Chapter 77: Conviction

“When did Your Highness learn of these matters?”

Wei Yan’s voice was calm and light, his refined face showing a subtle discord under the flickering light of the palace lanterns.

“To be honest, though I had my suspicions, I never dared to think in this direction. Even when the name of my uncle appeared in the half-destroyed ledger of Master Shenguang, I only assumed it was for seeking medicine for my aunt.”

“Indeed, I was seeking medicine for Ah Yue.”

“Yes, perhaps at first it was only for my aunt, but that didn’t stop you from conveniently taking something else along the way.”

“What does Your Highness mean?”

“After Prince Yong was brought to justice, I always felt this situation was deliberately orchestrated, with all the clues and accusations pointing squarely at him. But I didn’t know who was pulling the strings. Not until the Double Ninth Festival, when I visited and you showed me that lotus jade that didn’t belong to me…”

At that moment, Zhao Yan vaguely realized that while she was subtly probing into the elixirs of the Shenguang Sect, her uncle was also testing her with the lotus jade. Beneath the warmth, undercurrents surged—an unsettling beginning to a dreadful suspicion.

“Someone as knowledgeable and sharp as you, Uncle, how could you possibly misremember?”

Zhao Yan steadied herself and continued, “After returning to the Eastern Palace, I reviewed all the cases from beginning to end and discovered something intriguing: whether it was the ambush on the way back from the suburban sacrifice last year, the collapse of the Stargazing Pavilion, or the assassination attempt at my birthday banquet, you were present at all of them.”

Wei Yan remained composed and unruffled. “So what? Many others were present at those events. Your Highness cannot suspect every single one of them.”

“True, but you overlooked one variable in these incidents—my aunt.”

Zhao Yan countered calmly, her voice clear. “My aunt treats my brother and me as her own children, and you, who love her dearly, would never bear to let her witness my death and suffer for it. The best way was to ensure she wasn’t present at this ‘Hongmen Banquet.’”

“Your Highness seems to forget,” Wei Yan replied, “at the Empress’s birthday banquet when the Stargazing Pavilion collapsed, and at your birthday banquet during the assassination attempt, Ah Yue was there. If I were truly behind it all, why would I let her face such risks?”

“Because those two incidents were never aimed at taking my life.”

Zhao Yan closely observed the subtle changes in Wei Yan’s expression. “You were worried someone might trace the Shenguang Sect’s clues back to you. The collapse of the Stargazing Pavilion was to create chaos and draw away the imperial guards, allowing your men to infiltrate the Tongtian Platform and destroy the ledger. But you didn’t expect I’d get involved and obtain the other half of the ledger. As for the birthday banquet, you knew Prince Su’s men were there, and the assassination was bound to fail. So you turned it to your advantage, directing all clues and blame toward Prince Yong. In other words, the real purpose of the birthday banquet was to make Prince Yong your scapegoat, not to take my life… That’s why, when my aunt wasn’t here today, I had an ominous feeling.”

“Your Highness jests. I have no such capability to orchestrate so many forces.”

“You do, because you are ‘Wei Bole.’ Those you’ve favored and recommended aren’t just Confucian scholars and civil officials but also many palace eunuchs and alchemists. Uncle, uncovering this wasn’t difficult.”

Wei Yan maintained his impeccable decorum, showing no cracks.

“This is merely Your Highness’s speculation, without evidence.”

That’s the way of clever men—they never utter a word against themselves and can pinpoint the flaw in their opponent’s reasoning with precision.

Indeed, Zhao Yan had no evidence. This confrontation should have reached a deadlock.

So, she had to gamble on human nature, to unsettle her uncle and force him to reveal a flaw.

And her aunt, as the only variable, was the sole breakthrough to break this stalemate.

“That day at the marquis’s residence, Huo Zhenzhen accidentally found the heart-protecting mirror hidden in my aunt’s box. I learned that my aunt was once betrothed to Wenren Cang, the eldest son of the Wenren family, and they were deeply in love…”

“There was no mutual love between Ah Yue and him!”

Wei Yan interrupted Zhao Yan’s words with a cold, heavy tone.

Zhao Yan pinched her palm to steady her voice.

“But Wenren Cang never received a single reply from my aunt until his death. If she truly had no feelings for him, why would she keep his heart-protecting mirror for nearly a decade and go out to pay respects every Ghost Festival?”

Facing Wei Yan’s chilling gaze, Zhao Yan pressed on, word by word. “You grew suspicious of me, hid things from my aunt—what are you covering up, and what are you so afraid of?”

The cold wind howled, and the light and shadow split Wei Yan’s face into light and dark.

He said, “Your Highness shouldn’t use these old matters from years past to hurt Ah Yue’s heart.”

Zhao Yan gave a self-deprecating laugh, suppressing a trace of sorrow.

