Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Yu Chiyi was nearby and rushed over as soon as he heard the gunshots.

Seeing the gun in Su Yu's hand, Yu Chiyi was momentarily stunned but still drew his longsword and struck with precision, his eyes never leaving Su Yu. His strikes were precise, cutting down assassins one by one like slicing through watermelons.

In contrast, the younger Yu Chiyou was slightly less skilled, sometimes needing a second strike to finish off an assassin.

Xie Yiguan arrived slightly later than Yu Chiyi, but he too was stunned by the gun in the emperor's hand—it was truly unbelievable.

It must be said, Su Yu was full of surprises.

But he quickly noticed Su Yu shielding Cui Xuan behind her. Without thinking, he furrowed his brow, drew an arrow from his quiver, and shot it through an assassin's throat.

Yu Chiyi glanced briefly at Xie Yiguan, realizing that Xie Yiguan, who usually kept a low profile, was quite deadly.

Su Yu's gun only had five bullets. She fired three in rapid succession, each one fatal. Seeing the assassins were no match for the Yu uncle and nephew, she quietly holstered the gun and tucked it into her robe, saying, "Leave one alive—"

Before she could finish, the two remaining assassins bit down on poison hidden under their tongues, spitting blood and collapsing.

Yu Chiyi: "..."

The two assassins were too far for him to stop, so he could only look helplessly at Su Yu.

Su Yu waited until all the assassins had fallen before finishing her sentence: "It's fine if no one's left alive. I just wanted to see if they'd kill themselves. Three words were enough to make them end their lives. Quite effective."

The not-yet-dead assassin: "...Dog... Emperor!"

The poisoned assassin died before finishing. Yu Chiyi quickly ordered the Guards to remove the black cloth from the assassins' faces, revealing their true identities.

Xie Yiguan pointed at one and said, "This man is one of the Dongchuan Military Commissioner's attendants."

He had a photographic memory and could recognize people accurately after just a glance.

Su Yu stroked her chin and said, "Take all the bodies back and call the imperial physician to my tent."

Yu Chiyi and Xie Yiguan both looked at Su Yu, but she turned to Cui Xuan.

Cui Xuan met her eyes briefly before looking away, his voice slightly hoarse: "I'm fine..."

Then came the sound of tearing fabric. Cui Xuan looked down to see Su Yu draw a dagger from her belt, cut a slit in his robe, and tear off two strips of cloth.

Cui Xuan: "..."

Su Yu took his injured hand and gently bandaged it with the cloth strips, saying, "This is just a temporary bandage. The physician will tend to it properly in my tent later."

Cui Xuan: "..."

"Hmm?" Su Yu didn't hear Cui Xuan's response and looked up, meeting his lowered phoenix eyes.

Cui Xuan abruptly turned away, his ears red, his voice even hoarser: "I'm fine."

"With both hands injured, you can't ride. Come ride with me." Su Yu mounted her horse and extended her hand to Cui Xuan.

Cui Xuan: "..."

Su Yu looked at Cui Xuan suspiciously, wondering if he had a head injury, though his forehead looked fine.

She called out again: "Premier Cui?"

Cui Xuan jolted awake, stepping back, then forward to hand something to Su Yu. Su Yu grabbed his wrist, assisting him onto the horse to sit behind her.

Su Yu said, "Hold on tight so you don’t fall."

She took Cui Xuan's hand and placed it on her waist.

Riding together on a horse was uncomfortably close. Cui Xuan didn’t need to lower his head; his nose almost brushed the back of Su Yu’s head. His long lashes fluttered slightly, afraid to move, and his arm around Su Yu’s waist felt frozen.

As they reached the emperor’s tent, Su Yu dismounted and reached to help Cui Xuan down, but Xie Yiguan stepped forward first, smiling, "Allow me to assist Premier Cui."

Yu Chiyi clapped his hands and laughed, "I’m strong enough to carry Premier Cui down!"

Cui Xuan: "...No need."

Cui Xuan clenched his teeth and used his bleeding hand to get off the horse, determined not to let Xie Yiguan and Yu Chiyi touch him.

Xie Yiguan inappropriately added, "Premier Cui truly dislikes being touched."

Cui Xuan gave him a cold look.

Finally, Cui Xuan regained his composure. He instructed his attendants to fetch his change of clothes and then followed Su Yu into the emperor’s tent.

Xie Yiguan also entered the tent.

The imperial physician arrived promptly, treated and re-bandaged Cui Xuan’s hands, instructing, "Avoid getting your hands wet until the scabs heal."

Hearing this, Cui Xuan’s eyebrows almost knotted. His glare frightened the physician, who grabbed his medicine box and hastily excused himself, fleeing.

Su Yu chuckled, picking up a towel, "Xing Jian, you’ve got blood on your face; let me clean it for you..."

"I’ll do it," Xie Yiguan said, stepping forward to take the towel from Su Yu.

Cui Xuan: "...I’ll do it myself."

