Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 425 424 Manipulating People's Hearts
As soon as Feng Xiuhu asked this question, Zhao Mumu's expression subtly changed.

Xu Liansheng didn't notice, but felt strange: "What kind of problem is this? As long as the Duchess is willing, no one will complain even if she has ten or a hundred maids, but I only need Mu Mu by my side."

Feng Xiuhu continued to probe: "What I mean is, do you know the background of the two maids beside Wei Su'e?"

Xu Liansheng replied matter-of-factly, "Naturally, they are experts sent by the Marriage Temple to secretly protect the Duchess."

Now Feng Xiuhu was finally certain. He sneered, "You really don't know anything—so Zhao Mumu didn't tell you that there are actually two temples supporting Wei Su'e behind the scenes?"

Xu Liansheng was stunned and subconsciously turned to look at Zhao Mumu.

Zhao Mumu's lips trembled slightly as she stared intently at Feng Xiuhu.

Feng Xiuhu liked the look in her eyes at this moment and continued, "The Marriage Temple and the Barefoot Temple, the two maids beside Wei Su'e happen to come from these two families respectively."

Xu Liansheng suddenly turned around, staring blankly at Feng Xiuhu, muttering, "Barefoot Temple, Barefoot Temple...?"

Feng Xiuhu leaned closer, his tone almost seductive: "Want to hear more?"

Xu Liansheng shuddered and grabbed Feng Xiuhu's trouser leg: "Listen! I want to hear it!"

Feng Xiuhu rested her cheek on one hand, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Your dead man didn't die unjustly."

"What official business could a mayor of Qianyu City have in Fancheng? The only reason he went to Fancheng back then was to surrender to the Duke of Daguo."

Xu Liansheng almost screamed, "This is impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible."

Feng Xiuhu interrupted: "Because this was orchestrated by your father, who is also his teacher, Xu Yaoting. Perhaps you yourself are unaware that your father, the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Justice, is actually a supporter of the Duke of Da Guo."

"Otherwise, why do you think Wei Su'e is trying to win you over? Could it be that she's really after your skills in seducing men? You're wrong. The only thing she cares about is your identity as Xu Yaoting's daughter."

“The Duke of Daguo had shown goodwill to Shen Zhenbang many times before, and you, as his close associate, should know this better than I do. Perhaps at the beginning, Shen Zhenbang was indeed wholeheartedly devoted to the President and the government, so he always bore the pressure, but Xu Yaoting’s defection became the last straw that broke his back—because you were sandwiched between him and Xu Yaoting.”

“He can accept confronting the Duke of Daguo head-on, but he cannot accept falling out with Xu Yaoting, because that would only put you in a difficult position.”

"So that time he was completely determined to follow the Duke of Daguo to the bitter end."

"Then here's the problem."

Feng Xiuhu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What reason would the Duke of Daguo have to kill a high-ranking official who is about to become a powerful ally?"

Xu Liansheng stared blankly: "There's no reason... so the one who killed Zhenbang... wasn't the Duke of Daguo."

Feng Xiuhu snapped his fingers: "Looks like your brain isn't completely fuzzy yet."

“That’s right, it wasn’t the Duke of Da Guo who killed him.”

"...but rather Wei Su'e."

“Wei Su’e would not sit idly by and watch the Duke of Da Guo take over Qianyu City through Shen Zhenbang, so she used the barefoot temple to make Shen Zhenbang die of illness at home.”

“There are indeed diseases in the world that even the Barefoot Temple cannot cure, but such methods are definitely not something that the Western Church possesses, so it is even less likely to be the methods of the Great Duke.”

“You invited the monks from the Barefoot Temple to treat Shen Zhenbang, but why did they all say they couldn’t cure him? It’s not because they couldn’t cure him, but because they never intended to cure Shen Zhenbang in the first place.”

"Because just like the Marriage Temple, the Barefoot Temple also helped Wei Su'e with her affairs."

Xu Liansheng stared intently at Feng Xiuhu, each word seeming to be forced out of her throat: "Evidence... produce the evidence for what you're saying!"

Feng Xiuhu slowly shook his head: "There is no evidence."

He casually pointed at Zhao Mumu: "Whether it's true or not, you'll understand once you see her."

Xu Liansheng turned around and saw Zhao Mumu's pale face.

Xu Liansheng suddenly realized something, and she gave a bitter smile: "So it's true, right, Mu Mu?"

Zhao Mumu wanted to deny it, but she couldn't utter a single word. When the truth is revealed, regardless of whether there is evidence, suspicion has already been sown. As long as Xu Liansheng investigates these suspicious points afterward, the truth will soon come out.

Xu Liansheng turned to stare at the black and white photograph on the wall, utterly dejected: "Killed my husband... and kept me in the dark, wholeheartedly working for her... Saving the country, saving the country..." "Saving the country my ass! Ah—!!"

Xu Liansheng suddenly screamed, pounded the floor like a madwoman, and wailed loudly.

Wow.

The double-barreled shotgun was thrown in front of Xu Liansheng.

She looked up through her tear-filled eyes and saw Feng Xiuhu's indifferent expression.

Feng Xiuhu calmly said, "Let me tell you a crueler truth—by the time you choose to listen to my story, everything will be beyond repair."

He pointed to Zhao Mumu behind Xu Liansheng and asked, "So do you think she will tell Wei Su'e what happened today?"

Xu Liansheng's shoulders trembled, and she froze on the spot.

Zhao Mumu was in no better condition; her already pale face became even more bloodless.

The two realized at almost the same time what Feng Xiuhu was saying.

Zhao Mumu said in a trembling voice, "Husband, Madam..."

Feng Xiuhu didn't give her a chance to speak, interrupting her directly: "She might want to say that she will keep it a secret, or that she has always treated you like a sister, and then promise to always be on your side—the question is, do you believe her?"

"On one side is the temple and Wei Su'e, and on the other side is you, outnumbered and outmatched. Who do you think she will choose?"

"Don't forget, she is ultimately a nun from the Temple of Marriage, sent to monitor you."

Xu Liansheng stared blankly at the hunting rifle on the ground in front of her, Feng Xiuhu's words echoing in her ears.

"If you choose to believe her, once she tells Wei Su'e what happened today, Wei Su'e will not spare you—it is highly likely that she is the one ordered to kill you."

"And if you think she's untrustworthy, even just a little bit... then she's not allowed to leave this room today."

"The choice is yours: to eliminate future troubles or to gamble with your life."

A flurry of footsteps sounded outside the door, and someone shouted, "Listen up, you inside! You're surrounded! Release the hostages and surrender immediately! Otherwise, our police force's muskets aren't to be trifled with—ouch!"

The previous person was interrupted before he could finish speaking, and then another voice rang out: "I am Lu Tiefeng, the director of the police station! Hey heroes inside, as long as you don't hurt Madam Xu, we can discuss everything!"

Feng Xiuhu acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He wasn't in a hurry at all. He just smiled calmly at Xu Liansheng and said, "Liansheng, you don't have much time left."

Xu Liansheng did not answer, but her hand slowly reached for the hunting rifle.

She stood up silently.

click.

Bullets loaded.

Turning around, Zhao Mumu, her face pale, stared blankly at her, while Xu Liansheng simply lowered her head.

"Madam, please..."

Zhao Mumu wanted to say something.

Xu Liansheng shook her head.

"Mumu..."

The gun was pointed at his chest.

"...Don't blame me."

boom--! !

(End of this chapter)