Li Can clearly took great delight in maddening others. His bright eyes sparkled as he gazed at Fu Mingzhu with innocent joy, like a child enthralled by some mischievous game. Naturally, Fu Mingzhu dared not truly lose his temper.
"Sixth Brother," Li Zhang, standing by the bookshelf, interjected, "that's enough."
Li Can's lips curled into a faint, teasing smile as he sighed. "What a pity. Who would have thought the Duke of Anguo would end up favored by the Emperor?"
Had Fu Mingzhu married Ye Jiao, the entire Anguo household might now be aligned with the Crown Prince. But Li Zhang showed no sympathy; his eyes lifted slightly. "That's all the letter says?"
"That's all," Li Can replied, turning to him. His eyes gleamed with shifting light as his slender fingers tapped the tabletop. "But from what I know, since the Prince of Chu left the capital, Ye Jiao hasn't once visited the Zhao residence."
So Ye Jiao had lied about going there.
"How do you know that?" Fu Mingzhu's tone was tinged with distrust and challenge.
"Because I keep my eyes on her. On the Prince of Wei. On all of them." Li Can sneered. "Surely you don't think I sit around doing nothing, do you?"
The room tensed, and another quarrel seemed imminent.
Li Zhang walked over, settled formally on a cushion, and said evenly, "Go on."
Li Can remained nonchalant, his posture languid as if seeking someone to lean against. He said slowly, "Whatever secret lies in that letter, it's clearly aimed at Li Chen. In that case, let her do as she pleases. This time, with the Chu couple clashing head-on with the Prince of Wei, we'll just pick up the pieces in their wake—sit back and enjoy the aftermath."
"Pick up the pieces?" Fu Mingzhu frowned deeply. "The Prince of Wei is investigating the crossbow case in the Privy Council. His Highness the Crown Prince will undoubtedly be accused. At this rate, we might be the ones hanging from the city gates before there's anything left to pick up."
"Feel free to get yourself hanged, but don't drag me down," Li Can replied solemnly. "I've consulted a master. I'll live to ninety-nine."
Though irreverent, he spoke with mock gravity, adding a touch of absurd humor. Li Zhang couldn't help but chuckle.
"No need to worry too much," he said. "Hu Jia is with Li Ce—he's not entirely useless."
"That chatterbox," Li Can scoffed. "I despise talkative people."
Fu Mingzhu opened his mouth, tempted to retort, "You talk plenty yourself," but thought better of it. Whatever he said, Li Can would always have a comeback sharp enough to leave him speechless.
At that moment, lunch arrived. The room fell into silence.
Li Can moved to the table, sweeping Li Zhang's books aside and beginning to eat. Li Zhang glanced at the disorder and looked mildly displeased, though his expression remained composed.
"If this is a wager," he said gravely, "then let us gamble on the Emperor's clarity of judgment—and Li Chen's folly."
"Is that so?" Li Can elegantly picked up a piece of fish, took a satisfied bite, and added, "Then I'd rather wager on Ye Jiao."
"Wager what?" Li Zhang lowered his gaze, his eyes shadowed with inscrutable light.
"That she won't marry again," Li Can said playfully. "Also, I should let you know, Second Brother—your man Hu Jia has a hole stabbed clean through his belly. Whether he survives is still uncertain."
"He's injured?" Li Zhang asked. "When did this happen?"
"Not important." Li Can picked up a piece of braised tripe, frowned at its appearance, set it down, then reached for the peas instead. "And what about that boy surnamed Bai? What sort of guard is he? Gesang Meiduo left the city—he didn't even notice?"
The "boy surnamed Bai" was, of course, Bai Xianyu. At his words, Li Zhang's face subtly changed, and Fu Mingzhu gaped in disbelief.
Li Can looked at them smugly and nodded. "That's right. I've also been watching the Tufan envoy."
"The Tufan envoy?" Li Zhang echoed, his expression tightening.
"The Tufan envoy," Li Can repeated slowly, eyes brimming with unspoken meaning.
Princess Gesang Meiduo of Tufan stood by the window, watching the streets of Jinzhou. Ever since the prison massacre, the streets had grown quiet. Occasionally, someone wrapped in white cloth would pass by, headed to the authorities to claim a corpse.
To her, the Central Plains' funerals were utterly uninspired. Seal the dead in coffins, play loud dirges, cry in hysteria, then bury the body deep in the earth. The flesh would rot, maggots would feast, and only filthy bones would remain.
The dead should be offered to the heights, left for vultures to cleanse—only then could the soul transcend, reborn anew.
She stood still, gaze fixed on the street—until suddenly her heart stirred. She took a step back, peeking through sheer curtains at a young man riding by.
It was Ye Changgen.
His broad shoulders, tall frame, and strength made him appear even mightier than the Western steed beneath him. He held the reins in one hand, ambling leisurely down the street, seemingly aimless—yet with unshakable resolve in his eyes.
Gesang Meiduo hid behind the curtain, her fingers tightening around the golden collar at her chest.
Did he know?
Did he know she was the one who had killed all those prisoners in Jinzhou's dungeon?
If he did, what would he think of her?
The thoughts flashed by like lightning. Then, without hesitation, she pulled out a hairpin and stabbed it into her thigh. The pain shattered the chaos in her mind.
What he thought of her—did it matter?
She turned away, refusing to look at his departing figure.
Meanwhile, Ye Changgen's gaze was caught by a soaring eagle above. He looked up, watching it fly, eyes lingering on the little building by the street.
An eagle—surely a bird from the highlands.
A face surfaced in his mind. He shook his head with a smile.
The northwest was at peace now. There was no need to return to the borderlands.
Li Ce's residence wasn't far. Today, he was here to visit Hu Jia.
"Master Hu will surely recover from this trial and enjoy a complete return to health."
Such were the words one should say when visiting the ill.
Hu Jia lay motionless in bed, only his eyes shifting, his mouth speaking softly. His breath was faint, his voice even fainter—one had to lean close to hear him.
"The doctor won't let me move," Hu Jia murmured. "To be blunt, even relieving myself happens in bed—made a damn mess. The doctor said it was lucky I passed it—otherwise it would've meant ruptured intestines and certain death."
His vivid descriptions made Ye Changgen withdraw his hand from the bedside in quiet discomfort.
"I heard…" Hu Jia's eyes flicked around. "I heard the crossbows in that cave belonged to the Northwest Army? Nonsense! When His Highness the Crown Prince led the army, I was in the Armory Bureau—I'd have heard if anything had gone missing! So why now?"
He spoke with transparency, neither evasive nor fearful. He served the Crown Prince and stood by him without apology.
Ye Changgen said, "It is indeed suspicious. That's why I came—to consult you about those crossbows. How they were made, distributed, signed off, stored, and maintained. I want to see where the process went awry."
To clear Li Zhang's name, Hu Jia held nothing back.
Ye Changgen listened with growing seriousness.
When Hu Jia finished, he asked about the prison.
"They're all dead?" he whispered. "Is it related to the crossbows?"
"Lack of evidence," Ye Changgen replied. "I dare not jump to conclusions."
"Please," Hu Jia managed to raise a hand and pat his arm, "when I return to the capital, I'll make sure His Highness knows what you've done."
"I'm not doing this for him," Ye Changgen said with an easy smile. "I do it for the Great Tang."
Hu Jia's expression stiffened. He forced his head to the side and gave a slight nod.
"Admirable… truly admirable…"
Then, suddenly furrowing his brows, he slowly reached for his rear and flushed.
"I… I need to go again…"