Chapter 70#
“What did you prepare at the foot of the mountain?” Qi Hanzhou asked.#
Ying Fusheng gazed at the distant moonlight. Qi Hanzhou’s falcon perched high above, still as if waiting for something. He knew that Qi Hanzhou and his personal guards communicated constantly via falcons, a method that remained agile even in the rugged terrain of the northern mountains.
“Send a message.” Ying Fusheng looked at Qi Hanzhou. “Have Ye Xuanjiu take the Eighth Prince down the mountain in one hour.”
Qi Hanzhou frowned. “Are you certain? You also said that going down the mountain was a trap.”
Ying Fusheng met his question. “But I said in one hour.”
Outside, rustling sounds indicated that assassins seemed to be tracking them.
Danger was imminent. Ying Fusheng said, “It depends on whether the Young General trusts me.”
…
In the camp at the foot of the mountain, as the two princes remained missing for longer, the Emperor ordered more and more imperial guards into the mountains to search. Though it was deep in the night, the mountains were brightly lit as everyone searched.
Everyone associated with the two princes was brought before the Emperor. When Shen Yunfei was brought in, he recounted the entire story: “The Eighth Prince’s guards sought help from the Sixth Prince. His Highness ordered me to return first to summon reinforcements, while he and the guards would be late. But on the way, they were attacked by wild beasts, and their horses bolted in panic, scattering them.”
All attendants of the two princes were thoroughly checked. Shen Yunfei had an excellent memory; he remembered every guard who had returned at the time, and those who hadn’t stood out conspicuously.
“Your Majesty, both princes’ retinues are missing personnel,” reported Eunuch Rong. “Three people are unaccounted for.”
One was the hunting guide from the Sixth Prince’s hunting party. The other was the guard and guide who had initially sought help from the Sixth Prince.
The two princes, who should have been hunting on the periphery, had suddenly disappeared, both due to panicked horses.
“Upon investigation, a corpse was found on the outskirts of the hunting grounds. Someone had impersonated the guide of the Sixth Prince’s hunting party.”
The Sixth Prince’s disappearance was no accident; someone had used the Eighth Prince as bait to lure him into the abyss.
The Emperor’s expression grew increasingly dark as he received these consecutive reports. His gaze swept over the other ministers in the tent. The officials present turned pale. This was no small matter. If this was such a meticulously arranged murder plot, who dared to provoke the Emperor like this?
Among the ministers, two officials from the Xu faction shifted slightly. This clue undoubtedly cast suspicion on other powerful princes. Everyone knew that the Eighth Prince’s mother, of the Zhao family, held a modest status and had previously relied on the Xu family for support.
Now, the Empress only had the Eighth Prince by her side. There was no reason for the Xu family to make a move against the Eighth Prince. So who had orchestrated this?
Seeing the Emperor’s inscrutable expression, Xu faction officials thought to themselves, the more suspicion, the better. There was no direct evidence in this matter. Even if the investigating officials searched the entire mountain, they couldn’t exonerate the prince caught in the Emperor’s suspicion.
When the other princes heard about this, their officials exchanged uneasy glances. More officials were dispatched into the mountains. At this moment, no one wanted this dirty water splashed onto themselves; they would only try to shift the blame. Moreover… the Xu faction officials looked toward the Ministry of War. Although it was a training ground for the Third Prince, if something went wrong, the Minister and Vice Ministers couldn’t escape responsibility either.
Shen Yunfei stood behind his father, Shen Changcun, head bowed, saying nothing.
Just then, news arrived from outside the tent—
“Your Majesty! Scattered horse tracks have been found on the southern side of the North Mountain!”
The search team pressed deeper into the mountains, following the hoofprints. On the southern side of the North Mountain, they discovered strange traces! The southern side had heavier miasma, and at night the ground was damp, making horse tracks visible and particularly distinct.
Since the day’s hunt had taken place, tracking along the mountain was simple. Not long into the search, they suddenly found a corpse. The body was horribly disfigured, and beside it lay a flag from the Eighth Prince’s party—a marker exclusive to the Eighth Prince’s attendants. It was very likely one of the missing guards from the Eighth Prince’s side.
He had died a miserable death, almost unrecognizable.
“He’s dead! Don’t get close! He seems to be poisoned! Report to the adult quickly!”
The coroner arrived promptly and began examining the body.
