Su Jin and Zhu Nanxian circled around Vermillion Bird Alley, taking the road toward Zhengyang Gate.
On every even-numbered day of the month, the commanders of each city stood watch at the city gates.
In other words, as long as Su Jin and her companion could find Military Commander Tan Zhaolin at Zhengyang Gate in time and use the Southern City Military forces to hold out until early morning tomorrow, they could be rescued.
They emerged from the alley. Further ahead was Zhaohe Bridge. Below the bridge, still waters ran deep. On the bridge stood a row of people. The two at the front—one wore the uniform of a seventh-rank guard captain, while the other was a familiar face: Lu Yuwei, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
Zhu Nanxian halted his steps and helped Su Jin pull the hood lower, then drew a short dagger from his waist and handed it to her. “Take this for self-defense.”
The dagger was carved with a swimming python. Under the moonlight, the python’s face appeared particularly menacing.
Su Jin was merely a scholar without the strength to truss a chicken. Without a weapon at her side, she would likely only drag down others.
She knew this was no time for politeness. She accepted the short dagger and nodded to Zhu Nanxian. “Your Highness must also be extra careful.”
Lu Yuwei smiled, his round face with narrow eyes curving in a particularly amiable manner. “Thirteenth Prince, we’ve been waiting so long for you to return from the northwest. This opportunity cannot be missed. This subordinate must offend Your Highness.”
As he spoke, he raised his hand in a gesture. The shadow guards behind him rapidly surrounded Su Jin and her companion in a circle.
Su Jin secretly observed. These shadow guards all wore black clothing, their identities unknown. Roughly estimating, there were about twenty or thirty people. In such circumstances, even if Zhu Nanxian was skilled in martial arts, he probably couldn’t ensure both of them could retreat unscathed.
For now, the only strategy was to delay.
The guard captain drew his blade first. The sword edge left its sheath, emitting a ringing sound in the dark night.
The surrounding shadow guards heard the sound and were about to move when they suddenly heard Su Jin say in a deep voice, “Wait.”
She paused, taking advantage of the shadow guards’ momentary hesitation, then continued indifferently, “Lu Yuwei, didn’t His Highness tell you how best to move against the Thirteenth Prince?”
At these words, everyone was stunned, unable to discern for a moment which side this person covered in a dark cloak with face hidden by a hood belonged to.
Lu Yuwei only felt Su Jin’s voice was somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall where he had heard it. But hearing her meaning, she also seemed to be “His Highness’s” person?
He dared not act rashly and said guardedly, “Who are you?”
Hearing this question, Su Jin slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Xi’s elder sister was the Crown Princess, so the Shen family was most likely aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction.
Since Lu Yuwei worked under Shen Xi, he should be too busy protecting the Thirteenth Prince to lure her to the trap at the Ma estate and use the opportunity to assassinate Zhu Nanxian.
There was only one explanation—Lu Yuwei must have been turned.
Which prince had turned him, Su Jin didn’t yet know, but she knew that no master would feel at ease with a subordinate who changed sides repeatedly.
Therefore, Lu Yuwei’s current master would certainly not let him know exactly how many cards they held.
It was precisely thinking of this that Su Jin decided to pretend to be another card in the “master’s” hand, muddying the waters and planning to delay to the end.
She gave a low laugh from beneath her cloak and said again, “Lu Yuwei, you’re quite foolish. Don’t you think—for something as important as assassinating the Thirteenth Prince, how could His Highness feel at ease entrusting it to a traitor who has just been brought under his command and whose background is still unknown?”
His complexion stiffened slightly, but he quickly discovered the flaw. “That’s not right. I came along with Guard Captain You at the last minute. His Highness never assigned me the task of assassinating the Thirteenth Prince. If you were truly His Highness’s confidant, whom he would trust with this momentous gamble, how could you not know tonight’s arrangement, not know why I came along at the last minute?”
Su Jin’s heart tightened, but she smiled again. She turned her back and said indifferently, “Why did you come along? Because you’re slightly cleverer than Chamberlain Ma. You feared that like him, you would end up as a dead piece, a scapegoat for others. So you wanted to find a way out for yourself. You calculated that the Thirteenth Prince would flee south, so you waited here with Guard Captain You to block him. You wanted to perform a meritorious deed before your ‘Highness.’ Even if you used the method of interception and killing, the dirty water wouldn’t splash on you. Best if Chamberlain Ma took all the blame. Oh, if that won’t work, there’s still Minister Zeng Youliang from the Ministry of Personnel.”
These words of Su Jin’s hit exactly on Lu Yuwei’s intentions.
His entire face flushed red, as if he had been stripped naked and shamed before everyone. He said angrily, “You, you’re talking nonsense!”
Su Jin smiled again, softening her tone as if speaking earnestly, “Trying to profit from both sides won’t work, Vice Minister Lu. Even if you can preserve yourself before ‘His Highness,’ you’ve betrayed Lord Shen. Do you think Lord Shen will spare you? Will the Eastern Palace spare you? Or do you think everyone in this world except you is a fool, that no one will see you are also in this game of chess—a crucial, indispensable, inevitably doomed piece?”
Su Jin’s words struck at exactly what worried Lu Yuwei most.
Even if he could kill the Thirteenth Prince tonight and perform the greatest service for His Highness, after the deed was done, with Shen Qingyue’s capabilities, could he truly escape?
The anxiety growing from panic in his heart suddenly made him calm down, suddenly made him remember that before leaving the Ma estate, his subordinates had said the Thirteenth Prince had left with a maidservant.
