Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hire someone to kill his own father!? Shen Yunfei froze, staring at Ying Fusheng, dumbfounded, but Ying Fusheng didn't react, just went on, "We need two assassins with two specific traits. First, they frequent places where the capital's nobles gather—heavy gamblers and drinkers with short fuses. Second, they often go to teahouses, are educated but down on their luck, and preferably have had conflicts with the garrison troops on the outskirts."

Shen Yunfei couldn't believe his ears; it sounded like pure fantasy.

But the next moment, Ying Fusheng's words made him freeze in place.

"You're a lousy student, but you know a bunch of shady friends." Ying Fusheng's voice was as clear as a spring, yet it hit Shen Yunfei hard. "You hang out with rich loafers and often go to the outskirts; you know the back roads between the outskirts and the capital inside out."

Shen Yunfei was thunderstruck. "How do you know that?"

"Young General Qi wasn't wrong—your riding style is unique. The only place in the capital where you can practice is the forest behind the garrison base on the outskirts." Ying Fusheng put his finger on the issue in just a few words. "Today you're practicing on the outskirts. You have enough time, and I can vouch for you. It depends on whether you do it or not."

"If you want to do it, I'll teach you how to hire the assassins."

...

Around 3:45 in the afternoon, the streets of the capital were bustling with people. The Shen residence sat in the southern part of the city, quiet and solemn, with hardly anyone passing by. A few soldiers from the outskirts garrison were patrolling outside. Vice Minister Shen was under house arrest, and in recent days, family members of the officers implicated in the military pay case had come to cause trouble, scattering funeral money at the gate.

Qi Hanzhou, in plain clothes, watched from a distance as his attendant chatted with the tea stand owner. The procession of family members moved away, and the attendant returned, saying, "That was General Chen's family. This is the third day they've come to cause trouble. The tea stand owner is here every day and says that aside from the troublemakers, the Shen residence has been very quiet recently."

Qi Hanzhou frowned, his gaze lingering on the patrolling garrison troops. "No one from the Grand Court showed up?"

"That's right. Vice Minister Shen usually has dealings with the garrison on the outskirts, so there have been many troublemakers. The outskirts garrison specially dispatched people here, claiming it's to protect Vice Minister Shen." The attendant asked, "Junior General, is something wrong?"

Qi Hanzhou took the tea handed over by the stall owner, seeming lost in thought. Just then, a shout came from inside the Shen residence—"Vice Minister Shen has been attacked!!"

The two immediately put down their teacups. Qi Hanzhou gave a slight nod, and his attendant vaulted into the residence. He spotted the assailant fleeing and subdued him on the spot. By then, other servants of the Shen residence had arrived. Qi Hanzhou entered the study of the Shen residence and saw Vice Minister Shen on the ground, bleeding from a wound in his side. He frowned. "Seal off the Shen residence. No one is allowed in or out."

Vice Minister Shen was under house arrest, and almost the entire Shen family was at home. Yet at the time of the incident, the assailant had managed to sneak into the residence, knowing that Vice Minister Shen would be in the study for a long time. He had bypassed all the servants, using incense to incapacitate them, and entered the study directly to kill Vice Minister Shen. Had the Shen family's guards not arrived in time, Vice Minister Shen would have died on the spot.

"Junior General." The attendant approached. "He's trained, but not highly skilled."

Vice Minister Shen had been slashed in the side, and the assailant was captured on the spot.

When the Chief Minister of the Grand Court arrived, he almost fainted. He quickly took over the situation. "Thank you, Young General Qi."

"Father—"

Qi Hanzhou nodded slightly and turned to see Shen Yunfei rushing in, his face full of terror, with sweat on his brow. He knelt down to check on Vice Minister Shen's injuries, his face turning pale when he saw the wound. "My father's injury..."

"The blade didn't go deep. Lord Shen will be fine," the physician said hurriedly.

Qi Hanzhou's gaze paused, resting on Shen Yunfei for a moment. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of a clear, medicinal fragrance. He turned to see Ying Fusheng standing at the entrance. Ying Fusheng happened to look up, his pale face marked by eyes that were far too calm.

