146 Midnigh (2/2)

At midnight, a handmaiden from the Inner Residence knocked on the door of Slave Huan's residence and passed on the order from the Tenth Young Master Shangguan Ru, who requested his immediate presence at the Inner Residence.

Initially, Gu Shenwei wanted to give all credit to Maid Lotus while staying behind the scenes himself but now he had to get involved himself albeit reluctantly. He was suspicious as to why Shangguan Ru would be involved in this matter.

When he entered the Inner Residence, he secretly admired Lady Meng's discreetness.

Shangguan Ru was not aware of what had transpired at all and was half lying in her mother's arms with a blank look on her face. Lady Meng was only using her daughter's name to act.

Maid Lotus was also summoned at the same time, and she too did not expect that the reaction to her secret information would be so swift.

Lady Meng sat upright on a mat, wearing a gorgeous looking formal dress. This outfit was worn only once a year during the sacrificial ceremony and portrayed her as the rightful wife of the Lord. She hugged the twins tightly with both her arms with a stern look across her face. It felt as though her children would die once she let go of them.

There were only four handmaidens in the hall, and the dim rays of light coming from the solitary candle burning hid Lady Meng and the twins partially in the light and partially in the darkness.

”I need both of you to do something for me, and Ru'er has recommended you two.”

Gu Shenwei and Maid Lotus kneeled on one knee and planted their left palm on the floor, keeping silent. This was the pose struck by a killer willing to accept the mission given.

”Even though both of you were brought into the Stone Castle by that woman, I have seen your loyalty towards Ru'er with my own eyes. Therefore I trust you two.”

Lady Meng got off the mat and turned to caress the cheeks of the twins, showing a smile expressing consolation to them. She then walked in front of the two youths and the handmaiden went forward to Slave Huan and Maid Lotus to signal them to get up.

”Now the lives of my two children and I are in grave danger, and I have to act first. I want you both to kill Mister Guo.”

The two youths lifted their heads in shock, both feeling that this was not the best idea.

Lady Meng knew fully well what effect her words would produce and pulled out a folded piece of paper from her sleeve. She said, ”This is his Lord's personal handwritten order, and both of you can feel free to act accordingly.”

Gu Shenwei received the paper with both hands, and saw the following lines once he opened it: ”Guo Chun of the Whiterobe Academy has intentions of rebellion and disobedience, and can be assassinated.” There was a stamp of a Golden Roc spreading its wings on the bottom left corner and in the entire Jade City, only the stamp ink of the Supreme King was gold.

Gu Shenwei folded the handwritten order back, and Lady Meng collected it back when she deemed it the right moment.

The two youths had no other choice left; whether the handwritten order was forged or not, they had to act according to their orders.

”Receive your orders.” They kneeled on one knee again.

”Bring his head back to me right now.”

They took two waist tokens made with white jade and engraved with the words ”Wang” from the maid, for use when traveling in the night, and left hurriedly. They noticed that other assassins in black were waiting in the house next door and understood that killing Mister Guo was only part of Lady Meng's plan.

Mister Guo was staying at the West Castle and both Gu, and Maid Lotus had to return to the East Castle to get their sabers. Gu Shenwei managed to keep his wits about him amidst the cloud of heavy conspiracy around them. He had to have an escape plan for both Maid Lotus and himself.

”You go get the weapons, after which meet me at the entrance to the main yard of the Eighth Young Master.”

This was a peculiar night; no night sentry came to stop the youths sprinting about within the Fort.

Even so, Gu Shenwei still kept carefully observing while he walked and after making sure that no one was tailing him, and leapt directly into the main yard of the Eighth Young Master without announcing himself. He stealthily walked to the backyard and knocked on the door of the middle bedroom.

”Who goes there?”

After knocking a few times, a maid's voice rang out from within the room.

”There's an urgent message from the Eighth Young Master”, Gu Shenwei lied.

As someone in the house started to strike a flint to light up the lantern, Gu Shenwei hurriedly stopped the person, ”Please do not make any light.”

The person stopped trying to light the lantern, and after a while, Miss Luo Ningcha's voice came from the side of the door, ”I know it's you. The maid's ears are sealed. Now tell me what you have to say.”

Luo Ningcha's calmness surprised Gu Shenwei. He said, ”Send someone to Madam Yang with a message to let Shangguan Hongye leave the Stone Castle immediately, and to hide outside its walls.”

”What happened?”

”Madam Yang has done something foolish, somehow she wanted to conspire with Mister Guo to take down Lady Meng. His Lord had ever shown affections towards Madam Yang, and Shangguan Hongye could very likely be his illegitimate son. Now Lady Meng has begun to remove all that is deemed as a threat to her and if Shangguan Hongye does not leave he will surely be dead tomorrow morning.”

Gu Shenwei hoped that Shangguan Hongye would survive not out of pity but because he wanted to have a backup plan for himself. If Lady Meng should decide to sever all connections, he would have the ability to react.

Only Lady Meng had acted too quickly, and he did not know if his plan would still be able to work in time.