Chapter 100: News of Death

After one night, Feng Ye Wu and Lu Jue sat quietly in the prison cell. Feng Ye Wu leaned against Lu Jue and slept soundly, exceptionally quiet, a rare serenity in the dream. Ever since returning, every night Feng Ye Wu had been startled awake from nightmares. In the noisy grand hall, clad in the embroidered phoenix robe, beneath the phoenix throne, hundreds and thousands of eyes glared furiously. Feng Ye Wu felt as if her whole body was pierced by countless silver needles, not daring to move an inch. Scattered curses and vicious words fiercely assaulted her. Yet in this dark, damp dungeon, leaning on Lu Jue's body, Feng Ye Wu felt a hundred times more comfortable and warm than in that luxurious, soft imperial chamber. Sunlight filtered through the dungeon's iron bars, shining onto Feng Ye Wu's slightly fluttering eyelids, the warmth mirrored into the dream. I do not know how long it passed. Lu Jue quietly leaned against the wall, smiling gently as he gazed at the Feng Ye Wu beside him, unmoving, afraid of waking her. Suddenly, a sound of chains opening came from the dungeon entrance, and a figure walked in, somewhat fatigued. Lu Jue frowned, looking at the person coming over, his eyelids jumping. Yang Guang carried a knife, his figure slightly fatigued, head lowered, long hair messy as he walked in. Lu Jue saw a patch of blood-red in the depths of Yang Guang's abdomen, startled. Injured? How could Yang Guang's swordsmanship be stabbed in the abdomen by someone? Lu Jue remained silent, his eyes only staring at him. Yang Guang walked all the way to Lu Jue's side, separated by the wooden railing, suddenly raised his head, a pair of eyes full of bloodshot veins, gloomily looking at Lu Jue. Feng Ye Wu seemed to sense something, at this moment slowly waking from the dream as well. Lu Jue and Yang Guang exchanged gazes, brows tightly locked, opening his mouth to question. "Did you kill her?" Yang Guang was silent for a moment, then a trace of sadness gradually emerged in those gloomy eyes, before he spoke, his voice slightly hoarse as he replied. "They are all dead." With that, Yang Guang turned and left. Feng Ye Wu, upon just waking and hearing Yang Guang's words, felt puzzled, murmuring softly. "Them?" Obviously not understanding whom Yang Guang meant by them. After Yang Guang left, Lu Jue's gaze slid to the floor, his mind complex, obviously able to understand whom Yang Guang meant by them. Upon hearing Feng Ye Wu's puzzled tone, he closed his eyes, sighed, and said, "He meant, should be Chen Pingwu and Wang Jia." Feng Ye Wu, upon hearing Lu Jue's explanation, was shocked beyond words, hurriedly looking towards the dungeon entrance, Yang Guang's figure already gone. "You mean, Yang Guang killed Chen Pingwu?" Lu Jue gave a helpless smile, slightly nodding, sighing as he leaned his head back against the wall, then laughed coldly several times. Feng Ye Wu still couldn't believe it; after all, Yang Guang killing Wang Jia could be understood, but killing Chen Pingwu, no matter how, it felt unbelievable. After Lu Jue slowly exhaled a breath, he smiled bitterly and explained to Feng Ye Wu, "Your Majesty perhaps never noticed that the crown prince had a crush on you. I suppose Wang Jia must have gone to the crown prince for help. Upon hearing that Your Majesty was captured, the crown prince risked his life to save you, and Wang Jia also admired the crown prince. In the end, the two of them both died under Yang Guang's knife." Feng Ye Wu, upon hearing Lu Jue say that Chen Pingwu had feelings for her, was momentarily speechless, but upon hearing that Wang Jia admired Chen Pingwu, it was actually understandable. After all, their previous meeting with Wang Jia, Wang Jia's performance naturally could explain. After Lu Jue's words fell, Feng Ye Wu and the two fell into silence. Wang Jia was dead, so no one could go to the capital to seek reinforcements. At noon tomorrow, her deadline would arrive. ... In the Pingyi King Manor, Wang Chang Geng's brows were tightly furrowed as he wrote a lengthy letter, instructing someone to send it overnight to the Beichang King's northernmost fiefdom. Then, he sat alone in the grand hall's taishi chair, gazing up at the vast starry sky, remaining silent. Entering autumn, the nights' starry sky was exceptionally vast, stars flickering without a single cloud. The queen consort quietly walked out from the bedchamber, holding a coat, with a complex expression in her eyes as she draped it over Wang Chang Geng. This action startled Wang Chang Geng awake. He glanced at the queen consort indifferently and asked softly, "You haven't slept?" The queen consort smiled slightly, her eyes filled with gentleness, saying to Wang Chang Geng, "Does Your Highness worry about your daughter? Once you've finished your business, let's return to the capital soon." The queen consort assumed Wang Chang Geng was worried about his daughter Wang Jia alone in the capital, unable to sleep, so she comforted him. Wang Chang Geng heard the queen consort's words, his heart helpless, just slightly sighing. Just now, Zhao Xi Yan had told him an unexpected thing. Previously, when the two of them were talking in the king's residence grand hall in the capital, Zhao Xi Yan had noticed someone behind the grand hall, but guessing it was Wang Jia, had not paid attention. Now Wang Chang Geng thought back, Wang Jia's being so concerned about Chen Pingwu probably wasn't in the capital. However, Wang Chang Geng was not worried about Wang Jia's life danger; after all, the county magistrate's letter only mentioned Chen Pingwu and Yang Guang, meaning Feng Ye Wu and Lu Jue were not together with the two, the letter he left for the county magistrate only said to be wary of someone secretly investigating the Li family. What Wang Chang Geng was now concerned about was the Beichang King side; now that Feng Ye Wu had investigated Yanwu County, it was like a sharpened blade resting at his own neck, he absolutely could not let Feng Ye Wu leave alive. Once Feng Ye Wu died, the entire Ye Dynasty would surely fall into chaos within three days. All along, Feng Ye Wu's suppression of him was profound, wanting to take the opportunity to ascend the throne, nearly impossible. So Wang Chang Geng hurriedly sent a letter to Wei Si Yuan, only hoping that upon learning of Feng Ye Wu's death, he could immediately lead troops and arrive at the capital. Only whether this old fox Wei Si Yuan would be the same as expected, Wang Chang Geng could not know. Just as Wang Chang Geng's heart was in urgency, the steward brought another letter, sent from Yanwu County. Wang Chang Geng saw the letter's content, his eyes jumped, brows slightly furrowed as a smile gradually rose at the corners of his mouth. The county magistrate Fang Yang wrote that two people who claimed to be from the Ministry of Justice were captured, because they could not prove their identity and were implicated in the homicide case of the Li family, ordered to be executed at noon tomorrow. Wang Chang Geng naturally guessed that the two impersonating the Ministry of Justice were definitely Feng Ye Wu and Lu Jue. Although unclear who killed the Li family or why Feng Ye Wu and Lu Jue did not reveal their palace identities, none of this was important now. Wang Chang Geng hurriedly asked the steward, "Is the heart-sender still there?" "Yes, let them wait, awaiting Your Highness's reply." "Good!" Wang Chang Geng smiled as he went to the study, leaving the queen consort with a bewildered face, her heart wondering whether His Highness was worried about his own daughter or not. Then, Wang Chang Geng instructed the steward to send the letter, already stating that after the beheading, reply immediately. With the plan for Feng Ye Wu and the other two set, Wang Chang Geng's heart settled half. He had no way to wait for Wei Si Yuan's reply before making a decision; nights are long and dreams are many, besides, Feng Ye Wu and the two had already arrived in his territory.