Chapter 107
Yuwen Jue nodded and said, “He died too conveniently. I can’t help but be suspicious.”
Lu Hanzhi also nodded. “Indeed, he died too conveniently.”
Because of him, the emperor had refused to establish an empress for over a decade. Because of him, the emperor treated every woman in the harem with kindness but no affection.
And because of him, the emperor used the harem to maintain balance in the imperial court.
Looking back now, it seemed that Young Master Ping had transformed from the emperor’s supposed ‘eternal love’ into a convenient tool.
Lu Hanzhi turned to Yuwen Jue and asked, “Second Sister-in-law, do you suspect that Young Master Ping is still alive?”
Yuwen Jue shook his head. “I don’t suspect anything—I’m merely tracing the past step by step. But the more I investigate, the more unexpected things I uncover. Initially, I just wanted to find evidence of Yin Liwu harming Yin Pingwu.”
By now, however, such evidence held little significance. Yin Liwu had already been deposed. Uncovering proof of her crimes would do nothing more than send her to her death.
At this point, whether she lived or died no longer affected the bigger picture—and she might not die anyway.
Yet, as his investigation progressed, Prince Chu’s curiosity only grew.
He knew that for the emperor’s sake, it would be best to stop digging.
But deep down, he felt that the truth was exactly what he needed to uncover.
Lu Hanzhi suddenly recalled something and asked, “Oh, Second Sister-in-law, how is Su Wan’ning doing lately? She’s been under house arrest for two months—surely, she hasn’t had the chance to cause trouble?”
Yuwen Jue replied, “Lu Haozhi sends me daily updates on her movements. Today’s report hasn’t arrived yet—probably delayed. But these past few days, she’s been quiet, staying home and embroidering sachets.”
“Embroidering sachets?” Lu Hanzhi raised an eyebrow. “She never does anything without a purpose. Those sachets…”
Although the original plot had deviated significantly, Lu Hanzhi could still trace some clues through scattered hints.
Sachets… In the original story, who were they connected to?
With a flick of the wooden plaque in his hand, he suddenly said, “I know who it is. Second Sister-in-law, assign me your most capable bodyguard. I’m going to sneak into Prince Min’s residence tonight.”
Speaking of Prince Min, one couldn’t ignore his first meeting with Su Wan’ning.
The original novel portrayed their encounter as a beautiful, romantic happenstance—like a classic tale of a talented scholar meeting a fair maiden.
Su Wan’ning had been in a hurry to treat villagers suffering from an epidemic. As she passed by Prince Min’s carriage, she accidentally dropped her sachet.
At first, Prince Min simply found her beauty captivating and wanted to strike up a conversation.
Not only did he chat with her, but he also teasingly flirted.
He had expected the young lady to blush, her cheeks turning rosy.
Instead, she remained calm and said, “Young Master, your eyes look dull—perhaps you didn’t sleep well last night? Judging from your complexion, do you often suffer from headaches at night? Additionally, I suspect your digestion is poor—likely due to long-term use of questionable remedies. Have you been experiencing a persistent heavy sensation in your lower abdomen? Allow me to prescribe you some medicine. Take it continuously for three months, and you’ll see improvement. As for your sleep issues, you think too much. You should simply act on your desires—whether you succeed or not, at least you’ll sleep better.”
After finishing, Su Wan’ning retrieved her sachet and tucked a prescription into Yuwen Mingji’s hands.
From that day on, Yuwen Mingji never forgot the sharp-tongued yet brilliant young woman.
Whenever he spoke to her, he always started with, “You little girl…”
Over time, he simply began calling her “Little Girl” affectionately.
When Lu Hanzhi first read the original story, he had thought Yuwen Mingji and Su Wan’ning made a fitting pair. After all, Yuwen Mingji was a few years older than his nephews, and when an older man doted on a young woman, it was a whole different level of indulgence.
Now, looking at the situation, this sachet was probably their token of love.
But Su Wan’ning—you’re already married to the Crown Prince. Isn’t pursuing his uncle a little inappropriate?
And embroidering a sachet for him… Was this an invitation to meet?
Yuwen Jue asked, “Hanzhi, do you have to go yourself?”
Lu Hanzhi replied, “Don’t worry, Second Sister-in-law. I won’t be caught—just lend me an expert.”
Yuwen Jue said, “Ah Min left Shadow Guard No. 1 for you. With him around, you’ll be perfectly safe.”
Shadow Guard No. 1—yet another character who had appeared in the original novel.
This Shadow Guard No. 1 was the head of the covert guards, an absolute top-tier martial artist.
In the original story, he had been described as the King of Hell’s personal Black and White Impermanence—comparable to Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu.
In other words, another grim reaper.
Lu Hanzhi clapped his hands and said, “Great, I’ll take Shadow Guard No. 1!”
Shadow Guard No. 1 was clad in black nightwear, a hood covering his head, and a black mask concealing his face.
His outfit certainly lived up to his name.
Lu Hanzhi studied him and asked, “Do I need to wear night gear?”
Shadow Guard No. 1, even more laconic than Yuwen Min, simply replied, “Up to you.”
What was arrogance?
This was arrogance.
No matter what you wear, I can guarantee your safety.
Still, Lu Hanzhi decided to wear night gear—it would make things easier in the dark.
He turned to Yuwen Jue and said, “Second Sister-in-law, I’ll leave Ah Chan with you. If he cries, just tell him I’ll be back soon.”
Yuwen Jue said, “Then you must be extremely careful, Yin Yi. The mission can fail, but Hanzhi must return.”
Yin Yi merely nodded without saying anything.
Lu Hanzhi, however, appeared completely at ease and said, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’m just going to probe for information—I won’t be in any danger.”
