While the coroner was examining the bodies in one corner, Magistrate He Sui hurriedly arrived at the courthouse after receiving the news. Upon seeing He Yan, he rushed over and grabbed her, examining her up and down: “Yan Yan, are you alright? Are you hurt? Why are your clothes torn? Did they hurt you?”

He Yunsheng stood to the side and coldly said, “The ones who tried to hurt her are all dead, Father. What are you worrying about?”

Seeing He Yunsheng’s indifferent attitude, He Sui slapped him on the back and scolded, “If nothing was wrong, why did you have your sister come pick you up? Don’t you know she’s a young lady? What if something had happened to her? Is this how you protect your sister?”

The yamen runners standing nearby: “…”

He Yan said, “Father, I’m fine. Those people weren’t targeting Yunsheng, they were after me. Besides, I can protect myself. However, Yunsheng needs to be more careful when going to and from school these days. It’s better if I escort him.”

He Yunsheng snorted, “Worry about yourself first.”

Though he was somewhat annoyed at He Sui’s obvious favoritism, he didn’t truly take it to heart.

At this moment, someone else entered from outside – it was Xiao Jue. He had rushed back directly from outside, appearing travel-worn, bringing in the early winter chill as he entered.

Xiao Jue walked in and asked He Yan, “What happened?”

He Yan shrugged, “I was picking up Yunsheng from school, and we encountered assassins on our way home. However, these assassins seemed to be death squads – I didn’t kill them, they all committed suicide by poison. The coroner is examining the bodies now, and I don’t know the specific situation.”

“Death squads?” Xiao Jue frowned, initially thinking this might be Xu Jingfu’s doing. But Xu Jingfu’s people wouldn’t be so foolish – if He Yan died, the marriage arrangement would be void, and Xiao Jue could find another noble lady with a good family background. In that case, all their plans would fall apart. Even for his interests, Xu Jingfu wouldn’t try to kill He Yan at this juncture. The same went for Xu Jingfu’s faction.

So were these He Yan’s enemies?

The yamen runner wiped the sweat from his forehead – dealing with the Peaceful Duke was difficult enough, and now General Feng Yun had personally come to inquire about this matter. If they couldn’t investigate this thoroughly, everyone might lose their jobs.

“Are you hurt?” Xiao Jue asked again.

He Yan spread her arms and turned in a circle to show him she was unharmed. “Don’t worry, I’m still the number one warrior of Liangzhou. These few people weren’t enough to defeat me.”

Seeing her lively demeanor, Xiao Jue finally relaxed somewhat. When Flying Slave brought him the news, he had been meeting with Lin Shuanghe to see the two brothers who had been at death’s door that day. Upon receiving the news, he immediately rushed over without delay. Shuojing was different from Liangzhou – if in Liangzhou what could kill a person was the harsh climate, difficult environment, and the fierce and tyrannical Wuto people, in Shuojing, there were countless ways for schemes to manifest that could kill a person. He didn’t want He Yan to become entangled in unrelated disputes because of his connections.

However, this assassination attempt came at a particularly auspicious time. To make a move so soon after Emperor Wenxuan’s marriage decree seemed extremely hasty – this wasn’t Xu Jingfu’s style at all.

The coroner came over while wiping his hands, first bowing to He Yan and Xiao Jue before saying, “There are seven deceased in total. They had wax pills hidden in their mouths containing potent poison – death was immediate upon ingestion. These people had no fatal external wounds but died by suicide through poison.”

The suicide by poison proved their deaths weren’t caused by He Yan’s hand, and also proved these people came prepared – they were indeed death squads.

“Who were these people?” He Yunsheng couldn’t help asking. “Why would they want my sister’s life?”

Another yamen runner stepped forward and said, “We searched the bodies of all the assassins and found a banknote on one of them.” He presented the note to Xiao Jue. “It’s from the Jinyu Money House.”

The banknote was very clean, almost new, having been well preserved.

“We plan to take this note to the Jinyu Money House,” the runner said.

By checking the money house’s account books from recent days and investigating one by one, they should be able to determine who had exchanged this note, leading to how it ended up with the assassin.

However… He Yan slightly furrowed her brow – this seemed too convenient. Given that these death squads had prepared their wax pills so well, showing they held no regard for their own lives, why would they carefully keep a banknote in their possession? It was almost as if… as if it was deliberately left for them to find.

He Sui clasped his hands and bowed, “Thank you for your trouble, officials.”

The yamen runners repeatedly said it was nothing – the father-in-law of General Feng Yun and father of the Peaceful Duke, they dared not be negligent now.

He Yan looked up and saw Xiao Jue still frowning, seemingly in a very bad mood. She tugged at his sleeve and said softly, “Commander, I think we should go back and wait for news. Let’s leave the investigation to the officials. We both need to be careful these days.”

