Chapter 109
**Chapter 109: Killing Two Birds with One Stone**
The princess's heart skipped a beat.
This clear thought ignited within her like a wildfire, burning fiercely and uncontrollably in her mind.
“Your Highness, you look unwell. Are you frightened?” Liu Mama's worried voice broke the princess's reverie.
The princess snapped back to reality.
She quickly began to move the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her. As the legitimate wife of the Yan Wang, how could she entertain such a terrifying thought? Was she actually wishing for the Yan Wang's death?
Amitabha, what a sin.
She pushed the dreadful idea down, feeling a deep sense of regret as her fingers flew over the beads, even as her steps out of the courtyard slowed unconsciously.
“Your Highness, should we inform the two young masters at the Guozijian about the assassination attempt on the Wang Ye?” Liu Mama inquired.
The princess continued to move the beads, “No. The Wang Ye is blessed and will surely be safe. Chengke and Chengzhen should focus on their studies and not be distracted.”
The carriage was ready, and the princess hurried to the Ministry of War to visit. At the very least, she had to present herself as a caring wife in front of the world, maintaining the good image of the legitimate wife of the Wang Fu.
...
The princess stepped out through the main gate.
Just as she crossed the threshold, she heard Li Yao's tearful voice behind her, “Mother! Mother, I want to see Father!”
There’s no wall that doesn’t let the wind through; the eight-year-old Li Yao naturally knew that the Yan Wang's fate was uncertain. She was worried and ran to the door, just in time to encounter the departing princess.
Li Yao wanted to go along.
The princess replied impatiently, “Stay at home.”
Li Yao's eyes brimmed with tears, “But…”
The princess frowned, clearly displeased, “Your brother and younger brother are studying hard at the Guozijian. What are you going to your father for, pretending to be filial? Who are you trying to impress?”
Li Yao stood there, her small face filled with confusion.
She was only worried about her father's injury and wanted to see him. Why did her mother twist it into “pretending to be filial”?
The princess ignored her and swept away.
Li Yao rubbed her tear-streaked eyes. Though she was only eight, ever since the food poisoning incident, she had keenly sensed her mother’s distance and indifference.
It felt as if her mother no longer wanted her.
Disheartened, Li Yao lowered her head and slowly walked back to her room. As she walked, she spotted Shen Wei sitting in the pavilion in the front courtyard with Rong Mama and Cai Lian. Shen Wei was anxiously looking out, glancing toward the entrance every now and then.
Li Yao puffed her cheeks and ran over, raising her little head to ask, “Aunt Shen, are you waiting for Father too?”
Shen Wei nodded, “Yes.”
With tears in her eyes, Li Yao plopped down on a nearby stone bench and said, “Aunt Shen, I’ll wait with you. I’ll only feel at ease when I see Father return safely.”
The two of them waited in the front courtyard.
As the afternoon wore on, the Yan Wang still hadn’t shown up.
With the princess absent and the Wang Ye’s fate uncertain, the entire Wang Fu was filled with anxiety and rumors. This left the steward, Fu Gui, utterly exhausted as he tried to maintain order while preparing for the Wang Ye’s return to recuperate.
Normally, the preparations for the Wang Ye’s recovery—brewing medicine, cleaning the rooms, preparing fresh clothes, and purchasing medicinal herbs—would be overseen by the princess herself. But before leaving the Wang Fu, she had given no instructions.
Fu Gui had no choice but to take on the mess, running around in circles.
As Fu Gui passed by the pavilion in the front courtyard, he noticed Shen Wei and Li Yao and hurried over to greet the two ladies. Seeing the sweat on Fu Gui’s forehead, Shen Wei asked, “Steward Fu, where are you off to?”
Fu Gui wiped his brow, “I’m just about to send someone to the apothecary to buy a batch of detoxifying and health-restoring medicine. The Tai Hospital just sent over the prescription. Oh, I’m so busy!”
