Fish Meat – Chapter 192

The Fourth Year of Zhao Wu

Secrets in the Sleeve (12)

“The Emperor has gone to the Wei residence?”

            

As a General of the Zhuiyue Army, Zhen Wenjun was surprisingly the last to know of the Emperor’s whereabouts. If not for a trusted subordinate she had personally promoted secretly informing her, she wouldn’t have noticed anything at all.

Usually, she didn’t mind merely holding a title without actual power to command the Zhuiyue Army, having never even seen the military command tablet. She understood Li Yanyi’s wariness of her and had never thought about controlling the Zhuiyue Army, focusing instead on increasing grain production in Sudu and ensuring the smooth official appointments of Bu Jie, Ah Xi, Zhu Maosan, and others.

She had thought Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu were merely engaging in secret maneuvers. Even though the pretense of cordiality was gone, they were evenly matched now – neither would be foolish enough to make an immediate move.

            

So why would Li Yanyi go to the Wei residence? If she was targeting Wei Tingxu, she should have gone to the Secretariat Supervisor’s residence instead.

Zhen Wenjun walked along the floating bridge deep in thought when the treetops ahead swayed slightly, followed by a soft “pa” sound as something fell into the tea pavilion.

She carefully observed the courtyard wall, catching a glimpse of a dark shadow that appeared only briefly before vanishing.

            

She entered the tea pavilion and found a rolled-up bark letter with half a pine needle inserted in it – a message from the spy she had sent north.

Zhen Wenjun quickly stepped forward to unfold the letter. After speed-reading it, she was momentarily stunned with disbelief. When she came to her senses, she was struck with anxiety and immediately ran down from the tea pavilion.

“What’s wrong, sister?” Zhu Maosan saw her running hurriedly outside and called out.

            

“Gege! Prepare the horses, we’re leaving!”

“Huh? Where to?”

Just as Zhen Wenjun was about to speak, she collided head-on with Bu Jie, who was rushing in from outside, nearly sending him flying.

            

“Wensheng!”

Bu Jie’s face was anxious, his cheeks flushed and forehead covered in sweat, clearly having received the news: “The Emperor has brought people…”

“No need to say more, I already know!” Zhen Wenjun waved her hand, “Prepare the horses!”

            

Zhu Maosan grabbed Bu Jie to question him further. Bu Jie whispered in his ear that the Wei family’s lord was critically ill and likely wouldn’t last much longer.

“The Wei family? Hasn’t Wenjun meimei fallen out with them? They married but sleep in separate rooms – wasn’t it all just for show? That Wei family young lady even pushed our sister into a pond, didn’t she!”

Bu Jie let out an “ai”, too tired to explain further: “Why are you scrutinizing the couple’s private affairs? A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, let alone when two women are involved. Lady Zhen has her own plans; we just need to assist her.”

            

While Zhu Maosan was still confused, Bu Jie gave him a forceful pat on the back: “Hurry and prepare the horses! Don’t let the lady face danger alone!”

On the way to the Wei residence, Zhen Wenjun’s cold sweat never ceased.

The border situation and Wei Lun’s life were the two most crucial elements in the conflict between Li Yanyi and Wei Tingxu. The spy Zhen Wenjun had sent north reported that the Yu Army had won a victory in the northern frontier and was riding high on success – Li Yanyi must be beaming with joy. Yesterday morning, after someone came from the Wei family, Wei Tingxu had hurriedly left the residence, her whereabouts still unknown. Thinking about it now, only Wei Lun’s condition could have caused such urgency.

            

Having secured the northern frontier and now facing a mortal enemy on their deathbed, Li Yanyi would likely seize this opportunity to eliminate the Wei family in one stroke! If she forced her way into the residence this time, a bloodbath wouldn’t be surprising!

