conspiracy
...
Shen Rou was forced to look up, but still managed a smile: "Then, Your Highness... how do you intend to punish me?"
Yan Zhan suddenly pulled her off the dragon bed!
Shen Rou stumbled and fell onto the Persian carpet. Before she could get up, Yan Zhan grabbed her by the back of the neck and pressed her against the dragon bed. The emperor's snoring was so close to her ear that she could even smell the lingering stench of alcohol on his sleeves.
“Since the mission failed…” Yan Zhan leaned down, his thin lips brushing against her earlobe, “you should atone for your sins by his side.”
Shen Rou's pupils contracted slightly, then she smiled: "Your Highness has such a cruel heart..." Before she could finish speaking, the sound of tearing silk suddenly rang out!
Yan Zhan tore open her gauze robe, his fingertips rubbing heavily over the kiss marks left by the emperor: "Let me see if you treat me the same way he did."
...
On the gilded candlestick, the last drop of red tear fell.
Her long, soft hair was disheveled, and her fingernails dug deeply into the woven pattern of the carpet. Behind her was Yan Zhan's burning chest, and before her lay the sleeping body of the emperor.
The gold hairpin in her hair repeatedly struck the carved dragon bed, its tinkling sound like a death knell.
“The trade treaty…” she gasped, grabbing Yan Zhan’s wrist, “page seven…”
Yan Zhan bit her shoulder hard: "Now you want to atone for your sins?"
The gauze curtains fluttered wildly, shadowy figures whispered, and a glimpse of a crescent moon outside the window caught my eye.
When the fifth watch gong sounded, Yan Zhan had already disappeared into the night.
Shen Rou lay sprawled amidst the mess on the floor, slowly and methodically fastening her sash. On the bed, the emperor suddenly mumbled something and turned over.
"My beloved concubine..." he mumbled incoherently.
She gently stroked his cheek and said, "Your Majesty, I am here." But with her fingertips, she placed a pill into his mouth.
Even though Yan Zhan used a bewitching incense when he came, she still felt she needed an extra layer of protection.
Worry-Free Powder can make people forget the absurdity of last night.
She gazed at the brightening sky outside the window, and chuckled softly:
"The real show... has only just begun."
*
Inside the study of the Marquis of Zhenyuan's residence.
Xu Qingyao recounted what she had seen the previous night in detail: "Those guards were definitely not Consort Xiao's men. The cinnabar mud on their boots was something only found in Nanzhao."
Xiao Zhouyan's gaze darkened, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "The Second Prince, Chu Chengjing, sent someone to Nanzhao a few days ago..."
“Unless someone is deliberately pretending,” Xu Qingyao continued, “I suspect that someone is trying to sow discord between Consort Xiao and the Marquis of Anyang’s residence.”
*
Three days later.
As dawn broke, Shen Rou had finished dressing. She carefully drew her eyebrows in front of the bronze mirror, then lightly dipped her fingertip into the rouge box, staining her lips a vibrant, blood-red hue.
"Your Majesty, before the Regent left the palace, he left this." The personal maid knelt down and presented a black iron token, which was engraved with the wolf head pattern unique to the secret guards of the Li Kingdom.
Shen Rou took the token, her fingertips tracing the cold patterns, and suddenly chuckled, "He's certainly willing to spend a lot."
With this token, all the Li Kingdom assassins lurking in Shangjing can be mobilized.
In her previous life, she only obtained this token when she was in the Li Kingdom.
Shen Rou got up and walked to the window. Looking at the gradually brightening sky, a calculating glint flashed in her eyes.
"Go tell Princess Anyang that I have acquired several bolts of Jiangnan brocade and invite her to choose them together this afternoon."
The palace maid hesitated and said, "The princess just had such a shameful incident a few days ago, I'm afraid she's not in the mood for anything..."
Shen Rou's red lips curved slightly: "Precisely because of the scandal, she needs me, her 'confidante,' even more."
At the same time, at the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence.
Hurried footsteps came from outside the study, and Wei Er rushed in: "General, I just received a secret report that the Li Kingdom delegation suddenly requested to inspect the grain ships to be transported tomorrow!"
"As expected, they've arrived." Xiao Zhouyan sneered. "Pass down the order to prepare according to the third plan."
*
In the afternoon, a subtle fragrance wafted through the Lichun Palace.
Princess Anyang's eyes were red and swollen, and the handkerchief in her hand was twisted beyond recognition: "Your Majesty, I truly don't know what happened last night..."
Shen Rou gently wiped away her tears: "Silly child, of course I believe you. As for that Vice Minister of Justice, he looks so refined, I never expected him to be so reckless."
