Chapter 20

Song Zhao: "Lu Xuejin, do you know what you're saying?"

“If you don’t move aside today, you will be disobeying His Majesty’s decree… Do you really want to go against His Majesty?”

Rain streamed down the bamboo ribs, and Song Zhao looked at him, a fleeting look of something unsettling in his eyes. The guards behind him were submerged in the rain, forming an impenetrable wall.

“I wouldn’t dare, of course I wouldn’t dare to oppose His Majesty,” Lu Xuejin replied quietly. “It’s just that the Ninth Prince is seriously injured now, and instead of going to find out the murderer, Lord Song is tracing back to the cause… Such behavior is illogical. If Lord Song takes the man away today, I’m afraid that not only will we not be able to catch the murderer, but we will never see him again.”

"Seeing how unhurried Lord Song is, not at all worried about this incident... Does Lord Song know who the murderer is?" Lu Xuejin asked, seemingly already knowing the answer, a hint of coldness in her eyes.

“I only obey His Majesty’s decree; the life and death of the Ninth Prince are not my concern. But Lord Lu, do you… seem to be overly concerned about the remnants of the previous dynasty?”

Song Zhao uttered the words "remnants of the previous dynasty" slowly and deliberately, also addressing Lord Lu as well. They had served together in the court and met daily before the emperor, but things were no longer the same.

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Zhao took a step forward. Just then, a silver longsword, its blade gleaming, blocked his path. Lu Xuejin drew her guard's sword, and seeing Song Zhao's determination, she couldn't help but sigh.

“Song Zhao, I already told you to go back. If you take another step forward, these swords won’t be so merciful,” Lu Xuejin said, glancing sideways at the guards around her, “And you all… step back now.”

With a "thud," Lu Xuejin gave the order, and all the surrounding guards knelt down in silence, heads bowed, caught in a tense standoff. They were all Xue Yi's guards, and they knew best how Xue Yi treated the two lords. Not wanting to offend either side, the guards all pretended not to hear.

The air was thick with tension, and although Lu Xuejin appeared nonchalant, his mind was actually focused on the young man inside the tent. He knew perfectly well who had wielded that ebony arrow.

The bow and arrows were originally a gift from the late emperor, who told him that there was a unicorn-like beast on Mount Buwen in the capital, and that many people had seen it. Seeing his curiosity, the emperor bestowed upon him a bow made of black rhinoceros wood. The arrows were made of agarwood and could easily pierce the throat of a wild beast. That very day, he took the bow and arrows back to find his elder brother and asked him to accompany him to Mount Buwen to search for the unicorn.

His elder brother has now taken his arrow and killed someone.

He remembered the litter of tiger cubs he had caught in the bushes on the mountain. The cubs were injured and wet, looking at him, and he softened and released them. He didn't see any unicorns, but there were lively little animals.

Song Zhao remained unmoved, even though blood had been drawn from his neck. Seeing that Song Zhao was truly about to step forward, Lu Xuejin showed no intention of letting go. In the tense standoff, a guard spoke up.

"Lord Song, His Majesty has summoned you back to discuss important matters."

Lu Xuejin and Song Zhao locked eyes. Song Zhao's face was hidden beneath the umbrella, shrouded in shadow. Seeing the blood on the neck, Song Zhao remained unmoved, his gaze passing through the tent to the boy inside, then slowly shifting to his face.

“It is not right for you to protect him like this. If you let him live for now... how will you keep him alive tomorrow and the day after?” As Song Zhao finished speaking, raindrops fell from the umbrella he was holding, and blood from his neck dripped onto his black boots with a “plop.”

Lu Xuejin watched as the person left, along with a group of guards. Night fell, mingling with the rain, revealing the scenery around the tent. A silent stillness spread. He dropped his longsword and lifted the tent flap to peer inside.

"How is His Highness the Ninth Prince?"

Ziyan: "The person has fainted."

Physician Jia: "We need to see how he is tomorrow morning. The wound has been treated, so let him rest well. He absolutely mustn't be disturbed these next two days. He can't go anywhere except to bed, let alone move around freely... he can't even get out of bed. You all take good care of him."

A basin of bloody water lay on the ground, emitting a bloody smell. Doctor Jia wrote two more prescriptions in front of the candlestick and handed them to Lu Xuejin, carefully explaining the contraindications for using the medicine.

"I understand... Physician Jia, you've worked hard. I'll have Ziyan escort you back," Lu Xuejin said.

“No need,” said Physician Jia. “I am already very happy to have saved him. Lord Lu is kind and benevolent, but no matter how you look at it, he is just a child… not yet of age. I will go and talk to His Majesty again. We cannot allow him to go to the criminal trial at this time.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin said, "You don't need to worry about this matter. I will send someone to discuss it with His Majesty. Thank you for your help today. Once His Highness is better, I will take him to thank you in person another day."

“No, that won’t do. This is my duty, Lord Lu, you can leave it here.” Physician Jia said. He was carrying his medical kit, which made him appear much shorter. The young man in front of him bowed slightly, and his respectful demeanor as he spoke to him was heartwarming.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. A top scholar is indeed a top scholar, a dragon among men, and yet he was treated this way... how could one not feel admiration?

At the bedside.

