The cold of the spring night was piercing. Shortly after half of the Hai hour, Imperial Guard Vice Commander Zhao Yu suddenly rushed into the council tent, “Young Lord, those two tall, thin men from Northern Wei are missing—”
Yan Chi, who was sitting in the main seat listening to Bai Feng’s report, frowned, “What did you say?”
Yan Chi’s expression turned cold, his phoenix eyes shooting out sharp, icy rays. The young and promising Zhao Yu suddenly couldn’t bear it, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Those two men are gone. Earlier, they left the tent together heading toward the northern latrine. Our men saw them enter the latrine and waited a while but didn’t see them come out. When they went in to check, the latrine was empty without a trace. They must have noticed our suspicions and fled!”
The first shift of guards was Yan Chi’s men, but the second shift was Zhao Yu’s. The latrine was at the edge of the camp, right where Zhao Yu had stationed his men. Thus, the blame for losing these people fell on Zhao Yu!
Not only was this matter extremely important, but Yan Chi was also the chief investigator. Forget about the Emperor – this Young Lord alone would be unforgiving!
Yan Chi stared heavily at Zhao Yu for a moment before suddenly standing up, “Immediately gather troops. They left the camp without horses and were unfamiliar with the terrain – they couldn’t have gone far. We must bring them back at all costs!”
Yan Chi’s command carried the pressure of thunderous anger. Zhao Yu dared not be negligent and hurriedly acknowledged before going to gather men. At this late hour, the entire camp had quieted down, most tents had extinguished their lights, and the accompanying masters and officials had mostly retired. Afraid the two might escape, Zhao Yu struck the military drum heavily near it. Soon, nearly a hundred troops from the nearest military tents gathered at the square.
Zhao Yu quickly selected three hundred men, dividing them in three directions – one group upstream, one downstream, and another toward Mount Wei. Only the Wei River direction was left uncovered, as Zhao Yu didn’t think the two would take that route.
The rapid movement of troops in the camp quickly alarmed all tents to light up. People not knowing what had happened came out of their tents to look. Soon, the whinnying horses, gathering soldiers, and officials with their families coming out to watch the commotion turned the small paths outside the main tent into chaos—
Many people were confused, even the guards in front of Tuoba Hong’s tent didn’t know what was happening. Qin Wan and Tuoba Wu came out of the tent to look, only to see squad after squad of patrol soldiers heading toward the Northern Wei warriors’ camp!
Qin Wan frowned, “Xu Chang, go see what’s happening!”
Hearing this order, Xu Chang felt slightly relieved. He acknowledged and quickly chased after the patrol squad. When he reached the front of the camp, he found the Northern Wei warriors were being guarded like criminals in front of their tents. Zhao Yu was frantically questioning them one by one about Wei Chan and Xiao Yu’s whereabouts. Seeing the surrounding crowd in chaos with no one paying attention to him, Xu Chang paused but didn’t approach Zhao Yu.
Looking left and right, Xu Chang’s figure flashed as he disappeared into the dark camp paths.
While the area near the square was brightly lit, many corner paths in other areas were still submerged in darkness. Xu Chang hurried toward the pharmacy, soon arriving at the dimly lit building. Compared to the chaos at the square, this area was much quieter. The soldiers who usually guarded outside the pharmacy, perhaps drawn by the commotion, were now nowhere to be seen. Xu Chang looked around outside but saw no sign of the medicine boy in the camp. Remembering Qin Wan’s afternoon instructions, he knew the medicine boy must have started brewing medicine by now, but since it needed to simmer for half an incense stick’s time, the boy might have left for other reasons.
The medicine boy’s absence suited his purposes perfectly!
Xu Chang narrowed his eyes and vigilantly surveyed his surroundings before suddenly rushing toward the pharmacy at great speed. His face was severe and cold, his heart remaining constantly alert. Upon entering the pharmacy, he found it indeed empty without a soul in sight. Near the tent’s wall, a small stove was burning with a medicine pot boiling medicine soup on top. The soup was boiling, making gurgling sounds in the silent night!
Xu Chang’s eyes flashed fiercely. He quickly walked to the medicine pot and took something out from his chest, then swiftly threw it in. Watching the tiny pill dissolve in the medicinal soup, his heart relaxed slightly.
However, before he could fully relax, suddenly, a blinding light flared up outside the medicine tent. Simultaneously, numerous overlapping shadows appeared on the tent’s felt walls. Xu Chang’s face changed as he turned to leave. As he lifted the tent flap, his swift movement suddenly froze. Then, he slowly lowered the curtain, his expression more solemn than ever before.
