Chapter 21 (2/2)
Pei Jin saw Yan Shi Ning gritted her teeth and he smiled. ‘If you could choose to marry seventh brother or me, who would you choose?’
Heavens! Yan Shi Ning thought Pei Jin was asking her to choose between a dangerous man and a more dangerous man to marry.
Yan Shi Ning picked up a sweet bun and tucked it in Pei Jin’s mouth. ‘Eat!’
Pei Jin happily ate the sweet bun. ‘Who else do you suspect?’
Yan Shi Ning felt like talking to Pei Jin was like walking in different directions, from jests to sincere conversations.
‘The second and third suspects are the empress and the crown prince,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘They could have sent assassins to frame seventh prince. Big brother, think about why it’s strange the assassins attacked the crown prince and big brother but didn’t attack seventh prince. It’s a possibility the empress and the crown prince wants other people to suspect seventh prince. It’s a pity if they sent the assassins, they wouldn’t have anticipated seventh prince would risk his life to save the emperor.’
‘But to frame seventh brother by directly attacking imperial father wouldn’t benefit the empress,’ Pei Jin said. ‘If seventh brother didn’t protect imperial father… what would be the consequences? Supporters for seventh brother and the crown prince are strong on both sides. If the empress knows when victory is uncertain, she wouldn’t use that tactic.’
Yan Shi Ning realised Pei Jin understood everyone in the palace as much as he was familiar with his fingers.
‘Who else?’ Pei Jin asked.
‘Someone from Huang Guo’s manor,’ Yan Shi Ning said.
Pei Jin’s forehead creased, he didn’t expect Yan Shi Ning would also think people from Huang Guo’s side were suspects.
‘After the assassins were captured they killed themselves,’ Yan Shi Ning said. ‘To train assassins to be loyal and protect their master’s identity, their master needs to be someone who is powerful enough that the assassins would be scared to betray them. I did think about Consort La being a suspect. But Consort La’s relatives doesn’t have powerful connections.’
Pei Jin shook her head. ‘Wife, that’s a naive notion. Even if Consort La’s relatives doesn’t have powerful connections, thirteenth brother could become emperor and her relatives will gain more power. There are some people who are willing to gamble once for the biggest gain.’
‘Big brother, do you suspect Consort La?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
Yan Shi Ning felt that Consort La was a gentle and sincere person and the loveable fool Pei Khan would struggle to become emperor.
‘I wanted to say that you shouldn’t dismiss someone if they don’t have powerful connections,’ Pei Jin said. ‘Because sometimes a person purposely make themselves appear like they have no powerful connections to hide their powerful connections.’
Yan Shi Ning thought Pei Jin was alluding to himself and she was curious if he secretly built powerful connections. ‘What about big brother?’
Pei Jin held Yan Shi Ning’s hand and his finger wrote yes on her palm.
Yan Shi Ning raised her head and looked closely at Pei Jin’s expression. In that moment the wind rattled the window.
‘Wife, it appears you’re fooled again,’ Pei Jin said.
Yan Shi Ning heard Pei Jin’s laugh until he was breathless and her heart pounded angrily. She couldn’t believe earlier she was willing to give herself to an expert liar.
Pei Jin felt that Yan Shi Ning was truly angry. He pulled her onto his lap and hastily consoled her. ‘I was teasing you. You were right about Huang Guo. He could have sent the assassins. Think about it, I wasn’t armed but the assassins were armed and they didn’t injure me. But if he sent the assassins, it’s strange why the assassins didn’t attack seventh brother.’
Pei Jin hugged Yan Shi Ning tightly. She ignored his shameless hands on her body and listened to his persuasive reasoning.
‘Big brother, if everyone is capable then who is the culprit?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
Pei Jin nibbled Yan Shi Ning’s earlobe and blew in her ear. ‘Wife, you forgot someone.’
‘Who?’ Yan Shi Ning asked.
‘Your husband,’ Pei Jin said.
***
End of Chapter Twenty-One