Mu Feng shook his head embarrassedly.
"Those men in black didn't kill us outright; they just drove us towards Fengting County. It wasn't until we were within Fengting County's jurisdiction that they began the massacre. There were forty of them in total, including a master of poison!"
He still felt a lingering fear when he recalled how the young marquis had been poisoned.
"We fought for three days straight, and in the end, only sixteen men in black remained, while we were left with just Mu Feng and me. The young marquis was also poisoned; although we gave him an antidote, we're still worried!"
He still vividly remembers the scene.
"We decided to split up. He said he was skilled in martial arts and could drive the carriage to distract the men in black. Even if we were discovered, he could buy some time for me and the young master. I'm good at light footwork, so jumping out of the carriage would make me less likely to be spotted!"
He blinked hard, trying to stop the tears from welling up in his eyes.
"I wonder if Mu Feng is alive or dead! I hope Lord Kang will bless him and keep him alive!"
Doctor You seemed to be deep in thought.
"That's not right! When nobles and royalty travel, their routes are always scouted in advance and kept secret. Apart from the emperor, everyone else only knows the approximate arrival time!"
Mu Xiao nodded: "Yes!"
"Normally, your guards would then ride swiftly to inform the officials in the capital which official road you would be taking to enter, about fifty li from the capital, so that the officials receiving you could make preparations!"
"Yes, that's always been the procedure!"
"How would that spy know which road you took? Did they send dozens of assassins to wait for you on every road?"
Mu Feng was stumped by his question, and Doctor You continued his analysis.
"You said those men in black didn't kill you until they entered the jurisdiction of Fengting County, that's the key point!"
His words suddenly opened Mu Xiao's mind.
"Fengting County is under the jurisdiction of Chunyang Prefecture. The prefect of Chunyang Prefecture is Sheng Shuyang, son of Sheng Hongming, the Crown Prince's tutor. The magistrate of Fengting County is Wei Yanqing, a protégé of Sheng Hongming. They all belong to the Crown Prince's faction!"
His face showed fear, and he asked Doctor You...
"Father, are you saying that the person behind this wants the young marquis to die at the hands of the crown prince's faction? Even if the marquis won't actually do anything to the crown prince, he won't support him anymore. Could it be that the person behind this is...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Doctor You covered her mouth.
"Don't speak recklessly. We can understand, and your lord must have long understood the interests involved. However, to dare to use the heir of the Marquis of Anding as a scapegoat, it seems that the person behind this is truly arrogant and disdainful of everyone!"
Mu Xiao didn't reply, but her expression turned serious. The current emperor has seven sons and two daughters.
Three princes died young, leaving only the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Sixth Prince.
The Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince were born to the Empress, and the Sixth Prince was frail and sickly.
Therefore, he believed it couldn't have been the sixth prince who did it...
The fourth prince was born to a princess from the Jingyue Kingdom who was sent as a marriage alliance, and he was not qualified to succeed to the throne!
The second prince's mother was the eldest daughter of Lu Chongwen, the Grand Tutor of the court.
Grand Tutor Lu was loyal only to the Emperor and did not allow any members of his clan to interfere in the struggle for the throne.
Mu Xiao racked her brains but still couldn't figure out who was behind it all...
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