Deng Yi’s mouth and nose were enveloped by a pungent, acrid taste, so he couldn’t smell what those wisps of smoke were.
But it seemed in just the blink of an eye, there was a thud as someone fell to the ground.
Deng Yi turned his head to look and saw a person who had been standing in the shadows by the bookshelf collapse to the floor.
This was someone Xiao Xun had brought—silent and soundless all along, as if nonexistent.
“Did you see clearly?” Xiao Xun said in a low voice close to his ear. “What potent poison. Grand Tutor, you’re definitely going to die.”
Having said this, he stuffed pills into both his own mouth and Deng Yi’s, pulled Deng Yi back, and the two retreated behind the bookshelf. The next moment, even thicker smoke billowed up outside the room—
……
……
At the Grand Tutor’s manor, Ding Dachui had come to oversee personally.
After the Imperial Guard was established, breaking down doors to raid homes or extracting people from the Ministry of Justice’s prison cells basically didn’t require Ding Dachui to appear in person. With the python pattern on his robe plus the Imperial Guard’s waist token, basically no one could stop them.
The Grand Tutor was only confined to his manor—not permitted to leave and no one permitted to visit. Compared to tasks the Imperial Guard had executed in the past, this was much easier, requiring only strict guard outside the manor.
But Ding Dachui still came to oversee personally. After all, the Grand Tutor had a different status. The Grand Tutor held military authority and could deploy capital garrison troops. If he truly wanted to leave, other Dragon Robe Guards really couldn’t stop him.
He was different. With his status as commander, if the Grand Tutor truly dared to force his way out relying on troops, he would personally fight the capital troops.
Even if he died here, he had to let the world know that the Empress’s authority could not be questioned.
However, after the Grand Tutor was sent back, he hadn’t caused any trouble. He only read in his study, even appearing to enjoy the rare peace and quiet. The servants in the household were also very well-behaved. Because there were no visitors, they were quite idle, mostly staying in their own rooms.
Ding Dachui sat in the porter’s lodge of the Grand Tutor’s manor. He hadn’t relaxed his vigilance, calling over the Dragon Robe Guards to instruct them about the second half of the night’s watch duty. He had only said half his words when he sensed something wrong.
“There’s a fire,” he said.
The Dragon Robe Guards looked around, somewhat bewildered. There wasn’t—there was nothing inside or out, no fire and no smoke—
But Ding Dachui was already running inward. He sniffed forcefully. He wouldn’t be wrong. Mountain fires were common in mountain forests, so common that he could smell them even before the fire had started burning.
Watching Ding Dachui run toward the interior of the manor, the other Dragon Robe Guards, though puzzled, didn’t hesitate. Some followed while others immediately dispersed to strengthen defenses.
“Be careful of anyone taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.”
And watching the Dragon Robe Guards suddenly run in, the servants who were patrolling the manor’s lights were also startled. Were these Dragon Robe Guards no longer pretending and viciously breaking in to start arresting people?
“Put out the fire—” Ding Dachui shouted loudly.
The servants were somewhat dazed. Put out what fire? Where was the fire?
They stood stunned, looking in the direction Ding Dachui was headed. The Grand Tutor’s manor, shrouded in night, was brightly lit. The next moment, the night seemed to surge up in an instant, making the lights dim. The moment after that, flames leaped up and swept across the night.
There really was a fire—
The servants let out shrieks. The Grand Tutor’s manor became clamorous.
Ding Dachui had already rushed to the study. Flames were rising around the study, though not yet raging fiercely. Without the slightest hesitation, he directly crashed through the door and charged in.
The Dragon Robe Guards following behind cried out.
“Sir—”
……
……
Chu Zhao didn’t plan to rest tonight. Officials in the front hall were discussing border army matters, and she participated at any time. Midway, she returned to the rear palace to accompany Xiao Yu. This was also a habit between her and Xiao Yu—talking before he fell asleep.
Having finished telling him about the border army’s great victory, accompanied by Chu Zhao leaning against the headboard gently patting him, Xiao Yu gradually closed his eyes.
The news arrived at this moment.
Ding Dachui’s face was pitch black, his clothes burned, the exposed areas showing burns with bloody, mangled flesh. He was being supported by two Dragon Robe Guards.
Xiao Man and A’Le were giving him simple treatment for his wounds, cutting away the tattered remnants of his robe.
Ding Dachui also wouldn’t let Chu Zhao summon the imperial physician, urgently reporting the matter first: “The fire spread extremely fast. The entire room had been doused with flammable fire oil. If I’d been a step later, I wouldn’t have gotten out either.”
Chu Zhao’s gaze fell on the ground.
Lying on the ground was a person who, like Ding Dachui, had a blackened face and burned, disheveled clothes.
“But when I went in, he was already dead,” Ding Dachui said in a low voice. “And moreover—”
He wasn’t Deng Yi.
Chu Zhao studied the man on the ground. He truly resembled Deng Yi very much. Even the facial features covered in ash were very similar.
“But if he had been burned beyond recognition,” she said, “we really wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.”
This person was Deng Yi’s body double?
Deng Yi actually had a body double?
