Yi Qing waited calmly for news from Meng Da. However, she knew that Xiao Tian was still extremely busy, often nowhere to be seen.
Xue Miao'er grew impatient. Especially after she had another fight with Meng Qinglong when he returned. She couldn't wait to ask Yi Qing, "When on earth will we get the news? I can't wait to give Meng Qinglong a good thrashing!"
Yi Qing rolled her eyes. "It sounds as if you showed mercy last night."
Xue Miao'er said, "I still didn't get to fight to my heart's content. I was afraid of his parents."
"You're lucky you were afraid. If not, I'm afraid someone would have died," Yi Qing mocked her.
Xue Miao'er slapped the table. "Yi Qing, talk properly. I have a temper too, you know!"
"If it were you, and it was a matter of life and death, not just your own but the lives of your nine generations of kin, would you hide something in an easily accessible place?"
Xue Miao'er thought for a while. "It seems I really wouldn't."
"Exactly," Yi Qing said. "Give Meng Da some time. He'll find it."
"I'm afraid it won't be easy," Xue Miao'er frowned. "I have to find a way to help him. Now that the matter has come to light, I reckon the old scoundrel Meng must be very cautious and is surely checking everyone around him."
"This matter has already been resolved," Yi Qing said indifferently.
"Ah?" Xue Miao'er was stunned. "How was it resolved? Why haven't I heard about it?"
Yi Qing replied, "A long - time attendant of Lord Meng threw himself into the river and committed suicide."
"Guilty conscience?"
"Yeah."
"He's so stupid!" Xue Miao'er slapped her thigh. "If he wasn't afraid of death, why was he afraid of being investigated? He could have waited until he was caught and then died. Maybe he could have even survived by a fluke!"
"He didn't want to die, but he had to."
"Huh?"
"The person who was truly the most trusted and loyal to Lord Meng. Do you think we should have let him live?" A cold smile appeared on Yi Qing's lips.
These people were plotting a rebellion, which meant they were going against the dog - emperor. That might not be a bad thing as she could just watch from the sidelines. But Xiao Tian didn't want that and was determined to help the emperor. So she had to show her support.
"Of course, Lord Meng should have kept him," Xue Miao'er was even more confused.
"I meant us."
It took Xue Miao'er a while to react. Then she stared at Yi Qing with wide eyes, pointed at her, and stammered, "You... You did this?"
"Yep," Yi Qing raised her eyebrows. "Any objections?"
"Oh my god! You're so bold! You should have left this kind of covering - up - evidence killing to me. You're so clumsy. What if you get exposed?"
"Me, clumsy?" Yi Qing snorted.
"You're just not as good as me," Xue Miao'er thought for a while. "In this case, it's indeed like helping Meng Da clear his suspicion. I just don't know if this scheme is clever enough. Will the old scoundrel Meng find something fishy?"
"It's not exactly clever, but it's enough to make Lord Meng believe it," Yi Qing said confidently.
She had planned this matter, and Xiao Tian had carried it out in person. Apart from the simple and straightforward result of the attendant throwing himself into the river, she had also designed a few intricate details.
By the time the people Lord Meng sent cracked those details, they would be even more convinced that the dead man was the real culprit.
The bait was on the hook, waiting for the willing fish to take the bait.
Since Meng Da was working for them, they had to make sure he had no worries.
Meng Da didn't disappoint them. In less than ten days, he found a clue.
One night, he sneaked into Yi Qing's room and brought them what he had found. He said, "I know that the old master has an iron mine and a coal mine. He has captured many coolies and made them work day and night. They should be smelting iron and forging weapons."
Yi Qing was very vigilant. One could never be too careful with a fickle person like this.
"Weren't you supposed to know nothing? How come you know now?"
"I knew about the iron and coal mines before, but I didn't think much of it. I thought the old master wanted to do some smuggling business. But when I thought it over carefully and combined it with what I've found, it should be for forging weapons. If you don't believe me, you can read the letters between him and Commander Lin of the capital garrison."
As he spoke, his eyes kept darting around, obviously with some dishonest thoughts.
Yi Qing was wary of him and said indifferently, "You can go back and wait now. There's nothing for you here."
"What about my matter with the eldest mistress..." Meng Da rubbed his hands, looking lewd.
"I'll keep my promise," Xiao Tian said. "But you'd better behave yourself in the following days. I've already found a scapegoat for you, but it doesn't mean you can rest easy. You'd better take care of yourself."
"Yes, yes, yes," Meng Da said quickly, but he didn't move his feet.
"What else do you want?" Xiao Tian stared at him with a freezing look in his eyes. Meng Da didn't dare to meet his gaze and silently thought to himself, who on earth was this man? He had such a fierce aura.
Meng Da forced a smile. "May I ask boldly, sir, are you from the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
Since Lord Meng knew that it was Deng Xiao who came to deliver the imperial edict, he had been on high alert. No wonder Meng Da would ask such a question.
"Who I am has nothing to do with you," Xiao Tian said coldly.
He looked down on people like Meng Da who betrayed their masters, so his attitude was cold and full of disgust.
Meng Da said, "It has nothing to do with me. I'll ask you one last thing. If our old master atones for his crimes, can he be spared from death?"
"The crime of rebellion..." Before Xiao Tian could say "Do you think it's possible?", Yi Qing interrupted him.
"That's up to the emperor. It all depends on the emperor. Are you afraid that if your old master doesn't die, you'll be in danger in the future?" Yi Qing narrowed her eyes and stared at him.
"No, no, no," Meng Da waved his hands repeatedly. "I definitely don't mean that. I hope our old master can get out of this safely... I just want to take the eldest mistress away. I have no intention of harming our old master."
"Stop talking nonsense and get out of here."
Seeing that Xiao Tian was angry, Meng Da sighed, cupped his hands, and left with a heavy heart.
After watching his back disappear, Xiao Tian closed the door and said, "It seems we can't keep Meng Da anymore."
"Huh?"
"I think his attitude is wavering. I'm worried he'll betray us."
Yi Qing thought for a while and said, "You're right. But if someone else dies now, we're afraid it will arouse the Meng family's suspicion. What do you think?"
Xiao Tian thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait for a while. I'll go and check out the coal and iron mines he mentioned first. If the information is false, we still need to get more information from his mouth. So we can't kill him for now."
After the two discussed, they decided to let Xiao Tian go and check the mines first.
"What about these things?" Yi Qing flipped through the things Meng Da had brought briefly. "I don't know if they're real or fake. If they're real, they can indeed convict the Meng and Lin families."
"Whether they're real or fake, I'll send them back first," Xiao Tian had already made up his mind.