Chapter 213 Drumming - They Appeared

"At the execution ground the other day, someone looked remarkably like Your Highness, almost like a single person," Cui Jin said, taking a few more steps forward. "I thought..."

"Did you think I was going to storm the execution ground?" Ajiu said with amusement. "The Imperial Advisor should really capture that person and see if it really is me."

Cui Jin chuckled maliciously, "You almost let this person escape. Lou Cangyu, you said you injured him, where were you injured?"

Lou Cangyu was suddenly called by name again, and forced himself to say, "I scratched his face..."

"Oh?" Ajiu deliberately raised her clean face. "Lou Cangyu, I'm asking you, does this person really look just like me?"

Lou Cangyu, his heart pounding with anxiety, hesitated before saying, "There was chaos on the stage at the time, and someone threw burning saltpeter and sulfur, so I... didn't see it clearly." Suddenly noticing Cui Jin glancing at him, Lou Cangyu quickly added, "But even though it was just a fleeting glance, that person did indeed resemble Your Highness somewhat..."

Ajiu smiled slightly, "The Imperial Advisor once said that there is no shortage of people in the world who look alike. Ajiu and I look very much alike. Perhaps there are others besides Ajiu? Lou Cangyu, if it really is me, do you dare to draw your sword against me?"

"Your subordinate dares not." Lou Cangyu's knees buckled and he knelt on the ground again.

Ah Jiu raised her eyes smugly, "I knew you wouldn't dare."

Lou Cangyu glanced at Cui Jin beside him in surprise, and dared not say another word.

Mu You waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave. For some reason, he had a heavy premonition these past few days, as if the thing he had been worried about for a long time was finally going to happen, and he couldn't stop or avoid it no matter what. But he also felt that he shouldn't feel this way, at least for now, everything was still under his control.

What could be causing this unease? "Is there anything else going on lately?" Mu You asked in a low voice.

Cui Jin asked in a deep voice, "When will the Xingguo Ward be beheaded? And when will we send troops to besiege Canglang Island?"

"That's not what I'm asking about." Mu You turned around angrily, waving his robe. "They are all destined to die, it's just a matter of sooner or later."

A chilling silence fell over the hall. Lou Cangyu glanced around, his dry lips opening and closing several times before finally mustering his courage to ask, "I wonder if His Majesty is asking about... the matter of the swords presented by the Imperial Workshop?"

Mu Youcang's eyes flickered slightly, and he stroked his beard, letting out a deep sigh. "Your memory is good. This is exactly what I was thinking about. It should be... in the next few days."

Lou Cangyu nodded and said, "If I remember correctly, the day the swords will be presented by the inner workshop will be in three days."

"There have been many troubles in Rongdu lately, and Cheng Jian... should we postpone the discussion?"

--"Can't!"

Before Cui Jin could finish speaking, Lou Cangyu, with a sudden burst of courage, shouted out without regard for his own safety, "Your Majesty, it cannot be postponed."

"Why?" Mu You asked, intrigued.

Lou Cangyu's face turned pale. "Because... Wushuang swore an oath to forge these swords, promising to cut off his own arm if they weren't delivered on time..."

"Hahahaha." Mu You laughed, finding this young man surnamed Lou increasingly interesting. "Is the peerless sword finished forging?"

"It's all ready now." Lou Cangyu was already disregarding everything. "I went to the inner workshop yesterday, and Wushuang has already prepared everything, just waiting to present the sword to His Majesty."

Mu You stroked his beard and said, "That's settled then. Wushuang has been forged as scheduled. The delay in presenting the sword was my decision and has nothing to do with her. She doesn't need to cut off her arm."

"But," Lou Cangyu hesitated, then persisted, "Wushuang has put in a lot of effort for this sword presentation; a sudden postponement... I'm afraid they'll be very disappointed..."

"Lou Cangyu, you've gone too far!" Cui Jin said, his face full of displeasure.

Mu You gestured for Cui Jin to stop talking, his pale eyes scrutinizing the blush rising on Lou Cangyu's cheekbones. "When you mentioned Wushuang, you seemed like a different person..."

