"You said the Emperor was assassinated and his whereabouts are unknown, then what about the Prince of Huainan?" Su Sui was shocked to hear this news; it all came too suddenly.
The guard, panting, replied, "Upon hearing that the Emperor was in trouble, the Prince of Huainan immediately dispatched more men to search for the Emperor in the Yuntai Mountain area. However, they have found nothing."
"What...what exactly happened? Tell me slowly." Su Lin was extremely anxious as well.
If Su Lin had known that the Emperor would be in trouble, he should have gone to Yuntai Mountain to protect him that morning.
But unfortunately...
Su Lin thought about it and felt that something was wrong. Xiao Heye didn't come earlier or later, but he came to the mansion on the day of the hunt, so neither Su's father nor son were able to go to Yuntai Mountain.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, reporting to the General, those assassins seemed to have planned this all along. They were all exceptionally skilled, and their faces were veiled in black, making it impossible to see their features. Even more unbelievable is that after assassinating the Emperor, those assassins managed to escape unnoticed from the sight of the Imperial Guards surrounding the mountains. I heard that the Prince of Huainan finally managed to capture one of them, but before he could get a single word out of him, the assassin committed suicide by poisoning himself."
Su Sui asked, "Besides the Emperor, were there any other people who were attacked?"
The guard nodded: "Several lords unfortunately perished in this hunt, but I don't know their exact numbers. I heard that the Prince of Huainan is worried about causing panic and has temporarily blocked the news..."
Upon hearing this, Su Sui and Su Lin exchanged glances for a moment. Su Sui suppressed her shock and waved her hand at the guard who had come to report the news, saying, "I understand. There should be more to this matter. You continue to keep an eye on things and report back immediately if there is any news."
"yes!"
...
After everyone left, Su Lin couldn't wait to voice his thoughts: "Father, this matter is strange. Do you think... it might be related to Master Xiao?"
"He seemed to know from the beginning that something would go wrong during today's hunt, which is why he chose to come today to stall the two of us so that his men could act with impunity."
Su Sui pondered for a moment, then slowly shook her head: "It shouldn't be that simple... Think about it carefully. The messenger just now said that the assassins actually escaped the sight of the guards outside the mountain. From this, it seems that this was not only a premeditated assassination, but also... those assassins must have an inside agent in the imperial court."
“Father, Xiao Zhangyin only has people from the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard under his command. You should know... the Imperial Guards in the palace are very clearly separated from them.”
Su Sui nodded.
At this moment, Yong'an's situation was indeed consistent with Su Lin's analysis. If the assassins were able to escape from under the noses of the Imperial Guards, how could the Imperial Guards have turned a blind eye if the assassination was instigated by Xiao Heye?
"It's the Prince of Huainan?!" Su Lin finally understood the ins and outs of the matter, and he almost shouted the words out.
Su Sui replied, "The instigator of this matter should not be the Prince of Huainan... The hunting competition was proposed by Minister Jiang, and the Prince of Huainan agreed. And these two have been so close to the Rouran prince these past few days, perhaps... they have reached some kind of agreement."
Su Lin frowned and asked, "Then what do we do? Father... just a few days ago he rejected the Prince of Huainan's marriage proposal because of my sister. The Su family is probably in trouble this time..."
Su Sui said, "The Prince of Huainan will not take action against our family for the time being. Firstly, he is wary of Xiao Zhangyin's power, and secondly, didn't he say before that the Rouran prince seems to have feelings for Yue'er?"
He hesitated for a moment, his brows furrowed: "If the Prince of Huainan really wants Yue'er to go for a political marriage, the biggest obstacle is Minister Xiao, and only then you and I. Lin'er, Yong'an... I'm afraid things have already changed."
"I am worried about you, and I am also worried about the soldiers in the southern border. An army cannot be without a leader for a day. You should leave tonight under cover of darkness, and return to the southern border immediately without being discovered."
“Father! If that’s the case, your son should stay and protect you and Yue’er. If even I leave… who will protect the safety of the hundreds of people in the Su family?”
“You hold military power, and as a general, you should stand with your soldiers. Now that you are alone in Yong'an, if the Prince of Huainan intends to make things difficult for you, the first person he will target is anyone who poses a threat to him. If something happens to you and Commander Xiao then, there will truly be no one to protect us…”
"Yes." Su Lin considered it for a moment and felt that his father made sense, so he stopped insisting.
Despite his deep worry and reluctance, he agreed to return to the southern border first to reorganize the army and prepare for battle.
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