The rain had stopped, but the sky had not yet brightened.
Inside the Prime Minister’s residence, chaos and panic reigned. Maids rushed out of the rooms in distress, carrying blood-soaked garments, while Imperial Physician Chen’s roars could be heard from within from time to time: “The bleeding has started again! Quick! Change the medicine!”
In the bedchamber, Fu Yangui lay on the bed, his face deathly pale, utterly lifeless from head to toe. Imperial Physician Chen and the physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy crowded around the bed, ceaselessly changing the medicine and stanching the bleeding from the gaping wound in his chest—two hours had passed, the bleeding stopping and starting, and the physicians still stared intently, not daring to relax for even a moment.
Seeing his elder brother, who had always been capable of holding up the heavens and shaking the earth, now lying there on the verge of death, Fu Yanyang was naturally both shocked and pained. What shocked him was that despite his elder brother’s formidable martial skills, someone had actually succeeded in assassinating him. What pained him was that the sword had pierced through his heart, leaving not even a sliver of chance for survival.
Imperial Physician Chen, seeing him pacing about constantly, couldn’t help but say: “Second Young Master, please remain calm. The Prime Minister’s heart is naturally positioned two cun to the right, so this sword just narrowly missed it. Furthermore, this old physician arrived in time and administered a Heart Protection Pill to him. As long as we properly stop the bleeding, he should be able to make it through tonight…”
“Make it through tonight?” Upon hearing this, Fu Yanyang’s heart grew even colder. “And after tonight?”
“If he can make it through tonight, then we’ll have saved half his life. As for what comes after… we’ll discuss that later.”
Imperial Physician Chen offered no further explanation, rolling up his sleeves to continue acupuncture treatment to stop the bleeding. Fu Yanyang knew he was getting in the way, so he consciously supported himself against the wall and moved to the doorway. His mind was still somewhat dizzy, and he couldn’t clear his head even after a long while.
He distinctly remembered that in the evening at the palace, his elder brother had asked him to find Imperial Physician Chen, inviting him to visit their residence and remembering to bring life-saving hemostatic elixirs.
Fu Yanyang thought to himself: From this, it seems elder brother had some premonition at that time. Otherwise, Imperial Physician Chen always carries his medicine box with him—why would he specifically emphasize life-saving hemostatic medicine? But… if elder brother was already prepared, how did he still get struck by this sword?
He looked at Lü Biqiong outside the door, leaning against a pillar, her tear-reddened eyes occasionally gazing at the sky, her entire expression dazed, as if she had been frightened by something.
From the moment they rushed to the bamboo forest cottage, she had worn this expression of utter devastation, saying nothing, only silently weeping.
Fu Yanyang walked forward and said softly, “Sister-in-law Bi…”
Lü Biqiong gave a start, as if half her soul had been drawn away. She turned her head in a daze, “Has… has the master awakened?”
“No.” Fu Yanyang said, “If sister-in-law has calmed down a bit now, I have a few questions I’d like to…”
“I don’t know, I… I didn’t see anything…” Without thinking, Lü Biqiong turned away. “When I arrived, the master had already… had already been attacked…”
Several servants hurried past nearby. Fu Yanyang’s eyes sharpened as he stood before her, lowering his voice: “Sister-in-law, the people sent from the palace all have their ears pricked. The more agitated you are, the more suspicious you’ll seem… At daybreak, the Ministry of Justice will send people to question you. Will you say the same thing then? If others ask you why you went to Bamboo Forest Mountain in the dead of night, how will you answer?”
Hearing this, Lü Biqiong forcibly composed herself. “You… what do you want to ask?”
“Sister-in-law Bi’s sword was dropped outside the wooden cottage. It’s clear you encountered the assassin and engaged in combat, yet you’re still alive and well…” Fu Yanyang’s voice was very light. “This indicates that you and the assassin have an old connection, a connection so deep that even with your own husband harmed, you’d still keep silent about it…”
Second Young Master Fu’s gaze was clearly peaceful, yet it almost pinned her to the pillar. “I know you won’t say anything, and I can’t get anything out of you. I just want to know… do my elder brother and my master… also have an old connection?”
Upon hearing this, Lü Biqiong’s entire body trembled as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
Seeing her reaction, the shock in Fu Yanyang’s heart was no less than hers—Could it really be Master?
At this time, the main hall of the imperial palace presented an entirely different scene.