But this wasn’t the most important discovery. Not far from the corpse, they found more horse tracks! The tracks had been carefully concealed, but upon close inspection, a few traces could be discerned. When Hu Buyu saw these marks, he immediately had them protected, and the news traveled all the way back to the tent!
When news of the corpse arrived, everyone in the tent changed expression.
The Dowager Empress even stood up. Only upon hearing that it wasn’t a prince did she regain her composure.
“The corpse was severely mutilated. The imperial physician said it was poison, but the specific poison is unknown.”
At the mention of an unknown poison, the Emperor’s gaze swept toward other factions within the court.
No need for further explanation; he had seen such methods before—during the Crown Prince’s assassination attempt.
Back then, it was the Xu family. Now, who was stirring up trouble?
“You all have brought me quite the surprises,” the Emperor said, looking at everyone.
The Xu officials bowed their heads, feigning fear but unmoved inwardly. They knew the Emperor wouldn’t suspect the Xu family. But the appearance of a corpse—had the operation in the mountains failed? No matter. The more complex it became, the more directions the Emperor’s suspicion would take, playing right into their hands.
Suddenly, Hu Buyu changed the subject: “However, we found hoofprints beside the corpse.”
When news of the hoofprints emerged, the Xu officials’ expressions shifted slightly.
But Hu Buyu had already presented a traced copy of the prints to the Ministry of War: “Your Majesty, please take a look.”
Many military officers had come for this spring hunt, each bringing back their personal guards—and their warhorses. The supplies and equipment allocated to different garrisons varied between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works. This was especially true for different garrisons’ military gear. For instance, the Northern Border Qi family army used horseshoes that were heavier than those of other garrisons due to the environment.
Conversely, the horseshoes from Jiangnan and Western Shu differed.
The traced copy of the hoofprints presented to the Emperor turned out to be of Western Shu style.
But it differed from the current Western Shu military horseshoes, appearing to be an older model.
“The traces were deliberately handled by someone, possibly left intentionally,” Hu Buyu said.
The Emperor looked on coldly, his expression dark.
It seemed to point toward Western Shu, but could also be Jiangnan.
The Brocade Guard had reported that the military funds case had most likely led to these two regions. The Emperor had called this spring hunt, naturally recalling the military officers from both places. A case of missing princes involved the entire court, and now the hoofprints had surfaced. The investigation into the military funds had been hidden to the highest degree; only the Brocade Guard and a very few knew about it. Yet now, an old-style horseshoe had suddenly appeared.
Was it the arrow or the horseshoe?
Who was framing whom?
The Xu officials’ expressions wavered. Their original plan was to stir up discord in the court. Only by creating chaos could they have an opportunity to install their people and divert the Emperor’s attention from local matters. The military fund case and this spring hunt—the Xu faction could see that the Emperor had begun to pay attention to the lingering issues from the Ministry of Works case, forcing them to act.
But how could a horseshoe appear in the wilderness? And an old-style one at that!
The Xu officials suddenly realized something and sharply looked toward the Ministry of War officials. Shen Changcun stood there, seeming to let Hu Buyu take the lead, but only the Ministry of Works (responsible for forging) and the Ministry of War (responsible for allocation) could handle and understand garrison horseshoes.
“After discovering the clue, I immediately verified with all commanding officers. The horseshoes used by the generals participating in this spring hunt do belong to their respective armies’ models. However, this old-style horseshoe was phased out years ago. Currently, only the Ministry of Works retains the blueprints; it is no longer used in the military.” Shen Changcun stepped forward to explain. “May I ask the Ministry of Works: Have these horseshoes been forged in recent years?”
The newly appointed Minister of Works immediately denied it: “Such weapons and horse gear were innovated; there is absolutely no way they would still be used!”
The only place where such a horseshoe could appear—the Emperor thought of that batch of military funds.
The military fund case involved former Ministry of Works officials, the Xu family, and the Eastern Palace…
Hu Buyu glanced at Shen Changcun. If this were merely a missing prince case involving former court spies, the Emperor would suspect factional infighting, and based on his previous judgments of the Xu family, suspicion would arise, and he might think the spies weren’t really in the Xu family. That would create chaos in the court. But if the missing prince case was bait meant to destabilize the government and confuse right and wrong, then only those places concerning the whereabouts of the military funds would be eager to divert attention.
It didn’t matter whether the horseshoe was real or fake. The goal was to firmly fix the Emperor’s attention on the local military fund issue.
