Chen Qing drew a sharp breath. “They are scheming against you? Does this not mean they have gotten exactly what they wanted?”
“That is why Wu Xing must go.” Gu Yanxi thought of how A’Zhi had once called it a weapon of brutality — yet in this moment, that brutal weapon was their only means of standing against the Chaoli Tribe. “Continue sending men out to track their movements. Also, assign more of our own people to fill and prepare the black powder — stockpile as much as possible. I will have great use for it in the days ahead.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Gu Yanxi looked at the isolated island marked on the map, his eyes cold as stone. This war was not of his starting — so let him bear the killing it had brought upon him.
Inside the carriage, Hua Zhi rested with her eyes closed. She had spent the entire day deliberating in the palace, and did not leave until dusk. It was the hour when people made their way home — the busiest time of day. All manner of sounds drifted into her ears, and she did not find them the least bit noisy. The warmth of ordinary life even brought a faint smile to her lips. How good it was — such peace and quiet.
Suddenly, the carriage lurched to a violent stop. She was thrown forward a short distance before bracing herself. Just as she was about to ask what had happened, the horse let out a long whinny and reared up on its hind legs, lifting the carriage with it. She was thrown backward again, and she knew at once something was wrong.
Now that the Crown Prince governed and she had become Grand Preceptor, there were almost none left who bore her ill will. The only attendants traveling with her were Yu Mu and Jia Yang, whom she knew well. Yu Mu went to manage the horse, while Jia Yang had already lifted the curtain and stepped inside. He begged her pardon and scooped her up in his arms, then leaped down from the carriage.
Out on the street, Hua Zhi’s official robes were conspicuous. Even those who did not recognize her could identify her by her attire — there was only one woman in the entire court who wore official robes, and she was easy enough to place. Having heard so much about her, people who now suddenly saw her in person stopped in their tracks, none willing to move on, each hoping to see with their own eyes whether she truly had three heads and six arms.
Hua Zhi swept a glance across the crowd and said in a low voice, “We are not staying here. Take the shortcut home.”
“Yes.”
Jia Yang took the lead, extending his arms to loosely shield Hua Zhi as they made their way through the crowd.
“Something is wrong.” Just a few steps later, Hua Zhi suddenly stopped. “What happened to the horse just now?”
Jia Yang thought it over carefully. “It became agitated without any warning.”
“Startled by something?”
“It did not seem like that.”
Hua Zhi looked back. The crowd had still not dispersed, and she sensed no malicious gazes upon her — yet something made everyone seem suspicious. “We will not take the alley. Take the main street home.”
Jia Yang had also sensed something was off and became even more vigilant.
After only a few steps, a carriage suddenly accelerated and came up fast from behind. Jia Yang was already preparing to act when the curtain lifted, revealing Shen Qi’s face. “Grand Preceptor, what is—”
Hua Zhi calmly withdrew the hand that had been reaching for her dagger and replied, “The horse was startled. Since it is not far, I thought to walk home.”
Shen Qi quietly delighted in this, stepped down from the carriage, glanced at the surroundings, and said pointedly, “Given your position, it is somewhat inconvenient for you to be out like this. If you do not mind, please take my carriage home.”
Hua Zhi considered for a moment and agreed. “Then many thanks.”
“I would not dare. Please, after you.”
With a nod, she was just about to board the carriage when the sound of something cutting through the air rang out. Jia Yang cried a warning and moved to pull her away. Hua Zhi had already reacted with remarkable speed, rolling aside to evade it. Shen Qi had been a moment slower, but the arrow had not been aimed at him, and he was unharmed.
Acting on instinct, Shen Qi placed himself in front of Hua Zhi. “What is happening?”
“Someone tampered with my horse.” Hua Zhi offered a brief explanation and said no more. She scanned their surroundings and said quietly, “The target is me. Find somewhere to take cover in a moment.”
Shen Qi’s expression darkened. “If I abandon you now, how could I ever face my teacher again?”
“You will not be of help.” Hua Zhi gave him a look and drew the dark red dagger from her specially crafted boot — she carried the weapon into the palace with the Crown Prince’s approval. “I will draw them out. Jia Yang, find a way to capture one of them alive.”
Before Jia Yang could say anything, Hua Zhi stepped out from behind the carriage where they had been sheltering, affecting the appearance of someone about to board the carriage to take cover. As she had expected, another arrow flew straight at her — and at the same moment, a second arrow was aimed at the horse. The horse screamed in pain and bolted forward in a mad frenzy. Jia Yang swept his longsword in a clean arc, severing the reins in time to keep the carriage body behind.
Hua Zhi leaned against the carriage and called sharply to Shen Qi, who was still standing in the open, “Go, now!”
Shen Qi realized with dismay that he was not only unable to help but would only hold her back. He slapped himself across the face and, biting his teeth, ran toward the silver jewelry shop nearby.
“Jia Yang, can you see them?”
Jia Yang pulled his gaze back and lay low behind the carriage body. “I can see three — but there are certainly more than three. Be careful, Elder Miss.”
Hua Zhi gave a nod. “I suspect their main ambush is not here, but somewhere along the alley I would have taken home.”
Jia Yang understood then. The horse’s frenzy, Hua Zhi dismounting at this spot, and Hua Zhi’s habit of disliking being surrounded by onlookers and taking back alleys home — all of it had been calculated by the other side in advance. Clearly, they were very familiar with Hua Zhi.
“The ones lying in wait in the alley will not hold position if I do not come.” Hua Zhi stared at the empty street and murmured, “Do not mind me — go deal with their archers first. We will not always be able to dodge their shots.”
“But you—”
“I will hide here without moving. So long as we do not face attacks from both sides, I should be able to protect myself. Yu Mu must have already sensed something is wrong.”
There was no time for Jia Yang to think further. As Hua Zhi said, without first neutralizing the archers, they were at a disadvantage. He uncoiled the long whip from his waist, said a quiet word of caution, and charged out. The whip borrowed force against force, and in an instant, he had vanished from sight.
The broad street was empty of people, so quiet that Hua Zhi could hear nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat. Under such intense pressure, her mind became strangely clear. A sudden flash of understanding came to her, and she realized all at once why the other side had first killed General Sun: the enemy was intimately familiar with the Great Qing court, and knew of the dire shortage of capable commanders. With the general dead, no ordinary person could hold the Shouya Pass — only Yanxi had the ability to do it. The enemy’s aim had been to draw him away from the capital, pin him at the Shouya Pass, and prevent him from responding to anything else.
And what of Shao Yao going to Xinyu Pass? Was that also within their calculations? If it was, the circle was a very small one — most people thought of Shao Yao as unreliable. Those who knew of her ambitions and her true capabilities numbered only a precious few with a watchful eye.
Pin down the most capable Yanxi. Draw away Shao Yao, who was skilled in the use of poison. Force the capital to drain its own garrison troops as reinforcements for every front… A chill swept through Hua Zhi. The Chaoli Tribe’s target — was the capital itself!
And now they had moved against her in person, openly and without concealment. They were about to make their move!
In that flash of lightning, Hua Zhi pieced together every thread of evidence. What she had not been able to understand before now became clear. Seeing that dusk was drawing near, she slashed the hem of her official robes with her dagger to free her legs, drew a deep breath, and ran toward the silver jewelry shop.