Chapter 65 The Tree Falls

Ling Wei simply watched her laugh quietly, and only when the maniacal laughter gradually subsided did she calmly say, "Even if I die, you won't win."

As if to confirm her words, the sound of rolling hooves rapidly approached from afar.

A group of people galloped over, and the first man reined in his horse and stopped. When he saw the scene in the field, especially when he saw the living Ling Wei, his eyes widened instantly.

"Your Highness!!!"

Zhao Ying tumbled off his horse and knelt on one knee in the mud with a thud. His voice trembled with excitement, "Your Highness, you...you are really alright?!"

Ling Wei looked at Zhao Ying kneeling before her, somewhat surprised: "Commander Zhao? What are you doing here?"

Zhao Ying wiped the rain off her face and said urgently, "Your Highness! This humble general has received an urgent order from the Second Prince, saying that he has discovered that there are assassins in the entourage of the Vice Minister plotting to harm Your Highness, and has ordered this humble general to immediately pursue and apprehend the culprits."

As I was hesitating about whether to obey the order, Minister Shen produced His Highness's imperial envoy token and explained that His Highness might be in danger, and the most urgent task was to report to His Majesty and send troops to rescue him.

I dare not act on my own authority, so I can only first divide my troops into one group to search along the official road, while I myself lead a group to request His Majesty's decree for a decision.

I never expected to encounter His Highness here!

As she spoke, she glanced quickly at Ling Xuan, who stood beside her like a clay statue, and raised her voice a few decibels:

"This humble general has already asked Minister Shen and Lord Qing Shu to temporarily leave Fuling in a safe place with their tokens, and to be guarded by my trusted confidants."

The person Your Highness wishes to protect is among them; their safety is assured.

Behind those few words lies a silent standoff between two groups, a dangerous leap she made after weighing the pros and cons and ultimately gritting her teeth and betting on Ling Wei.

This is no longer a simple report.

This is her pledge of allegiance.

As Ling Xuan listened, a smile more painful than tears tugged at the corners of her lips. She muttered, "Ha, so there's someone even more stupid... Losing to you... no wonder..."

She was referring to Ling Yao, of course.

Before coming, she had considered Zhao Ying as a pawn. She was a cunning and timid old fox, with the powerful Second Princess on one side and the deposed Princess who might have already perished in the mountains on the other.

Logically, the safest course of action for Zhao Ying would be to immediately obey the orders of her superior and arrest the person, thus clearing herself of any wrongdoing.

She thought Ling Yao could at least keep Zhao Ying in check, but she didn't expect that not only could she not keep her in check, but she also found a pretext to directly report it to the emperor.

She looked up, her eyes as calm as death: "You...have nothing else to ask me?"

Ling Wei paused for a moment, raindrops dripping down her eyelashes.

"Your elder sister has treated you well."

That's all.

During her lifetime, Ling Hua was perhaps closest to Ling Wei, but she never mistreated her younger sisters. She always did her best to take care of them and maintain the rare warmth in the royal family.

Ling Xuan shuddered, then gave a bitter smile: "I didn't kill my eldest sister."

“I know,” Ling Wei replied quickly.

"You don't have the guts, nor the ability."

Oh.

Ling Xuan laughed self-deprecatingly.

Yes, she couldn't even commit evil cleanly and decisively; she only dared to linger on the edge of the mire, but in the end, she sank deeper than anyone else.

All the scheming seemed so ridiculous and pathetic at this moment.

She suddenly raised her hand, pulled out the hairpin from her hair, and pointed the tip at her throat.

"Third Sister!" Ling Xi exclaimed.

"clang!"

With a soft thud, a small pebble accurately knocked the silver hairpin away.

Ling Wei withdrew her hand: "Now is not the time for you to personally apologize to your elder sister."

Ling Xuan looked at her blankly.

“Those who used you as a tool, those who should truly kneel before your spirit and repent…” Ling Wei said, word by word, “their accounts have not yet been settled.”

