Noticing the hesitation, inner struggle, and anguish on Chancellor Yelu’s face, Yan Tongshu gritted her teeth. As if she had made up her mind, she clenched her fists and pressed him:
“Chancellor Yelu, if the princess was locked inside the chest or lured into it, then suffocated to death, there is a very real possibility that she was smothered alive.
“The chest had been sealed with wax around the lid, plugging every gap where air might leak in. There are fresh scrape marks all over the inside. Think carefully—why would the murderer create fresh marks on an otherwise perfectly good chest and draw attention to it?”
Yan Tongshu pressed on relentlessly. “Because he wanted to destroy the evidence. Because Xing'an was suffocated alive. Before she died, she clawed and struggled frantically, leaving countless scratches inside the chest. With her fingernails, she left us clues pointing to the murderer!
“She fought desperately to stay alive! Until the very last moment of her life, fearing that the clues she had left behind would be destroyed, she used the last of her strength to clutch her belt and leave us this invaluable hint!”
“Chancellor Yelu!” Yan Tongshu said earnestly. “Princess Xing'an tried so hard. She worked so hard to leave behind evidence. Are we really going to fail her—to let her die without knowing justice has been done?”
Chancellor Yelu braced himself against the table in agony. “Will opening her chest really help us find the murderer?”
“Everything so far is only a hypothesis. But if we open her chest, we can determine whether Princess Xing'an was smothered or suffocated alive in the chest.” Yan Tongshu’s gaze was sharp, and her voice was cold and precise. “If she was smothered with a pillow, it would generally be a case of acute airway obstruction. In the lungs—the organs we use to breathe…”
Yan Tongshu looked at Pearl. Pearl took out the diagram of the human internal organs that Yan Tongshu had drawn in the carriage. Yan Tongshu pointed to the lungs and continued:
“It would cause severe damage in this area. The lungs would also become enlarged, and the cut surface would contain a foamy liquid, along with Tardieu spots.
“But if Princess Xing'an was suffocated alive inside the chest, death would have been much slower and more agonizing than in a rapid smothering. The most obvious difference is that the degree of emphysema around the hilum of the lung and its surrounding tissues would not be uniform. Instead, it would change according to a pressure gradient—in other words, the changes would occur in distinct steps. The difference would be extremely, extremely obvious.”
Chancellor Yelu’s lips trembled. “Do we really have to open her chest?”
“We do.” Yan Tongshu’s eyes were piercing as she enunciated every word. “It is the only way we can ensure that we do not fail Princess Xing'an.”
Chancellor Yelu parted his lips, about to speak, when a guard came rushing over.
“Something terrible has happened, Chancellor!”
Yan Tongshu’s request to open the chest, and the agonizing decision it entailed, had weighed heavily on Chancellor Yelu. His emotions suddenly spiraled out of control, and he roared, “What is it? Why are you panicking?”
The guard dropped to his knees. “The princess—the princess’s guard, Penglai—he’s been murdered!”
The words struck Chancellor Yelu like a bolt of lightning. His eyes instantly turned icy, as if covered in frost, and his voice emerged slowly through clenched teeth.
“How dare they!”
“Take me there!”
He bellowed the order and followed the guard to the scene.
Yan Tongshu followed behind him.
The group soon arrived at the scene of the crime.
It was in the small garden opposite Princess Xing'an’s bedchamber, not far from the rooms where the guards and maids rested.
Many people liked to gather there when they were off duty—to play cards, drink, and boast about anything and everything.
Penglai was no exception.
When Yan Tongshu arrived, Penglai’s entire head was submerged in a large water vat, while his body hung limply over the rim.
Blood had stained his clothes red and dyed the entire vat crimson.
Chancellor Yelu demanded sharply, “What happened?”
Amang, the first person to discover Penglai’s body, stammered, “I—I don’t know either. After the princess passed away, I wasn’t assigned a shift. With nothing to do last night, I went to Yang Xi’s room to drink and play cards with him. When I came out this morning, I saw Penglai lying in the water vat. We thought he had drunk too much and passed out there. We even joked that he was useless. Who could have known there would be so much blood when we went over to look?”
Yang Xi hurriedly tried to clear himself. “That’s right, that’s right. It was already like this when we came out. Chancellor, we don’t know anything!”
Yan Tongshu walked halfway around the vat before speaking. “Chancellor Yelu, there’s something here.”
Chancellor Yelu came over. The moment he saw the symbol, his face darkened.
