Su Yan prepared a flower shovel and a fire starter. As the hour of Hai drew to an end, he quietly left his room to meet Yun Xi.
The two met at the agreed-upon corner of the hall, nodded briefly to each other, and proceeded one after the other along the small paths in the courtyard toward the wooded area by the southern wall.
The so-called “woods” were not very large, but since the small southern courtyard was secluded and palace attendants seldom maintained it, the vegetation had grown somewhat excessively. During the day, the intertwining bamboo and trees swayed in the wind, with pavilions and buildings appearing and disappearing amidst the greenery, making it seem anything but eerie. However, at night, with no lights illuminating the hollowed-out stone pillars on either side of the path, the entire forest took on a shadowy and sinister atmosphere.
To avoid disturbing others, the two illuminated their way with the fire starter, carefully treading over uneven ground. Yun Xi slowed his pace deliberately to accommodate Su Yan’s injured foot, occasionally stopping to support him when they encountered slippery spots.
“It’s under that camphor tree,” Yun Xi said, pointing to a lush tree near the perimeter wall.
Su Yan approached, bending down to bring the light closer to the ground. He used his boot to brush aside the fallen leaves and indeed found signs of disturbed soil that had been dug up and covered again.
Quickly handing the fire starter to Yun Xi, Su Yan pulled out the flower shovel tucked into his waistband and began digging. The blade of the shovel struck something soft—it was a bundle wrapped in cloth.
Could it be the bloodstained robe and the patterned robe identical to his own, hidden inside this bundle?
Su Yan forcefully pulled out the large bundle, covered in mud. It was damp, heavy, and continuously seeped water, soaking the nearby soil.
After much effort, he managed to untie the soggy, tightly knotted bundle.
***
Shen Qi arrived at the Hongqing Hall, where Fengan Marquis was being confined, and entered a room at the corner of the west wing.
He removed his guard armor and donned the qilin-patterned robe of an Embroidered Uniform Guard commander, reattaching the embroidered spring blade to his waist.
A trusted flag officer knocked on the door and whispered a few words in his ear.
Shen Qi’s pupils contracted. “Are you certain?”
The flag officer replied, “Absolutely. A flag officer under him, who is a good friend of mine, let it slip during a drinking session tonight. He said Shang Lianzhou was tricked into the loft, and mentioned that the old man from Shaanxi, apart from painting, is clueless about everything else—he’s half-senile.”
Shen Qi mused, “How could Fan Tongxuan, a mere commander, act on his own to disguise his subordinates as Eastern Garden guards, trick the artist, and have him create incriminating evidence… Could he be in league with the murderer of Ye Donglou?”
The flag officer suggested, “Lord Commander, should we report this to the commandant? Fan Tongxuan often looks down on you due to your background and has insulted you many times. Now that we have dirt on him, why not seize this opportunity—”
Shen Qi raised a hand to stop the rest of the sentence. “Who has taken over the matters at the Small Southern Courtyard, do you know?”
The flag officer said, “It’s Fan Tongxuan. I just ran into him outside Hongqing Hall, dressed as a regular guard, heading toward the Small Southern Courtyard.”
Shen Qi frowned. “Wait outside. Let me think.”
After the officer left, Shen Qi paced the room slowly, then suddenly slammed his palm on the table, shaking the vase to the floor.
It wasn’t Fan Tongxuan colluding with the murderer—it was Feng Que! Shen Qi realized with a start. Fan Tongxuan was merely acting under Feng Que’s orders, sending his men to lure Shang Lianzhou to the loft.
Because the case of Ye Donglou had frightened Imperial Concubine Wei into premature labor, a life-threatening situation for her, Shen Qi had initially ruled out Fengan Marquis Wei Jun as a suspect. Since Feng Que had always allied with Wei Jun, Shen Qi had also dismissed Feng Que from suspicion.
But now he saw another possibility: Feng Que didn’t care much about Imperial Concubine Wei’s safety. Although he had aligned himself with the imperial relatives, he hadn’t completely tied his fate to them, keeping certain actions secret from Wei Jun.
