Chapter Eighty-Nine: Going Together

When Feng Yewu realized that his purpose had already been exposed, his expression turned cold, and he asked in a frigid voice, “Since the heir apparent already knows where I am going, does he not fear that some mishap in the future will be blamed on you?”

Chen Pingwu smiled faintly, unruffled by the turn of events. “Since I have said as much, I naturally have a way to prove my innocence.”

Lu Jue, standing nearby and looking at Chen Pingwu’s utterly confident face, felt a nameless irritation rise in his heart. He urged at once, “Let us be on our way quickly. Night is drawing near.”

Feng Yewu gave a slight nod after hearing this, then said to Chen Pingwu, “Heir apparent, we shall meet again.”

With that, the two of them prepared to leave.

Yet after they passed through the city gate, Lu Jue discovered that Chen Pingwu had actually led Yang Guang to follow them as well. He drew his sword halfway and demanded, “What business does the heir apparent have in following us?”

Feng Yewu’s brow also tightened, and he fixed Chen Pingwu with a silent glare, waiting for an explanation.

Chen Pingwu only smiled and said to Feng Yewu, “Did the young master not just ask what means I had to prove my innocence? My subordinate here is skilled. If the two of us accompany the young master, there will naturally be no chance for word to leak out, and we can also ensure the young master’s safety.”

Only then did Lu Jue understand that Chen Pingwu intended to accompany them. Of course he was unwilling.

“Nonsense. The young master has important matters to attend to and is not suited to being followed by others.”

Chen Pingwu did not take Lu Jue’s words to heart at all, and merely waited in silence for Feng Yewu to speak.

Feng Yewu wore a thoughtful expression. Since Chen Pingwu already knew the purpose of this journey, and then he caught sight of Yang Guang standing expressionless at one side, he smiled faintly and said, “Since the heir apparent is willing, then come along.”

Seeing that Feng Yewu had agreed, Lu Jue hurriedly tried to object. “Your Majes—”

Feng Yewu lifted a hand and cut him off.

The four of them set out eastward together.

Night fell, yet the scenery beyond the capital did not lose its beauty to the darkness.

Riding alongside Feng Yewu, Chen Pingwu sighed again and again. “The scenery around the capital is truly splendid. If this were the north at this hour, these little bridges and flowing streams would likely already be frozen solid.”

Feng Yewu replied with a polite smile.

Half a night later, they arrived at the post station and took rooms for the night.

Feng Yewu was preparing to sleep when someone knocked at the door.

“Who is it?”

Lu Jue answered in a low voice, “It is I.”

Inside the room, Lu Jue asked in haste, “Why did Your Majesty agree to let the heir apparent follow us?”

Feng Yewu quickly motioned for him to lower his voice, then said cautiously, “Do you still remember the knife wound on Li Ru’s chest?”

Lu Jue was no fool. Earlier, his emotions had clouded his judgment, but with Feng Yewu’s reminder, he immediately thought of the silent Yang Guang who had followed behind Chen Pingwu all the way. His gaze shifted, and he asked, “Does Your Majesty suspect Yang Guang?”

Feng Yewu gave a slight nod and said in a low voice, “That man is steeped in killing intent, and he uses a blade. The Court of Judicial Review is heavily guarded; let alone killing someone, an ordinary person would find it difficult even to get inside.”

Hearing Feng Yewu’s analysis, Lu Jue could not help but recall Yang Guang as well.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Yang Guang and Chen Pingwu were in a room together.

Chen Pingwu wore a faint smile, sipping tea with leisurely calm. “The blood on your blade that night—was it connected to the murder case at the Court of Judicial Review?”

As the heir apparent, and also the representative of Prince Changwu in the capital, how could Chen Pingwu lack his own means? Since he asked this, he clearly harbored suspicion.

Yet Yang Guang’s expression remained unchanged. He simply replied indifferently, “No.”

Chen Pingwu nodded and said nothing more.