“It’s the mark of an extremist believer of the Celestial God Sect.”
The symbol had been drawn in blood.
Beside it was an inverted triangle.
It meant: one life for another.
Yongsheng had been captured, so the extremists had randomly chosen someone to pay with his life.
Yan Tongshu narrowed her eyes.
The Celestial God Sect again.
Princess Xing'an had been killed, and now Penglai too.
Was this really the work of the Celestial God Sect—or was someone using the sect as a cover?
Yan Tongshu turned to the terrified crowd. “Who was the last person to see Penglai?”
Everyone looked at one another, then shook their heads.
Yan Tongshu questioned them one by one. “Who saw Penglai yesterday?”
Yang Xi timidly raised his hand. “Sometime between the Hour of the Monkey and the Hour of the Rooster, I was sitting in the pavilion with A-Yu and the others, playing cards to pass the time. I saw Penglai walk past and waved for him to join us. He shook his head and refused, saying he had to take food to Guard Xie Li. Ever since the princess’s death, Guard Xie Li has been terribly dispirited. So we didn’t stop him. After that, he carried the food back toward the guards’ quarters, but…”
Yang Xi hesitated and did not continue.
Chancellor Yelu shouted angrily, “But what? Stop stammering!”
Yang Xi swallowed. “I don’t know if I saw it correctly. He said he was taking food over, so we continued playing cards. Not long after he left, I saw him suddenly stop and stand motionless for quite a while. Then he abruptly quickened his pace and rushed straight toward the guards’ quarters. I don’t know what happened.”
Yan Tongshu frowned. “What was wrong with him?”
Yang Xi shook his head frantically. “I don’t know.”
“What were you talking about at the time?” Yan Tongshu asked.
“We were just chatting about whatever came to mind. Snow, eating mutton, the recently revised duty roster, drinking—things like that.”
Afraid of attracting suspicion, Yang Xi hastily emphasized, “We talk about things like that every day. There was really nothing unusual.”
After that, the only person who had seen Penglai was Xie Li.
“What about Xie Li?” Yan Tongshu asked.
Amang’s room was next to Xie Li’s and Penglai’s, so he quickly said, “Guard Xie Li hasn’t been in a good state of mind lately and rarely leaves his room. He should still be inside.”
Chancellor Yelu immediately ordered someone to call him.
While they waited, Yan Tongshu examined Penglai’s corpse.
Two guards lifted Penglai’s body down from the water vat.
Only after the body had been removed did everyone find Penglai’s sword inside the vat.
Yan Tongshu crouched down to inspect it.
There were bloodstains and cuts across the Liao guard uniform Penglai wore, and each corresponding tear in the fabric revealed an injury.
There was a sword wound piercing his abdomen.
There was another wound on his neck.
Clearly, Penglai had fought several exchanges with the murderer before he was finally cut down.
But how had such a prolonged struggle failed to attract anyone’s attention?
Yan Tongshu pressed two fingers against the lividity. The lividity had already become fixed and did not fade under pressure. The body temperature had dropped significantly, indicating that the man had been dead for at least twelve hours.
Yan Tongshu rose and examined the surrounding paving stones and trees, as well as the water jar.
There were no marks left by a sharp blade.
This was not the original scene of death.
At that moment, Xie Li was brought over. His lips were pale, his hair disheveled, and his entire body reeked of alcohol. He looked as though he had drunk himself senseless.
Chancellor Yelu asked, “Xie Li, did you see Penglai yesterday?”
Xie Li knocked against his head, which throbbed horribly from the alcohol. “I did.”
Chancellor Yelu asked, “When?”
Xie Li shook his head. “I don’t remember. I drank too much yesterday and was muddle-headed the whole time. At some point, Penglai nudged me and told me to eat. I couldn’t get up, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. Then…”
He struck his aching head hard again. “…Then I…”
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Penglai’s body beside Yan Tongshu. The corpse had already stiffened. Xie Li stood there as if struck by lightning, utterly motionless.
“He…” Xie Li hurried over to Penglai’s side and cried out in anguish, “What happened? What’s wrong with Penglai?”
Yan Tongshu narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched him. The grief on his face did not seem feigned; it even appeared deeply sincere.
His headache did not look fake either, and the stench of a hangover filled his mouth whenever he spoke.
Chancellor Yelu closed his eyes briefly. The situation clearly left him both exhausted and irritated.
These fanatical believers.
Once he returned, he would definitely submit a memorial to the King of Liao and Empress Dowager Xiao, requesting a purge of the sect throughout the country.
