Chapter 59

Chapter 59

◎He can, but I can't?◎

While the Supervision Division was bustling with activity, Kunning Palace was filled with incessant scolding.

"Qinshu is dead, the Dark Pavilion has been destroyed, and Shangwen has been forced to guard the Imperial Tomb," Wang Lianyang slammed her hands on the table, her red-rimmed eyes glaring at the young man before her. "Explain this to me!"

"Your subject has nothing to explain," Li Guiyu remained calm as he listened to Wang Lianyang's questioning. "I only did what I was supposed to do; I have no idea what happened."

"Don't know?" Wang Lianyang laughed in anger. "Then explain to me why, after you said you would cut off the Supervision Division's trail, they still found their way to the Dark Pavilion?"

"I did indeed cut off the trail. That Starling from the Si Shi is still at large, never having approached the Dark Pavilion."

"How did the Supervision Division find the Dark Pavilion then?"

"I don't know," Li Guiyu answered straightforwardly. "That's something you should ask the people of the Dark Pavilion, how they handled Liu Xiniang. The Supervision Division has many ways of sending messages. Why didn't the people of the Dark Pavilion kill her right away instead of bringing her back?"

Hearing this, Wang Lianyang was momentarily speechless.

Why bring Liu Xiniang back to the Dark Pavilion?

Wasn't it for Li Guiyu?

The informant had seen her close relationship with Li Guiyu, and according to Wang Qinshu, Liu Xiniang's identity should have belonged to Zhang Jiuran, yet the Supervision Division had suddenly produced a Liu Xiniang out of nowhere.

She wanted to know where this Liu Xiniang came from and whether there was any possibility of controlling Li Guiyu through her, which was why she had casually brought her back.

But these words couldn't be spoken directly. Wang Lianyang turned away, feeling guilty, and then asked, "Then how did you end up at the Dark Pavilion?"

"I saw you take Liu Xiniang away," Li Guiyu looked calmly at Wang Lianyang and countered, "What did Your Majesty want with her?"

"What about Yunzhi?" Wang Lianyang didn't answer Li Guiyu's question, which both knew the answer to, and gritted her teeth as she asked, "Why did you want to kill her?"

"The one I wanted to kill was Liu Xiniang," Li Guiyu stated bluntly. "It was Wang Yunzhi who stopped me."

"So you dared to make a move against her?!" Wang Lianyang erupted in rage. "She's your uncle's daughter, and you made a move against her for the sake of a Liu Xiniang?!"

Li Guiyu remained silent, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty ask why she helped Liu Xiniang fight against me? Is she your uncle's daughter, and am I not your son? How is it that in Your Majesty's heart, I'm inferior to Shangwen, even less than your uncle's daughter?"

"That's not what I meant..."

Wang Lianyang felt embarrassed by the question. Realizing that she couldn't afford to fall out with Li Guiyu now, she restrained her emotions and whispered, "I was thinking of you. Yunzhi is deeply loved by your uncle. Offending her means offending your uncle. We rely on the Wang family."

"The Wang family also relies on us."

Li Guiyu spoke coldly.

Wang Lianyang furrowed her brows. "Guiyu, the Wang family has more than just you as a prince."

"Then let them have only one." Li Guiyu looked at Wang Lianyang. "Your Majesty is the Empress, can't you even handle your own sister's children?"

Hearing this, Wang Lianyang's eyes widened.

Li Guiyu chuckled softly. "The Wang family has more than one prince, but Your Majesty, right now, you only have me. Shangwen is already on his way to the Imperial Tomb, and he won't be coming back."

"You promised me he would live!"

Wang Lianyang exclaimed urgently upon hearing this.

Li Guiyu looked calmly at Wang Lianyang, his hands clasped in his sleeves. "I promised he would live, but on the condition that I am the one in control of his life and death. If I don't ascend to that position and someone else takes over, I can't guarantee that he will live a life of luxury as a deposed crown prince. Your Majesty," Li Guiyu bowed his head, speaking solemnly, "please distinguish between those close and distant, and don't let others sow discord."

Hearing this, Wang Lianyang couldn't help but clench her fists.

She was well aware of what her viper-like son had done.

She also knew how Li Shangwen had ended up in this situation.

But she was powerless.

