Chapter 173

Driven to a Dead End

Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan had reached an agreement. However, Nie Jinxuan still insisted on returning to the manor; after all, Ningxiang Yuan had already been burned to the ground, and it would be inappropriate to insist on staying any longer. Furthermore, if she were to remain at this moment, it might lead the person hiding in the shadows—who was eyeing the account books—to believe they had set some kind of trap at Chen Wang Fu. That would only render their previous "luring the snake out of its hole" strategy ineffective.

Nie Jinxuan's considerations were thorough, but Yin Fengzhan disagreed. Yet, he could not withstand Nie Jinxuan's gentle persistence and insistence, and in the end, Yin Fengzhan was forced to concede.

Subsequently, that very day, Nie Jinxuan took Xiao Xiu and Shui Yun back to the Nie manor.

"... Miss, do you really intend to just let this matter go?"

In a side room of the Nie manor, Nie Jinxuan, who had just returned, was sitting to the side resting. At this moment, she heard Xiao Xiu, who was tidying up their belongings, suddenly say in a low voice.

Xiao Xiu's words clearly carried a hint of unwillingness. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan, who was drinking tea, turned her gaze to look at her.

"Why? What else do you think I should do?"

"Uh... no, it's just that..."

After hesitating slightly, Xiao Xiu put down what she was holding, stepped up to Nie Jinxuan's side, and whispered.

"Miss, please don't blame this servant for being meddlesome. I know you are kind-hearted and don't like to bicker with them. But I feel that you cannot just let this go... Moreover, just as you said, yesterday's big fire clearly used Qin Yuxia as a target to secretly harm you. So, I think it would be better to investigate this matter thoroughly..."

"Investigate thoroughly? How?"

"That would naturally start with the problematic candle. I remember clearly that I took the candles from the storeroom myself. There shouldn't have been a problem there; after all, there were many candles in the storeroom, and the culprit couldn't have predicted which ones I would take. So, I think the problem occurred later when I was helping Aunt Zhou... because at that time, I placed the candles and some other things I was holding on the stone table to the side. I suspect someone took the opportunity to swap them. Therefore, if we carefully investigate everyone who entered the kitchen area in the back courtyard at that time, we should find some clues..."

Xiao Xiu spoke earnestly. As she reached this point, she looked up at Nie Jinxuan. Seeing that Nie Jinxuan's eyes were slightly narrowed and she appeared to be deep in thought, Xiao Xiu continued.

"There is one more thing I find strange. Miss, you said that although Prince Gong has a good relationship with the Prince, he came to the Wangfu to cause trouble for you right after returning from his travels, and then, coincidentally, he made Qin Yuxia act on it... No matter how I think about it, there's something wrong. Could it be that the first thing Prince Gong does upon returning to the manor is to ask about Chen Wang Fu and you?"

"So, regarding last night's incident, I feel that Qin Yuxia might have been used by someone. And the person behind it is not only vicious but is clearly out for your life, Miss. That's why I think you should take this opportunity to investigate it clearly; otherwise, there's no telling when that vicious person will plot against you again!"

Xiao Xiu was genuinely concerned for Nie Jinxuan. But at this moment, after Xiao Xiu finished speaking, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but look up at her.

"Alright, Xiao Xiu, when did you become so clever? You really analyzed it quite logically~!"

Nie Jinxuan's tone was teasing. Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiu's face turned red, and she protested.

"Miss, I'm talking to you about a serious matter, why are you making fun of me? Besides, it's not just me who thought of this; I already talked to Sister Shui Yun, and she also said this matter is suspicious... Isn't that right, Sister Shui Yun?"

As she spoke, Xiao Xiu looked up at Shui Yun. Shui Yun, who was busy organizing clothes, heard this, looked up, and nodded.

"Yes, I also feel that what Xiao Xiu said makes sense. A greedy person is never satisfied; Miss is kind-hearted, but some people may not appreciate it."