Had he prepared this himself? Or had someone else arranged it?
Was this fire arranged by Deng Yi, or did someone else want to kill Deng Yi?
“The Grand Tutor’s manor has already been searched,” Ding Dachui said. “There’s no trace of the Grand Tutor.”
Even his blackened face couldn’t hide his shame.
“We were guarding outside and didn’t discover anyone entering or leaving.”
But there must have been an oversight they hadn’t discovered. People couldn’t fly away with wings or vanish into the earth.
Chu Zhao said, “Don’t blame yourself. The other party knew you were stationed outside the manor. Since they dared to act, they must have had the capability to accomplish it.”
None of this was important now. What was important was: who exactly was it?
Had Deng Yi escaped like a cicada shedding its shell, or did someone want to make Deng Yi disappear?
“Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor having an incident at this time is disadvantageous for Your Majesty,” Counselor Yin said in a low voice. “Someone with ulterior motives could frame Your Majesty as wanting to eliminate the Grand Tutor.”
The Imperial Guard had escorted Grand Tutor Deng Yi out of the imperial city and confined him to his manor, then the Grand Tutor’s manor caught fire and the Grand Tutor’s life or death was unknown. The conflict between the Empress and the Grand Tutor was known to everyone. Now with the border army capturing the Xi Liang King alive and the Empress’s prestige soaring, eliminating the Grand Tutor at this time wouldn’t trigger national upheaval. She could even pin crimes on the Grand Tutor, such as colluding with Xi Liang causing Shipo City to fall—
Chu Zhao looked at the corpse on the ground with an impassive expression.
“The court ministers are all here. Summon everyone and announce this matter,” she said.
Although the fire at the Grand Tutor’s manor had caused quite a commotion, because it was discovered promptly and the Imperial Guard maintained control, the news hadn’t leaked yet.
Indeed, being forthright at this time would be more appropriate. Counselor Yin acknowledged, about to leave when Chu Zhao called him back.
“Is Deng Yi’s mother still alive?” she asked.
Counselor Yin nodded. “She is. Apart from the Grand Tutor and the study area, there were no abnormalities with anyone else or anywhere else. Everyone has been detained.”
Chu Zhao turned to call Xiao Man.
Xiao Man didn’t turn her head away as usual but made a sound of acknowledgment.
“Counselor Yin, secretly escort Deng Yi’s mother out,” Chu Zhao said. “Xiao Man, settle her somewhere safe. Don’t let anyone discover her. Just let people think Deng Yi’s mother’s life or death is also unknown.”
Counselor Yin acknowledged while Xiao Man simply turned and left.
“Summon the imperial physician,” Chu Zhao instructed, looking at Ding Dachui. “You need to endure a bit longer to respond to the ministers’ inquiries.”
Ding Dachui acknowledged.
Eunuch Qi turned to give orders to summon the imperial physician and the court ministers. The entire rear palace became busy.
Chu Zhao looked at the corpse lying on the ground.
“Sister, do you think the Grand Tutor didn’t flee out of guilt?” Xiao Yu asked in a low voice nearby. “Do you think someone harmed him?”
So whether Deng Yi was captured or escaped, Sister Chu wanted to protect Deng Yi’s mother, lest she fall into danger as Deng Yi’s only relative.
Chu Zhao nodded.
“Although I can’t be certain, I feel that Deng Yi isn’t the kind of person who would think that because I confined him, I would kill him, reaching a point where he must flee,” she said in a low voice.
So either someone wanted to kill him and he had no choice but to flee, or he had been abducted by someone.
Although Deng Yi had once said that in times of danger he wouldn’t risk himself for his mother’s sake, but—
Chu Zhao said softly, “Deng Yi’s mother is an innocent blind woman. She shouldn’t be implicated in this.”
……
……
The officials, having just calmed down from the shock brought by news of the great victory, were summoned to the inner palace. Seeing the corpse lying on the ground and hearing Ding Dachui’s account, they once again fell into even greater shock.
“The Grand Tutor is dead!”
“He’s not dead—he’s missing!”
“Missing? How can we know if he’s alive or dead?”
“In broad daylight, the Grand Tutor met with disaster in his own home!”
“If it was disaster, why would there be a body double?”
The officials argued chaotically. The Vice Minister of Justice stepped forward and looked at Chu Zhao. “This minister requests to investigate the case of harm to the Grand Tutor.”
Chu Zhao said, “Granted. Not just you—the Three Judicial Offices will investigate together.”
The Vice Minister of Justice didn’t delay, turning to leave immediately. Seven or eight officials hurried to follow, but the arguing and questioning voices in the hall didn’t decrease in the slightest.
Chu Zhao paid no attention, letting them speculate as they wished.
“Is this a body double the Grand Tutor prepared, or did someone else prepare it?” Xie Yanfang didn’t participate in these discussions. Standing beside the corpse, he bent down to study it with curiosity. “They really are very similar. If it weren’t for the Empress’s people acting quickly and rushing into the fire to drag him out, we would truly have believed the Grand Tutor had died—”
He looked at Chu Zhao and sighed softly.
“Thanks to the Empress, this is extremely fortunate amidst misfortune.”