Chapter 22 I Shall Go Watch the Excitement Too

A single sentence made the Marquis of Guangling grit his teeth again.

If it weren’t for Wei Zhang, the identity of this person would be even harder to guess.

So many people had died, yet the mastermind behind it all remained elusive; how could one not be anxious?

Du Yu stepped forward. “Father, there’s no need to rush. To truly eliminate future troubles, we should find a way to completely seal the matter.

“As long as no one can prove that the incident years ago was premeditated, no matter who appears, no one can prove that it was our doing. That way, no storm can be stirred.”

“How do you propose to seal it?” the Marquis of Guangling asked. “All the assassins involved back then were orphans with no families. Most of them died that very night, and those who survived were gradually eliminated over the next three years. Now, only the He and Zhang families remain.

“The He family is down to just He Hui, and Madam He has gone mad. Are you suggesting we kill them too?!”

“Why not?” Du Yu shrugged.

The Marquis was momentarily speechless.

Du Yu smiled wryly. “The He family has been whittled down to He Hui and Madam He. If He Hui, trapped in prison, becomes desperate and tries to blackmail us like Lady Liu did, wouldn’t that put us at a disadvantage?

“In my opinion, it’s better to eliminate them all at once.”

The Marquis’s face twitched. “Killing him now would be like putting a spotlight on ourselves for the entire capital. We’d be inviting the court’s interference, which would lead them straight to us.

“If we become the center of attention, death would no longer be far behind!”

“Your Lordship!”

Before Du Yu could speak further, someone burst in with the wind: “Your Lordship, General Zhang’s daughter-in-law just left for her parental home with her young son. She’s accompanied by seven or eight guards!”

The Marquis halted. “The Zhang family?”

Glancing outside, he added, “The sun has already set. Visiting relatives at this hour?”

Du Yu stepped forward. “Which city gate did they take?”

“The West Gate!”

“The West Gate? That’s not the direction to Songyang. It’s the same direction Zhang Ji left today to pursue Wei Zhang!”

Du Yu spun around sharply. “Father, I’m certain the Zhang family isn’t really visiting relatives. Zhang Shaode is preparing for two contingencies!

“He sent his daughter-in-law out of the city to warn Zhang Ji to escape!

“If the hidden assassin takes this opportunity to strike at Zhang Shaode, silencing him, then the Du family will be blamed for the murders!

“When Zhang Ji finds out, he will seek revenge and turn against us!

“We will be utterly led by the nose!”

The Marquis clenched his fists tightly, then waved the messenger away.

Du Yu’s voice was grave. “Father, it’s better to strike first.

“The fewer people who know our secret, the safer we are!

“Whether He family or Zhang family, they are no longer useful to us. Keeping them is a burden, a threat!

“Instead of wasting effort protecting and currying favor with them, it’s better to end it once and for all!”

“That’s easy to say!” The Marquis ground his teeth. “So many people, can we kill them all? You know the news is already spreading outside. If anything else happens, they will trace it back to us quickly!”

“That won’t happen!”

Du Yu smirked. “At this stage, who said we have to kill openly?

“We only need to set a trap that implicates both He Hui and Zhang Shaode.”

The Marquis paused. “So you already have a plan?”

“Exactly!” Du Yu nodded. “My plan is not only to entangle He Hui and Zhang Shaode but also to lure the real mastermind out into the open!”

The Marquis looked puzzled. “How can you be sure he will show himself?”

A smug smile crept across Du Yu’s lips. “If the mastermind’s goal is the Du family, then his most powerful move was the incident three years ago.

“Think about it: He Jianzhong is dead. Would he really let us kill Zhang Shaode as well?

The Marquis’s expression darkened instantly. “You’re not saying this person is using us to force Zhang Shaode to betray me?”

“Zhang Shaode is your trusted aide. He wouldn’t betray you unless it was a matter of life and death.”

The Marquis’s face shifted sharply. “So this person laid a chain of traps to force Zhang Shaode to come forward and expose me?”

“My son can’t say for certain, but I know that if Zhang Shaode dies, unless the Princess of Yongjia comes back to life, no one will ever be able to prove it was a conspiracy.”

Du Yu’s face turned cold. “So I suspect that once Zhang Shaode falls into this deadly trap, the mastermind will have no choice but to emerge!

“I refuse to believe he would abandon Zhang Shaode!

“Then he would be stepping right into our trap, which is far easier than us searching endlessly for him.”

The Marquis’s fists clenched tighter. “Indeed, better to invite the needle into the bottle than to fish in the sea!

“Now, what is your plan?”

Du Yu cupped his hands. “I ask Father to send someone to summon Zhang Shaode to the mansion. Then allow me to go to Shuntian Prefecture and secure He Hui’s release…”

…

Within the Jingyang Prince’s residence, Yan Bei was reviewing military reports in a side chamber. On the couch behind him lay A Li, fast asleep.

The gray squirrel-patterned blanket covering her belly rose and fell gently with each breath, prompting one to hold their breath in quiet awe.

Gao An crept to the desk quietly. “There’s news from the Du family. Fifteen minutes ago, the Marquis of Guangling had He Hui released.”

Yan Bei stopped reading. “The case isn’t closed, yet they’re protecting him?”

Gao An nodded. “Not only protected, but He Hui has just been brought back to the Marquis’s residence. It was the heir Du personally who went, without many attendants, riding an ordinary carriage—not very conspicuous.

“Also, just as Du Yu went to Shuntian Prefecture to fetch He Hui, another trusted aide of the Marquis, Zhang Shaode—He Jianzhong’s in-law—was also invited to the Marquis’s mansion.”

Yan Bei glanced at the dusk outside the window and spoke slowly, “This is becoming more and more interesting.

“To have someone released so quickly shows they care about the He family.

“If they care, why protect the man but not urge the officials to thoroughly investigate the murder?”

“…Father!”

A Li on the bed woke.

Yan Bei immediately turned and picked her up. “Had a bad dream?”

A Li shook her head, puckering her lips as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Dreamt of braised goose. Father, I want braised goose.”

Gao An beamed. “Is she better?”

He quickly checked her forehead and smiled even wider. “The fever’s definitely gone!”

Yan Bei exhaled in relief. “Good. I’ll have the kitchen prepare braised goose for you. Want some porridge too?”

The child reached out to Gao An again. “I want Grandpa Gao’s pancakes.”

Gao An eagerly scooped her up. “All right, little ancestor, I’ll make you pancakes right away.”

Then he looked at Yan Bei.

Yan Bei lowered his head, wiping a few ink stains from his fingertips. “Looks like there’s going to be action at the Du family tonight.

“Put A Li to sleep early.

“When the time comes, let me know.

“I want to see it for myself.”