Because he was right. Li Shangwen was deposed, and he was her only son.

He needed the power that she, as the Empress, possessed, and she also had to maintain her power under his reign.

With power, she could protect Li Shangwen and at least ensure he lived well.

Wang Lianyang closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and decided not to pursue the matter of what had happened at the Dark Pavilion last night.

She gritted her teeth and raised her hand. "Enough, everything in the past is forgotten. You and I, mother and son, must work together. Qinshu is gone, and the Dark Pavilion is currently leaderless. Yunzhi is after all young, so you should lead the remaining people back and preserve our strength..."

"Your Majesty." Before she could finish, a cold girl's voice interrupted.

Wang Lianyang immediately looked up, and Li Guiyu raised his cold gaze to see Wang Yunzhi, dressed in yellow palace attire, stepping out from behind the curtain and saying sternly, "The Crown Prince has been assassinated."

Upon hearing this, Wang Lianyang and Li Guiyu were both startled.

Wang Lianyang hurriedly stood up, her voice trembling in shock. "Where was he attacked? Where is he now?"

"On the way to the Imperial Tomb, he's already dead."

Hearing this, Wang Lianyang stumbled backward, leaning against the dressing table, as if unable to believe it.

"How... How could this happen..."

Li Guiyu frowned, staring at Wang Yunzhi and asking only, "Who did it?"

"I don't know."

Wang Yunzhi looked at Li Guiyu, scrutinizing him with her gaze. "Judging by the knife marks, it's the work of our assassins."

Li Guiyu had a bad feeling.

Wang Yunzhi stared at Li Guiyu. "Third Highness, did you use your personal assassin tonight?"

Hearing this, Li Guiyu laughed, his scholarly face taking on a mocking expression. "Can I use the Wang family's assassin?"

Wang Yunzhi paused in her movements but didn't refute it.

"Enough," Li Guiyu was too lazy to waste time with her. He put on a cold face, took an outer robe from the side, and walked out of the hall. "Where is the body? I'll take a look."

"The messenger is outside the door."

Wang Yunzhi spoke coldly. "I'm waiting for your news, Third Highness."

Li Guiyu ignored her and walked out of the room with a cold face.

In truth, he knew that Liu Xiniang had left a tracking device on her. He led the Supervision Division over because he wanted to use their hands to kill in the chaos.

According to his original plan, after he killed Wang Qinshu and Liu Xiniang, if necessary, he would even kill Wang Yunzhi. After getting what he wanted, he would withdraw.

This way, no one would know he had been to the Dark Pavilion. With the loss of Wang Qinshu, the Empress would have no one to use, and eventually, all the remaining people would fall into his hands. The Empress could only rely on him in the future.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xiniang and Wang Yunzhi managed to escape.

Although Wang Lianyang and Wang Yunzhi had no evidence now, they must have already become suspicious.

Moreover, Li Shangwen was actually dead...

Li Guiyu's expression turned icy.

Wang Lianyang treated Li Shangwen, his son, differently than him.

With Li Shangwen around, Wang Lianyang would always consider Li Shangwen and cooperate well with him.

Now that Li Shangwen was dead, Wang Lianyang's dissatisfaction with him had reached its peak. He had to find the real murderer who killed Li Shangwen and clear his own name.

Otherwise, he couldn't be sure what Wang Lianyang would do.

Who killed this useless trash, Li Shangwen, at this time?!

Li Guiyu frowned tightly. Seeing the blood-soaked messenger kneeling at the door, he said coldly, "Let's go."

The messenger was a guard of the Crown Prince. He escaped wounded without reporting to the court and came directly to the Kunning Palace.

Li Guiyu grabbed the guard and rushed to the scene.

The Empress' people hadn't reported yet, so the scene was guarded by her people. As Li Guiyu approached, he saw corpses strewn all over the ground.

"The enemy should have been lying in wait on the hillside about a mile away," Zi Tang, the guard who had arrived earlier to investigate, pointed in the direction to Li Guiyu. "They came from that direction, chasing the Seventh Highness all the way. The guards couldn't intercept them and were forced to fight back, trying to protect the Seventh Highness as they fled. But in the end, they were caught up with, and except for the one who ran back to report, none survived."

