Perilous Situation: The Conspiracy Begins, Killing Intent Revealed

This really touched Lu Qing's sore spot. He turned his head back in anger, muttering, "Truly tasteless." He then prepared to ignore this completely clueless fellow.

This Lord Wu probably heard him. Perhaps it was the first time someone had called him tasteless, for his expression turned very strange, almost distorted.

After a moment of silence, Wu Ruoxun said, "You're quite an interesting person. Everyone else wishes they could stay far away from the Prince Regent, yet you're not afraid of him?"

Lu Qing said, "Roses have thorns, and poppies are poisonous. Fear and affection aren't mutually exclusive."

Wu Ruoxun: "..."

He didn't reply, perhaps at a loss for words. Seeing that the man had no intention of pursuing the matter, Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and sat up a little straighter.

His gaze went past the porthole to the river's surface. Before long, the painted boat had reached the center of the river.

—The ritual was about to begin.

This painted boat carried over thirty court officials, both on the upper and lower decks, including the ever-conflicting Li Faction and Chu Faction. Everyone had mentally prepared themselves before coming. At this moment, they all kept their eyes downcast and their minds to themselves, trying to feign nonchalance while conversing with others, yet secretly on guard against a sudden outburst from the two men.

Unexpectedly, the two main figures present today seemed to have taken a calming pill, their tempers largely subsided, and they were actually chatting peacefully.

Li Sheng's expression was much more relaxed than it ever was in the imperial court. "Prince Regent, has your journey to Xufang been smooth?"

His words carried a hint of concern, which left everyone below in a momentary daze.

But then they saw Chu Jin across from him smile faintly and reply politely, "The journey was quite smooth, Lord Censor, rest assured."

Rarely was he not sarcastic and insinuating. The two of them looked at each other, as peacefully as two old friends.

Lu Qing nearly popped his eyes out. He looked at Lord Wu, whose mind had wandered off to the heavens, and whispered, "Lord Wu, I don't often enter the palace, so I haven't seen much of the world—is this how the Prince Regent and Censor Li usually interact?"

The rumors he'd heard were all about the two being at loggerheads, incompatible as fire and water, wishing they could devour each other alive. Had they encountered a ghost today? That eccentric old coot Li Sheng was actually smiling!

Wu Ruoxun replied perfunctorily, "Who knows, maybe they took the wrong medicine."

Lu Qing: "..."

For a moment, Lu Qing couldn't tell who he was insulting.

When things are out of the ordinary, there must be something amiss—he looked at the two men above. They had chatted about everything from astronomy to geography, from current affairs to national law, before finally taking a break.

"In that case," Li Sheng said, "let the banquet begin."

At his command, musicians entered slowly from the door, and the sound of music gradually rose. Maidservants carrying fine wine and delicacies followed behind the musicians, each walking to a court official's table, then kneeling gracefully, their eyes downcast, and placing the dishes from the trays onto the tables one by one.

Because they were in Xufang City, the dishes were also prepared in the Yanling style—light, fresh, and delicious, excellent in color, flavor, and aroma.

Lu Qing curiously picked up a piece of the mandarin fish in front of him with his chopsticks. After tasting it carefully, his eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

Beside him, Wu Ruoxun said unhurriedly, "This is a famous Xufang dish, Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish. The fish must be marinated in peach blossom wine for four days to infuse the flesh with the fragrance of peach blossoms. If it's spring mandarin fish, the taste is even better."

Lu Qing glanced at him discreetly, then extended his chopsticks to a dish of stir-fried green bamboo shoots. The slices were crisp and refreshing. With a flick of his tongue, it was as if he had swallowed the apricot blossoms and spring rain. He couldn't help but take another bite.

"Anointing Spring Rains." Wu Ruoxun took a sip of wine. "Spring bamboo shoots after the rain, hence the name."

"..."

Lu Qing put down his chopsticks, displeased. "Of all the dishes on this table, you can't possibly name every single one, can you?"

Hearing this, Wu Ruoxun gave him an indifferent sidelong glance and casually said, "I can."

Lu Qing was amazed. "You're not an Imperial Food Officer from the Minor Treasurer's office who specifically manages food. How do you know so many dish names?"

"Very simple," Wu Ruoxun smiled, "because I've eaten them all."

"..."

Lu Qing was full from anger. He glared at him with a smile that didn't reach his eyes and turned to look at the Prince Regent.

Chu Jin was drinking his wine unhurriedly, seemingly uninterested in the dishes, not even having moved his chopsticks. Opposite him, the food on Li Sheng's table was also untouched. Instead, Li Sheng raised his wine cup and toasted Chu Jin from afar. "Prince Regent, for today's ritual, why don't we share a drink?"

Chu Jin looked at him, his expression somewhat unreadable. He also raised his cup, clinked it with Li Sheng's in the air, and then drained it in one gulp.

It was at this moment that Lu Qing suddenly noticed that the mole under the Prince Regent's eye seemed to have vanished into thin air.

