Chapter 69#

Because of this arrow pointing at the First Prince, everyone present fell silent.#

The tent was deathly still, with varying expressions on the faces of those around. The Minister of Revenue immediately spoke up: “Your Majesty, it’s just an arrow; it proves nothing at all. The First Prince shot many arrows while hunting in the forest. If someone with ill intent made use of it, this could be a frame-up!”

“Your Excellency’s words are inappropriate! If that’s the case, doesn’t it imply the problem lies with the Ministry of War?” An official standing behind the Third Prince stepped forward.

Another official said, “The arrows the First Prince shot were scattered all over the hunting grounds. That point is hard to argue.”

“The arrows were crafted by the Ministry of Works. If I’m not mistaken, Lord Liu has just assumed office as Minister of Works and still needs to get up to speed on affairs. However, the new Vice Minister of Works has some connection to the Xie family, so this batch of arrows might have passed through their hands as well,” someone else chimed in, shifting the blame toward the Second Prince, who had previously been close to the Xu family.

Just as the others were bickering and refuting each other, the Emperor interrupted impatiently: “Enough!”

Only then did everyone realize that the whereabouts of the two princes were still unknown. Moreover, the depths of North Mountain were teeming with fierce beasts, and neither prince had any guards with them—they were almost certainly facing great danger.

At that moment, someone entered the tent—it was Empress Xu.

“Have the Imperial Guards gone into the mountains to search?” Empress Xu hurried in; her face was somewhat pale.

“Your Highness, by the urgent order of the Empress Dowager, men have already been sent into the mountains to search,” replied an official nearby.

When Empress Xu entered, the Emperor’s gaze fell upon her.

Hu Buyu, standing off to the side, could clearly see that the Emperor’s expression was extremely grim. The Emperor naturally wouldn’t believe such an obvious frame-up, but without direct evidence proving the First Prince’s innocence, the matter of the arrow couldn’t be brushed aside.

Accusing someone with an arrow was far too direct a method, yet precisely because the two princes were missing, no one could explain whether the arrow was related. Dragging the Second Prince into it was undoubtedly redirecting the blame to the Ministry of Works. Everyone knew that when the Spring Hunt had been scheduled, the Ministry of Works was already in trouble, so this incident most likely involved only the other two princes.

If it was related to the First Prince, then he had harmed his own brother. If it was related to the Third Prince, then the Third Prince had framed the First Prince.

Regardless of whether this plot succeeded, it was undoubtedly the spark that ignited a clash between the two factions. Who would set up such a scheme? Among the factions still capable of acting in the court, only the Crown Prince’s faction remained. But the Crown Prince’s faction had been severely weakened, and the Emperor seemed to be subtly elevating the Eighth Prince to divert power from the Xu faction. Yet, ironically, it was the Eighth Prince who had met with trouble this time.

“Hu Buyu, mobilize the troops stationed on the outskirts of the capital and search the mountain,” the Emperor said, looking at him. “Do not let a single clue slip.”

Hu Buyu acknowledged the order, thinking to himself that this was bad.

The Spring Hunt was a major event. Daring to do this right under the Emperor’s nose was planting a seed of suspicion in his heart. So many things had happened in the court since the Emperor’s return from the campaign—this was undoubtedly a provocation to him. If even the Crown Prince could be deposed now, what did the other princes matter?

What could be found in that mountain search was uncertain.

The Spring Hunt had descended into chaos. The Imperial Guards from the foot of the mountain had all gone into the mountain to search for people. Even the Empress Dowager hadn’t rested, anxiously awaiting news of the Sixth Prince. When Empress Xu came out of the tent, she saw the Xu family members standing there, looking equally worried.

Seeing Empress Xu exit, a Xu family official quickly said, “Something happened to the Eighth Prince. The Grand Secretary has already ordered an investigation; there must have been a problem somewhere.”

“Did Father get involved in this?” Empress Xu asked.

“Of course not!” The official knew that ever since the Crown Prince’s downfall, the Emperor’s move had indeed been to support the Eighth Prince in dividing the Xu faction, and Grand Secretary Xu had indeed planned to back the Eighth Prince. “This incident—I’m afraid someone else made a move. The Grand Secretary did intend to act during the Spring Hunt, but the Eighth Prince’s accident was completely unexpected.”