Yuwen Jue still felt uneasy and reminded him, “If you can’t find anything, then leave it be. It’s just unfortunate that Prince Min’s residence is too difficult to infiltrate. Yuwen Mingji is meticulous—we’ve tried many ways, but we haven’t been able to place an informant inside.”
Lu Hanzhi agreed, “That’s true. The ‘Fox with a Jade Face,’ Yuwen Mingji, didn’t earn his reputation for nothing.”
“Fox with a Jade Face?” Yuwen Jue asked curiously. “Does our little royal uncle have such a nickname?”
Lu Hanzhi stuck out his tongue and said, “Ahem… that… I just made it up on the spot.”
In reality, that was what the author of the original novel had called Yuwen Mingji. He was a master manipulator, scheming against the emperor from a young age.
He disguised himself as a harmless little white rabbit, putting his overly suspicious imperial brother at ease.
He even went as far as remaining unmarried, maintaining the persona of someone who frivolously indulged in fleeting romances.
But behind the scenes, he colluded with various Western Region states, scheming at every turn.
In the original story, the other princes suffered miserably at his hands. Even the emperor’s underage sons were either killed or exiled by him.
The Fifth Prince was close to coming of age—at only seventeen by nominal age—when Yuwen Mingji ran him through with a sword.
The two youngest princes were driven out of the Great Zhao, banished for life.
It was said that as soon as they left Great Zhao’s borders, assassins followed and slaughtered them without mercy.
In this world, people were always quick to judge others by their own standards.
As the emperor’s youngest brother, Yuwen Mingji feared that the other princes might attempt a coup.
This paranoia mirrored his imperial brother’s constant anxieties—one feared the power of maternal relatives, the other feared his own siblings. Truly, they were sons of the same father.
Lu Hanzhi led Yin Yi to Yuwen Mingji’s residence, where he suddenly noticed a shadowy figure sneaking around outside the estate, peering into the bamboo grove.
That person was also dressed in nightwear but was not particularly skilled at concealment. Lu Hanzhi easily captured him with a single grab.
With a resigned sigh, Lu Hanzhi stepped forward, covered the man’s mouth, and dragged him behind the wall.
The man trembled in fright. If Lu Hanzhi hadn’t silenced him, he would have shouted out.
However, Lu Hanzhi had underestimated his strength. The man suddenly kicked him hard, and just as Lu Hanzhi was about to retaliate, a voice filled with confusion came from the darkness: “T-Third Brother?”
It was none other than Lu Haozhi, who had been following Su Wan’ning. He had refrained from getting too close out of fear of alerting her.
Lu Hanzhi, clutching his foot, plopped onto the ground and rubbed his ankle, saying, “Not bad, kid. You’ve got some strength.”
Lu Haozhi glanced toward the grove, then turned apologetically to Lu Hanzhi and said, “Sorry… But Third Brother, why are you here? Didn’t you tell me to keep an eye on her? Two days ago, I saw her embroidering a sachet, and today I watched as her personal maid delivered it to Prince Min’s residence. I followed them all the way here to see what she was up to. But since Prince Min is skilled in martial arts, I didn’t dare get too close—I was afraid they’d notice me.”
Lu Hanzhi raised his hand, about to smack Lu Haozhi. Seeing him instinctively flinch backward, he withdrew his hand.
He scolded, “So you do know that Prince Min is highly skilled? Have you thought about what would happen if he caught you following him? Prince Min and the Crown Prince are political enemies. If he discovers you tracking him, what do you think he’ll do to you? And considering Su Wan’ning’s ambiguous relationship with him, he would go to great lengths to keep this a secret—do you know what that means for you?”
Lu Haozhi froze for a moment. Then, in the darkness, his voice came out hoarse: “Third Brother… are you worried about me?”
Hearing that, Lu Hanzhi felt a twinge of pity for him.
At just eighteen or nineteen years old, how wicked could he truly be?
He had merely been used by Su Wan’ning, and he had already paid the price—losing a child in the process.
Lu Hanzhi thought for a moment and sighed. Forget it. He was just another unfortunate soul.
He stepped forward, hugged Lu Haozhi, and patted his back. “I told you before—your life is the priority. Watching her is secondary. Next time, if something like this happens again, send one of your trusted men to Prince An’s residence and inform me first.”
Lu Haozhi looked a bit embarrassed and admitted, “The servants in the estate treat me with respect, but none of them genuinely care about me. In the Lu family, I’m just a concubine’s son. My mother… she never gave me any servants as part of her dowry.”
Lu Hanzhi sighed and said, “In a few days, I’ll have the Lu family send you a few capable servants. And remember—managing subordinates requires money.”
With that, he reached into his robe, pulled out a stack of silver notes, and stuffed them into Lu Haozhi’s hands. “Don’t save money for me. If you run out, there’s more.”
After patting Lu Haozhi’s shoulder, he was about to lead Yin Yi into the bamboo grove when he suddenly heard quiet sobbing behind him.
Under the moonlight, Lu Haozhi’s tears streamed down his face. Sniffling, he murmured, “Third Brother… I’m sorry. I… I miss home.”
No matter what, the Lu family was still his home. He hadn’t returned in half a year.
Even though Aunt Du was officially dead, Lu Siwei was still the father who had cared for him since childhood.
He had made mistakes, but hadn’t he suffered enough as punishment?
The fact that he was willing to go this far to make amends—trailing Su Wan’ning—proved his regret.
Lu Hanzhi felt a pang of sympathy. Just as he was about to speak, a suppressed yet unmistakable sound of a man and woman coupling drifted from the bamboo grove.
Amidst the indistinct noises, a rough male voice groaned, “Wan’er… Wan’er… My Wan’er… You’re finally mine…”
The noises that followed became increasingly obscene.
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