Ten steps in front of him stood Yan Chi and Qin Wan, watching him. Behind them were Zhao Yu and Lin Zhang, Tuoba Rui, and Tuoba Wu, along with more Great Zhou Imperial Guards, all looking at him with grave expressions…
Xu Chang’s face remained expressionless and cold. He knew he had fallen into their trap!
“Xu Chang! It was you! It was you who harmed my elder brother!” Tuoba Wu stared at Xu Chang in disbelief, her gaze shifting from shock to fury. She stepped forward, “Why! Why did you harm my brother?! He valued and trusted you so much, yet you harmed him! No wonder! No wonder he was so severely injured – how could he have any defense against you when you struck? Xu Chang, who promoted you to Imperial Guard Instructor?! Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?!”
Xu Chang stared at Tuoba Wu expressionlessly, seemingly unmoved by her accusations and showing no sign that he considered his actions unrighteous. As Tuoba Wu grew more furious and was about to curse again, Yan Chi spoke coolly, “The grace of promotion naturally can’t compare to the grace of saving one’s life. Xu Chang, am I right?”
Xu Chang’s previously unmoved expression suddenly changed. He looked at Yan Chi in disbelief, but quickly composed himself and said coldly, “I don’t know what Young Lord is talking about.”
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, “You are the Vice Commander of this Northern Wei envoy’s guard, and in Northern Wei, you’re the Deputy Instructor of the Imperial Guard. For someone your age to reach such a position is already extremely rare. The person who promoted and recognized you was Crown Prince Tuoba, but what no one knows is that six years ago, the person who rescued you from the list of deserters about to be executed was Northern Wei’s Fourth Prince, Tuoba Qi! When you were wrongly accused in the military and about to face military law at the brink of life and death, it was the Fourth Prince who saved you.”
Seeing Xu Chang’s cold facade gradually crumble, everyone knew Yan Chi was correct.
“From then on, you served the Fourth Prince. Later, entering the Imperial Guard was also paving the way for the Fourth Prince. Unexpectedly, you gained the Crown Prince’s recognition and rose to a high position. You knew Northern Wei’s Fourth Prince’s ambitions, so when he had you follow the Northern Wei delegation here, it was to have you eliminate the Crown Prince in Great Zhou. This way, the responsibility would fall on Great Zhou, while he, being in the country, could take the opportunity to consolidate his position, because the only person who could compete with him – the Fifth Prince – had also come to Great Zhou.”
“That day on the mountain, you all separated first, but then you turned back to pursue the Crown Prince. Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, you shot and wounded him. Then, worried he would be discovered and reveal flaws in your plan, you simply placed bait on his body, intending to destroy all evidence. But you didn’t expect it to rain that day.”
As Yan Chi exposed Xu Chang’s background piece by piece, Xu Chang’s fists clenched at his sides as he sneered, “Is Young Lord trying to push all responsibility onto Northern Wei’s people? Where’s the evidence? Where is your proof?”
“The evidence is in the medicine tent behind you.” Zhao Yu angrily stepped forward. He had just learned of Yan Chi’s strategy to catch the culprit, but his earlier anxiety had been real. Now, that anxious anger was all directed at Xu Chang. Being skilled in martial arts and unafraid, he stepped forward and said, “Didn’t you come tonight to poison the medicine? Ninth Miss said the Crown Prince would wake tomorrow, and these past days you’ve known the Crown Prince was improving! So you became desperate and came to take another risk. Three days ago, you also came here to poison him but encountered General Fu, so you killed him here!”
Xu Chang’s lips curled in a cold smile as he looked at Yan Chi, and then at Qin Wan. Finally, he stopped trying to argue, but his gaze swept across Yan Chi’s group as if searching for someone. After a moment, he smiled and said, “Young Lord must think all his deductions are correct now, but is that so?”
Xu Chang’s smile was so sinister it made Tuoba Wu’s scalp tingle, but she shouted harshly, “Xu Chang, so it was Fourth Brother who ordered you to harm the Crown Prince?! You think by harming the Crown Prince here, he, Tuoba Qi, could become Northern Wei’s Crown Prince?!”
Then, pointing at Xu Chang, Tuoba Wu ordered Zhao Yu, “Arrest him! I want to take him back for Father Emperor to question personally!”
This meant taking Xu Chang back to confront Tuoba Qi. Zhao Yu acknowledged and was about to step forward with a wave of his hand. Xu Chang watched Zhao Yu vigilantly, taking a step back, then suddenly said in an eerie voice, “Those who want to take the Crown Prince’s life aren’t limited to the Fourth Prince alone. Princess, why worry about finding a crime to pin on me?!”
Tuoba Wu’s eyebrows shot up, “What nonsense are you talking about?! Are you still trying to argue at this point?!”