Yan Tongshu stared unwaveringly at Xie Li and asked, “What happened after you rolled over?”
Xie Li shook his head. “After I turned over, he muttered something. He said he had to get to the bottom of it, put down the food, and left. I had drunk too much. My head felt heavy, and I didn’t have the strength to think about it. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until now.”
Was that really the truth?
Yan Tongshu pondered briefly before turning to Chancellor Yelu. “Chancellor Yelu, let’s take a look at Xie Li and Penglai’s room.”
Chancellor Yelu nodded his assent.
Before leaving, Yan Tongshu glanced at Xie Li. He was still kneeling beside Penglai, his sunken eyes filled with grief.
Amang and Yang Xi walked over to comfort him, but Xie Li refused to get up no matter what they said.
Chancellor Yelu gestured to the two men, ordering them to support Xie Li and bring him along.
Before long, they arrived at Xie Li and Penglai’s room.
There were two single beds, with a portrait of a deity hanging on the wall.
A simple table and two chairs.
Two large trunks held the clothing belonging to the two men.
After a careful inspection, there was nothing unusual about the room.
This was not the crime scene.
Yan Tongshu opened the window and looked outside.
Beyond it, bamboo had been pressed flat against the ground by the wind and snow. Though sparse aboveground, the bamboo grew thickly near the earth.
There was no snow elsewhere, yet beneath those few stalks of emerald bamboo, the snow was unusually deep. It looked as though someone had cleared the snow that morning and piled it beneath the bamboo.
Yan Tongshu left the room and walked over to the patch of bamboo.
She reached out and touched the snow.
As she continued feeling around, she sensed something sharp beneath it.
The layer of snow was too thick for it to pierce her hand, but the prickling sensation was unmistakable.
She seized a nearby bamboo branch and pulled upward with all her strength.
The entire section of bamboo came free.
The break in the stalk had been made by a sword.
Chancellor Yelu immediately ordered his men to clear away the snow.
The small patch of bamboo was covered in hack marks.
Moreover, judging from the size of the wounds, the marks had not been made by the same weapon. They had clearly been left during a struggle.
Yan Tongshu continued examining the area.
She carefully inspected everything nearby—the paving stones, the walls, and the pillars.
“Chancellor Yelu, don’t you think the paint here is brighter than the surrounding paint?” Yan Tongshu asked, pointing to a pillar outside the building.
Chancellor Yelu came over and reached out to touch it. Not only was the color brighter, the paint was not even dry.
He ordered his men to wipe away the wet paint, revealing sword marks beneath it.
Yan Tongshu raised her head and examined the pillar. In the uppermost corner, she spotted half of a footprint.
She ordered someone to bring a ladder and climbed up to inspect it. A strange smell lingered there.
It stank.
Yan Tongshu climbed back down and had the Liao guards make an imprint of the footprint above.
The moment one of the guards climbed up, he muttered, “Why does it smell like horse manure?”
Horse manure?
Yan Tongshu looked up at the guard. “Are you sure?”
“How could I not be?” the guard replied. “We all grew up on the grasslands. We smell sheep, horse, and cow manure every day. How could we possibly mistake them?”
Yan Tongshu turned sharply toward Xie Li.
His expression remained numb and grief-stricken, as though he had been overcome by sorrow. He showed no reaction whatsoever to the guard’s words.
She withdrew her gaze and gave Pearl a few instructions, sending her outside to find the Divine Guard Army. Then, as soon as the guards had finished taking the imprint, she said, “Chancellor Yelu, let’s go to the stables.”
Yan Tongshu led the group briskly toward the stables.
They had to pass through a small gate and walk by the maids’ quarters after leaving the guards’ quarters. A-Fu happened to be returning.
She carried a basin of clean water and stood respectfully to one side with her head bowed.
As Yan Tongshu passed her, her gaze swept over A-Fu.
When they reached the entrance, she stopped.
A-Fu was also wearing a sachet. Embroidered on it was the emblem of the Heavenly God Sect.
It was identical to the sachet worn around the waist of the Divine Guard soldier when they had captured Yongsheng—both in material and embroidery.
In fact, the two sachets together formed the exact same pattern as the ornament Xie Li had given her.
Only when placed together did they become complete.
“Lady Yan?”
When Yan Tongshu failed to move and stood with her head lowered as though deep in thought, Chancellor Yelu called softly to her.
Yan Tongshu shook her head. The matter of Penglai should take priority.