Last night, Ye Qi had been personally escorted back to his residence by the Yulin Guards. The timeline alone was enough to prove his innocence—moreover, in everyone’s minds, young Marquis He, dragging about his frail and sickly body all day, was truly unlikely to be capable of killing Prime Minister Fu.
As for who had sent the assassin, though the court officials each harbored their own suspicions, no one dared speak them openly. After all, the pressing matter wasn’t catching the true culprit, but rather that in just a few days, two of the Eastern Xia Dynasty’s pillars had fallen one after another. This news would likely soon reach their neighbors, Western Xia and Great Yan.
What if these two neighbors conspired together? Wouldn’t that mean the Eastern Xia Dynasty’s days were numbered?
The officials in the hall competed to offer counsel. Some said they should concentrate military forces in the southern border, others said the northern border was the critical point of vulnerability. They spoke quite reasonably, but given the Eastern Xia’s fragmented military authority, forget about strict defense—they should thank the heavens if those already harboring treasonous thoughts and wavering in loyalty didn’t betray the nation to the enemy at the crucial moment.
Ye Qi’s heart meridians hadn’t healed, and he hadn’t slept all night. Throughout the morning court session, he tucked his sleeves and remained silent. Now, this young marquis was the most influential figure at court. Many neutral officials, seeing him with a stern face saying nothing, didn’t dare speak rashly either.
Shen Yao had dragged him to court overnight for two reasons: first, to let the court officials see clearly the He family’s position; second, it was also a way of winning over Ye Qi—as long as the He family supported him through this most difficult period, once the Jing family’s military power was completely consolidated, he would no longer have to be an emperor who looked at others’ faces.
When that time came…
Shen Yao secretly glanced at He Yu, who was yawning from exhaustion, and thought to himself: Even if you have the ambition, you lack the life to compete with me.
After morning court, Shen Yao kept him in the imperial study under the pretext of discussing Prime Minister Fu’s matter, and conveniently had the Imperial Medical Academy examine his pulse again. Only after the physicians shook their heads repeatedly did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief, offering perfunctory expressions of concern before allowing Ye Qi to leave the palace.
However, before he even left the palace gates, he “coincidentally encountered” several colleagues along the way trying to curry favor with him. They already regarded him as the final victor in this court’s tripartite power struggle, destined to dominate the imperial court in the future and change dynasties any day now.
The young marquis with a short-lived appearance had to split his cunning into seven or eight pieces just to seamlessly transition between various roles after one trip to the imperial palace. Now, thinking about it, the fact that the Eastern Xia Dynasty had been able to stand equal with Western Xia for years was indeed closely related to Fu Yangui monopolizing state affairs. Now that the man surnamed Fu had only been down for a day, the palace was already in such chaos. The trouble ahead would only increase, not decrease.
Ye Qi was just about to board his carriage when he saw the Vice Minister of Justice hurrying toward the palace. His mind flashed like lightning as he stepped forward to intercept him. When the Vice Minister of Justice saw who it was, he immediately raised his sleeve: “Greetings, young Marquis.”
“Is Vice Minister Wang going to inform His Majesty about Prime Minister Fu’s assassination case? I wonder how Prime Minister Fu’s condition is, and whether there are any leads on the assassin?”
Vice Minister Wang of the Ministry of Justice sighed, “Madam Bi, who was present at the time, said she didn’t see the assassin. As for the assassin, the Ministry of Justice is still investigating thoroughly… As for Lord Fu’s injuries, well, the Imperial Medical Academy hasn’t left the Fu residence. I’m afraid the situation doesn’t look optimistic… However, I just don’t quite understand—normally when a martial artist resists or struggles barehanded, wouldn’t the instinctive action be to grab the sword? But Prime Minister Fu’s right hand sword wound is at the tiger’s mouth, indicating the sword pierced through his chest following his hand. This injury is… rather strange…” He paused, patting his chest to demonstrate: “To be able to pat one’s own chest the moment before being stabbed, the assassin’s relationship with Prime Minister Fu must have been quite familiar, and then suddenly attacked when he was caught off guard…”
Ye Qi’s eyes flashed imperceptibly. Vice Minister Wang also felt he had said too much and hastily swallowed his remaining words, quickly clasping his fists in farewell. Ye Qi watched his retreating figure and murmured, “Heart displacement… sword through the tiger’s mouth… could it be…”
Ever since hearing that Fu Yangui was only seriously injured and not dead, Changling couldn’t even rest. She paced anxiously back and forth in the room, her mind unsettled.