He knew Yang Guang’s character well. He was not the sort to lie.

“Then I am relieved.”

Since it was not Yang Guang’s doing, Chen Pingwu could not be bothered to care who he had killed. In truth, he had already guessed who was responsible.

He picked up the tea beside him and drank alone, then set it down and said softly, “This time, Prince Pingyi is likely to have woven a net for himself and fallen into it.”

In Prince Pingyi’s residence, within that mysterious study, Wang Changgeng looked at Zhao Xiyan beside him and asked, “That Li Ru did not say anything, did he?”

Zhao Xiyan nodded without speaking.

It turned out that the one who had slipped into the Court of Judicial Review that night to rescue the prisoner was her.

Unfortunately, because of the cries from Wei Nanqi’s side, Zhao Xiyan could not be certain that she could bring out the defenseless Li Ru. In the end, she simply turned with a blade and finished him off, then slipped away unseen.

After returning, she reported everything that had happened that night to Wang Changgeng in full.

Wang Changgeng felt no sorrow at Li Ru’s death. Instead, he frowned and wondered aloud, “Then who was it that sent the assassin who went that night to kill Li Ru?”

At this, Zhao Xiyan shook her head in confusion.

“Your subordinate did not dare look closely at those two. The situation was dangerous, and to avoid exposing myself, I only had time to fake the wounds. But one thing is certain: those two were professionals.”

Upon hearing Zhao Xiyan’s words, Wang Changgeng’s eyes shifted, and he thought of many things.

As the mistress of the Penglai Pavilion and an expert in assassination, Zhao Xiyan’s use of the word professional carried obvious weight.

Wang Changgeng narrowed his eyes and sighed softly. “It seems the people Wei Nanqi has offended are not only me.”

In the room at the post station, Lu Jue still could not fully understand and said to Feng Yewu, “Infiltrating the place to assassinate Li Ru? A man with no power to resist—based on what I know of Yang Guang, he may not be capable of such a thing.”

Feng Yewu looked at him in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

Lu Jue said, “Though Yang Guang is quiet by nature, everyone in the army knows that he is obsessed with martial arts. Unless he is on the battlefield killing enemies, he would not even deign to draw his weapon against those of mediocre skill.”

Lu Jue was a martial artist himself, so he naturally understood that a warrior prized his reputation more than his life.

Feng Yewu frowned and asked, “Then what if it were an order from Prince Changwu? After all, it is not impossible for Prince Changwu and Prince Pingyi to have joined forces.”

At Feng Yewu’s speculation, Lu Jue gave a bitter smile, feeling that Feng Yewu was thinking too simply.

“Your Majesty, although Prince Changwu and Prince Pingyi may indeed have allied, at most it would be in military matters. Besides, has Your Majesty forgotten that Prince Pingyi also has that mysterious Penglai Pavilion behind him?”

Only then did Feng Yewu come to himself, inwardly chiding himself for having forgotten the Penglai Pavilion at Prince Pingyi’s back.

The night deepened. After a few bird calls, everyone fell asleep.

Under the moonlight, Yang Guang stood alone in the courtyard of the post station, a blade in hand, eyes closed as he kept watch.

His memory drifted back to the night of the killing.

He had hidden himself in a dense forest several li from the Court of Judicial Review, when suddenly the court blazed with lights and erupted in commotion.

A short while later, two assassins dressed in black knelt behind him.

Yang Guang asked in a cold voice, “Did you succeed?”

The two assassins exchanged a glance and replied hoarsely, “That man was too lucky. We only managed to wound his arm. We did not dare remain long and will have to find another chance next time.”

After hearing their answer, Yang Guang gave a slight nod without changing expression, signaling them to leave.

The two assassins were also near the level of masters and acted with extreme caution.

Just as they turned around, a flash of blood suddenly swept past. Yang Guang sheathed his blade and walked by behind them, leaving only a quiet remark in his wake:

“His Lordship said there must be no survivors.”