Chapter 6 Success depends on Heaven, but planning depends on man.

Luo Jie was speechless, amazed by the woman's sharp tongue, which far exceeded his expectations. She had actually managed to make the Grand Tutor laugh with such composure.

As a man who had seen many storms, how could he not be able to withstand a woman's teasing? But in fact, he fled in panic. When he returned to Jiuzhang Prefecture, he could not report the truth. He gave a brief account of what happened, and finally sighed sincerely: "That woman... was truly the most special woman I have ever seen."

She was exceptionally beautiful, but also exceptionally unrefined. However, beauty is a woman's passport, and in retrospect, Tang suddenly became straightforward and frank. He was even prepared to write extensively about the young woman should the Grand Tutor inquire about her.

Unfortunately, the Grand Tutor was not interested in those extraneous complications, nor did he care whether the person the puppeteer forced upon him was ugly or beautiful. He only cared about the details of the process, double-checked the meeting time, and then ordered the puppeteer to be loaded onto the carriage and sent back to Liren Alley ahead of time.

"From what the young lady said, she was greatly weakened after the deed was done, and the lord will need to rest for several days and probably cannot leave the Lu residence. As for the official business in the manor, I have arranged for the interrogation to be carried out as the lord instructed, but the Six Guards of the city have never been very obedient to Cen Shenji. If the general of the Six Guards wants to see her, Cen Shenji is not confident and may not be able to handle it."

Lu Min, who was pondering whether he should hand over the military tally and seal to the judge, raised his eyes upon hearing this. "In your opinion, we should let Cen Yilou know the inside story?"

This matter is of utmost importance. Luo Jie, putting himself in the lord's shoes, hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have been weighing this matter on my way back. Although the fewer people who know the inside story, the better, my lord is in a high position and has countless official duties every day. Without someone in the know to take care of things for him, I am afraid that mistakes will be made in the end. Moreover, the day my lord is to meet the emperor is in ten days. No matter how you calculate it, there is no time. If my lord cannot go, we will have to ask Cen Shenji to come to the capital to answer on his behalf. If Cen Shenji asks, how will we deal with it? I know that Cen Shenji is my lord's close friend. Since he can be trusted in everything, I will tell Cen Shenji so that he can be on the best side for my lord."

Hearing his earnest words, Lu Min slowly smiled, his expressionless face breaking into a smile. "Shituo Luo, you really do think of me in every way."

Shithara was his childhood name, and the fact that the Grand Tutor addressed him in this way showed that he had taken his advice to heart. With that, Luo Jie finally felt relieved and said tactfully, "I risked my life to offer this advice, fearing I might say something wrong and incur the lord's wrath. But the lord understands me; I am truly devoted to protecting you and have never had any selfish motives."

Lu Min sighed softly, "Back then, I took you in and cared for you because I valued your loyalty and reliability."

However, people change. It only takes three short years for someone to go from being cautious and timid at the beginning to acting on their own initiative later on.

In fact, when dealing with people in Jiuzhang Prefecture, being shrewd and discreet isn't the most important thing; the most important thing is to stay true to one's duty and keep one's mouth shut. What secrets should be revealed and what secrets shouldn't be revealed are not within the scope of the strategist's decision. Even he himself is unwilling to face the truth, yet Luo Jie actually intends to leak it. Given the current situation and the obvious circumstances, it won't be long before everyone knows the news of the Grand Tutor's change of body.

Overstepping one's bounds is a grave taboo in serving one's master. Lu Min stood up and walked out from behind his desk, his steps unsteady as his legs gradually weakened. The hem of his black robe trailed against the gold velvet carpet. He stopped in front of Luo Jie and asked inexplicably, "Has the marriage that Lin Yue arranged for you last time been finalized?"

Luo Jie shook his head sheepishly, "It's not appropriate, let's talk about it another time."

Lu Min nodded and murmured, "Alright, let's not hold the young lady back."