Lou Cangyu timidly raised her eyelashes to meet Mu You's gaze. Mu You recalled the inner court maid in green robes who had stepped onto the white marble steps outside the Zetian Hall—Wushuang. She had said her name was Wushuang. Upon hearing this name, Mu You couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. A woman who dared to call herself "Wushuang" must possess unparalleled abilities.

The two girls who presented the sword that day were Guan Ye from Xingguo Ward and Wu Shuang from Inner Ward. Guan Ye, Wu Shuang… Mu You murmured their names. He suddenly found it interesting—Ye means double. Since Ye means double, the girl who presented the sword alongside Guan Ye was actually a girl named “Wu Shuang”.

If she has two dimples, how can she be called "Peerless"? Interesting. Thinking about it carefully, it really is quite intriguing. Mu You scrutinized the two women's appearances. Guan Ye's eyes were fiery, her red robes billowing like heavenly fire in a furnace, while Wu Shuang's expression was aloof, her green robes standing proudly like the cold snow of winter. The two women, one hot and one cold, stood before the palace like goddesses descending to earth, unforgettable at first sight.

"A beautiful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections." Mu You smiled meaningfully at Lou Cangyu. "Wushuang is a phoenix among women. Since you have taken a liking to her, just be open about it. One is a blacksmith who is hard to find in the world, and the other is a swordsman with superb martial arts skills. It couldn't be better. I am also eager to see the sword that Wushuang has forged. Since Lou Cangyu has spoken, there is no need to postpone the presentation of the sword by the inner workshop. Let's proceed as before."

Lou Cangyu's cheekbones flushed slightly, and the timidity in his eyes faded. "Your Majesty, I thank you."

“Beautiful women love heroes.” Cui Jin smiled. “Lou Cangyu, once you become a hero, you will naturally win her favor.”

Lou Cangyu gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, the sword in his hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

It wasn't until darkness fell that Guan Ye and Mu Chenbi dared to show themselves and head towards the South Market. They had only walked a short distance when they suddenly heard a commotion coming from the direction of the Vermilion Bird Gate, mixed with the terrified cries of the people. Guan Ye and Mu Chenbi exchanged a glance, bewildered, wondering what new developments had occurred.

"Someone's dead." Someone came running over, warning the others not to go towards the Vermilion Bird Gate.

"Another death?" A shop owner shook his head and muttered, "The Lunar New Year isn't even over yet, and several people have already died? I'm afraid something else is going to happen."

Guan Ye started to head towards the Vermilion Bird Gate, but Mu Chenbi grabbed her wrist and shook his head. "The ship has already left. It can't be them. Let's go back to Feng Shisan's place first and then make plans."

Just as the two were about to turn around, someone stumbled and ran in from the Vermilion Bird Gate, leaning on the door frame, panting heavily. Guan Ye finally couldn't help but approach and whispered, "What happened? A dead person? Who died?"

"Who would know?" The man waved his hands repeatedly, panting a few times, and said, "There's a dead man hanging under the gate of Vermilion Bird City, with a huge bloody hole in his chest, his head drooping like this, it's terrifying." The man gestured to his chest, and couldn't help but shudder again.

A hanged man? Guan Ye vaguely understood, the bloody hole in his chest... Xiao Ma, only Xiao Ma was left.

"So young, and to be hanged after death, how pitiful." The man, having caught his breath, turned and left. "You two, take another route, lest you go through the Vermilion Bird Gate and bring bad luck."

“Little Horse…” Guan Ye’s tears welled up again, “It’s Little Horse.”

Mu Chenbi gazed at the Vermilion Bird Gate, which was faintly visible in the night. Such methods could only come from Cui Jin and Lou Cangyu. Mu Chenbi was about to offer a few words of comfort when Guan Ye shook off his hand and headed straight for the Vermilion Bird Gate. Knowing he couldn't stop her, Mu Chenbi chased after Guan Ye without hesitation.

Under the Vermilion Bird Gate, Xiao Ma's wrists were bound, and he was hanging in mid-air. The sky was dark, and only the dim lights on the city gate reflected his pale, bloodless face, which made all who saw him shudder.