Since they could target her, it meant Xiao Jue’s surroundings might also be fraught with danger at this moment.

Xiao Jue looked down at her, thought for a moment, and said, “Since they’re targeting you, stay at home these next few days and don’t go out.”

“That won’t do,” He Yan firmly refused. “Yunsheng needs to attend school, and I’m worried about him going alone. And there’s my father – I’m afraid those assassins might target them. Neither of them has martial arts skills like mine; they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves if they encountered those assassins.”

“Don’t worry,” Xiao Jue said. “I’ll have people secretly follow and protect them.” After a pause, he continued, “For the Xiao family as well – I’ll have Chi Wu accompany you.”

He Yan shook her head vigorously, “No need, no need. Chi Wu isn’t as skilled a fighter as I am; he wouldn’t be much help. I’m enough on my own. Besides, in broad daylight, those people wouldn’t dare be too reckless. Having failed this time, they probably won’t act rashly for now.”

She still needed to investigate the Xu family and find Madam Qin’s whereabouts. Having Chi Wu following her would be quite inconvenient, essentially placing a spy by her side who would immediately report everything to Xiao Jue. If Xiao Jue learned of her strange private activities, He Yan wouldn’t even know how to explain.

But this time Xiao Jue was unusually firm: “No, you can’t be alone. If you won’t let him follow you, then move into the Xiao residence.”

He Yan: “…Didn’t you say you wanted to protect my reputation?”

Xiao Jue said coldly, “Compared to reputation, I’m more concerned about your safety.”

He Yunsheng: “…” For some reason, he felt that his and He Sui’s presence here seemed quite superfluous.

He Yan pondered for a moment, weighing the two options, and finally said, “Alright, let Chi Wu follow me then.” If she stayed at the Xiao residence, she probably wouldn’t be able to leave at all. At the He residence, although Chi Wu would be there, she could always slip out secretly and lose him when needed. It would take some effort, but it wasn’t impossible.

Only then did Xiao Jue relent.

Since it was getting late and today’s events were sudden, after making arrangements with the yamen, Xiao Jue escorted them back to the He residence, leaving Chi Wu and several guards behind before departing himself.

After Xiao Jue left, He Yan washed up and returned to her room. Qingmei had cooked porridge, but today no one had the appetite to eat, so they retired early. With Chi Wu and several guards keeping watch at the residence, He Yan wasn’t too worried, but after lying down on her bed, she stared at the canopy, her mind filled with thoughts.

After those assassins swallowed poison and died, knowing they were death squads, He Yan had already developed suspicions about who might be behind this. The mastermind was likely either He Rufei or Xu Zhiheng. Her appearance at the celebration banquet must have terrified Xu Zhiheng and raised He Rufei’s suspicions. Perhaps to test her background, or perhaps deciding to make a clean break and eliminate her directly, He Yan couldn’t think of any other enemies besides these two.

However, she hadn’t expected them to be so bold as to make a move in broad daylight. Were they so confident that she didn’t know the whole story, that they dared act so brazenly?

But how could He Rufei and Xu Zhiheng know that she was He Yan, aware of all the truth? This move instead allowed her to understand their situation – perhaps He Rufei and the others weren’t as calm as they appeared on the surface. Or perhaps they hadn’t completely covered their tracks, which was why they were so desperate to silence her.

He Yan turned over and slowly closed her eyes.

He Rufei was ruthless, Xu Zhiheng was cowardly – these two probably didn’t get along very well, each harboring their private interests while holding leverage over the other. If they could quietly eliminate each other, it would probably be a welcome development for both of them. Relationships bound by mutual interest were inherently fragile and unreliable.

Whether playing the role of the snipe or the clam made no difference – what mattered was that the fisherman could benefit from their mutual struggle.

…

Whether due to her status as the Peaceful Duke or her connection to Xiao Jue, the yamen moved very quickly. After just two days, they notified He Yan to come to the yamen, saying they had found the mastermind behind the assassins.

Since both He Sui and He Yunsheng were away from the residence at this time, He Yan went out alone, with Chi Wu following closely. When they arrived at the yamen, they happened to meet Xiao Jue just dismounting from his carriage and walking in.

“Commander, why are you here?” He Yan asked in surprise. “Did they notify you as well?”

Xiao Jue nodded.

He Yan couldn’t say anything more, only thinking to herself that the yamen officials were being sycophants – she was the victim, yet they had gone over her head to inform Xiao Jue.

After they entered, Magistrate Liu came forward to invite them both to sit in the hall, ordering his subordinates to serve tea.

“Magistrate Liu,” He Yan got straight to the point, “have you found the mastermind?”

