Outside, the rain was pouring down in sheets.
Fu Zhen was sitting in the room reading a book when the rain suddenly put her in a bad mood.
She got up and walked to the corridor, looking up at the sky where she could still faintly hear the muffled thunder and see the lightning.
Cui Huan stepped forward and draped a cloak over her. "Miss, the rain is so heavy. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Fu Zhen shook her head. "I'm not cold. I just feel very anxious."
"Where's the young master?" she asked.
Cui Huan was at a loss for words. Fu Zhen noticed something was amiss and frowned. "What's going on? Did he tell you to hide it from me?"
"Not exactly," Cui Huan sighed. She knew this plan wouldn't work and told the truth. "Yuan Bao was in a hurry at noon. I didn't think much of it at first. But when you were taking an afternoon nap, the young master suddenly came."
Chen Tingfeng was in a bit of a hurry. He seemed to want to let her know, but happened to find her sleeping. She had trouble sleeping at night, and with the hot summer weather, she sometimes tossed and turned restlessly.
When he entered the room and saw her sleeping soundly, he said, "I have something to do this afternoon and wanted to tell your miss. But since she's sleeping, there's no need to say anything."
At that time, he thought he could come back before Fu Zhen woke up, so he didn't want to bother her.
But he didn't come back all afternoon.
Fu Zhen keenly sensed something was wrong. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked up at the sky just as a bolt of lightning split the sky and a loud thunderclap exploded in her ear.
She took two steps back in shock. Almost instantly, a sense of foreboding welled up in her heart.
Something had happened.
General Mao was dead!
Jin Yuanzhou brought back this news while injured. He fainted completely right after saying it and had no idea that this news had caused a huge stir in the court.
Xie Yan's face was extremely grim. He sat down in the Zichen Hall, his robe hem wet. "I want to see him alive or dead! Regardless of whether this news is true or not, assuming it is true, where's General Mao's body?"
Jin Yuanzhou had always been indecisive and slippery as an eel. It was reasonable for Xie Yan not to trust him.
Liu Zhengze stroked his beard and tried to suppress the upward curve of his mouth. He pretended to console Xie Yan. "Your Highness, don't be in a hurry. Lord Jin is still in a coma. Everyone only saw him return to the capital alone. We have to wait for him to wake up before we can find out what happened."
Xie Yan looked at him and suddenly sneered. "The assassins appeared strangely. I wonder if Lord Liu has any clues?"
Liu Zhengze looked puzzled and distressed. "Your Highness, I also find it strange. Although General Mao was a criminal who lost three cities in a row, there were doubts about this matter and his crime didn't deserve death. Now he died unjustly. It's really..."
He heaved a deep sigh, looking grief - stricken.
Xie Yan was impatient to see his hypocritical face. He shifted his gaze and stared at the rain curtain outside.
The room was completely quiet. Suddenly, there came a sound of footsteps from outside. Xie Yan looked up and saw Xie Guang walking in slowly.
Perhaps due to his gradually distorted personality, he now looked feminine, like a venomous snake that could suddenly pounce on you and bite.
Xie Guang was smiling. "Brother, are you here to visit Father today too?"
The emperor had almost become a tool for them to use as an excuse. They would use him to deflect blame from time to time.
Xie Yan leaned back and lifted his chin, forcing a smile. "Why haven't I seen you on other days? You come on a day like this when it's pouring rain. Do you have some other motive?"
Xie Guang sat down beside him, picked up a cup of tea and sipped it carefully. He exclaimed, "Sure enough, Father's tea tastes the best. Brother, just assume I was craving this tea, so I couldn't help but come in the rain."
Both of them had ulterior motives. Occasionally, when their eyes met, they felt disgusted with each other in their hearts.
But they still had to act friendly on the surface.
At this moment, there were only the three of them in the hall. Jin Yuanzhou had come in a hurry today. Lord Zhang and the Duke had happened to be out. Now they were on their way back after receiving the news.
The rain outside was getting heavier.
Xie Yan frowned slightly, unable to figure out how the situation would develop.
Previously, Chen Tingfeng had assured him that General Mao would surely return to the capital safely. But now the situation had taken a sudden turn, and even he was a bit confused.
But he thought secretly that, based on his understanding of Chen Tingfeng, General Mao must not be dead.
Thinking of this, he felt a bit relieved, but his frown deepened.
Chen Tingfeng would usually let him know before doing things. But today's matter was very sudden. It was probably an impromptu decision, and he didn't have time to discuss it with him.
If General Mao's death was a smoke screen, then all Xie Yan could do now was to act anxious and play this smoke - screen game to the end.
A moment later, Lord Zhang entered the hall. Everyone stood up.
Although the princes were more noble than the ministers, Lord Zhang was different. He was old and had many students all over the country. He was a senior in this dynasty, and even the emperor would give him some respect.
Lord Zhang waved his hand. "I've seen His Highnesses. There's no need to stand up. I'm flattered."
Although he said so, Xie Yan still helped him sit down before sitting back himself.
"Just now, I went to see Lord Jin. I asked Imperial Physician Liu to give him acupuncture. He just woke up not long ago," Lord Zhang ignored the different expressions of the people present and sipped his tea before continuing. "General Mao's body is in an old temple ten miles away. I've already sent people to investigate."
Xie Yan's face changed suddenly. Xie Guang couldn't help but exchange a glance with Liu Zhengze, and there was a hint of excitement in their eyes.
They had won this round!
They might not believe Jin Yuanzhou's words, but they believed every word Lord Zhang said.
Since he had sent people to investigate, it was probably a done deal. How could they not be happy?
Liu Zhengze suppressed his joy and pretended to look sad. "General Mao... Alas."
Xie Yan suddenly stood up. "Since that's the case, I'll go and have a look too."
"Brother!" Xie Guang frowned disapprovingly. "It's raining so heavily outside. It's inconvenient to move around. Even if you go, you'll just be in the way. You'd better save your energy and not trouble Lord Zhang."
Lord Zhang remained expressionless and just sat there sipping his tea.
Liu Zhengze noticed something strange.
Wasn't this old guy always on good terms with Chen Xuan and the others? General Mao was also a close friend of Chen Xuan. Why wasn't he sad at all now that General Mao was dead?
Could there be something fishy about this?
He frowned slowly, but then heard Xie Yan sneer. "I still say the same thing. I want to see him alive or dead. Once I see clearly, everything will be clear."
After saying that, he didn't care about the others in the hall and quickly left.
Looking at his hasty back, Liu Zhengze's eyebrows gradually relaxed.
He exchanged a glance with Xie Guang and lowered his head.
If there was really something wrong with this matter, Xie Yan shouldn't be acting like this, being so anxious that he even forgot about etiquette.
He smoothed out the strange feeling in his heart, put his hands in his sleeves, and looked hesitant. "It's probably not good... to let His Highness go alone."
Everyone understood what he meant. Xie Yan had always been reckless in the past. Although he had matured a bit, his previous image was deeply ingrained in people's minds, and it was really hard to believe that he could do anything reliable.
Xie Guang stood up and took the opportunity to say, "I'm not at ease letting him go alone. I'll go with him."
This was a good chance to see if General Mao was really dead.