Earlier, when he led his men to escort the evidence of embezzlement of grain taxes to the capital, the Lu family had already sent people to assassinate him in Luohan Mountain, with the clear intention of leaving him dead outside the capital.
Though most of his men perished, he returned to the capital unscathed, bringing back a deranged but lethal witness named Cai Qi.
Xiao Yan had been locked in a bitter struggle with the aristocratic families and with Lu Chongyuan for days. The noble families hated him to the bone. When they learned that Cai Qi's madness had subsided, they couldn’t sit still any longer.
Today, they deliberately sent a formal letter to Ji Yun Lane, seemingly using Lu Chongyuan as bait to lure him to stay at the Tang Residence. The true plan, however, was to incite him to leave the city to transfer Cai Qi.
The assassination attempt on Cai Qi was a ruse—their real goal was his life. For this, they didn’t hesitate to activate a spy who had been deeply buried in the Privy Council.
Unfortunately for them, his fate was strong. Though the first blade caught him off guard, he managed to dodge. Before the second blade could strike, the spy's head was already rolling on the ground.
With fury in his eyes, Xiao Yan said, “That old fox Lu Chongyuan has lost his composure. The noble families must be in disarray too. Go tell Feng Qiuli to meet with Cui Lin.”
"If the Lu family doesn’t repay me in lives for this wound, they’ll never know peace."
Jinyun replied solemnly, "Yes."
When Song Tangning returned after questioning Madam Qin, she overheard the name "Lu Chongyuan" and noticed the murderous air around Jinyun, and the fierce expression on Xiao Yan's face. Unable to hold back, she softly asked, "Was it the Lu family that hurt you, brother?"
Jinyun responded, "Who else but Lu Chongyuan? Last night, the Governor learned that he was coming to see you today, but then the Lu family used it to set up an ambush. They used you and a prisoner from the Privy Council as bait, creating multiple traps. If the Governor hadn’t realized something was wrong and sought out Master Gu early, this time, he might have really fallen outside the city."
Song Tangning's heart turned cold at these words. "He didn't truly come to see me?"
Xiao Yan, seeing her misunderstanding, reassured her, "It’s not that he didn’t want to see you, but the Lu family’s priority right now is to take away what they seized from you and smooth over the situation to clear the Empress and her son. They lured me out of the city to prevent me from stirring up trouble, and the assassination attempt was just another layer of their scheme."
"Lu Chongyuan believes that your actions were instructed by me. Whether I died on the outskirts of the capital or was trapped outside and unable to return, it would have thrown you into disarray, giving him a chance to force you to back down. But he severely underestimated Princess Cheng, and he also underestimated you."
Lu Chongyuan didn’t expect that even though he wasn’t in Ji Yun Lane, Lady Fu and the others were.
He also didn’t expect that Little Haitang of his family was no longer the same as before. Even without his protection, she was no longer a young woman the Lu family could manipulate at will.
Xiao Yan had already heard from the servants about how Song Tangning had shut down the Lu family’s attempts, leaving their ancestors speechless. His sword-like eyes carried a hint of amusement as he said, "Lu Chongyuan's schemes failed today, thanks to you."
Though Song Tangning was praised, she felt no joy. Instead, she bit her lip, trembling with anger.
She had thought that by reprimanding Lu Zhinen and humiliating the Lu family, she had vented her frustration. She thought that a few harsh words were already the height of her abilities, but she had sorely underestimated the Lu family's shamelessness.
On the surface, they tangled with her over the Empress and her son, but behind her back, they plotted to assassinate her brother.
Song Tangning’s heart hardened.
Shaming Lu Zhinen wasn’t nearly enough to make up for this!
Seeing her pale face and her almond-shaped eyes full of gloom, Xiao Yan waved Jinyun away and beckoned her closer. "Come here," he said.
Song Tangning walked to his side.
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Yan asked her.
In a low voice, she replied, "I want the Lu family to pay with their lives for my brother."
Xiao Yan was caught off guard by her blunt statement and couldn’t help but laugh. His voice rippled with amusement, but instead of scolding her for her audacity, he bent over and casually picked up something from the couch, handing it to Tangning.
Seeing her puzzled look, he raised the object in his hand and said, "Take a look."
Tangning took it and opened it. After just one glance at the contents, she immediately closed it and looked up in shock.
"My brother..."
The object in her hand was scorching hot, and even though she had only skimmed a few lines, she knew what it was about.
She raised her eyes to meet Xiao Yan’s, his casual gaze pressing down on her, and she couldn’t help but softly ask, "Has my brother been planning to move against the aristocracy all along?"
"It’s not me; it’s His Majesty."
Xiao Yan appeared indifferent to the document that made Song Tangning so tense. He lightly tapped the table, signaling her to spread it out.
Once the document was laid out on the small table, Xiao Yan said, "The aristocratic families have been entrenched in the Wei Dynasty for many years, stronger than the imperial power, deeply rooted. His Majesty has long wanted to eradicate them, but it’s no easy task because of their deep connections to the previous dynasty’s palace."
"I’ve been at odds with Lu Chongyuan for years, clashing countless times in court. But for him to take such a desperate step and send assassins after me—it only happened because the situation is turning against the aristocratic families, and he felt a sudden crisis. Otherwise, he would never have resorted to such extreme measures."
Song Tangning lowered her eyes, staring at the document on the table, tracing the intricate web of connections between the aristocratic families. She bit her lip and asked, "Is this because of the grain tax incident and the trouble I stirred up?"
Xiao Yan nodded lightly. "You threw the Lu family into chaos, so don’t blame yourself. If not for you, Lu Chongyuan might not have lost his footing."
Song Tangning’s fury dissipated in an instant. She glanced at the man beside her, noting his pale lips, yet he was still concerned about her feelings. She couldn’t help but murmur, "I’m not a child. Why are you comforting me when you’re the one who’s hurt?"
Xiao Yan chuckled. "It’s not all to comfort you. In my position, I’m always a target for others."
"My battle with the aristocratic families, with Lu Chongyuan, has always been a gamble with our lives. If they lose, their entire family will fall, their whole clan buried..."
"If I lose, I must pay with my life as well."
"Today I only shed some blood. There's no need to be sad—you should feel fortunate."
Hearing him speak so lightly about life and death in the court, Song Tangning’s heart tightened. For the first time, she truly understood the brutal reality of power struggles in the court.
Families could be wiped out in an instant, lives hanging by a thread. A single misstep could lead to eternal ruin.
Her brother couldn’t retreat—retreat meant death.
...
After returning to Jiyun Alley, Song Tangning and Princess Cheng originally had separate living quarters, but due to today's events, Song Tangning went to stay with the princess.
Seeing her in a daze, changing out of her bloodstained clothes, her hair loose as she silently washed up, Princess Cheng watched as she quietly curled up on the bed, eyes downcast and saying nothing.
Princess Cheng approached the bedside with a bowl of red date and snow fungus soup. "Aunt Jiang said you barely ate anything tonight. The kitchen just finished making this. Have some."
===========
You can read ahead to chapterr 200 here
Comments
Post a Comment