Chapter 240

"Gongsun Yue?" Xiao Yuanhang said: "Let him in."

Gongsun Yue kept his head lowered and entered the study properly.

Upon entering, he knelt and kowtowed loudly: "Prince Ning, please save my Mother Consort!"

Xiao Yuanhang said: "First get up, sit down, and speak slowly."

Gongsun Yue rose to his feet but did not sit down.

He lifted his gaze, and for the first time, a wounded-beast-like sorrow appeared in his eyes as he looked at Prince Ning: "Prince Ning, I... I came to kill you."

The study fell silent instantly; Xiao Yuanhang's expression remained blank as he stared deeply at him.

Gongsun Yue lowered his head, his voice trembling: "Father Emperor used my Mother Consort's life to threaten me; I have no choice but to kill you in order to return and see her again."

He took out a small paper packet, stepped forward, and placed it on the desk: "Attendant Yu is the person sent to monitor me. Yesterday he gave me this poison, asking me to find an opportunity to put it in your food."

"Prince, please forgive me."

"First, it's for my Mother Consort's safety; second, because I carry the deadly poison of National Preceptor Wu Luo, I must take the antidote each month to stay alive, otherwise he said my veins would be severed and I would die a death like lingchi."

"Prince, I don't want to die, nor do I want anything to happen to my Mother Consort, so I had no choice but to come to Lie as a hostage."

"But I never expected that Tuan Tuan would treat me so well."

"The Princess Consort and several elder brothers treat me kindly. Here I live better than I did in Da Xia by far. So after thinking it over, I simply cannot—no matter what—I cannot..."

His thin shoulders trembled slightly, and large tears rolled down.

Xiao Yuanhang glanced at the poison on the desk and slowly said: "So you came today to ask me to save your Mother Consort far away in Da Xia?"

"Yes!" Gongsun Yue stared at him, eyes full of plea: "Prince, as long as you can rescue my Mother Consort, I am willing to do anything for you and for Lie! I only beg that my Mother Consort be safe!"

Xiao Yuanhang pondered for a moment: "I understand. Just stay at ease in the Prince's Mansion as before."

Gongsun Yue knelt and performed the salute, his voice choked with gratitude: "Thank you, Prince!"

"You may go."

Xiao Yuanhang watched his retreating back; Gongsun Chi, old and scheming, how could he entrust the major matter of assassinating the prince to a child?

Unless this child possesses something extraordinary.

This young hostage truly is desperate to save his mother, and his poisoning is genuine, but he refuses to speak of his origins, so there must be a hidden motive.

"Someone, go tell Wang Mingrui to keep watching Consort Yun's movements, and thoroughly investigate everything Gongsun Yue experienced in the Da Xia imperial palace, reporting every detail, no matter how minor."

"Assign Attendant Yu a task so that he can go out for a fixed period each day."

"Yes."

A few days later, when Attendant Yu took the opportunity of going out to meet the Da Xia merchant caravan, he was seized in one swoop by the Prince's Mansion guards who had been tailing him, and a letter and a small porcelain bottle containing medicine were found on him.

Upon opening the letter, Xiao Yuanhang saw that it was personally written by the Emperor of Xia, Gongsun Chi.

"Urge Yue'er, the old order stands unchanged: Prince Ning must be put to death."

"If it is difficult to approach him, then find a way to take the life of the Lie Immortal Envoy."

One of the two must be accomplished, without error.

This month's Bone-eroding Pill is to be given to Yue'er, urging him to act swiftly.

If there is further delay, Consort Yun's life will not be spared.

Xiao Yuanhang's gaze locked onto the phrase "to seize her life", and fury surged in his chest.

"Well, well, you Gongsun Chi!"

"Someone! Order the sons to return to the mansion immediately; regardless of any urgent matters, hurry to the study to see me!"

"Yes!"

Within an hour, the three brothers arrived one after another; even Xiao Ningchen, who was drilling at the military camp, rushed back on horseback, his armor still on.

