Chapter 85

A murder case caused a great stir but ended hastily as expected. Amidst the relief, Zhao Yougong felt fortunate, thinking how close he had come to losing. If it weren't for Ajiu's unexpected move, the outcome would have been entirely different. If he had dared to kill Xiaosan, those lurking in the shadows would have surely emerged. With Yongning County Prince Zhao Ji exposed, there were countless ways to make him die.

After Xie Wudi left, Zhu Lian cooled a bowl of meat porridge, stirred it with a spoon, and served it to Zhao Yougong as any housewife would.

"That Lei Wu is just a common thug; how could he have the ability to bribe Xiaosan and the nerve to assassinate a county prince?"

Zhu Lian had long harbored this doubt, but Zhao Yougong seemed distracted, "Who else could it be? Xiaosan admitted that Lei Wu was the one who ordered him to do it!"

Staring intently at Zhao Yougong's eyes, Zhu Lian frowned for a long time before finally giving a bitter smile, "Forget it, the matter is over, no need to mention it again!"

Though she said not to mention it, Zhao Yougong knew Zhu Lian would never give up. This woman would use every means to continue her investigation. Sigh, is this really a good thing? Some secrets should not be brought to light, and knowing too much would not benefit Zhu Lian.

The young county prince was stabbed three times, and the incident became a popular topic in the city. Even Lei Wu, the common thug, was hailed as a hero. Assassinating the Yongning County Prince and removing a great evil from Bianliang, what else could he be but a hero? Unfortunately, he fell short and failed to kill the pest of Bianliang. If the Yongning County Prince had died, how wonderful it would have been?

In the capital, the sound of firecrackers could often be heard. It wasn't a festival, nor a wedding, so why were they setting off firecrackers? It turned out some people were celebrating the young county prince's injury!

To understand how much Zhao Yougong was hated, just listen to the sound of the firecrackers.

Of course, Zhao Yougong was unaware of all this. During his recovery, he was oblivious to the outside world. Although the five great warriors of Kaifeng often visited, they only talked about trivial matters of the city.

In the Xiefang Tower, Nian Nuer leaned against the window, gazing intently at the Bianliang River. With the young county prince absent for a long time, she, the former flower queen, finally experienced the coldness of human nature. In just two months, her treatment in the tower had declined significantly. Her cosmetics and food were far inferior to before, and even the tea was replaced with coarse leaves. Wu Mama's actions often drew complaints from Xiaotan, but Nian Nuer was not particularly angry. Two months, not too long, not too short, enough to forget someone, especially since Lady Zhu often visited the Chu王府.

Nian Nuer was still good, but compared to Lady Zhu, she fell short. At least, Lady Zhu could freely enter the Chu王府, while she couldn't even step over its threshold.

Status could elevate or drag down a person. Perhaps this was why she had not yet agreed to the young county prince's offer to redeem her.

The door opened, and Xiaotan stormed in, "Sister Cui, you must say something. They are too oppressive, the tower just received a batch of fabric, but they didn't give us even a foot!"

"Enough, what's there to be angry about? Our room doesn't earn money for the tower, so it's only natural for Mama to act this way!"

Nian Nuer closed the window, sat at the table, and took a sip of tea, "In the future, if you need anything, buy it yourself. Don't argue with others anymore!"

Having been in the business for a long time, Nian Nuer had long seen through it. A former flower queen who couldn't receive guests could expect no good treatment. She was still better off; she heard that Yurou had already been reduced to working in the firewood shed. Of course, the young county prince wouldn't know this; it was extremely difficult for a courtesan to send a letter to the palace.

Xiaotan couldn't keep secrets, even though Nian Nuer had told her not to. She squatted down, shook Nian Nuer's knee, and whispered, "Sister Cui, why don't we think of a way to visit the young county prince at the palace? As long as he comes back, those people won't dare to bully us."

"You silly girl, don't think too much. That's the Chu王府, not a place for us to enter. It's time to go sell chestnuts!"

Patting Xiaotan's head, Nian Nuer got up and walked out the door. She wasn't unwilling to fight, but she didn't see the point. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't match Lady Zhu. Besides, she wanted to see what kind of person the young county prince really was. If he was heartless, it would be better to cut ties.

Xiaotan couldn't understand Nian Nuer's thoughts. She thought Sister Cui was too weak. In just a short time, those people already dared to show their disdain. What would it be like in a few years?

In the Kaifeng Prefecture, since Zhao Yougong couldn't come, Zhu Lian helped manage the affairs. Before, when Zhu Lian didn't manage anything, it wasn't noticeable, but now that she took charge, everything was orderly and calm. After a few days, even Gongsun Kang had to admire Lady Zhu.

