Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Yu Chiyi immediately denied, "That’s completely untrue!"

The Gu father and daughter both turned to look at him.

Yu Chiyi kept his gaze steady, looking very serious, afraid that any stray glance might cause misunderstandings. He quickly went to flip over the body on the ground and asked Military Governor Gu, "Military Governor Gu, do you know this man?"

Upon seeing the corpse’s face, Military Governor Gu immediately stood up and swiftly looked towards Su Yu. The young emperor, not yet of age, sat there, his expression unreadable.

His hand nervously brushed his belt, only then realizing he had handed his long sword to the guards outside when he entered the emperor’s tent. In the room, the emperor was flanked by guards wielding dual swords, and with Yu Chiyi present, even with his sword, he couldn’t get close to the emperor...

"Father, kneel and explain yourself properly to His Majesty," Aunt Gu stood beside Military Governor Gu. She sensed her father’s gaze was shifting, as if he was about to act rashly. If left unchecked, a minor issue could escalate into a major problem. She promptly grabbed Military Governor Gu.

Her martial arts skills were formidable. Grabbing her father, a burly military man, she delivered a swift side kick, forcing Military Governor Gu to kneel heavily on the ground, leaving him disheveled, though his kneeling posture appeared devout.

Military Governor Gu: "..." You’re really my daughter, alright!

Though Military Governor Gu harbored no rebellious intentions and even aspired to become the emperor’s father-in-law, having stayed in Dongchuan for so long, he had become the local ruler and held little reverence for the emperor. In his panic, he hadn’t thought to kneel and explain himself.

But now that he was kneeling, he somewhat recalled how to face the emperor and began to explain while kneeling, "Your Majesty, this person is indeed one of my attendants. However, he was a chef I hired recently. I brought him along for his culinary skills. I never imagined..."

Military Governor Gu glanced at the corpse, dressed in black with sword wounds, as if the word 'assassin' was stamped on his face. He couldn’t think of any other defense, and even he struggled to believe his own explanation, let alone the emperor.

Aunt Gu sighed and knelt down too, saying, "Your Majesty, my father and I have no rebellious intentions. If it were us, we wouldn’t have come here to surrender; we would have fled after the incident came to light."

Su Yu looked at Yu Chiyi, who then stripped the clothes off the corpse in front of the Gu family, revealing the complete tattoo on the body. He said to Su Yu, "Your Majesty, the tattoo on this person is identical to the one on the spy we encountered yesterday. They had planned this in advance."

The Gu family exchanged glances, both showing signs of panic. Military Governor Gu glared at the corpse and, in his haste, noticed something unusual and hurriedly exclaimed, "Your Majesty! The tattoo on this person is not from Dongchuan!"

Although both are part of Shu, the materials and patterns used for tattoos are similar, but there are still some differences between Dongchuan and Xichuan. However, even if the assassin was from Xichuan, it wouldn't be enough to prove he wasn't sent by Military Governor Gu.

And Su Yu's purpose in summoning the Gu family was not to let them prove their innocence so easily.

She said with a measured tone, "I specifically summoned Military Governor Gu from Jiannan Dao because I wanted to believe in your innocence. However, this person is indeed your attendant, and you have no evidence to prove that he wasn't arranged by you."

Military Governor Gu grew increasingly anxious, almost jumping up from the ground, but Aunt Gu, knowing her father well, grabbed him again.

Aunt Gu pulled her father down to kowtow heavily, "Your Majesty, please be discerning. My father has no rebellious intentions and would never do such a foolish thing. If we had any ulterior motives, we wouldn't have come here to meet with the officials."

She looked up at Su Yu, her eyes bright and determined.

Su Yu remained calm, "Alright, I will first have someone escort you back to your tent. I will order an investigation to uncover the truth and clear your names."

She then looked at Yu Chiyi, who understood immediately. However, considering the earlier misunderstanding with Military Governor Gu, he quickly called the guards outside to escort the Gu family back, while he stayed in place.

Seeing a hint of confusion in Su Yu's eyes, Yu Chiyi hurriedly explained, "Earlier, I had never met Aunt Gu, and Military Governor Gu misunderstood. If I were to escort them back now, it would be impossible to clear my name. It's better to avoid any suspicion."

Cui Xuan said indifferently, "General Yu, you're overthinking it. This way, it only makes you seem guilty."

Yu Chiyi: "?" You're the one who's guilty, your whole family is guilty.

Yu Chiyi chuckled and said to Su Yu, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Military Governor Gu's tent is heavily guarded, and all his attendants have been arrested and are being interrogated."

