When Wei Wujun led his men to dismount and enter the front hall, Wuliang suddenly stopped him. “Second Young Master, wait a moment.”

Wei Wujun was startled. “What do you mean?”

Wuliang surveyed the surroundings, his eyes flickering with cunning light. “This poor Taoist entered this imperial palace on the day the city was breached and still has some impression of the pathways here.”

“By rights, the secret passage must be built in the rear palace. For the rebel party to get from here to the rear palace, they must pass through multiple palace buildings including the front hall, middle hall, Golden Throne Hall, and rear hall.”

“If they take the route through the front hall and go straight, the journey would undoubtedly be shortest. But what if the rebel party uses deception and goes the opposite way, rushing to the middle hall from both sides of the palace walls? If we take the front hall route, we’d instead end up ahead of them. Once they discover our tracks, they could immediately hide back in the palace pathways and escape back to the capital via the original route, making our efforts futile. Or perhaps they’re deliberately hiding in the front hall while we ride through the hall, allowing them to escape disaster. Conversely, if they truly don’t hide but flee straight from the front hall toward the middle hall, and we go along the palace walls or search within the front hall, we’d miss the opportunity to capture them.”

“In my view, it’s better to divide into three groups. Two teams abandon the front hall route and go directly along both sides of the palace walls toward the middle hall. This way we can search along the way without missing either side. These are cavalry—even if they take the front hall route, we can still reach the middle hall before them and wait like hunters by a tree stump. Additionally, here at the front hall, we have plenty of time to dismount and search slowly. What does the Second Young Master think?”

Upon hearing this, Wei Wujun’s eyes immediately brightened. “Fortunately Master reminded me! Wujun was focused on achieving merit and nearly caused a great mistake. This method covers all angles—it truly couldn’t be better!”

He pondered briefly, then ordered Mao and Yu to each lead ten men and split into two routes, riding along both sides of the palace walls toward the middle hall, while he, Wuliang, and Wei Wulei led the remaining people to dismount and enter the front hall, preparing to search the halls.

After entering the hall, several people were somewhat stunned to see Chao Huang and Wei Wuxia boldly remaining in the hall, not having left with Lian Yu and the others.

“What, sister, are you afraid? Is this a gesture of surrender to us?” Wei Wulei mocked coldly.

But Wei Wuxia didn’t even look at her, speaking directly to Wei Wujun. “Second brother, sister has a few words to say to you. For the sake of our sibling bond, you won’t refuse to hear these few words, will you?”

Wei Wujun sneered coldly. “Good sister, when have you ever regarded me as a brother? Only when you were trying to get information from me was I your brother, right?”

A trace of disdain and murderous intent suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Wei Wuxia shivered, feeling Chao Huang gently pat her back. She steadied her mind, pretending not to see the fierce intent in his eyes. “Since you’ve chased here tonight, that means you’ve read my letter. My grandfather will arrive in the capital soon. Don’t think that if you kill me, no one will know. My mother will tell him about my situation. You know what kind of person my grandfather is—if he doesn’t see me appear safely at the Wei residence, he’ll know I’ve met with foul play at your hands. Yes, Father is a high official who controls heavy troops—he can’t do anything to you. But do you think he’ll continue funding you in the future? Lian Yu and Quan Feitong aren’t dead yet. This war isn’t over. Don’t you need military funds? Even if the war ends, with everything needing rebuilding, doesn’t the Prince of Jin’s heir need support from renowned scholars everywhere? With one word from my grandfather, how many wealthy merchants will respond? Don’t you know this?”

“That girl Wulei resents me for stealing her spotlight and wants me dead—I understand this perfectly well. You also hate me to the bone now. But have you asked Father whether to kill me or spare me?” She raised her chin, looking at him proudly. “Aren’t you afraid of his blame?”

Wei Wulei’s expression changed. “Brother, don’t listen to her. She’s committed such treasonous acts that even if executed on the spot, Father wouldn’t blame us.”

Wei Wuxia looked coldly at her younger sister. “Good, truly excellent. Wei Wulei, you must be the daughter most like Father. Though I dislike you, before tonight, I hadn’t thought of putting you to death.”

Wei Wulei’s gaze was steady as she held Wei Wujun’s hand. Wei Wujun frowned, but the murderous intent in his eyes slowly subsided. “Wulei, you’ll be the heir’s consort in the future. You’ve also done well in reporting tonight—no need to stoop to her level. Let’s spare her life and let Father deal with her.”

“Someone come—kill Chao Huang for me!” he commanded.

But Wei Wuxia suddenly blocked in front of Chao Huang. “If you dare touch him, I’ll kill myself here immediately.”

“You!” Wei Wujun was furious, but Wuliang said, “Second Young Master, stay calm. Business comes first now. In this poor Taoist’s view, let’s leave these two for the Grand Preceptor to deal with.”

Wei Wujun’s gaze deepened, and he finally nodded. He looked coldly at Wei Wuxia. “Sister, don’t say your brother doesn’t value old bonds. I’ll give you a chance to atone for your crimes—tell me Lian Yu’s whereabouts.”

