The assassins were all specially trained, prepared for the possibility that their targets would not speak. Various torture devices were employed, as long as they did not kill the person. Some possessed unyielding integrity, refusing to reveal even a shred of information about their master, even if it meant death. Others, however, could not endure the pain, locked in an intense internal struggle without making a final decision.
The soldiers interrogating them were experienced. They could tell from the captives' expressions that their mission was nearing completion. Relieved, they thought of the reward money that would soon be theirs and the joy of reuniting with their families. It was only natural for them to feel pleased, especially since these individuals deserved their fate for injuring the Young Master so severely.
Did they not know that the Young Master was young and promising, the stabilizing force of their fief? With him around, everyone felt secure. While they admitted their methods were cruel, they believed that against enemies, it was either persecute them or be persecuted. Rather than lose their lives and have their families suffer, they chose to defy natural order and drive away those who sought to harm them.
Yang Hanyu, the second son of Prince Yang's Mansion, found himself unconsciously walking towards the entrance of Prince Yang's secret passage. Two guards immediately approached him, fawningly saying, "Why has the second young master come here? There are several black-clad men held captive below, who injured our Young Master and are now undergoing severe torture. The scene is rather bloody. It would be best for the second young master to stroll elsewhere to avoid any unpleasantness."
Yang Hanyu, acting as if nothing was amiss, replied, "The weather is fine today, so I came out for a walk and stumbled upon this place. I've heard about this matter. I'm simply curious, have those people confessed? Who exactly wants to harm my elder brother?"
Upon hearing this, the two guards lowered their heads guiltily. They had clear divisions of labor; the two of them had been guarding the entrance for years and had no idea about the situation underground, only occasionally hearing screams, knowing they were enduring inhuman torment. Sudan Novel Network.
Seeing their expressions, Yang Hanyu guessed the situation. He smiled awkwardly, "As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Please don't spread this around. I was genuinely concerned about my elder brother, but in the eyes of some, it might look like I have something to hide. After all, they believe I am the one in Prince Yang's Mansion who most wants to harm my elder brother, as if I would benefit most from anything happening to him. However, this is not the case. What if it were someone sent by the imperial court, trying to sow discord between us and cause internal strife, allowing the Emperor to reap the benefits? Wouldn't that play right into his hands?"
The two guards felt a sense of guilt and moved by his apparent trust. They quickly nodded, realizing that from now on, they needed to pay more attention to their surroundings so that they wouldn't be speechless if the second young master asked again.
Yang Hanyu believed he had acted with great discretion. In reality, as soon as he left, someone in hiding reported to Yang Hanye. Yang Hanye fell into deep thought. He had not paid much attention to his brother before, but now, upon hearing that someone had finally revealed the mastermind, his brother had rushed to the scene, eager to gather information. Such a haughty individual, who usually looked down on everyone, had now stooped to befriending the guards at the entrance, even making them willing to keep silent for him, to strike at him. Clearly, his brother's schemes ran deep.
Things were unfolding much as he had suspected. On the sixth day, someone finally broke. Regardless of the consequences, they revealed everything they knew. Others wanted to curse him as a coward for not enduring the torture, but after days of inhuman suffering, they were all weak and listless, too exhausted to even lift their heads, let alone curse.
It was then that Yang Hanye realized that his seemingly obedient younger brother, who appeared merely a bit proud, had actually been plotting to take his life and had acted on it. It seemed his own perspective had been too broad, always attributing such matters to the imperial court and various vassal kings, never expecting the danger to come from within his own household.
Although his mother currently held sway in Prince Yang's Mansion, when he was young, Yang Hanyu's mother had been in charge for a period. Her son had been ill-treated in the capital, and his mother would often lie in bed crying alone. At that time, he had sworn to study hard so that even if he couldn't achieve greatness, he would at least prevent his mother from suffering further harm.
Young as he was, he didn't know what happened later, which led to his father's attitude towards his mother plummeting. After that, she never appeared before them again. Later, when he saw her, she seemed much more weathered, with a profound scholarly aura.
Although his advisors and wet nurse had urged him not to associate with her, as they were destined to be enemies and there was no need to engage with them, and even if he were to spare her, she might not spare him. He couldn't understand when she had trained so many experts and how they lived within the mansion's inner courtyard, which was very inconvenient and lacked freedom. It was possible these forces came from her background, the Xu family.
The Xu family was famously wealthy. In their pursuit of greater business success, they had once asked the young Yang Hanyu's mother to seduce Prince Yang.
Few could make Prince Yang remember them so fondly. His mother was one of them. He admitted she was beautiful, and Yang Hanyu had inherited her good looks, appearing somewhat effeminate, blurring the lines between male and female. These two had always maintained a low profile, often making people forget their existence. Even at their age, people were still unclear about who Yang Hanyu truly was. All they knew was that he was supposed to take the imperial examination with his classmates, but with the current turmoil in the land, what was the point of achieving fame? Thus, for some time, he had not been studying. Instead, he often wandered in the garden, observing the scenery. When inspiration struck, he would have his servant bring brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, and in a good mood, he would paint a picture, even composing a humorous poem to go with it, becoming a sight within the mansion. Countless maids would intentionally take time to see the second young master.
Yang Hanyu, on the other hand, remained calm throughout. He would greet his servants with a smile. Everyone privately spoke of him as a distinguished gentleman. Yang Hanye listened to their discussions impassively. Although he found little useful information, he acknowledged that everyone had a youthful phase, and some assumptions were understandable.
Yang Hanyu's probing attempt ended in failure, but he was not discouraged. The next day, he planned to gather more information when he noticed people looking at him strangely. He quickly ordered his servant to find out what had happened. To his surprise, he heard that a captive in the dungeon had confessed everything, and Yang Hanye was preparing to present this evidence to Prince Yang to seek justice.
The situation was developing towards the direction he least wanted to see, and the thought of his father looking at him with disappointment made Yang Hanyu's heart ache.