Night Thieves and Murder
The night was deep and all was quiet.
A dark figure, as swift as a ghost, precisely evaded the patrolling guards and infiltrated the heart of the Duan Prince's residence—Ling Yuan's study. The intruder moved with lightning speed, possessing an uncanny knowledge of the interior layout. It was none other than the nanny who usually supervised Yan Shu's medication!
With a clear objective, she headed straight for the bookshelf, her fingertips flitting among several military treatises until she quickly found a hidden compartment. Her breath quickened instantly; success or failure hinged on this! The prince was investigating the medicine and had ordered it to be stopped; all related records had to be destroyed before the evidence was solidified!
My fingertips were about to touch the slightly curled page—
"Looking for this?"
A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind!
The old woman trembled violently and turned around abruptly. In the shadows, she saw Ling Ying, the leader of Ling Yuan's secret guards, clutching the few pieces of paper she had been longing for.
It's over! Despair and madness flashed in the old woman's eyes. She slid out a poisoned dagger from her sleeve, sprang up, and thrust it straight at Ling Ying's throat!
Ling Ying didn't move at all; she simply flicked her wrist, and a flash of dark light appeared.
"Ugh!" The old woman groaned as her wrist was instantly pierced by the black gold dart, and her short dagger fell to the ground. Ling Ying's figure blurred as he closed in, his finger precisely pointing at the back of her neck.
The old woman's vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.
Ling Ying expressionlessly picked up her unconscious prey and, just as she had come, silently disappeared into the darkness.
...
The following day, in the courtyard of Prince Duan's residence.
Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the stone table. Lingyuan, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, sat reading in the courtyard. Yan Shu sat beside him, but her mind was not entirely focused on the book; her gaze frequently drifted to the man beside her, who exuded a rare air of ease.
Ling Ying appeared silently and bowed: "Your Highness, Your Highness's Consort."
Ling Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the book: "Hmm."
"Just as Your Highness predicted, someone broke into the study last night with the intention of stealing records related to the Princess's medicine." Ling Ying's tone was calm.
Yan Shu tightened her grip on the book. Even though someone dared to steal from the Prince Duan's mansion, her heart sank, and she subconsciously looked at Ling Yuan.
Ling Yuan then looked up and glanced at her profile: "Where is she?"
"We've apprehended her. She was the nanny who came with the princess as part of her dowry. She confessed that she was instructed by the Cui family to destroy evidence."
Yan Shu's breath hitched. Although she knew it was related to the Cui family, the fact that it was so blatantly confirmed still sent a chill down her spine.
"Where...where else did she go?" she asked.
Ling Ying glanced at Ling Yuan and, after receiving his tacit approval, replied, "According to her confession, she went to Lingxiao Pavilion before sneaking into the study."
Yan Shu asked in surprise, "She came into my room?"
“Yes. She entered the princess’s bedroom to find out if the princess had left behind any medicine residue or other items, intending to destroy the evidence.” Ling Ying paused, her gaze towards Yan Shu carrying a hint of helplessness. “The princess must have been sleeping very soundly last night and didn’t notice.”
Ling Yuan's gaze shifted completely from the book to Yan Shu's face, scrutinizing her with obvious displeasure.
"Sleeping so soundly?" His voice was low, but every word was icy. "If she had malicious intentions at the time, not to seek evidence but to assassinate someone, what would you have done?"
Yan Shu's cheeks flushed instantly. She lowered her head: "Your Majesty...I know I was wrong."
Ling Yuan sighed helplessly and remained silent, turning his gaze back to Ling Ying.
Ling Ying understood and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do with that old woman?"
The courtyard was very quiet, with only the sound of the wind and the soft hum of the teapot.
Lingyuan picked up the teacup, brought it to his lips, and spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about the weather, without even lifting his eyelids.
“Kill him.”
Two words, light and airy, yet carrying a resolute and cold tone.
Yan Shu suddenly looked up at him in disbelief. Although she knew that the old woman was not one of their people, the fact that the word "kill" was uttered so easily still made her heart tremble and a chill run down her spine.
Lingyuan seemed oblivious, sipped his tea, put it down, picked up the book again, his expression focused as if he had just dealt with a trivial chore.
Ling Ying remained expressionless, bowed, and said, "Yes." She quietly withdrew to carry out the order.
The sun shone brightly, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air. Looking at Ling Yuan's calm profile, she realized for the first time with such clarity that this husband, who had once given her warm jade and taken her horseback riding, was also the Prince Duan, a man of life and death, decisive and ruthless.
...
Meanwhile, in the study of Prime Minister Cui's residence.
"Dead?!" Cui Chong stood up abruptly, his face ashen. He smashed a teacup on the ground with a jarring sound. "How could we have been exposed?!"
Crown Prince Xuan Shuo sat below, his face grim: "Grandfather! Now is not the time to pursue this! She died at Ling Yuan's hands, and her body was even sent back to the back gate of the Prime Minister's residence. What does this mean?!"
Cui Chong's chest heaved violently. Of course he knew! The nanny was someone he had planted in the Prince's residence. If Ling Yuan hadn't rigorously investigated the medicine, he would never have used her so easily. And now, caught red-handed… this was tantamount to telling Ling Yuan that the medicine was problematic, and he was the mastermind! It seemed he was destined to be at odds with Prince Duan. And what about his Shu'er… sigh…
"They...find out..." Cui Chong's voice trembled as he slumped back into his chair. "Ling Yuan will never let this go..."
Xuan Shuo's eyes darkened: "He enjoys the Emperor's favor and has also seized on our weaknesses! We must make plans soon, or we can sit and wait to die!"
Cui Chong closed his eyes, exhaustion washing over him. One wrong step led to another. He had intended to control his daughter, this pawn, to prevent her from bearing children, to keep an eye on Prince Duan, and to make her theirs. Now, however, he might be setting himself up for disaster, shaking the very foundation of the family.
The study was deathly silent. A storm had quietly brewed because of the "tonic" that had been discontinued.
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