As Zi Tang spoke, he led Li Guiyu to Li Shangwen's body. Li Guiyu crouched down and examined Li Shangwen's wounds, asking while looking, "How many were there?"

"One."

This made Li Guiyu pause in his actions.

The people escorting the Crown Prince this time weren't top-notch experts. Almost all of the inner and outer pavilions of the Fengyu Pavilion had been wiped out, and the first-class experts originally guarding the Crown Prince had also been killed that night at the Fangfei Pavilion. Now, the Empress simply couldn't come up with anyone to escort the Crown Prince.

But more than forty guards were still a big deal for ordinary killers.

The Empress originally thought that since the Crown Prince had been deposed, killing him wouldn't be useful, and there should only be some past enemies seeking revenge. Those seeking revenge wouldn't make a big fuss, so she planned to take advantage of the fact that all parties hadn't reacted yet and quickly send him to the Imperial Tomb tonight.

Who knew that the person who acted was so quick.

One person came, which should have been a private grudge. To chase for a mile and kill so many guards, it was a first-class expert.

He lowered his head to look at the wound on Li Shangwen's neck, analyzing it while carefully observing it, his hand prying open the wound. Listening to Zi Tang say, "The one who escaped said it was a woman, wearing a veil, so her appearance couldn't be seen."

A woman.

This was indeed the Wang family's dagger, but Li Shangwen's wound wasn't smooth. There should be a notch on that dagger, the position of the notch...

Was identical to the one he gave to Luo Wanqing.

Realizing this, Li Guiyu's movements suddenly froze.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It was impossible...

This dagger... how could it be...

A woman, a dagger.

His hand trembled slightly.

Zi Tang, noticing something amiss beside him, couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness?"

"Your Highness?" Zhao Dewang, who had followed over, saw Li Guiyu's unusual expression and hurriedly asked, "Have you found something?"

This question startled Li Guiyu awake.

He couldn't reveal this matter. Jiang Fengwan's sword had killed Li Shangwen here. No matter how many reasons he had, he couldn't possibly extricate himself from this incident.

Whether it was Wang Lianyang, his father Li Zong, or even the court ministers, they would all doubt him.

That sword would remain unknown as long as he didn't speak about it.

He couldn't expose himself first.

Li Guiyu regained his composure and calmly said, "It is indeed the blade of our own sworn warrior. Make a list of those whom Seventh Brother offended in the past, especially our own clan members. Investigate house by house."

As he spoke, he tucked his trembling hand into his sleeve and said coldly, "This prince is tired. I will go back first. Zi Tang, Qingzhu, come with me."

Ignoring Zhao Dewang, Li Guiyu turned around and started walking toward the capital.

As he walked, he couldn't help but think about the figure of a person named Liu Xiniang.

He wondered where she was.

Was that blade in her hands?

But as soon as he thought this, he immediately realized it was wrong.

What if it was in her hands? What if it wasn't? What could a blade prove? It was possible that she had it.

She was a salt smuggler, who crawled out from the condemned cell.

He had examined her physique and skills, which were nothing like what Luo Wanqing could have possessed.

He shouldn't have any extra thoughts.

Yet, his mind kept replaying the scene from that night at the Supervision Division when the woman opened the gate and pushed the Wu Shi powder into the cold water.

That expression overlapped with the memory of the woman from Jiangnan.

There were so many differences, so many reasons why it couldn't be her, yet he couldn't deny that the allure that attracted him in these two people was identical.

Like the flame in the darkness, it was impossible to hide in the eyes of a moth.

He couldn't help but wonder about that dagger—

Was it really in her hands?

Would she... would she...

The moment that possibility surfaced, he couldn't control himself, feeling a sudden sense of completeness in the hole in his heart.

He couldn't help but want to laugh.

He wanted to see her.

He knew she was currently at the Supervision Division, knew he shouldn't go, knew it was inappropriate to act on impulse for a woman.

But he wanted to see her.

Li Guiyu stopped.

"Your Highness?"

Zi Tang was curious when Li Guiyu suddenly stopped.

"Go to the Supervision Division."

Li Guiyu gave a hoarse order and then turned around.

He wanted to see her.

Whether it was or wasn't her, he had to try.