When had that person arranged all this?
Hu Buyu turned and saw a palace attendant behind Shen Yunfei.
It was the Sixth Prince Ying Fusheng’s personal attendant.
Just then, someone arrived at the tent—
“Your Majesty! Commander Ye of the Brocade Guard reports!” The newcomer said, “The Brocade Guard has located the Eighth Prince and secured his safety. Commander Ye says that when they found him, he was being pursued by masked assassins with lethal skills, likely death warriors.”
The Emperor stood up abruptly. “Where is he now!”
“The imperial physician is already examining the Eighth Prince’s body. He has multiple wounds, some nearly fatal.”
Empress Xu immediately went out. The Eighth Prince was already surrounded by physicians.
“And the Sixth Prince?” the Dowager Empress asked.
“Reporting to Her Majesty, when we found them, both princes were being pursued. During the rescue, the Sixth Prince fell down a slope. Commander Qi went to rescue him, but currently, his whereabouts are unknown.” Ye Xuanjiu said calmly. “The Eighth Prince’s injuries cannot be delayed, so we had to return first.”
The Dowager Empress staggered slightly, supported by Aunt Yu beside her. “Your Highness!”
Empress Xu, hearing that both princes were being pursued, grew even paler. She turned to look at the Xu officials. The latter changed expression upon seeing the Brocade Guard, seemingly not expecting them to have brought the Eighth Prince back.
Why had the two princes, who had gone missing on separate panicked horses, ended up being pursued together!?
This doubt flickered in everyone’s mind, and those around exchanged strange looks.
As the group walked outside the tent, they saw the Brocade Guard outside, along with several corpses they had brought back. The corpses were in a similar miserable state to the one found earlier. When Ye Xuanjiu pulled aside the waistband of one corpse, a corrupted totem pattern appeared before the Emperor.
The pattern was blurred and decayed, but the Emperor recognized it at a glance.
The Emperor’s gaze shifted, finally settling on the two Xu faction officials. The guards accompanying the Eighth Prince, aside from his usual attendants, were typically arranged by trusted people.
The Sixth Prince’s guards hadn’t had any issues. The only people who could know the whereabouts of both princes were the missing guards from the Eighth Prince’s side.
“Continue the search. You must find the Sixth Prince’s whereabouts.” The Emperor said coldly. “Additionally, thoroughly investigate everyone who had contact with the Eighth Prince today. One by one, without exception!”
“Including the Xu family.”
At these words, the two Xu officials’ expressions shifted. How could the Emperor suspect them!
The Xu family was the ultimate victim in this matter. Moreover, if the Eighth Prince died, the Xu family would suffer a severe blow. How could such a Xu family be the mastermind!
“Follow the direction! You must find Commander Qi and the Sixth Prince!”
“Urgent report! Your Majesty!! Suspicious individuals have been found in the mountains, apparently still pursuing the Sixth Prince!”
The Emperor’s expression changed drastically.
…
In the forest, Qi Hanzhou carried Ying Fusheng on his back, the two tied together by a single rope. As arrows rained into the underbrush, their pursuers were no longer cautious. They seemed intent on assassination by any means.
“They’re in a hurry,” Ying Fusheng said softly. “When Ye Xuanjiu went down the mountain, they knew the person protecting me was the Brocade Guard. If they don’t kill me now, they’ll lose their chance.”
Qi Hanzhou carried Ying Fusheng, moving along a ditch to hide. “So you deliberately waited until Ye Xuanjiu went down the mountain before leaving.”
The mountains had many gullies and ravines. Qi Hanzhou was familiar with the terrain and had already evaded several pursuits, but he was almost out of arrows. If the plan at the foot of the mountain succeeded, the mastermind’s only way to extricate themselves would be to kill him and stage the scene—all before the Brocade Guard arrived.
“The information spreads quickly, meaning there are their people among the search parties. The fastest way is to send signals.” Ying Fusheng leaned on Qi Hanzhou’s shoulder, speaking rationally. “If they weren’t anxious, how would they reveal their hand?”
The more anxious they got, the more the people at the foot of the mountain would see.
Qi Hanzhou suddenly said, “Has Your Highness not considered the risk of going deep into danger?”
Ying Fusheng paused momentarily, a flicker of darkness passing through his pupils. Then he laughed lightly: “Qi Hanzhou, you’re here with me asking if I know the risk?”