“The runners went to the Jinyu Money House and checked their account books. They discovered that the banknote was exchanged by the Fan family five days ago.” Magistrate Liu looked at He Yan, and hesitated for a moment, seeming extremely conflicted, before finally having to ask, “The Fan family of the capital – does Young Lady He remember them?”

After saying this, he quickly glanced at He Yan. If it weren’t necessary, he didn’t want to take this case. It looked thorny from every angle, and one small mistake in failing to satisfy these two people could mean the end of his career. Especially now, having discovered the mastermind, he felt even more headache-inducing.

Magistrate Liu was worried about bringing up the Fan family’s unclear past relationship with He Yan in front of Xiao Jue – what if it upset him and he took out his anger on the magistrate?

“The Fan family?” He Yan responded frankly, without any hesitation, “Fan Cheng?”

Magistrate Liu secretly sighed in admiration of this heroic woman – no wonder she could subdue the cold-blooded jade-faced Commander. She had asked so directly. He smiled and said, “Indeed.”

“You’re saying the assassins were sent by the Fan family?” He Yan asked. “Why would they do this?”

“Err…” Magistrate Liu said, “After discovering the banknote was exchanged by the Fan family, we went to their residence. We found poison identical to that in the assassins’ wax pills in Madam Fan’s room. Her maid revealed the truth, saying that… about a year and a half ago, Madam Fan’s only son Fan Cheng was killed on a boat on the Chunlai River. The assassins were never found, and Young Lady He was also on the boat and disappeared. Everyone thought Young Lady He had been killed by the perpetrator. Now that Young Lady He has returned to the capital unharmed, Madam Fan believes that Young Lady He was the murderer who killed Fan Cheng. Harboring hatred, she secretly hired assassins to try to take Young Lady He’s life.”

“What does the culprit say?” Xiao Jue asked.

“Madam Fan refuses to admit hiring assassins. She’s currently detained and we’re continuing the interrogation. However, in this official’s opinion, with both material and witness evidence present, there shouldn’t be any other possibilities.”

“Where is that maid now?”

Magistrate Liu sighed, “After the maid revealed the truth, Madam Fan got into an argument with her. Before our people could separate them, the maid took a knife and stabbed herself in the heart, taking her own life. We don’t know if she feared revenge from the Fan family or simply committed suicide out of guilt.”

“So now there’s no one else who can prove Madam Fan’s innocence?” He Yan asked.

Magistrate Liu looked at He Yan, “Young Lady He, this official knows you are kindhearted and don’t want to wrongly accuse others. However, this case is already quite clear. To avoid arresting the wrong person, the yamen runners investigated many things. For instance, during the time you were in the military, the Fan family constantly made things difficult for your father and brother. The reason your father lost his position as Captain was because the Fan family interfered. The Fan family had long blamed you for Fan Cheng’s matter. Now that you’ve returned safely, they didn’t dare take revenge openly, so they acted in secret. You have no enemies in Shuojing city – besides the Fan family, there’s no reason for anyone to seek revenge against you.”

He deliberately avoided mentioning the possibility that He Yan was targeted because of her connection to Xiao Jue – after all, as a minor official, he truly dared not get involved in the struggle between Commander Xiao and Minister Xu.

He Yan looked at Xiao Jue, who said, “I want to see someone.”

Magistrate Liu was startled, “Commander Xiao…”

“Fan Cheng’s mother.”

This request, Magistrate Liu could fulfill. When He Yan and Xiao Jue arrived at the prison, they saw Madam Fan curled up in a ball in the innermost cell. Whenever anyone approached, she would tremble uncontrollably, muttering something incomprehensible.

He Yan frowned at the sight and asked, “Did you torture her?”

“No, no!” Magistrate Liu was startled and waved his hands repeatedly. “We haven’t even begun questioning her; we only arrested her yesterday afternoon. Though it is strange – she was fine when she came in yesterday, extremely arrogant and refusing to admit any connection to the assassins. When the jailer checked this morning, she was already acting strangely. However,” Magistrate Liu dismissed it, “we see this often here. Once they know there’s evidence and they can’t escape, they start pretending to be crazy, thinking they can avoid punishment.”

He Yan crouched down and called out, “Madam Fan, Madam Fan?”

The woman in the cell trembled and glanced at her, her messy hair covering her face. Only one eye was visible, filled with terror.

He Yan had met Fan Cheng before, but this was her first time seeing Madam Fan. She had heard from Qingmei that Madam Fan had a bad temper. After Tang Ying and Fan Cheng’s engagement was set, she ordered Fan Cheng to cut off contact with Young Lady He. When Young Lady He came to their door, she had the servants stand at the gate and publicly humiliate her, making He Yan so ashamed she fell seriously ill afterward.

