427 Puzzled
Ning Yue exhaled heavily. “Grandpa, this matter isn’t that simple.”
She slowly analyzed the logic for the old man. “Grandpa, if it were you who saw a person quarreling with someone of higher status and power, and the other person died the next day, would you think that the person of high status killed the other person?”
Old Master Ning fell silent. He would indeed think so, but he was different. He had never done it before. After a long time, he said, “But I didn’t do this.”
“Grandpa, I know you didn’t do it. We all believe you, but if you want the people outside to believe you, we have to investigate this matter carefully,” Ning Yue said.
The old man didn’t say anything else. He had done wrong. He hadn’t considered the implications of this.
At best, he would be pointed at when he went out, but it would be forgotten over time.
To put it more seriously, it was very likely that the reputation of the Marquis Dingyuan’s Residence would plummet, and even his descendants would be affected.
“Grandpa, don’t think too much about this matter. At the moment, the emperor has already handed the matter to us to handle. This means that the emperor trusts us. As long as you haven’t done it, we will definitely be able to investigate the truth,” Ning Yue said.
After this incident, Old Master Ning had a new opinion of the officialdom.
He thought that he was just Marquis Dingyuan without any real power and that others would not be jealous of him, but he did not expect there to be so many twists and turns behind this.
A few days later, Baili returned to report.
He didn’t look too good. He said to Ning Yue, “Princess, we’ve made a new discovery.”
Ning Yue was delighted and hurriedly asked, “What is it?”
“This matter is related to the Matriarch of the General’s Residence,” Baili said.
Matriarch? Hearing this title, Ning Yue was stunned at first. “Are you saying that this has something to do with my grandmother?”
Baili nodded. “We’ve been guarding there for the past few days and found the Matriarch limping to the secret passage to conspire with someone and leave through it. We followed and realized that they’d also circled the city a few times and stopped on the outskirts for half an hour. There didn’t seem to be anything special.”
Ning Yue frowned tightly. Was she limping? When she went to see her grandmother a few days ago, there was nothing unusual about her.
“Baili, I’ll prepare some things. Come with me to the General’s Residence to see Grandmother. Continue to send people to guard the secret passage,” Ning Yue said.
“Yes!” Baili replied respectfully.
Ning Yue returned to her room and took some cherries, lotus mist, and other fruits that An Ning liked. After preparing them, she went to the general’s residence with Baili.
Seeing Ning Yue arrive, An Ning was very happy. “Yueyue, you’re here!”
“That’s right, Grandmother. I missed you. The family isn’t busy, so I came to see you.” Ning Yue handed the fruits to the maidservant beside her.
“You came at the right time. Come and have breakfast with Grandmother.” An Ning was so excited that she got someone to prepare Ning Yue’s bowl and chopsticks.
After this breakfast, Ning Yue did not see anything unusual, but Baili noticed.
After eating breakfast and chatting with An Ning for a while, Ning Yue left. An Ning was a little reluctant, but she did not force her to stay. She only said to her, “Yueyue, come and visit Grandmother more often when you’re free.”
“Grandmother, don’t worry. I definitely will,” Ning Yue said with a smile.
After leaving the General’s Residence, Ning Yue asked Baili, “I saw that you seemed to have discovered something just now. Tell me.”
“Princess, I keep feeling that the Matriarch at the entrance of the secret passage is not the same person as this Matriarch,” Baili said.
When Ning Yue heard this, her eyes widened. How was this possible? An Yuan was already paralyzed. She had already checked. There was no possibility of recovery.
“Are you sure she’s not the same person?” Ning Yue asked again.
Baili thought for a moment and told Ning Yue what he had discovered. “The Matriarch’s eyes were filled with hostility when I saw her in the secret passage. The Matriarch I saw today had completely different eyes and temperament.”
Baili knew about the two Matriarchs of the General’s Residence and that An Yuan was already paralyzed in bed. He was also very puzzled.