Chapter 95 The Sharpshooter

Chapter 95 The Sharpshooter

The rain poured heavily, and the streets were riddled with potholes.

Wang Yunyi's carriage was delayed by the heavy rain, and she didn't arrive at the Wang residence until around 3:45 PM. As she got off the carriage, the wind and rain hit her, and she swallowed a mouthful of rainwater. Once back in the courtyard, she coughed violently.

Her personal maid brewed a bowl of ginger tea and served it to her, looking at her pale face with heartache.

"Miss, are you really going to be a concubine for Young Master Lu?"

Wang Yunyi leaned on the dressing table, staring wide-eyed at the blurry bronze mirror, her throat dry and hoarse. "What else can I do?"

The maid knew her true intentions in getting close to Lu Xusheng and was heartbroken. "You clearly like him, how can you bring yourself to harm him?"

Wang Yunyi stared unblinkingly until her eyes became dry. She looked at her gradually clear reflection in the mirror, then grinned, revealing a smile that seemed both fierce and bitter.

"For the Wang family's glory, I can sacrifice anything. What does a man matter? Without the Wang family, I am nothing."

Her feelings for Lu Xusheng were insignificant compared to the Wang family's grand ambitions.

Who wouldn't want the Cheng family's splendor? As long as we assist the Crown Prince to ascend the throne, the Wang family will become the next Cheng family.

She chuckled and closed her eyes heavily.

Everything for the Wang family, everything for the Wang family's glory.

Every descendant of the Wang family is raised this way.

So is the second wife, Wang Shi.

Lu Xusheng arrived at the Mingxi Hall in the rain and informed her about Wang Yunxiu.

"During my trip south, the most dangerous assassination attempt came from the Wang family. Mother, this is how the Wang family treats their own grandson. Isn't this enough for you to see their true nature?"

Wang Shi couldn't believe it, her arms resting on the table as she looked out at the dark sky and wept.

"No, it can't be. Yunxiu is so good, the two of you were so close, how could he bear to harm you..."

Lu Xusheng was profoundly disappointed in his mother. "So, you won't be content until you see my corpse?"

The word "corpse" stabbed at the second mistress's heart. "No!" She frantically shook her head, her gaze turning to him. "Xusheng, you mustn't come to harm." She looked at her tall son, unable to hold back, and hugged his arm, crying.

"If anything happens to you, the sky will fall. You mustn't come to harm."

Lu Xusheng still had matters to attend to and calmed her down a little.

"Whether or not you believe it, from today onwards, you’re not to go out or meet anyone from the Wang family," he paused slightly, glancing at the attendants waiting under the corridor.

"Which of the people around you can be trusted? In my opinion, they all need to be replaced. When the time is right, I'll select some new ones for you."

Wang Shi didn't want to be completely stripped of power. "No, no, Xusheng, what could possibly happen to me here in the mansion? These people have been with me in the Lu family for decades, how could they not be loyal?"

Lu Xusheng looked at her darkly. "No discussion, all of them will be dismissed!"

Wang Shi was shocked. "No, Xusheng, they are all my confidants. If you dismiss them all, where does that leave me? How about this, you can lock them up first and release them when this is all over?"

Lu Xusheng was determined to remove all the people brought by the Wang family. In the end, Wang Shi had no choice but to beg Lu Xusheng to keep Mother Wang, while the rest were taken away by Hang.

Thinking of the rift between her birth family and her husband's family reaching this point, Wang Shi was deeply affected and fell ill.

Returning to Ningji Tang, Jiu Si was already awake.

Cheng Yian was holding him and walking around the room. The little one’s big, dark eyes were darting around, looking extremely adorable.

When Lu Xusheng entered and saw his son, his eyes softened.

"Didn’t the imperial physician advise you not to carry the baby?"

She was told that her body hadn’t fully recovered and should avoid exerting herself for three months.

With that, Lu Xusheng reached out and took the baby.

Cheng Yian handed him over and settled onto the Luohan bed.

"I just thought he was so cute, I couldn’t resist holding him."

Jiu Si seemed confused. Once in Lu Xusheng’s arms, he began to frown, his nose turned red, and his eyes wandered around.