Whether Feng Que had been approached by the murderer or had initiated the plan himself, their targets were clear—Ye Donglou, Su Yan, and Yu Wang.
However, Shen Qi couldn’t fathom Feng Que’s motives.
If eliminating Su Yan was to prevent future retaliation, that made sense—Feng Que had developed a deep enmity with Su Yan during the flogging and wanted to ensure Su Yan couldn’t exact revenge later. But what about killing Ye Donglou and framing Yu Wang? Was Feng Que simply aiding the murderer’s agenda, or was there some hidden interest at play?
Shen Qi found it increasingly difficult to understand this gloomy superior of his. As the commander of the emperor’s personal guard, Feng Que seemed more interested in playing underhanded games, as if he believed he could keep it all hidden from Emperor Jinglong.
Such actions were bound to backfire.
Historically, few Embroidered Uniform Guard commandants had met a good end. Most were either corrupted by power, involved in major conspiracies, and eventually executed by the emperor, or they aligned with powerful ministers and enjoyed a brief period of glory, only to fall with their benefactors. Some were simply replaced by more ambitious and ruthless successors.
What fate awaited Feng Que?
Shen Qi rubbed the hilt of his sword, calming the impulsive urge to resolve everything at once. He needed to address the immediate crisis first—
Last night, in an attempt to gain Su Yan’s sympathy, he had lied, saying Feng Que no longer trusted him and had sent two men to assassinate Su Yan, whom he had dealt with.
But in reality, there were no such men. Feng Que had still assigned Shen Qi to handle Su Yan’s assassination, as he valued Shen Qi’s loyalty and was also testing him, warning him to prove his loyalty by killing Su Yan.
Now, after a full day and night, Su Yan was still alive.
Feng Que was growing increasingly displeased. No matter how many excuses Shen Qi made—about assassination attempts on Fengan Marquis, or the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince and Yu Wang—Feng Que remained suspicious and angry. Shen Qi’s previous competence only made his current inaction more suspect.
Thus, Feng Que had summoned him back to the Northern Surveillance Bureau and sent Fan Tongxuan to take over.
If Shen Qi defied orders now, returning to aid Su Yan, it would expose his betrayal, and Feng Que would eliminate him without hesitation.
But if he followed orders, Su Yan’s life would be in grave danger, even with the golden silk armor as protection.
Caught in this dilemma, Shen Qi felt as though he was being roasted over an open flame. If he couldn’t find a way out soon, he would have to choose between his own life and Su Yan’s.
He gripped his sword’s hilt so tightly it almost cut into his flesh.
From outside, the distant sound of a gong marking the hours reached his ears—It was already the Hour of the Boar.
He abruptly pushed open the door and walked out of the room.
The flag officer was still waiting under the eaves. Shen Qi approached him but hesitated—could this man be trusted? How reliable was he? Could he handle the responsibility?
In matters of life and death, Shen Qi could trust no one, not even his closest subordinates. If he placed his faith in the wrong person, the consequences would be disastrous.
The words on his lips were swallowed back, and the secret letter in his chest burned like a coal.
“Lord?” the flag officer cautiously asked, seeing the expression on his face. “Do you have any orders?”
“…No, nothing,” Shen Qi replied, descending the steps.
As soon as he stepped out of the hall, he saw seven or eight Embroidered Uniform Guard riders waiting by the road with their horses. When they saw him, they quickly approached and clasped their fists in greeting, “The roads are difficult to navigate at night. We’ve been ordered to light the way for you and escort you back to the Northern Surveillance Bureau.”
Shen Qi looked at the unfamiliar faces and thought, Feng Que clearly doesn’t trust me and has sent people to monitor me. I had planned to visit the Longde Hall before returning to the city, but it seems that won’t be possible now.
Despite the urgency burning inside him, he remained outwardly calm and mounted his horse without showing any sign of distress.
As they reached the vicinity of the East Garden’s middle gate, they encountered several palace attendants holding lanterns, followed by a small group of guards.
Among the guards, Shen Qi noticed a tall figure draped in a dark cloak, half of their face hidden beneath a hood. His eyes suddenly lit up.