Shui Yun was not a talkative person, but these few words made her stance clear. Seeing that both of them were so insistent, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but smile slightly, though she remained silent.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiu and Shui Yun exchanged a look, and then Xiao Xiu spoke again.

"Also, Miss, there is actually one more thing I've always felt was strange... I've always felt that this business of tampering with the candles feels very familiar, just like..."

"Just like the last time someone poisoned the angelica, right?"

Lowering her voice, Xiao Xiu looked grave. But just as she said this, Nie Jinxuan's lips moved, and she interrupted her directly.

In fact, from the moment she discovered that Nie Jinhui was the culprit and told her that the previous assassination attempts were only meant to make her retreat, Nie Jinxuan had already harbored suspicions!

Because looking at the previous assassination attempts, the first and second ones clearly had many similarities. Just as Young Master Mo said, the assassins' martial arts were not very high, and both times someone came to the rescue... The first time, Yin Fengzhan was right by her side. The second time, although he was a step late, perhaps that was also calculated by Nie Jinhui to be perfectly timed. After all, if Yin Fengzhan had arrived earlier, the assassins would certainly not have succeeded, and Nie Jinhui would not have been injured, thus failing to use the "bitter flesh trick" to clear herself of suspicion.

However, the third attempt—the poisoning—was different from the first two. Although she had escaped death that time as well, the circumstances were too coincidental. If she hadn't been pushed to the limit by Yin Fengzhan and accidentally scalded herself while drinking the medicine, Nie Jinxuan would have already died on the spot!

Therefore, it can be said with certainty that the third poisoning attempt clearly carried a lethal intent. This was definitely not something Nie Jinhui would do. Because Nie Jinhui had once said that she was useful, and even after kidnapping her, she didn't kill her, and even at the final critical moment, she handed the most important evidence to her... Therefore, it is imaginable that from the very beginning, Nie Jinhui knew what her own end would be. The reason she said she was useful was that if she died, she hoped she would help her fulfill her wish: to thoroughly investigate the case of Magistrate Jin and clear the Jin family's name!

And the poison back then was put into the angelica. Later, she had also consulted Imperial Physician Zhou, and according to him, the culprit had soaked the angelica in arsenic to make it toxic, which made it very difficult to detect... Isn't this the same method as tampering with the candles with a stupefying drug this time?!

It seems someone is truly determined to put her, Nie Jinxuan, to death... No, perhaps someone has thought so for a long time! Otherwise, how could she have transmigrated here in the first place?!

Because according to what Xiao Ru said back then, she wanted to frame her, so she colluded with Qian Dahai to have him knock her unconscious and take her to that room. At the same time, Xiao Ru dragged the already dead Wang Fu over. Then, once dawn broke and others discovered the corpse, she would naturally be unable to escape the blame... But if the original Nie Jinxuan had only been knocked unconscious, why would she have transmigrated over?! Clearly, the original Nie Jinxuan must have already been dead, which is why her soul transmigrated over! Just like how she was suddenly stabbed to death in her previous life and then came here!

But how did the original Nie Jinxuan die? Could it be that, just like Wang Fu, she appeared to be killed by Xiao Ru, but the truth was that the culprit was someone else?! And what exactly happened that night? Could it be that besides Xiao Ru and Qian Dahai, a third person discovered Xiao Ru's scheme, and after Qian Dahai knocked the original Nie Jinxuan unconscious and dragged her to the room containing Wang Fu's corpse, someone took advantage of the situation and directly killed the original Nie Jinxuan?

In this way, the original Nie Jinxuan would die and be left with a tarnished reputation; she might even be accused of having an illicit affair with a man, leading to a dispute and mutual destruction... However, what the mastermind and everyone else did not expect was that although the original Nie Jinxuan died, it allowed her to transmigrate over!

In the blink of an eye, Nie Jinxuan thought to herself. Seeing Nie Jinxuan silent, Xiao Xiu couldn't help but close her mouth, not daring to say another word. It wasn't until a good while later that Shui Yun finished organizing the items and stepped forward to whisper.