Su Yu didn't have much suspicion of Military Governor Gu to begin with. After meeting with him and his daughter, she was even more certain that this assassination attempt had nothing to do with them. However, she had specifically summoned Military Governor Gu from Jiannan Dao, not just to meet him or his beautiful daughter.

There are two military governors in Jiannan Dao. She summoned one but not the other, aiming to create discord between Dongchuan and Xichuan, making Wang Jian suspicious of Military Governor Gu, and Military Governor Gu no longer trusting Wang Jian. Now that the assassin's identity as a Xichuan native was recognized by Military Governor Gu, it would be even easier to manipulate.

Su Yu beckoned Yu Chiyi to crouch in front of her, leaned in, and whispered in his ear, "First, interrogate Military Governor Gu's attendants. It would be best if you can find a few of Wang Jian's people. If not, we'll arrange a few 'assassin survivors' to leak some information to Military Governor Gu's attendants."

"Cough—" Cui Xuan coughed heavily, and Su Yu and Yu Chiyi turned to look at him.

Cui Xuan said expressionlessly, "Apologies, my hand pain has flared up."

Yu Chiyi gave him a strange look. Can hand pain really cause coughing?

He leaned in close to Su Yu's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, Premier Cui isn't in the best of health."

Cui Xuan: "..." He heard that!

Feeling Su Yu's gaze on him, Cui Xuan grew slightly uncomfortable and worried that Su Yu might send him back to rest early. He quickly said, "My hand isn't too serious, it's just that my throat was a bit itchy earlier. I'll go and arrange the upcoming matters. As for the banquet tonight..."

Cui Xuan inquired, and Su Yu smiled, "Go ahead with it."

Despite the assassination attempt on the emperor, everything continued as usual, especially since the emperor had changed into a new robe and rode on horseback with ease.

When people inquired, they heard that the emperor had a divine artifact, and the sound they heard in the morning was from that artifact. When the artifact made a sound, the assassins died.

At first, some were skeptical, but after the noon break, others claimed they saw Yu Chiyi secretly dragging out the assassins killed by the artifact to bury them. Those killed by the artifact had a bloody hole in their foreheads, something even the sharpest arrow couldn't create.

The news spread like wildfire.

By the end, it became a tale that when the emperor was nearly assassinated, a deity manifested, using the divine artifact to protect the emperor's life and kill the assassins.

In essence, the current emperor was indeed the chosen one, blessed by the gods.

Officials suddenly understood why, from Liu Sanen to the Lu family, even the most arrogant individuals perished when they faced the emperor. Not just the capital officials, but even the local officials who accompanied this time felt the emperor's divine mandate.

Pei Xiao, the military governor of Hedong, was also part of the entourage. He had believed his sister Pei Baozhen was a certain candidate for the empress, but Pei Baozhen had been in the capital for almost a year and remained dressed as a female official. The emperor had only granted her the title of fifth-rank palace manager and the position of internal affairs director.

Su Yu had only been emperor for just over a year, but she had mastered the art of granting official titles, even to female officials in the palace.

He was somewhat concerned, especially since this hunting trip was teeming with young, beautiful, and well-born ladies. His sister Pei Baozhen held no advantage.

Pei Baozhen came to see him privately and said, "Brother, you're mistaken. The emperor is the true dragon, and we must not judge her by our mortal standards. The emperor keeping me as a female official signifies her intention to value the Pei family. I came to warn you not to get too close to the people from Hebei."

Pei Xiao was taken aback, "When have I ever been close to the people from Hebei?"

Having decided to align with the emperor, he was cautious in his dealings with the three Hebei provinces.

Perhaps due to her long tenure by the emperor's side, Pei Baozhen now exuded the aura of a high-ranking official.

She said coldly, "Today's assassin infiltrated disguised as part of the Pei family's entourage. I took the initiative to have the imperial guards detain the entire Pei family's entourage for questioning. The emperor trusts you and is sparing the Pei family's dignity by not questioning you directly. But you should think carefully about how the assassin infiltrated the Pei family's entourage."

After Pei Baozhen departed, Pei Xiao found himself drenched in cold sweat. Fortunately, Su Yu hadn't made things difficult for him. If Su Yu had used this assassination attempt as a pretext, she might have detained him.

He narrowed his eyes, having no dealings with the three Hebei provinces. Someone must be trying to eliminate him to take his place as the family head.

With Pei Baozhen's warning, Pei Xiao remained exceptionally obedient.