Hearing his name called directly, Qi Hanzhou froze.
Just then, a shout came from above: “Young General!”
“It seems your people arrived quickly,” Ying Fusheng said.
As soon as the Brocade Guard went down the mountain, Ye Xuanjiu immediately followed the Brocade Guard’s deployment to search upward, converging with the Ministry of War personnel also searching the mountain. More and more people filled the mountain. When the sound of searching approached, Qi Hanzhou, hidden deep in the ditch, looked up and saw Ye Xuanjiu.
The Brocade Guard found each other quickly. Once Ye Xuanjiu went down, he would certainly find their way here.
Seeing this, Ying Fusheng said, “It seems things have concluded at the foot of the mountain.”
Qi Hanzhou said nothing. His gaze darkened, and he climbed up the rope Ye Xuanjiu threw down, reaching higher ground.
“The pursuers are now being chased.” Ye Xuanjiu asked, “How is His Highness?”
Ying Fusheng looked and saw Shen Yunfei among those behind Ye Xuanjiu. He frowned slightly, as if doubting something. “I’m fine.”
Seeing that the Sixth Prince was safe, everyone around breathed a sigh of relief.
But when they saw the Sixth Prince’s injuries, their hearts tightened!
“Hurry down the mountain!”
“The physicians are waiting at the foot!”
Qi Hanzhou still carried Ying Fusheng on his back as he mounted his horse.
But the priority was to get down the mountain. He noticed Ying Fusheng’s silence. “What’s wrong?”
“The enemy withdrew faster than I expected,” Ying Fusheng said.
Before he could finish, a hand reached out before him. Qi Hanzhou’s hand landed on his forehead. When his broad palm touched Ying Fusheng’s face, Ying Fusheng couldn’t help but stiffen. In this life, their relationship had rarely been so close. Ying Fusheng could smell the lingering blood on Qi Hanzhou’s hand, faintly evoking a familiar sensation.
For a moment, his consciousness was muddled. He suddenly thought that the old Qi Hanzhou had also touched his head like this.
Qi Hanzhou finished checking and said, “You’re breaking out in cold sweat.”
Ying Fusheng came back to his senses. Was he?
That was right. His body couldn’t endure such prolonged jostling. Under normal circumstances, “After returning, I’ll have Chen Xiqiu give me a few acupuncture treatments.”
Touched by Qi Hanzhou, his limbs belatedly began to ache, and a wave of heat surged up. He leaned against Qi Hanzhou’s hand, pressing slightly closer, as if the contact brought some comfort.
Qi Hanzhou was about to withdraw his hand but suddenly felt the heat at his fingertips.
The person behind him leaned in like an animal, making him pause his hand.
The descent was fast. When the horse galloped near the camp, everyone inside came out.
Everyone saw a rider charging down—the Brocade Guard Qi Hanzhou, with the Sixth Prince on his back. As he neared the camp, he abruptly pulled the reins to a stop.
All eyes turned to him. He set down the Sixth Prince, whose face was as pale as paper.
The mountain night was cold. When the imperial physician touched Ying Fusheng and felt the heat, he almost lost half his soul. “Commander Qi, take it easy! Slowly!”
Qi Hanzhou’s hands were steady. He carefully lowered Ying Fusheng and untied the rope binding them. Under the bright lantern light, he finally saw the wounds on Ying Fusheng. There were many scratches. Even though he had been shielded, falling from a height inevitably meant cuts from branches and leaves, some areas already turning black and blue.
The Sixth Prince was still lucid, responding faintly when the physician asked questions. The Dowager Empress’s heart eased upon seeing this.
The atmosphere in the camp was tense. Not only the physicians but even the Emperor himself approached.
Qi Hanzhou stepped back, noting the Emperor’s grave expression. He looked at Ye Xuanjiu.
“The Emperor is investigating the military officers in the hunting grounds,” Ye Xuanjiu said.
Qi Hanzhou’s expression tightened. He looked at Ying Fusheng, surrounded by physicians.
The mastermind’s move had been sudden. Ying Fusheng truly couldn’t set up the entire situation.
So from the very beginning, he had only prepared one backup plan: to frame the Western Shu and Jiangnan regions—the very places the mastermind urgently wanted to divert attention from. He had likely prepared this a long time ago. With Shen Yunfei returning first, there was much he could do. With his familiarity with the northern mountain forests and the Brocade Guard, aided by Shen Changcun, he could activate the backup.