But only for an instant. When others looked, his eyes carried a hint of concern.

"Your Highness, you can't go in." The palace attendants stopped him.

Ying Fusheng halted. "How is Lord Shen?"

The Shen residence was in chaos. Young General Qi had sealed it off, and nearly all the servants were being investigated. It was well known that aside from Shen Yunfei, the rest of the Shen family was under house arrest, constantly watched. This crime had been committed right under everyone's noses without alerting the Shen family's guards. After careful investigation, it seemed the only possibility was that someone inside the residence had opened the door to let the assailant in.

"Everyone in the Shen residence must be interrogated," the Grand Court Chief ordered.

Qi Hanzhou looked at Shen Yunfei, who was sweating profusely—whether from anxiety or something else.

Noticing Qi Hanzhou's interest in the case, the Grand Court Chief asked, "Junior General?"

Shen Yunfei's face was too pale, with dark circles under his eyes, and he had the Sixth Prince as his alibi, having been with him almost the entire day.

Qi Hanzhou withdrew his gaze, thinking of Shen Yunfei's horsemanship. He looked at Ying Fusheng again.

Ying Fusheng's expression showed no flaw.

With the attack on the Shen residence, several palace attendants escorting Ying Fusheng, worried about the prince's safety, quickly escorted him back to the carriage.

Seeing Ying Fusheng walk away, Qi Hanzhou frowned even deeper. "How did he get here?"

The attendant replied quietly, "Today, the carriage from Wenhua Hall went to the outskirts with the prince's study companions. When the news came, the Sixth Prince was with Young Master Shen. What's the problem, Junior General? This incident gives us a chance to investigate the military pay case."

"True." Qi Hanzhou turned to look at the Shen residence behind him. "But it's too coincidental."

Too coincidental, as if someone had personally handed them the opportunity.

Grand Court officials were coming and going. The garrison soldiers stationed outside the gate were also added to the list of suspects. The entire Shen residence was in a state of anxiety.

When news of the attack on Vice Minister Shen reached the palace, the emperor was furious and ordered the Grand Court to thoroughly investigate the case.

The assailant was subjected to severe torture and eventually revealed that the person who hired him was a scholar. That scholar had no wealth or power and had previously clashed with Vice Minister Shen. Somehow, he had come into possession of money to hire the assailant to break into the residence. When the scholar was arrested at a teahouse, he was terrified and confessed immediately, saying someone had approached him to hire the assassin, framing Vice Minister Shen to make it look like suicide.

The other party had even shown an official seal, promising him an official position if he succeeded.

The scholar had long been frustrated with his lack of success and indeed had conflicts with the outskirts garrison. There were no flaws in the story.

This revelation shocked the court and the country.

Originally, this was just a case of embezzled military funds, and Vice Minister Shen was about to be convicted. Now, with the revelation of a murder-for-hire plot, it was clear there was a real mastermind behind it. Following this lead, after the Shen residence was sealed off that day, Junior General Qi actually found two suspicious spies in the inner quarters of the residence. As soon as they were discovered, they took poison and killed themselves, leaving no answers but causing great alarm.

Someone had planted spies in the Shen residence and wanted to kill Vice Minister Shen to make it look like suicide, desperately trying to close the military pay case!

The emperor was furious in court, and since General Chen was involved and a loyal minister had been framed, the case was immediately handed over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for a thorough investigation of everything inside and outside the Shen residence. The captured assailant and scholar became the only breakthrough, and suddenly the two major factions in court were busy shifting blame.

Shen Yunfei never expected that in just a few short days, the situation for the Shen family would turn around completely after the assassination attempt. That day, when he entered the study and saw the bloody wound on his father's waist, he was terrified. But the Sixth Prince had told him not to inform his father beforehand, letting events unfold naturally for the most authenticity. The Sixth Prince had detailed everything—from the teahouse to the tavern, including the candidates—and the stringent conditions had actually allowed him to find suitable people and successfully hire the assassins.