Wei Wuxia shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Wei Wujun gritted his teeth slightly but didn’t entangle with her further. Though Chao Huang had also been hit by two arrows, the wounds weren’t in vital spots. This person still had considerable martial arts skills. Though the people here were sufficient to hack him to death, to prevent him from launching sneak attacks, Wuliang still stepped forward and quickly sealed several major acupoints on both their bodies.

“Search!” Wei Wujun immediately ordered. “Search every single place carefully. We have plenty of time to spend with them.”

“Yes.” Behind him, half were martial arts practitioners, half were elite soldiers. Combined with the twenty soldiers sent earlier with Mao and Yu, there were still thirty people here.

Everyone’s eyes gleamed like wolves and tigers, knowing this was an excellent opportunity to achieve merit. They responded loudly and charged toward the left and right halls ahead.

“Wait!” At this moment, Wuliang suddenly waved his hand and lowered his voice. “Second Young Master, do you hear coughing?”

Wei Wujun immediately made a silencing gesture to everyone, listening carefully. Indeed, from within the left hall came an extremely faint sound.

The sound was very suppressed—the kind of painful coughing where someone was desperately trying to hold it in but couldn’t suppress it! He was immediately delighted. At this time, Wuliang glanced intentionally or unintentionally toward Wei Wuxia’s direction. Wei Wuxia was greatly alarmed and quickly lowered her head. Wuliang didn’t say anything, only asking softly, “How about it?”

Wei Wujun chuckled quietly, raising his chin toward the left hall. He shouted loudly, “All of you go in and search! It’s spacious inside with many bookshelves, tables and chairs where people can hide. Don’t let me miss any corner!”

“Wait!”

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

The moonlight clearly outlined her silhouette—it was indeed the important prisoner who had been imprisoned at the Wei residence just two hours ago, Feng Suzhen.

Wuliang and Wei Wujun exchanged glances. Wei Wujun was suspicious and sneered slightly. “What medicine is Minister Li selling in what gourd?”

“Second Young Master, I’ve come out to surrender.” Suzhen smiled slightly.

Wuliang examined her. “Surrender? A woman comes out while those men inside are all useless cowards?”

Though he spoke thus, there wasn’t the slightest trace of tender mercy in his eyes. He seemed to find her upright posture with hands behind her back, resembling a man’s bearing, quite laughable.

Suzhen’s hands behind her back slowly clenched into fists. It was this man who had shot Lian Yu. From what Wei Wujun had said earlier, Wei Wulei beside him was the informant—this woman who was about to become the Prince of Jin’s heir consort and had considerable methods. What damn Prince of Jin’s heir!

And Wei Wujun—the person who had tried to kill her and Lian Yu that day at the Feng family’s old residence.

Any one of them… What a pity, what a pity that she now lacked the ability to avenge herself, Lian Yu, and her friends who were about to die! The rage in her heart showed not the slightest trace on the surface. Under this man’s extremely vicious gaze, her smile remained unchanged. “We have no choice. They are royal clan members and dignified men—they can’t lose face. I, Feng Suzhen, am merely a woman and have nothing I cannot do or say. Second Young Master,” she turned toward Wei Wujun, “our surrender would be greatly beneficial to you. Lian Yu can order his troops to withdraw immediately and write an abdication edict. We… just want a small place to live peacefully, and you would never invade.”

Wei Wujun and Wuliang looked at each other and laughed heartily. Wei Wulei’s eyes were full of disdain and contempt. “Miss Feng, I heard you were once of champion scholar talent, but this truly proves the saying ‘meeting is worse than hearing about someone.’ How could you think my father would allow Lian Yu to surrender? Father said long ago that he definitely wants Lian Yu dead! Once he’s dead, the army will be in chaos. Though we might not immediately defeat the Murong army, it’s just a matter of time. Sparing you would be like releasing a tiger back to the mountains. Negotiation?” She stared at her scornfully. “Negotiations require having something of weight in your hands to bargain with others.”

“I don’t know what the heir saw in you initially. Oh, but that wasn’t really ‘seeing something’ in you either.”

Suzhen was slightly stunned, uncertain about the meaning of her last words, but couldn’t spare time to ponder it. Hearing this, her face appeared especially pale as she covered her abdomen with her hand. Wei Wujun sneered coldly. “Feng Suzhen, your father nearly made my father lose his chance for rapid advancement years ago. Tonight, I’ll give you a generous gift—I want you to watch Lian Yu die with your own eyes. You truly don’t have the qualification to bargain with us!”

“All of you go in—kill them all without exception.” His eyes flashed with bloodthirsty cruelty as he waved his hand forcefully.

Instantly, thirty warriors broke into the rooms, and immediately the sounds of slashing swords and stabbing weapons came continuously from inside… Suzhen’s heart ached as she closed her eyes. After a moment, Wuliang suddenly shouted, “Several people escaped from the front hall, fleeing toward that door! Everyone come out and chase with me! Wei Wuxia kept looking in that direction—I knew there was deception and kept watching. Sure enough… Lian Yu’s injuries must be extremely severe, so they resorted to this desperate measure, trying to divert our attention!”