Nan Shiying couldn't help but laugh.
Her voice, abrupt and tinged with undisguised mockery amidst its coldness, made Nan Chaoyin look up sharply towards the sound.
Nan Shiying remained lazily propped against a wooden pillar. Noticing Nan Chaoyin's gaze, she raised an eyebrow and parted her slightly drooping eyelids. Her slanted eyes, with their upturned outer corners, swept over the imposing court official, the Prime Minister of the empire, with disdain.
Nan Chaoyin's brow furrowed. He didn't understand the source of her animosity, but he didn't dwell on it. After bowing again to Ji Hong, he took the list and headed towards the palace gates.
Nan Shiying watched Nan Chaoyin's retreating back, toying with the jade pendant at her waist with a hand resting on her lap. She cast a sideways glance at Ji Jinmo and whispered into his ear, "My lord, is that truly the assassin's list?"
Ji Jinmo turned his head to look at her. They were so close they could feel each other's breath. Ji Hong coughed, subtly reminding the two to exercise some restraint in the present company.
Ji Jinmo turned back, sweeping Ji Hong with a gaze as sharp as a knife.
Ji Hong felt a familiar itch in his molars, a desire to chew on something, perhaps bone.
"Yes!"
Ji Jinmo leaned slightly towards Nan Shiying. Although Zou Chengyi's supposed death was staged, the assassins involved were real. The events set in motion after Liu Ling's demise, the intricate web spun by various factions, had a primary objective: the elimination of Zou Chengyi.
Nan Shiying let out an "Oh," finally beginning to grasp the complexity of the situation.
Four factions were involved in this intricate scheme.
Xiliang, the Longevity Sect (from Miao Jiang), the Linyuan Imperial Family (Ji Jinmo, Ji Hong), and herself!
Nan Shiying considered herself a separate faction primarily because she had, in essence, played the role of a disruptive element, preventing any of the other powers from completing their tasks smoothly or successfully.
In truth, given the current circumstances, Xiliang's main objective in orchestrating this scheme was to expose the Longevity Sect and Miao Jiang, to bring them into the open before Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong.
Xiliang could not tolerate the growing power of the Longevity Sect and Miao Jiang. This explained the involvement of Wang Er, the Zhuyu Gang, Liu Yuchi, and the subsequent revelation that the entire Yuzhou Commandery was under Miao Jiang's control.
What was this called?
It was called "stirring up trouble to draw out the snakes!"
As for Zou Chengyi, he was the target of the mastermind behind this entire scheme, as was she, the unfortunate scapegoat.
Miao Jiang and the Longevity Sect had only made one decisive move: they had killed Yuan Yi and revealed his identity, thereby exposing the mastermind behind the entire affair.
However, Miao Jiang and the Longevity Sect had not anticipated that Xiliang's scheme was specifically designed to ensnare them.
This was the reason they had suffered losses and exposed Yuzhou Commandery.
Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong, on the other hand, were merely acting opportunistically. Capturing or eliminating either Xiliang or Miao Jiang and the Longevity Sect yielded the same result.
Similarly, no matter how Xiliang, the Longevity Sect, and Miao Jiang conspired, they would never allow either Ji Hong or Ji Jinmo to emerge victorious. Only by prolonging the internal strife within Linyuan could they seize an opportunity.
Tsk!
Nan Shiying clicked her tongue against her teeth, her mind recalling the day's events. Were the remaining Miao Jiang remnants hidden within the palace indeed the current Empress Dowager?
If so, she probably knew where that big, thick-browed傻子 had gone.
The Empress Dowager's chambers!
...
Imperial Guard Lin Yuyin was off duty today. Nan Chaoyin needed to leave the palace to find him at the Lin residence. Seated in the carriage, Nan Chaoyin finally glanced at the list in his hand.
His face immediately changed drastically. The hand gripping the list tightened slightly, almost crushing the paper.
These people... He took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions that surged within him. However, the tension in his jaw betrayed his effort to clench his teeth.
Nan Chaoyin finally understood why Ji Hong had not sent him to the Ministry of Justice to find the Ministry's officials, but instead to the Imperial Guards, Lin Yuyin.
...
Ji Hong opened the letter that Qin Qianyu had written to the Marquis of Jinyang.
He read it with astonishing speed.
After handing over Qin Xiaorong's child to that woman, Qin Qianyu had not returned to the Ministry of Justice. Instead, he had been detained by the Xuan Guard. Consequently, the contents of the letter were entirely at Ji Jinmo's discretion.
This letter, along with Qin Qianyu himself, had effectively sealed the Marquis of Jinyang's fate. The assassin's list, in turn, had severed some of Xiliang's claws.
The assassins during the winter hunt were not from Miao Jiang or the Longevity Sect, but from Xiliang.
This matter needed to be traced back to the ultimate objective of this scheme. Of course, none of that was important now. What mattered was that Xiliang had truly hoisted themselves by their own petard. Neither they nor Miao Jiang and the Longevity Sect had gained any advantage. Instead, Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong had seized the opportunity to unearth and eliminate remnants of Xiliang, Miao Jiang, and the Longevity Dao.
The Marquis of Jinyang was, in essence, an unfortunate pawn who had been misled. However, his current predicament was not unjust. The matters involving his correspondence with the Empress Dowager were such that even the execution of his entire family would not be an excessive punishment.
On this cold winter day, the ministers felt as if they were in a boiling pot, cold sweat dripping down their faces. Only the Marquis of Jinyang felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. The blood on his forehead had long since dried, forming scabs that clung to his face like a layer of cement. He looked at Ji Hong, or rather, at the letter in Ji Hong's hand.
He could not fathom what Qin Qianyu would have written in the letter. The more unknown it was, the greater his fear. The Marquis of Jinyang's hands and feet turned cold, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"Why is the Marquis of Jinyang trembling?"
Nan Shiying, as if observing something amusing, leaned forward slightly, propping her elbows on her knees and resting her chin in her palm. She watched the Marquis of Jinyang with great interest, finding him at that moment to resemble a drowned dog that had fallen on ice and smashed its head.
Pathetic and comical.
Ji Hong pursed his lips, his face tight, veins bulging as if he were suppressing something.
Ji Hong's display was largely an act. After all, he had long been aware of his 'uncle's' actions. Royal relatives always enjoyed privileges. The pursuit of power by most people stemmed from a desire to become a privileged individual. However, those who abused their privileges, especially those who acted atrociously using their royal status, ultimately met with the fate of their entire families being executed.
Nan Shiying found no issue with Ji Hong's intention to 'punish his own kin.' The imperial family naturally had shallow bonds of kinship. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager, whom the Qin family depended on, harbored treasonous intentions. This was merely an accounting of past deeds. Even the confiscation of property and the extermination of his clan would be a fitting end for the Marquis of Jinyang's household.
Qin Mang remained kneeling on the ground. The Emperor had not permitted him to rise, so he could only kneel. The bluestone ground was hard and cold. The biting wind seeped into his body through his kneecaps, bringing an indescribable pain. Yet, Qin Mang's heart felt a sense of exhilaration.
The Marquis of Jinyang's current state gave him a feeling of revenge fulfilled.
He could never have dreamed why he had betrayed him.
It was him, he could not fathom it, that illegitimate son he had abandoned years ago, that he could still be alive today!