“My aunt said she wrote letters, many of them, but they all sank like stones in the sea, with no reply. Back then, she was confined to the inner courtyard by her family, and all her letters were sent out through her personal maid and you… So my aunt wanted to ask you what happened to those letters. But without a palace token, she could only turn to me.”

Zhao Yan raised her eyes, then softly delivered her final card. “Now, Uncle, care to guess who is sitting in my sedan chair?”

In the distance, the bell tolled for the hour of You, startling birds into flight.

Wei Yan’s pupils trembled for a moment. Without hesitation, he turned and strode toward the palace gate.

“Marquis, the palace banquet has only just begun. Are you leaving already?”

“Marquis Ningyang, the palace gates are under curfew at night. Please show your token for inspection… Hey! My horse!”

“Marquis Ningyang stole a Cloud Rider’s horse and headed toward the North Gate!”

Zhao Yan presented her token to the imperial guards, her voice grave. “Marquis Ningyang’s actions may signal trouble. Report to His Majesty, quickly!”

The guards, unable to bear such responsibility, hurriedly sent someone to report while the rest pursued with swords drawn.

Watching Wei Yan disappear into the night, Zhao Yan leaned against the palace wall, utterly drained.

Wei Yan was cunning and rational, which was why he saw through that the Crown Prince wasn’t lying.

Ah Yue had indeed learned about the letters from back then. She couldn’t hide her feelings, and coming to confront him face-to-face was exactly her nature…

Wei Yan knew what it meant to rush to the narrow path now.

Only the mastermind would know where an ambush was set. If he successfully stopped the sedan and avoided the assassination, it would be tantamount to admitting he was the true culprit.

If he pretended to know nothing and let Ah Yue’s sedan pass through the narrow path, he wouldn’t give anyone leverage against him.

There might be a trap here, but even with a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he wouldn’t—couldn’t—take the risk.

The horse galloped wildly, its hooves echoing sharply in the narrow path. The cold wind roared, cutting like a blade across his face.

Wei Yan saw the Eastern Palace sedan approaching slowly in the distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the faint glimmer of fire from heavy arrows loaded with explosive oil hidden in the pavilion.

“Stop!”

He reined in his horse and shouted, forcing the sedan to halt.

Dismounting, he approached the sedan with unprecedented urgency. A gust of wind lifted the sedan’s curtain.

It was empty.

Silence fell. Wei Yan stood motionless for a long time, hearing only his own ragged, near-exploding breaths.

He prided himself on reading people and controlling everything, yet he had lost in this gamble of human hearts.

…

Half a cup of tea earlier.

From the North Gate tower, Wenren Lin took in every movement in the narrow path.

Listening to Cai Tian’s detailed report, a smile flickered in his eyes. When he saw Wei Yan galloping to intercept the sedan, he finally raised his brow and let out a sharp laugh.

Wenren Lin hadn’t laughed so freely in a long time. He hadn’t expected the young princess to turn such a passive deadlock around, forcing Wei Yan, that beast in human guise, to reveal his true form.

Witnessing this was more satisfying than hacking him to pieces!

But it was far from enough to convict him.

Wei Yan was a master at manipulating hearts. They needed to strike while the iron was hot, to nail down his crimes and cut off all his paths to wriggle free.

A gleam of excitement danced in Wenren Lin’s dark eyes as he ordered Cai Tian, “Send word to Zhang Cang. Escort Yu Sui and that maid from Prince Yong’s residence to the palace. Move the plan forward.”

Cai Tian was momentarily stunned.

If Wei Yan fell, it would unravel a vast, hidden network. With Doctor Sun yet to develop an antidote for the Cold Bone Poison, advancing the plan now was a dangerous move…

But he also knew that his lord, who had returned from the depths of hell, cared least about his own life.

Cai Tian quickly composed himself and said solemnly, “This subordinate obeys.”

“Wait. Leave the witnesses to Prince Yingchuan, Sun, and let that Liu fellow stand in for the Crown Prince.”

Wei Yan was, after all, the Crown Prince’s uncle. To avoid the Emperor’s wrath falling on the young princess, the Eastern Palace had to take a stand and publicly disown him.

But the princess was deeply loyal, and personally condemning Wei Yan would be too heavy a burden for her. Letting Liu Baiwei take the spotlight was the best choice. As a close ally of the Crown Prince, he could represent the Eastern Palace’s stance… Tsk, that’s about all he’s good for.

With this thought, Wenren Lin leisurely removed the jade-inlaid ring from his finger, placing it gently on the table. He slipped on an iron finger guard and took a large bow from two attendants.

His gaze turned to the high building across the narrow path, shrouded in darkness.

In a hidden corner of the building beside the path, a man dressed as an imperial guard lurked in the shadows. He tied two egg-sized copper balls to a heavy arrow, then lit the oil-soaked cloth wrapped around its tip with a fire starter.

In the dark, at such a distance, he couldn’t tell who had entered the path. Only his master’s command could cancel the assassination.

