This Lady Is Trying to Kill Me

Chapter 381: Inside and Outside the Palace (1)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The moon hung above branches.

The lights on the port in the suburbs made it as bright as day. Hundreds of ships of all sizes were docked on the riverbank, and as far as the eye could see, there were flags flapping in the autumn wind.

“Woo!” A loud horn sounded from the river, and several giant official ships sailed into the port.

The gangways were lowered from the official ships, and the imperial guards in black qilin armor filed out. Their solemn aura made the entire port instantly fall silent.

On the river about a kilometer away from the port, a ship full of scholars was slowly floating on the river.

In an elegant room at the back of the deckhouse, a white-browed old man dressed as a butler was standing by the window and looking at the port with a rattan cane. He said slowly, “Back in the capital, when the princes were young, the Prince of Wu often took a ship to enjoy the sights on the Clear River. He wasn’t good at academics, but he liked to be in the limelight. He said many obscure words without knowing what they meant.

“Because the Prince of Wu was incompetent, the Great Ancestor didn’t discipline him strictly. He was also conferred a prince title to the peaceful land of Wu Province. The Great Ancestor only hoped that the Prince of Wu would enjoy a lifetime of wealth without illness or disaster, but he never expected that this man would overestimate himself to this extent…”

In front of the old man with a goatee was a young master in a brocade robe. He was holding a folding fan in his hand and looked less than 30 years old.

Although he was quite fit, he had a gentle and elegant temperament. He looked like a well-educated scholar.

The young master’s name was Dongfang Shuoyue, and he was the eldest son of the Prince of Yan. He was also the crown prince of Yan Province. Ten years ago, after the empress succeeded to the throne, he had entered the capital to study with the princely heirs. He often hung around Parasol Street, and his reputation was neither good nor bad. He could be considered half an invisible person.

Dongfang Shuoyue didn’t respond to the white-browed old man’s chatter. His eyes were fixed on the port in the distance, looking at the Prince of Jing and her men disembarking from the official ships. When he saw a military officer in black leaving from a remote place with two followers, he said, “In terms of overestimating one’s ability, who can compare to the Blood Bodhi? Two months ago, the Blood Bodhi lost his mind and asked about Ye Jingtang’s whereabouts. He took the initiative to borrow two Jianghu small fry to take revenge. I thought that they were only dealing with an ordinary Grandmaster, but I didn’t expect that the Blood Bodhi wanted to kill a current Martial Chief…”

The old man replied, “It’s not the Blood Bodhi’s fault. This child either hid too deeply or had too much luck. He has only appeared in the capital for a few months, but he already has such scenery. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, who would believe that such a young man has already entered the ranks of the Martial Chiefs?”

Dongfang Shuoyue frowned and said, “Ever since the empress ascended the throne, Daoist Xuanji has usually been silent. Every autumn, she will return to the capital to stay for a period of time. She had been doing this for ten years. We must find out the reason. If Daoist Xuanji is the only Martial Chief, we can still think of a way to deal with her. But if Ye Jingtang is included—” “Your Highness!” The old man interrupted Dongfang Shuoyue and sighed softly. “Among the four sons of the Great Ancestor, Our Highness the Prince of Yan is the most respected by the courtiers for his ability at strategy and war. When the Great Ancestor wanted to establish the crown prince, most of the courtiers favored His Highness. It was only because Great Wei needed a conservator monarch to guard the throne that the throne was passed to the late emperor. When the eldest son of the late emperor was deposed, the courtiers also turned to His Highness.

“As long as something goes wrong with the empress in the future, be it taking back vassal fiefs, abdicating, or even dying young, once there is turmoil in the imperial power, His Highness will be the first candidate to enter the capital and inherit the throne. There’s no need to be in a hurry to commit rebellious actions and attract suspicion. We should guard the border steadily and wait for the empress to be unable to hold back and cause trouble first. Perhaps in the end, the ministers will beg His Highness to enter the capital…”

Dongfang Shuoyue stood with his hands behind his back and shook his head. “My father can wait, but I can’t. The empress isn’t a kind person. She summoned the heirs of the vassal princes to the capital without thinking of letting us leave Yun’an. My father has more than one son, and he doesn’t care whether I go back or not. Both sides are just competing to see who can’t sit still first. Once someone takes the risk and falls out with the other, I will be the first abandoned piece on the chessboard.”

The old man knew that the heir’s talents and abilities were extraordinary, but he had lived under someone else’s roof in the capital for ten years. He had long had enough of such a life. What he said was the truth. He thought for a moment and said, “Although the Green Bandits are powerful and have connections throughout the two north and south dynasties, we don’t know their background or goals. They are a double-edged sword. They can injure the enemy, but they can also injure us…”

“Any weapon will injure you if you don’t use it well.”

Dongfang Shuoyue stopped talking about these matters. After seeing the Prince of Jing and her party leave the port one after another, he turned around and returned to his room. “We have to get rid of one of Daoist Xuanji or Ye Jingtang first. Daoist Xuanji is too comprehensive and almost invulnerable, but Ye Jingtang’s foundation is unclear. I’ll think of a way to test Ye Jingtang’s strength and see if he has any weaknesses. Then I’ll think of a way to deal with him.”

Hearing this, the goateed old man didn’t say anything else. After cupping his hands and bowing, he left silently…

Clack, clack..

The streets were full of resplendent lights. The three people led their horses across the stone bridge and arrived at the crowded Heavenly Water Bridge.

After running around for nearly a month, Pei Xiangjun finally returned home. She breathed a sigh of relief, but there was also a hint of nervousness on her soft face.

After all, when she went out, she was still a dignified and mature young lady. When she came back, she had already learned to feed and ride a horse. She even knew that patting the moon meant, ‘I’m tired and want to change positions’.

Even though her sister-in-law wouldn’t laugh and would instead praise her for being useful, this was a bit embarrassing to say the least.

Pei Xiangjun led her horse in front and pretended to look at the business situation of the various stores. But she had been silently thinking about how to report the current situation to her sister-in-law..