Xiao Changgeng put aside his dismissiveness. If Yu Wulang was merely someone who caused more harm than good, it wouldn’t warrant Xiao Juesong coming to rescue him. However, if it was to appease people’s hearts and establish authority, making more of his planted people follow faithfully, then it would be worth it. “Eighth Brother’s concerns are quite reasonable.

But Yu Wulang will be executed tomorrow, and we can’t reach that far at this moment. Besides, since you and I could think of this, surely Fifth Brother and the Crown Princess would have thought of it too, and must have made preparations…” After speaking, Xiao Changgeng paused, contemplating for a moment before saying, “Eighth Brother, perhaps this is information deliberately leaked by the Crown Princess.”

“Oh? What makes you think so?” Xiao Changyan asked.

“The Crown Princess might have anticipated, like us, that Imperial Uncle would likely attempt a prison break, and deliberately revealed this. If Imperial Uncle learns of this, he might abandon the idea of the prison break. This way, they can easily bring Yu Wulang to justice while avoiding public panic.”

Xiao Changyan quietly observed Xiao Changgeng for a moment. When Xiao Changgeng lifted his head, he concealed his expression and showed a look of sudden understanding. “I see. I understand now. Since the Crown Princess has everything under control, I was indeed overthinking. Let’s rest well, we have many things to attend to tomorrow.”

Patting Xiao Changgeng’s shoulder, Xiao Changyan placed his hands behind his back and strode away.

Xiao Changgeng saw him to the door, standing under the eaves, watching Xiao Changyan leave. The cold wind swayed the lanterns under the eaves, making the lamplight flicker, casting Xiao Changgeng’s baby face in an alternating glow that seemed to frost it over with a chilly appearance.

Xiao Changyan didn’t know Shen Xihe well, which was why he went to probe Xiao Changgeng. So Shen Xihe had this intention – she truly believed Yu Wulang was in league with Xiao Juesong, appearing to protect him while condemning him to death?

Why would Shen Xihe do this? If she truly had grievances against Yu Gong, she should take action at this opportunity.

He deliberately chose Yu Wulang instead of Yu Gong just to observe Shen Xihe’s reaction, to see if she would act impatiently. However, Shen Xihe’s reaction was completely outside his expectations. Had he underestimated Shen Xihe or were his suspicions wrong – was this matter unrelated to Shen Xihe?

Both Xiao Changgeng and Shen Xihe believed Yu Wulang was Xiao Juesong’s man, which was why they thought Xiao Juesong would truly attempt a prison break.

Could it be that he hadn’t wronged Yu Wulang, that Yu Wulang was actually Xiao Juesong’s man, and therefore Xiao Juesong would truly attempt a prison break?

“Your Highness, perhaps we should send people to watch the execution ground and act according to circumstances,” the advisor suggested, seeing Xiao Changyan’s indecision. “Whether people come or not, we should keep watch, but must not act rashly, to avoid falling into any trap.”

Xiao Changyan considered and agreed, grinding ink to write a letter to send back.

Almost simultaneously, messages from both Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changgeng were sent out, but Xiao Changgeng’s falcon messenger was faster than Xiao Changyan’s carrier pigeon. Xiao Huayong received the news early in the morning upon waking, though it had actually arrived an hour earlier – Tian Yuan just hadn’t dared to wake him.

“Little Eight will have people ambushing at the execution ground today.” Everything was proceeding according to their plan step by step.

The goal was to make Xiao Changyan send people, then let them witness Xiao Juesong’s people attempting the prison break, and then track Xiao Juesong to discover his whereabouts…

“Your enemy is your elusive ‘Imperial Uncle,’ he won’t send ordinary people – it’s likely he’ll send his shadow guards,” Shen Xihe rose to dress. “Even if we catch them, we can’t prove they’re his people.”

Xiao Changyan was cunning. His purpose in targeting the Yu household was to deflect his actions against Xiao Changgeng onto them, but he used an unrelated method to first condemn Yu Wulang to death, and then expose Yu Wulang’s actions against Xiao Changgeng. This way, with Yu Wulang dead, there would be no testimony and fewer chances of exposing himself.

It would also prevent Yu Gong from suspecting that he had set the trap for Yu Wulang.

“No matter, if he wants to play mind games, I’ll play along with him.” Xiao Huayong reached out to pull a strand of Shen Xihe’s hair from her wrapped clothing, then kissed her forehead. “Wait for your husband to stand up for you.”

After taking advantage, Xiao Huayong went to wash up in high spirits.

Shen Xihe took a face cloth to wipe her forehead – this man hadn’t even washed up before kissing her! He was becoming increasingly uncouth.

Yet even as her hands made gestures of disgust, her heart felt no rejection or annoyance.

Xiao Huayong changed his appearance in front of Shen Xihe, taking half an hour to become a different person. Though this wasn’t Shen Xihe’s first time seeing it, she still marveled. He arranged for a body double to pretend to be ill in his room, and after Shen Xihe and Xiao Changqin went to the county office, he left the mansion without alerting anyone.

For Yu Wulang’s execution, Shen Xihe didn’t cruelly assign Yu Gong to oversee it but gave the task to the county magistrate. However, Yu Gong still found a position in a restaurant outside the execution ground, watching every movement intently.

A light rain had been falling continuously, but many commoners still came to watch the execution despite the rain. Their faces showed hatred, knowing that if Yu Wulang had succeeded, they might not be standing there alive.

Just as the time arrived, before the county magistrate could throw down his command tablet, frenzied horses came galloping in. The crowd fearfully made way, and when the mad horses reached the execution ground, everyone saw a black-clad figure who had been clinging to the horse’s belly fly out, slashing his sword at the executioner.

Fortunately, the executioner was strong and armed with a steel blade, avoiding disaster. Then, among the crowd, some people suddenly covered their faces with masks and leaped toward the execution ground.

Yu Gong watched this scene from afar, his face turning pale with fear. Such a display made even him, the father, suspect whether his son truly was a traitor’s pawn.

His mind buzzed with only one thought: “It’s over, it’s over…”

Now their Yu household couldn’t clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River. Without hesitation, he directed his men to stop these people from rescuing his son!

As long as his son wasn’t rescued, there might still be room for maneuver. Once rescued, they would have no way to defend themselves.

The people Xiao Changyan sent remained cold observers. Whether this was a trap or not, as long as they didn’t get involved, it couldn’t be traced back to them.

The people Xiao Huayong sent were indeed Xiao Juesong’s former men. These people had been entrusted to him by Xiao Juesong before his death, and Xiao Huayong had accepted them without hesitation, finding them very useful.

Especially since these people bore Xiao Juesong’s secret markings, which had already been shown to Emperor Youning at the traveling palace.