Lu Xusheng understood—he was looking for Cheng Yian.

He adjusted the baby so he could see Cheng Yian.

"I’ve been good to him since he was born. Why does he only remember you?"

Cheng Yian waved at her son, and the child opened his eyes to look at her.

"It’s different. He was in my womb for so long, he’s already familiar with my voice and scent. As for you, he still finds you unfamiliar."

Since she barely ate lunch, Cheng Yian ordered an early dinner. Lu Xusheng still only drank a few sips of soup before putting down his chopsticks, and even spat out the last sip. Seeing him like this, Cheng Yian understood the toll the Silver Mountain incident had taken on him. That night, she held him close as they lay down to sleep.

"In the previous life, even after losing the Qin family, the Crown Prince still rebelled. Which troops did he use?"

Lu Xusheng pressed against her chest, took a deep breath, and slowly replied, "Shi Feiyue, the son of the Five Armies’ Duke, accidentally killed someone. The Crown Prince’s men found out, and he helped cover it up. Later, the Crown Prince used this to threaten Shi Heng into aiding his rebellion."

"Now that the Crown Prince is desperate, he’s likely to take extreme measures."

Lu Xusheng knew what she was worried about. "I’ve already set people to watch Shi Feiyue. This time, the Crown Prince won’t succeed."

Sure enough, two days later, word came from Shi Feiyue’s camp. This time, the Crown Prince was even more ruthless, deliberately staging a scene to make it look like Shi Feiyue killed someone to threaten Shi Heng into defecting. Lu Xusheng caught him in the act. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was very cunning, and the people he arranged had no apparent connection to the Eastern Palace. However, since Lu Xusheng had been watching him for so long, he still managed to find some clues.

Shi Heng promptly brought this evidence to court, demanding the Crown Prince’s removal, marking the start of the emperor’s effort to depose the heir.

The emperor’s faction had been prepared for this, and soon the memorials to depose the Crown Prince flooded the imperial study.

The Empress Dowager and Kong Yunjie accused Shi Heng of false charges and rejected the memorials to depose the heir on the grounds of insufficient evidence. When the previous emperor committed suicide at Jinshan Fort, he left a lasting impression of steadfastness among the people. The people were hesitant about deposing the Crown Prince, and the emperor didn’t expect such a small matter to bring down the Crown Prince. He had no choice but to drop the matter. However, Shi Heng’s actions served as a warning to the emperor, who, under the pretext of advising the Crown Prince, ordered him to reflect in the Eastern Palace and not leave without an imperial decree, effectively controlling him to prevent any rebellion.

When the news reached Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager was brewing tea.

Outside the small window, green bamboo surrounded the area. The elderly Wang knelt opposite the Empress Dowager, who was dressed in a deep blue kesi robe. She pushed a cup of freshly brewed tea toward him.

"It’s been many years since I last brewed tea. I’m not sure how my skills are now. Cousin, please bear with it."

The elderly Wang first bowed, then took the teacup in his hands, carefully smelled it, and praised its quality.

As he drank, the Empress Dowager said, "The emperor thinks he’s found my weakness by placing the Crown Prince under house arrest. Little does he know, this move plays right into my hands."

The elderly Wang took a sip of tea and nodded. "Indeed, the Crown Prince being under the emperor’s watch means he is safe."

If anything happens to the Crown Prince under the emperor's watch, the emperor won’t be able to justify it. Once Prince Ning's ascension to the throne is questioned, history will tarnish both father and son.

The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and turned her gaze to the window.

"Lu Xusheng is surely scrambling to find proof of the Crown Prince’s rebellion."

Only with ironclad evidence can the Crown Prince’s removal be finalized.

The old master of the Wang family gazed at the water in his teacup, a faint green hue, soothing to the senses.

"I’ve already tasked Xiu’er with handling this. By creating a diversion, we can strike decisively."

The Empress Dowager thought of her flawless plan and couldn't help but chuckle.

"A decade of meticulous planning. Lu Xusheng has no idea I’ve set a massive trap for him. Cousin, when it comes to open strategies, Cheng Mingyu is unmatched in the world, but in terms of cunning schemes, no one can surpass you."

