Chapter 110: The Three-Person Encounter

"Senior Kong is now regarded as a beacon of faith among scholars across the realm. Officials like us in the court hold him in utmost reverence," Lu Jue and Feng Yewu were so engrossed in conversation within the room that they lost track of time. It was already past noon when Wei Nanxi entered from outside, wearing a gentle smile and seamlessly joining the discourse.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, bowing respectfully to Feng Yewu.

Feng Yewu nodded slightly, signaling Wei Nanxi to rise. Lu Jue, standing nearby, wore a look of surprise—he had not expected Wei Nanxi to arrive in Langya City so swiftly.

Sensing Lu Jue’s questioning gaze, Wei Nanxi explained, "This place is the stronghold of the King of Pingyi’s confidants. I have arranged for many officers and soldiers guarding me to change into civilian clothes to avoid drawing suspicion with too many unfamiliar faces. I commanded them to masquerade as a merchant caravan, so we should be able to enter the city by evening. I came ahead to prepare."

Feng Yewu nodded with approval upon hearing Wei Nanxi’s plan, a look of admiration flickering briefly in his eyes.

Langya City, situated on the Pingyi King’s territory adjacent to the Eastern border, had long been the principal trading hub between the Eastern Yi tribes and the Ye Dynasty. Renowned for its abundant production of exquisite glassware and precious trinkets, it earned the name Langya.

Upon entering the city with Lu Jue, Feng Yewu observed that besides the Ye Dynasty citizens dressed in their customary garb, many Eastern Yi people adorned with cloaks and swords, wearing wooden clogs, also filled the streets.

Wei Nanxi closed the door behind him and carefully produced a detailed map from within his robes.

Feng Yewu and Lu Jue leaned in to examine it. The map was meticulous, marking every street of Langya City, including the Pingyi King’s residence.

Lu Jue couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "Minister Wei’s preparations are thorough. This map even details the interior of the Pingyi King’s mansion."

Feng Yewu nodded in agreement as he studied the map.

Receiving Lu Jue’s straightforward praise, Wei Nanxi offered a modest smile and explained, "Since taking office at the Ministry of Justice, I have secretly commissioned the completion of detailed maps of all the king’s territories. They are proving quite useful now."

"Which area is this?" Feng Yewu pointed to a blank space on the map’s corner that stood out amidst the otherwise exhaustive annotations.

Wei Nanxi furrowed his brow and sighed resignedly, "That is the Eastern Yi embassy. Its defenses are extremely strict; foreigners are not allowed entry. There is nothing I can do about it."

Lu Jue nodded thoughtfully and murmured, "The Eastern Yi are remarkably united. During the late Emperor’s reign, attempts to establish covert networks there were nearly impossible."

"Indeed," Wei Nanxi concurred, noticing Feng Yewu’s frown and continuing, "Before the late Emperor ascended the throne, the Ye Dynasty was surrounded by many clans. Now that our territory has expanded greatly, the contributions of our intelligence operatives cannot be overlooked."

Feng Yewu inquired, "Yet presently, the Tidi Southern Barbarians and Eastern Yi coexist with our dynasty because of the presence of a sage among them, correct?"

Lu Jue, born in a general’s household, answered promptly, "The sage’s presence serves mainly to preserve the lineage. If fortune turns against them, even divine protection cannot alter destiny."

Feng Yewu’s interest was piqued. "What do you mean by that?"

Wei Nanxi took over, "Your Majesty, the Tidi are tall and robust, quite distinct from us. It is difficult to blend in. Although their intelligence is limited, their devotion to tribal rituals and faith is unwavering, making them hard to infiltrate. Our spy efforts have seen little success."

Feng Yewu nodded in understanding. "The Southern Barbarians dwell deep within forested gorges, with a penchant for poisonous arts involving serpents and insects. Though numerous tribes exist, each has a chieftain with absolute control. The late Emperor also tried to place spies to gradually assimilate them but ultimately failed..."

At this, Wei Nanxi let out a bitter smile, clearly frustrated.

Having learned about the other two tribes, Feng Yewu found their nature comprehensible. Yet, after seeing the Eastern Yi firsthand, she thought that merely disguising themselves with similar height and attire should not be too difficult.

Before she could voice her thoughts, Lu Jue spoke again about the Eastern Yi.

"The Eastern Yi are generally shorter in stature and fewer in number. However, their leader, titled the Heavenly Emperor, exerts terrifying spiritual control over them. When the Pingyi King once led a massive army against them, despite being vastly outnumbered, the Eastern Yi warriors fought like puppets unaffected by fear or death, nearly prevailing."

Spiritual control?

Feng Yewu approached the window and looked down upon the streets. Eastern Yi warriors strode in groups, wielding swords nearly as long as their height.

A thought occurred to her, and she asked, "Is it true that among the Eastern Yi there exists a profession akin to assassins?"

Lu Jue nodded, confirming, "What Your Majesty refers to are likely the 'Dark Guests.'"

Feng Yewu recalled from a past life an Eastern Yi performance of covert arts during a banquet, memories still vivid.

"The Eastern Yi martial artists fall into two categories. Those commonly seen are warriors wielding slender, long Eastern Yi swords. The other are the 'Dark Guests,' trained by the nobility for stealth and assassination. I have read about them in the Ministry of Justice archives. It is said the Eastern Yi Heavenly Emperor himself was once a Dark Guest, and the tribe’s sole sage is his revered master, the Shadow Saint," Wei Nanxi recounted, as if stirring distant memories.

However, Feng Yewu’s mind turned to another matter.

"The incident at the Penglai Pavilion has seen little progress despite extensive investigation. Could it be connected to this place?"

Upon hearing Feng Yewu’s suspicion, Lu Jue and Wei Nanxi exchanged a glance of realization. They looked thoughtfully toward the Eastern Yi embassy marked on the map, falling silent.

The recent assassination attempts bore the hallmarks of Eastern Yi Dark Guest techniques. If Feng Yewu’s guess was correct, the charge of treason through collusion would be grave enough to warrant the execution of entire clans.

For a time, Wei Nanxi and Lu Jue were at a loss for words. After all, the Pingyi King remained a vassal of the Ye Dynasty; such accusations without irrefutable evidence were not matters for mere officials to raise.

After a silence, Lu Jue bowed and spoke first, "Does Your Majesty wish to investigate further?"

Though injured, Lu Jue was still capable. Since the other two—Lu Jue lacking martial skills, and Feng Yewu unwilling to risk herself—he was the logical choice for such an endeavor.

"Young Master Lu, do not be hasty. Your wounds make it unwise to act rashly now. Besides, from what I know, the Eastern Yi embassy houses several masters at the Grandmaster level," Wei Nanxi cautioned.

As a foreign embassy, it was unsurprising that formidable experts guarded it.

Feng Yewu agreed wholeheartedly with Wei Nanxi’s advice and did not encourage Lu Jue to take such a risk.

"At present, I only harbor suspicions. Moreover, as long as we obtain evidence of the Pingyi King’s crimes in the coming days, even if the Penglai Pavilion truly sided with the Eastern Yi, it would not be a threat to fear."