"Your Excellency, please calm your anger." Prefect Chu had no choice but to speak. Was this the fate of kings, where their meeting meant only death?
Yin Geng cast a disdainful glance at Prefect Chu. "Prefect Chu need not say more. Some people are simply eager to court death."
As his words fell, Yin Geng's sinister and cold gaze swept over the individuals in the courtyard.
There was no need to mention Deng Zhiwu. Although Liu Heyu's face was pale, she knew that fortune favored the bold. Suppressing her fear, she stood her ground.
The atmosphere was already tense and charged, but Chong Guang, as if fearing the world wasn't chaotic enough, provocatively spoke first, "I've heard that Guard Bao is the foremost guard in the capital. How about a spar?"
The named Bao Ju was not tall and was slightly thin, but his eyes were sharp and sinister. "Since you wish to court death, Bao shall oblige you!"
Prefect Chu knew his humble status prevented him from advising the First Prince. He could only look towards Zhan Feiyu by the entrance, "Miss Zhan, do not be rash!"
Truthfully, Prefect Chu held the First Prince in contempt. To think that the eldest prince, whose child was nearly as old as Zhan Feiyu, would stoop to quarreling with a young girl. Would it sound good if this reached the imperial court?
Zhan Feiyu looked at Prefect Chu with an innocent expression, then smiled helplessly. "The sun is quite strong outside. Would Your Excellency care to come inside for a chat?"
After speaking, Zhan Feiyu stepped aside. Although she showed Prefect Chu respect by yielding, her gaze towards Yin Geng held a hint of provocation, as if challenging him to see if he dared to enter.
"Your Highness?" Bao Ju, who was about to engage Chong Guang, frowned. Although Zhan Feiyu was young, her actions were domineering and fierce. Forty-eight corpses still hung from the city wall. Bao Ju truly dared not let the First Prince take risks. If anything were to happen, even tearing Zhan Feiyu to shreds would be of no use.
Raising an eyebrow, Zhan Feiyu squinted and smiled with unrestrained arrogance, almost pointing at the First Prince's nose and mocking his cowardice.
"Hmph!" Yin Geng snorted coldly, flicked his hand, and strode forward. He would dare to venture into any dragon's den or tiger's lair!
As everyone watched with bewildered eyes, Zhan Feiyu clicked the door shut. This nearly caused a group of Huang family guards to draw their swords and rush into the house. If anything happened to the First Prince, they would have no reason to live.
Though the door was shut, the window remained open. The light in the room dimmed slightly. With a sweep of his peripheral vision, he saw a figure sitting in the dimness. The First Prince was instantly on guard.
He was a martial artist himself and not weak, yet he hadn't sensed a third person in the room. Yin Geng's right hand fell to the hilt of his sword. This man was undoubtedly a master.
"Your Highness need not be so wary." Zhan Feiyu's voice was not loud. Seeing Yin Geng still on guard, she tugged at the dragon pendant hanging around her neck and took it out.
"You?" Yin Geng's expression changed instantly. His gaze fixed on the dragon pendant. He was familiar with the Emperor's personal belongings. But for this dragon pendant to be on Zhan Feiyu's neck was too bizarre.
Even if she was Scholar Gu's disciple, how could his father's possession be on her? Yin Geng's mind raced. Could Zhan Feiyu be a hidden gem from the sea?
He thought of Scholar Gu taking her as a disciple, of Prince Yu's high praise for Zhan Feiyu, and of her young age and rural upbringing. Yet her demeanor did not resemble that of a country girl at all.
Yin Geng's gaze appraised Zhan Feiyu with bewildered uncertainty. So, these experts around her weren't all sent by Scholar Gu; perhaps they were sent by his father. Did Zhan Feiyu dare to defy the Chen family, dare to hang forty-eight corpses on the city wall? At this moment, everything seemed to fall into place.
Before Zhan Feiyu could even speak, she saw Yin Geng's expression shift through a complex range of emotions, and then he opened the door and walked out.
"Let's go!" With Yin Geng's command, the imperial guards in the courtyard followed. After a while, the sound of hooves faded into the distance. The crisis was averted as if it had never happened.
Zhan Feiyu turned to Yin Wuyan, asking with a bewildered expression, "Big Brother, what happened?"
Yin Wuyan walked over and placed the dragon pendant back inside the little girl's collar. "What were you trying to do just now?"
Looking down, Zhan Feiyu blinked her eyes innocently. "I was worried he would make me kowtow, so I planned to use the dragon pendant to bluff my way through."
This was the Emperor's token. With Zhan Feiyu wearing it around her neck, Yin Geng, even if he had the courage of a leopard, would not dare to make Zhan Feiyu kneel. Such an act, if it spread, would be great disrespect and punishable by death.
