Chapter 228: The Flying Dart - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 228: The Flying Dart

Ding Dong, desperately kowtowing and crying, was on the brink of confessing when a figure suddenly sprang up from the kneeling gardeners of the second house. With a flying dart, the figure struck Ding Dong’s throat, killing her instantly.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the attacker also killed Old Fu and Fu Li Shi with the same deadly darts.

“Seize him!”

Before Feng Jinxu could give further instructions, Feng Jinlin and Fu Yi moved to act, but they were too slow. The assailant’s throat was slit by the dart, and he died quickly.

Seeing the bodies scattered on the ground, Feng Jinxu knew the clues were cut off. His intuition told him that the attacker was someone with a grudge against the second house.

The kneeling gardeners of the second house desperately continued to kowtow.

“Master, spare us! We were only following orders from Cui Tou. We really didn’t know that the flowers would harm Madam. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have sent them to the second Madam’s quarters!”

“Are you saying that the same flowers were in the second Madam’s quarters?”

“Yes, yes! It was because the second Madam was pleased with them that she sent us to the Eastern Capital to cultivate them for Madam.”

This inadvertent comment cleared the second Madam Hua’s name of suspicion.

It seemed, as the eldest brother had said, that someone behind the scenes was deliberately framing the second Madam to sow discord between them and the main house.

But who that person was, Ding Dong had not revealed before her death.

Everything was back to square one, with only the certainty that the second Madam was innocent.

“You few, go and tell me everything related to Cui Tou. If any part of it is false, be prepared for consequences.”

Feng Jinxu’s threat made the remaining people tremble in fear.

The bodies were to be dealt with by Bai Ban, and afterward, the matter was to be reported to the Ministry of Justice, stating that the slaves had harmed their master and committed suicide in guilt.

Their slave status was canceled, and they were sent back to their families.

On the return carriage to the city, the three were silent.

What was supposed to be a straightforward investigation had been disrupted by Cui Tou’s deadly actions. If not for his interference, the mastermind behind the scenes might have been revealed by now, making their task much easier.

At the city gates, Feng Jinxu showed a token he had used in the Ministry of Justice, and they entered the city smoothly.

By the time they returned to the Feng residence, it was already late at night.

Everyone was exhausted from the journey and needed rest.

Feng Jinlin, worried that Feng Jinyao might not sleep well after seeing so much blood, instructed Yunxu to prepare a bowl of soothing soup for her to help her sleep.

Feng Jinyao appreciated her second brother’s concern and reassured him, “Second Brother, don’t worry. Their deaths were well-deserved. I am not afraid.”

“That's good.”

Though she said this, her expression remained tense, and her eyes kept glancing at Yunxu, who silently nodded in understanding.

Returning to their courtyards, Feng Jinyao unexpectedly ran into an uninvited guest.

“Su Cheng? What are you doing here?”

“Speaking of which, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all day. Coming back so late, were you engrossed with some beauty?”

Su Cheng’s casual tone and demeanor revealed his true character. If Feng Jinyao didn’t know his real identity, he might have been deceived.

“There were family matters to attend to with Eldest Brother and Ah Yao. But you haven’t said why you came?”

“I have urgent news to share.” Su Cheng approached Feng Jinyao and whispered. The area was guarded by the Dark Guards of the Prince’s Mansion, so he wasn’t worried about the news leaking.

“What!”

The Wen family’s audacity was shocking—openly accepting bribes during the imperial exams and altering exam papers. Such actions would chill the hearts of people everywhere!

Was this how one should act if they wanted to end their own lives?

He had faced numerous temptations growing up, but if he had faltered, he might have been ruined by now. The Wen family wasn’t poor; how could they…

Ultimately, it was the corrupting influence of power that led to such disasters.

“What does the prince suggest?”

“Hold off for now. After the spring exams, when Wen’s crimes of deceiving the emperor are confirmed, then deal with them.”

Feng Jinyao nodded, considering the talents of Yin Canwen, who lived in the neighboring house. If Wen Mengsheng intended to switch his exam papers, it would rob him of his chance.

Such talent, if buried because of this, would be a loss to the Great Jin Dynasty.

Feng Jinyao’s thoughts aligned perfectly with Wen Mengsheng’s plans.

Wen Mengsheng had long been displeased with Yin Canwen, who, despite his talents, was disadvantaged by his poverty. Even if he took his place, no one would dare question him.

Every year, there were many cases of poor students failing due to excessive stress. Wen Mengsheng thought it wouldn’t make a difference.

So, he discussed this with his father, only to be flatly rejected by Wen Jingsong.

“Are you crazy? His reputation is known in Yunqi Academy and Yangchun Poetry Society. How can you compare yourself to him? What if he becomes the top scholar? Do your skills match his exam papers?”

Wen Jingsong was not swayed by interests and spoke harshly, causing Wen Mengsheng to resentfully respond.

“Father, are you demeaning me? Is Yin Canwen truly so exceptional?”

Wen Jingsong smiled. While he might not have interacted with Yin Canwen directly, his talents were recognized by the four major academies, so he was undoubtedly outstanding.

He waved his hand and said to Wen Mengsheng, “I’ll handle this. If you want to get ahead, you must strive for it yourself.”

Wen Mengsheng had no retort to this. His talents were considerable and ranked among the best in the capital’s elite, but compared to Yin Canwen, he fell short.

If his cousin were here, perhaps he could compete, but for him, it was not worth trying.

Yet, the resentment remained rooted in his heart. Being outdone by a poor youth who entered the Feng family was unacceptable to him.

Thus, an evil thought took root in his mind.

Meanwhile, the Feng family's Madam Wen received a letter from Shu Zhou.

Upon opening it, she was so thrilled she almost jumped with joy.

Zhu Jin asked curiously, “Why is the madam so happy?”

“Mother wrote to say she is on her way with my younger siblings. They should arrive in the capital in about twenty days.”

“That’s wonderful! The madam hasn’t seen her family for so long. The master specifically sent for your mother to come and be with you during the delivery. It’s truly considerate.”

“Yes.”

Thinking about her mother and siblings on the road, Madam Wen was both concerned and eager for their arrival, hoping to reunite with them as soon as possible.