Chapter 41: The Murderer

Chou Zui was hanging by his arms with iron chains as thick as a child’s arm, his right wrist seemed dislocated, hanging limp, his hair scattered on his thin and rough cheeks, and a pair of fierce and indifferent eyes slightly turned as Zhao Yan approached.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yuanyu had already fainted, lying on the ground in a wretched state like a dead pig.

Zhao Yan clenched her fingers, took a deep breath before the surging hatred engulfed her reason, and asked Wen Renlin, “What’s going on?”

“He touched something he shouldn’t have with this hand,” Wen Renlin looked at Chou Zui’s dislocated right hand and said calmly, “So, I dislocated it.”

Zhao Yan remembered, on that rainy night at the charity inn, Chou Zui had used that hand to knock away the dagger from her hand.

She seemed to understand Wen Renlin’s meaning, and a cluster of flames gathered in her beautiful peach blossom eyes. “The meaning of is that Prince Su would allow me to deal with them?”

“Doesn’t Prince Su want to stay?” Seeing him turning around, Zhao Yan asked hurriedly.

Wen Renlin walked out of the secret room along the stone steps, his light voice fading away with his shadow, “Once it’s taken care of, I’ll come up.”

Wen Renlin’s lack of curiosity was because there were no secrets in the imperial city for him. Seeing him actually bringing the enemy right in front of her, Zhao Yan felt a surreal feeling. However, soon, the groaning of Zhao Yuanyu waking up pulled her thoughts back to reality.

Zhao Yuanyu raised his hand to block the light, shrinking back against the wall, stuttering, “No, no… you’re not Zhao Yan, who are you?”

Zhao Yan stared at him, enunciating each word clearly, “I’m the one here to take your life.”

“You are an impostor! Pretending to be the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is a capital crime, and you deserve to die too!”

Zhao Yuanyu roared hoarsely, catching sight of Chou Zui, who was restrained by the chains, his eyes brightening as he crawled forward, “You dead dog! Get up and kill him! Kill…”

Zhao Yan stepped forward, and Zhao Yuanyu immediately shrank his neck, raising his sleeves to cover his face, “It’s not me! It’s not me who killed…”

Zhao Yan grasped the lotus-patterned jade pendant at her waist and pressed, “If it’s not you, then why is this jade pendant in your hands?”

Realizing Chou Zui was useless now, Zhao Yuanyu sobbed weakly, “Indeed, I ordered someone to ambush Zhao Yan on his way back to the capital. Unexpectedly, his men executed a skillful escape, protecting him back to the Eastern Palace at the risk of their lives! The one I killed was a body double wearing Zhao Yan’s clothes, and this jade, this jade was pulled from that body double… At the inn, I deliberately provoked and insulted you, I didn’t explain clearly…”

Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment, then lowered her gaze, “Failing to assassinate, you then let Chou Zui try again!”

Zhao Yuanyu frantically shook his head, “At that time, I didn’t know Chou Zui! He came to me on his own after the incident in the Eastern Palace! He said he assassinated the Crown Prince to prove his loyalty… Yes! That’s right, he betrayed the lord and killed the Crown Prince! Ask him!”

Zhao Yuanyu’s crotch was wet, apparently he was so frightened that he lost control.

Zhao Yan, seeing him frantic and trembling, unsure of the truth of his words, said calmly, “No rush, one by one. Those dozens of dead girls, you can’t deny responsibility for.”

Zhao Yuanyu suddenly quieted down. He stared at Zhao Yan, a strange smile creeping onto his face.

“Are you Zhao Yan?” he asked, as if he had discovered a secret he could exploit.

“Do you think Zhao Yan is a well-behaved person? Those things he secretly planned, who knows how many people he had offended, there’s more than just me who wants him dead.”

Zhao Yuanyu brought his hand behind his back, casting a wary glance at Cai Tian, “I know who else wants to kill him, come closer, I’ll tell you, just you.”

Zhao Yan stared at his sinister eyes and approached slowly.

Suddenly, Zhao Yuanyu took out a half-cut branch hidden behind him, with the sharp broken end as a blade, and lunged at Zhao Yan’s neck!

The situation changed suddenly, and Cai Tian immediately pressed his sword, “Your Highness!”

A slender palm preemptively drew Cai Tian’s sword, then a cold light flashed, followed by a faint sound of flesh being pierced. Zhao Yuanyu froze in the posture of attacking, staring at the “youth” in front of him in shock.