The rain gradually subsided, until only a few scattered drops remained.

Ling Wei stopped looking at Ling Xuan, who was standing frozen in place.

She raised her hand, wiped the cold rain and blood from her face, turned around and headed towards the palace, then mounted her horse.

Xuan Ying silently followed, and the injured guards helped each other gather together.

"Fifth Sister, wait for me!" Ling Xishen jogged up to catch up, grabbed Ling Wei's sleeve, and wanted to ride with her.

Lin Sanqi then swayed over to Yi Shao, who was being supported by Zhao Ying, and extended two fingers to place his wrist pulse.

As she checked his pulse, she muttered to herself, "Oh dear, his internal energy is so chaotic...tsk, it seems like he's been poisoned by some kind of insidious poison? It's been dragging on for quite a while..."

She raised her eyelids and glanced at Yi Shao's leg. "This is going to be a lot of trouble to treat, time-consuming, laborious, and expensive to treat... The consultation fee will have to be doubled!"

Yi Shao's attention was mostly focused on the figure in front of him, and he only nodded vaguely at Lin Sanqi's words, not knowing how much he had actually heard.

Under Zhao Ying's command, the soldiers she brought quickly began to clear the scene and detain Ling Xuan and his remaining troops.

The rain came and went, washing away the mud on the official road, leaving it in a mess, but it couldn't wash away the marks of swords and spears, or the smell of rust in the air.

......

As dawn broke and the rain subsided, the gates of the Cuiwei Mountain Palace opened heavily in the soft morning light.

Several fast horses carrying messengers galloped off in different directions, their hooves pounding the wet, muddy road and splashing water.

After a brief moment of fury and utter despair, Emperor Jinghe displayed the ruthlessness and efficiency she had demonstrated during her decades-long reign, issuing three imperial edicts in quick succession.

The first order is to form a joint investigation team composed of elite officers from the Imperial City Guard, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review to immediately and secretly verify all files, material records, and the movements of all relevant personnel involved in the East China Sea Haining County seawall project three years ago. If any suspicious information is found, regardless of who is involved, it can be directly reported to the Emperor in secret.

The second order was to divide the Imperial Guards into two groups, one to surround the residence of Grand Secretary Cai Mingshu and the other to surround the residence of Marquis Yongchang. They were allowed to enter but not leave, awaiting questioning.

The decree did not specify the crime, but the silent encirclement was more chilling than any rebuke.

The third edict urgently summoned the Second Princess Ling Yao, who was in Xishan to handle the aftermath, to return to the capital immediately without delay.

The three imperial edicts, like three thunderclaps, though not yet fully unleashed, had already made the dark clouds over the capital hang even lower.

Cai Mansion.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the vermilion gate was already silently surrounded by the black-armored imperial guards.

The streets were cleared, and the occasional early riser caught a glimpse of it from afar, only to shrink back into the alley and close their doors and windows tightly.

Inside the mansion, Cai Mingshu stood in the front hall, followed by the steward, who was trying to hold back his tears, and several old servants who had served him for many years.

Her gaze slowly swept over these familiar faces, and she remained silent for a moment.

"My journey will take at least a few days, and at most..."

She didn't say the rest of her sentence, but instead said, "Everything in the manor will continue as usual. If anyone asks, just answer truthfully. There's no need to panic, and certainly no need to hide anything from me."

"Keep the warehouse keys and ledgers safe. If I really don't come back, His Majesty will handle it himself. If you are implicated, admit what you should admit, and don't try to deny what you shouldn't. You've had a hard time these past years."

“My lord…” The steward finally couldn’t hold back anymore, his eyes instantly reddened, his voice choked, and he lowered his head deeply.

Cai Mingshu said nothing more, turned around, straightened her back, and walked towards the heavy door.

The gate slowly opened, revealing a biting morning wind and menacing black-armored soldiers outside. Cai Mingshu stepped across the threshold, the morning light making her squint slightly.