Chapter 795 Corpse!

Mentioning the King of Qin, Yuwen Qian's already somewhat solemn expression darkened further, but he still immediately replied, "Not yet."

"Not there yet?"

This time, Yuwen Yuan's face clearly showed displeasure. He muttered, "He refused to come before, and then suddenly suggested that he wait until Ruyi went to Dayan Temple to worship Buddha before joining the imperial procession. I knew he was only concerned about his wife. That's fine, but several days have passed and he still hasn't arrived."

Yuwen Qian said, "Second brother probably encountered them on the way and was delayed."

Yuwen Yuan said, "What could we possibly encounter? It's only a hundred or two hundred li from Chang'an to Tongguan. We can't get there by horse or carriage, but we should be able to walk."

"..."

"Hmph, I'll go back after I've finished my business here and see where he is!"

Yuwen Qian was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Yes."

Just as the father and son were whispering to each other, Yu Dingxing had already walked silently to Yu Mingyue's side and said in as low a voice as possible, "Where are your men?!"

"I--"

A hint of unease appeared on Yu Mingyue's face.

The people she arranged should have been waiting on the other side long ago. As soon as they saw Yuwen Yuan's imperial carriage approaching Longmen Ferry, they should have immediately prepared to cross the river and report the unusual situation on the other side.

Why hasn't it appeared yet after all this time?

As she craned her neck to look across the river, she saw the ferry slowly approaching from upstream. Once the ferry reached the shore, Yuwen Yuan would board. If no one came to report by then, even if she had made preparations beforehand, she couldn't stop the emperor from crossing the river without reason. After all, if she spoke without evidence, even if Jiang Chongen on the other side had set a trap to lure and kill Yuwen Yuan, the emperor, with his suspicious nature, would inevitably suspect her.

She had already displeased Yuwen Yuan, and now that she had finally won him some favor, what if she aroused the emperor's suspicion again?

Thinking of this, Yu Mingyue glanced at Yuwen Qian beside her again.

Just then, a terrified scream suddenly rang out from the bustling riverbank—

"A body! There's a body here!"

The sound, like a thunderclap, exploded on the riverbank, causing everyone to panic. Several guards immediately grabbed their swords and rushed over, surrounding Yuwen Yuan and warily looking around. Yuwen Yuan's face showed surprise, but he was a seasoned veteran, and the commotion was not enough to make him lose his composure. He simply frowned and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

It was on the riverbank near the shore, where a patrolling guard was standing next to a large rock, looking at the back of the rock with a look of horror.

Yuwen Qian's face also showed surprise. Although he was not panicked, he was somewhat taken aback. He hurriedly ordered his men, "Check carefully, find out who it is!"

The other guards rushed over immediately, carefully approached the guard, and peered behind the boulder, which was about half the size of a carriage. Because it faced the Yellow River, half of the boulder was submerged in water, and there was a sunken pit under the boulder. So when the emperor arrived, everyone was busy and did not notice at first that there were two or three corpses behind the boulder!

Upon closer inspection, they were all strong men in their thirties, dressed simply, each with several knife wounds on their bodies. The blood had long since been diluted by the river water, and even the wounds had become white and swollen from being soaked.

It seems he's been dead for quite some time!

What's going on?

The guards dared not delay and hurriedly ran back to report the matter to the emperor. Yu Mingyue, who was standing to the side, glanced at the scene and her face turned deathly pale.

Just then, Yu Dingxing also walked to the large rock. After glancing at it, a strong sense of unease welled up inside him, especially when he turned back and saw his daughter's deathly pale face. He quickly walked to her side and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, whispered, "Who are these people—"

Yu Mingyue bit her lower lip and nodded gently.

Yu Dingxing's face also turned pale.

These people were the ones Yu Mingyue arranged! They've all died here!?

What happened? Why is this happening?

Moreover, if it were discovered that these people were arranged by Yu Mingyue, wouldn't Yuwen Yuan naturally suspect them?!

He was both shocked and panicked, trying his best to suppress his unease. He dared not say anything more, fearing that if the people around him heard even a whisper, he would be implicated. But he was too afraid. He glanced at Yu Mingyue, hoping to find some comfort from her. However, he saw that his usually shrewd daughter was also in a state of panic and confusion, even somewhat at a loss.

This time, Yu Mingyue was also a little flustered.

From the moment she came into this world, she had everything under control. Even if the things she arranged could not be completely successful, at least they would not go too wrong. But this time, things suddenly changed, and there was no warning at all. What's more, it happened at the most critical moment!