The old master of the Wang family remained cautious, his face showing no trace of a smile. "The plan isn’t complete; it’s premature to claim victory."

The Empress Dowager immediately restrained her smile. "Cousin is right."

The two discussed the finer points before the old master of the Wang family departed.

After the Shi Heng affair, the court grew eerily quiet.

The Dragon Boat Festival came and went without fanfare, and the days arrived at the full moon on the fifteenth of May.

Late at night, Lu Xusheng got word from his shadow guards that the Wang family’s top fighters had all been dispatched, seemingly bound for Xuanfu.

Lu Xusheng had been keeping an eye on the evidence of the Crown Prince's collusion with the Prince of Nan'an. Now it seemed the Crown Prince was preparing for a last stand. He rose from bed in the dead of night, prepared to trail them.

Before leaving, he instructed Cheng Yian, "With my departure, the capital might fall into chaos. Take the child and seek shelter with the Cheng family."

Cheng Yian also lost her sleepiness.

"I’ll send the child and the wet nurse to Grandmother, but I must return myself. With you not in the mansion, mother-in-law cannot handle affairs. Who will take responsibility if something happens?"

As the Lu family matriarch, leaving now would damage her standing in the clan.

Lu Xusheng pondered for a moment. "I’ll have Qiu Qing and his wife stay with you. Remember, do not leave their side or step out of the mansion under any circumstances."

Cheng Yian agreed.

After Lu Xusheng left, Cheng Yian dozed off for a while. She rose in the morning and went to the meeting hall to meet her sisters-in-law, telling them she would go to the Cheng family today and return later. Liu Shi and others told her to go with peace of mind.

Cheng Yian brought two wet nurses and carried the child to the Cheng residence.

Seeing her bring Jiu Si now, the matriarch sensed trouble. "Child, can you handle the Lu family on your own?"

In the matriarch's eyes, Cheng Yian was still a delicate young girl, yet she had to stand alone and support the entire Lu family.

Cheng Yian trusted Lu Xusheng. "Nothing will happen, please rest assured."

After lunch, she rushed back to the Lu mansion to rest. Without the child, she felt somewhat unsettled and woke up not long after falling asleep. As soon as she opened her eyes, she heard hurried footsteps in the corridor, and Ming Saozi rushed in.

"Young mistress, something has happened."

"What is it?" Cheng Yian quickly sat up.

"Someone from the Wang family has arrived at our mansion gate. They heard that our mistress is seriously ill and insist on visiting. The servants are blocking them, but they are accusing you of poisoning the second mistress, causing her to fall into a coma. They claim that the second mistress wanted to arrange for her niece to marry the Second Master as a concubine, but you refused, drove the cousin away, and harbored resentment towards your mother-in-law, thus resorting to this evil scheme. Now the Wang family’s old master has arrived with his men, demanding to take the second mistress back to their family."

"What a vicious scheme!" Ru Lan's face turned pale with anger. "They're trying to tarnish our mistress's reputation."

Cheng Yian knew there was more to it.

Ruining her reputation was just the tip of the iceberg; the Wang family must have ulterior motives.

Cheng Yian thought for a moment and quickly issued commands.

"Ming Saozi, send someone to notify my father at the Cheng family."

"Ding Xiang, take the family doctor to Mingxi Hall to check on the mistress."

"Ru Lan, tell Qiu Qing to lock down the estate—no one gets in or out!"

After issuing orders, Cheng Yian left Ningji Hall, heading to Mingxi Hall, when she bumped into Liu Shi and Bai Shi.

Bai Shi looked frantic and rushed over.

"Sister-in-law, mother seemed fine this morning, but when I visited her this afternoon, she suddenly took a bad turn. I don't know what happened. What should we do?"

Cheng Yian's face tightened. After a pause, she told Liu Shi,

"Sister-in-law, please handle the front courtyard and deal with the Wang family. I'll go check on mother first."

Without a second thought, Liu Shi hurried to the front courtyard as Cheng Yian led Bai Shi to Mingxi Hall.

In the east chamber, they found the second mistress lying in bed, ghostly pale, as if she were at death's door. Cheng Yian's heart dropped, and she shot an icy glare at the matron by the bed.

"Matron Wang, did you poison mother?"