She distinctly remembered that sword had struck directly at his heart and should have left absolutely no chance of survival. Yet now they said he was seriously injured but not dead. Could Shen Yao have another plot, deliberately deceiving Ye Qi into the palace?
She only knew the general structure of the court situation, never quite grasping the specifics of how they schemed against each other. She only instinctively believed that once Fu Yangui died, Shen Yao would turn his spearhead toward the He family. Now Ye Qi had been summoned into the palace for most of the day—how could this not make her anxious?
“I should have transferred my true qi to him first. If Shen Yao wants to imprison him, infiltrating the palace won’t be easy.”
The more she speculated wildly like this, the less she could wait another moment. In any case, the young marquis had already informed everyone in the He family that she could come and go freely. Whatever the case, she should first confirm Fu Yangui’s life or death.
Changling didn’t want to draw attention, so she didn’t take her sword, only wanting to go quickly and return quickly. However, just as she reached the main gate of the He residence, she saw someone standing menacingly outside the door, staring at her with bloodshot eyes.
“Master, I have something I wish to discuss with you privately,” Fu Yanyang’s lips barely moved. “I wonder if you might have time?”
Just from looking at his expression, Changling could guess why he had come. In all fairness, this young disciple had always been sincere toward her. If their positions were reversed, she would never be able to let this matter rest either. Thinking of this, she nodded slightly: “Should you come in or should I go out?”
Fu Yanyang certainly didn’t want to enter the He residence, but he also didn’t take Changling to his family’s residence. Instead, he reserved a private room in a tavern on the street and ordered two or three small dishes, actually adopting the posture of a negotiation.
She had expected him to come at her with accusations and rage, but this setup made Changling somewhat uncertain. However, Fu Yanyang poured Changling a cup of tea, then poured one for himself, saying, “Master must be wondering why, when something so serious happened to my elder brother, I can still sit here so calmly?”
“Say what you want to say directly. You should know I don’t like beating around the bush.”
“I know. I know my elder brother’s assassination this time was Master’s doing… Not just in Jinling City, but in all of Eastern Xia’s martial arts world, the number of people who could subdue my elder brother in one move should not yet exist…” Fu Yanyang lowered his voice. “Except for Master.”
Changling didn’t deny it, only saying, “So? You want revenge?”
“Revenge? Since my elder brother is still alive, what revenge is there to take?” Fu Yanyang said, “Master misunderstands. I came to find Master today hoping Master could save my elder brother’s life.”
Changling’s heart trembled: He really is still alive…
“My elder brother’s heart is naturally displaced. Although he narrowly escaped death, his life currently hangs by a thread. The imperial physicians have used many medicines, but none can stop his wound from festering… This stems from the poison of Thorn Ridge he suffered in the past.”
Hearing this, her fingers involuntarily clenched. She heard Fu Yanyang continue: “Back then, my elder brother suffered terribly from this poison and shed several layers of skin. We thought the toxin had been completely expelled, but this injury revealed that the poison still clings to the deep tissues of his muscles. It’s just that he hadn’t suffered any external injuries in these years, so it went unnoticed. Imperial Physician Chen said that the anti-festering medicine prepared by Elder Xiao Yin of Lingbao Pavilion is most effective… As far as I know, the young marquis has a close relationship with Elder Xiao. I believe that within the He residence, this medicine can surely be found.”
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Changling’s mouth. “You’ve determined that the person who tried to kill your elder brother was me. How could I possibly help you save him?”
“Since I invited Master here today, I naturally came prepared.” Fu Yanyang forced a rather strained smile. “I brought three reasons.”
“Three reasons?”
“The first reason: I know your identity now.” He lowered his head, turning the cup in his hand. “The missing Muling Sword, elder brother’s willingness to accept death, and martial skills that shock the world… When I merely said I would have His Majesty thoroughly investigate Sister Ting’s identity, Sister-in-law Bi revealed everything. I suppose if I can no longer call you Master in the future, I should call you Sister Ling?”
Changling looked at him with unchanging eyes. “Oh, so the first reason is a threat?”
“More or less.” Fu Yanyang spoke frankly. “When I learned of Master’s identity, I was also quite shocked. Though I don’t know the details of your past grievances, I at least figured out two things: first, your reason for participating in the martial arts conference; second, your next target… Once your identity is exposed prematurely, you naturally won’t be able to accomplish the first thing, and the initiative in the second matter will also turn from active to passive…”
Changling raised an eyebrow dismissively. “The Fu family truly inherits intelligence through the line… However, do you think such a threat will work on me?”