Just as everyone on the riverbank was in a panic over the sudden discovery of several corpses, another gust of wind carrying moisture rushed towards them.

A huge shadow fell over them.

Looking up, they saw that the ferry had come down from upstream and stopped right in front of them!

Upon seeing the magnificent and grand ferry, and then looking at the several corpses surrounded by guards, Yu Mingyue instinctively wanted to say something. However, a lingering concern, like an invisible thread tightly binding her heart, made her hesitate. At that moment of hesitation, Eunuch Yu, who had been closely following Yuwen Yuan, suddenly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this old servant dares to be so bold as to implore Your Majesty not to cross the river!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan, whose expression was already solemn, had a flicker in his eyes.

He didn't speak, but looked at Eunuch Yu. Although Eunuch Yu had violated the taboo of eunuchs speaking recklessly in front of the battle, he did not back down at this moment and continued, "Although the two of you led your troops to surrender this time, His Majesty does not know the situation on the other side; now, a stranger's corpse has suddenly appeared here, I'm afraid things have changed."

"..."

"For Your Majesty's safety, this old servant implores Your Majesty not to risk your life so lightly!"

Upon hearing that Eunuch Yu had spoken, and that the emperor had not immediately refuted him, nor even shown the slightest anger on his face, the ministers who had originally opposed the emperor crossing the river immediately surrounded him, saying all at once, "Eunuch Yu's words make sense!"

"Your Majesty, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall."

"Your Majesty would not have done such a thing as sacrificing the life of the emperor for a trivial matter!"

As soon as these people gathered around Yuwen Yuan, they immediately pushed aside the few people who were already standing next to him. In particular, Yu Dingxing and his daughter Yu Mingyue exchanged a glance, and then looked at Yuwen Yuan, who, instead of getting angry at the unanimous opinion, nodded slightly, seemingly ready to gracefully retreat back to the embankment. Both of them showed unpleasant expressions.

This time, he didn't even get the credit for advising Yuwen Yuan.

Their previous plan was to "wait" until the messengers conveyed news of something unusual on the other side of the river before advising the emperor not to cross. This way, they would have a reasonable basis and wouldn't arouse the emperor's suspicion. The reason for this plan was also partly due to a "guilty conscience." After all, someone rebelling against the emperor, or even trying to lure and kill him, was no small matter. If Yuwen Yuan suspected them of having connections with the people on the other side, it would be troublesome.

But it was precisely because of this "guilt" that they dared not act rashly, to the point that even after these corpses appeared, Yu Mingyue still hesitated and dared not speak.

In that instant of hesitation, Eunuch Yu spoke first, and once he spoke, the ministers all spoke up, and the matter was thus settled. In fact, this was the instinctive reaction of these ministers after they discovered the body of a stranger, or even an assassin, on the riverbank. It was only natural to stop him from crossing the river, and Yuwen Yuan naturally had no doubts.

Ultimately, it's because they have a guilty conscience!

Thinking of this, Yu Dingxing was filled with frustration and anger, but it was too late to say anything at this point. Several guards immediately escorted the emperor away from the riverbank and onto the embankment. Several other officials hurriedly submitted a memorial, requesting that His Majesty return to the camp immediately or go directly back to Tongguan to ensure the safety of the emperor.

But at this moment, Yuwen Yuan calmed down.

A few corpses weren't enough to scare him into retreating completely, especially since he wasn't sure about the situation on the other side.

He walked to the shaded area and slowly sat down. The wind, still carrying moisture, continued to blow, but this time, the earthy smell lingering in his nostrils seemed to carry a hint of blood. Yuwen Yuan looked at the lush green trees on the opposite bank, which completely obscured the path he had come from the east, and couldn't help but ask in a deep voice, "What's going on on the other side...?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions immediately hardened.

Everyone looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Clearly, at this point, His Majesty the Emperor had begun to have doubts about the situation on the other side of the strait. But between Fan Chengen and Jiang Chongen, which one was the problem? Was it Jiang Chongen? Or Fan Chengen? Or were both of them problematic?

Or perhaps, both of them are innocent, but there are others waiting for an opportunity to act?

Just as everyone was feeling uneasy and their thoughts were racing, Yu Mingyue kept staring intently at the guards below who had just finished a quick examination of the corpses. Then they walked back to the riverbank. But Eunuch Yu reacted quickly and went to greet them. After hearing the report from the guards, he returned to Yuwen Yuan's side.

Yuwen Yuan asked, "What happened to those corpses?"

Yu Mingyue's breath caught in her throat. She clenched her fists and nervously watched Yuwen Yuan and Eunuch Yu.