Lu Xuejin looked at the unconscious boy. Murong Yue's face was pale, as if a layer of blood had been drained from him, and his eyelashes were frosted with a thin, fragile color. The wounds were in extremely difficult locations, both in the front and back, so he could only lie on his side, curled up like a small animal.

He stared at the boy's profile, from the strands of hair by his ear to his eyebrows and eyes, down to the bridge of his nose and the corner of his lips where his canine teeth were turned up. The boy before him suddenly overlapped with the injured Little Tiger in his memory, Little Tiger opening his eyes and looking at him with wet eyes.

The arrow I shot in my youth has now struck the heart of this young man.

He wanted to reach out and touch the person, his fingertips extended into the air, but the boy suddenly frowned because of his injury, so he withdrew his hand.

The candlelight flickered across his face as he gently touched Murong Yue's fingertips. The boy's ring finger had no calluses, but his index finger, thumb, and palm had thin calluses. His previously burning body temperature had cooled somewhat, leaving him feeling cold. His pulse was very weak. He repeatedly checked, his touch on the boy's wrist remaining there all night.

He guarded Murong Yue all night.

The next day, Wei Ning rushed over early in the morning.

She was unaware of this matter. Upon entering the tent and seeing the two lying there, she noticed Murong Yue's injuries and paused. Ziyan explained the situation to her, and after listening, she took off her bamboo hat.

"I originally came to tell you good news. Song Zhao had people watching me, but for some reason they relaxed their guard yesterday... That's how I managed to send them away. Cui Ruhao has now been moved to a safe place. Now it seems... we were able to send them away thanks to His Highness the Ninth Prince."

As Wei Ning spoke, he gripped his bamboo hat tightly. "Don't worry, I will definitely find out the truth about this matter. The murderer behind this is so ruthless... I will not let him get away with it!"

"..." Lu Xuejin, "You don't need to investigate this matter. You don't need to get involved... Sending Cui Ruhao away completes the plan."

“How can that be?” Wei Ning sensed something and stared intently at him. “Lu Changyou. Are you just going to let this go like this? If you really do, I might suspect that you know who did it.”

"Was it Xue Yi? Xue Yi is vengeful and narrow-minded. If he saw you treating someone else so kindly, he would find it hard to accept. Would he send someone to take the Ninth Prince's life?"

“Brother, you shouldn’t be like this,” Lu Xuejin said. Only after he said it did he realize that he had subconsciously defended Xue Yi. From childhood to adulthood, countless people had spoken ill of Xue Yi, and because Xue Yi was living under someone else’s roof, his status was somewhat lower, and he was always the target of others’ stares.

He would have defended Xue Yi if he had heard it. Now, with the arrow stuck in Murong Yue's body, it was a clear indication that Xue Yi had done it. He lowered his eyes, unsure whether it was because he hadn't slept all night or because he was confused.

"Then let me ask you. If what we do in the future will certainly not be tolerated by Xue Yi... what will you do then? You've known since you were little that you must do what you set out to do, and you're absolutely determined. Will you be disturbed by others then?" Wei Ning asked him.

Lu Xuejin: "We're already doing it."

“We still have a long way to go,” Wei Ning reminded him, saying from the side, “I think he is your calamity. He was sick several times when he was young and almost lost his life... If it weren’t for you and Prime Minister Lu, he might not have had the good fortune to live to be emperor now. Even now, if you are always soft-hearted, how can the two of us be his match, given how deep his mind is?”

“If it were someone else, we might have sent Cui Ruhao away long ago, instead of waiting until now,” Wei Ning said.

“…Wei Ning,” Lu Xuejin looked at him, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Did you come here today to argue with me?”

“Of course not.” Wei Ning sighed. She had been so aggressive, but seeing the young man’s appearance, she softened again. From childhood to adulthood, when had she ever been bewitched by a man? The otherworldly air about the man in front of her always stirred a rare sense of compassion in her.

"I just feel... with your talent, you shouldn't lose to him."

"I'm leaving. If Your Highness wakes up, please give my regards." Wei Ning put his bamboo hat back on, covering most of his face except for a section of his jawline.

On the other side.

Song Zhaofang rushed back. Xue Yi had been ill a few days ago, and after being caught in the rain today, he was now in his tent. He didn't see him, so he quickly bandaged his neck and asked the guards about the things they had told him to do earlier.

"How's Wei Ning doing? Are you keeping a close eye on her?"

The guard replied, "Miss Wei has been in her tent the whole time... and has not made any unusual movements."

"She's been in the tent the whole time?" Song Zhao asked. "Are you sure she's inside?"

"This..." the guard said, "I have not been inside to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhao said, "Send someone to check on her every now and then... She might no longer be in the camp. Find out where she went and who she met."

"Keep a close eye on Lu Xuejin's place as well."

After instructing the guards, the God of Fate sent someone to arrange the rain-making ceremony for the next day. All of this needed to be reported to Xue Yi. Before he could ask the guards where the Emperor was, the guards rushed over.

Inside the tent, a group of imperial physicians surrounded Xue Yi. Xue Yi was pale, half of his clothes were off, his dark hair was loose at his side, and his eyebrows and eyes were filled with a deep, somber look. He looked at Xue Yi as he entered. The atmosphere in the hall was gloomy.

Song Zhao said, "Your Majesty, I am incompetent and have failed to bring the Ninth Prince back."

A note from the author: