Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 664: Winds and Clouds (Part 3)

Wang Jin, under the order of the Empress, went to the Zheng Mansion.

The once bustling Duke An’s Mansion now had its main gate tightly closed and was desolate. The gatekeeper was quite idle and came out from a distance, politely saying, "Our Lord is currently nursing his injuries and is not suitable to meet people. Mr. Wang, please go back!"

Wang Jin replied gently, "I am here under the Emperor’s command to visit Duke An. Please convey my message."

Well, there was nothing more to convey. Open the main gate immediately and let the imperial envoy in!

The gatekeeper quickly sent a servant to deliver the message, and shortly after, two young men from the Zheng Family came out to greet him. These two were Zheng Chen’s half-brothers, one seventeen and the other fifteen.

Wang Jin had visited the Zheng Mansion several times before and was not unfamiliar with the two Mr. Zhengs in front of him. After some polite exchanges, he followed the Zheng Family sons to see Duke An.

Duke An was recovering from his injuries in his study.

The matter of Zheng Chen becoming a rebel and fleeing the Capital City couldn’t be kept secret for long. Mrs. Zheng, upon learning of her son’s heinous crime, was severely stricken and fell ill, unable to attend to her husband.

With the assistance of his trusted aide, Duke An struggled to sit up, and along the way, the wound on his leg caused excruciating pain, making him break out in a cold sweat.

"How is your leg injury now, Lord?" Wang Jin, observing the proper etiquette of a junior, inquired with concern, "What does the Imperial Physician say?"

That day, when Duke An was carried back to the Zheng Mansion to recuperate, the Grand Empress Dowager sent an Imperial Physician to attend to him, who, as expected, stayed on at the Zheng’s house.

With such honor bestowed, Prime Minister Wang also had a highly skilled Imperial Physician by his side.

Duke An gave a bitter smile, "The Imperial Physician has been reluctant to speak straightforwardly, but I know in my heart. This leg is likely to be crippled; I’ll be lucky if I can barely walk on it in the future."

In other words, he was almost certain to be lame.

This, of course, was unfortunate. But compared to the tragic death of Minister Li and his grandson, it was extremely lucky.

Wang Jin sighed, speaking in a low voice, "My father’s injuries are more severe, as he has been lying on the bed unable to even sit up. Given the situation, words are of little use. I urge you, Duke An, to take care of your health and recuperate well. In this way, you will not let down the Grand Empress Dowager and the Emperor."

The last sentence was the main point.

Duke An looked at this pivotal Imperial Minister in front of him, feeling extremely bitter inside.

His son, Zheng Chen, once studied alongside Wang Jin in the court, starting as the Crown Prince’s Companion and rising to the position of Imperial Attendant. They were often compared by those who were inclined to find similarities between them, seen as equally talented.

But now, Zheng Chen was a rebel wanted by the court and would likely end up with a bad fate, also implicating the entire Zheng Family. In contrast, Wang Jin made the wisest decision at the most crucial moment, now becoming a trusted confidant of the Empress, with an unlimited smooth career path.

This obvious and strong contrast nearly made him cough up blood.

Wang Jin, being meticulous and astute, could easily detect Duke An’s gloom and melancholy, and gently advised, "Thinking too much about what has already happened is of no benefit. The most important thing now is to protect the Zheng Family."

"The Emperor instructed me to convey that as long as Duke An can hand over Zheng Chen, the case of treason will not implicate the Zheng Family."

The bitterness in Duke An’s heart was about to overflow, "I really don’t know where that ungrateful son is hiding."

This sounded laughable but was true.

Duke An truly didn’t know where Zheng Chen had fled and hidden. Since the day Zheng Chen escaped from the court, there has been no news, like a kite severed from its string. Even at their ancestral home in Xingyang, there was no trace of Zheng Chen.

This also showed how deeply Zheng Chen had prepared his escape route. As a father, Duke An had utterly failed.

Wang Jin made it clear he didn’t believe, "Duke An might want to think carefully again, and even a few useful clues would be good."

Without providing some explanation, this hurdle wouldn’t be passed today.

Left with no choice, Duke An had to ponder and mentioned two names. One was a military general stationed with the Zheng Family’s army, and the other a Zheng Family member serving as a Prefectural Governor.

Wang Jin did not force an interrogation, carefully noting these two names, then rose to leave, "I must return to the palace to report to the Emperor, so I’ll take my leave now..."

"Something terrible has happened!"

A steward rushed in, pale and panicked, "My Lord, the Young Madam stabbed her own wrist with a blade and is no longer breathing."

Duke An was shocked and changed his expression, momentarily forgetting his legs couldn’t touch the ground, and he fell off the couch in a sudden move. Then, excruciating pain shot through, causing him to cry out and collapse.

...

An hour later, the news of Fan Jaining’s death reached Zhaohai Palace.

Jiang Shaohua remained silent.

Wang Jin also looked troubled, reporting in a low voice, "...At that time, the Lord collapsed, and the study was in a state of chaos."

"As an outsider and a man, I was not suitable to go into the inner quarters of the Zheng Mansion. So, I stayed by the Lord’s couch waiting for news."

"After Zheng Chen’s escape, Mrs. Fan fell severely ill, refusing solid food and surviving only on medicinal broth. Frankly speaking, she wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway."

"It was heard that Mrs. Fan received a letter from General Fan today, in which he told her that Zheng Chen’s escape would not only bring disaster to the Zheng Family but would also involve the Fan Family due to their marriage connection. Also, all the secret deeds Zheng Chen did did not consider the Fan Family or Prince Ping’s mother and son in the court. If the coup had succeeded that day, Prince Ping’s mother and son would have been killed."

"In utter despair, Mrs. Fan lost the desire to live, pretending to fall asleep after taking medicine, and when the maids and servants were absent, she used a dagger hidden under her pillow to slice the veins in her wrist."

"When the servants noticed something amiss, the bed was stained with blood, and Mrs. Fan had already taken her last breath."

Wang Jin paused at this point, his expression complex, continuing in a low voice, "There were more than one cut on Mrs. Fan’s wrist, a total of three, each deeper than the last. It was clear how determined Mrs. Fan was to die."

Jiang Shaohua remained silent, images of Fan Jaining’s sweet face flashing through his mind, only to change instantly to a lifeless, ashen face devoid of life.

"With Mrs. Zheng ill and unable to manage affairs, and the Lord recovering from injuries, this sudden death threw the entire Zheng Family into chaos. I was not suitable to stay there, so I returned to the palace to report to the Emperor."

"I don’t know if the Emperor intends to send someone to the Zheng Family for condolences."

At this moment, Jiang Shaohua’s stance was crucial to the Zheng Family. It also concerned Fan Jaining’s posthumous honors. If the Zheng Family were seen as criminals, they wouldn’t have the right to arrange the funeral.

After a long silence, Shaohua finally spoke, "Chen Sheren, go on my behalf to the Duke An’s Mansion to see Mrs. Fan off."

"This is not to honor the Zheng Family, but to preserve General Fan’s dignity."

Chen Sheren accepted solemnly.

Wang Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Duke An and Prime Minister Wang had always been political adversaries, and Zheng Chen and he did not get along. Fan Jaining, however, was innocent. Fan Jaining’s suicide was a tragic regret. To have a proper burial was the final dignity.