Chapter 766: Assassination (Part II)

Xi Yan said: "You need to get this straight—Huo Xiaoru's assassination of Prince Yan is a crime punishable by death by slicing; even if you are Prince Yan's sworn brother, he won't grant you this favor."

Hu Xiaotian said: "That's why I want to discuss it with you—you have great powers; can you help me rescue her?"

"No!" Xi Yan firmly refused.

"Girl..."

Xi Yan said: "Stop the carriage!"

Hu Xiaotian stared at her in astonishment, not knowing why she suddenly flew into a rage; this demoness truly is fickle.

Xi Yan pointed at the carriage door: "Get out now—if you want to save Huo Xiaoru, go save her yourself; I won't be foolish enough to accompany you to your death."

Hu Xiaotian coldly stared at Xi Yan, then silently pushed open the carriage door and stepped out.

Xi Yan hadn't expected him to just walk away; she was both angry and anxious, shouting: "If you leave, never come back to see me again!"

Hu Xiaotian shuffled his bulky body into the wind and rain, lifted his head high, and never once looked back at Xi Yan.

The carriage behind him sped off into the wind and rain; after going some distance, Xi Yan suddenly said: "Stop the carriage!"

The Lan-clad person reined in the horse, and the carriage halted in the wind and rain.

Xi Yan bit her cherry lip, hesitated in the darkness for a moment, and finally said: "Go back!"

The Lan-clad person softly sighed: "If I were you, I wouldn't go back."

"You're not me—I don't need to listen to your opinion about what I want to do!"

Hu Xiaotian hadn't gone far; he stood alone in the downpour, letting rain pour over him until he looked like a drowned chicken. He wasn't angry at Xi Yan, but angry at himself, watching helplessly as Huo Xiaoru was seized while he could do nothing—this feeling was awful. He didn't fear death, yet there were still many people he cared about in this world, and he knew full well that if he had stepped forward just then, he might have exposed his identity, or perhaps ruined everything he'd done so far.

No matter the era, he could never truly do as he pleased; wanting a carefree life often meant being constrained by reality, and no matter how beautiful the ideal, reality remains cruel. He didn't understand Huo Xiaoru's moth‑to‑flame behavior—what motive lay behind her assassination of Prince Yan?

Hu Xiaotian forced himself to calm down; hot‑blooded impulsiveness solves nothing. Yet no matter how calm he became, he could think of no way to rescue Huo Xiaoru—he had no clue.

The sound of carriages and horses reached his ears; Hu Xiaotian turned and saw the carriage returning. Xi Yan jumped down, bit her lip, and stared at him with tiger‑like eyes. After she got off, the Lan‑clad person immediately drove the carriage away.

Hu Xiaotian looked at Xi Yan. A pale smile touched his lips: "You don't need to come back—I don't blame you. I'm just angry with myself."

Xi Yan said: "I truly don't know what I owed you in my past life!" She slammed the bundle in her hand hard into Hu Xiaotian's chest.

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed: "What?"

Xi Yan said: "Are you really planning to go scout the prince's mansion dressed like that?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "Too dangerous—Prince Yan has been assassinated, the mansion is surely on full alert; barging in like this would be walking straight into a trap." He had not lost his reason.

Xi Yan pointed to a nearby rain pavilion. The two entered the pavilion, and she whispered: "If you can be patient, let's wait here a bit longer for news."

Hu Xiaotian didn't grasp her meaning, but immediately thought of the carriage that had just left—could the Lan‑clad person have already gone ahead to spy on the prince's mansion?

Xi Yan asked: "Isn't Huo Xiaoru very beautiful?"

Hu Xiaotian found it laughable and exasperating that she would worry about this at such a moment.

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "Not bad."

"How does she compare to me?"

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Xi Yan's now round face and said softly: "Once we rescue her, you two can compare and see for yourselves."

Xi Yan said: "It seems I am never the most beautiful in your heart."

Hu Xiaotian said: "For women, beauty is never the most important thing." Although Huo Xiaoru is beautiful, her actions tonight showed no sign of a talented woman's wisdom; not only did she land herself in prison, she also dragged her sisters from the Music Dance Troupe into trouble—when women go mad, they are even less rational than men.

Xi Yan asked: "Why did she assassinate Prince Yan?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "I don't know; to this day I'm still completely baffled as to why Huo Xiaoru would risk her life and her sisters' lives to kill Prince Yan—could Prince Yan have done something to offend them?"

A blood‑filled wound had been stabbed into Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's short, thick neck; the edges of the wound had turned black‑purple, and the blood that seeped out had become green. Ma Qingyun said: "Bad—there's poison!"

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing frowned; although he heard the news, he showed no panic, calmly saying: "Tie Zheng, go to the Buddha Laughter Pavilion and fetch the Black Ice Clam."

"Yes!"

Grand Princess Xue Lingjun and Eldest Prince Xue Daohong did not leave; both stared anxiously at Prince Yan.

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing smiled: "You needn't worry—I have the Black Ice Clam, which can neutralize the poison."

Grand Princess Xue Lingjun suddenly recalled that earlier Hu Xiaotian had come to Prince Yan to borrow the Black Ice Clam to treat Princess Anping's injury; at that time the elder prince only said the Black Ice Clam was lost and gave him a bottle of Allherbs Reviving Spring Pill, as if he were just fooling Hu Xiaotian—yet she wondered what Hu Xiaotian would feel if he learned the truth.