Zhen Wenjun gripped the reins tightly. She had already sent Ah Xi to gather soldiers and rush to the Wei residence. Of course, these troops couldn’t wear armor and weapons, or she would be guilty of mobilizing troops in the capital – a treasonous offense. She didn’t have many trustworthy soldiers, two hundred at most. These people wearing commoners’ clothes heading to the Wei residence wouldn’t draw much attention.

Originally, Zhen Wenjun had planned to gradually promote her trusted subordinates, secretly building up power, but who knew the court situation would change so rapidly? The Li-Wei conflict had suddenly reached a life-or-death moment, while she was still as if in a dream!

            

With just two streets to go before reaching the Wei residence, Zhen Wenjun felt something was amiss. How could Wei Tingxu not have thought of what she herself had realized? How could Li Yanyi enter the Wei residence rashly without any precautions? Wasn’t she afraid it might be a trap?

Setting a trap to kill the Emperor in the capital – forget about actually doing it, few would even dare to think of such a thing.

But Wei Tingxu would dare, she definitely would.

            

Could Li Yanyi not guess this? Could Wei Tingxu not have thought of it?

Plots within plots, schemes within schemes, countless possibilities pierced Zhen Wenjun’s heart like arrows in the rain, increasing her anxiety. She cracked her whip twice heavily; the stallion beneath her was more cumbersome than Xiaoxue, and though it sped up after feeling the sting, it still couldn’t reach her desired speed. The fire in her heart burned unbearably.

When the Emperor’s procession arrived at the Wei residence, everyone from the Wei family knelt at the entrance to welcome the imperial carriage.

            

Wei Tingxu knelt in the leftmost position of the second row, head bowed.

Over a hundred Zhuiyue soldiers went ahead to clear the path, wearing cold gleaming armor and holding long sabers. Upon entering the Wei residence, they made a circuit of the premises. Only after confirming there were no ambushes did they form two rows in the courtyard, creating a safe passage. Only then did Guang Shaoling lift the imperial carriage curtain as everyone respectfully welcomed the Emperor.

Li Yanyi stepped out of the imperial carriage and helped the Wei family matron to her feet. Seeing she had grown quite haggard, she inquired about Wei Lun’s condition.

            

The Wei family matron said Lord Wei had been gravely ill for many days with an incurable affliction. All of Runing’s renowned physicians had examined him, saying the same as the imperial physicians Her Majesty had sent – he was at death’s door, with barely a breath left. After speaking, the Wei family matron wiped away tears with sobs, and Li Yanyi consoled her before moving to enter the residence.

At this moment, Xiaohua stood up and walked toward Li Yanyi.

Li Yanyi’s gaze sharpened, and the surrounding Zhuiyue soldiers immediately closed in. After the uniform sound of drawn blades, more than ten gleaming sabers were held at Xiaohua’s neck. No matter how skilled her martial arts, she wasn’t truly made of copper and iron [銅澆鐵鑄 | tóng jiāo tiě zhù | idiom meaning indestructible] – when blades fell, heads would roll, and life would certainly be lost.

            

The Wei family matron was startled by this scene, while the Wei sons exchanged glances in secret. Wei Tingxu kept her head bowed, as if unaware of what was happening.

“Your Majesty,” Xiaohua showed no sign of panic as she respectfully bowed, “This servant will guide Your Majesty inside. Lord Wei has been respectfully waiting for some time.”

Guang Shaoling stood to the side, carefully examining Xiaohua to confirm she carried no weapons. The Zhuiyue Army had overreacted, making the Emperor appear timid and weak.

            

“Stand down,” Li Yanyi commanded clearly, “What manner of protocol is this, being startled without cause!”

“Yes!” The Zhuiyue soldiers lowered their blades and retreated to Li Yanyi’s side. Their formations were tight and movements fluid – they could subdue anyone approaching in the blink of an eye, clearly having undergone extremely rigorous training. Even a peerless expert would find it difficult to get near the Emperor.

Without looking back, Xiaohua headed into the residence. Li Yanyi followed under the Zhuiyue Army’s escort, with the Wei family members and servants trailing at the very end.

