Chapter 203: The Chance to Strike

At night, the City South Military Bureau.

Lu Xing was reading a book in his room.

He hadn't yet received any letters from the National Lord or his Master, so each day he could only practice martial arts and read books to pass the time.

Suddenly, the door was knocked, and Shi Xiao's voice came through.

"General, someone is looking for you."

Hearing this, Lu Xing slightly furrowed his brow.

So late—who could it be?

Besides, he didn't really have any acquaintances here in the Capital.

He opened the door while asking a question.

"Who is it?"

Shi Xiao shook his head.

"Not sure, only know it was someone Commander Chen brought."

After arriving at the pavilion, Commander Chen was talking with two people wearing cloaks.

Seeing him arrive, Commander Chen laughed heartily.

"Since General Lu has arrived, I won't disturb you gentlemen any longer."

"Farewell!"

Saying so, he cupped his fists at them and strode away from the pavilion.

Lu Xing's gaze fell on the two cloaked figures.

"Who are you?"

The two turned and removed their cloaks; without the wide hoods to conceal them, the faces of Wu Yong and Wang Cai were revealed.

Lu Xing was slightly surprised.

How could it be the two of them?

The two gave him a polite smile.

"General Lu, we meet again."

Wang Cai stepped forward two paces and chatted with him warmly.

"Last time outside the great hall we only met in passing; some unpleasant things happened then, and I didn't even have time to properly make General Lu's acquaintance."

"Coming to visit uninvited today is truly rude—please don't take offense, General Lu."

"A small token of regard, not worthy of your acceptance."

Saying so, he smiled and presented two Sandalwood Gift Boxes.

Lu Xing didn't even glance at the boxes in his hands, sizing up the two men.

"May I ask what business brings the two of you here so late at night?"

Wu Yong and Wang Cai exchanged a glance.

Then Wang Cai smiled and set the boxes on the table.

"General Lu is young and accomplished; we admire you greatly, so we wish to make friends with General Lu."

Admire him greatly?

They'd probably forgotten—outside Taiji Hall that day, when they passed by him, their eyes had nearly rolled up to the heavens!

Friends?

Lu Xing sneered inwardly.

The kind of "friends" who call you brother when they need you, and stab you in the back when they don't?

He wouldn't dare want that!

But he showed nothing on his face; the corner of his mouth still wore a polite, false smile.

"Make friends? And then what?"

Wu Yong and Wang Cai exchanged a glance, revealing a meaningful smile.

Elsewhere in the City Guard Bureau, in a certain room.

"Hey, don't say I didn't warn you—that surnamed Wu fellow and his sidekick are right now trying every which way to buy off Lu Xing."

Chu Yuan lounged in his chair with one leg crossed over the other, slouching in a roguish manner.

Hearing those two names, a flash of killing intent passed through Cheng Chengxuan's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

He rose and walked to a certain someone's side, his nose twitching.

"Come to think of it, I'm quite curious."

Chu Yuan sat up slightly, looking at him in puzzlement.

"Curious about what?"

Cheng Chengxuan struggled to hold back his laughter.

"Just how many times did you wash yourself before you got the smell off?"

Hearing this, Chu Yuan immediately blew up.

He slapped the table and stood up, cursing loudly.

"You ungrateful wretch!"

"How dare you laugh at me!"

"Who was it all for that I ended up in such a sorry state?!"

Cheng Chengxuan pointed outside.

"Keep your voice down."

"Bah!"

Chu Yuan huffed and dropped back into his chair, falling silent. He folded his arms across his chest and simply glared at the person leisurely reading a book with head lowered.

After stewing for a while on his own, he still couldn't contain his curiosity and spoke up first.

"They must have come to find the surname Lu for help escaping to Muyuan. Aren't you planning to do something about it?"

"That guy surnamed Wu is filthy rich. If he throws silver around, few people could resist, right? What if the surname Lu agrees to help him?"

