Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 448 Clues

Sheng Hong was not actually stupid.

Sometimes, he wasn't completely unaware of certain things, but out of consideration for others or after weighing the pros and cons, he chose to turn a blind eye and pretend everything was fine.

But at this moment, Sheng Changfeng's severed arm was like the sharpest knife, piercing through his self-deceiving fig leaf!

This not only ruined the future of one of his sons, but also the future foundation of the Sheng family!
It was one of Sheng Hong's hopes for establishing himself in officialdom and bringing glory to his family!

Even if Sheng Changfeng doesn't pass the imperial examination this spring, as long as he studies hard and with the Sheng family's resources, he might still be able to secure a good future!
Now, everything has vanished!
This touched his absolute sore spot!

He would never allow anyone to damage the foundation of the Sheng family or harm the future of his descendants!
“Honglang…this…I…this humble servant…”

Lin Qinshuang was terrified by Sheng Hong's icy, bone-chilling gaze, which seemed to look at her as if she were dead. She trembled like a leaf.

The "no" that had just slipped out had already betrayed her guilt and fear. Now, under Sheng Hong's intense gaze, she felt her tongue get tied, her mind go blank, and she stammered, her face ashen, cold sweat instantly soaking through her undergarments. She couldn't utter a single word. The more flustered she became, the more suspicious she appeared.

"Dong Rong!"

Seeing Lin Qinshuang's panicked and guilty look, Sheng Hong's last bit of hope was completely shattered, replaced by a raging fire of being fooled!

His eyes were red as he suddenly shouted sternly, "Take Lin Xiaoniang to the ancestral hall! Keep her under strict guard!"

"No one is to approach without my order!"

"And Zhou Xueniang too!" Sheng Hong pointed, intending to take Zhou Xueniang, who still looked somewhat bewildered, along with him. "Take her away as well!"

"All other irrelevant personnel, get out of here! Changbai, you stay and look after Feng'er!"

"And Changquan, you should go back and rest too!"

He was like a raging lion, his commands brooking no dissent.

"Father……"

Seeing his father's furious expression and glancing at his third brother, who was seriously injured and unconscious, Sheng Changbai ultimately did not speak up to stop him.

He understood his father's anger and determination to find out the truth. He said in a deep voice, "Yes, Father. Your son will take good care of my third brother."

He remained behind Sheng Hong, watching Lin Qinshuang and Zhou Xueniang, who were crying and struggling, being unceremoniously dragged away by Dong Rong and two burly women. His eyes were filled with complex emotions.

After everyone had left, he squatted down and carefully examined Sheng Changfeng's injuries. The shocking severed arm and the face that was still twitching slightly from the pain in his unconscious state made even the usually calm and composed Sheng Changfeng gasp and his face turn extremely pale.

He suppressed his shock and anger, and carefully instructed the maids in Sheng Changfeng's room to take good care of him, change his dressings on time, and report any situation immediately.

Then, he turned to Sheng Changquan, who was standing to the side with a "pale face" and a "dejected expression," and beckoned: "Brother Quan, come with me."

The two brothers silently walked through the corridor and arrived at the scene of the incident near the west corner gate.

Although the "Sharp Blade" team had quickly cleaned up the area, the faint smell of blood lingering in the air, along with the few barely noticeable messy marks and scattered bloodstains on the ground and in the corners, still indicated that a fierce battle had taken place here not long ago.

Sheng Changbai frowned, his gaze sharp as a hawk, carefully scanning the surrounding environment.

His gaze finally fell on the half of the coarse cloth belt on the ground, deliberately left behind and stained with dark red blood.

He crouched down, carefully picked up the edge of the fabric with his fingertips, and brought it close to the candlelight to examine it closely.

The rough, crooked stitches are a typical characteristic of inferior goods in Yangzhou's black market.

He glanced up again, his gaze sweeping over the several deliberately disturbed areas on the scene—a flowerpot knocked askew, trampled grass, and a mark in the corner that looked like it had been hit by a heavy object…

Everything points to a "chaotic struggle," yet there's an inexplicable sense of deliberate intent.

Finally, his gaze, deep and thoughtful, fell upon the silent Zeyu Hall, its lights extinguished, in the distance.

He didn't speak, but his tightly pursed lips and the deep, almost bursting anger and overwhelming disappointment in his eyes conveyed his judgment more clearly than any words.

"Second brother, you...you discovered something?"

Sheng Changquan stood aside and spoke at the right moment, his voice carrying a hint of weakness and just the right amount of bewilderment and unease, like an innocent younger brother who was frightened by the changes that had taken place that night.

