“We won’t know for sure.” The eunuch harrumphed and averted his head at the response, ending the conversation with him suffering a defeat.
Three days later, the group entered the capital of Xiliu, Liujing.
Pei Qianhao and Su Xi-er didn’t enter the palace straight away, but chose to stay at a posthouse while the eunuch and the Minister of Revenue reported to the palace.
~~~
Meanwhile, their arrival had been reported to Yun Ruofeng.
“Yun Ling, Prince Hao and Lan-er have already arrived in Xiliu. At the fireworks event, I want everyone to believe that Princess Consort Hao of Beimin, Su Xi-er, is the late Eldest Imperial Princess of Nanzhao, Ning Rulan, who has come back from the dead.” There was no emotion in his eyes as he spoke.
Yun Ling’s eyes grew ice-cold. “Your Highness, this plan would require Hua Ziqing’s help, but from the results of the investigation, he’s not a suitable person to work with.”
“What about Hua Ziheng?” Yun Ruofeng raised his eyebrow.
Yun Ling shook his head. “Hua Ziheng gets jealous too easily; he can’t compare to Hua Ziqing.”
“En, continue monitoring them in secret.”
With his order, Yun Ling disappeared into the darkness again.
Yun Ruofeng quickly wrote a few words on a piece of paper before putting it in an envelope and calling for the guard outside. Shortly after, Liang Yong walked in with a tinge of red on his face, apparently drunk..
Yun Ruofeng strangely didn’t lambaste him, but said with a gentle expression. “Go and send this letter to Prince Qing.”
Liang Yong nodded and took the letter. Watching him leave, a cold smirk found its way onto Yun Ruofeng’s visage. I have already warned you that you need to pay a price for betraying me.
On the other hand, as Liang Yong made his way to the hidden courtyard, clueless that the letter in his hand was a lethal weapon that would take his life.
Upon arriving outside, Liang Yong knocked on the door – three long knocks and two short knocks. The door then opened to reveal the man with the douli, a puzzled look on his face.
“Why are you here?”
“Prince Yun instructed me to send a letter.” Liang Yong said smugly.
Then, before Liang Yong could react, the man with the douli had drawn his sword and lodged it in his abdomen. Shocked, Liang Yong could only ask, “Why are you doing this?”
“So silly.” The man with the douli pushed the sword in even further, and Liang Yong died without ever knowing why.
After the man disposed of the body, he returned inside and passed the letter to Hua Ziqing.
Hua Ziqing’s eyes bore no ripples. “Done?” He asked as he burned the letter.
The man with the douli nodded.
“It looks like Yun Ruofeng wants to give this Prince a warning. Burn this compound to the ground. We’ve been here long enough; it’s time we move to somewhere else.”
Hua Ziqing stood up and rotated a candle. The wall slid to the side, and he stepped in with the wall closing behind him.
The man with the douli opened the door to the room and whistled. Shortly after, the compound was engulfed in flames.
The covert guard who had been following Liang Yong rushed to report to Yun Ruofeng about what they had witnessed.
“Master, Guard Liang’s body has been erased, and the compound we have found is also burned down to the ground.”
Yun Ruofeng’s expression didn’t change as he set a chess piece down on the board. If one looked at the positions of the pieces, they would find that the white ones were about to be overtaken.
“Withdraw.”
The covert guard turned to leave.
He was fully aware that the letter had been a provocation, and the blazing compound a response.
For the second round, it was a draw again.