With a decision made, he quickened his pace, leading his men onto the rooftops, leaping like rabbits and cranes through the night rain straight to the Supervision Division.

Upon reaching the gates of the Supervision Division, before they even reached the door, two guards saw them from afar and jumped up from their posts, attacking Li Guiyu.

Li Guiyu spun around, flicked his hand against the blades of their swords, forcing them back three paces, landing far away.

"I want to see Liu Xiniang."

Li Guiyu landed on the roof, leading Qingzhu and Zi Tang, and looked at the guards he had repelled, saying coldly, "Tell Xie Heng, Li Shangwen is dead."

Hearing this, the guards knew something was amiss, and one of them immediately rushed deep into the Supervision Division.

At this moment, the banquet was nearing its end. Luo Wanqing didn't dare drink too much and struggled to maintain her sobriety while playing along with everyone else.

Just as Xie Heng was about to stand up to dismiss the gathering, a guard opened the door. Zhuque, standing by the door, changed his expression after a brief conversation with the guard. He then hurried up to the high platform and spoke to Xie Heng. After hearing what was said, Xie Heng put down his wine cup and looked directly at Luo Wanqing.

"Liu Xiniang."

Xie Heng raised his voice, and everyone fell silent instantly. Luo Wanqing sensed something was happening and looked up to see Xie Heng standing up and calling her over. "Come with me."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wanqing exchanged glances with Fang Yuan and others before following him out.

Xuan Shan stayed behind to arrange for the others, while the other three envoys followed Xie Heng out.

Luo Wanqing followed behind Xie Heng all the way to the front door of the Supervision Division, where she saw Li Guiyu standing with two others, looking up at the signboard above the gate of the Supervision Division.

Hearing footsteps, Li Guiyu turned around. His gaze was fixed on the woman walking with Xie Heng. The moment she appeared, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Similar, yet different.

He stared intently at Luo Wanqing, who noticed his gaze and lifted her eyes, looking at him coldly.

It was that look.

The look of hatred towards him.

Seeing that look, Li Guiyu couldn't help but laugh.

Luo Wanqing's expression turned slightly grave as they reached the door, where Xie Heng halted, and everyone stood facing each other across the gate.

Xie Heng looked calmly at Li Guiyu. "Your Highness has come to visit late at night. What brings you here?"

"Nothing."

Li Guiyu smiled, simply saying, "I've come to inform Lord Xie that the Crown Prince was assassinated tonight."

"Oh?" Xie Heng raised his eyes. "Is Your Highness delivering an imperial decree?"

"No."

"I've come to discuss something with Lord Xie," Li Guiyu said, his gaze falling on Luo Wanqing. "The Si Shi beside Lord Xie bears a striking resemblance to my late fiancée. I can hardly contain my longing, and I wish to reserve a place for Si Shi Liu in my palace. To show sincerity, I will personally request an imperial decree from the Emperor, bestowing her upon me. Lord Xie can rest assured; I wouldn't dare let someone bestowed by the Emperor die in my residence."

Upon hearing this, Luo Wanqing was somewhat taken aback.

Xie Heng's expression remained unchanged. Li Guiyu looked back at Xie Heng and laughed. "With Si Shi Liu by my side, it would be much easier for the Supervision Division to gather information about me. This way, Lord Xie won't be left in the dark about my actions, making it harder for him to report to the Emperor. Moreover," Li Guiyu hinted, "if Si Shi Liu seeks revenge, she'd find it more convenient by my side than with Lord Xie."

With these words, Luo Wanqing realized that Li Guiyu had discovered her secret.

She had used his dagger, which aroused his suspicion, leading him to dangle this obvious bait before her.

He wanted her by his side, offering her a life-saving identity—a plan tailor-made for her.

She lifted her eyes to look at Li Guiyu, who knew she was aware. He turned to face Luo Wanqing and smiled faintly. "If Si Shi Liu is interested, she may come directly to the palace to find me. I will request an imperial decree from the Emperor."

"She won't go."

Xie Heng suddenly spoke.

Li Guiyu raised his eyebrows in surprise. Xie Heng looked calmly at him. "The Supervision Division has no interest in Your Highness. Please leave, Your Highness."