Xie Yiguan chuckled, "You mustn’t get wet."

Xie Yiguan roughly wiped Cui Xuan’s face with the towel. For a moment, Cui Xuan thought Xie Yiguan meant to harm him. He pushed Xie Yiguan away, and the two exchanged glances, seeing hidden anger in each other’s eyes.

Cui Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly; Xie Yiguan’s anger towards him seemed inexplicable and thought-provoking.

Su Yu smiled and said, "Xing Jian and Zhi Wei seem to get along well."

Cui Xuan, Xie Yiguan: "...Not at all!"

Xie Yiguan coughed lightly, putting the towel back in the basin. He was actually very curious about the gun by Su Yu’s side, but now was not the right time. He would slowly ask the emperor about it after returning to the capital. The most urgent matter now was to find out the mastermind behind the assassination.

Thinking of this, Xie Yiguan’s gaze turned cold.

Yu Chiyi deployed another team of imperial guards to guard outside Su Yu’s tent before entering. He reported to Su Yu first, "Your Majesty, I have examined the bodies of these assassins. Some are from Shu, and some are from the Central Plains, like two different groups."

Su Yu had brought the sand table she made earlier, and now she recreated the scene of the assassins’ ambush on it.

She placed the clay figures representing the assassins on the sand table and said, "These assassins could ambush here; they must have mixed in with the hunting party, not bypassing the surrounding guards."

Yu Chiyi was silent for a moment, "Should we summon the Dongchuan Military Commissioner?"

Su Yu was still looking at the sand table and after a while asked Yu Chiyi, "Which area has the weakest defense?"

"Ah?" Yu Chiyi was stunned for a moment, then immediately said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have strengthened the entire defense of the Tongguan hunting ground. Now, no one inside can get out, and no one outside can get in. We can definitely catch the mastermind like a turtle in a jar."

Xie Yiguan cautioned him, "What if the mastermind isn’t even here?"

Yu Chiyi’s gaze sharpened, "Are you implying the Military Commissioner of Xichuan is behind this?"

Among the assassins were people from Shu. If it wasn’t from the East, then it must be from the West. While Xichuan and Dongchuan seemed united on the surface, it might not be the case behind the scenes, especially since Wang Jian, the Military Commissioner of Xichuan, was an ambitious man. In recent years, under the guise of friendship between the East and West, he had even taken some territory from Dongchuan.

"It’s just a possibility, nothing definitive," Xie Yiguan said cautiously.

Yu Chiyi: "..." Listening to you is… well, listening to you.

Cui Xuan spoke up, "Based on the bows and arrows they used, they might not be from Shu."

Ever since the regional commands took charge of their own weapons, there have been slight differences in the bows used by local armies. For example, Southern bows have a lighter draw, while those from the North have more.

Cui Xuan had encountered the assassins’ bows and could feel that they were from the North.

Yu Chiyi, however, said, "While weapon regulations differ by region, they are not completely non-transferable. The assassins might’ve used them to throw us off."

For example, he had weapons from various regional commands and could impersonate any of them.

"No point in guessing," Su Yu said. "Take the Shu person’s body to my tent."

She then asked the group, "How loud was my gunshot earlier? How far could it reach?"

"Gun, as in…?" Xie Yiguan cautiously asked.

Su Yu glanced at him, took the gun from her bosom, and waved it as if teasing him, quickly hiding it back before he could get a clear look.

She grinned and said, "Spread the word that I possess a heavenly divine weapon, capable of killing invisibly. Once the assassins get close to me, they will be automatically killed by this divine weapon."

Cui Xuan, Xie Yiguan, Yu Chiyi: "..." The Emperor sure knows how to spin a story.

"Zhong Yun, find a prime feng shui location to bury the three bodies killed by the gun," Su Yu instructed.

Yu Chiyi almost immediately understood, "Understood, I’ll find a feng shui treasure spot for them."

The Emperor planned to use the bodies as bait to draw out the snake.

Whether it was the mastermind behind the assassination or those with ulterior motives, they would surely be wary of the "divine weapon" in the Emperor’s hands and would want to figure out what it was. Stealing the bodies would be the most convenient way, and once they came to steal, he could have people follow them.

No wonder the Emperor had just asked about the defenses. He needed to find a spot that was not too heavily guarded and convenient for stealing the bodies.

"If anyone shows up at the feng shui spot, tail them," Su Yu instructed Yu Chiyi, then turned to the silent Cui Xuan, who had been frowning, and asked with concern, "Xing Jian, is your wound bothering you? Do you need to go back and rest?"

Cui Xuan shook his head, "My wound’s fine. I need to report something, may I..."

He glanced at Xie Yiguan and Yu Chiyi.

Su Yu immediately said, "Zhong Yun, Zhi Wei, wait outside."

Xie Yiguan gave Cui Xuan a faint look and walked out first.

Yu Chiyi stood beside Xie Yiguan after coming out and asked with a smile, "What’s Premier Cui being so cryptic about? What does he want to tell the Emperor?"