At the banquet outside the emperor's tent that evening, Pei Xiao only rose to toast once before quietly sitting down.

Other officials and their families, seeing the emperor still radiant and unaffected by the assassination, became even more convinced of the rumors.

The young ladies gazed at Su Yu with increasing fervor.

"Your Majesty, does the promise you made before departure still stand?" A young lady rose from her seat and walked up to Su Yu.

Su Yu was momentarily stunned. The fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl moved with graceful steps, each step like a lotus blooming. When she stood, she was elegant and peerless, her eyes filled with affection.

The young lady gracefully curtsied, perfectly balancing maidenly playfulness with the poise of a prestigious family, "Li Qiniang of the Li family pays her respects to Your Majesty. Your Majesty once said that the person who hunts the most game would receive Your Majesty's treasured bow. Does that still hold true?"

Su Yu seemed particularly gentle in the presence of such a beauty. She smiled softly, causing Li Qiniang to blush immediately, "My words naturally hold true."

"Your humble servant is not skilled, but I have hunted the most game today," Li Qiniang shyly lowered her head, then reluctantly raised her eyes to sneak a glance at the lofty emperor. The emperor is truly magnificent!

Before Su Yu could speak, she felt two significant gazes beside her. She first glanced to her right side, where Cui Xuan sat closest to her, his gaze was cold yet seemed tinged with a hint of grievance.

She paused, then slowly turned her head to see Xie Yiguan sitting a bit further away. His face still bore a proper smile, but his eyes held a hint of warning, as if she might be so enchanted by Li Qiniang as to forget herself.

Su Yu averted her gaze and smilingly asked the eunuch in charge of tallying the game, "How much game did Lady Li hunt?"

The eunuch replied, "Forty-three rabbits."

Su Yu: "..." It seems she is trying to wipe out the rabbit population.

Li Qiniang blushed deeply. Although she had cheated a little by having the Li family help her hunt, specifically targeting the weakest rabbits, the emperor had only said the one who hunts the most game, not the most variety. So, focusing on rabbits wasn't wrong.

Su Yu looked at her. Under the night sky and the glow of the bonfire, the emperor's eyes seemed to be filled with the stars of the heavens. Li Qiniang's face turned even redder, and she dared not look at the emperor.

But then she heard the emperor ask, "Is it the most?"

The eunuch replied without any change in tone, "It is not."

Li Qiniang suddenly raised her head. The emperor remained as handsome as ever, but the eunuch's voice was particularly piercing, "The one who hunted the most game was General Yu, with one wild boar, one male deer, one female deer, one hawk, and a total of forty sparrows and partridges."

The first part was normal, but how could General Yu, such a great general, have the nerve to submit sparrows and partridges?

Su Yu: "..." The one who can truly let go of pride is still Yu Chiyi.

Everyone turned their gaze to Yu Chiyi.

Yu Chiyi calmly raised his wine goblet, "Is Your Majesty going to grant me that treasured bow?"

Li Qiniang's rosy cheeks paled. She bit her lip but couldn't help snapping back, "General Yu, you spent the day protecting Your Majesty and catching assassins. How did you find time to hunt?"

Yu Chiyi replied very composedly, "Catching assassins doesn't get in the way of hunting. Besides, for sparrows and partridges, I have a secret method. I can catch an entire nest without using a bow."

Everyone: "..." With that number, it's not just a nest you caught, but a whole family!

Li Qiniang's forty-three rabbits were originally an attempt to exploit a loophole, but she didn't expect the even more shameless Yu Chiyi to appear. Though angry, she couldn't find anything wrong and could only return to her seat in a huff.

Yu Chiyi stood up and strutted over to the emperor, pretending to accept the bow from Su Yu's hands.

He almost couldn't contain himself. Previously, Su Yu, fearing his strength might damage the bow, had never let him touch it. Now, as he weighed it in his hands, he understood why Su Yu had insisted he cheat—only Su Yu's trusted confidant could claim this bow.

Otherwise, the truth would come out.

Before Yu Chiyi could return to his seat with the bow, Li Qiniang stood up again, "Your humble servant is not skilled, but I wish to perform a dance for Your Majesty."

As soon as Li Qiniang stood up, the lady sitting opposite her also rose. The lady, dressed in a stone-blue gauze dress with flowing sleeves and a half-veil, held a pipa, clearly prepared. She curtsied to Su Yu, "In that case, I shall accompany Lady Li with a tune."

She didn't announce her name but began to play the pipa, ignoring the fading smile on Li Qiniang's face.