Yin Wuyan's eyes flickered with surprise. He reached out and flicked the little girl's upturned nose. "He thinks you are a princess lost by the Emperor."
Now it was Zhan Feiyu's turn to be dumbfounded. Recalling Yin Geng's complex expression just now, Zhan Feiyu suppressed a smile. "Big Brother, does this mean I won't have to worry about being assassinated from now on?"
After saying that, Zhan Feiyu made a clean throat-slitting gesture with her right hand.
After pondering for a moment, Yin Wuyan nodded. As long as the Emperor did not personally refute the rumor, no one would dare.
In the courtyard, Prefect Chu was somewhat confused. Wei Kuan, whose expression was fierce and who was still thinking of avenging He Sheng, was stunned. His Lord had left just like that, leaving them all hanging. What was going on?
Although the door had been closed, most people present were martial artists. It had only been a few sentences spoken inside the room, and then the crisis was resolved. This left everyone utterly bewildered.
"Tsk tsk, the chubby girl subdued the enemy without a fight?" Chong Guang chuckled, slinging an arm around He Sheng's shoulder and peering into the room. He had expected Seventh Master to intervene, but he hadn't heard Seventh Master speak, and Seventh Master was in disguise, so the First Prince wouldn't recognize him.
He Sheng did not reply. Even if his young lady didn't have the luck to escape misfortune, Seventh Master was in the room and would not let anyone harm her.
The crisis, which had been like thunder but little rain, was thus resolved. Prefect Chu, knowing Wei Kuan was in a bad mood, offered a few polite words and left with the yamen officials.
Wei Kuan was helpless. Since the main party had already left, and he, a deputy commander, couldn't even defeat Zhan Feiyu's guards, staying would only be embarrassing. He could only leave Xinglong Inn with his hundreds of soldiers, his face grim.
...
As night fell, at the Liu residence.
"The First Prince left overnight with his men?" Only a single candle was lit in the room, and the speaker sat in the darkness, beyond the reach of the light.
"Yes, after resting at the Huaian Prefecture Yamen, he left in the afternoon. Judging by the direction, he should be heading to Zhongzhou Prefecture." The man who replied knelt on one knee, clad in black night-blooming clothes, his head bowed so his features were not visible.
Silence spread through the room. After a moment, "Tell me again the detailed situation at Xinglong Inn during the day."
The man in black recounted the events one by one: Wei Kuan bringing his men to surround the inn, the appearance of Prefect Chu and his entourage, and he even repeated what each person had said.
The person shrouded in darkness tapped lightly on the table with one hand. "So, the change occurred inside the room. Since Zhan Feiyu said nothing, she must have given him something. Otherwise, given the First Prince's violent and impulsive nature, he wouldn't have left so easily."
Unfortunately, the door was closed at the time, and no one in the courtyard knew what had happened inside. If Zhan Feiyu didn't speak, and Yin Geng didn't speak, then it was truly a secret known only to heaven, earth, and themselves.
"Send more people to Jinlin Village in Nanxuan Prefecture. Since there are rumors that Zhan Feiyu is not a member of the Zhan family, you must investigate her background thoroughly."
"Yes, I will send people to investigate immediately." The man in black acknowledged.
Meanwhile, at the Chu residence.
Prefect Chu was currently reclining on a chaise lounge, reaching up to hold the hand that was massaging his temples. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Qingqing. You should rest."
They say a beauty looks even more beautiful under the lamplight. Madam Chu's black hair cascaded behind her like clouds. Her sickly pale skin was bathed in a warm yellow hue by the candlelight. Coupled with her exquisite features, she appeared refined and serene, evoking a sense of pity.
She then sat down on the chaise lounge and softly asked, "Those corpses cannot remain hanging on the city wall forever. It would harm Brother Shao's reputation if word got out."
"Those people dared to send so many assassins to kill Zhan Feiyu. Let alone hanging their corpses, they wouldn't dare to make a fuss even if their bodies were whipped." Prefect Chu's handsome face revealed a sneer.
He was a scion of a noble family and a scholar who had passed two imperial examinations. Being in officialdom, Prefect Chu was naturally no stranger to schemes. However, he disdained assassination as a low-class tactic from the bottom of his heart.
"Which family doesn't have secret assassins? If they all acted like them, the Great Qing Dynasty would have fallen into chaos long ago." What Prefect Chu didn't say was that deploying so many assassins against a nine-year-old girl, and failing in the end, was fortunate that they were assassins. Otherwise, the mastermind's face would be thoroughly slapped. m..oΓg
Sensing his contempt and disdain, Madam Chu nodded in agreement. "A gentleman knows what to do and what not to do. But isn't Zhan Feiyu afraid of impeachment for acting this way?"