If they wanted to reinstate the Crown Prince, the Xu family undoubtedly needed the Eighth Prince to win over the remnants of the Crown Prince’s faction. Empress Xu said nothing, only staring calmly at the official before dismissing him.

As she turned back, a palace maid immediately reported: “Your Highness, news has come from the other palace.”

Since the Crown Prince had been deposed, Her Highness had ordered someone to keep watch over the deposed prince. When the Spring Hunt started today, the person assigned to surveillance noticed that one of the guards originally stationed with the deposed prince was missing.

“After questioning the others, it seems that man followed the Eighth Prince’s party into the mountain to hunt,” the maid said. “The guards who used to be by His Highness’s side often accompanied the Eighth Prince as well. The palace staff thought his face was familiar and assumed he was one of the Eighth Prince’s guards…”

Empress Xu’s figure stiffened. She stood upright, looking oddly rigid: “Where is that man now?”

“We haven’t found him. He might still be deep in the mountains.”

When the maid finished, she noticed that the Empress’s face was exceptionally pale.

…

Deep in the mountains, as urgent reports from the foot of the mountain arrived, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already dealt with the corpses of those former dynasty death warriors. With the incident at the thatched cottage still fresh in mind, they had obtained the corresponding medicinal powder from Chen Xuchu to preserve the rotting bodies, and they dragged the corpses to a different spot to hide them.

“Can’t we report this completely to His Majesty?” Ye Xuanjiu hesitated. “These bodies prove that the poison of the former dynasty is at work, which would indicate this matter is related to the former dynasty.”

Qi Hanzhou shook his head. “Then who ordered the former dynasty spies?”

Ying Fusheng stood by the hidden corpses, observing for a moment.

Listening to the urgent reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, especially the disputes inside the tent, he realized a problem: if things continued like this, almost every prince present in the court would be dragged into the mud, and the situation would descend into utter chaos.

Suddenly, Qi Hanzhou caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. The next moment, a cold gleam of steel flashed from the forest!

The night assault came without warning. Everyone’s expression shifted as they saw arrows streaking from the woods. Qi Hanzhou immediately stepped in front of Ying Fusheng. Ying Fusheng looked up to the heights and spotted a bird that looked like a carrier pigeon flying overhead. Having grown used to Qi Hanzhou’s goshawk, they had overlooked other birds. “Up high!”

Qi Hanzhou grabbed his bow, unhesitatingly shooting the bird down from above!

By then, Ying Fusheng had already touched the Eighth Prince, feeling for the signal flare that he hadn’t had time to throw away. He opened the flare, and some powder—different from gunpowder—spilled out. If they could tamper with the Eighth Prince and follow him, then the person behind the scheme targeting the Eighth Prince could also mark him. “We’re being tracked.”

Qi Hanzhou saw the powder and immediately took out another kind of powder from his own person, scattering it to confuse the scent. “Take off any clothes that touched it!”

The Eighth Prince was unconscious from his injuries. Ying Fusheng swiftly cut off the outer garments that had been contaminated with the powder. By then, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were already engaging with the assassins from a distance!

“Junior General!” Ye Xuanjiu brought over the horses.

Ying Fusheng pulled the Eighth Prince up, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes.

Was the purpose of leaving a mark on the Eighth Prince to kill him? No. To cause the Eighth Prince’s horse to bolt required someone to be watching him constantly. If they wanted him dead, it would have been easy enough without this extra step, which would only risk exposing the fact that there was a traitor near the Eighth Prince.

So the purpose of that mark seemed more like determining the Eighth Prince’s whereabouts.

While he hesitated, a cold arrow broke through their defenses, coming from another direction, straight at Ying Fusheng as he mounted.

Qi Hanzhou’s pupils contracted. He reached out and pulled Ying Fusheng, and the two of them tumbled into the woods due to the shift.

Ye Xuanjiu’s face changed drastically at this turn. It was a downhill slope, and they rolled all the way down.