Shen Wei suggested, “Rong Mama in my courtyard is experienced. Let her handle the preparations for the Wang Ye’s recovery, shall we?”
Rong Mama, ever resourceful, immediately took on the task, “Steward Fu, leave this to me. You focus on other matters; there’s no need to worry. With the Wang Ye’s assassination, the rumors in the Wang Fu need your attention to quell.”
Fu Gui certainly recognized Rong Mama’s capabilities and repeatedly thanked Shen Wei, “Thank you, Mistress Shen!”
Wiping his sweat, Fu Gui kindly reminded, “It’s hot outside, Mistress Shen. You’re pregnant; you should return to your courtyard to rest.”
Shen Wei sighed, her brow furrowed as she gazed toward the Wang Fu’s entrance, “I can’t go to the Ministry of War to visit. I can only wait here for the Wang Ye to return. I won’t feel at ease until I see him safe.”
Fu Gui felt a pang of emotion; true feelings are revealed in times of hardship. While the side consorts remained indifferent and the princess was dismissive, only Shen Wei remained devoted.
With many matters still to handle, Fu Gui soon took his leave.
The afternoon wasn’t particularly hot, and Shen Wei fanned herself with a silk fan, sipping tea and periodically glancing toward the entrance.
An old mama, tasked with looking after Li Yao, finally found her in the pavilion. Concerned, she said, “Miss Yao, it’s hot outside. You should return to the courtyard to wait.”
Li Yao shook her head, resolutely replying, “I want to wait for Father with Aunt Shen.”
The old mama looked at Shen Wei.
Shen Wei appeared listless, her eyes slightly puffy, clearly as worried about the Yan Wang as Li Yao was.
The old mama, sent by the Empress to care for Li Yao, admired Shen Wei’s devotion. Though she was a concubine, her deep feelings made her a treasure; the Yan Wang was indeed fortunate to have her.
Feeling reassured leaving Li Yao with Shen Wei, the old mama turned and left.
...
In the Ministry of War’s conference hall.
The Yan Wang and Heng Wang had been attacked, and the hall was temporarily converted into a treatment area. Imperial physicians swarmed in to tend to the two esteemed princes.
The Yan Wang had been struck by a cold arrow in the left shoulder and lay unconscious.
Heng Wang had been hit in the thigh, the wound shallow, and he remained conscious.
Thanks to timely treatment, the poison from the Yan Wang’s wound was cleared, and he was not in serious danger, though he had yet to regain consciousness. The Crown Prince arrived, his cold gaze fixed on the waking Heng Wang, “Did you do this?”
Heng Wang shrugged, looking helpless, “Crown Prince, I swear I didn’t do it! I wanted my second brother dead, but I would only strike when he was alone.”
Heng Wang felt wronged.
Today, he had walked to the Ministry of War with the Yan Wang, and everything had been fine. Who would have guessed that two cold arrows would suddenly fly out from the shadows, aimed solely at the Yan Wang and not at him?
The once valiant Yan Wang had been easily struck in the shoulder, and the tiger guards escorting him hadn’t noticed a thing!
Heng Wang seriously suspected that the Yan Wang’s assassination was staged! After all, capturing three cities in the Yue Kingdom required a reasonable pretext for mobilization—what better excuse than an assassination attempt by Yue assassins on the Yan Wang?
In fact, the Yan Wang’s plan was a classic case of killing two birds with one stone. First, it provided a pretext for mobilization; second, it could frame Heng Wang, who was traveling alongside him.
With the Yan Wang injured and Heng Wang unscathed, Heng Wang became the prime suspect.
So, at the moment of the incident, Heng Wang quickly pieced together the cause and effect. He immediately picked up one of the poisoned arrows from the ground and stabbed it into his own thigh, pretending he had also been attacked.
This cleared him of suspicion.
Heng Wang waved his jade fan, his phoenix eyes filled with reluctance, and sarcastically remarked, “With Yue assassins targeting two princes of the Qing Kingdom, we have a stronger excuse to mobilize our forces.”
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