"Little Ma." Guan Ye bit her lip hard. Suddenly, a sword flashed before her eyes. She saw a figure leap onto the city wall in a few steps. The sword cut through the rope, and Little Ma's body fell softly. Mu Chenbi reacted quickly and slid forward to catch Little Ma. The two looked up and saw Feng Shisan's resolute face twitching in the night. The group looked at each other, tears streaming down their faces.

"Little Ma." Feng Shisan jumped off the city wall, opened his arms to support his stiff body, his rough palms caressing the bloodstains on his face, slowly sliding down to the sword wound on his chest. "It's him, it's him! Lou Cangyu, I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!"

"This place is not safe to stay for long." Mu Chenbi looked around. The city gate guards were changing shifts and patrolling. They would return to the Vermilion Bird Gate in no more than half a moment. "Let's leave here first."

Feng Shisan looked up to the sky and roared, "I'm not running away anymore, I'm not hiding anymore. Your Grandpa Feng has lived to this day, and I've lost every shred of face and dignity. If I keep hiding, I won't even be a human being anymore." As he spoke, Feng Shisan picked up his little horse and walked step by step into the unfathomable night.

"Thirteenth Young Master," Guan Ye called his name softly, "Where are you taking Xiao Ma?"

“Go…” Feng Shisan tugged at Xiao Ma’s body. “Xiao Ma is a rich young master. He is clean and cares about his reputation. How can he be left to rot on the city wall and be despised by everyone? He deserves the best respect and dignity. Xiao Ma… Ma Lin, I will take you to a good place to bury you. I will do what you didn’t finish and walk the path you didn’t complete. I will keep my promise to you.”

—Unfinished business, untraveled path? Guan Ye recalled something: at Ji Fang's house on Canglang Island, Xiao Ma said his family had been wronged and that one day he would return to Rongdu to seek justice for them. Feng Shisan said that when that time came, he would help Xiao Ma beat the drum, endure the beating of the rod, and roll on the nail board; he would carry all the burdens for Xiao Ma.

"Thirteenth Young Master?" Guan Ye took a few steps after him. "You mean..."

Feng Shisan smiled slightly, revealing his pure white teeth. "A true man keeps his word. I will definitely do what I promise, even if it costs me my life."

“He was thinking…” Mu Chenbi was unaware of the promise between Feng Shisan and Xiao Ma.

“Feng Shisan has things to do, and so do I.” Guan Ye turned her head to look at Rongdu City, having already made up her mind.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the footsteps of the Eagle Guards hurried through the corridor. Lou Cangyu pushed open the door, stretched lazily, and saw that the person who came looked nervous. Lou Cangyu turned away in displeasure.

"Chief Lou, something terrible has happened! The body of the traitor Ma Lin has been taken away."

Lou Cangyu's expression changed slightly. He seemed to have expected someone to do this, yet he also seemed to find it hard to understand why someone would do such a thing. "The Vermilion Bird Gate is the capital of Rongdu. Who would take away a corpse? Are the guards of the Vermilion Bird Gate just sitting around doing nothing?"

The tomb keeper lowered his head, barely daring to breathe, "It was during the changing of the guard..."

"Stop talking." Lou Cangyu waved his hand impatiently. "I thought they had already escaped by boat, but there are still some left in Rongdu?" Lou Cangyu muttered to himself, his dark eyes suddenly brightening. "It's better that they're still in Rongdu. It saves the court from being too far away to reach them, and it allows them to live a few more days. They're carrying a dead man; they'll definitely leave traces along the way. It won't be difficult to catch them by following the clues..."

Before he finished speaking, heavy footsteps approached from afar. Lou Cangyu, with his sharp ears and eyes, saw that it was Cui Jin from a distance. He opened his robe and knelt down on one knee in Cui Jin's direction, saying, "Cangyu greets the Imperial Preceptor."

“There’s no need to follow the trail,” Cui Jin said in a sinister voice, a look of disbelief flashing in his single eye. “Feng Shisan has shown himself.”