Chapter 551: Unveiling the Truth
Chapter 551: Unveiling the Truth
Lady Yan regained some of her strength and walked heavily to the bedside.
Meng Qianqian brought over an oil lamp.
Although she had received meticulous care after entering the Prince's Manor, he had long been drained of his vitality from years of imprisonment. He still looked emaciated and barely human.
An indescribable sense of familiarity rose in Lady Yan's heart.
She bent down and moved closer.
At that moment, the man suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed Lady Yan's wrist.
However, if one looked closely, he wasn't looking at Lady Yan. Instead, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
Lady Yan first noticed a small scar on the back of the man's hand, and her heart skipped a beat.
Then she carefully examined his face again.
Her eyes gradually reddened, her throat began to ache, and her lips trembled as she choked out, "Little Master Uncle... is it you?"
The man didn't respond, still staring blankly at the ceiling.
Lady Yan then undid his shirt and saw the crisscrossing scars on his back. She collapsed on him, sobbing, "Little Master Uncle... Little Master Uncle..."
Meng Qianqian had never seen Lady Yan so emotional.
She cried like a child, as if pouring out a lifetime of grievances and longing to this man who had lost his mind.
But no matter how much she cried, Little Master Uncle could no longer respond.
Though he looked older due to the torture, he didn't seem as old as the Miao King or the Liang Emperor.
Meng Qianqian had guessed it might be her second uncle but never imagined it would be Lady Yan's Little Master Uncle.
So, should she call him Great Uncle?
"Little Master Uncle... it's Shuang'er... do you remember Shuang'er?"
Lady Yan, being a doctor herself, couldn't miss the fact that Little Master Uncle no longer recognized her.
This realization only made her more heartbroken.
"How could this happen... I always thought you were traveling the world..."
Meng Qianqian placed the oil lamp back on the table.
Shortly after, the man closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Lady Yan wiped away her tears, gently placing Little Master Uncle's emaciated hand back under the covers. She choked out, "His age doesn't match my Little Master Uncle's, right?"
Meng Qianqian nodded.
Lady Yan sniffed and smiled wistfully, "Little Master Uncle was Master's youngest brother, the last disciple Grandmaster took in during his travels. He was only three years older than your mother. Outsiders often thought he was my and your mother's senior brother. Grandmaster didn't take him in to strengthen the sect; he wanted someone to assist him on his travels and keep him company."
Meng Qianqian: "Oh, a helper."
Lady Yan opened her mouth, "But Grandmaster did teach him real martial arts, passing on all his lifelong skills. After Grandmaster passed away, Little Master Uncle stayed at the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion for a few years. During that time, my and Elder Sister's martial arts improved significantly, thanks to him."
"Also, there's something you might not know: your parents met through Little Master Uncle."
"Huh?"
Meng Qianqian was taken aback.
Lady Yan, recalling those carefree days, smiled involuntarily, "Little Master Uncle and your father were close friends."
Meng Qianqian murmured, "So there was such a connection."
Lady Yan said, "Life is unpredictable, isn't it?"
Meng Qianqian found it hard to disagree.
Lady Yan continued, "Little Master Uncle had no interest in the sect. After your parents got married, he went traveling. He came back once when you were a year old, and then..."
Her smile froze.
Meng Qianqian guessed that when Great Uncle returned to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, something terrible must have happened.
"During my Master's final days."
Lady Yan, who had barely managed to hold back her tears, felt them well up again, "Little Master Uncle found some herbs to prolong my Master's life... Master did live a bit longer, and we thought he might survive even longer..."
She took a deep breath, "But you must have heard what happened afterward. Your mother killed Master and became a traitor to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, causing a complete rift with the General's Mansion."
Meng Qianqian said sternly, "It wasn't my mother who killed the old Pavilion Master! My mother would never kill him!"
Finally, Yan Niangzi brought up the events of that year with Meng Qianqian.
This time, she held nothing back and had no reservations. "That's right. The old Pavilion Master treated Elder Sister well. What reason would she have to kill him? But the reason was already fabricated. Elder Sister wanted to return to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion and vie for the position of Pavilion Master with Gongsun Yanming. The old Pavilion Master refused, and they had an argument. In the heat of the moment, Elder Sister accidentally killed him."
Meng Qianqian said coldly, "An accident, indeed. I think someone else had a hand in it. What a despicable act!"
Yan Niangzi sighed, "If Little Master Uncle were here, he wouldn't let anyone harm the old Pavilion Master, nor let anyone misunderstand Elder Sister..."
As she spoke, she suddenly realized something and furrowed her brow. "Little Master Uncle..."
Meng Qianqian paused. "When did Grandmaster leave the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion?"
Yan Niangzi recalled, "The day before the Pavilion Master's incident."
Meng Qianqian followed up, "Did he say goodbye to you?"
Yan Niangzi shook her head. "No... Xiao Mubai said he invited Little Master Uncle to his home. That morning, he sent people to take him to the Xiao residence. Could it be—"
Meng Qianqian mused, "The day the old Pavilion Master died, Grandmaster was likely still at the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion. He knew who the murderer was and left behind evidence. Xiao Mubai just fabricated a false alibi."
Yan Niangzi suddenly understood. "So, they imprisoned Little Master Uncle... to find the evidence?"
Meng Qianqian replied, "Killing him would have been the end of it. I suspect the evidence was just one part of it. The old Pavilion Master probably entrusted something very important to Grandmaster before he died. That's the real reason they imprisoned him."
Yan Niangzi clenched her fists. "Gongsun Yanming, Xiao Mubai!"
Meng Qianqian said coolly, "The entire Gongsun family is unclean, not just Gongsun Yanming."
As they spoke, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.
Meng Qianqian told Yan Niangzi to stay in the room while she went to check it out.
As she reached the door, she ran into the flustered Manager Jia.
"Manager Jia, what's going on?"
Manager Jia, upon seeing her, looked like he had seen a ghost. "Ah! Miss Yan! What are you doing here? Why are you at the Prince's Manor?"
Meng Qianqian replied calmly, "Oh, didn't His Highness tell you?"
Manager Jia, sensing something was amiss, quickly covered his ears. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!"
Meng Qianqian looked at him.
He slowly removed his hands.
Meng Qianqian said, "I am the Prince's daughter-in-law, Huang Changsun's wife."
Manager Jia split his legs and his pants tore—
Gongsun Yu, leading the disciples of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion with torches in hand, knocked on the door of the Prince's Manor.
After being "cared for" by his father the last time, Ming Wang had been recuperating at home, nursing his handsome face. He now came out to greet the entourage from the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion.
Looking at the blazing torches, he said mockingly, "In the middle of the night, the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion plans to set fire to the Prince's Manor?"
Gongsun Yu said sternly, "The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion is here to apprehend a traitor. We hope Ming Wang will be cooperative!" (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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