She said, “Let’s go. To the stables.”
When they arrived, Mangtai was carrying fodder and feeding the horses one by one.
Yan Tongshu studied him as she walked toward him.
Step by step, she approached Mangtai. Her gaze dropped to his bare waist. “Mangtai, where’s the wooden horse you used to wear around your waist?”
Mangtai smiled faintly, never pausing in his work. “I lost it yesterday.”
“Where did you lose it?” Yan Tongshu continued.
“I’m running around all day. Who knows when I lost it? How could I possibly remember?”
Yan Tongshu fixed her eyes on his. “Are you sure you lost it? That wooden horse was secured with a double hitch. Either it was lost together with your belt, or someone cut it off with a knife. How could it simply go missing?”
The smile on Mangtai’s face did not change. He waved a hand. “Lady Yan, perhaps I ran into a thief.”
“An ordinary thief could get close to you?” Yan Tongshu did not believe him at all. “You treasured that wooden horse for years. It was extremely important to you. With your excessively cautious personality, you would never dare hide it somewhere else. It must still be on you.”
Yan Tongshu took two steps back and motioned for the envoy guards to come forward. “Seize him. Search him.”
Two guards advanced on Mangtai step by step.
Yan Tongshu continued retreating.
A stable hand could not possibly possess highly advanced martial skills.
The two guards’ relaxed expressions as they moved to arrest Mangtai also clearly indicated that they had no idea he was highly skilled in martial arts.
So Mangtai had only two choices: reveal his astonishing martial prowess and the fact that he had once been a Liao spy, or submit to capture and let them search him.
Quite clearly, Mangtai chose the latter.
The guards searched him and found the wooden horse in his robes.
There was a tiny sword mark on the wooden horse.
Yan Tongshu held it in his hand and asked, “How do you explain this?”
Mangtai pressed his lips together. “I might have bumped it against something by accident.”
“Mangtai, don’t mistake people for fools.” Yan Tongshu aligned the sword mark on the wooden horse with him. “Look carefully. Given its depth and angle, it could only have been made by a sword during a fight.”
Yan Tongshu turned to the guards. “Compare it with his footprints.”
Mangtai tried to struggle, but the two guards held him down with all their strength. He did not dare reveal his martial skills.
After comparing them, the guards exclaimed in shock, “They’re identical.”
Yan Tongshu stared at him, her brows sharp with severity. “Why did you kill Penglai?”
Mangtai kept his mouth shut.
Yan Tongshu pressed on. “It wasn’t only Penglai. You were also the one who attacked me at the palace banquet that day.”
At that, Mangtai’s expression instantly turned cold and sinister. “Official Yan, how can you be so certain? I’m merely a horse groom. I had no right to enter the palace.”
“You could have sneaked in.” Yan Tongshu’s voice was calm to the extreme. “There was a spy within the delegation to receive you. They could easily have arranged for you to enter. After all, with a large beard stuck to your face, no one would have recognized you.”
The corner of Mangtai’s eye twitched. “Is that all you have?”
Yan Tongshu said coldly, “When you knocked me unconscious, you raised your arm from the front. In theory, if you struck me with your right hand, then even if your body shifted with the movement, you should have twisted slightly to the left. But you twisted your waist slightly to the right instead. That movement was a conditioned reflex, muscle memory formed over a long period of time—something even the person himself might not notice. And then there’s this wooden horse.”
Yan Tongshu toyed with the wooden horse in her hand. “You treasure it because it was given to you by the person you love. You have always cherished it so deeply that you could not bear to let it suffer the slightest damage. So you developed this habit, ensuring that the wooden horse hanging at your right waist avoided every possible collision. There is no such thing as a perfect crime. Once a crime is committed, it will leave clues behind.”
Mangtai finally shed his disguise. He raised his head, and his eyes were cold, devoid of even the slightest warmth—the eyes of a man accustomed to killing.
With boundless emotion, he said, “I never thought the one I love would become the instrument of my death.”
Chancellor Yelu stood where he was, his entire body trembling with extreme fury.
Who would have thought that his little delegation would be hiding so many extraordinary people? Anyone and everyone had managed to infiltrate it!
This was nothing short of a complete humiliation of his abilities as chancellor!
Yan Tongshu demanded coldly, “Tell us. Why did you kill Penglai?”
“His life was reclaimed by the Heavenly God.”
As soon as Mangtai finished speaking, he suddenly exploded into motion. With a single move, he broke free of the two guards restraining him and charged toward Yan Tongshu.
