Twenty-seven
As dawn broke, three swift horses galloped along the official road back to the capital, their hooves pounding the morning dew. After a night of travel, all three showed signs of fatigue, but the sharpness in their eyes remained undiminished.
"At this rate, we should be back in Bianjing before noon." Bai Yutang wiped the dust from his face. "Cat, do you think Chai Wenyi will do something rash if he discovers the secret letter is missing?"
Zhan Zhao's expression was grave: "He has been cultivating this for many years; he will not sit idly by and wait for his doom. We must present the evidence to the Emperor before he takes any action."
Xuanyuan Tianyi suddenly reined in his horse, his sharp gaze fixed on the dense forest beside the road: "Someone's there."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, dozens of figures sprang out of the forest, the leader of whom was none other than Ziyun, whom they hadn't seen for many days. She was still beautiful and charming, but her eyes were filled with resentment and malice.
"Zhan Zhao, hand over the items," Zi Yun said coldly, "or today will be your death day."
Bai Yutang, enraged, laughed coldly: "That Chai Wenyi! He even sends his own princess to do such a sham!"
A flicker of pain crossed Ziyun's eyes, quickly replaced by ruthlessness: "Since you refuse to listen to reason, don't blame me for being impolite!"
With a wave of her hand, the men in black behind her immediately formed a battle formation. These men were clearly more well-trained than the assassins they had encountered before, their movements subtly adhering to military strategy.
Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously. The Giant Sword and the Shadow Sword combined, their sword light weaving like silk, instantly forcing back the few who were charging at the front.
However, these men in black coordinated extremely well, forming groups of three and nine, and completely neutralized Zhan Zhao and his companion's attacks. Even more alarming was their apparent familiarity with Zhan Zhao's swordsmanship, allowing them to predict his moves every time.
Xuanyuan Tian brandished her long whip, attempting to break through the battle formation, but was entangled by another group of men in black. She quickly realized something: "These people have practiced combined attack techniques, specifically designed to deal with experts."
Zhan Zhao also sensed something was wrong. These people's moves seemed ordinary, but their coordination was seamless, clearly indicating that they had undergone special training specifically designed to counter experts like him and Bai Yutang.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Zhan Zhao suddenly noticed a detail: all the men in black had an inconspicuous emblem embroidered on their sleeves—it was the family crest of the late Grand Tutor!
"I see." Zhan Zhao exclaimed in sudden realization, "Chai Wenyi has actually recruited the Grand Tutor's former subordinates!"
The Grand Tutor was renowned for training assassins during his lifetime, and these men in black must be his legacy. No wonder they are so familiar with the martial arts styles of Jianghu masters.
Having realized this, Zhan Zhao immediately changed his strategy. He no longer pursued sophisticated techniques, but instead used the most basic sword moves to deal with the situation, while secretly observing the patterns of the battle formation.
Bai Yutang understood, and the swordplay of Huaying became simple and unadorned. The two abandoned their usual agile and unpredictable style, using clumsiness to overcome skill, and gradually turned the tide.
Xuan Yuan Tianyi went even further, focusing her long whip attacks on the lower body to disrupt the opponent's formation. Her whip techniques were unpredictable and caught the black-clad men, who were accustomed to orthodox martial arts, off guard.
The tide of battle began to turn.
Seeing this, Ziyun gritted her teeth and took out a jade flute from her sleeve. The flute's melody was mournful and disturbing. Zhan Zhao felt his blood surge and his old chest wound throb.
"Siming's poison has not been completely eliminated, and this flute music can aggravate the remaining poison!" Xuanyuan Tianyi said urgently, his long whip aimed straight at Ziyun.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, and a troop of imperial guards galloped in. The leading general shouted, "By order of the Emperor, arrest the traitors!"
Ziyun's expression changed drastically, and the flute music stopped abruptly. She glared fiercely at Zhan Zhao, then led the remaining men in black into the forest.
The imperial guard general dismounted and saluted: "Lord Zhan, the Emperor has decreed that you must enter the palace immediately."
Zhan Zhao and Xuan Yuantian exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. It seemed that something unexpected had happened in Bianjing City that they were unaware of.
Back in Bianjing, the atmosphere was indeed different from usual. There were noticeably more patrolling soldiers on the streets, and the people were hurrying about, with the entire city shrouded in a tense atmosphere.
Zhan Zhao didn't even have time to return to his residence to change his clothes before heading directly to the palace with the Imperial Guards. To his surprise, Xuan Yuan Tianyi was also summoned at the same time.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhao Zhen's face was gloomy, while the Eighth Prince and Bao Zheng stood on either side, their expressions equally solemn.
"Guard Zhan, you've come at the perfect time." Zhao Zhen threw a memorial on the ground. "Take a look. This is the joint memorial submitted by the Censorate this morning."
Zhan Zhao picked up the memorial and became increasingly alarmed as he read it. The memorial accused him of colluding with Jianghu forces and having ulterior motives, and further claimed that his previous poisoning in Fangzhou was a ruse to gain the trust of the imperial court.