Matron Wang had served the second mistress for decades, treating her like her own life. Who knew she was just a pawn for the Wang family?

Matron Wang seemed to expect this. Without a word, she kowtowed hard, sobbing uncontrollably.

Cheng Yian immediately ordered the servants,

"Take her away, gag her, and make sure she can't hurt herself!"

Meanwhile, the family doctor rushed in, checked the second mistress’s pulse, confirmed poisoning-induced heart failure, and quickly prescribed medicine and acupuncture to detoxify her.

Cheng Yian couldn’t decipher the Wang family’s true motives.

At that moment, another matron hurried over and reported to Cheng Yian,

"Second Mistress, hurry to the gate. Elder Wang’s here, and he’s being insufferable. The first mistress can’t handle him."

Cheng Yian hurried to the front courtyard and found a crowd at the Lu family’s gate—mostly Lu relatives and neighbors. Elder Wang, in a tea-white robe, stood at the front, pointing at the Lu family’s gate and shouting,

"See? Even I, her grandfather, can’t enter the Lu family’s gate. Isn’t this the Lu family harming my daughter?"

Besides Elder Wang, only two old servants and Wang Yunyi, the eldest daughter, had come. Wang Yunyi stood silently, hands clasped, eyes lowered.

Who’s this old man causing a scene at our gate? How shameful! Servants, get rid of him!"

The Lu family servants moved forward to comply.

Old Master Wang looked at Cheng Yi'an and sneered,

"Daughter-in-law of Xu, if you don’t respect me as your grandfather, that’s one thing, but to have your servants block my way when I come to see my daughter—do you think I can’t even visit her?"

"Do you think, relying on your father being the current Chief Minister, you can step all over your mother-in-law?"

Cheng Yi'an feigned surprise,

"I’ve only been married into the Lu family for a little over a year and have never met my grandfather from the Wang family. I’ve only heard that he is an elder with a clear and serene disposition, always acting with utmost integrity," she said, scanning Old Master Wang from head to toe, then added disdainfully,

"Looking at you now, you seem like a scoundrel shouting in the streets. For a moment, I couldn’t connect you with the head of the Wang family. Pardon my boldness, but are you really Old Master Wang?"

This remark caused a burst of laughter among the neighbors.

Old Master Wang didn’t get angry; instead, he grandly pulled out an imperial edict from his sleeve,

"Daughter-in-law of Xu, don’t try to dodge the issue. Here, this is an edict from the Empress Dowager. She received a secret report that someone has poisoned my daughter. I am here under imperial command to visit the Lu family. Do you have the nerve to defy this edict?"

Cheng Yi'an narrowed her eyes, knowing that there was no way to stop him from entering today.

"Mother-in-law has been unwell recently. If you want to visit her, you should have come with the Wang family’s calling card. Why make such a fuss?" she said, gesturing inward, "Please, Old Master, enter the estate."

Old Master Wang, accompanied by Wang Yunyi, stepped over the threshold and headed straight for the Mingxi Hall.

A short while later, they arrived at the Mingxi Hall. Old Master Wang brought a physician, instructing Wang Yunyi to follow the physician inside for the examination, while he himself sat in the main hall waiting. Cheng Yi'an stood beside him, ordering someone to serve him tea, but in her heart, she wondered what Old Master Wang was up to.

If he wanted to cause trouble, he only brought his granddaughter, which wouldn’t amount to much.

Even if he wanted to frame her, a single physician wouldn’t be enough to do so.

What could framing her achieve? Even if it forced her to divorce Lu Xusheng, could Wang Yunyi then marry him?

Lu Xusheng had clearly severed ties with the Wang family. Framing her would serve no purpose other than to irritate or provoke, especially since this was the Lu family's territory. At that moment, Mingxi Hall was tightly surrounded by Qiu Qing and his men, making it impossible for even a fly to escape. It wasn't as simple as Elder Wang wanting to frame someone.

This move was truly perplexing.

The sky darkened again, a gust of wind gathered clouds overhead, blocking the sun, and the light quickly faded.