"Whether there's interest or not depends on Si Shi Liu," Li Guiyu said, scrutinizing Xie Heng. "If Si Shi Liu is willing, and the Emperor grants his decree, Lord Xie wouldn't stand in the way, would he?"

"That depends on His Majesty," Xie Heng replied in an official tone.

"Well then. Si Shi Liu," Li Guiyu looked at Luo Wanqing, his eyes filled with a confident smile. "I'll be waiting for you."

After saying this, he nodded to Xie Heng. "Farewell."

Xie Heng didn't respond, and Li Guiyu led his men away, turning around without further ado.

Zhuque couldn't help muttering when he saw Li Guiyu's obviously wet clothes. "Don't they carry umbrellas when they go out?"

Hearing this, Qingya coughed lightly, then turned to Xie Heng and respectfully said, "Young Master, we'll take care of the other matters now."

Xie Heng nodded, and everyone left, leaving only Luo Wanqing with him.

Xie Heng fell silent for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately, he only said, "Let's go."

Luo Wanqing quietly followed Xie Heng, her mind swirling with Li Guiyu's words.

Tonight, when she assassinated the Crown Prince, she used the dagger given by Li Guiyu, intending for any investigation by the Wang clan to point to internal strife within their own ranks, ensuring she wouldn't be implicated.

However, now, Li Guiyu clearly recognized the wound on the Crown Prince's neck as one made by his dagger, which prompted him to act out of character, storming into the Supervision Division and demanding her from Xie Heng.

Previously, he had always tried to avoid her and kill her as quickly as possible.

Now, however, he specifically sought an imperial decree to give her a lifeline, indicating that he must have suspected her identity and was testing his theory by giving her room to maneuver around him.

In the past, she wouldn't have cared much about this leeway. She intended to kill him, openly or secretly, and the Supervision Division had plenty of means at its disposal.

But things were different now. She had obtained her father's roster from the Dark Pavilion.

She never imagined that her father could have been a loyalist to the Wang clan, nor did she ever think that he would have been friends with Jiang Fengwan.

If he was friends with Jiang Fengwan, and Jiang Fengwan seemingly had no other disciples, as his only disciple, given her father's nature, it was unlikely that he wouldn't know his brother's sole disciple.

Her father knew Jiang Shaoyan.

Luo Wanqing was certain of this, but her mind was filled with questions.

If her father knew Jiang Shaoyan, why didn't he send Jiang Shaoyan back to the palace when he took him in years ago? What was the nature of his relationship with Jiang Shaoyan? Why did he tell her so confidently during her interrogation of Li Guiyu in prison that her father deserved death?

Was it because Li Guiyu was irredeemably evil, or...

Did her father have sins of his own?

Thinking of the young man following her in Jiangnan, Luo Wanqing felt a sudden sharp pain in her heart.

She suddenly wanted to know what had truly happened.

Why was her father, a loyalist to the Wang clan, serving as a guest of the Cui family? Why, after becoming a guest of the Cui family, wasn't he implicated in their treason and able to leave the East Capital so easily to come to Yangzhou? Why, as a loyalist, could he live peacefully in Yangzhou for so many years without the Wang clan taking notice?

What had truly happened back then?

The person most likely to know the answers was Li Guiyu.

She needed to get closer to Li Guiyu.

Luo Wanqing made up her mind.

She had to figure out what had truly transpired. Since Li Guiyu had extended this olive branch, she should seize the opportunity.

As Luo Wanqing walked up the stone steps with Xie Heng, she gathered her courage and spoke, "My lord."

Xie Heng seemed to know what she was about to say and remained silent.

Luo Wanqing knew he had heard her. She lifted her gaze, looking at his figure ahead, and said earnestly, "I want to go to the Guang'an Prince's Mansion."

At these words, Xie Heng paused in his steps.

Standing two steps above her, he turned to look at her with cold eyes. "What did you say?"

"What I mean is, I wish to turn this situation to our advantage by going to Li Guiyu's side," Luo Wanqing analyzed. "Tonight, I used the dagger he gave me to kill the Crown Prince, so he wouldn't dare to make a fuss. However, he must be suspicious of my identity. Judging from his reaction today, the impact of Luo Wanqing might be greater than we imagined."

"So what?"

"Now that he has put aside his intent to kill and wants to test my identity, why not let me go and deal with him, providing assistance to the Supervision Division in the future."