"Absurd!" Zhan Zhao knelt and reported, "Your Majesty, you are wise enough to judge! I am utterly loyal to the court and have no other intentions whatsoever!"
Bao Zheng stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I am willing to stake my life on the character of Guard Zhan. This is clearly a deliberate frame-up!"
The Eighth Prince also said, "This old minister believes that this matter is definitely related to Chai Wenyi."
Zhao Zhen sighed deeply, "I naturally trust Protector Zhan. But there's much discussion in the court these days, and I can't ignore it." He looked at Zhan Zhao, "Did you gain anything from your trip to Fangzhou?"
Zhan Zhao immediately produced the secret letters: "I found these secret letters in the Fangzhou military camp, which are sufficient to prove that Chai Wenyi is secretly amassing troops and intends to rebel. Furthermore, I discovered that he is colluding with the former subordinates of the late Grand Tutor."
Zhao Zhen carefully examined the secret letter, his face growing increasingly grim: "That Chai Wenyi! He dares to set up a private military camp and collude with traitors!"
Just then, a commotion arose outside the hall. A eunuch rushed in, panicked: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Empress Dowager has fainted!"
Everyone was shocked. Zhao Zhen immediately stood up: "What happened?"
"When the Empress Dowager heard that Prince Zheng had been falsely accused of treason, she was so enraged that..."
Zhan Zhao was shocked. Chai Wenyi had indeed kept a backup plan, and had even persuaded the Empress Dowager to support him.
Zhao Zhen hurriedly went to Cining Palace, and Zhan Zhao and others naturally followed.
Inside the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager lay on her bed, her face pale. Seeing Zhao Zhen enter, she said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, Wenyi is someone I watched grow up; he would never rebel. Someone must have framed him!"
As she spoke, she glanced at Zhan Zhao, seemingly unintentionally.
Zhao Zhen reassured her gently, "Mother, rest assured, I will definitely find out the truth."
After leaving the Cining Palace, Zhao Zhen called Zhan Zhao aside and whispered, "Zhan Zhao, you've seen the situation now. The Empress Dowager trusts Chai Wenyi implicitly, and many ministers in court are speaking up for him. These secret letters alone may not be enough to convince the public."
Zhan Zhao understood the Emperor's predicament. Chai Wenyi had cultivated his influence in the court for many years, his power was deeply entrenched, and he also had the Empress Dowager's backing. To bring him down, irrefutable evidence was needed.
"Your Majesty, I understand," Zhan Zhao said in a deep voice. "I will continue the investigation and will be determined to find conclusive evidence."
Back in Kaifeng, Bai Yutang was already waiting. After hearing Zhan Zhao's account of the situation in the palace, he was furious, jumping up and down in anger: "That fox! He even brought up the Empress Dowager!"
Xuan Yuan Tianyi, however, remained calm: "Since Chai Wenyi dared to rebel, he must have been prepared. However..." A slight smile played on her lips, "The more he acts this way, the more flaws he reveals."
Zhan Zhao nodded: "That's right. The most urgent task is to find irrefutable evidence that he has secretly amassed troops. Secret letters alone are not enough; we need witnesses and physical evidence."
Gongsun Ce pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps we can start with the Grand Tutor's former subordinates. Since these people serve Chai Wenyi, they must know a lot of inside information."
Bao Zheng said, "This prefecture has already sent people to investigate the whereabouts of the Grand Tutor's former subordinates. However, these people are elusive and will likely be difficult to find."
Just then, Wang Chao came to report: "My lord, someone outside the mansion is requesting an audience, saying they have important news concerning the Grand Tutor's former subordinates."
Zhan Zhao and Bao Zheng exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. It was truly a case of speaking of the devil and he appears.
The visitor was a middle-aged scholar who introduced himself as surnamed Chen and said he was originally a staff member in the Grand Tutor's mansion.
"I know the hiding place of the Grand Tutor's former subordinates," Mr. Chen said in a low voice, "but they are heavily guarded, and getting close is as difficult as climbing to the sky."
Zhan Zhao asked, "Why are you telling us this, sir?"
Mr. Chen sighed deeply: "The Grand Tutor treated me well during his lifetime, and I do not want to see the legacy he left behind used by Chai Wenyi to wreak havoc on the court."
Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow: "You make it sound so easy. Who knows if this is just another trap?"
Mr. Chen readily replied, "I am willing to personally lead the way to demonstrate my sincerity."
Zhan Zhao pondered for a moment, then said to Bao Zheng, "My lord, I think it's worth a try."
Bao Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, Guard Zhan, you take some men and go with Mr. Chen to investigate. Remember, be careful in everything you do."
Zhan Zhao accepted the order and was about to leave when Xuan Yuan Tianyi suddenly said, "I'll go with you."
She looked at Zhan Zhao: "There are many talented and extraordinary people among the Grand Tutor's former subordinates. With me here, there will be more support."
Zhan Zhao felt a warmth in his heart and nodded in agreement.
Under the cover of night, the group quietly left the city with Mr. Chen. This time, they would confront Chai Wenyi's most hidden power and uncover a shocking conspiracy.
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