After a night and half a day of swift pursuit, Lu Xusheng caught up with Wang Yunxiu at Xuanfu, where he indeed saw Wang Yunxiu meeting with the Prince of Nan'an's men. However, after just a brief encounter, Wang Yunxiu retreated. Lu Xusheng intercepted him in the outskirts of Xuanfu, and they clashed.

As an arrow shot towards Wang Yunxiu's face, he tilted his head, and the white scarf on his face was torn, revealing his entire face.

Seeing his face clearly, Lu Xusheng stepped back, pretending to be shocked,

"It's you?"

Wang Yunxiu stood with his left hand behind his back and his right hand holding a sword, looking at him with complex emotions,

"Xusheng, supporting the Crown Prince is the just and honorable path. Why are you working for Prince Ning? Xusheng, if you heed my advice and stay out of the court disputes, I can guarantee you wealth and honor from the Crown Prince."

"Cousin, isn't it a bit late for that?"

With that, Lu Xusheng's eyes flashed, and he drew the flexible sword from his waist, thrusting it towards Wang Yunxiu's left hand.

Last year, he had chased that sharpshooter to Tongzhou. The opponent was highly skilled, particularly in his unmatched lightness skill. Lu Xusheng had to exert considerable effort to sever his wrist. If that person was Wang Yunxiu, logically, he should be severely injured and not so agile. In such a situation, he would rely on the sharpshooter's exceptional lightness skill to escape, but Wang Yunxiu did not. He raised his sword and came forward.

Lu Xusheng's moves were lightning-fast, like a whirlwind. Wang Yunxiu ultimately couldn't keep up and had to use his left hand to launch a sneak attack at Lu Xusheng's waist. Lu Xusheng dodged and glanced up again, only to see Wang Yunxiu's left hand tightly clenched into a fist, striking towards him.

Before Lu Xusheng could react, the Shadow Guard beside him cried out in alarm,

"Young General, it's bad news—he's not the sharpshooter!"

If Wang Yunxiu is not the sharpshooter, then who is the real sharpshooter?

Wang Yunxiu watched Lu Xusheng slowly retreat, his face twisted into a nearly maniacal sneer,

"Cousin, looks like I’ve let you down!"

Lu Xusheng withdrew from the battlefield, his face grave as he ordered his guards,

"Take him out, no questions asked!"

With that, Lu Xusheng rushed back to the capital.

By then, a light drizzle had started at the Lu residence. Cheng Yian hung back for a moment. The royal physician had checked on the second mistress, and his diagnosis was no different from that of the Lu family's physician. The two of them worked out a prescription to detoxify the second mistress.

Just then, Wang Yunyi stepped out from the east chamber. She shot Cheng Yian a quiet glance, then, out of the blue, she grabbed a teacup from the table and approached Cheng Yian.

"The other day, I was out of line. Please, sister-in-law, forgive me. I did think about becoming my cousin’s concubine. It wasn’t like I was dying to latch onto him, but I was just trying to find a way out for the Wang family. But since my cousin said no, I had to let it go."

"Please, sister-in-law, cut me some slack—I was young and impulsive." With that, she knelt down and offered the teacup to Cheng Yian,

"This tea is my way of saying sorry, sister-in-law."

Cheng Yian, unsure of her motives and not looking to argue, reached out to take the teacup. Her hand accidentally brushed against Wang Yunyi’s left hand.

It was icy, completely devoid of warmth.

On such a summer day, anyone's palms would easily sweat, but her left hand was not only cold but also somewhat stiff.

It didn't feel like the hand of a living person.

That coldness, as if dipped in ice, shot up from the back of her hand to her heart.

Suddenly, several pieces of information flashed through Cheng Yian's mind.

Wang Yunxiu is the sharpshooter. Lu Xusheng had cut off the sharpshooter's left wrist. Wang Yunxiu's figure was almost identical to his sister's, and due to being twins, their appearances were exactly the same.

In her past life, Wang Yunyi had rushed to the military camp to inquire about Lu Xusheng's movements.

Could it be that the real sharpshooter was not Wang Yunxiu, but Wang Yunyi?

Oh my god.

Cheng Yian was terrified by this thought, a chill running down her spine.

She suddenly understood why the old master Wang had dared to boldly enter the Lu residence with only Wang Yunyi.