"Miss has too kind a heart. Why not let the Prince investigate privately? After all, if the other party really wants your life, they won't be grateful for your repeated tolerance. Instead, they will think you are easy to manipulate, and who knows what vicious methods they might use to deal with you next time!"

"Yes, Miss, as the saying goes, one should not have the intention to harm others, but one must have the intention to guard against them!"

Shui Yun also rarely spoke so much, and she received support from Xiao Xiu. Seeing that both of them were of the same mind, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but frown slightly, but after a moment, she finally nodded slightly.

"Hmm."

A fire broke out at Chen Wang Fu overnight, burning Ningxiang Yuan to the ground. For a time, the news spread throughout the capital. Originally, everyone thought Nie Jinxuan would definitely not let the matter rest, but unexpectedly, she returned to her maiden home with great backbone and did not pursue the culprit's responsibility... Suddenly, people in the capital couldn't help but praise Nie Jinxuan's character. Even the Crown Prince and others in the imperial court, who wanted to take the opportunity to label Yin Fengzhan with a "disorderly household," abandoned their plans.

The matter just ended like that.

Days passed by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already June.

The first of June, the weather was clear.

Today was the day she had agreed to go out to burn incense with Qiu Pin'ting, so Nie Jinxuan got up early while the sky was still dim. After Nie Jinxuan finished getting ready, Qiu Pin'ting arrived, and the two of them boarded a carriage and headed straight for Qitan Temple outside the city.

Qiu Pin'ting was a lively girl, so she naturally chattered non-stop along the way. Her happy demeanor infected everyone, and even Shui Yun, who usually didn't like to talk, occasionally curled her lips, her eyes tinged with a smile.

After a bumpy and joyful journey, they arrived at Qitan Temple by the time of the Si hour (9-11 AM).

Qitan Temple was the largest temple outside the capital of Dongling. It is said that a hundred years ago, a severe plague occurred in the Dongling imperial capital. In just one month, thousands of people died, turning the once prosperous Dongling capital into a ghost town overnight. Just then, a high monk named Huineng passed by. Before becoming a monk, this high monk had been a doctor with superb medical skills. Seeing the tragic scene of corpses everywhere, he was filled with sorrow. He set up a stall outside the city and began helping everyone treat the plague. After three months, the plague was finally brought under control, but Huineng, already old and exhausted from working day and night, contracted a serious illness and passed away a month later.

Subsequently, the common people, grateful for the high monk's kindness, contributed money and effort to build this Qitan Temple on Qitan Mountain, not far from where Huineng had set up his stall to treat the sick. The Dongling ruler at the time was also deeply moved and ordered large-scale construction. Over the past hundred years, successive rulers have continued to build it, making Qitan Temple a famous temple in Dongling.

Therefore, on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, both commoners from the city and ladies from noble families would come here to burn incense and pray for blessings.

Today happened to be the first, so after Nie Jinxuan got off the carriage and saw the bustling crowd, she was stunned.

Heavens, why are there so many people?!

Nie Jinxuan was a bit dumbfounded. After all, although the Nie Jinxuan of her previous life had been to temples, she had never burned incense or anything like that. She hadn't expected there to be so many people. Of course, if it were normal times, Nie Jinxuan wouldn't be afraid, but now that Jin Qi's case hadn't been settled, if an assassin were hiding in the crowd, wouldn't that be...

Suddenly, Nie Jinxuan felt a bit of regret. But looking at Qiu Pin'ting's excited appearance, Nie Jinxuan couldn't bring herself to say it. Just then, when Nie Jinxuan was in a dilemma, she heard a familiar voice suddenly come from behind.

"Hehe~, I really didn't expect the Third Miss to come today too!"

The gentle tone and mild voice made Nie Jinxuan turn her head, and she was immediately stunned.

"Prince Rui, why is it you?"