Luo Jie was somewhat puzzled and before he could figure it out, he saw the Grand Tutor raise his hand and clap his hands, and two shadow guards dressed in black walked in from outside the door.

These shadow guards are unusual; their appearance always means someone is about to be secretly executed.

He stumbled, his heart skipped a beat, and he looked at the Grand Tutor in a panic, only to be met with a cold stare. "The two guards from that night have already gone ahead. You should go too."

It was like inviting someone to a dinner party, reminding them to attend, but who could have imagined it was a death knell?

Luo Jie then realized that the Grand Tutor intended to eliminate all those who knew the truth. Terrified, he tried to beg for his life, but it was too late. The two shadow guards moved with lightning speed, their moves too fast to see clearly. In the blink of an eye, his neck was snapped, and he was silently carried out. The hall was spotless, without a trace of him.

The sun was setting, and Lu Min slowly walked into the slanting band of light. The air was still chilly, the afterglow devoid of warmth. After such a long cold spell, spring should finally arrive in Chong'an City!

From dusk until midnight, the time was long, but not unbearable. He ate his usual meal, read letters, and reviewed documents. By the time he finished everything, it was already past midnight. If someone was added to the Nine Chapters Prefecture, their background needed to be investigated; if someone was missing, the matter wouldn't even be mentioned again. Vacancies were quickly filled; the former didn't need to inquire about the latter's duties, they simply needed to take over and carry them out as ordered.

Bai Heliang stood outside the threshold and reported, "My lord, the carriage is ready."

Lu Min put down the silk book in his hand, and a servant rushed forward to drape a cloak over his shoulders to keep him warm.

Beside the silver lamp tree in the hall, a large bronze mirror was moved in today. He stopped when he passed by the bronze mirror. A person was reflected in the bronze mirror, covered by a black cloak, and the hood was so thick that his face could not be seen.

He raised his hand and pulled his hood back, finally revealing his hidden features. For a moment, he was in a daze; the image in the mirror overlapped with the puppet that had appeared in the council hall that day, and he couldn't tell whether he was a real person or a puppet.

I smiled helplessly. I couldn't tell the difference now, and I wouldn't need to in the future. Life is full of truths and falsehoods; to be able to run freely and lift a heavy sword is the greatest fortune.

He turned around resolutely, walked out of the hall and down the steps, heading towards Liren Alley with a small entourage. This was the biggest gamble he had ever made in his life. If he lost, so be it; if he won, he would save his life and never have to suffer excruciating pain again.

The carriage drove up the alleyway, passing beneath the buildings of varying heights. Looking out through the small window, there was no moon tonight, only a huge Buddha statue bowing its head and gazing down upon the world, emitting a pale light in the hazy night.

The deeper one goes into the alley, the more winding and circuitous it becomes. Dingma finally reined in his horse outside the mansion, Baiheliang jumped off the crossbar, opened the carriage door, offered his hand for the Grand Tutor to use for leverage, and then drove to the door and knocked on the door knocker.

The clear "clang" sound was particularly distinct in the deep night. A moment later, light shone from under the door, the latch clicked off, and a face with a peach blossom-like appearance suddenly peeked out from the crack in the door. The features were mottled and distorted by the light of the lantern, giving one a startling look.

Bai Heliang, a well-trained guard, nearly drew his sword. But as the lantern slowly rose, the shadows on the woman's face gradually faded, transforming her from a demon to a goddess in a swift motion. Her cold eyes shimmered with tears, beautiful yet indifferent, and she asked expressionlessly, "You've arrived?"

Bai Heliang blankly replied, "Coming."

The woman stepped back, making room for people to pass. Bai Heliang intended to scout ahead, but she stopped him.

She glanced behind him and said, "Come in alone."

It was extremely rude and disrespectful. As a close bodyguard, he was furious, but the Grand Tutor said nothing and stepped across the threshold.