However, seeing this woman now, He Yan felt there were still suspicious points about this case. Even if a shrewish mother who doted on her son wanted revenge, given Madam Fan’s usual temperament, she would never act secretively from the shadows. Besides, as a woman, how could she have connections to death squads? Even if she had hired assassins, how could she be stupid enough to keep the poison in her room rather than destroy it quickly? Why would her maid betray her master, if she feared being implicated, why not simply stay silent rather than commit suicide? Now there were no witnesses left, and Madam Fan was acting deranged… He Yan looked at the woman in the cell – was she pretending to be crazy?

Seeing He Yan’s actions, Magistrate Liu broke out in a cold sweat. This Peaceful Duke was uninhibited, daring to show such concern for her former lover’s mother right in front of her fiancé. She could be so magnanimous even toward someone who tried to kill her. However… from Fan Cheng to Xiao Jue, Young Lady He’s taste in men had certainly improved dramatically.

He Yan stood up, “Let’s talk outside.”

They walked out of the prison.

“Young Lady He, Commander Xiao, about this case…”

“She’s not the culprit,” Xiao Jue interrupted before Magistrate Liu could finish.

Magistrate Liu was stunned, “But… all the evidence is complete.”

“The so-called evidence is what the real culprit wanted you to see. If you judge the case this way, you’re playing right into their hands,” Xiao Jue said.

Magistrate Liu was deeply troubled – he just wanted to be a peaceful official and wrap up this case quickly. Finally having both material and witness evidence to close the case quickly, Xiao Jue dismissed it with one sentence, making it endless.

But he dared not voice his complaints in front of Xiao Jue. After thinking, he asked, “But if it wasn’t Madam Fan, who else could it be? The trail ends here – the only thing that could identify the assassins was that bank note.”

“Start with the Fan family,” Xiao Jue said coolly. “Investigate who the deceased maid had contact with before this. Who had entered Fan Cheng’s mother’s room? Also,” he paused, “starting tonight, double the guards here. I think someone will try to silence her soon.”

He Yan listened with trepidation – Xiao Jue’s analysis matched what she had been thinking.

Though Magistrate Liu found it troublesome, at least Xiao Jue had pointed him in a direction. After repeatedly assuring them, he went to instruct the yamen runners. He Yan and Xiao Jue walked out side by side, both silent for a moment.

If before He Yan had only suspected He Rufei and Xu Zhiheng were behind this, now she was almost certain. The charges against the Fan family were too obvious – He Rufei and the others probably thought that given He Yan’s past friction with the Fan family, she would go along with charging Madam Fan without investigating deeply. But now because of Xiao Jue’s words, Magistrate Liu was continuing to investigate the case. To avoid complications, He Rufei and his people would risk trying to silence Madam Fan. Although this would make the plot even more full of holes, it was… also their best option.

“What do you think?” Xiao Jue suddenly asked.

He Yan came back to herself and said, “I think… Commander, what you said earlier was right. Something feels off about this case.”

Seeing Xiao Jue’s downcast eyes and silence, she had a thought and deliberately teased, “Commander, are you angry about the Fan family matter?”

The one who had been involved with Fan Cheng was the real Young Lady He, not her. She had forgotten about this earlier, but now thinking about it, was Xiao Jue’s unusual silence due to displeasure over this? That would make sense – for a fiancée to have had entanglements with others would be unacceptable even in ordinary families.

“Flying Slave should have investigated what happened on the Chunlai River for you. If I had done anything, I wouldn’t have acted that way,” He Yan said softly.

Xiao Jue stopped walking and looked at her. The young woman’s eyes were bright and lively, like a child who had done something wrong – somewhat embarrassed, somewhat ingratiating, wearing a slight smile. She showed no sign of having experienced a heart-stopping assassination attempt just days ago.

In the past, he might have followed He Yan’s words with some casual teasing, but today was different.

“He Yan,” he called her name, “are you hiding something from me?”

He Yan paused, her smile unchanged as she looked up at him, “No. Why would you say that, Commander?”

The young man stood there, looking down at her with lowered eyes. Though his tone was gentle, his gaze was sharp as a knife. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Do you not know where those assassins came from?”

For a moment, He Yan felt as if he had seen through everything and knew it all. But shortly after, she said in confusion, “Commander, what do you mean? If I knew where the assassins came from, I would tell Magistrate Liu directly so he could arrest them – why would I waste time here?”

He Yan’s expression was relaxed, but her heart was racing, not knowing if Xiao Jue had noticed something amiss.

She couldn’t tell these things to Xiao Jue. She didn’t know how to explain these strange, crazy, conspiracy-filled, tragic, and disgusting actions. She had no way to tell Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue stared at her steadily for a while, then said lightly, “Never mind.”