to do?”
The village chief bowed without fear and asked politely: “May I ask, my lord, who are you?”
Before Lin Ye Lan could answer, a man at his side raised his voice: “This is the Marquis of Ping An.”
The village chief’s eyes flashed as he said: “The Marquis of Ping An? Are you General Lin under Marshal Huo?”
The man replied: “Exactly.”
Before he earned his merit, Lin Ye Lan had followed Marshal Huo. After he put down the Frontier Garrison’s rebellion, the emperor granted him the title Marquis of Ping An. So here at the Northern Fortress Pass, soldiers might not know the title, but when they heard General Lin, everyone knew.
The village chief spoke clearly: “General Lin, you came at the right time. These men disguised themselves and shamed the girls of our village. When caught, they beat our people. If not for a brave person’s help, two of our villagers would have died. We planned to report to the magistrate, but you came. Please, General Lin, give us justice.”
Hearing this, Lin Ye Lan frowned hard and asked: “You say these men insulted village women. Do you have witnesses?”
“We do.” The village chief pointed to two men in the crowd and said: “They were patrolling tonight. They heard shouts and ran over. They saw these men… then argued with them. They could not win, so they went back to call for help. When we came back together, the men were already dead.”
Lin Ye Lan walked into the temple and checked the wounds on Qiao Sheng. A name flashed in his mind, Xia Meng Yan. [She dared to return to the Capital alone, so she must have a plan. No. Given how Scholar Xia dotes on his daughter, he would not let her come to the Northern Fortress Pass alone. She must have guards in the dark. That is why she is fearless.]
He asked the two patrolmen: “Did you see the killer’s face?”
The two looked at each other and shook their heads: “When we returned, the men were already dead. We saw no one.”
Lin Ye Lan gave a crisp order: “Take them back to camp.”
The village chief stepped in his way: “General Lin, you cannot just leave. You must give us an answer.”
“They are dead already. What more do you want,” Lin Ye Lan snapped. He only wanted to find Xia Meng Yan and ask the truth. She had killed not one man but five soldiers. That was no small matter.
The village chief held firm: “General Lin, that is not right. If you will not give the villagers an answer, then we will count both new and old debts together.”
“If you have the guts, come to camp and settle it,” Lin Ye Lan said with a mocking smile as he swung onto his horse and forced his men through the ring.
Up on the slope, Wang Mang seemed to have expected this. He made a sign. A man slipped into the night. Wang Mang said quietly: “Yue’er will be sent in two days. Miss Xia, please handle the rest.”
Xia Meng Yan replied with a small nod: “You are too polite, bandit chief. I will wait for you in the Capital.” She turned away and quickly met up with Chun Yue.
Chun Yue had not dared to leave the carriage. She was as anxious as ants on a hot pan. When the young miss returned, she rushed to her: “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Xia Meng Yan lifted the curtain and got in, then told the driver to keep going.
As she expected, in less than a quarter of an hour, riders blocked the carriage. Before Xia Meng Yan could speak, someone yanked the curtain wide. Lin Ye Lan barked, grabbing for her hand without caring that she was pregnant: “Xia Meng Yan, how long will you keep this up. Someone died and you still want to run. Come back to camp and explain.”
Chun Yue fought to stop him and cried out: “Marquis, what are you doing. The young miss cannot stand you pulling her like that.”
“Chun Yue,” Xia Meng Yan said, her gaze calm. “Marquis, if you have something to say, say it nicely. Even if not for me, think about the child in my belly.”
“You dare bring up the child,” Lin Ye Lan snapped as he took a step back, angry. “If not for the child, I would have tied you up already. Did you send people to kill Qiao Sheng and the others?”
Xia Meng Yan took Chun Yue’s arm and stepped down from the carriage. She smoothed her clothes, then lifted her chin to meet his eyes: “Please show your proof, Marquis.”
“You…” Lin Ye Lan’s face darkened. “If not you, who else. They were only playing a joke on you, and you killed them. Xia Meng Yan, how did you become so cruel.”
Xia Meng Yan arched a brow and smiled: “I do not understand what you mean by a joke, Marquis.”
Seeing her calm face, Lin Ye Lan felt as if she truly did not know what had happened.
Chun Yue held her master and shouted back in anger: “A man died somewhere else, and the marquis throws it on our young miss. What kind of man is that.”
“She is not a young miss. She is married. Call her madam,” Lin Ye Lan said. For some reason, the words “Separation Letter” flashed through his mind. Hearing Chun Yue call her young miss stirred a strange feeling. He fixed his eyes on Xia Meng Yan and pressed her: “Tell me the truth. Did you send people to kill Qiao Sheng?”
Before Xia Meng Yan could answer, a rough voice rushed in: “Marquis, bad news, my miss fainted.”
Nanny Cheng came up, panting. She glared at Xia Meng Yan and scolded: “Madam, if you have a grudge, take it to my miss. Qiao Sheng and the others were innocent.”
Hearing that Huo Ying Zi had fainted, Lin Ye Lan looked worried and asked quickly: “How is Ying Zi?”
Nanny Cheng sighed with pity: “Miss blames herself for Qiao Sheng and the others’ deaths. She held their belongings and cried. Who could have guessed that people we saw in daylight would die so fast. Even a strong heart cannot bear it.”
Lin Ye Lan looked at Xia Meng Yan and said coldly: “If you admit your fault, I can beg Marshal Huo to go easy on you. But if you refuse to wake up, do not blame me for forgetting that we are husband and wife.”
No matter what, she carried his child. He was willing to give her one chance.
Nanny Cheng added in a gentle, “for your own good” tone: “Madam, the evidence is already clear. You cannot deny it. If you truly admit your mistake, my miss will plead for you. Marshal Huo will be lenient since you are pregnant and new here.”
Xia Meng Yan looked from Lin Ye Lan to Nanny Cheng and almost laughed. [Do I look that stupid?] She knew that the deaths of Qiao Sheng and the other four were not a small matter. That was exactly why she had done it. Otherwise, how could she drag Huo Ying Zi down from her altar.
The dead were Huo Ying Zi’s men, and now they carried the shame of violating the people. If this spread, not only would Huo Ying Zi lose face, people would say she could not control her army. Worse, they would say she was a woman and could not command three armies.
Huo Ying Zi should cry. Without a scapegoat, the prestige she built over many years would be ruined.
And Xia Meng Yan was the perfect, ready scapegoat.