He moved as swiftly as lightning and thunder.
Xie Li rushed toward Yan Tongshu, drawing his sword to block Mangtai. Mangtai seized him by the shoulder, and the two began exchanging blows.
Still suffering from his drunken stupor, Xie Li was physically exhausted and soon found himself unable to hold Mangtai back.
The other guards drew their swords and charged over, surrounding Mangtai. But they could not stop him as he fought with reckless abandon, forcing his way straight toward Yan Tongshu.
Yan Tongshu cursed inwardly and threw the wooden horse in the opposite direction.
Mangtai immediately withdrew, leaping toward the other side to catch it.
After a fierce struggle, Mangtai was wounded, and the false skin on the back of his hand fell away, revealing the long scar Yan Tongshu had seen before.
But Mangtai fought his way through the encirclement and escaped in the end.
Yan Tongshu was furious.
And Chancellor Yelu was no less enraged.
Five guards had failed to capture a mere “horse groom.” Just how formidable was this man’s martial prowess?
How many other spies planted by outside forces were hidden within the delegation he led?
Chancellor Yelu’s face was livid. Through clenched teeth, he asked, “Official Yan, could Princess Xing’an’s death be connected to Mangtai?”
“I cannot be certain.” Yan Tongshu replied cautiously, “There are still many unanswered questions in this case, and we have no way to explain them yet. Chancellor Yelu, I believe that unless we clarify every one of these doubts, even if we hand over the murderer, the two countries still will not be able to establish genuine trust. Therefore, Chancellor Yelu, I ask you to permit me to perform an autopsy on Princess Xing’an by opening her chest.”
An autopsy by opening her chest?
Xie Li, who had been struck by Mangtai and was kneeling on one knee, clutched his chest and suddenly shouted, “No! She was a princess!”
He looked at Yan Tongshu in agony, his voice hoarse to the point of breaking. “She has already been beheaded. Must you still disturb her peace after death?”
“Not finding the murderer is what truly denies her peace!” Yan Tongshu retorted sharply.
Only after she had spoken did she realize that her emotions toward Xie Li had gotten out of control.
She closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and forced down the anger surging in her chest.
Yan Tongshu turned toward Chancellor Yelu, cupped her hands, and bowed. “I ask you, Chancellor Yelu, to permit this, so that Princess Xing’an may rest in peace beneath the Nine Springs.”
Seeing that Chancellor Yelu still could not make up his mind, Yan Tongshu continued, “Chancellor Yelu, a corpse cannot preserve evidence for the living forever. Today is already the third day since the princess’s death. If we delay any longer, then even in winter, the evidence will not remain for much longer. By then, the evidence Princess Xing’an gave her life to leave us will have vanished without a trace!”
The cold wind howled.
It cut across their faces like knives.
All was silent between heaven and earth. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Chancellor Yelu, awaiting his command.
With his fists clenched behind his back, Chancellor Yelu’s body trembled violently.
After a long while, he closed his eyes and forced a single word through his teeth.
“Do it.”
He would make every vicious criminal and every treacherous official pay for Princess Xing’an with their lives!
He would slaughter all those who had acted recklessly, schemed for personal gain, or colluded with forces inside and outside the court. He would use their blood to soothe the princess’s grievance!
He wanted every one of them dead!
Yan Tongshu bowed once more. “Yes. Thank you, Chancellor Yelu.”
The veins on Chancellor Yelu’s clenched fists bulged. His teeth were locked together so tightly that the taste of blood even spread through his mouth. “Official Yan, go back and make the preparations. I’ll come shortly. The princess was a princess of Liao—and the niece of me, Yelü Hezhu. This afternoon, I will conduct the autopsy with you.”
“Yes. I’ll return to the Kaifeng Prefecture at once to prepare the tools for the autopsy.”
Yan Tongshu was about to leave. As she passed by, she glanced at Xie Li.
His eyes were filled with an unbearable sorrow, so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve.
But was it real?
When Princess Xing’an had spoken to Yan Tongshu about the past relationship between Uncle Jiang and Empress Dowager Xiao, Xie Li had known about it.
That was why Yan Tongshu had not revealed that she already knew Mangtai was Jiang Hengzhou.
She had not exposed him—but Xie Li had truly been too surprising.
When the horse manure in the footprints was discovered, there had been no trace of alarm in Xie Li’s eyes. She could still tell herself that he simply had not reacted in time.
But what about afterward?
