Chapter 104: Silencing the Witness

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In a side hall of the Daming Palace, Lady Wei stood solemnly, two men dressed in black bowed silently behind her. Empress Wei asked, “Are you certain? Is Wang Zhong truly dead?” The two black-clad men replied respectfully, “We saw clearly. A sword pierced his heart—no immortal descending to earth could have saved him.”

Lady Wei sighed, “I once witnessed Shangguan Wan’er’s martial skills and believed hers were the pinnacle for a woman. Yet this Nian Cixi surpasses Shangguan Wan’er by far. Truly, as the saying goes, there are always stronger hands, and one mountain is higher than another.”

One of the black-clad men flattered, “Your Highness is right. When we saw Nian Cixi’s skills, it was as if we had seen a ghost. Ordinary people simply do not possess such mastery.”

Lady Wei smiled, “You risked much spying on Nian Cixi in secret. I shall not treat you unfairly. Bring wine.” A palace maid served two cups on a tray. The two men, overjoyed, thanked Lady Wei and drank deeply. But as the wine touched their lips, it burned like swallowing fiery coals, agony seizing their hearts.

Lady Wei sneered, “I had intended to reward you handsomely, but Wang Zhong’s cause of death must not be revealed. I can only kill you both. Rest assured, your families will be well compensated. Now, be on your way.” As she finished speaking, the two men collapsed dead, their bodies carried off by attendants.

Watching the servants hurriedly clean the room, Lady Wei exhaled deeply. Li Chongjun was dead, Wu Sansi was dead, Emperor Li Xian was dead, Wang Zhong was dead—every obstacle in her path eliminated. The young emperor Li Chongmao was but a child; she could toy with him at will. A faint smile crept upon her lips.

But in an instant, the smile vanished as she recalled one person she had overlooked—Princess Taiping.

Since Lady Wei’s return from Fangzhou to the capital, Princess Taiping had neither met with her nor spoken out in court. All was calm on the surface, but this silence was what truly terrified Lady Wei. She felt as if Taiping was a fierce tiger, retracting its claws and lying in wait in the shadows, ready to devour her at any moment.

What she did not know was that Taiping had already sharpened her claws and was biding her time. And that moment was about to be delivered by An Le.

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Especially since Wang Zhong died near the Prince of Linzi’s mansion, it was clear Wang Zhong was headed there, and everyone knew of the close ties between Li Longji and Princess Taiping.

Currently, Taiping’s son Xue Chongjian commanded tens of thousands of elite troops stationed at Junzhou, a strategic stronghold. From there, one could advance south into Sichuan or threaten the capital from the north. If it weren’t for Li Chongjun’s unwavering loyalty at the time, she would never have allowed Xue Chongjian to remain there, fearing other princes might seize the opportunity.

After the unrest was quelled, she repeatedly issued edicts to summon Xue Chongjian back, but before the orders could be sent, signs of troop movements from Li Qiao’s side always appeared, forcing her to suppress the edicts.

She understood the underlying intrigue but could not expose it. If revealed, Xue Chongjian might conspire with Li Qiao and march north, putting Chang’an in grave danger.

She suddenly saw Princess Taiping as a master strategist, whose seemingly idle moves could prove decisive at critical moments.

In the Linzi Prince’s mansion, Li Longji paced anxiously. He glanced up at the overcast sky and grew restless. Wang Zhong and his men should have arrived long ago, yet they were still absent. He turned and ordered his guards to search immediately. The guards mounted their horses and galloped off.

Within the span of a short incense stick, the guards returned in haste, bringing dozens of bodies, including Wang Zhong’s. Li Longji was furious to learn they had been slaughtered within steps of the Prince’s mansion.

The bodies were laid out in a side hall, where the coroner Qiu Chengshan entered to examine them.

Qiu Chengshan was once a bodyguard before becoming a constable in Shanzhou. During a pursuit, his Achilles tendon was severed, leaving him crippled.

Unable to continue as a constable, he turned to forensic work, becoming renowned for his meticulous examinations. He could reconstruct murder scenes from subtle clues on the corpses and his interrogations always matched his deductions. Because of a blue birthmark on his face, the underworld nicknamed him the “Ghost-faced Judge.”

Jealousy and exclusion from peers forced him to leave Shanzhou’s court. Fortuitously, Li Longji’s Prince’s mansion welcomed talents, so Qiu Chengshan volunteered to join.

Though the mansion was not an official court and he had little to do ordinarily, Li Longji recognized his rare skills and took him in. This time, his talents were finally put to use.

Qiu Chengshan cast a glance over the bodies and exclaimed, “Such swordsmanship!”

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He explained to Li Longji, “Among these dozens of corpses, each has only one sword wound, all at the throat—one fatal strike, no second blow. The width and depth of the wounds are identical, clearly the work of one person.

“These victims were assassins personally trained by the prince. To achieve this in battle requires not only exceptional skill but extraordinary composure. To strike without trembling hands or a chaotic mind amid flashing blades is beyond ordinary men.”

Knowing Li Longji’s concern was Wang Zhong, Qiu Chengshan went directly to his body and pulled open his clothes. To his surprise, the wound was not at the throat but at the heart acupuncture point, piercing through to the back’s divine hall point.

An idea struck him, and he quickly checked Wang Zhong’s pulse, joyfully exclaiming, “Your Highness, this man is still alive!”

“Oh?” Li Longji found this hard to believe. “Are you sure? He was stabbed through the heart—how could he still live?”

Qiu Chengshan was about to speak when Li Longji waved him silent, then ordered everyone else out. When only the two remained in the side hall, Li Longji said, “Now you may speak.”

Qiu Chengshan replied, “Your Highness, I dare not speculate rashly. But this gentleman is indeed still alive. His survival is no accident nor a lapse in the killer’s skill, but a deliberate act of mercy.”

Li Longji said, “This wound is severe, and the man is elderly. I doubt he can be saved.”

Qiu Chengshan replied, “He can be saved, Your Highness. Although the sword passed through his body, it did not injure any vital organs—it is merely flesh wound. With the mansion’s doctors, recovery is likely.”

Li Longji’s eyes gleamed as he whispered a few words into Qiu’s ear.

Moments later, a loud cry echoed from the side hall. The guards outside heard the commotion but dared not enter without the prince’s order, anxiously stamping their feet at the entrance.

Qiu Chengshan stumbled out, shouting, “Call the doctors quickly! The prince is possessed!” (To be continued.)