            

Crossing the courtyard to reach the bedchamber, Li Yanyi could smell the strong scent of medicine even at the door.

“Your Majesty,” Wei Tingxu approached the entrance and prostrated herself, “Family Lord awaits Your Majesty inside. Due to his illness, he fears he cannot rise to welcome Your Majesty. Please forgive this offense.”

Wei Tingxu’s implicit meaning was for Li Yanyi to enter and see Wei Lun. Guang Shaoling narrowed his eyes – such audacity! Just as he was about to rebuke her, Li Yanyi said: “Lord Wei has devoted himself wholly to Da Yu’s service with meritorious achievements. Now gravely ill and bedridden, how could We blame him?”

            

Wei Tingxu kowtowed, rose, and opened the door for her.

Zhen Wenjun’s horse galloped through the marketplace, its thundering hooves causing pedestrians to feel uneasy from afar and scatter to make way.

She rode too fast for Bu Jie and the others to keep up.

            

The Wei family had hidden guards, not just the few servants visible on the surface. The Wei family’s experts were all concealed in the shadows – at the first sign of danger, they would surely appear instantly, catching Li Yanyi off guard! Moreover, Xiaohua had now been purged of all toxins, her abilities unfathomable and unpredictable.

Wei Tingxu’s schemes rarely failed, and so she had one fatal flaw – excessive confidence.

The bedchamber door opened slowly, the medicinal smell growing more pungent.

            

Wei Lun lay on the sickbed, his eye sockets sunken like a dried corpse. At first glance, Li Yanyi couldn’t even recognize him.

Wei Tingxu stood silently by the open door.

The light smoke from the incense burner at the bedside rose straight up, everything in the room’s stillness seeming deliberately arranged, waiting for Li Yanyi to enter.

            

Guang Shaoling stared intently at Wei Tingxu’s eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of satisfaction from her impending scheme’s success.

A string of dark shadows moved with extreme speed along the courtyard tree trunks to the top. The lush leaves appeared incredibly dense from the outside, concealing a pathway trimmed for people to pass through.

“Don’t worry about my safety,” Wei Jing’an had specifically instructed Wei Tingxu before leaving the Wei residence, “Li Yanyi wants to use my life to threaten you and the Wei family – you must not fall for this trap. Implement everything according to your established plan, don’t let one person like me affect the greater situation.”

            

Wei Tingxu remained silent as Wei Jing’an spoke these words, just listening.

“Though I know…” Wei Jing’an’s expression was unclear whether happy or sad, “you had no intention of changing the plan anyway.”

A hot wind blew through, making all the trees in the courtyard rustle.

            

The seemingly empty Wei residence actually concealed lethal intent, tensions high and ready to explode.

Li Yanyi raised a slight smile and walked into the room without hesitation.

At this moment, Xiaohua, who had been kneeling further away, suddenly stood up. When her gaze met Guang Shaoling’s, he felt as if his chest had been struck heavily.

            

Wei Tingxu didn’t rise, still watching the wooden steps Li Yanyi had just crossed, a line of confusion gradually appearing between her brows.

She couldn’t help raising her head to look at Li Yanyi’s resolute back, her heart suddenly in chaos, and called out: “Xiaohua!”

Xiaohua’s tiger-like killing intent was suddenly suppressed, as she stood motionless, confused yet with a subtle urgency.

            

“Help prepare tea for Her Majesty, remember to add some white goji berries just transported back from Nanya, to nourish the liver and reduce dryness.”

Xiaohua didn’t respond immediately, hesitating before finally answering: “Yes…”

As Xiaohua left, Guang Shaoling, with sweat forming on his back, took a moment before pushing his half-drawn blade back into its scabbard. The mysterious rustling of leaves from earlier also ceased. The Zhuiyue soldiers all maintained stern expressions, the atmosphere remaining tense.