After speaking, Prince Yan Xue Shengjing realized he might have misspoken.

Eldest Prince Xue Daohong said: "Imperial Uncle, what grudge do you and Huo Xiaoru have? Why did she try to kill you?"

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing said: "I don't know either—Ma Qingyun, bring the weapon that wounded me."

Ma Qingyun presented a tray holding the hairpin Huo Xiaoru had just used to stab Prince Yan; Prince Yan picked it up, and his expression suddenly changed. He brought the hairpin close to the lamp light and indeed saw four small characters carved on it—"Sea‑dry, stone‑rotted."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's face instantly drained of color; he stared blankly at the hairpin.

Grand Princess Xue Lingjun thought his condition had worsened and worried: "Elder brother, what's wrong with you?"

At that moment Prince Yan Xue Shengjing's forehead was covered in cold sweat; he took a deep breath and said: "Nothing much—just… just the wound hurts a little." He looked outward, expecting Tie Zheng to have returned with the Black Ice Clam by now.

Unexpectedly, Tie Zheng rushed in panic‑stricken, trembling: "Your Highness, great disaster! Great disaster! The Buddha Laughter Pavilion has been robbed!"

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing stared wide‑eyed and shouted: "What did you say?"

Tie Zheng said: "The Buddha Laughter Pavilion was robbed; the Black Ice Clam is missing, and many other things were taken as well."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing felt his legs go limp; he suddenly lost all strength and slumped back onto the bed. Grand Princess Xue Lingjun and Eldest Prince Xue Daohong hurried to support him. Eldest Prince Xue Daohong said: "Imperial Uncle, don't worry—I've already sent for the Imperial Physician; even without the Black Ice Clam, I believe we can still detoxify you."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing swallowed, his throat dry, golden stars flashing before his eyes—this was not the sign of poisoning; the substance Huo Xiaoru had coated on the hairpin was not a blood‑sealing toxin, otherwise he would already be dead.

Tie Zheng brought a bottle of Allherbs Reviving Spring Pill; Prince Yan Xue Shengjing poured out three tablets and took them. Soon the black blood stopped oozing from his neck. Prince Yan Xue Shengjing said: "Lingjun, Daohong, you may go now—my injury should be no serious matter."

Grand Princess Xue Lingjun bit her cherry lip and said: "But that hairpin is poisoned."

Eldest Prince Xue Daohong said: "Imperial Uncle, why not let me learn the technique Huo Xiaoru taught you, and I will personally interrogate her—I will surely make her reveal the mastermind."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing slowly shook his head: "I can settle this myself; also, I hope you won't tell the Emperor about this—his affairs are already many, and as his brother I cannot always share his burdens, let alone add to them."

Eldest Prince Xue Daohong wanted to say more, but Grand Princess Xue Lingjun stopped him: "Daohong, don't meddle in your Imperial Uncle's affairs—this is a trivial matter; he will handle it himself."

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing looked gratefully at his sister and said softly: "I have an injury, so I won't see you two off." Though his words were polite, in fact he had already issued a dismissal order.

Grand Princess Xue Lingjun said softly: "Very well, we'll take our leave now—Elder brother, I'll come again tomorrow morning to check on you."

Xue Shengjing said, "Just a superficial wound; the poison isn't that potent." He wasn't wrong about that. After taking the Hundred Herbs Return-to-Spring Pill, he felt his condition improve greatly—the numbness around the wound had faded and it began to ache faintly.

Xue Lingjun and Xue Daohong left the room, and Xue Daohong, full of confusion, said, "Aunt, why won't Imperial Uncle let me help?"

Grand Princess Xue Lingjun said calmly, "He must have discovered something; there are some things he doesn't want us to know." She observed closely—just now, when Xue Shengjing picked up that hairpin, his expression changed drastically; clearly he recognized it. Could Second Brother and Huo Xiaoru be having an affair? On second thought, that seems unlikely. Huo Xiaoru has been in Yongdu for several months, tasked with teaching court song and dance. Although she is a dancer, she has always kept herself chaste; countless lechers have wanted to know her, yet Huo Xiaoru has never given them the time of day. Before tonight's banquet, there had never been talk of her showing favor to anyone, let alone bringing the Music Dance Troupe to perform in person.

Xue Shengjing had only recently returned to Yongdu; he hadn't had much interaction with Huo Xiaoru, nor had anyone heard of any acquaintance between them. That he could even invite Huo Xiaoru to perform at his manor tonight was already surprising, yet no one expected the banquet's final outcome to turn out this way.

Xue Daohong turned back, his face full of doubt, and said, "What deep grudge could Huo Xiaoru possibly have against Imperial Uncle that she would dare to assassinate him?"

Xue Lingjun said, "If Imperial Uncle won't say, we'd better not ask. Forget it—there's already enough happening in Yongdu lately; we shouldn't stir up trouble."

It's Monday again; early this morning I'm asking for your recommendation votes. We've hit the front page of the weekly recommendation list for two weeks straight, and I hope we can do the same this week. Success depends on effort—if everyone remembers to vote while reading, this goal will surely be achieved. Please! (To be continued~^~)