Chapter 343: What was the motive? (2/2)
Han Yunxi looked at the listless Lil Thing and felt miserable with distress. “What were our archers doing? Why did they show up so late? If it wasn’t for Lil Thing, we all would’ve died!” Han Yunxi cried angrily.
The assassins had been very strong, so Chu Xifeng and the guards couldn’t be blamed for having a hard tie. But their archers had come too late to help with anything!
Chu Xifeng issued orders, “Someone, call over Li Defu!”1
Li Defu was the commander of the Duke of Qin’s archer guards. He knelt as soon as he came in. “Your humble subordinate neglected his duty, may esteemed wangfei mete punishment!”
“Why did you come so late?” Han Yunxi had a stomach full of hot air. Leaving aside today’s events, their slow reaction time was a threat to the Duke of Qin’s estate and its safety! Anyone who could charge into the estate and kill people wasn’t an easy foe. They might have escaped this time, but there would definitely be a next. If she didn’t know herself that Long Feiye’s men were highly disciplined, she might have even suspected the archers had come late on purpose.
“To reply esteemed wangfei, the ancestral hall in the northwest corner was also infiltrated by assassins planning to kidnap esteemed imperial concubine. Your humble subordinate gathered the archers to deal with them and thus had no time to attend to matters here. Your humble subordinate neglected his duty, may esteemed wangfei mete punishment!”
Before Han Yunxi could speak, Chu Xifeng cut in, stunned. “What’s going on? Why didn’t anyone report it?”
“This subordinate had just gathered the archers before we received pleas for help from the northwest corner. There was no time to send a report!” Li Defu replied seriously.
“Then did you capture the culprits?” Han Yunxi was shocked as well. Could the two wave of assassins belong to the same group? Had they split up on purpose to divide the Duke of Qin’s guards? Were they aiming for her and Gu Beiyue, or Grand Concubine Yi? Or perhaps, both?
“To reply esteemed wangfei, your humble subordinate was useless. The three assassins we managed to take captive all committed suicide, while the rest of them escaped,” Li Defu said honestly.
Han Yunxi furrowed her brows and looked at Chu Xifeng, who wore an imposing expression. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “Esteemed wangfei, could they be aiming for Grand Concubine Yi?”
Han Yunxi had guessed as much herself. If the real target of these assassins was to kidnap Grand Concubine Yi, then attacking her and Gu Beiyue was just a way to divide the Duke of Qin’s forces while keeping Chu Xifeng in check. She made a prompt decision and said, “Li Defu, immediately send for the men stationed at the Solitary Enclosure. Strengthen the guards here. Chu Xifeng, hurry and report this to His Highness Duke of Qin!”
This was Han Yunxi’s first time issuing direct orders to the Duke of Qin’s subordinates. She carried the aura of a female master very well. Li Defu didn’t dare delay, but left immediately. Chu Xifeng’s eyes flickered with admiration before he said, “This subordinate understands!”
Gu Beiyue watched the entire scene in silence, his brows wrinkled in thought. Soon enough, the corpses of the dead men were cleared away, leaving the room clean and spotless once again. By now, Lil Thing had curled itself up next to Gu Beiyue, seemingly asleep. In truth, it’d completely sank into a stupor. Gu Beiyue gently stroked its pure white fur but poor Lil Thing didn’t feel it at all.
“It’s all thanks to Lil Thing,” Han Yunxi murmured.
“Esteemed wangfei, these assassins…” Gu Beiyue trailed off.
“They were aiming for me. No helping it now, I’ve offended too many people!” Han Yunxi said helplessly.
If these assassins had really been targeting Grand Concubine Yi like she and Chu Xifeng thought, then the mastermind behind the plan would have to be that pair in the palace. Although the empress dowager had never concerned herself with Long Feiye’s birthright again after Mama Su’s death, it didn’t mean she or Emperor Tianhui would forget the issue. To the imperial clan, Long Feiye’s birth origins were more important than anything else! Because Mama Su and the rest of the attending servants had all died with the truth, only Grand Concubine Yi would know the full story better than anyone else! After all, if Long Feiye wasn’t part of Tianning’s imperial clan, asking Grand Concubine Yi would be the most straightforward way to find out.
Han Yunxi put the burden of the blame on her own shoulders so Gu Beiyue wouldn’t suspect anything amiss.
“Esteemed wangfei, you must take care of yourself.” Gu Beiyue said with a heavy tone. In that same instant, a fierce whistling wind shrieked in from outside, bringing along an arrow aimed straight at Gu Beiyue.
Nobody expected the sudden attack, nor the sheer speed of the attacking arrow. By the time everyone recovered their senses, the arrow had already sank into Gu Beiyue’s stomach, causing him to spit up a mouthful of blood!
1. Li Defu (李德福) – Li is a surname that means “plum,” De is “virtue,” and Fu is “good fortune, blessings.”