Luo Wanqing weighed each word carefully, thinking as she spoke, "Li Guiyu is a man of extraordinary means. If we don't arrange for someone to be by his side, I believe you would find it hard to feel at ease."

Hearing her words, Xie Heng remained unmoved.

Luo Wanqing asked in confusion, "My lord?"

"Is it for me or for Li Guiyu?"

Xie Heng stared at Luo Wanqing, his eyes seeming to see through everything, leaving no room for secrets.

Luo Wanqing was surprised by this question and hesitated, unsure how to answer.

Seeing her hesitation, Xie Heng sneered and pressed on, "Li Guiyu?"

"My subordinate... indeed has some selfish motives."

Seeing that Xie Heng left no room for evasion, Luo Wanqing dared not lie. She pursed her lips and said, "But my subordinate only wishes to learn about past events. My loyalty to the Supervision Division is unwavering, and I will never betray it. In my heart, the Supervision Division stands above personal vendettas."

"No permission granted." Xie Heng answered without hesitation, turning around and taking a step forward. He raised his hand to dismiss her. "Go back."

"My lord."

Luo Wanqing furrowed her brows, unable to understand the reason behind Xie Heng's refusal. She tried to persist, "This is a win-win situation. There is no one more suitable than me to investigate Li Guiyu for the Supervision Division. I wonder what concerns you have, my lord?"

Xie Heng did not respond.

Luo Wanqing was puzzled and couldn't help but feel a bit of anger. She followed him, trying to persuade him, "If you think it's inappropriate, you can speak frankly. When you made me change my appearance, you must have had this idea in mind. I know that later on, you were considering my well-being, but now there isn't much danger for me to go to the Guang'an Prince's Mansion. You don't need to worry about my safety, nor do you need to doubt my intentions. I am willing to go to the Guang'an Prince's Mansion, not as a sacrifice for the Supervision Division. Since we went through so much effort to change my face, we should make full use of it..."

"Liu Xiniang!" Xie Heng finally lost his patience, raising his voice abruptly. He turned around and stared at her intently, barely restraining himself. "Be silent."

Luo Wanqing felt as if an invisible force had immobilized her entire body under his gaze. The imposing presence before her was overwhelming; it was already difficult for her to stand steadily, let alone speak.

Seeing that Luo Wanqing had quieted down, seemingly frightened, Xie Heng regretted his actions. Suppressing his emotions, he turned his gaze away and strode up the last step.

When Luo Wanqing heard him leave, she felt quite unwilling. She could not give up so easily. She continued to press, "My lord, do you have other concerns?"

Xie Heng ignored her.

Luo Wanqing followed him, continuing to persuade him, "Li Guiyu no longer harbors any intent to kill me. Today, he deliberately lured me, which also proved that my identity does indeed affect him. Why won't you let me go? What are you worried about? If there's something unsuitable about me, my lord, you can tell me directly. I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Heng suddenly reached out, pulling her waist towards him.

Luo Wanqing was pulled back, instinctively grabbing onto his robe. When she looked up, she saw him looking down at her, causing her entire body to stiffen.

They were very close. This was the third time a man had been this intimate with her, after Cui Heng and Li Guiyu.

Xie Heng had touched her before, but it was always in moments of urgency, leaving her no time to process it.

However, at this moment, with just the two of them, all her senses focused on him.

His palm was on her waist, and only now did she clearly feel its size. One of his hands could grasp most of her waist.

The contrast evoked a sense of intimacy, and his hand unconsciously tightened, drawing them closer.

Not far away was a small courtyard, and beside it was the mountain slope. After the rain, fireflies flew up from the grass, and the surrounding leaves rustled in the breeze.

The East Capital was illuminated by lanterns, and the palace lanterns swayed gently in the mountain air. Xie Heng lowered his head slightly, approaching her face, his voice muffled between them. "Afraid?"

Luo Wanqing didn't dare to speak; her heart was pounding rapidly.

It was only at this moment that she truly realized the intensity of Xie Heng's appearance.

She didn't dare to show any unusual reactions, and Xie Heng seemed unaware as well. He held her steadily, his eyes like precious gems, staring into hers. "If he doesn't have the intent to kill, then what does he have in mind?"