The door slammed shut again, leaving Bai Heliang outside, his nose nearly broken. Still uneasy, he peered through the crack in the door and saw that the entire mansion was as dark as the underworld, with only the young woman carrying a lantern illuminating a small patch of light.

The young woman was quite tall, but still appeared somewhat petite next to the Grand Tutor. The people behind her completely blocked her view, and the flickering light of the lanterns was indistinct, like leaves floating on an underground river, soon swallowed up by the darkness inside the hall's doors.

However, the lights were still on in the deeper part of the hall, with the same carved partitions as before. On either side of the floor-to-ceiling screen were two large, round vases, filled with gnarled purple magnolias. The magnolias were half-open, freshly watered, and golden light danced among the leaves.

Shi Mi led the person to the armchair, turned around and pointed, "Please wait a moment, the puppeteer is making preparations."

Lu Min had no questions and sat down in silence.

Shi Mi then took a closer look at him. He had a high, straight nose, deep-set eyes and brows. His physique and features were easily described, but the aura he exuded was difficult to capture. He was a man full of contradictions, self-disciplined yet restrained, insightful yet detached. Because he had experienced too much in his short life—the first half was turbulent and the second half desolate and withered—he was burdened with worries and possessed a clear understanding of the world. At twenty-seven years old, he had the weight of a forty-seven-year-old. Compared to him, Xiao Wu, with his brief moments of clarity, was indeed like a glass of plain water, bland and tasteless.

Perhaps her intense and undisguised gaze made him uncomfortable, for he frowned slightly, realizing her unease, and had no choice but to change the subject, "Would you like some water?"

He ignored her attempt to strike up a conversation and instead looked deeper into the hall. "Is the puppeteer absolutely certain?"

The expert said, "The craftsman's skill is flawless; just look at me and you'll see."

He then turned his gaze and carefully examined her, from her facial features to her head, from her figure to her skeleton.

He had always had high standards, and undeniably, this appearance was perfect—perfectly natural, without a trace of artifice. But the more perfect it was, the more unreal it seemed. He couldn't help but wonder if there was still room for deliberate craftsmanship. If the puppeteer wished, preserving a few subtle differences shouldn't be a problem, right?

His eyes were scanning, his thoughts racing. Shi Mi tried to find even a hint of amazement in those eyes, but to no avail. The way he looked at her was no different from how he would look at a bowl or a pair of chopsticks—pure appreciation, devoid of any emotion.

She asked curiously, "Do you look down on me? Do you think I'm a fake person, different from a real person?"

He didn't answer, but looked away and lowered his head.

Shi Mi sneered, "Grand Tutor, don't you have any questions for me? For example, does it hurt to have your heart ripped out? How long will it take for your body and soul to reunite? How long will it take for you to be able to walk again?"

Most people would be eager to know about something that concerns their very survival, but Lu Min was an exception.

He sat quietly, indifferent to the matter. "Whether it hurts or not, or how long it takes, is not something I'm considering. Since I've decided to entrust this to the Puppeteer, there's no turning back."

Shimi leaned against the carved panel, arms crossed, the candlelight casting a rosy glow on her cheeks through the brocade inlaid in the center of the frame. She gazed at him intently and teased, "What if the puppeteer fails this time?"

His heart was as still as the sea. He gave her a slight smile and said, "Success depends on fate, but planning depends on man. If I succeed, I will repay Master Yan's kindness a thousandfold; if I fail, the Shadow Guards outside have already surrounded this place like an iron barrel. If I am not seen in ten days, everything in the house, whether living or dead, will be destroyed, leaving nothing behind."

So it's a battle of equals. You think he's in your hands, but in reality, you're also being held in his grasp.

Shi Mi was so angry she could bite her teeth, but she couldn't retaliate. In the end, she vented her anger by saying, "You can't use anesthetic to cut open someone's heart; you have to do it while they're alive. Master Yan is too old to handle blood. If Grand Tutor can't do it himself, I'm willing to do it for him."

A note from the author:

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