But how did the Sixth Prince know in advance that such suitable candidates existed? How did he know the exact time of the garrison shift change, enabling Shen Yunfei to open a small path for the assailant to enter the residence? These questions had no answers. He had merely followed what seemed like a flawed plan of hiring assassins, yet it succeeded, and he even helped Junior General Qi uncover the spies in the residence.

When he heard his father had regained consciousness, he rushed over, only to be met with a furious reprimand upon entering the room.

"Father!" Shen Yunfei knelt.

Vice Minister Shen told him to stand. Where others couldn't see the connections, he understood them.

He also knew that his son was not capable of such a meticulous plan. "This wasn't your idea. Who taught you to do this? Hiring assassins, deceiving the emperor—how dare you!"

"It was the Sixth Prince... He said this was the only way to save you." Shen Yunfei knew how audacious this was. Seeing his father's wound worsen from agitation, he quickly defended the Sixth Prince. "I begged the Sixth Prince for help. He said hiring assassins would create an opportunity for the Shen family."

The Sixth Prince... Ning family?

Vice Minister Shen rested his hand on the edge of the bed. Hearing Ying Fusheng's plan from his son, his aged face seemed to gain a bit of color. He recalled the half-faced glimpse of the Sixth Prince at the palace banquet, remembering his sincere words and the subsequent rise of Vice Minister Ning in court. The Shen and Ning families had never interacted, and Vice Minister Ning had always avoided him. There was no way the Ning family would help him.

"Tell me in detail..."

Hearing this, Shen Yunfei quickly laid out all the arrangements taught to him by the Sixth Prince.

"How did the Sixth Prince know about these people?" Vice Minister Shen found it hard to believe. Even he had never noticed these things. Wasn't the Sixth Prince just a child?

Shen Yunfei didn't know. Having him hire assassins to kill his own father was already an act of defiance against heaven. The stringent conditions set by the Sixth Prince had actually led to suitable candidates. Over the past few days, the Grand Court had investigated repeatedly, and Shen Yunfei felt on the verge of being exposed. Yet it hadn't happened. Instead, the investigation into the assailant and the scholar had uncovered many shady deeds.

He said, "The Sixth Prince said that if you wake up, you must read this letter."

Vice Minister Shen was dazed. Trembling, he opened the letter from Ying Fusheng and read it with great care.

However, after finishing it, his hands wouldn't stop shaking, and he immediately ordered Shen Yunfei to burn it completely.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is..." He looked several years older. When the secret letter had burned away, he said, "Yunfei, the Sixth Prince's actions have shown kindness to our Shen family. Help me up; I must enter the palace to see His Majesty."

Vice Minister Shen was awake for half a day. Ignoring his injuries, he entered the palace that very night to see His Majesty, saying he had important matters to report.

When the news reached the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince was so frightened that he knocked over his tea cup and hastily asked, "Really!?"

"It's true!" The eunuch knelt. "His Majesty has ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to thoroughly investigate everything related to the Shen family. Your Highness, will the tricks we did at the drill ground be discovered?"

The Crown Prince looked tense. The horse-spooking incident at the drill ground was indeed his design. He absolutely could not allow Shen Yunfei to become his study companion. For that purpose, he had mobilized part of the Xu family's influence, waiting only for the military funds case to conclude, and everything would be seamless... But then Vice Minister Shen was attacked; the "accident" involving Shen Yunfei would very likely be dug up and re-investigated. "No, this must not be discovered!"

If his Imperial Father finds out, it will be the end of me.

The Crown Prince paced back and forth, growing more alarmed the more he thought. "Over at the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how far have they gotten?"

"They are still interrogating the scholar, and the scholar can no longer be made to confess. But his words about the official seal implicate some court officials. The ministers in charge of the imperial examinations are likely to get burned," said the eunuch. "This hiring of assassins was too coincidental. It is very likely that someone wants the military funds case to involve those ministers."

The Crown Prince no longer had the heart to listen to this; he did not care what happened to those people—his maternal grandfather would handle it anyway. What he worried about was the drill ground!

"No, we have to think of something."