The sharp branch in his hand had a neat cut, blood spattered, and Zhao Yan closed her eyes as she held the knife.

Cai Tian also looked at the “Crown Prince” in front of him in amazement, who was splattered with small blood stains. This delicate yet slender figure always seemed to burst out astonishing strength at critical moments. This moment of shock was as stunning as the deadly battle in the inn on that rainy night.

Now he somewhat understood why the cold Prince, who walked alone in the depths of despair, was willing to retreat for her.

Having dealt with the first enemy who killed her brother, Zhao Yan suddenly lowered her hand, the tip of the knife landing on the ground with a crisp sound, spreading a thick, nauseating stench of blood in the air.

Cai Tian thought the “Crown Prince” might vomit, but she didn’t. She just raised her hand to wipe away the nauseating bloodstains on her chin, her gaze calmly shifting to Chou Zui. Chou Zui looked at the now lifeless Zhao Yuanyu, his eyes churning, the iron chains on his body clanging as he struggled.

Zhao Yan stood with the knife in front of him, like a young deer facing a giant beast, the tip of the knife trembling uncontrollably.

She still stood upright, exerting all her strength, facing off against Chou Zui.

“When Zhao Yan was in danger, did you protect him like you protected Zhao Yuanyu?” Zhao Yan raised her voice, her eyes reddened at the corners, questioning, “Did you?”

Chou Zui looked at her, his bulging veins suddenly relaxed, remaining silent.

It was difficult for Zhao Yan to describe Chou Zui’s eyes at this moment, empty, lifeless, as if nothing in the world could fill that emptiness.

Zhao Yan didn’t bother asking him the boring question of “why did you want to kill your benefactor.” She just trembled and said, “If it was you who killed him, why didn’t you tell Zhao Yuanyu the prince was indeed dead? Why didn’t you expose me publicly at the charity inn, but let the Yong Prince Mansion play tricks?”

Chou Zui’s eyeballs flickered, as if a subtle ripple passed through.

“I… didn’t kill His Highness.”

He muttered in a hoarse and unpleasant voice, saying only this.

Zhao Yan blinked slightly, took a moment to react, and realized that the “His Highness” he mentioned referred to Zhao Yan.

For an assassin who only recognized money and not masters, calling someone “His Highness” was akin to a wild dog willingly putting on a collar, showing absolute loyalty.

Doubts grew stronger, and Zhao Yan hurriedly said, “Then why did Liu Ying see with her own eyes that it was you who killed the prince and injured several people before fleeing? Why did you surrender to the Yong Prince Mansion and tell them you assassinated the prince?”

Chou Zui remained silent for a long time, seemingly struggling to activate his limited intelligence.

“If you’re helping His Highness, you’re a good person.”

After a long, long time, he hoarsely muttered, “On the way back to the palace, there was an ambush. Shadow lured the enemy, and I escorted His Highness back to the Eastern Palace. I was injured and bandaged, someone handed His Highness a letter, and he opened it… When I found out, it was too late.”

“The letter was tampered with? Liu Ying found the prince dead with only you by his side, so she thought you killed him?” 

Zhao Yan tightened her grip on the knife handle, pursing her lips, and asked, “Then why did you flee?”

Chou Zui nodded weakly, struggling, “I didn’t protect His Highness well. I wanted to kill his enemy, but I found out…”

“You found out that behind the Yong Prince, there were still other people, so you chose to lurk by his side. Was it that immortal master?” 

Seeing Chou Zui silent again, Zhao Yan’s thoughts raced, connecting all the dots, “He Yushi’s youngest son and the sister of Cen, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, were also kidnapped by you, right? Only you have such great ability, all to expose Zhao Yuanyu’s conspiracy and attract the court’s attention?”

Chou Zui remained silent.

He didn’t trust anyone other than His Highness, even if this person had the exact same face as His Highness.

“I’ll ask another question.”

Each word uttered by Zhao Yan trembled, “Tell me, who sent that letter to Zhao Yan?”

Perhaps it was her suppressed sob in her voice, but Chou Zui finally lifted his fierce and indifferent hawk-like eyes to look at her.

With a hoarse and barely discernible voice, he uttered a cruel truth: “Princess Changfeng, Xiao Zhao Yan.”