He aimed, released, and the explosive arrow shot through the night sky, leaving a blazing trail.

Zhao Yan and the guards emerged from the North Gate, the arrow’s streak reflected in her eyes.

So this was Wei Yan’s final move!

But Wei Yan was still standing there. Until all the truth was revealed, he absolutely could not die!

Almost simultaneously, another arrow’s whistle came from the opposite direction, striking the airborne explosive arrow with precision. A sharp *ding* rang out as the arrowheads collided, detonating the copper balls and bursting into a blinding fireball in the sky.

A deafening boom followed, and a wave of heat and wind swept over. Zhao Yan raised her sleeve, squinting, and through the explosion’s light, she caught sight of a figure on the opposite pavilion, poised like a n archer wielding a seven-stone bow with commanding grace.

Iron shards fell like a shower of stars, a fleeting burst of fireworks.

In an instant, the flames died out. The Yonglin Hall trembled from the noise, and the courtiers exchanged panicked glances.

The Emperor set down his cup and asked, “What’s going on?”

A guard reported, “Marquis Ningyang stole a Cloud Rider’s horse and rode out the North Gate. That noise came from there—it seems to be… a flying spear with gunpowder.”

The hall erupted in shock.

In the narrow path, Wei Yan was now surrounded by imperial guards.

“Marquis Ningyang, what are you doing?” Gao Jian, the guard commander, arrived on horseback, too urgent to attend the banquet.

Seeing the empty sedan, Wei Yan’s expression had calmed.

The assassination had failed. That loyal guard lieutenant would take his own life immediately, never allowing himself to be captured alive.

As long as Ah Yue wasn’t here, he had no weakness, nothing to hold him back.

Wei Yan turned, resuming his gentle, scholarly demeanor, and said slowly, “My wife is gravely ill and entered the palace. I was worried about her and acted rashly, startling the guards and His Majesty.”

Gao Jian’s breath caught in his chest. “You stole a horse and stormed the palace gate just to see the marchioness? Then what was that explosion in the sky?”

“That, I don’t know.”

“It’s not like someone set off fireworks, is it?”

Gao Jian said grimly, “Telling me is useless, Marquis. You’ll have to plead your case before His Majesty.”

“Of course.”

Wei Yan appeared cooperative, but his gaze cut through the crowd, landing on Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan felt a chill run through her. Her uncle knew that even if he’d revealed his involvement in the assassination before her, without witnesses or evidence, it would amount to nothing.

She couldn’t convict him.

That’s why Wei Yan was so composed.

Zhao Yan focused, turned, and headed toward the palace tower.

Her steps were quick and urgent. Reaching the tower, she saw Cai Tian and others carrying the body of a guard before Wenren Lin.

Seeing Zhao Yan’s stunned expression, Wenren Lin’s face tightened. He stepped forward, covering her eyes and signaling Cai Tian to clear away the mess.

His hand was long and broad, cool as jade.

Zhao Yan heard the dull sound of cloth and flesh being dragged, frowning slightly. Then she lifted her delicate fingers, resting them on the back of Wenren Lin’s hand, gently pulling it down.

“I’m not that fragile,” she said, catching her breath.

Wenren Lin didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her stiff back, soothing the heavy pain she hid deep within—the anguish of facing a blood relative as an enemy.

Only when the tower was cleared did Wenren Lin murmur, “The little princess has grown up.”

Zhao Yan’s lashes trembled. She clutched his collar and said, “I know he’s the culprit. He’s shown his true face before me… but I can’t sentence him to death.”

“You’ve already done well.”

Wenren Lin slowly rubbed her head, his deep voice carrying a reassuring strength. “Leave the rest to this prince.”

Zhao Yan looked up sharply from his embrace, her tear mole reddening. “You have a way?”

Wenren Lin gave a light laugh, his dark eyes shimmering with a captivating smile.

*A straight arrow dies by the wayside; a curved hook wins a marquis title.*

He didn’t just want a few lives. He wanted their reputations ruined, condemned by all.

Marquis Ningyang faced trial, and the night banquet ended abruptly.

Breaking the midnight silence was the thunderous, urgent beating of drums in the distance.

The Emperor pressed his temple and asked, “What now?”

After a long pause, the head eunuch scrambled into the hall, crawling forward to report, “Your Majesty! Someone is beating the Drum of Justice at the palace gate, crying grievance!”

At the palace gate, the Drum of Justice was for those with earth-shattering injustices to reach the Emperor’s ears.

The Emperor, obsessed with immortality and neglecting governance, hadn’t heard that drum in years—let alone in the dead of night!

It must be a matter that would shake the court!

The Emperor asked steadily, “Who is beating the drum?”

“It’s… a lame old monk, claiming to be Yu Sui, a former deputy general under Wenren Cang.”

The eunuch trembled as he prostrated. “He says… he’s here for the truth behind Wenren Cang’s tragic death.”

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