Xiao Ningyuan spoke first: "Father, what is so urgent?"

Xiao Yuanhang said nothing, and handed him the letter.

Xiao Ningyuan took a look and burst out laughing in anger: "The Emperor of Xia has the gall of a dog!"

Xiao Ningchen and Xiao Ningxun, seeing this, immediately gathered beside the elder brother.

Xiao Ningchen glanced at it, and killing intent burst forth from his whole body; he slammed his fist on the desk with a loud "bang": "Gongsun Chi dares to move against Tuan Tuan? Father, give me an elite unit; I will set out tonight to sneak into Tianqi Cheng and kill him!"

Xiao Ningxun's face was covered with frost: "A thing that knows neither life nor death!"

Xiao Yuanhang looked at his three sons burning with anger and briefly recounted what Gongsun Yue had previously confessed.

The study was utterly silent.

Xiao Ningxun took a deep breath, his tone tinged with lingering fear and relief: "If it weren't for Tuan Tuan's sincere treatment of him, which led him to repent, Father would likely have fallen victim to poison by now."

Xiao Ningchen frowned tightly, his tone firm: "This child's heart is hard to fathom; we cannot guarantee he won't harbor malicious intent again. To keep Tuan Tuan completely safe, Father, we should still send him out of the Prince's Mansion, lest he approach Tuan Tuan again."

Xiao Ningxun shook his head: "Second brother, precisely because Tuan Tuan treats him sincerely, he feels grateful in his heart, which is why he confessed everything to Father. If we now forcibly expel him, it would chill his heart and could cause trouble."

Moreover, if he were to have any abnormal movement, we could detect it more promptly within the mansion.

Xiao Ningyuan nodded: "The third brother makes sense, but the second brother's concerns are not without reason. Tuan Tuan's safety is paramount; perhaps sending him back to the hostel would be more secure."

The three brothers each held their own views, and the argument continued without resolution.

Xiao Yuanhang spoke slowly: "Gongsun Yue need not move out of the Prince's Mansion; everything remains as before."

Xiao Ningchen urged anxiously: "Father! Tuan Tuan's safety is the most important! Keeping him will ultimately be inappropriate!"

Xiao Yuanhang waved his hand: "Since he has already pledged allegiance, my Ning Prince's Mansion can accommodate him. Tuan Tuan treats him sincerely; as father and elder brothers, we ought to fulfill her childlike heart."

His tone turned grim: "As for Gongsun Chi, daring to aim his scheme at Tuan Tuan's head is nothing short of seeking his own death. Is he not relying on Consort Yun's life to threaten Gongsun Yue? Then let us utterly destroy his greatest reliance."

Xiao Ningxun's eyes lit up: "Father, what do you mean?"

"Feign death to escape." Xiao Yuanhang's eyes blazing with fury: "This is still Tuan Tuan's idea. I will have Wang Mingrui devise a way to help Consort Yun feign death and flee the Da Xia imperial palace."

The brothers glanced at each other, and Xiao Ningxun smiled: "Just like an idea our Tuan Tuan would come up with!"

Xiao Yuanhang continued: "Although I still don't understand why Gongsun Chi would let Gongsun Yue, a six-year-old child, undertake such a major task, but since he regards him as his right arm, we will sever his control over that arm."

"Chen'er, you go personally, assist Wang Mingrui; after success, go to the Da Xia Imperial Palace, set a fire, and amidst the chaos leave something for him in Gongsun Chi's bedroom."

"Xiao Ningchen's eyes blazed with sharp light: 'Yes! Father, I know what to do.'"

"Xiao Yuanhang looked out the window: 'This matter need not be told to Tuan Tuan. She only needs to be carefree and happy.'"

"The three brothers nodded."

"Do you dare to move their pearl in the palm?"

"Even if you are the ruler of a state, I will make you know that the Ning Prince's Mansion's reverse scale cannot be touched by anyone!"

"Xiao Yuanhang picked up the small porcelain bottle on the table and walked into Lin Feng Ju."