She personally poured a cup of calming tea and handed it over: "This is to soothe the nerves. I have already asked the Emperor to keep this matter confidential."
The "Dream Powder" added to the tea can make people obedient to the person administering the medicine for three days.
After Princess Anyang left in a daze, Shen Rou turned and walked into the inner room. Behind the screen, a man in black knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, Xiao Zhouyan has dispatched heavy troops to guard the canal wharf."
Shen Rou played with the token Yan Zhan had given her, then suddenly chuckled: "Pass down the order, abandon the original plan, and take..." she lowered her voice, "the route to the western suburban hunting grounds."
The night was as dark as ink at the western hunting grounds.
Xiao Zhouyan stood atop the high slope, his black armor reflecting the cold moonlight, while three hundred elite cavalrymen behind him remained silent.
"General, there's movement in the dense forest ahead," the lieutenant whispered.
Xiao Zhouyan's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand to signal: "Archers, prepare."
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly rose in the distance, and a group of people galloped in. The leader was a man in silver armor and a white robe, none other than the Fifth Prince, Chu Huaijin.
"General Xiao!" Chu Huaijin reined in his horse and stopped, his brows revealing a youthful sharpness. "I received a secret report that the Li Kingdom's assassins intend to use the hunting grounds to sneak in. I have come to lend you a hand!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Zhouyan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Your Highness should not have taken such a risk."
Chu Huaijin chuckled: "This concerns the safety of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How can I stand idly by?"
Deep in the dense forest, shadowy figures moved about.
As soon as Shen Rou's Li Kingdom assassins infiltrated the hunting grounds, torches suddenly lit up and a rain of arrows rained down from the sky!
"An ambush!" the leader of the assassins shouted, drawing his sword to parry.
Xiao Zhouyan drew his longsword and charged straight into the enemy ranks like a tiger descending a mountain. The Fifth Prince was not to be outdone; he swept his silver spear across, knocking down two men in black.
Deep in the dense forest, Zhao Chen, a confidant of the Second Prince Chu Chengjing, remained hidden in the shadows, coldly observing the battle.
"Your Highness guessed correctly; the Fifth Prince has indeed joined forces with Xiao Zhouyan," the man in black whispered. "Should we make our move now?"
"No rush." Zhao Chen smiled coldly. "We'll wait until they and the Li people are both exhausted before we reap the benefits."
The battle was fierce, and amidst the flashing swords, the Lebanese warriors were beginning to show signs of defeat.
“The Li Kingdom’s assassins won’t last long.” The man in black observed the situation in the forest.
Zhao Chen's eyes were sinister: "If that's the case... then let them all die here together."
He raised his hand and waved, and dozens of black-clad crossbowmen silently approached, their arrows coated with poison, gleaming coldly.
"Release the arrows!"
The poisoned arrow pierced the air, heading straight for Xiao Zhouyan and Chu Huaijin's backs!
"General, be careful!"
The fifth prince swung his sword to parry, the arrow grazing his arm and leaving a bloody mark.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
Xiao Zhouyan turned around and kicked the arrow into a tree to the side.
His eyes suddenly turned cold as he looked toward the direction from which the arrows had come, where several men in black were retreating rapidly.
Not a Lebanese...
*
When the news reached Lichun Palace, Shen Rou was combing her hair.
"Your Majesty, the mission has failed." The guard knelt down and reported, "Xiao Zhouyan was prepared, and the Fifth Prince also arrived with his troops. Our men... were all wiped out."
Chen Rou paused, and the jade comb slammed onto the dressing table with a "thud".
"Yan Zhan..." A cold glint flashed in her eyes, "You dare to scheme against me!"
She should have realized that Yan Zhan was still the same Yan Zhan...
Everyone was a pawn in his game, to be discarded when necessary. She naively believed that Yan Zhan allowed her to command the assassins of Li Kingdom because he trusted her.
It was merely a ploy to instigate conflict between the three parties.
She gently stroked her neatly combed hair, a resolute glint in her eyes.
Since Yan Zhan is unrighteous, don't blame me for being unjust!
She picked up her pen and wrote a secret letter, which she then handed to her trusted palace maid:
“Send it to…the Third Princess.”
*
At the same time, at the Second Prince's residence.
"Useless trash!" Chu Chengjing kicked Zhao Chen to the ground. "The Fifth Prince and Xiao Zhouyan are both still alive?!"
Zhao Chen gritted his teeth: "Your Highness, Xiao Zhouyan was prepared, our people..."
"Shut up!" Chu Chengjing's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Since the covert approach doesn't work, then—"
He slammed his hand on the table: "Send a message to Yangzhou, and have Xu Zhiyuan 'accidentally' die during the bandit suppression!"
