Wang Cangfeng smiled. Since he couldn’t die, then he wouldn’t. He wanted to see if this pseudo-righteous Regent truly had a broad mind, enough to tolerate an assassin who had plotted against him and nearly succeeded, and even let him go freely, truly allowing this assassin to go to the battlefield to kill enemies and make contributions.
Wang Cangfeng forcefully threw his spear to the ground and looked at Yuwen Chu with disdain, saying, “The Regent is indeed magnanimous. Wang Cangfeng will wait and see!” But you’ll have to survive first for that chance to happen; otherwise, it’s all just empty talk.
Yuwen Xin, with his spirits calmed, rushed over and kicked Wang Cangfeng fiercely. “Beat this treacherous and cunning scoundrel severely, take him away and detain him! Torture him to extract information about his accomplices!”
Wang Cangfeng naturally suffered greatly. He didn’t beg for mercy; he calmly looked at Yuwen Chu and General Min Hongwen, who stood still in the distance, observing quietly. General Min Hongwen, who had been embarrassed by the sudden attack earlier, had long lost his helmet and looked worse for wear, with half of his gray beard burned and half of his face covered in blood and mud.
No one knew that Min Hongwen was the main planner and executor of this incident. He arranged everything and quietly prepared to accompany Yuwen Chu to death. Now, he stood here, waiting for the right opportunity to deal a fatal blow to Yuwen Chu.
Usually, people are more likely to trust those who have just experienced life and death together. Yuwen Chu seemed no different from ordinary people. He began to console the generals who had just escaped with him from the command platform, including the disheveled Min Hongwen.
Min Hongwen, the oldest and most severely injured, still held high prestige, so he naturally received more care from Yuwen Chu. After comforting General Min, Yuwen Chu turned to Ye Xiu, who had hurried over.
Now is the time, Wang Cangfeng thought. He wagered with himself that if Yuwen Chu could successfully escape this third assassination attempt, he would wholeheartedly go to the battlefield to kill Xiongnu warriors and drive the traitors and Xiongnu out of Great Xia!
Min Hongwen made his move.
This seemed to be the last chance for the Great Empress Dowager and the orthodox faction. Otherwise, what else could they do? Min Hongwen shouted loudly to Yuwen Chu, “Your Highness! There’s something I need to tell you!” With one hand grabbing Yuwen Chu’s arm, and the other using all his strength to stab Yuwen Chu with a poisoned knife.
The knife was specially made, coated with potent poison. It could cut through hair upon contact, seal off blood flow upon drawing blood, and aimed to make Yuwen Chu’s injuries worse if the initial strike wasn’t fatal.
Ye Xiu’s reaction was swift, and Yuwen Chu’s was also quick. But the tip of the knife still pierced through the light armor, cutting through the flesh. Based on his experience, Min Hongwen knew that Yuwen Chu had been hit, and he wouldn’t be able to advance further. He was forcefully pushed to the ground and still smiled up at Yuwen Chu.
“We’ll meet soon, Your Highness,” Min Hongwen prepared to bite the poison pill hidden in his mouth, reporting to the King of H*ll first and waiting for Yuwen Chu. However, Ye Xiu, with bloodshot eyes, knocked him unconscious first, and retrieved the poison pill from his mouth.
Yuwen Chu reached for his waist and saw blood. He subtly signaled the nearby people not to make a fuss. Calmly, he said, “Eliminate the traitor, and take a break on the spot. Continue the drill later.”
Yuwen Xin, with his eyes red, shouted the order loudly, and Yuwen Chu calmly walked a few circles, accepting everyone’s consolation and showing his face enough to soothe people’s hearts before leisurely retreating to his tent to rest.
Jiang Zhouzi hadn’t returned from his medical consultation yet. Yuwen Xin, dissatisfied with the slow movements of the military doctor, temporarily acted as a doctor and stripped Yuwen Chu of his armor and underclothes. Yuwen Chu chuckled, “It’s just a minor injury; there’s no need to be so nervous.”
Indeed, it was just a minor injury. A stitch and a bandage would suffice. Yuwen Xin breathed a sigh of relief, then asked with a murderous aura, “Have all of Min Hongwen’s accomplices been captured?”
Ye Xiu quickly entered from outside, his face grim, requesting Yuwen Chu to lie down and not move erratically, waiting quietly for Jiang Zhouzi to return. Because according to the latest information he received, the knife Min Hongwen used in the assassination attempt was specially made. The more Yuwen Chu moved, the more the poison would spread, and the less chance he had of survival.
Yuwen Chu didn’t dare to disobey. He instructed Ye Xiu, “Why would Wangfei send you to report to me? Slowly tell me what happened.” In that moment, he suddenly felt a bit afraid, but he couldn’t show it. Even if he was about to die the next moment, he had to maintain an appearance of composure and fearlessness. And Mingzhu and the two children were the ones who gave him the strength to maintain this calmness.
Ye Xiu’s eyes reddened, and he struggled to steady his mind, vividly recounting how Mingzhu instructed Donghui at the time, and even added many words like “Wangfei misses Your Highness very much” “Wangfei treats the bouquet from Your Highness as a treasure and won’t let anyone touch it” “Wangfei hopes Your Highness will return soon” and so on.
Yuwen Chu found it both amusing and annoying. He carefully felt his body’s feedback, “I feel fine, there’s no discomfort at all. Are you sure that knife has other issues?”
Ye Xiu reminded him softly, “Didn’t Min Hongwen say something to you at the end? ‘We’ll meet soon, Your Highness.'”
Yuwen Chu fell silent, beginning to prepare for the worst, then he felt that the most sorry person was Mingzhu. He loved her, cherished her, and married her despite everything, but she had never had a few peaceful days following him. It seemed like she had enjoyed wealth and honor, but she had also experienced danger and pain. And at this moment, she was still guarding the Great Empress Dowager, preparing to negotiate in the worst-case scenario.
Yuwen Xin stomped his foot. “Why hasn’t Jiang Zhouzi come back yet?” He ran out to check and then went to interrogate Min Hongwen’s confidants and followers, trying to gather some relevant information, such as the nature of the poison on the sharp knife. However, Min Hongwen’s secrecy was impeccable, and surprisingly, nobody knew anything at all.
At this moment, Zhang Huan caught someone, it was Min Hongwen’s son, Min Shunyi. When Min Shunyi was caught, he didn’t struggle at all, just requested to see Yuwen Chu. After seeing him, Yuwen Chu fell silent for a long time and then said to Ye Xiu, “You go back to the capital. Tell Wangfei to bring the two children to see me immediately.”
Ye Xiu’s heart sank. He looked at Yuwen Chu with a mournful face, but Yuwen Chu smiled at him and handed over a secret letter. “Give it to Fu Mingda.”