“Sigh…” Sheng Changbai suddenly let out a long sigh, the sigh so heavy it seemed to carry a thousand-pound burden.

He slowly stood up, looking at Sheng Changquan with a complicated expression, especially at his arm wrapped in gauze.

He reached out, seemingly wanting to pat his brother's shoulder to comfort him, but ultimately his hand paused in mid-air before he withdrew it.

Looking at Sheng Changquan's "pale" and "confused" face, a trace of indescribable regret and struggle flashed in his eyes. In the end, he simply said in a deep voice, "It's nothing. They're just some petty scoundrels who dared to act recklessly."

"Brother Quan, you've been frightened and are injured. Don't think too much about what happened tonight. Go back and get some rest."

"Everything will be handled by Father and my brother."

He chose to keep it a secret. For the sake of the family's outward harmony, to prevent his younger brother, who had not yet entered officialdom, from being dragged into this dirty vortex, and even more so... to protect this seemingly innocent younger brother.

He suspected Lin Xige, and even vaguely felt that this matter might be targeting Ze Yutang...

However, he currently lacks evidence and is unwilling to delve into the terrible consequences.

At this moment, all he wanted was to characterize the incident as an act of foreign invaders and quell the unrest as quickly as possible.

Sheng Changquan nodded obediently, a hint of weariness appearing on his face at the opportune moment: "Yes, Second Brother. You should get some rest too."

With Cui Ming's help, he turned around "weakly" and walked towards Ze Yu Tang.

Looking at Sheng Changquan's "weak" back, Sheng Changbai sighed heavily!
"Father, you're so foolish..."

……

Back at Zeyutang, Sheng Changquan waved his hand, signaling Cuiming to leave, leaving only Xu Changqing to accompany him into the study, Zhiyuantang.

"Snapped!"

Close the door.

The "pale and weak" expression that Sheng Changquan had been deliberately maintaining vanished instantly, as if a mask had been removed, replaced by a deep pool-like calm and a hint of barely perceptible coldness.

Xu Changqing silently handed over a warm, damp towel.

Sheng Changquan took it and slowly wiped his hands, as if washing away some invisible dust.

He walked to the table and sat down, slowly and deliberately unwrapping the gauze wrapped around his arm, layer by layer.

The so-called "wound" had long since healed, leaving only a faint pink mark. His slender fingers gently stroked his smooth, undamaged palm, feeling the warm life force beneath his skin, and a cold, pleased smile slowly curved his lips.

"Has the matter with Chief Escort Wang been resolved?" Sheng Changquan's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

"Reporting to Young Master, everything has been done as planned." Xu Changqing lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Wang Feng personally led people to handle Guo Shanfeng's body."

"They used the bald-tailed rat's dagger to repeatedly stab him several times near the fatal wound in his chest and abdomen. The edges of the wound were messy, enough to create the illusion that he was killed in a chaotic 'double-cross' or 'accidental injury' by his accomplices. Then, the body was among the other bandits..."

At this point, Xu Changqing paused, and then continued, "Except for the two thugs whose corpses were deliberately left behind, the rest were all put into burlap sacks soaked in tung oil, tied with heavy stones, and transported out of the city through a secret waterway half an hour ago, and sunk into the deepest part of the most turbulent section of the Bian River."

"The current is rapid and the riverbed is complex, making salvage impossible."

"Ok!"

Sheng Changquan nodded slightly: "Then... what's the news in the martial arts world?"

"We have released information through reliable channels: the notorious bandit gang 'Guoshanfeng' from the Lüliang Mountains, suspected to be due to a dispute over the division of spoils or old grudges, engaged in a bloody battle tonight in a certain place west of Bianjing City. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and no remains were found. This is a gangster feud and has nothing to do with officials or nobles," Xu Changqing reported clearly and logically.

“Very good.” Sheng Changquan tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. “Dead men tell no tales, a feud between江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world).”

"The official explanation from my Sheng family—'a petty thief broke into the house, was discovered by the guards, and fought with them, accidentally injuring the Third Young Master'—is flawless." He paused, a cold glint in his eyes. "As for that fool who opened the door, Zhang Laosi?"

"Don't worry, young master." Xu Changqing's voice was even colder. "This man was greedy and ungrateful, and his death is not a pity. Wang Feng 'casually' finished him off when he was cleaning the side gate. His body was sunk with those bandits. To the outside world, we will only say that he was 'silenced' by the thieves who broke into the mansion while he was on duty last night."

"Ah."

Sheng Changquan closed his eyes with satisfaction, leaned back in his chair, as if savoring the grand show he had orchestrated tonight.