The person who arrived was none other than Prince Rui, Yin Fengxiang.

At this moment, under the light breeze and slender willows, Yin Fengxiang sat in a wheelchair, dressed in snow-white. His ink-black long hair was casually tied up, and the mottled light and shadow cast upon his extremely beautiful face outlined his stunning features... causing the passing ladies and misses to glance at him frequently, their faces flushing red.

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan, after a brief moment of surprise, couldn't help but smile and take two steps forward.

"Why did Prince Rui come here?"

"Hehe~, then why did the Third Miss come here?"

Yin Fengxiang asked back instead of answering. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan also laughed.

"Yes, what else can one do here? However, I came here with Pin'ting today, but there are too many people, so I was wondering what to do."

"Oh? So that's how it is~!"

Responding, Yin Fengxiang turned his gaze to Qiu Pin'ting beside her. At this moment, seeing Yin Fengxiang looking at her, the usually talkative and lively Qiu Pin'ting's pretty face turned red, and she shyly lowered her eyes, not daring to say more.

Qiu Pin'ting's shy maidenly demeanor was fully displayed. Seeing her like this, Yin Fengxiang just smiled and turned his gaze back to Nie Jinxuan.

"Today is the first, so naturally there are more people burning incense."

"Yes, it's just that I forgot..."

"Hehe~, so that means the Third Miss is going back?"

"Since I'm already here, how can I go back? Besides, even if I wanted to, I suppose this little girl beside me wouldn't want to..."

As she spoke, Nie Jinxuan turned to look at Qiu Pin'ting, which immediately caused Qiu Pin'ting to cry out. But thinking that Yin Fengxiang was present, Qiu Pin'ting immediately became well-behaved and stood shyly behind Nie Jinxuan.

Qiu Pin'ting's reaction was very interesting, causing the people present to chuckle. But after laughing, Yin Fengxiang spoke up.

"Actually, the Third Miss doesn't need to worry. I know the abbot here, so we can just enter through the side door."

Yin Fengxiang knew Nie Jinxuan's concerns. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was overjoyed, and she followed Yin Fengxiang to the side door of Qitan Temple and walked straight in.

With Yin Fengxiang leading the way, the journey was indeed much easier. Before long, Yin Fengxiang brought Nie Jinxuan and the others into the temple. After they burned incense, Master Liaokong, the abbot of Qitan Temple, heard that Yin Fengxiang had arrived and walked over.

Master Liaokong was already over seventy years old and was also a famous high monk in Dongling. He was not tall, thin, and clean, but had a kind face that made people feel open-minded.

It was clear that Master Liaokong and Yin Fengxiang had a deep friendship, as they chatted happily upon meeting. After chatting for a while, Yin Fengxiang suggested that Master Liaokong give a lecture on scriptures. Nie Jinxuan was not very interested, but seeing Qiu Pin'ting's excitement, she agreed.

Subsequently, Master Liaokong led Nie Jinxuan and the others to a meditation room in the back courtyard. Everyone took their seats, and then Shui Yun, Xiao Xiu, Lan Ping, and the others retreated. Master Liaokong then began to chant scriptures in a low voice.

For a time, the meditation room was quiet and peaceful, and everyone sat in their seats, closed their eyes, and listened quietly...

Time passed bit by bit, and the chanting continued in the meditation room. Outside, Shui Yun and Xiao Xiu stood guard at the door, silent. After a long time, a young novice monk walked in with tea, head bowed.

But just as the novice monk entered the room and put down the tea, he suddenly raised his eyes and fiercely pulled out a dagger hidden in his sleeve.

In an instant, the blade of the dagger was revealed, and the novice monk quietly walked behind Nie Jinxuan, raised his hand, and stabbed down fiercely!

First update uploaded, there will be another one later, but it will be a bit late.

Also, if any readers have forgotten the case of Xiao Ru and Wang Fu at the beginning, please refer to the free chapters "The Truth" through the chapters "Who is the Culprit".