When Mangtai was captured, Xie Li had not shown the slightest change in expression, as though Mangtai were nothing more than an ordinary colleague with whom he had no close relationship.
But Mangtai was Uncle Jiang.
Uncle Jiang was the man who had raised Xie Li from the time he was a child.
He was Xie Li’s father in name.
He had shown no reaction whatsoever to Mangtai being captured, wounded, and fleeing. He had treated him like a complete stranger.
His acting was truly flawless.
And Penglai had died right outside the room.
Xie Li claimed he had been drunk and sunk in a haze of hangover. But could he really have failed to hear even the slightest sound? Could he truly have known nothing at all?
Fury churned in Yan Tongshu’s chest. She strode past Xie Li and left the Duting Courier Station, returning to Kaifeng Prefecture.
By the time she arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture, it was already noon.
Yan Tongshu ordered the constables to prepare the tools for examining a corpse. She also sent someone to notify Meng Zheng and have him investigate A-Fu and the Divine Guard soldier. Only then did she sit down to rest and prepare to eat.
After lunch, she rested for quite some time and drank two cups of tea before beginning to review the official documents.
After a long while, she raised her head and glanced at the sky.
“Pearl, what time is it now?” she asked.
“Master, it’s past the Wei hour,” Pearl replied.
So it was already past three in the afternoon.
Yan Tongshu frowned.
Why had Chancellor Yelu still not arrived?
Had something happened to delay him along the way?
What could possibly hold up a man as shrewd and calculating as him?
Just as Yan Tongshu was pondering this, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.
Xu Qiu rushed in, shouting, “Lord Yan, this is bad!”
Gasping for breath, Xu Qiu continued, “Sikong Minghua, Commander of the Shenwu Army, and the Minister of Justice have surrounded Kaifeng Prefecture with their troops!”
Yan Tongshu rose to her feet.
Both Sikong Minghua and the Minister of Justice were supporters of Prince Ming.
Kaifeng Prefecture was no ordinary place.
If they had surrounded it with troops without a legitimate reason, it would amount to treason.
They had clearly come prepared.
Yan Tongshu arrived at the main gate of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Zhang Jiu had gone out to investigate the case, while Li Fulin had already arrived at the gate to negotiate.
Sikong Minghua sat atop his horse in silver armor, looking down arrogantly at Li Fulin.
The Minister of Justice stood beside a carriage, his expression haughty and his eyes cold.
Yan Tongshu strode out through the main gate of Kaifeng Prefecture.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Shing!
The Shenwu soldiers drew their spears in unison, pointing them straight at Yan Tongshu. Killing intent filled the air.
“Outrageous!” Li Fulin roared. His presence was commanding as he thundered, “What kind of place do you take Kaifeng Prefecture for? How dare you show such disrespect to Lord Yan?”
At his rebuke, the constables of Kaifeng Prefecture raised their wooden rods, pointing them at the Shenwu soldiers.
Though they carried no blades, they showed no fear in the face of the threat.
Moments later, the constables who had gone to the armory for weapons also rushed over, taking their places in front of Yan Tongshu as one.
Yan Tongshu’s sharp gaze struck the haughty Sikong Minghua.
“General Sikong, you have surrounded Kaifeng Prefecture with your troops. Are you planning a rebellion?”
“Heh.” Sikong Minghua curled his lips disdainfully. “Is it this general who is rebelling—or you, Lord Yan, who have deceived His Majesty?”
Worried, Pearl instinctively tightened her grip on Yan Tongshu’s sleeve, her fingertips trembling faintly.
Yan Tongshu pressed her lips together. “What are you trying to say?”
Sikong Minghua chuckled, his words laden with meaning.
“Lord Yan, you’ve certainly kept your secret well.”
As soon as his voice fell, the sound of pounding hooves rang out like a sudden rainstorm.
Meng Zheng arrived with the Divine Guard Army.
The Divine Guard Army cut an imposing figure, their iron armor gleaming coldly. Swords drawn and ready, they pointed their weapons at the Shenwu soldiers.
Meng Zheng reined in his horse before Yan Tongshu. Holding his sword upright, he fixed his piercing gaze on Sikong Minghua.
“Sikong Minghua, the Shenwu Army is stationed to guard the capital region. Who gave you permission to enter the city without His Majesty’s approval and show disrespect to Lord Yan?”
“Lord Yan?” Sikong Minghua threw back his head and laughed, his laughter grating on the ears. “Meng Zheng, Meng Zheng—are you saying she is Lord Yan?”