Cheng Chengxuan's fingers, which had been turning a page, paused.

"Lu Xing isn't that kind of person."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have earned Shang Gu's heavy reliance."

"But your words do remind me of something."

Saying so, he opened the box on the table, took out the human-skin mask and the Iron Mask inside, put them on one by one, and rose to head outside.

"Where are you going?"

Cheng Chengxuan turned his head and revealed a meaningful smile.

"Only if he agrees will we have a chance to make a move."

……

The imperial palace, within the Emperor's bedchamber.

The Shunhe Emperor was holding a secret letter and reading it, while Shi Gui reported in a low voice beside him.

"Before Her Highness the Empress Dowager entered the palace, nothing strange happened. Just like the other Young Ladies (Young Lady (Young Lady (Young Lady (Young Lady (Young Lady (Young Lady (Young Lady (Young Lady (Guinu))))))))) in the capital, she rarely left the residence, seldom saw outsiders, and never traveled far."

"But if one must point out anything unusual, it would be that one month before entering the palace, when Her Highness was still Miss of the Prime Minister's Residence, she accompanied the Old Madam of the Prime Minister's Residence to Hui'an Temple outside the city to offer incense, and stayed there for a few days."

The Shunhe Emperor slightly furrowed his brow.

"Going to Hui'an Temple to offer incense?"

"During those days she stayed at the temple, did anything happen?"

"This…"

Shi Gui's forehead broke out in a light sweat. He swallowed and replied with a nervous expression.

"These things haven't been investigated yet."

The Shunhe Emperor raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping toward him, frightening Shi Gui so badly he didn't dare take a single deep breath.

Not investigated yet?

It seems someone deliberately erased those traces.

The Prime Minister's Residence?

No, they shouldn't have that much ability.

It seems the matter is indeed not simple!

The Shunhe Emperor rubbed his brow.

"Investigate quickly and clearly. You may withdraw for now."

Shi Gui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and retreated respectfully.

"Yes."

The Shunhe Emperor looked at the few flimsy sheets of paper in his hand, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"Empress…"

……

Within Fengyi Palace.

In the dim candlelight, the Empress sat alone before a mirror, gently removing the jeweled hairpins that covered her head.

She stared at the face in the bronze mirror for a long time, then picked up a warm, damp cloth beside her and pressed it to her face.

Her fingers felt around behind her ear for a while, then with a deft twist of strength, she tore it open.

If anyone were present at this moment, they would surely be startled into screaming.

Because the person in the mirror had abruptly changed faces!

She gently stroked this face of hers that should have been very familiar, yet now felt utterly foreign, and let out a long, quiet sigh.

"So it's true that once you wear a mask too long, you really can't take it off."

"Now looking at my own face, I actually find it so unfamiliar, I'm not quite used to it. I even subconsciously want to hide this face of mine."

Suddenly the sound of faint footsteps came, and she hurriedly put the human-skin mask back on.

"Your Highness!"

Hearing that it was Hua Ru's voice, the Empress finally relaxed.

Hua Ru came in and saw this scene, startled.

"Your Highness!"

"How could you, how could you take it off?"

The Empress swept a casual glance at her.

"What's there to fear? If someone else saw it, just silence them."

"If I don't look at my own face, Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Her Highness (Bengong))))))))) is about to forget what I even look like."

"Such urgency—has something happened?"

Hua Ru said in a low voice.

"Someone is secretly investigating you."

Hearing this, the Empress's hand paused.

"Who?!"

"I'm not sure, but the other party has already found out that the Miss of the Prime Minister's Residence once stayed briefly at Huiyuan Temple back then."

Upon hearing this, the Empress twisted her handkerchief tightly. With a forceful grip, a 'rip' was heard, and the handkerchief was torn straight in two.

"Hmph!"

"Someone who can dig up so much information this quickly—who else could it be?"

"I had planned to let him live two more years, but now it seems he doesn't have that fortune!"