As he spoke, he leaned closer to her ear, knowing he shouldn't ask but unable to resist whispering, "Or is it that he can, but I can't?"

******

When the lights of the East Capital dimmed, Li Guiyu returned to his mansion.

The courtyard was wet from the night's rain. He led the way through the long corridor, returning to his room.

The lingering scent of Wu Shi San filled the room. As he entered, memories of that night in prison flashed through his mind, when Liu Xiniang had pushed the door open.

He paused, lifting his gaze to the cold memorial tablet in the room.

"My lord," Zhang Bo's voice sounded from outside, urgent. "I heard that the Crown Prince was assassinated? How did Empress Dowager react? Have the culprits been caught?"

As he spoke, Zhang Bo arrived at the door and saw Li Guiyu looking at the memorial tablet. He stopped in his tracks.

"Zhang Bo," Li Guiyu spoke hoarsely, "send people to Yangzhou."

Upon hearing his voice, everyone at the door froze.

Everyone present knew that since returning to the East Capital, Yangzhou had virtually become a taboo at the Prince's residence.

Now, Li Guiyu had brought it up of his own accord.

"Go and investigate that Liu Xiniang," Li Guiyu said calmly. "Find out everything about everyone who has ever come into contact with her. And the young lady's body," Li Guiyu paused for a moment before finally continuing, "if found, dig it up from Jiangnan and bring it to the East Capital for me."

Hearing this, everyone knew that Li Guiyu must be emotionally troubled.

Zi Tang and Qingzhu hastily knelt down, responding, "Yes."

Zhang Bo stood by the door, hesitating for a long time before finally asking, "Your Highness, have you discovered something?"

"Zhang Bo," Li Guiyu looked at the memorial tablet, his voice hoarse, "the knife used to end the Crown Prince's life tonight was the one I gave to the young lady, Master's knife."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bo's pupils constricted sharply, and he immediately said, "It must be that someone obtained that knife from Miss Luo and used it to frame Your Highness!"

"What if she's still alive?"

Li Guiyu turned around in confusion.

Zhang Bo quickly responded, "Impossible! Even if Miss Luo is alive," Zhang Bo was flustered; he was all too aware of the weight that person held in Li Guiyu's heart. He gritted his teeth, "she could never appear in the East Capital!"

"And what if she did?"

Li Guiyu looked at Zhang Bo, persistently questioning him.

Zhang Bo's expression turned stern as he suddenly realized that Li Guiyu truly harbored this thought. He couldn't indulge Li Guiyu's idea.

He gritted his teeth and simply said, "Then we kill again."

Hearing this, a sharp pain suddenly pierced Li Guiyu's heart, and he instinctively spoke out, "No."

Seeing Li Guiyu's reaction, Zhang Bo's gaze turned cold.

He looked at the young man in the room and said calmly, "Your Highness once said that if she dared to come to the East Capital, you would surely kill her." As he spoke, Zhang Bo lowered his voice to remind him, "Have you gone soft?"

Li Guiyu didn't say anything. He restrained his trembling, turned his head away, and looked at the name "Luo Wanqing" on the memorial tablet.

After a long while, he stepped forward, reaching out to touch her name.

"I'm not going soft."

Standing in the darkness, he looked at the name "Luo Wanqing" on the memorial tablet, feeling as if he were living in an abandoned grave.

He didn't dare to say it aloud.

He was heartbroken.

He had once believed that letting her go to Lingnan was giving her a path to survival.

But when news of her death reached him, he realized that this path to survival wasn't for Luo Wanqing.

It was for himself.

---

**Side Story**

Xie Heng: "I, the noble head of the Supervision Division, am powerful, cold, handsome, and hold great power in my hands. I have no interest in women; they are merely pawns in my game. Women love me, and I accept it. If they don't love me, I don't love them either. She likes Li Guiyu, let her like him. Then I'll part ways with her, proud as I am, I will never bow to love."

Luo Wanqing: "Playing the flute..."

Xie Heng: "Wait a moment, dear, Cui Heng will be right there."

Zhuque: "Young Master, aren't you the one who said you wouldn't bow to love?"

Xie Heng: "It's Cui Heng who's bowing, what does it have to do with Xie Heng?"