Su Yu leaned towards Cui Xuan, asking who the pipa player was.

Cui Xuan stared intently at Su Yu's profile, only answering when Su Yu turned to him with a puzzled look, her peach blossom eyes completely focused on him, "The pipa player is Lady Qiao, the fifth daughter of the Qiao family, a renowned talent in the capital alongside Lady Xie, the second daughter of the Xie family. The dancer is Li Qiniang, the daughter of the Li family head of Zhao County."

Li Qiniang is the daughter of Li Jianxing, the most outstanding noble lady of the prestigious family, also known as the capital's top beauty.

After speaking, Cui Xuan stared intently at Su Yu. Su Yu nodded, but Cui Xuan wasn’t sure what she meant by it. He watched her take the plate of meat in front of him, slice it with a dagger, and set it back down.

Cui Xuan: "..."

She turned her head and asked with a smile, "Should I feed it to Xing Jian?"

Cui Xuan clenched his fist tightly until blood seeped out again. The pain in his hand kept him calm, and he slowly replied, "No need."

Su Yu’s gaze shifted forward, and Cui Xuan’s fist tightened again. She suddenly turned her head back, blinking as she asked, "Can I slip away early?"

Cui Xuan: "...Your Majesty certainly can."

If he had known that the emperor’s slipping away was to eavesdrop on Gu Zhongzhao, Cui Xuan would never have agreed. The emperor, dignified as he was, squatting outside a tent in the middle of the night with his prime minister to eavesdrop—was this proper?

Cui Xuan lowered his head and saw Su Yu, already crouched, looking up at him. Her bright peach blossom eyes glistened in the moonlight. He gritted his teeth, his face cold, and crouched down beside her.

Gu Zhongzhao had no idea the emperor was crouching outside. Hearing the occasional sounds of music and laughter from the banquet, he grew even more anxious. He said to Aunt Gu, "What if I seize the guards' swords and escape back to Dongchuan tonight? Once we’re there, the emperor won’t be able to do anything to me!"

Aunt Gu glanced outside and quickly lowered her voice, "Father, have you lost your mind? This place is heavily guarded, so escape is nearly impossible. If you do run, it would only confirm your guilt. Even if we could return to Dongchuan, you’d be branded as an assassin of the emperor, and everyone would want you dead. If the Military Commissioner of Xichuan is deliberately framing us, he could use this as an excuse to attack us."

Gu Zhongzhao paced restlessly, hearing laughter from outside, which only deepened his frustration and sense of injustice. He could have been sitting there, enjoying roasted lamb and beef, drinking his fill, but instead, he was trapped in this tent for something he didn’t do.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became: "It must be Wang Jian behind this, framing me. That day when I received the emperor’s letter, I saw his unease. Did he also deliberately kill the original chef?"

That day, when the emperor’s invitation arrived, Wang Jian was drinking at his residence. Seeing that the emperor had only invited Gu Zhongzhao, Wang Jian’s expression darkened. He eventually stood up and killed the chef who had brought the dishes, later claiming he had been drunk.

Aunt Gu disliked Wang Jian. She wasn’t sure if he was deliberately causing trouble this time, but every time Wang Jian visited the Gu residence, the way he looked at her made her feel sick. If she had to choose between the emperor and Wang Jian, Aunt Gu would undoubtedly choose the emperor.

After some thought, she said to Gu Zhongzhao, "The emperor’s only keeping us here. The banquet outside continues, which means the emperor doesn’t take this assassination attempt seriously and doesn’t consider us the masterminds. Or perhaps this is a test from the emperor. Running would confirm our guilt, but staying gives us a chance to survive. Father, you must stay calm. Even if we return to Dongchuan, we must never associate with the Military Commissioner of Xichuan again."

Aunt Gu deliberately spoke a bit louder, hoping the guards would relay her words to Su Yu.

Su Yu indeed heard them. She lowered her head and smiled, "This Aunt Gu is pretty sharp. Let’s go."

Cui Xuan stood up, but Su Yu remained still. He looked down again, and the emperor gazed up at him pitifully, "My legs are numb; I can’t get up. Xing Jian, help me."

Cui Xuan: "..."

He reluctantly extended his hand to Su Yu, who considerately avoided his wound.

Su Yu’s legs were truly numb, and she stumbled a few steps. Cui Xuan stepped forward to support her again, and she smiled in thanks. But then she heard Cui Xuan cough lightly and say awkwardly, "Your Majesty, my health is fine."