Guanshan Muyu

chapter 32

Chen Jingyin was young; her face so white that it was almost transparent, and when the sun shone, Xia Xun could see the thin blue veins under her skin.

Her cheeks were scarlet, but her gaze was firm.

Xia Xun did not have the heart to tell her the truth.

He hadn’t told Chen Jingyin that Qi Yan couldn’t have guessed the full picture of what had happened just from some conversation between the girls.

Even if he could figure out that Chen Jingyin had been framed, he had no way of knowing the exact details, so how could he know that the thing Chen Jingyin had in the wooden box was the flower hairpin made for her eldest sister’s wedding?

Duke Chen was his political enemy, someone he was going to get rid of at the emperor’s behest, and he had probably planted spies in Chen Mansion long ago, knowing the Chen family’s recent situation like the back of his hand.

Even his appearance in front of Chen Jingyin might have been planned beforehand.

He had an ulterior motive for approaching Chen Jingyin and saving her.

Just like… he did with Xia Xun in the first place.

He had also saved Xia Xun.

Ever since the emperor appointed a deputy, Xia Hongxi’s mood was getting more and more irritable. He was always worried that his use of the water transportation for personal gain would be discovered, so he was on tenterhooks.

Lady Xia was also very worried.

One day, she summoned Xia Xing and asked him if he was willing to share his father’s worries.

Xia Xing appeared to be eager.

“Of course! If we don’t dispel His Majesty’s doubts, how can our Xia family have a good life in the future? I’m at my wits’ end! Does Mother have any advice?”

Lady Xia was calm and precise in her words.

“It is not difficult at all to dispel His Majesty’s suspicions. As long as His Majesty’s suspicions are proved, all our troubles will disappear!”

Xia Xing was appalled.

“Mother, what are you talking about?! Using official ships for profit is a serious crime! Not only will Father lose his head, but the lives of all of us will be lost! How can Mother一”

Lady Xia glared at him.

“Do you take me for a fool or a lunatic? Don’t I know these things? I said the suspicions are proved, not your father’s guilt!”

Xia Xing thought for a moment and then realized.

“Mother means… find a scapegoat?”

“Exactly! Not only that, if this person is connected to the Xia family, your father will have to find him out himself! It is only by exterminating his own family that he will appear to be righteous! Better yet, if this person is dead, he would not be able to dispute the evidence!”

Xia Shou was worried again, his brow furrowed.

“Where can we find such a person?”

Lady Xia said softly: “We have a ready-made one in our house, don’t we?”

Xia Shou was startled.

“Do you mean… Xia Xun?”

Lady Xia’s plan was simple: to find a way to kill Xia Xun, then put all the blame on him, claiming that he had used his identity as Xia Hongxi’s son to secretly collude with the officials of the water transportation department and commit a number of crimes.