She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

The Marquis’s butler’s voice trembled, and he suddenly fell to his knees with a thud, ”Second Young Master!”

Mr. Wei forced himself to endure the discomfort, squatted down and examined carefully. Broken stones around the severed hand were stained with dark red blood, and some small metal fragments were embedded in the flesh.

”It seems this is not an ordinary fire,” Mr. Wei said solemnly.

The Marquis’s butler raised his head sharply upon hearing this, ”Are you saying... someone deliberately...”

Mr. Wei did not respond, his gaze was drawn to a glimmer deep in the ruins.

He carefully moved aside a few pieces of shattered tiles, revealing a corner of golden thread embroidered fabric— a pattern of a pheasant bird that only the wife of a high-ranking official could wear.

”Quick! Keep digging!” Mr. Wei felt his voice tightening.

The protectors worked frantically to clear the debris, quickly uncovering more horrifying discoveries.

Half of a charred leg bone, a gold hairpin warped by the blast, a jade belt reduced to half...

The Marquis’s butler was already slumped to the ground, tears streaming down his old face, ”It’s all over... The Marquis, Madam, Princely Heir, Commandery Princess... were all in the hall discussing...”

”What did you say? They were gathered together?”

Mr. Wei felt a severe shock in his heart, as if sensing an unusual aura.

It’s like— a deliberate extermination of the family!

He lowered his gaze, suddenly remembering something, and turned to stare at the Marquis’s butler.

”You mentioned earlier that one of my nephews was interested in Princess Changle? Which nephew?”

The Marquis’s butler shook his head blankly, ”This... The Marquis only said it was a fat nephew, specifics are unknown to this old servant.”

Mr. Wei’s brows furrowed tightly, feeling his heart sink.

He indeed had several plump nephews, but they were all distant relatives, how would they connect with the Champion Marquis Household?

What’s even more baffling is that just when the Marquis’s household was preparing for the marriage proposal, they encountered this disaster...

”My Lord! Someone is still alive here!” A servant suddenly shouted.

Mr. Wei rushed over, seeing a bloody hand reaching out weakly from a crevice in the ruins.

Everyone worked together to remove the rubble and debris laying above, revealing a face covered in blood and dirt— it was the Second Young Master of the Champion Marquis Household!

”Second Young Master!” The butler rushed forward, choking on his voice, ”Where are the others? Where’s the Marquis?”

The Second Young Master’s lips trembled, his breath faint, ”Father... exploded...” His words cut off mid-sentence, suddenly falling silent.

Mr. Wei felt a chill run through his body.

If this was a deliberate extermination, occurring during the discussion of marriage with his fat nephew, the Wei Family couldn’t escape implication.

”Report to the authorities! Immediately report it!”

Mr. Wei shouted sternly, yet his voice trembled uncontrollably, ”No, go directly to the Ministry of Justice! Then send someone to the Imperial Palace to inform His Majesty!”

The Marquis’s butler seemed to have realized something too, suddenly grabbing Mr. Wei’s sleeve.

”Prime Minister, this matter is suspicious, could it be... related to that marriage proposal?”

Mr. Wei did not answer immediately. He looked at the dreadful ruins and remembered the butler saying when he arrived, ”The Marquis has already agreed to this marriage.”

Why did the Champion Marquis suddenly agree to a proposal from an unknown ”fat nephew”?

Why did the explosion happen precisely when the entire family was gathered for discussion? What was the Second Young Master trying to reveal before his dying breath?

Various questions whirled in Mr. Wei’s mind, ultimately forming a terrifying thought: This was not an accident, but a meticulously planned murder. And that mysterious ”fat nephew” was likely the key.

”Save the people first,” Mr. Wei finally said in a deep voice, ”We’ll talk about the rest when Jingzhao Mansion arrives.”

The Champion Marquis Household suffered a tragic extermination.

Soon, the entire Capital City descended into chaos.

The nobles and common people of the city poured out of their homes, gathering to watch the spectacle at various places where fires had broken out.

Seeing that all the places on fire belonged to the Champion Marquis Household, some speculated that the Champion Marquis had offended the wrong person and was retaliated against.

Others had long disdain for the Champion Marquis’s demeanor, speculating that they had done too many evil deeds and suffered divine retribution.

All kinds of chaotic rumors spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, even alarming Emperor Jing in the Imperial Palace.

While forces from Jingzhao Mansion and the Ministry of Justice swiftly headed to the Champion Marquis Household, stationed soldiers at the south gate of the city also heard the explosion from inside the city.

The city gates had already closed when dusk fell, and the guarding soldiers were standing on tiptoe watching the fires blazing within the city.

They had a gossipy look on their faces, speculating what kind of trouble had erupted in the city.

The fierce flames burning throughout the city illuminated half the night sky red, casting eerie orange shadows on the blue brick walls of the Capital City’s south gate.

Wang, one of the city gate soldiers, was feeling a bit sore on his tiptoes when suddenly he heard the sound of urgent hoofbeats approaching from afar.