Xu Chang looked at Tuoba Wu, then suddenly glanced behind her. He smiled coldly, his face suddenly showing resolution. Before anyone could react, he stepped back into the tent. Zhao Yu frowned and hurriedly charged in, but as soon as he entered, his steps halted. Then came a heavy “thud” of something falling!
Yan Chi and Qin Wan quickly stepped forward, looking past the tent flap that Zhao Yu had lifted. They saw Xu Chang lying on the ground, his eyes slightly open, bleeding from seven orifices. Qin Wan hurried inside, and after a brief examination turned back to say, “It’s Zhen poison.”
She then walked to the medicine pot and inserted a silver needle from her sleeve. After a moment she said, “Also Zhen poison.”
Zhen poison was one of the world’s deadliest poisons, with no antidote for those who ingested it. Watching Xu Chang die instantly with blood flowing from seven orifices, everyone knew there was no possibility of saving him. Tuoba Wu bit her lip, “He died just like that?! He got off too easy!”
Tuoba Rui frowned, “So it was him! Then what Wei Chan and Xiao Yu told me today was true?!”
Zhao Yu raised his eyebrows, “Fifth Prince, what did they tell you?!”
Tuoba Rui glanced at Yan Chi for a moment, “They said Young Lord suspected them, and claimed they were innocent. I thought since Young Lord was investigating both cases, there was no reason to wrongly accuse two minor warriors, so I mentioned it to Young Lord at the time.” After a slight pause, Tuoba Rui continued, “Didn’t they run away? If they weren’t the culprits, why did they flee?”
Zhao Yu blinked and looked at Yan Chi again, “Whether they did it or not, them running is understandable. If they didn’t run, would they stay to suffer?”
With Yan Chi’s reputation, he would have run too!
Thinking this, Zhao Yu added, “Young Lord knew early on it wasn’t those two. Having people watch them was just to mislead the real culprit. Who knows what Xu Chang told those two, but their escape served its purpose. Tonight, seeing the chaos in the camp, he took the opportunity to come to poison the medicine. Crown Prince Tuoba’s camp was heavily guarded – the medicine was the only way to strike. Young Lord had arranged everything, just waiting for him!”
Zhao Yu had only just learned of Yan Chi’s trap, so he was particularly eager to explain it to everyone. After he finished, those who understood and those who didn’t all realized these were Yan Chi’s machinations! Tomorrow was the deadline of three days – catching the culprit tonight couldn’t have been better! All the Great Zhou commanders felt relieved.
By now it was deep into the night. The commotion naturally alarmed Yan Huai, Yan Che, and others. Hearing the culprit had been caught, Yan Huai was greatly relieved. Yan Che even led people to the medicine tent. The Zhen poison in the medicine pot was irrefutable evidence – Xu Chang’s intention to harm Tuoba Hong could not be denied!
“Xu Chang was the person Elder Brother Crown Prince valued most. In the Northern Wei Imperial Guard, there was one Head Instructor and no Deputy Instructor. Among them, Xu Chang was the youngest. In the future, Elder Brother Crown Prince intended to keep him by his side, but who knew he would…”
Tuoba Wu was furious. She looked at Yan Chi, “How did Young Lord know he was Fourth Brother’s man?”
“Princess need not know this. If Princess doesn’t believe it, you can investigate yourself and find out!”
Yan Chi spoke curtly, ordering people to collect Xu Chang’s corpse. Tuoba Wu snorted, “Xu Chang’s archery was excellent. If he was the one who struck, Elder Brother Crown Prince’s injuries make sense. We just never thought…”
Tuoba Rui spoke from the side, “What did Xu Chang mean by those last words? Was he still trying to exonerate himself?”
If Tuoba Rui hadn’t mentioned it, Tuoba Wu would have forgotten. She thought for a moment before saying, “He was saying many people wanted to harm Elder Brother Crown Prince, and he never admitted to being ordered by Fourth Brother—”
Tuoba Wu’s expression became solemn as she quickly looked at Yan Chi, “Young Lord, please temporarily seal off tonight’s events. Besides those present, the news must not leak out!”
Tuoba Wu wanted to find a way to punish Tuoba Qi back in Northern Wei. If news of Xu Chang’s exposed identity got back, Tuoba Qi would certainly be on guard. Being by the Northern Wei Emperor’s side, it would be very simple for him to deceive everyone and exonerate himself. Hearing this, Yan Chi nodded, “That won’t be difficult.”
Yan Che’s expression relaxed slightly, “Though Xu Chang is dead, we still need to find evidence to prove it.”
Yan Chi nodded, “Naturally, we’ll search his quarters immediately.”