Xie Yiguan replied indifferently, "Most likely to apologize."

In his heart, he thought that the assassins could have mixed in with the hunting party, but the Emperor’s hunt was no trivial matter. The weapons they brought were strictly checked, with regulations on what bows and how many arrows were allowed, all recorded. The bows and arrows used by the assassins were either arranged by someone in the military or pre-buried there—

The first suspicion points to Yu Chiyi, the second to Cui Xuan, who was fully responsible for this autumn hunt.

Xie Yiguan didn’t doubt Yu Chiyi or the imperial guards this time, since they’d just been reorganized. He didn’t suspect Cui Xuan either, but the Cui family definitely had internal problems.

This was actually a great chance to take down the Cui family, but Xie Yiguan wasn’t sure what the emperor was thinking, he mused silently.

He looked toward the officials who had hurried back upon hearing of the emperor’s assassination attempt and recalled the intimacy between the emperor and Cui Xuan earlier. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a cold look.

Yu Chiyi glanced at him and smiled again, "I’m not great with people, so sticking around won’t help Xie Yiguan much. I’ll go ahead and do what the emperor has ordered."

The tall officer left in a flash, vanishing in an instant.

Xie Yiguan: "..." Who said Yu Chiyi was clueless? This guy’s sharp!

Inside the tent, Su Yu wasn’t in a rush to speak, but Cui Xuan knelt before her for the first time—

As a subject, he belonged to the five prestigious families, who had privileges and didn’t need to kneel before the emperor—especially someone as proud as Cui Xuan, who’d never considered it.

But realizing the assassination attempt was entirely his fault—thanks to his blind trust in the Cui family—made him want to stab himself twice over.

Su Yu, while fiddling with the sand table, said, "If you keep kneeling, Zhong Yun’ll be back with the bodies any minute."

Cui Xuan looked up at Su Yu, watching as the emperor, with a smile in her eyes, walked toward him, extended her hand, and helped him up. "Get up. I trust Xing Jian, but you need to look into the Cui family and give me answers."

Cui Xuan agreed without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, Premier Cui’s clothes are here," a voice called from outside the tent.

Su Yu allowed the attendant to enter. The attendant placed the clothes down and was about to leave when Su Yu paused, "Aren’t you going to help Premier Cui change?"

The attendant hesitated. Normally, Cui Xuan didn’t let them get too close—changing clothes was his own job. However, now that Cui Xuan’s hand was injured, the attendant looked at him.

Cui Xuan said, "You can go. I’ll handle it."

Su Yu watched as Cui Xuan dismissed the attendant and then struggled to undress and change on his own. She paused for a moment, then stepped forward to help him with his belt, "Let me help."

Cui Xuan stiffened. His face stayed stern, but his pale cheeks flushed red. Just as Su Yu thought he would refuse her, he said in a low voice, "I thank Your Majesty."

When it came to dressing, Su Yu didn’t care much—as long as the clothes were on her. Cui Xuan bit his tongue, wanting to remind the emperor to at least straighten the lapels and smooth the sleeves. But when he looked down, he could see Su Yu’s high nose bridge and rosy lips.

He swallowed his words, took a deep breath, and after Su Yu said, "Done," he used his injured hand to fix the lapels and adjust his belt.

Su Yu looked up at him.

Cui Xuan explained expressionlessly, "I’ll be accompanying Your Majesty to meet guests later—I can’t look sloppy."

Word of the assassination attempt had spread through the camp. The officials, especially those from the provinces, waited half a day without hearing from the emperor, then decided to take the initiative and come to check on her.

Xie Yiguan stood guard at the entrance, turning away all the officials who had brought their daughters to visit with a few words. He only let Dongchuan Military Commissioner Gu Zhongzhao in, even though Gu Zhongzhao had brought his daughter too.

Su Yu smiled and gestured for Gu Zhongzhao and Aunt Gu to sit.

Gu Zhongzhao was a tall officer, and his daughter, Aunt Gu, was nearly as tall as Su Yu, with a striking look.

Aunt Gu had thought only the capital’s top beauty could rival her during the hunt, but after seeing Su Yu, she reconsidered. Among the ladies at the hunt, only the top beauty could match her. The emperor wasn’t a lady, so she didn’t count.

Gu Zhongzhao made small talk with the emperor and asked about the assassination attempt. The emperor kept smiling, her thoughts unreadable. So he boldly nudged his daughter forward, "I was worried about Your Majesty’s safety, so I brought my daughter. She can help out in the camp."

The moment Aunt Gu stood up, a cold stare froze her in place. She stiffly turned her head and saw Cui Xuan standing beside Su Yu.

Cui Xuan said coldly, "Military Governor Gu, please wait until General Yu arrives."

Gu Zhongzhao was startled and blurted out, "Could it be that General Yu has taken a liking to my daughter?"

Yu Chiyi, who was just dragging the body in: "?"

He’d only been gone a minute—how’d that rumor start?