freenovelworld Chapter 222 She doesn't play by the rules...
Chapter 222 She doesn't play by the rules...
Su Wanniang looked at Yang Zhaozhao with a half-smile, "Aunt Yang is here too."
Yang Zhaozhao felt uncomfortable under the gaze, but managed a forced smile and said, "Greetings to Madam."
"Hmm, An," Su Wanniang leaned back against the cushion behind her and continued casually, "Today's matter was all thanks to Aunt Yang's meticulousness."
Looking at her smile, Yang Zhaozhao gritted her teeth, inwardly cursing.
She had planned to have Su Wan Niang and Aunt Zhao outwit each other, but Su Wan Niang didn't play by the rules...
“Madam, I’m just worried about Sister Zhao and the young mistress. I’m afraid they might cause trouble by acting rashly.”
Chu Ruohan scoffed lightly, mercilessly exposing her: "Aunt Yang is certainly going to great lengths, but the timing of her concern is far too coincidental."
Yang Zhaozhao's face turned pale and then red, but she had no way to refute it.
Su Wanniang ignored Yang Zhaozhao and turned to Chu Ruohan and Aunt Zhao, saying, "You two go ahead and do it. I'll talk to the Marquis."
Aunt Zhao's eyes flashed with surprise, and she quickly curtsied, "Thank you, Madam."
As soon as they stepped out of the Wutong Courtyard, Aunt Zhao's plump body suddenly stopped. She turned around and glared at Yang Zhaozhao, "Yang Zhaozhao, what exactly are you up to?"
"He usually pretends to be harmless, but he's actually a vicious snake!"
Aunt Zhao became more and more agitated as she spoke, her finger trembling as she pointed at Yang Zhaozhao, her voice becoming shrill with anger.
Yang Zhaozhao's eyes were red and swirling with tears. She took a weak half-step back.
Her voice trembled with tears as she said aggrievedly, "Sister Zhao, how could you say that to me? I was genuinely worried about you all. It's tough for women in this world; it's never good for them to show their faces in public. What if the Marquis and Madam blame us…"
"I'm only thinking of you all, how could I be misunderstood like this?"
As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, making a pitiful appearance with tears streaming down her face.
Chu Ruohan's eyes flashed, her cold gaze as sharp as a cold star. She took two steps forward and stared intently at Yang Zhaozhao.
“Aunt Yang, Aunt Zhao is not a threat to you, and you shouldn’t even think about using her as a pawn.”
Chu Ruohan narrowed her eyes slightly, exuding an aura that commanded respect. "I'm warning you, in this Marquis's mansion, the more reckless and unruly you are, the more likely you are to get into trouble."
"Only by living a law-abiding life can you keep yourself safe. Some things, once done, have no turning back."
Chu Ruohan was trying to remind her, but Yang Zhaozhao hated her intensely.
But she still had that pitiful look on her face, with her head down and her shoulders trembling slightly.
Chu Ruohan shook her head at Yang Zhaozhao's pretentious act, too lazy to argue with her any longer, and turned to leave with Aunt Zhao.
As Aunt Zhao walked, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Seeing how young she was, how she broke with her family and married the Marquis, I thought she was just a simple child, but I never expected her to be so vicious..."
"Alright," Chu Ruohan gently interrupted Aunt Zhao, "Don't get angry over this kind of person anymore. It's not worth ruining your own health. We'll just be more careful in the future."
"If she behaves herself, we won't bother to provoke her; but if she dares to play any tricks, don't blame us for being impolite."
The two walked further and further away, leaving Yang Zhaozhao standing alone in the same spot, watching their departing figures, her eyes filled with resentment that almost materialized.
Chu Ruohan was threatening her. If she had Chu Ruohan's life, she wouldn't need to scheme like this.
Why stay put and behave yourself? Are you going to just laze around like Aunt Zhao and wait to die?
No, she would never...
After returning to Hongmeng Academy, Chu Ruohan summoned Yingqing and gently closed the door behind her.
"Young Madam, what is this?" Ying Qing asked, her brows furrowing slightly as she noticed Chu Ruohan's cautiousness.
Chu Ruohan turned around, looked at him, and slowly said, "Yingqing, I need you to do something extremely important."
She paused briefly, seemingly choosing her words carefully, before continuing, "Try to find out exactly how much ore the imperial court has discovered in the mines. This matter is of great importance, so please proceed with extreme caution and avoid alerting them."
"Yes."
Ying Qing accepted the order and turned to leave, but was stopped by Chu Ruohan.
"The Ministry of Works is heavily guarded. Take two extra people with you. Your own safety is the most important thing. If you really can't complete the task, don't force it. Returning safely is the top priority."
"Yes, young mistress, don't worry."
The night was as dark as ink, thickly spreading out and enveloping the entire Marquis's residence in tranquility.
Inside the Hongmeng Courtyard, the candlelight flickered, and the dim yellow light outlined Chu Ruohan's anxious pacing figure on the window lattice.
"Why hasn't Yingqing returned yet? Could something have happened to him?"
Just as Chu Ruohan was becoming increasingly uneasy, a dark shadow suddenly flashed past the window.
Chu Ruohan suddenly stood up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Ying Qing!"
Yingqing strode into the room and knelt on one knee: "Young Madam."
Chu Ruohan stepped forward anxiously: "How is it? Have you found anything?"
Yingqing took out a copied piece of paper from her bosom and handed it over: "Young Madam, this is the Ministry of Works' archive record on mine exploration, which details the quantity of ore."
Chu Ruohan quickly took it, eagerly flipped it open, and her eyes quickly scanned the numbers on it.
As she looked, her expression gradually turned serious, her brows furrowing into a deep frown: "Something's definitely not right!"
The figures reported by the Ministry of Works were exactly the same as in my previous life! But the actual iron ore content was far more than that, and the two were very different.
Chu Ruohan's mind was in turmoil. No wonder the Marquis of Anyang married Su Wanniang.
In his previous life, he colluded with the Ministry of Works to falsely report the iron ore content.
Unexpectedly, the Marquis of Anyang still took action against the mines in this life.
"What does he need so much iron ore for?" Chu Ruohan muttered to herself. "And the Minister of Works, the Su family, are they involved just for money?"
Chu Ruohan felt that this matter was far from simple. Iron ore was of paramount importance in the current situation, playing an immeasurable role whether for manufacturing weapons or for civilian use.
The fact that Marquis Anyang and the Ministry of Works dared to falsify data like this likely hides a larger conspiracy.
"Young Madam." Yingqing's call brought Chu Ruohan back to her senses.
“Yingqing,” she turned to look at Yingqing, her expression grave, “this matter is of utmost importance, you must keep it a secret.”
"Next, I need you to continue your investigation and see who the Marquis of Anyang has been in close contact with recently, especially those from the Ministry of Works. Don't overlook any clues."
"Yes, young mistress!" Ying Qing accepted the order and disappeared into the night once again.
Chu Ruohan gazed in the direction Ying Qing had left. Gu Junze would be back the day after tomorrow, and she needed to have a proper discussion with him…