Yan Che nodded, then turned to see Qin Wan still crouching beside Xu Chang’s body. Her expression was serious, her eyes showing a calm solemnity. Facing a corpse, her composure was so remarkable it surprised him. Thinking of how she had helped solve so many cases before, he suddenly felt as if Qin Wan was wrapped in a layer of radiance.
“The person is dead. Let me take you back first.”
As Yan Che was watching, Yan Chi walked to Qin Wan’s side. Hearing this, Qin Wan turned to look at Yan Chi and said, “I want to examine his body to see if there are any wounds from fighting with General Fu.”
Although Xu Chang had been caught red-handed trying to poison the medicine, Qin Wan wanted to find more compelling evidence to prove it.
Yan Chi’s lips curved slightly as he immediately ordered Bai Feng to take Xu Chang to an empty tent nearby. When Qin Wan saw Bai Feng coming with others, she stood up and unconsciously moved to Yan Chi’s side. This small detail caught Yan Che’s eye, making him frown slightly.
Just then, Tang Fu came to whisper in Yan Che’s ear, “Crown Prince, His Majesty wants you to go over.”
It was obviously about Xu Chang’s matter. Yan Che nodded, bid farewell to Yan Chi, and left.
Xu Chang had hidden his tracks for days, but once exposed today, his resolution was terrifying. Though he held a high position, he didn’t try to fight for his life at all, choosing to die just like that. Qin Wan carefully examined the wounds on his body and finally sighed, “There are three types of wounds on his body. The earliest wounds were from the night of the martial arts competition. The drinking soldiers beat him with clubs, and the remaining new wounds must be from killing General Fu. He has a bruise below his left ribs, probably from being struck by an elbow or fist. Additionally, there are identical strip-shaped bruises on both his left and right arms, which I guess came from being hit with the chair.”
“So this proves he indeed harmed General Fu!”
Qin Wan nodded, “Yes, exactly.” Then she looked at Yan Chi, “When did you start suspecting him?”
Yan Chi said, “When you told me about Tuoba Hong’s injuries.”
Qin Wan raised her eyebrows, “That early? But at that time, Xu Chang was still a highly trusted attendant by Tuoba Hong’s side.”
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan’s bright eyes, his lips curving slightly, “By then I had already questioned others who went up the mountain. Few people had the opportunity to get close to Tuoba Hong. When Tuoba Hong was inexplicably injured, everyone thought Liu Yun and Tuoba Rui were the most suspicious. I thought so too, but I knew Xu Chang was extremely skilled, so I had some suspicion of him then. Later, when General Fu died and wounds were found on his body the next day, although he claimed they were from fighting with subordinates, I was already eighty percent suspicious it was him. Later, he frequently visited Wei Chan and Xiao Yu’s tent, and you had someone tell me he had been to the pharmacy – then I was certain.”
Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi, still somewhat puzzled. With Tuoba Rui and Liu Yun as primary suspects, why did Yan Chi place any suspicion on Xu Chang? Though all possible suspects should be considered, this time she had initially trusted Xu Chang quite a bit, perhaps due to the good impression from the first night’s martial arts competition.
“When Tuoba Hong was harmed, my first thought was of Northern Wei’s succession struggle. When it comes to succession fights, the schemes and plots are far more numerous than what you see…”
With Yan Chi’s explanation, Qin Wan suddenly understood. This time she indeed hadn’t thought much about succession plots. But who could have imagined that although Northern Wei’s Fourth Prince wasn’t here, he had arranged for Tuoba Hong’s most trusted person to take his life?
Coming out of the tent, Yuan Qing was already waiting outside and said, “Young Lord, the Crown Prince, Princess Tuoba, and Fifth Prince are all with His Majesty. His Majesty requests your presence as well.”
Yan Chi nodded and said to Qin Wan, “It’s late, and since Xu Chang has committed suicide out of guilt, you need not keep watch tonight. Go rest.”
Qin Wan nodded, and only then did Yan Chi follow Yuan Qing away.
Qin Wan stood there for a moment before walking toward Tuoba Hong’s tent. Inside, she found Tuoba Hong’s pulse was even stronger. Relieved, she said, “Crown Prince Tuoba, we’ve caught the culprit who harmed you. If you don’t wake up soon, your body won’t be able to hold on. The Princess has been watching over you day and night – don’t let her down.”
After speaking, Qin Wan didn’t immediately turn to leave. She sat by Tuoba Hong’s bedside and began thinking about how this case had unfolded. As she thought, she looked again at the wound on Tuoba Hong’s waist. Xu Chang was dead and naturally couldn’t explain the process of harming him, so how exactly was this wound inflicted?