Chapter 4: Chapter Four I Miss My Darling So Much I Can’t Sleep at Night

Chapter 4: Restless with Longing for My Dearest

Wei Zheng hadn't expected the Grand Tutor to actually come and check his studies.

"At dawn, I pluck the magnolia on the riverbank—at dusk, I gather the—the—"

He remembered *Li Sao*, but he pretended not to.

He recited haltingly, and the Grand Tutor rubbed his temples in frustration, finally sighing in disappointment, lamenting his protégé's lack of progress.

He took out a ruler. "Your hand, please."

Wei Zheng hesitated, as if wanting to defend himself but too intimidated by the Grand Tutor’s authority to speak. After a long pause, he slowly stretched out his hand, lips pressed together and head bowed, the picture of grievance.

Someone else might have softened, but the Grand Tutor was stern and impartial, though the ruler fell on his palm with neither too much nor too little force—clearly going easy on him.

The Grand Tutor stopped after just a few strikes. He stood, adjusting his sleeves. "That is enough for today."

Wei Zheng’s face lit up, and he smiled ingratiatingly. "Can I go play now?"

The Grand Tutor’s eye twitched, clearly irritated by his lack of ambition. He opened his mouth to scold him but then remembered that the Virtuous Prince was a foolish simpleton. No matter how much effort he put in, the prince would not learn anything. It was better to just let him be.

He nodded slightly. "Your Highness, may you enjoy your leisure. I shall take my leave."

Wei Zheng exclaimed with delight and ordered the steward to see the Grand Tutor out respectfully. Then, he led his maids in a grand procession to the study.

The Grand Tutor watched his retreating figure with a deep gaze, lost in thought. He sighed softly and shook his head helplessly before following Li Dan out.

Once outside the princely estate, the Grand Tutor boarded his carriage and ordered the coachman to head to the palace.

In the shadows, Wei Er, after a long surveillance, quietly followed the departing carriage.

Inside the study, Wei Zheng dismissed all the maids.

"Duan Lin, what do you make of the Grand Tutor’s sudden visit?"

He stood before the desk with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on a half-opened travelogue.

Duan Lin, standing behind him, replied, "Perhaps the Crown Prince has begun to suspect you."

The assassination of Zhang Xing had only a secret guard token as evidence. Although the Fifth Prince was under suspicion, it was not enough to convict him.

At court, the Crown Prince held overwhelming power, while the Fifth Prince was weakened. The influential families in the capital did not dare oppose the Crown Prince directly. Among the princes, aside from the Fifth Prince, only the young Eighth Prince and Ninth Prince remained, along with the foolish Virtuous Prince, who had been enfeoffed with a manor on the outskirts of the capital.

Given the Crown Prince’s suspicious nature, it was entirely possible he would suspect Wei Zheng.

"Keep a close watch on the Eastern Palace."

"Yes!"

Wei San had spent days searching but still could not find that scoundrel. A hidden guard skilled in disguise and infiltration could easily remain undetected. Aside from swallowing his anger and treating it as a dog bite, there was little else he could do.

Life went on, and missions had to be accepted. After recovering, Wei San took on the cleanup work following Zhang Xing’s death.

Late at night, when most households had already extinguished their lights and retired, the residence of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was still brightly lit.

Wei San lay on the roof tiles, clad in black, blending into the darkness.

He removed two tiles, and a warm yellow glow seeped out through the gap. Leaning forward to block the light, he observed the scene inside.

"Your humble official was unaware of Your Excellency’s visit and has been a poor host. I beg your forgiveness."

Inside, Minister Li Changyan, having removed his official robe, poured wine for the person across from him, his face full of fawning smiles.

The tiles Wei San had lifted were directly above a beam, which happened to obscure about seventy to eighty percent of the other person’s figure. Wei San could only vaguely make out their silhouette, unable to guess their identity.

The person took a sip of wine and waved a hand. "I came unannounced. It is not your fault, Minister Li."

After exchanging pleasantries and drinking a few rounds, Li Changyan dismissed the attendants in the room.

With no one else around, he openly asked the visitor’s purpose.

"May I ask why Your Excellency has come so late at night…"

He left the rest unsaid, but both men understood.

The visitor smiled. "Minister Li, the investigation into Zhang Xing’s case has been progressing slowly. His Majesty is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with your handling of the matter."

Aside from the token and the courtesan’s body found in the cellar, there had been no clues in the case of Zhang Xing’s death. Not only was the Crown Prince paying attention to the case, but the Emperor was also deeply concerned.

A court official being beheaded right under the Emperor’s nose was a slap in the face not just to the Crown Prince but to the throne itself.

"This humble official is incompetent." Li Changyan wore a pained expression, sighing deeply. "The murderer’s methods were skilled, and all clues were completely erased. I suspect the token was intentionally left behind."

The visitor neither agreed nor disagreed, listening quietly to his complaints. Only after he finished did he smile meaningfully.

"Minister Li, your approach to the investigation is misguided. Why focus only on the clues at the crime scene? You must investigate from multiple angles."

"In solving cases, one must be flexible."

Li Changyan paused, gently swirling his wine cup. He glanced at the visitor and tested, "Your Excellency means…"

The visitor nodded slightly, lowering his gaze as he took a sip of wine. His demeanor was relaxed, but Li Changyan understood his meaning.