*
The following day, at the Zichen Palace.
"Absurd!" Emperor Chu Huaiyuan angrily slammed his teacup down. "The Li Kingdom delegation is still in the capital, how could they send people to intercept and kill a caravan?!"
The Fifth Prince knelt down and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Father, I saw with my own eyes that those assassins all had tattoos of the Li Kingdom's secret guards on their bodies!"
Xiao Zhouyan said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this matter is strange. Since the Li Kingdom has come to seek peace, why would it destroy its own Great Wall? I'm afraid... someone is framing us."
The Fifth Prince, Chu Huaijin, also said in a deep voice, "Your subject suspects that someone wants to use the name of the Li Kingdom to incite conflict between the two countries!"
The emperor's eyes turned icy: "Investigate! Investigate this thoroughly!"
The second prince stood in the corner, his fingertips digging deeply into his palms.
*
Thirty li outside Yangzhou City lies Black Cloud Village.
Xu Zhiyuan led his troops to annihilate the bandits, only to find the stronghold empty except for a few corpses, all of whom had been killed with a single stab to the throat.
"My lord, these bandits... seem to have been silenced," the guard reported after examining the bodies.
Xu Zhiyuan crouched down and took out half a token from the body of a corpse—the character "Li" was faintly visible.
A Lebanese? Or... was someone framed?
His gaze darkened slightly, when suddenly he heard the soft tinkling of a bowstring in the woods—
"Whoosh!"
A cold arrow aimed straight for his throat!
Xu Zhiyuan dodged to the side, drawing his longsword: "There's an ambush!"
Dozens of men in black emerged from the forest, their moves ruthless, clearly well-trained assassins!
"Protect the master!" The guards formed a battle formation to meet the enemy, blood splattering everywhere.
In the chaos of battle, Xu Zhiyuan's sword was stained with blood when he suddenly saw a masked man aiming a hidden arrow at his back—
"Clang!"
A willow-leaf dart flew through the air, deflecting the hidden arrow!
A red figure swooped down from the treetop like a swallow, a long sword flashed, and two assassins fell to the ground.
The woman pulled off her veil, revealing a strikingly handsome face with sharp almond-shaped eyes and a smile playing on her lips: "My lord, do you need any help?"
Xu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow: "Who are you, young lady?"
With a flourish of her sword, Liu Rushuang felled another assassin: "Just passing by, I can't stand seeing the numbers bully the weak!"
Her movements were agile, her swordsmanship sharp, and every move aimed directly at vital points. Her style was completely different from Xu Zhiyuan's steady swordsmanship, yet they complemented each other perfectly.
Seeing the situation was dire, the assassin blew his whistle and retreated. Liu Rushuang wanted to give chase, but Xu Zhiyuan raised his hand to stop her: "Miss, wait a moment. Don't pursue a desperate enemy."
She sheathed her sword, crossed her arms, and looked him up and down: "You're quite an interesting person. You're being chased but you won't let the chase happen to you?"
Xu Zhiyuan found a letter on the assassin's body, unfolded it, and his eyes turned cold.
It was written by the Second Prince, Chu Chengjing!
*
Half a month ago, Xu Zhiyuan was ordered by the emperor to go south to Yangzhou.
The Yangtze River was shrouded in mist as the official boat slowly approached the shore. Zhou Xian, the governor of Yangzhou, and his officials greeted him at the dock with beaming smiles: "Lord Xu, you must be tired from your journey. I have prepared a welcoming banquet for you. Please do me the honor of joining us."
Xu Zhiyuan, dressed in an indigo official robe, had a handsome face, but his eyes were sharp as blades. He nodded slightly: "Lord Zhou, you are too kind. I have come by imperial decree and have important business to attend to, so please excuse the banquet."
Zhou Xian's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said, "Yes, yes, my lord is diligent, I admire you."
This Minister of Personnel was indeed as cold and unapproachable as rumored.
Yangzhou government office, late at night.
Xu Zhiyuan flipped through the files, his fingertip lightly tapping on a list: "The Grand Canal Transport Office has been in deficit for years, yet not a single person has reported it?"
The confidant whispered, "My lord, I have secretly investigated and found that the officials in Yangzhou are all in cahoots, and their accounts are kept airtight."
Xu Zhiyuan sneered: "Not a drop of water leaked? Then I'll just flip this pot."
The following day, he raided the canal transport office and captured the clerk who was falsifying the accounts. Under severe torture, the clerk confessed to being the mastermind behind it all—Zheng Min, the Prefect of Yangzhou.
Zheng Min is a man of the Second Prince.
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