            

When Wei Tingxu looked toward Guang Shaoling, he noticed her gaze and quickly shifted his eyes back from the rooftop. Though his glance lasted only an instant, Wei Tingxu still caught it.

Unknown to Wei Tingxu, soldiers wearing invisibility garments had been positioned on the Wei residence rooftop. They nearly merged with the roof itself – not only were they difficult to spot due to the height, but even if one looked at the roof, one might not detect their presence.

Outside the Wei residence walls, fully two thousand soldiers had completely surrounded the compound.

            

Should the Wei clan make any rash moves, Zhuiyue soldiers would storm the residence from all directions and execute them on the spot for treason!

As Zhen Wenjun approached the Wei residence, she noticed something unusual – there were so many Zhuiyue Army soldiers!

She immediately understood and her heart grew extremely anxious!

            

Quickly dismounting and running forward, she was stopped.

“You don’t recognize me?!” Zhen Wenjun pushed the soldier aside, only to be met with countless sharp blades.

A thought flashed through her mind: “You may not know me, but don’t you know whose residence this is behind me? The Emperor has fallen into a wolf’s den, why are you stopping me! Could you bear the responsibility if anything happened to the Emperor?”

            

“General, forgive us,” one person said, “We serve the Emperor directly, and the Emperor commanded that no one be allowed to enter or leave the Wei residence until she emerges safely. Please don’t blame your subordinates.”

How could Zhen Wenjun care about such things? Shouting “protect the Emperor,” she charged in bare-handed. These armed Zhuiyue soldiers faced her fearlessly despite her being unarmed. Who knew she had hidden weapons in her fingers, creating bloody gashes wherever she struck.

Zhen Wenjun moved like lightning, quickly seizing a blade and charging in to kill. These Zhuiyue soldiers, trained by Ah Xin, were each fierce and fearless – even when wounded, they continued trying to capture Zhen Wenjun.

            

Fighting alone against many, and all formidable opponents, Zhen Wenjun gradually lost ground in her anxiety. Though her back was slashed twice, she felt no pain – instead, her fighting spirit soared.

“Make way!” Zhen Wenjun shouted, her punch sending a soldier crashing to the ground, who fainted instantly with a bloodied face. Having identified the formation’s weak point, she showed no more mercy, cutting down four or five people in succession, gradually disrupting the Zhuiyue Army’s formation.

Just as Zhen Wenjun was about to force her way into the Wei residence, the gates suddenly opened.

            

Blood-covered Zhen Wenjun froze at the sight of Wei Tingxu, offering no resistance as Zhuiyue soldiers pinned her to the ground.

She was utterly astonished, for not only Wei Tingxu emerged from the residence, but also Li Yanyi. The two appeared as if nothing had happened, perfectly at peace.

Wei Tingxu saw her covered in sweat and blood, hair disheveled, her phoenix eyes still blazing red with anger and concern. As she gazed at Wei Tingxu from afar, tears flowed from those beautiful eyes.

            

“You… you’re safe,” Zhen Wenjun seemed to finally regain her senses.

Wei Tingxu’s lips trembled, suppressing the urge to respond, and instead turned to Li Yanyi: “General Zhen, believing Your Majesty was in danger, came fearlessly to your rescue – her loyalty is commendable.”

Li Yanyi didn’t even raise her eyelids, giving a faint cold laugh: “Minister, spend these days at home caring well for Lord Wei, accompanying him on his final journey.”

            

Li Yanyi left, and though Guang Shaoling seemed reluctant, he had no choice but to lead the Zhuiyue Army away.

Wei Tingxu helped Zhen Wenjun into the residence, and seeing her bloodied state, Xiaohua understood what had happened outside.

Xiaohua: “Indeed as the young lady predicted, fortunately we didn’t make a move.”

            

“Li Yanyi truly came today to see if Father was really at death’s door. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to act rashly before the perfect moment. Let’s not discuss this now – help me take Wenjun inside to examine her wounds.”

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