Chapter 705 - 704: The Window Paper
Once out of others’ sight, Jiang Ning quietly reported that he saw nothing unusual in the Prince Zhuang Mansion, but at the small side gate to the east, he saw a person wearing a hooded cloak, well-covered, leaving the gate.
He had already ordered someone to follow him.
This indicates the person isn’t at the Prince Zhuang Mansion? Indeed, Prince Zhuang, besides being eager to kill him, is cautious in everything else, leaving no trace for others to find.
If someone is kidnapped with ulterior motives, why would it be done at his own mansion?
The only thing he doesn’t understand is why Prince Zhuang wants to target Wenjin? Since arriving in the Capital City, he knows his identity is special. Assassins frequently emerge, clearly, someone has marked him. He doesn’t want to implicate Wenjin, so he has been very cautious in any contact with Wenjin.
Except for Huangfu Yuxuan, no one knows the true relationship between him and Wenjin.
Huangfu Jingchen asked, "What is that person’s identity?"
Jiang Ning replied, "The person is covered too tightly to see clearly, only known as a man. However, someone is keeping an eye, and soon accurate information will come back."
Huangfu Jingchen nodded and let Jiang Ning withdraw. Not long after, Huangfu Jingchen found an opportunity to leave.
After losing the position of Crown Prince, Prince Zhuang declared publicly that it was the framing of the former deposed Crown Prince, being disloyal as a minister, unrighteous as a brother, unworthy of the position!
As for sending someone to assassinate Huangfu Jingchen, although it was irrefutable in the end, the Emperor didn’t want such royal family scandal to spread, and had hinted not to publicize it. The officials handling the case were especially tight-lipped, and not many people in the Capital City knew about it.
However, outsiders might not know, but Huangfu Yuxuan, Prince Lu’s son, Prince Xin’s son, Prince Li, and others, including Huangfu Jingchen himself, were well aware.
However, since the Emperor had covered that layer of window paper and didn’t allow anyone to pierce it. Prince Zhuang, as the beneficiary, was happy not to pierce it. Neither would the onlookers like Prince Li tear it apart.
Huangfu Jingchen knew even more clearly that piercing it was meaningless.
So on the surface, everything appeared harmonious, and formalities proceeded as usual. As for the secret struggles, that depended on each person’s capabilities.
He came merely for entering the mansion to find someone. Since he couldn’t find them here, he must think of another plan. Wenjin’s life and death were uncertain, leaving him no thought for other matters.
Back at Cheng Prince Mansion, Huangfu Jingchen reviewed the events of last night and quickly sensed something was wrong. If it were Prince Zhuang, he had dealt with Prince Zhuang’s hidden guards before. Although there was no pattern in how the hidden guards acted, the training was from the same place, leaving extremely subtle traces. Those people didn’t seem like Prince Zhuang’s people.
If it’s not Prince Zhuang, who else would target Xia Wenjin?
He quickly reviewed all possibly related people in his mind, and finally, a name emerged.
Huangfu Yuxuan!
In everyone’s eyes, after causing a scene during the flower viewing, being publicly rejected, Huangfu Yuxuan shouldn’t possibly do such a thing again. But Huangfu Jingchen felt he would!
He didn’t have much interaction with Huangfu Yuxuan, but Huangfu Yuxuan was one of the Capital City’s three gentlemen, elegant and charming, with a reputation for courtesy, self-reflection, and virtuous conduct. This person seemed perfect, with a good reputation in the Capital City.
However, Huangfu Jingchen increasingly suspected that reputation was intentionally cultivated.
At the flower viewing banquet, Xia Wenjin’s stern rejection enraged many noble women, who thought she didn’t know what was good for her, rather than considering Huangfu Yuxuan impertinent; thinking she was rude and ungracious, overlooking Huangfu Yuxuan’s despicable behavior.
They praised Huangfu Yuxuan for bravely expressing his heartfelt intentions publicly, truly sincere, without realizing he was using the situation to force her, damaging her reputation.
Xia Wenjin merely refused a presumptuous suitor, yet faced ridicule and blames.
Everyone has preconceived judgments and distinctions between close and distant relationships. Naturally, they favor those they admire, compared to mere acquaintances.
Huangfu Yuxuan gained this advantage.
Huangfu Yuxuan underestimated the shallow roots of his and Wenjin’s standing in the Capital City, coupled with Huangfu Yuxuan’s undisguised covetousness of Xia Wenjin. It was likely to be Huangfu Yuxuan.
As for evidence pointing towards Prince Zhuang, perhaps it’s a diversionary tactic to mislead?
Understanding this, Huangfu Jingchen was just about to recall his men to investigate Huangfu Yuxuan, when he saw the butler, Uncle Chen, hastily arriving.
Seeing Huangfu Jingchen, Uncle Chen immediately said, "Princely Heir, just now, someone sent a message with a flying dagger, stuck at the small west gate. When people went to chase, they found no trace of the sender!"
Huangfu Jingchen reached out to take the paper slip, noticing the writing was particularly ugly, seemingly written with the left hand: "Ten miles west of the southern city, Fengming Manor, come alone at the hour of yin. Otherwise, prepare to collect Xia Wenjin’s corpse!"
Fury flared in Huangfu Jingchen’s eyes as he crumpled the slip into a ball, feeling both angry and slightly relieved at receiving news of Xia Wenjin.
Huangfu Jingchen closed his eyes, reopened them, filled with a sharp gaze, and instructed Uncle Chen, "Prepare the horse!"
Uncle Chen immediately went to make arrangements.
Huangfu Jingchen strode out of his courtyard, ready to leave for Fengming Manor in the southern city as soon as possible.
Though usually a gentle and elegant young man, decisive and radiant, at this moment, his eyes were as deep as the sea, his handsome face tightly drawn, eyes glinting with sharp intent.
An hour remained before the hour of yin, but leaving the city would take some time, leaving him little surplus.
Moreover, his heart was with Xia Wenjin, fearing she might be harmed, eager to go earlier.
But just as he reached the front courtyard, he heard someone at the gate shouting, "Huangfu Jingchen, where are you? Get out here now!"
Yelling at the gate of Cheng Prince Mansion, demanding Prince Cheng’s Heir to roll out was more than discourtesy. The gatekeeper furiously exclaimed, "This is Cheng Prince Mansion, who dares to be so unruly to the Princely Heir?"
The voice, full of rage, shouted, "Huangfu Jingchen, you’re not coming out, are you? Then I’ll come in myself!"
With that, the person tried to rush in.
The two guards hurried to block but were easily pushed aside.
The intruder was already through the gate.
This was intolerable! The gatekeeper shouted, "Stop him!"
Several servants dashed forward to subdue the intruder, but with casual shoves and tripping, they fell backward. Steadily advancing, the intruder seemed unshaken by their attacks, like a tree against the wind, the push fierce, yet the tree stood firm. He advanced steadily, unrestrainable.
Huangfu Jingchen’s voice echoed, "Don’t stop him, let him in!"
Speaking, he approached quickly.
The man approached with large strides and immediately swung a punch at Huangfu Jingchen.
Seeing someone attacking the Princely Heir, the servants in the front courtyard were shocked, shouting reproaches, and moving to surround the intruder!
"Stand back!" Huangfu Jingchen turned his head to dodge and said, "Brother Sichen, what are you doing?"
"What am I doing? Of course, to beat you up!"