That night, Zhao Yougong went to bed early with Mochun's assistance. Around the hour of the Ox, he heard a faint sound. Opening his eyes, Mochun and her sister were still asleep, and the inner door was open. Two black figures sat at the table, silently watching the three people in bed.

Seeing the figures, Zhao Yougong wanted to raise his hand to press the sleep points of the twin sisters.

"Enough, I already made them sleep. Waiting for you, everything is too late!"

The voice was clear, with a hint of resentment. The woman stood up, wearing a black tight-fitting outfit and a black veil. Her thick eyebrows and large eyes exuded intense anger. Just one look, and Zhao Yougong chuckled.

"Wan'er, why are you here?"

Hearing Zhao Yougong's familiar voice, Mu Wanqing's eyes welled up with tears. She raised her hand to strike, "You scoundrel, if you die, what will I do? What kind of prince are you? Let's quit, so the emperor won't keep trying to harm you!" Although she raised her hand, she couldn't bring herself to hit him. She was just angry that the scoundrel, with all his skills, dared not use them in the capital.

"Stupid, if I left with you, wouldn't I be harming you? In the capital, the emperor has to be wary of public opinion. Outside the capital, he can do whatever he wants. Then, neither of us would be safe!"

"You... you're right, but I'm afraid you'll die like this!"

Mu Wanqing leaned forward, touching Zhao Yougong's abdomen, "These days, I've been staying in the southern part of the city to protect you!"

"Where is your master? Isn't she seeking revenge?"

"She went to Dali, told me to catch up later!"

Zhao Yougong felt a deep sense of relief. What more could he say to this straightforward woman?

Getting out of bed, Mu Wanqing helped him sit on a stool, and he put on a coat. Zhao Yougong asked succinctly, "Brother Dugu, did you find anything?"

"Yes, Wenshi River!"

Indeed, the problem was still with the Wenshi River. If he had left any clues, they wouldn't be too obvious. Who discovered them?

"Is it Gong Jiong? Huang Shang?"

Dugu Qubai shook his head, his face grave, "Eunuch Cao Bing!"

"This..." Zhao Yougong's heart sank. He noticed Dugu Qubai's lips were slightly blue, "Brother Dugu, are you injured?"

"Minor injury!"

"That Cao Bing is so powerful, he could injure you!"

"Cao Bing, cunning and ruthless!"

To think that someone could make Dugu Qubai suffer, how powerful must they be? In just two months, the Imperial Guard had revealed Cao Bing and Huang Shang. How many more such extraordinary people were there?

"What about Gong Jiong?"

"Poisonous plan, must be eliminated!"

Clearly, Dugu Qubai had decided to kill Gong Jiong. Both he and Zhao Yougong were intelligent, but they were often outsmarted by Gong Jiong. From the incident with Sakura to this assassination test, every move was extremely vicious. Keeping him alive would be a great threat.

"No, Brother Dugu, don't provoke them for now. Gong Jiong can't be killed yet. Now that Gong Jiong is in the open, we don't need to worry too much. Perhaps we can use him in the future!"

Zhao Yougong disagreed with killing Gong Jiong. Gong Jiong was mysterious and not easy to kill. Besides, through these series of events, he had gradually understood Gong Jiong's nature.

Zhao Yougong and Dugu Qubai were silent, and Mu Wanqing voiced her concern, "What about the Flower and Stone Fleet? Keeping it in Chenzhou is too dangerous!"

Zhao Yougong thought quietly. Storing the Flower and Stone Fleet in Chenzhou under the nose of Bianliang was a clever move, but it couldn't last. After a moment, he said, "Transport it to Tongzhou!"

"How?"

"Find a reliable escort agency!" In fact, Zhao Yougong had thought about this before. The gold would eventually need to be transported to Tongzhou. Escort agencies in the Song dynasty were generally trustworthy and only provided security without asking questions. This was the first rule for their survival. It ensured safety and kept the gold's secret, making the escort agency the best choice.

"Alright, I'll find a reliable escort agency in a few days!"

As Mu Wanqing spoke, Dugu Qubai frowned, pointed outside, and the two of them left through the window. Zhao Yougong straightened his clothes and slowly walked to the door. When he opened it, he saw Mao Wenyu leading two guards approaching.

"Prince, is there something wrong? I saw a light in your room and came to check."

"Nothing, I'm just a bit hungry. Have the kitchen prepare some food."

"Alright!"

Mao Wenyu glanced inside but saw nothing. Confirming no one was there, he bowed and left.

After Mao Wenyu left, Zhao Yougong finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Dugu Qubai and Mu Wanqing had left any later, they would have been discovered.

Looking at the vast palace, the sky was dark, and every step was fraught with danger. Truly, every step was a potential threat!