“Go!” Qi Hanzhou shouted.

Ye Xuanjiu knew this was no time for hesitation. Without a second thought, he led the men deeper into the forest. The assassins pursuing them, seeing their bird killed, had no choice but to spur their horses and follow, splitting into two groups to chase them. But in the terrain of North Mountain, Ye Xuanjiu knew the land better than the assassins. Before long, he had shaken them off and taken the men deep into the mountain.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards had come in disguise; those following were Qi Hanzhou’s personal guards. The opposing side didn’t know they were Embroidered Uniform Guards, so after tailing them for a while, they temporarily retreated.

The assassin looked at his companion: “What about the Sixth Prince?”

“He fell down the slope!”

“Hurry and find him. The master’s orders: he must not leave North Mountain!”

Qi Hanzhou shielded Ying Fusheng as they fell, tumbling to the bottom of the slope. Fortunately, the terrain of North Mountain was treacherous, and they happened to land in a deep pit, avoiding the pursuers who came after. Qi Hanzhou held the man close, hiding in a dark corner, covering Ying Fusheng’s mouth and nose. He waited until the footsteps above faded away before releasing him.

Ying Fusheng’s breathing was a bit heavy. He hadn’t made a sound the entire way down. Protected by Qi Hanzhou, he only had some superficial injuries, but his arm was bleeding.

“Just an arrow graze, nothing serious.” He quickly steadied his breathing, and only after the sounds outside had subsided did he ask, “How many are there?”

“Elite, but not many,” Qi Hanzhou said. He had observed carefully—at most seven or eight.

He took out some medicine from his chest to stop the bleeding. The wound wasn’t deep, so it was no big issue.

Ying Fusheng calmly assessed the situation: “Then they couldn’t have sent many people into the hunting grounds to set up an ambush.”

Striking at the Xu family would indeed cause a major blow to their faction.

With the death warriors dead, no one could report back. The mastermind behind it all would be blind to what was happening in the mountain. But that didn’t matter to them. The death warriors would rot into dust if left unchecked, and their identities would be untraceable. The entire affair would become a dead-end investigation, tainting the court with suspicion.

Originally, the target was the Xu family, but now the Xu family had suffered heavy losses.

If someone had orchestrated such a large-scale scheme during the Spring Hunt, who would the Emperor suspect as the one directing these spies in the court? Once the mastermind shifted the Emperor’s attention, the matter of the former dynasty would become a blade. And if a frame-up followed, it would be a deadlock.

The court had only just managed to root out some hidden agents. With the Emperor’s ability, he could use this opportunity to reorganize the government.

But if the court fell into chaos and the other factions launched attacks recklessly, the fragile stability of the government would become vulnerable to exploitation. And the Spring Hunt incident was particularly likely to sow suspicion in the Emperor’s mind.

The Spring Hunt was merely the prelude to throwing the entire court into turmoil once more.

Ying Fusheng’s thoughts turned, unaware that beside him, Qi Hanzhou’s gaze was fixed on him.

Night had fallen; moonlight from above provided the only faint illumination in the dark forest. Qi Hanzhou watched Ying Fusheng. Earlier, it had seemed his attention was entirely on the Eighth Prince, but in truth, the ruthless strikes had been aimed not at the Eighth Prince, but at Ying Fusheng.

They had followed the trail here, and there had been no shortage of pursuers along the way. If Qi Hanzhou hadn’t been following, Ying Fusheng’s physical condition wouldn’t have withstood those rounds of pursuit. Two princes lost in the deep mountain—faking a death by wild beast would have been easy.

Ying Fusheng sat down, his tight-fitting outfit covered in grass clippings, making him look more disheveled. He found a comfortable position and checked his own condition. No major injuries—nothing that would hinder him. He rationally confirmed his physical state, then turned his head to find Qi Hanzhou staring at him.

Qi Hanzhou leaned against the edge of the pit, his black attire accentuating his sharp features. The position he had taken was hidden behind overgrown bushes. He made no effort to conceal his gaze—a gaze that seemed intent on piercing through Ying Fusheng, probing into deeper layers.

