The people sent by Nangong Xiaodie followed Bian Yuncheng’s instructions and were taken to a courtyard in the southern suburbs.
The courtyard was heavily guarded, making it impossible for Bian Yuncheng and the other two to escape.
Outside the courtyard, in the suburban wilderness, Zhong Li and others had set up tents, awaiting news from inside the courtyard.
“Zhong Li, tell me why you agreed to go along with them. Do you know that if anything goes wrong, both you and I will be criminals throughout history!” Nangong Xiaodie paced back and forth inside the tent, her face etched with anxiety.
Zhong Li glanced at Lu Yuanfeng, who was handing tea to Nangong Xiaodie to soothe her, and then turned her gaze back to Nangong Xiaodie. “Since Your Highness trusts me, Zhong Li has something to say to Your Highness and the Sixth Prince.”
“What is it?” they both said in unison.
“If I’m not mistaken, His Majesty has already passed away.”
“What did you say?” Shock was evident in Nangong Xiaodie’s eyes.
Lu Yuanfeng seemed disbelieving, not even noticing that he had dropped the teapot.
Zhong Li’s expression turned grim. “From the moment I learned of the Crown Prince’s escape, I suspected something had happened in the palace. Afterward, I wanted to go to Prince Xian’s residence to find Mo Cang.”
“Mo Cang only left me a note and disappeared. This made me even more certain that His Majesty was in trouble. So, I came to the palace to investigate.”
“The moment I saw Chengqian Palace, my suspicion grew stronger. When I saw His Majesty in the wheelchair, I was certain. He was no longer alive, even though he was dressed and made up to look like a living person.”
“Wuwu…” Upon hearing this, Nangong Xiaodie felt her heart clench, and tears streamed down her face.
She knew Zhong Li was a forensic doctor and had some ability.
“Since you knew Father Emperor was in trouble, why did Master Zhong you still…” Lu Yuanfeng felt a lump in his throat and choked halfway through his question.
“For one thing, Mo Cang is still missing. More importantly, I want to know what Shen Nong intends to do. I’m not afraid of them escaping. After all, His Majesty is dead, and capturing them will be as easy as turning my hand over.”
Just as Zhong Li finished speaking, Ling Wei entered from outside.
The moment he saw Lu Yuanfeng, he knelt on the ground with a thud.
“Lord Ling…” Lu Yuanfeng was about to help him up, but Ling Wei waved him away. “Sixth Prince, I am here on behalf of the late Emperor to protect Your Highness and ensure your succession to the throne.”
As he finished speaking, everyone in the tent looked at him.
“What exactly happened? Lord Ling, please explain in detail.” Lu Yuanfeng helped him up.
Ling Wei glanced at Zhong Li and cupped his hands in a salute. “I had heard of Master Zhong’s intelligence before. Seeing your valiant spirit today in Chengqian Palace, I admire you more than many men.”
“Lord Ling is too kind. When you spoke just now, did the late Emperor refer to Emperor Jing?” Zhong Li guessed and asked.
Ling Wei nodded and sighed. “His Majesty had long foreseen the outcome he faces today. He knew Empress Shen intended to rebel, and he knew the Crown Prince’s identity.”
“He said that if he were to be hidden away, it would mean something had happened. He would have tasked Eunuch Hua to inform me discreetly.”
As he spoke, Ling Wei took out a bloody secret letter from his懷.
The three opened it with curiosity and found it was an imperial decree, clearly stating that if Lu Jing’an met with an accident, Lu Yuanfeng would be the next ruler of Nanyue Kingdom.
“Eunuch Hua…” Zhong Li murmured. “So, Eunuch Hua is one of us.”
“Yes!” Ling Wei said. “Eunuch Hua said he personally handled the Emperor’s body. This letter was written long ago and was hidden under the Emperor’s pillow. The Emperor’s eyes were gouged out, and the blood flowed from his eyes. He endured humiliation and pretended to appease Shen Nong, thus saving his life. He secretly passed it to me when I was shouting in front of Chengqian Palace, so that I would support the new ruler and eliminate the corrupt officials.”
“Since that is the case, His Majesty knew Shen Nong’s intentions all along, so why…” Nangong Xiaodie, her voice trembling with tears, couldn’t finish her question when Ling Wei interrupted.
“His Majesty experienced civil strife when he was young and witnessed the cruelty of war. He became distrustful of others, especially since the Ruan family, who were also part of the imperial family, instigated the civil strife. This led him to constantly target the Crown Prince. Even during the Lingshan case, when the Crown Prince presented the defiled account books, he believed the Crown Prince was deceiving him. It wasn’t until the Shennv Sect case that the Crown Prince spoke frankly with him, risking his life to earn trust, that he realized his mistake.”
“His enduring such hardship, even at the cost of his own life, was simply to ensure the smooth progress of his and the Crown Prince’s plan, so that the new emperor could reign with less suffering in cities like Linzhou.”
“The Crown Prince’s plan?” Zhong Li frowned. How come she didn’t know about it?
Ling Wei sighed and said, “The Crown Prince and the Hua family have long joined forces. According to the latest intelligence from the front lines, Shen Cong has betrayed Nanyue Kingdom. He has led a troop of Shu Rong soldiers and the Shen family army, using the pretext of the Crown Prince’s deposition and the Emperor’s tyranny, to attack from Jinzhou.”
“The Crown Prince and General Hua arrived in Jinzhou two days ago and are leading the Hua family army to defend against the enemy.”
“He left?” Zhong Li felt a prickle of numbness on her scalp, and her body involuntarily swayed backward.
“Li’er!” Nangong Xiaodie reacted quickly and caught her, pulling her onto a stool.
“He left without telling me anything?” Zhong Li felt wronged and sad, murmuring.
Ling Wei, who knew something of their relationship, stepped forward to comfort her. “The Crown Prince’s actions, to act first and report later, were probably to avoid worrying Master Zhong.”
“Yes, act first and report later!” She clutched the two-character letter Lu Wuxie had left her and quietly closed her eyes.
She didn’t know how she felt, a mix of bitterness and sourness, but she also knew that Lu Wuxie’s actions were indeed out of necessity. Especially after witnessing Lu Jing’an’s death, she could empathize even more.
“Li’er!” Nangong Xiaodie patted her shoulder, wanting to comfort her.
Zhong Li stood up and shook her head. “Your Highness, please rest assured. Zhong Li knows what is important and what is secondary. No matter what happens, we must win this hard battle.”
“Report!” As she finished speaking, a shout was heard from outside the military tent.
At the same time, a man in armor, covered in blood, was carried in by two people.
Zhong Li glanced at the blood-covered man. He looked unfamiliar; she didn’t recognize him.
“Who are you?” Lu Yuanfeng stepped forward to ask.
The two men carrying him placed him on the ground and knelt. “Your Highness, this is a trusted subordinate of General Hua Rong of the Hua family army.”
“Hua Rong?” Lu Yuanfeng narrowed his eyes, recalling the memorial in Ling Wei’s hand. A chill went down his spine. “What happened to him?”
Zhong Li also reacted, taking a small medical kit from a subordinate and preparing to treat the man.
The man looked at Zhong Li and shook his head, panting heavily. “I’m beyond saving, sir. Please don’t waste your concern on me.”
Zhong Li’s footsteps stopped.
The man looked at Lu Yuanfeng and cupped his hands. “Your Highness, I… I am General Hua’s confidant, Heizi… General Hua… he…”
“What happened to him?” Lu Yuanfeng had a bad feeling.
“General Hua, he… he is dead!”