But this person covered in a cloak who could see through the situation with piercing insight—where was there even half the appearance of a maidservant?
Lu Yuwei narrowed his eyes and stared at Su Jin, finally saying, “That’s not right. You definitely aren’t His Highness’s person. If you were, why wouldn’t you show your true face? Moreover, the one who left the Ma estate with Zhu Shisan just now was a maidservant. How could a mere maidservant know that I am a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice?”
At these words, the shadow guards drew their blades. The surroundings suddenly became tense with drawn swords.
However, after only a moment, Su Jin’s voice rang out again, clear and light. “Vice Minister Lu, are you curious about who I really am?” She paused, raising her hand to slowly remove her hood. “Then I’ll let you see.”
The dark hood slid down. Black hair cascaded over her shoulders. Against her pale complexion, she appeared even more refined and captivating.
Lu Yuwei stared wide-eyed at the person before him. “You’re Su Jin? You, you’re actually—”
But in that moment of his astonishment, Zhu Nanxian spun around in a flash and moved to his side. His hands like blades, he struck upward from below, sending the long blade of the shadow guard beside Lu Yuwei flying.
The blade’s gleam was like water. The blade spun in mid-air, was caught by Zhu Nanxian in one grasp, and pressing back with his hand, he directly held it against Lu Yuwei’s neck.
Zhu Nanxian raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Vice Minister Lu, has no one taught you that when two armies face each other, distraction is most taboo?”
There had been no movement outside the Ma estate for a long time.
According to the original plan, even if they couldn’t poison the Thirteenth Prince in the banquet hall, by the hour of the Ox at the latest, someone should have come to report news of Zhu Nanxian’s death.
But it was now nearly the end of the hour of the Ox, and outside the estate remained silent as death.
Zeng Youliang vaguely sensed something was wrong. Claiming he was drunk, he immediately made to take his leave.
Earlier, Zhu Nanxian had come and gone inexplicably, already dampening most of the banquet’s spirit. When the various officials, great and small, saw the Minister of Personnel preparing to leave, they all breathed a sigh of relief and rose one after another to bid farewell to Chamberlain Ma.
Chamberlain Ma escorted them to the outer courtyard. Unexpectedly, the originally half-closed estate gate was suddenly pushed open by someone.
Shen Xi, in blue robes with wide sleeves, stood leisurely outside the estate. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Oh my, so lively! Chamberlain Ma is hosting a banquet—why didn’t you invite this official?”
Chamberlain Ma’s heart turned bleak. Shen Xi was the Crown Prince’s man. Since he had come, things must have gone very badly indeed.
His face turned the color of vegetables as he bowed to Shen Xi, saying submissively, “It’s merely a small child’s full-moon celebration. How would this subordinate dare to brazenly invite Vice Minister to grace us with his presence? Naturally, if Vice Minister wishes to come, this subordinate is more than willing.” As he spoke, still kneeling, he turned in another direction and extended his hand in an inviting gesture. “Vice Minister, please come inside.”
For Zeng Youliang, Shen Xi’s arrival in the dead of night undoubtedly proclaimed that their plot had been exposed.
Eager to leave this place of trouble, he immediately cupped his hands toward Shen Xi. “Vice Minister Shen, please enjoy yourself. This old man is drunk tonight and won’t keep you company.”
As he spoke and was about to walk out, Shen Xi extended his hand to block him. “Wait.” His cold gaze swept around in a circle as he said slowly, “Since this official has come, no one should think of leaving.”
Zeng Youliang didn’t want to deal with him. He avoided the hand blocking his way and lifted his foot, not yet crossing the threshold, when he heard Shen Xi say coldly again, “Minister Zeng, is the Thirteenth Prince dead?”
Zeng Youliang’s foot that had stepped out immediately withdrew. He turned back around, looking at Shen Xi with a sinister expression. “What treasonous words is Vice Minister Shen speaking!”
Shen Xi didn’t respond to him. Instead, he looked at the various officials in the courtyard and said again, “This official asks you all—has the Thirteenth Prince been here?”
The officials looked at each other. After a moment, someone answered, “In reply to Vice Minister, he has been here.”
Shen Xi raised an eyebrow and pointed at Zeng Youliang. “Did this Minister from the Ministry of Personnel offer wine to His Highness?”
This time no one dared to speak.
Shen Xi smiled. “Then that settles it.” He turned his face, his eyes looking directly into Zeng Youliang’s. “Minister Zeng, what audacity you have to dare offer poisoned wine to the Thirteenth Prince.”
Zeng Youliang said furiously, “Shen Qingyue, stop spouting wild nonsense here! You say this old man offered poisoned wine—do you have evidence?”
Shen Xi looked at his appearance of angry embarrassment and suddenly spread both hands, smiling. “No evidence.” He added, “The Minister’s plan was thorough. Even if there were evidence, wouldn’t it have been destroyed by you long ago?”
Without waiting for Zeng Youliang to make further defense, he looked around and suddenly gave instructions to Secretary He from the Ministry of War. “He Xian, bring your ceremonial sword here!”
He Xian acknowledged and immediately presented his ceremonial sword with both hands.
Shen Xi grasped the sword hilt, drew the blade from its sheath, and threw the sword body clanging onto the ground. He said coldly, “Listen well. Today, this official, in the Crown Prince’s name, suspects all of you of harboring evil intentions and having suspicion of attempting to assassinate the Thirteenth Prince. If you want to leave, fine. If anyone has the guts, pick up this sword and draw it across this official’s neck. Otherwise, don’t blame this official for drawing it across yours.”