Mo Zhongcheng realized it was all a setup.
It had come too quickly, revealing its flaws.
"Third Young Master is indeed brilliant. No wonder the Grand General once said that among all his sons, only you could rival him."
Yan Zheng remained unmoved. "Then tell me now—who wants me dead?"
Instead of answering, Mo Zhongcheng raised his voice. "Since you’re all here, show yourselves!"
As his words faded, two figures emerged at the end of the path—an old man and a young boy.
The old man was lame, the boy mute.
Yet the moment Chu Ruoyan saw them, her pupils constricted.
She recognized them!
They were the two generals from her dream who served under Yan Zheng.
Old Xu, the lame one, whose silver tongue swayed hearts and turned court officials to their side.
And Shadow, the mute assassin, the deadliest killer in the land, eliminating nobles at Yan Zheng’s command.
The two bowed to Yan Zheng first. Then Old Xu spoke. "Zhongcheng, why must you make this difficult? When the Young Master wants someone dead, have you ever seen them last an hour longer? Just confess, and I might plead for your corpse to remain intact."
True to his reputation, Old Xu’s words alone sapped half the fight from the air.
Mo Zhongcheng gave a bitter laugh. "I won’t argue with you. If the Young Master wants to know who seeks his life, it’s simple—just promise me one thing—"
Before he could finish, Old Xu shook his head as if anticipating his request. "You want the Young Master to spare your family? Impossible. Have you forgotten? 'If the roots remain, the grass will grow again.' Especially when you have two grandsons, both as stubborn and resilient as you."
Chu Ruoyan felt a chill crawl down her spine.
The lame man was terrifying—every word struck a fatal nerve.
Mo Zhongcheng’s face paled. "The sins of the father should not fall on the children! The late Crown Prince once said—"
A swift motion—
Shadow moved faster than the eye could follow. The next moment, Mo Zhongcheng was on his knees, a blade pressed to his throat.
The hundred soldiers behind him dared not advance.
Old Xu frowned. "Have you forgotten the rules? Never mention the Crown Prince before the Young Master. Fine, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you one last chance. Go back to your master, tell him the Young Master is dead, then slit his throat when his guard is down. Bring me his head, and I’ll beg the Young Master to spare your family. How’s that?"
Mo Zhongcheng laughed bitterly. "Old Xu, you can fool others, but not me. Since returning from Hangu Pass, has the Young Master ever spared a single traitor?"
Old Xu spread his hands helplessly. "Then I’m out of ideas. Shadow will just have to fetch your family one by one and execute them before your eyes. Let’s see how many it takes before you talk."
The way he spoke of murder was as casual as discussing a meal.
Goosebumps prickled across everyone present. One soldier couldn’t hold back. "This is between Mo Zhongcheng and you! We were just following orders!"
The moment he spoke, a cold gleam flashed—
His eyes widened before he collapsed, lifeless.
"Zhongcheng, Zhongcheng… look at the men you’ve gathered. Such disloyalty, and you still kept them?" Old Xu sighed as if pitying him.
Silence swallowed the scene.
Chu Ruoyan pressed her lips together, suppressing her shock.
She had underestimated Yan Zheng!
This man hid his depths too well. If not for tonight’s betrayal, she might never have witnessed the caliber of his followers.
Mo Zhongcheng’s face was ashen. At last, he spoke. "It was Marquis Chengen, Xue Gui…"
Chu Ruoyan blinked in surprise, but he continued. "The Young Master must have already captured that merchant surnamed Xu. Yes, before the battle at Hangu Pass, Xue Gui convinced Zhang Ji, who was in charge of procuring weapons, to substitute inferior goods and pocket eighty percent of the profits."
Eighty percent?
A single military procurement cost the court millions of taels. Xue Gui had walked away with hundreds of thousands!
Chu Ruoyan frowned. "Wait—Xue Gui works in the Ministry of Works, but weapon manufacturing falls under the Ministry of Revenue. Even with Zhang Ji’s help, how could a minor official bypass layers of inspection?"
Old Xu raised a brow, surprised the girl knew court affairs so well.
Mo Zhongcheng answered hoarsely. "Xue Gui wasn’t alone. Liu Changping, head of the Armory Department; Gong He, the Ministry of War’s undersecretary; even the grain transport supervisors—all were involved."
Chu Ruoyan’s eyes widened.
Liu Changping was the Earl of Changlu’s brother, and Gong He was a protégé of the Chancellor!
If this was true, the corruption ran from top to bottom—an entire chain of complicity.
In other words…
"Embezzlement."
Yan Zheng uttered the word softly, his face a mask of stillness.
Old Xu smirked. "You officials… even the tools of survival aren’t safe from your greed."
Chu Ruoyan glanced at Yan Zheng, unsure what to say.
At least when the Marquis of Pingjing sent Ajiao to steal the city defense plans, it was for personal vengeance.
But these men? They gambled with soldiers’ lives for silver.
"Young Master, I dare not beg forgiveness. But this matter runs too deep—digging further will shake the empire’s foundations. For the greater good, please… let it go!"
With that, Mo Zhongcheng lunged toward Shadow’s blade. Shadow withdrew just in time, leaving only a thin cut on his neck.
Yan Zheng remained silent for a long while. Only when the moon hung directly overhead, casting light on his face, did he speak. "Uncle Mo… how many years have you served me?"
Mo Zhongcheng shuddered, eyes shut tight.
"Xue Gui, embezzlement—if you claim you came to kill me for their sake, it’s a poor lie." Yan Zheng’s gaze bore into him. "Who sent you?"
Mo Zhongcheng clenched his jaw as if struck mute.
Yan Zheng whispered, "Tell me, and I’ll spare your family."
Mo Zhongcheng burst out, "Young Master, you don’t want to know!"
His frantic reaction stirred unease in Chu Ruoyan.
Judging by tonight’s events, Mo Zhongcheng hadn’t pursued a second attack after failing the first—as if he’d been forced into this.
But who could command him?
Unless…
The answer hovered at the edge of her mind.
Then Yan Zheng flicked his wrist.
A blade thin as a cicada’s wing sliced Mo Zhongcheng’s collar, and a small embroidered pouch tumbled out.
Delicate and finely made, with the character "Shu" stitched in one corner.
Yan Zheng’s face drained of color.
Yan Shu—his fourth sister.
---
A thunderclap split the sky over the Earl of Changlu’s Mansion.
Inside, a woman in thin robes paced frantically.
A cloaked figure rushed in through the rain. "Madam!"
She froze. "Well? Did it work?"
The man shook his head. "No. The Marquis of Anning had backup. Mo Zhongcheng failed and was captured!"
Her face turned deathly pale. Her husband hurried to steady her. "Shu’er, don’t panic. He may not trace it back to us."
"No! You don’t understand my third brother. He’ll kill you. He truly will!"