“No. With the young marquis’s connections and influence, and Master’s spirit and ability, my threat would at most cause you some trouble… Therefore, I have a second reason.” Fu Yanyang set down his cup. “If Master can agree to this request, I’m willing to promise Master that in whatever you and the young marquis plan next, aside from my brother’s life, I will do my utmost to support you.”
“Your support?”
“I know I’m generally not very reliable, and perhaps I can’t help with other matters. But regarding what Master wants to accomplish, perhaps I’m not entirely useless after all… You might think carefully—even if my elder brother barely manages to save his life this time, he won’t recover without lying in bed for three to five months. The affairs of the Fu residence, large and small, will naturally fall on my shoulders.” Fu Yanyang spoke candidly. “Now that the Jing family is gone, as long as those who support the Fu family don’t add to your troubles, isn’t that a form of help? Would Master really prefer to see the young marquis stake the entire He family’s lives and fortune, making enemies of everyone for your sake?”
When she heard “the He family’s lives and fortune,” Changling’s gaze shifted slightly—she had always rarely inquired about Ye Qi’s court schemes and arrangements, and even when she asked, Ye Qi seldom explained in detail. But Fu Yanyang was different. He was the Second Young Master of the Fu family and should understand the Jinling City situation better than anyone. Whether true or false, it wasn’t impossible to verify—he had no need for alarmist talk.
“Even if what you say is sincere, if your elder brother wakes up, how can you decide his will?” Changling didn’t let his words lead her astray and quickly reacted. “After taking my sword this time, he’ll surely strike at us ruthlessly once he awakens. If I save him, wouldn’t I be creating even greater trouble for myself?”
“As I said earlier, even if elder brother saves his life, he’ll have to lie in bed for quite some time. Whether he can wake up, when he’ll wake up—it’s all uncertain… Taking a step back, even if he does wake up, he won’t obstruct you… There’s someone who can deal with…” Fu Yanyang pointed upward, “that person for him. He’d be overjoyed—why would he expose himself prematurely?”
Changling snorted. “Then wouldn’t I be making wedding clothes for others?”
Fu Yanyang seemed completely unsurprised by her reaction. He nodded. “If the first two points aren’t enough to move your heart, then I can only bring out my third reason… Master, do you want to save the young marquis’s life?”
Changling’s back tensed slightly. “Save his life?”
“I don’t know if the young marquis told Master this—I also heard it from Imperial Physician Chen… That day, besides using the Ice Finger to seal the young marquis’s acupoints, my elder brother also injected a stream of Ice True Qi into his body that circulates through his meridians. This Ice True Qi cannot be expelled from the body within two to three months. If during this time someone injects other true qi into his body, not only will it fail to save his life, but the two streams of true qi will clash and conflict, causing him unbearable suffering and explosive death.” Fu Yanyang continued, “Master is a peerless martial arts expert. You should understand very clearly that with the young marquis’s current physical condition, he may not be able to endure a lifespan of two to three months, right?”
This was the first time she’d heard of the Ice Palm matter. Her heart shook as she recalled her intention to infiltrate the palace to transfer true qi to Ye Qi. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. “Your elder brother’s action… could he have intended to use my hand to personally end He Yu’s life?”
“I don’t know… but I have no position to defend him. As for the truth, Master can return and ask the young marquis yourself.” Fu Yanyang’s gaze dodged slightly. “Perhaps from my elder brother’s perspective, he doesn’t want you to know these things. But I’m different. I’ve said from the beginning that I never agreed with his feelings for you. Now I only want to save his life. Everything else is unimportant.”
Hearing this, Changling suddenly felt a bit of admiration for this young disciple—with his elder brother attacked by someone, his first reaction wasn’t anger, wasn’t coming here screaming demands for answers, but calmly bringing bargaining chips to negotiate, with each point hitting a vital spot. Compared to Fu Yangui’s obsession, Fu Yanyang’s perceptiveness seemed even colder, as if nothing that didn’t benefit the outcome could easily shake him.
Changling pondered. “As you say, even if I’m willing to save your elder brother, will the Ice True Qi in the young marquis simply disappear?”
“I’m powerless regarding the young marquis’s Ice True Qi,” Fu Yanyang moved his eyes back, staring steadily at her. “But that half of the folding fan in my elder brother’s possession—I’m willing to bring it out as an exchange.”