After a moment of thoughtful silence, a glint of cunning flashed in Li Changyan’s eyes, and he broke into a wide smile.

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency."

He stood up, raised his cup in a toast, and the two exchanged knowing smiles, everything left unsaid.

The rest of the conversation was meaningless small talk. Wei San quietly replaced the tiles and melted into the darkness like a ghost, slipping out of the residence right under the noses of the guards at the minister’s gate.

He returned to the Assassin Camp immediately and relayed the information he had gathered to Duan Lin.

Duan Lin praised him for a job well done, urged him to rest early, then put on his outer robe, closed the door, and stealthily made his way to Wei Zheng’s bedchamber.

It was already past midnight, and Wei Zheng had long since slept in his robes. Startled awake by the sound of the window opening, he narrowed his eyes, alert. His hand gripped the hilt of the soft sword hidden under his jade pillow. But upon hearing three rhythmic taps, he immediately relaxed.

"What happened?"

He rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, awakened abruptly, and got up to draw the curtain. The room was unlit, with only faint moonlight filtering through the window, barely illuminating the interior.

Duan Lin briefly recounted the news brought by Wei San, and Wei Zheng instantly grew intrigued.

"My dear elder brother the Crown Prince is showing impatience already."

He pursed his lips and smiled, his eyes filled with heavy sarcasm. He muttered softly to himself, "As his younger brother, shouldn’t I help my elder brother share some of his burdens?"

He called out to Duan Lin, "Where was Zhang Xing’s head thrown?"

Duan Lin hesitated, "It was thrown to the wild wolves in the back mountain the day it was retrieved. If my lord wishes to retrieve it now, I’m afraid it won’t be pretty."

After being fed to the wolves and several days passing, even if it hadn’t been completely devoured, it was likely already rotted beyond recognition.

Wei Zheng, however, said it didn’t matter. "The coroners employed by the Dali Temple aren't just for show. Just retrieve the head and see whom my elder brother the Crown Prince has his eye on. Deliver it to that person and give him a boost."

Wei San had spent much of the night scaling rooftops and was covered in dust. Unafraid of waking the already soundly sleeping Wei Jiu, he just grabbed a change of clothes and went out.

In the deep silence of the night, the bathhouse was empty, and naturally, there was no hot water. Wei San had to draw his own water.

For once, he pampered himself, using soapberries to thoroughly clean himself from head to toe, washing the fatigue away along with the grime.

He casually rubbed dry his waist-length, loosely hanging hair until it was half-dry. As he was putting on his inner robe, he paused for a moment, then quickly tied the sash. Not even bothering to put on his trousers, he reached for the curved blade leaning against the bathhouse wall, his eyes sharp with killing intent.

His voice was cold and devoid of emotion: "Come out."

The surroundings were extremely quiet, almost dead silent, as if it were all his imagination. Yet, his intuition as an assassin told him—someone was watching.

"I'll say it one more time. Come out, or I won’t hold back."

The night breeze rustled the gauze curtains, making them flutter, and the candle flame swayed along.

The more normal everything seemed, the more abnormal it actually was. Wei San tightened his grip on the hilt and followed his intuition, step by step, moving toward the window. The moment his blade lifted the gauze curtain, something unexpected happened.

"Sweetheart, coming out without even wearing pants—are you missing me that much?"

A clearly-defined hand reached out from behind the curtain, its slender fingers pinching the tip of the blade.

The flickering candlelight stilled, and Wei San saw the face of the intruder—still the same Wei Liu face mask.

Looking at this completely shameless person before him, he was so angry he laughed. "You actually dare to come back!"

Wei Zheng said, "I’ve been craving you, sweetheart, so much that I can’t sleep at night. How could I not come?"

Both being grown men, Wei San couldn’t fail to detect the teasing tone in his words. He felt once again violated by this scoundrel, and the last bit of patience in his mind snapped with a sharp crack.

A flash of ferocity crossed his eyes. With a twist of his wrist, he thrust the curved blade straight forward.

The sharp edge sliced through the fingertips, and beads of crimson blood welled up, rolling down the blade.

Wei Zheng took half a step back, dodging the thrust. As if feeling no pain, he even had the nerve to tease Wei San: "Ah, sweetheart, why are you always so violent? That’s not good."

After this remark, he shifted his tone. "But then again, I like it."

His fingertips, pinching the blade, gave a seemingly light shake, yet it made his whole arm go numb. The curved blade clattered against the floor.

Wei San reacted swiftly, lunging to grab it, but Wei Zheng was faster. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent the blade flying away.

The curved blade embedded itself straight into the bathhouse wall, vibrating with a humming sound.

Such powerful internal energy!

Wei San was startled, realizing he was no match for Wei Zheng.

He glanced toward the bathhouse exit, weighing escape, but Wei Zheng didn't miss his intention to flee.

He hadn’t come out late at night to fight with Wei San.

Wei Zheng’s gaze slid over Wei San’s parted robe, disheveled from the struggle, clearly spotting the beautiful crimson marks and the faint, lingering bluish-purple love bites.

He smiled meaningfully. "It seems you’ve healed nicely."

Wei San... Wei San clenched his jaw in fury.