In the seventeenth year of Tianyou, at the end of August after the thunderstorm.

Zhao Yan, who had narrowly escaped death, sat pale-faced in the Eastern Palace bedroom, gasping urgently, “You shouldn’t have let the shadow die for me. Exchanging one’s survival with others’ blood, treading forward on a path paved with corpses, what kind of upright ruler am I?”

Seeing the towering assassin kneeling in silence with wounds all over, a sense of compassion arose in the young man. He helped him up, saying, “Enough, I blame myself for being useless, not blaming you. Go and tend to your wounds.”

“Your Highness, a letter from Princess Changfeng at Huayang Palace.”

“Xiao’er? Bring it to me quickly.”

As Chou Zui returned with medicine, passing by the hastily departing eunuch who delivered the letter, a faint fragrance, out of place in the air, fluttered briefly before dissipating. Sitting cross-legged in front of the hall, he tore open his bloodied shirt and poured the medicine powder onto his wounds. 

Behind him came a faint tapping sound, as if something sticky was hitting the parchment. Chou Zui paused, turning alertly, his indifferent eyes showing a hint of fear for the first time…

The frail Crown Prince held the heavily scented letter, feeling the warmth of blood trickling from his nose. He attempted to speak, but the blood rushed from his mouth, and like a crippled butterfly, he fluttered lightly to the ground.

Chou Zui rushed forward as if mad, using his palms to support the slender figure.

The Crown Prince, risking his last breath, burned the blood-stained letter in the candlelight before anyone noticed, closing his eyes peacefully amidst the black ashes floating in the dawn.

That was his final act of protecting his sister in his own way.

…

The door of the secret cell opened, and Zhao Yan emerged from the thick shadows.

Hearing footsteps, Wen Renlin turned his face, but froze upon seeing her pale complexion and the blood droplets on her cheeks.

“What happened to you?” He said, his eyes glancing towards Cai Tian.

Cai Tian immediately bowed his head. “It’s my fault.”

To receive such an answer without fainting or collapsing was a great display of resilience from the Crown Prince.

Ignoring the dirt, Wen Renlin wiped the blood off Zhao Yan’s face with his sleeve. Seeing it wouldn’t come off, he furrowed his brows in displeasure.

“I’m a bit tired, Grand Tutor…” Zhao Yan blinked her eyes, murmuring.

Wen Renlin paused. He carried the cold and trembling body, heading towards the end of the secret passage. Emerging from the passage, the bright lights and humid air greeted them, leading directly to a dressing room behind the Longchi Palace.

Wen Renlin removed his outer robe and carried Zhao Yan into the bathing pool. Unusually, he didn’t tease her to play around, but carefully washed away the bloodstains from her cheeks and jaw, his expression focused and calm.

Yet, this calmness only made Zhao Yan’s inner turmoil surge even more, her long-repressed emotions clamoring to burst forth.

First, a drop fell on Wen Renlin’s hand.

He seemed startled, then, after a moment, raised his eyes. Those stubbornly beautiful eyes were already filled with mist, tears rolling down continuously, hitting his outstretched fingers one after another.

This was her first time crying, for the deceased Zhao Yan.

Wen Renlin had long realized that the little Crown Princess seemed prone to self-blame, often shouldering the accidents that befell others. Her crying was silent, only clutching the fabric, biting her lower lip, quietly heartbreaking.

This wasn’t the demeanor expected of a delicate princess. Someone as radiant as her should be willful and indulgent, basking in everyone’s love.

“When someone uses Your Highness’s hand to kill, it’s the killer’s fault, not yours,” Wen Renlin wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes, gesturing for her to release her bitten lips, his voice low and steady. “There’s no need for self-blame.”

Zhao Yan decided to bite Wen Renlin’s hand, crying even harder, trembling as she clung to his shoulders, like dew-covered flowers swaying in the wind.

Wen Renlin had once wanted to see her cry with teary eyes and flushed cheeks, a secret indulgence of his. But now, seeing these rolling, crystal tears, he didn’t find the anticipated pleasure, even feeling a hint of displeasure.

The little princess said no one had taught her how to act spoiled, but in fact, no one could make her act like spoiled without restraint.

She was truly pitiful.

The water rippled, and Wen Renlin leaned against the edge of the pool, his long fingers gently stroking her trembling back. He let her vent, lowering his gaze, gently kissing away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

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