Clamping his legs against the saddle, Shen Qi applied an internal force, and his horse suddenly neighed loudly, galloping straight towards the cloaked figure like a shooting star.
“Watch out! The horse is out of control!” Shen Qi yelled harshly, tugging forcefully at the reins.
The palace attendants screamed in fear, dropping their lanterns, while the guards drew their swords and positioned themselves in front of the cloaked figure.
Before the horse’s iron hooves could reach him, the cloaked man struck the horse’s neck with a powerful palm.
The force of the strike seemed immense. The horse let out a pained wail, its momentum abruptly halted. Shen Qi was thrown off the saddle, rolling onto the ground, while the cloaked figure stood firm, unmoved by the shockwave. As the wind blew back his hood, his face was revealed.
Shen Qi tumbled on the ground, dissipating most of the impact. Unharmed, he knelt on one knee and apologized, “Your subordinate’s riding skills are lacking and nearly injured Your Highness. Please punish me.”
Yu Wang narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him, but his face remained impassive. “It was the horse that was startled, not your fault. No need to be alarmed. I am well-versed in horses.”
Shen Qi, realizing he had seen through the ruse, felt a weight lift from his chest and apologized again.
Yu Wang waved his hand dismissively, clearly uninterested, and continued on his way. His guards hurried to follow, while the attendants scrambled to pick up their fallen lanterns.
Shen Qi stood up as the group of Embroidered Uniform Guard riders finally gathered around him. Some expressed concern over whether he was injured, others complained about how the runaway horse had nearly caused trouble for them. A few were in awe of Yu Wang’s strength, marveling at how he had stopped the horse with a single blow.
One of the riders said, “That’s nothing! Back when Yu Wang was still Dai Wang, guarding Great Tong, he was a renowned general. At just twelve years old, he led fifty soldiers to defeat over a thousand enemies in his first battle, forcing the Tartar leader to retreat. He became famous from that one battle. A mere runaway horse is nothing to him!”
Another rider exclaimed, “Really? I had no idea!”
“You’re young, of course you wouldn’t know what happened over a decade ago. I only know because my Father told me. When the late emperor campaigned against Beicheng, he took Yu Wang with him, personally teaching him military strategy. It’s said that during the ‘Border Fortress Rebellion’ in the Gengchen year, Yu Wang saved the then-crown prince from a dangerous situation.”
“With such achievements and being of the same bloodline, it’s no wonder the emperor holds him in such high regard. These years, Yu Wang hasn’t even had to leave the capital to govern a fief, living in luxury. Despite—” The speaker received a warning glance from a companion and quickly silenced himself.
Shen Qi pretended not to hear, furrowing his brow. “After that blow, my horse is probably unrideable. Either lend me one of yours, or I’ll need to fetch another.”
The riders, tasked with keeping a close watch on Shen Qi, couldn’t let him wander off, especially not to meet anyone in private. The earlier horse incident had already been an unforeseen complication, so they immediately offered to lend him one of their best horses. Shen Qi mounted without another word, and the group swiftly vanished into the night.
—
Yu Wang stopped in his tracks and reached into his cloak, feeling a small crumpled piece of paper.
He unfolded it slowly and, in the glow of the lanterns, saw it was a wrinkled secret report, bearing the distinctive marks of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander, whose name he didn’t know, had deliberately startled his horse and staged the entire scene in front of his subordinates, slipping this report into his cloak during his fall.
Glancing over it, Yu Wang’s eyes caught the name “Su Yan.” He quickly crumpled the report again and tucked it into his sleeve, casting a quick glance back.
The commander was already galloping away through the East Garden’s middle gate, disappearing into the darkness.
“Your Highness, are you returning to the Chonghua Hall?” his personal guard asked, noticing he had paused.
Yu Wang’s voice was low and firm, “No, we’re going to the small southern courtyard! Get me a horse immediately, and make it quick!”
With those words, he strode ahead, moving faster than most people could run. His cloak billowed behind him like the flags of a battlefield, rustling in the night wind.
