Prime Minister

Chapter 237, Question 236 [Answer]

Xue Huai watched quietly as Liu Ying screamed and struggled like a madwoman until all the strength in her body was exhausted.

"Who is the one who truly deserves to be killed?"

This question was like a curse that seeped into Liu Ying's mind, making her constantly recall the look in Xu Zhiwei's eyes when he last looked at her in Shen Garden that night.

It wasn't the hatred and loathing she imagined, but rather the indifference and pity that Xue Huai described as returning to nothingness.

This feeling was far more heart-wrenching for Liu Ying than hatred, because it meant that all the emotions she had invested over the past eighteen years had vanished into thin air, and she was the one who had caused all of this, so she had no one to blame but herself.

Xue Huai did not immediately press for answers, but instead strolled back to his original position, giving Liu Ying a moment to catch her breath, and allowing the heavy silence to fill the cell once again.

Liu Ying slowly calmed down with considerable difficulty.

Looking at the young official not far away, she felt a genuine sense of fear.

Before today, she had never imagined that the power of words could be so terrifying, capable of tearing open the deepest scars in her heart. This anger and pain even surpassed the sharpness of swords.

"Actually, there's something I've never understood."

After a long silence, Xue Huaiping said calmly, "Why are you so determined to kill me?"

Perhaps her hysterical outburst had vented all her resentment and hatred, or perhaps Xue Huai's sharp words had made Liu Ying realize her current predicament. She swallowed hard and slowly said, "Your father—"

"I am not Xu Zhiwei."

Xue Huai abruptly interrupted Liu Ying, looking directly at her and saying, "If you really had a blood feud, I wouldn't be alive now."

Liu Ying remained silent.

In the past few years, Xue Huai had encountered setbacks everywhere in the capital, and even Shen Wang was somewhat disappointed by his stubbornness. At that time, no one cared about him at all, otherwise he would not have fallen into the Jiuqu River. Under such circumstances, it would have been very easy for Liu Ying to kill him.

She didn't need to risk going to the capital herself; she could easily have carried out her revenge by sending a few capable subordinates. Instead, she had to wait until now, when Xue Huai was surrounded by elite guards, forcing her to send Xu Zhiwei to approach Xue Huai and attempt an assassination.

Therefore, Liu Ying's earlier claim of a blood feud could only deceive Xu Zhiwei.

Xue Huai said calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, this is a task given to you by that ancestor?"

Liu Ying lowered her head, and the throbbing pain from the wound on her shoulder blade made her gasp.

"Liu Ying, you should know very well that when you fall into the hands of the Jing'an Division, death will be the easiest end for you."

Xue Huai's tone remained calm, yet it was like a knife slowly piercing Liu Ying's internal organs: "They have countless ways to make you wish you were dead, and they have enough time to slowly dig out everything you know from the very marrow of your bones. In this process, you will consciously endure every inch of pain, watching yourself slowly turn into a monster like a human pig. Of course, you can also retain a few shreds of dignity, or even retain something you truly care about."

Liu Ying's lips moved, and she finally said softly, "Things you care about?"

"For example, Jimintang."

Meeting Liu Ying's complex gaze, Xue Huai said firmly, "I know you still care about it, but not as firmly and sincerely as Xu Zhiwei. Jimintang is not only a tool for you to gain fame and wealth, but also the culmination of half your life's work. In a sense, Jimintang carries your unspoken goodwill and sense of accomplishment. Over the years, watching the doctors of Jimintang treat people, seeing the patients' tears of gratitude after their recovery, don't you feel any satisfaction? Is your heart really only set on the so-called great cause of the Holy Church?"

A hint of struggle appeared in Liu Ying's eyes.

Xue Huai's words once again precisely struck at the rift in her heart.

She certainly enjoyed the feeling of being admired and respected, and sometimes it even gave her more satisfaction than the title of saint.

But she did not give in. Looking at the calm face of the young official opposite her, she said thoughtfully, "I do care about Jimintang, but my life or death will not affect the survival of Jimintang."

Xue Huai raised an eyebrow slightly.

Liu Ying's defenses were actually stronger than he had imagined; her previous loss of composure was more like a direct emotional outburst.

As expected, Liu Ying continued, "Xue Huai, you promised Xu Zhiwei that you would keep Jimintang running, and even if you didn't care about your promise to Xu Zhiwei, you wouldn't let Jimintang disappear. As long as you remove the scum from Jimintang that the Holy Sect has mixed in, you can let it continue to play a role, which will greatly benefit the stability of Jiangnan. Although you are still very young, your methods are extremely shrewd, and you will not be easily swayed by personal likes and dislikes."

“That makes sense.” Xue Huai’s response surprised Liu Ying slightly.

"As you said, I will not stand by and watch Jimintang disappear. Even if I may not be able to maintain its current scale, I will still do my best to let its good deeds continue."

Xue Huai sat down and said calmly, "But have you ever thought about this question: why did that ancestor insist on having you deal with me?"