The question was one of timing. If the princes returned first, the matter would be attributed to former court spies and unclear factions at court.
But now, with the horseshoe matter already in play, and the military fund case, and the fact that not only court officials but also local military officers were present at the spring hunt, the Emperor would be more inclined to think in terms of former spies and the military fund case—rather than the flimsy evidence of arrows and stirring up factions. The former involved court factions the Emperor could control at will; the latter involved an unknown enemy who might be usurping his power. Ying Fusheng had Shen Yunfei return to exploit a time gap, injecting into a scenario that the mastermind expected to develop in a certain way another element that would provoke greater imperial suspicion, thus foiling the mastermind’s plan to destabilize the court.
“Is Sixth Brother alright?” the First Prince asked.
The Third Prince scanned Ying Fusheng’s exposed skin, noting several bruises from bumps and falls.
Ying Fusheng’s mind was still relatively clear. He half-lidded his eyes, his gaze already sweeping over those present. He looked at his elder brothers gathering around and nodded weakly.
Seeing Ying Fusheng’s injuries, the Emperor’s face turned grim.
On the other side, the imperial physician was still reporting the Eighth Prince’s wounds.
A spring hunt, with attacks on two princes in succession—this had already crossed his bottom line.
The atmosphere in the camp was heavy.
At that moment, footsteps approached, and someone reported from outside.
“Your Majesty, we discovered that the Eighth Prince’s guards had lingered on the outskirts. The hunting perimeter lines in that area had been breached,” someone reported.
At these words, Ying Fusheng glanced at the Emperor, who already had anger in his eyes.
Suspicion among the princes—how could the Emperor not notice?
From the moment he ordered the search, various forces might have entered the mountains. The spring hunt was held with the Emperor’s permission, and the Brocade Guard filled the hunting grounds. To clear themselves of suspicion, the First Prince, the Third Prince, and other princes would send people into the mountains—first, to avoid being framed, and second, to keep a backup. Naturally, these people were under the Emperor’s watch… but there was one kind of person who, afraid of making mistakes by doing too much at such a time, chose to wait and see. They would only go into the mountains to rescue, not to investigate. Such behavior was nothing unusual and proved nothing. But once the Emperor’s attention turned to the military fund matter, he would immediately order an investigation into those with suspicious behavior.
Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable.
The Xu family and the mastermind were closely connected. The Xu family likely had something planned in this game, but the mastermind had used them. However, it didn’t matter. As long as the matter was pinned back on the Xu family, the mastermind would have shot themselves in the foot.
Now that clues had emerged about Jiangnan and Western Shu, the mastermind was eager to kill him, indicating that their arrangements had been disrupted.
The two Xu officials’ expressions changed. One of them suddenly stood up: “Your Majesty! Yes, someone was placed in the hunting grounds. For this hunt, we intended for the Eighth Prince to perform well. At the time, the Eighth Prince wanted to hunt more, so the guards led him in. We never imagined such a situation. The wild beasts released were at most a few wolves.”
Former Grand Secretary Xu had originally wanted the Eighth Prince to distinguish himself. They had never arranged an assassination.
Seeing the Emperor’s gaze, the other official knelt and insisted on this.
Empress Xu’s face was pale, and she swayed slightly.
She looked at the Xu officials.
“Your Majesty, today, among the Eighth Prince’s personal guards… one had previously served in the Eastern Palace,” the reporting person continued.
Served in the Eastern Palace?! The Crown Prince had been deposed. Except for a few guards assigned to protect him elsewhere, the rest would have been reassigned through the palace’s normal process. How could one suddenly appear beside the Eighth Prince!?
Seeing this, Ying Fusheng looked at the still-unconscious Eighth Prince. Supported by the physician, he struggled to stand and said, “Father, there are indeed irregularities in the mountain incident. At the time, the guard—”
Before he could finish, his vision suddenly went black.
Qi Hanzhou’s expression changed as he caught him, feeling the body in his arms suddenly go limp.
“Your Highness!” the physician cried out.
The sudden turn startled everyone nearby. Qi Hanzhou seemed to realize something abruptly. His gaze swept to Ying Fusheng’s arm, and he tore away the bandaged arrow wound.
At the wound site, an unusual dark purple was spreading.
It was poisoned.