Even as a woman of the inner court, Madam Chu knew that the officials in the Censorate were upright and unyielding. Though inflexible, stubborn, and obstinate, they were indeed loyal and upright ministers.
"With Scholar Gu holding the fort in court, Zhan Feiyu has already sent a letter donating all of Liu Hefeng's assets to the army, amounting to nearly five hundred thousand taels of silver. Zhan Feiyu was assassinated in Huaian Prefecture. If the Censorate dares to impeach her, the generals in court would likely tear them apart." Prefect Chu chuckled at this point. He could already imagine how lively the morning court would be in the coming days.
Although the Censorate consisted of incorruptible officials, they were not fools. Filing a memorial would first offend Scholar Gu.
Scholar Gu was over fifty years old and had only this one disciple, a soft and sweet little girl. At nine years old, she was the top scholar in Nanxuan Prefecture. If she were assassinated, these censors would have to weigh their options before filing a memorial. Unless someone instigated them, but who would dare to step forward at this time? Scholar Gu would surely investigate thoroughly.
Madam Chu turned to Prefect Chu, who had his arm around her. "Does this mean that besides the Chen family, no other ministers will submit a memorial on this matter?"
Scholar Gu was almost the head of the civil officials. The military commanders were grateful for Zhan Feiyu's repeated generous donations. Whoever submitted a memorial would offend both the civil and military factions.
"More or less. However, the First Prince should have sent a letter back to the capital. I suppose this matter will be concluded soon." Prefect Chu suddenly stood up and carried Madam Chu in his arms. "Madam, it's late. It's time to rest."
The lamp burns bright through the third watch, the rooster crows at the fifth watch – this is the time for men to study.
The small courtyard was still brightly lit. Putting down his brush, Zhan Feiyu rubbed her sore right wrist. "Big Brother, can you find out who those people were?"
These suddenly appearing assassins, with forty-eight corpses, not to mention those injured and retreated earlier, Zhan Feiyu estimated there were no less than sixty people. Unless they were from ancient noble families or esteemed aristocrats, it would be impossible to deploy so many assassins. The number was simply too large.
Yin Wuyan, who was reading a secret letter, replied without looking up, "Who do you think sent them?"
"Appearing in Huaian Prefecture without anyone noticing. The imperial merchant Liu family is definitely not innocent. Scholar Zheng Chen should also have had a hand in it." Zhan Feiyu had pondered the entire affair while bathing the previous night.
"Big Brother, I estimate that others are also involved. If one faction sent five to ten people, then at least six families acted this time." Zhan Feiyu's expression stiffened for a moment. She hadn't done anything that incurred heavenly wrath, so why did so many people want to kill her? And with such a grand gesture. Fortunately, she hadn't died. If she had, she could only go to the underworld to complain to the King of Hell.
Yin Wuyan glanced at the little girl with puffed-out cheeks and a very stifled expression. "The reason they sent assassins is that as long as no one is left alive, there's no way to trace them."
Even the Imperial Dragon Guard couldn't find any clues from these ordinary corpses. As for the people who escaped, they likely left Huaian Prefecture quickly after the assassination failed that night. Thus, this was practically an unsolved case.
"I..." Zhan Feiyu opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She hadn't offended so many people, but as the saying goes, a man's wealth is his own ruin. Zhan Feiyu didn't know whose eyes her existence had offended, but the fact remained.
For a moment, after her anger subsided, Zhan Feiyu became energized again. She picked up her brush and continued writing articles and doing her homework. Revenge is sweet, even after ten years!
The capital, the Imperial Study.
The Emperor, who usually received Zhan Feiyu's letters every five days, would immediately complain if something happened and send the letters to the capital by express horse.
"Has your little disciple written back yet?" The Emperor put down his memorial, looking somewhat puzzled. Deng Zhiwu's letter had arrived at the General's residence yesterday. Of course, the matter of the five hundred thousand taels of silver wasn't settled yet, but Deng Zhiwu had detailed his encounter with the First Prince and the siege of Xinglong Inn.
Logically, after Zhan Feiyu was attacked, her letter should have arrived. But to this day, there had been no letter. If the Emperor wasn't certain of his absolute control over the capital, he would suspect that Scholar Gu had received Zhan Feiyu's letter, bypassing the Dark Dragon Guards.
Gu Qingzhou rubbed his temples, his face showing a hint of weariness. "Commander Yin is in Huaian Prefecture. The little girl is young and not yet steady in her disposition. Compared to seeking help from an old minister, with Commander Yin bearing that face, the little girl has likely forgotten all about me, her teacher!"