Chapter 129: How about you take action yourself?

Chapter 129: How about you take action yourself?

After hearing the confession recounted by Xiao Yuzhen and Xiao Yuming, Tang Shuyi frowned and asked, "Did Cheng Yuquan know they were spies?"

"They don't know if Cheng Yuquan was aware of their true identities," replied Xiao Yuzhen. "From the moment they arrived at the old couple's home, everything was arranged for them, but they had no idea who their allies were."

"Then how did they communicate?" inquired Tang Shuyi.

Xiao Yuzhen explained, "Not long after they were taken to our father's residence in the northwest, they found a note in the clothes provided to them. It instructed that once they had the defense plans, they should place them under a loose brick in the southwest corner of their courtyard. They had no idea who was passing them messages."

Tang Shuyi's brows knitted tightly, realizing that almost nothing substantive had been uncovered.

After a long pause, she asked again, "Do they know Su Bingcang?"

"I asked, and they don't know who Su Bingcang is," Xiao Yuzhen said.

The whole affair seemed increasingly perplexing. Tang Shuyi stood up and paced the room before asking, "So the key figure now is Cheng Yuquan? He was the one who bought them and presented them to your father."

"But Cheng Yuquan is dead," Xiao Yuming interjected. "He died on the same battlefield as our father."

This...

Tang Shuyi walked over to the brocade couch, gestured for Cuiyun to bring paper and pen, and began to jot down several names: Qiu Yunzhan, Qiu Yunxiu, Cheng Yuquan, Su Bingcang, Xiao Huai. She connected their relationships with lines and showed the diagram to the siblings, saying:

"Cheng Yuquan was the one who delivered them to your father. Whether he knew if Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan were spies is no longer significant since the man is dead, and we have nowhere to start our inquiry. Therefore, the crux of the matter now falls to Su Bingcang."

Tang Shuyi pointed to the name of Su Bingcang and said, "Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan were insistently sent back from the northwest by him. If he knew they were spies, then what was his purpose in sending them back? Surely it couldn't be just to disgust me?"

The room fell into a deep silence, with the four of them contemplating quietly. After a while, Xiao Yuchen spoke, "I think he must know that Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu are spies, sending them back as part of a contingency plan."

Tang Shuyi nodded, then inquired, "What kind of contingency?"

"To use them to frame us, or to reveal their identities at an opportune moment to accuse our father of collusion," Xiao Yuming explained.

Tang Shuyi nodded again, "We can't keep Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu alive. We don't know Su Bingcang's intentions or what he is capable of. Once they are dead, there can be no proof against us."

The three siblings nodded seriously, and Tang Shuyi’s gaze returned to the paper before her, “Now it seems, our father must have been aware that Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu were spies. But did he know they stole the defense plans, or did he intentionally let them steal it? Was that battle premeditated? Could it be that his death was orchestrated by someone else?”

Her questions mirrored the doubts of the siblings, casting a renewed hush over the room.

"Let's not dwell on these questions for now," Tang Shuyi spoke after a pause, "What would you say is the most pressing matter at hand?"

Xiao Yuchen replied, "Investigate Su Bingcang."

Xiao Yuming added, "Execute Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan."

Tang Shuyi nodded, "Regarding the investigation of Su Bingcang, you two brothers coordinate with Steward Zhao. As for killing Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu…"

Her gaze shifted to Xiao Yuming, "How about you handle it personally?"

Tang Shuyi had given this much thought; Xiao Yuming would eventually take the path of a warrior and would inevitably face battle. Those destined for battle must confront the act of killing. She pondered that most people would hesitate or be fearful on their first kill, lacking the decisiveness to strike swiftly and cleanly.

She wanted to use the lives of Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan to sharpen Xiao Yuming's resolve. Once he had killed, the hesitation and fear on the battlefield might diminish. A moment's hesitation could be deadly. Even though she planned to arrange skilled protectors for Xiao Yuming in the future, self-reliance was the strongest defense.

She did not spare a thought for Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan; as spies, they must have been prepared for the eventuality of exposure and execution. Their lives were forfeit for the security of her own family.

What she did not know was just how ruthless her second son had been in the dungeons earlier; he harbored no reservations about killing, not even on his first time. Without hesitation, he said, "Alright, I’ll kill them both shortly."

Tang Shuyi hummed in acknowledgment. Though it was uncomfortable for her to command a fourteen-year-old to commit murder, this was the ancient times, and Xiao Yuming’s path was destined to be bloodstained; she had to accept it.

"Go on, then," Tang Shuyi said.

Xiao Yuming stood up briskly and made for the exit, with Xiao Yuchen also rising to his feet, saying, "I’ll go with him."

Tang Shuyi waved his hand dismissively. They were not children from ordinary families; facing storms of blood and violence was inevitable.

After the brothers left, Tang Shuyi beckoned Xiao Yuzhu to sit beside him and asked softly, "Are you scared?"

Xiao Yuzhu shook her head, then declared, "They deserved to die."

Tang Shuyi laughed; she was overthinking it. To these children of great families, the lives of some were as insignificant as weeds.

With an arm around Xiao Yuzhu, she gazed through the window into the distance, wondering if, with time, she would become thoroughly ancient in her ways.

She took a deep breath in silence, reassuring herself that although some thoughts might change over time, certain convictions must always be upheld. She wouldn't let herself become entirely ancient.