“You know we can’t go down the mountain now.”

Ying Fusheng met Qi Hanzhou’s eyes and said calmly, “Does Ye Xuanjiu know your arrangements?”

“There are positions set up in North Mountain. They’ll take the Eighth Prince to a safe place,” Qi Hanzhou said.

Ying Fusheng shifted to sit more comfortably, his voice slightly breathless: “Exactly. Going down now would walk right into a trap.”

The mastermind had played an open scheme. It was good that nobody was dead, but matters of factions, the former dynasty, and so on were enough to make the Emperor suspect everyone equally.

If someone had died, things would have blown up, and the court would become even more chaotic.

Qi Hanzhou only looked at him, not answering right away.

After a long moment, he finally asked, “Is that all?”

“The reason you asked about the Eighth Prince’s fatal wounds earlier is because you knew that the assassins’ target wasn’t the Eighth Prince—it was you.” Qi Hanzhou stared into Ying Fusheng’s eyes, not missing the slightest change. “That’s why you were surprised when you saw a fatal wound.”

Ying Fusheng’s expression remained unchanged. “Junior General, what makes you say that?”

“More than once, Sixth Highness,” Qi Hanzhou said. “Because you’re very certain that the other party has a reason to kill you.”

That arrow just now wasn’t aimed at the Eighth Prince; it had been directed at Ying Fusheng all along.

The mastermind was clearly hiding their tracks behind the Xu family. Especially since they had been laying groundwork within the Xu family for years. With the Crown Prince merely deposed and the Xu family not completely destroyed, the Emperor’s support for the Eighth Prince was all to the mastermind’s advantage. So at this moment, an assassination or killing the Eighth Prince outright made no sense.

“If they wanted to stir up chaos and reduce suspicion on the Xu family, making the Eighth Prince the victim was ideal. But a fatal wound shouldn’t have appeared.” Qi Hanzhou explained methodically: “The signal flare was for tracking, because they intended to use the Eighth Prince to lessen suspicion while also bringing him back.”

Hence, the presence of a fatal wound was what made Ying Fusheng hesitate.

An Eighth Prince who returned alive was far more useful to both the mastermind and the Xu family.

Qi Hanzhou was too perceptive. Ying Fusheng half-lowered his eyes; the slightest hint of doubt was enough for Qi Hanzhou to chase down the trail.

“From beginning to end, this scheme was only meant to kill you,” Qi Hanzhou said.

Killing one prince would throw the court into chaos.

The only candidate for that role was the Sixth Prince.

As the words left his mouth, only the sound of their breathing remained between them. In the darkness, only the moonlight provided a dim illumination. Ying Fusheng looked at him sideways, and Qi Hanzhou stared back unblinkingly. Faced with such a gaze, Ying Fusheng actually smiled.

The smile seemed light and carefree, so much so that for a moment, Qi Hanzhou couldn’t fathom his intent.

It was as if the fact that the mastermind wanted him dead didn’t matter to him at all.

“Instead of asking me about that,” Ying Fusheng said, his face pale but his expression showing no weakness, “let’s talk about something else. Junior General, in this scheme, who do you think wanted the Eighth Prince dead the most?”

The Eighth Prince had only a few fatal wounds, but his body had many injuries.

If the mastermind’s assassins had truly wanted him dead, he wouldn’t have lived long enough for Ying Fusheng to rescue him.

That explained why the Eighth Prince had many abrasions but only a few fatal wounds: someone among the mastermind’s people genuinely wanted to kill the Eighth Prince.

Only one name came to Qi Hanzhou’s mind: the deposed Crown Prince.

“Some people believe they’ve become abandoned pieces, so they try to eliminate dissidents to become the mastermind’s only choice,” Ying Fusheng said calmly, unable to stand firm, also afraid of ending up with nothing at all.

After a pause, he added: “Junior General, do you truly believe that I sent Shen Yunfei back to the tent only to deliver a message?”

Qi Hanzhou’s expression sharpened.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Since the mastermind wanted to stir up trouble during the Spring Hunt, he could use the Spring Hunt to turn the tables.