Liu Ying frowned slightly and asked, "What do you want to say?"

Xue Huai said, “As the Holy Maiden, your status in the sect is obviously not low, and your greatest asset is Jimintang. From what I understand, in the past fifteen or sixteen years, Jimintang has grown from an ordinary little pharmacy in northern Hangzhou to now having nine branches in Hangzhou, Suzhou, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Yangzhou, and other cities. This is basically all thanks to you. I don’t know much about your internal situation, but at least one thing I can confirm is that you have continuously improved your status through Jimintang, and Jimintang has always been under your control. This is obviously not a normal situation.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Ying's heart tightened.

An old memory quietly surfaced in her mind.

Two autumns ago, an elder in the church suggested to the patriarch that Liu Ying, as a saintess, should focus on missionary work and that the Jimin Hall could be handed over to someone else.

Liu Ying naturally refuted without hesitation. After all, Jimintang was the result of her hard work for more than ten years and the foundation upon which she was able to hold the position of Holy Maiden. How could she allow others to touch it?

At that time, the ancestor clearly stood on Liu Ying's side, and she was grateful for this and became even more loyal to the ancestor.

At this moment, Xue Huai's words were like a cup of sweet poison that Liu Ying drank.

She took a deep breath, looked steadily at Xue Huai, and said, "Lord Xue's ability to sow discord is truly admirable."

"I only ever tell the truth; how you interpret it is your business."

Xue Huai became increasingly calm and said unhurriedly, "After Xu Zhiwei's incident, the two teams behind Jimintang, one openly and one secretly, quickly began to sever ties. As a result, the government could only find some fragmented clues, and even if they directly attacked Jimintang, it wouldn't make much sense. At the time, I thought that the big shot behind Jimintang was extremely decisive. It seemed that he had anticipated that Xu Zhiwei would fail and had made preparations to sever ties in advance, transferring Jimintang's valuables very quickly, leaving only an empty shell."

Liu Ying's face grew increasingly somber.

Although she was unwilling to believe it, upon reflection, she finally realized that Hu Jiaoniang did indeed seem to have been prepared all along.

That day, Hu Jiaoniang's gentle words echoed in her ears: "In order to help the Holy Maiden resolve future troubles, I was ordered by the Ancestor to burn hundreds of account books and sever seven secret lines. These are all real losses."

At that time, Liu Ying was thrown into a panic by Xu Zhiwei's betrayal and stayed in the deep mansion in Zhenjiang Prefecture for a long time. Many things were arranged by Hu Jiaoniang on the orders of the ancestor. Although Liu Ying's confidants were watching over her from beginning to end, Hu Jiaoniang seemed to be simply eliminating potential threats. However, from another perspective, Xue Huai's analysis was indeed very reasonable.

Xue Huai observed the changes in her expression and continued, "If I were you, I would never have maintained the status quo. I would have handed over control of Jimintang three or four years ago. Only in this way could I have become a true confidant of that patriarch and not be abandoned."

Those last two words deeply stung Liu Ying.

Her heart was almost overwhelmed with resentment, and she barely managed to maintain her composure with the last shred of reason. She said in a deep voice, "These are just your conjectures."

"These are indeed just my speculations."

Xue Huai readily admitted, then changed the subject, saying, "But in terms of the final outcome, my speculation seems to be very close to the truth. Now that you are imprisoned, the money and connections of Jimintang have been transferred and have all fallen into the hands of that old ancestor, while most of the trusted subordinates you have cultivated over the years have perished in Shen Garden. In short, the foundation you painstakingly built for the Demon Sect now has nothing to do with you."

These words struck Liu Ying like a thunderbolt, and her face turned pale.

“Liu Ying, you are a capable person. The fact that Jimintang has grown to such a scale under your management is enough to show your ability. However, it is obvious that you do not understand the ways of the world. You still do not realize that your existence has become a threat to that ancestor. If you are allowed to continue to develop, you may be able to take his place and trample that charlatan ancestor under your feet.”

Xue Huai sighed softly and said meaningfully, "This whole thing was an internal purge from the very beginning, targeting you and your loyal subordinates. It's laughable that you were completely unaware, stepping into a deadly trap step by step according to their plan. Now you have nothing left but your life, and even that life could be lost at any moment. Do you think that old ancestor will shed a few tears for you?"

"No! This is impossible!"

Liu Ying's body was trembling slightly, and her eyes were gradually turning red.

If Xue Huai's words before only made her angry, this analysis now is like a barrage of arrows that shattered her defenses, leaving her riddled with holes.

Some things in this world really can't stand up to close scrutiny, especially after someone points you in the right direction. All the details that were overlooked in the past will surface and gradually confirm the most impossible yet most likely truth.

She stared intently at Xue Huai, the young court official, whose expression remained unchanged, his handsome face appearing as terrifying as a demon from the deepest hell in Liu Ying's eyes.

(End of this chapter)