Duan Ling’s words knocked Wu Du over the head like a hammer.
“Of course,” Wu Du muttered, half to himself. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Who would interrogate Wu Du repeatedly about the events leading up to Li Jianhong’s death? Someone who wished to confirm whether any information had leaked, and determine whether Wu Du knew who’d hired Helan Jie. This incident’s history must be completely erased. Otherwise, should the case be revisited in the future, many more people might be implicated, especially after the crown prince returned to court.
“But who could it be?” Wu Du murmured.
The Marquis of Huaiyin, Princess Duanping, Mu Kuangda, Li Yanqiu, the crown prince, Xie You…
“It’s probably not Xie You,” Wu Du said after a moment. “If he wanted to kill the late emperor, he could have done it easily, long ago. We can eliminate him.”
“What if he was bribed?” Duan Ling asked. “What if a different faction got to him; for example if he and…the fourth prince were working together?”
Even Duan Ling found this possibility terrifying. He hadn’t even set foot in the court, yet the series of machinations that led to Lang Junxia’s attempt on his life had already threatened his survival. If he was currently occupying the seat of crown prince, he would no doubt be facing much graver challenges than these; death could be upon him at any minute.
“The fourth prince?” Wu Du mused. “I can never tell what he’s thinking. The Marquis of Huaiyin is also a possibility. After all…” He shook his head. He couldn’t figure it out, but Mu Kuangda still seemed like the least likely person.
“Then…the Guardian is the late emperor’s sword, right?” Duan Ling asked.
Wu Du was puzzled by how sharp Duan Ling was, able to infer so much from what little he was given. He couldn’t help but give him another searching glance.
“What?” Duan Ling asked absentmindedly, still thinking.
“You’re clever,” Wu Du said. “But I should remind you there are some things you must never say in front of Prime Minister Mu.”
“A-all right.” Duan Ling knew he’d said too much, but luckily, he hadn’t seemed to rouse any real suspicion.
“If we learn who has the Guardian,” Wu Du said, “then we’ll know who conspired to kill the late emperor. Of course, it could also be that it wasn’t any of them, and Helan Jie was sent by Kublai.”
This was another possibility. The puzzle gave Duan Ling a blinding headache; he set it aside for the moment.
Sunset dyed the clouds outside a flaming red. When they arrived at the post house, they disembarked to spend the night.
Duan Ling tossed and turned restlessly on the bed. Wu Du’s flute melody floated in from the courtyard, its melancholic notes filling up the room.
Wu Du is an earnest person, Duan Ling thought. Even his laziness and conceit were proof of that, in a way. Perhaps he’d truly never wanted to connive with anyone, remaining as a sharp blade hidden inside its sheath. After listening to his story today, Duan Ling felt more certain than ever that he wasn’t mistaken—Wu Du could be trusted.
Xichuan was muggy that night, a sign of a coming storm.
Cai Yan rushed through the corridor, his face twisted in an unnatural expression and his back sticky with sweat. When he entered the emperor’s quarters, he bowed to Li Yanqiu, who was taking his medicine. A memorial sat on the table.
“Once the capital has been moved, you must think over every decision carefully,” Li Yanqiu said.
“Yes,” Cai Yan agreed, though he was unsettled.
Li Yanqiu drank half his medicine before he noticed the strain around Cai Yan’s eyes. “Where’s Wuluohou Mu?”
“He left,” Cai Yan said.
“Are you not sleeping well, my son?”
Cai Yan forced himself to smile, and Li Yanqiu waved him closer. He always called him son and treated him as his own. He offered Cai Yan the stewed bird’s nest soup from his own table and watched as Cai Yan drank it down. Still, Cai Yan’s brows were like a knot that couldn’t be untied.
“I told you the day you returned, Wuluohou Mu holds no special regard for anyone,” Li Yanqiu said. “I could never rest easy with him as your primary attendant. Why did he leave this time?”
“He said he’s going back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors,” Cai Yan said after a moment of thought.
Li Yanqiu sighed. “Then we shall summon Zheng Yan to the palace. Your fifth aunt suggested as much to me a few days ago.”
Cai Yan shook his head. He glanced at the memorial on the table but held his tongue. Noticing his hesitation, Li Yanqiu dismissed the servants.
Once the room had emptied, Cai Yan said, “Jiang Prefectural City is far too close to Huaiyin. I don’t feel comfortable with Zheng Yan entering the palace, considering this.”
Li Yanqiu nodded. After a long pause, he said, “You will have to interact with Yao Fu sooner or later. Fortunately, you’re still young, and I am still here. Yao Fu is wary of the Mu family, and Xie You will be there to protect you. Moving the capital at the end of the year should be safe, and I anticipate no issues within the first few years. If your father were still here…I imagine he would say the capital should’ve been relocated a long time ago.” Li Yanqiu smiled to soften his next sentence: “And why should you be scared of Yao Fu? He was the one who was scared of your father. In this regard, you and your father are not so much alike.”
Cai Yan’s expression changed subtly. “You’re right, Fourth Uncle. The relocation is inevitable.”
Li Yanqiu waved a hand as if to dismiss the situation. “Careful deliberation is a good thing, but there’s no need to be held back by fear. Learn what you can as we go. You’ll get it eventually.” \