His eyes widened. Just as he was about to take a closer look, he saw Chu Jin put down his cup, stand up, and say to the crowd, "Everyone, please excuse me for a moment." Then, he walked out slowly.

Li Sheng smiled to smooth things over. "It seems the Prince Regent can't hold his liquor and has gone out for some river breeze."

The crowd laughed along appreciatively, but Lu Qing did not. He stared, transfixed, at Chu Jin's disappearing back, somewhat dazed.

He heard Wu Ruoxun's voice, "Your gaze is a bit too obvious."

"..." Lu Qing turned his head in anger, only to meet Wu Ruoxun's bottomless eyes. For some reason, a sudden chill ran down his spine.

But that moment seemed to be an illusion. Wu Ruoxun blinked, and his usual appearance returned. Lu Qing composed himself and asked in a low voice, "Lord Wu, is my right eyelid twitching nonstop? I have a feeling something is about to happen."

Hearing this, Wu Ruoxun smiled faintly. "Lord Lu, are you a bit superstitious?"

"...I'm being serious!" Lu Qing said with a straight face. "To be honest, I have a photographic memory. I just saw that the Prince Regent's..."

Before he could finish, he heard footsteps outside the door. Chu Jin had already strolled back leisurely. His expression was normal, and he turned a deaf ear to the furtive glances from the crowd, walking back to his seat while looking straight ahead.

Lu Qing was speechless. In that fleeting glance just now, he had actually seen that the mole under the Prince Regent's eye was back.

Could it be that his eyes were playing tricks on him earlier?

Lu Qing thought about it and felt it was possible.

But then he heard Wu Ruoxun repeat his earlier words, one by one, slowly, "The Prince Regent's...?"

Lu Qing hurriedly said, "It's nothing! My eyes were playing tricks on me just now."

Despite saying so, his right eyelid was still twitching nonstop, with no intention of stopping.

Chu Jin's departure just now seemed like a minor interlude. No one asked what he did, and no one brought it up again. Everyone drank and ate distractedly. Before long, a maidservant brought out a new dish, Silver Lake Snow Lotus Soup.

The snow lotus was sliced into translucent, crystal-clear thin pieces, arranged like a blooming lotus flower. The soup base was a rich white, evenly sprinkled with a layer of silver powder that shimmered, truly resembling a silver lake.

Lu Qing's eyes were fixed. He murmured, "This is too exquisite. How can I bear to eat it..."

It wasn't just him; everyone was full of praise for this dish. Moreover, this snow lotus was unique to the Twelve Peaks of Yanling, so they all picked up their chopsticks to taste this rare delicacy.

After hesitating for a long time, Lu Qing finally couldn't resist the temptation. He picked up his chopsticks, ready to try it as well. He picked up a slice of a snow lotus petal and was about to put it in his mouth when he suddenly paused, turned his head, and asked in surprise, "Why aren't you announcing the dish name anymore?"

Wu Ruoxun was looking down, staring blankly at the bowl of snow lotus soup in front of him, his face expressionless, showing no intention of picking up his chopsticks. Hearing the question, he turned his head to look over and suddenly smiled. "Is it delicious?"

Lu Qing was taken aback. "Uh..." He hadn't eaten it yet.

But he heard Wu Ruoxun say, "If it's delicious, then eat more. You can have my bowl too."

Lu Qing: "Huh?"

He was holding his chopsticks with a puzzled look, still trying to process what that sentence meant, when he suddenly heard someone shout, "Who is that outside the door!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the door in unison, only to see a black shadow flash by, fleeing outwards at high speed.

The one who shouted was the Vice Minister of the Censorate, Fan Qu. He rose abruptly and said sternly, "Where are the guards? Seize him!"

The appearance of a suspicious person on the boat made everyone's heart tighten. They no longer had the mood to eat and began to whisper among themselves. Lu Qing, with his chopsticks in his mouth, listened blankly as their words poured into his ears.

"How could an unidentified person sneak onto this painted boat!"

"This ritual is a matter of utmost importance. If anything goes wrong, how will we answer for it?"

"Wasn't the Autumn River Ritual single-handedly organized by the Prince Regent? How could such a mistake happen?"

"Officer Wang, be careful with your words! That person is sitting right up there. If he hears you, ten heads wouldn't be enough for him to chop off."

Fan Qu secretly exchanged a look with Li Sheng. Seeing the latter give an almost imperceptible nod, he felt reassured and then looked towards Chu Jin and Xu Ying. "This matter is of great importance and could hinder the progress of the ritual. I believe we should capture that person for questioning."

Xu Ying said nothing, but beside him, Chu Jin said coldly, "To capture an unknown person and interrogate them in front of all you court officials, Lord Fan, do you think this is the Office of the Commandant of Justice?"

Such a merciless refusal. Fan Qu was choked by his words, his expression twisting slightly. At this moment, Li Sheng spoke unhurriedly, "If this person is an assassin, then he must have accomplices. Right now, my life and the lives of all the court officials are intertwined. If we don't investigate thoroughly, we will inevitably be filled with anxiety."

"Does Lord Censor think my men are incompetent and let an assassin in?" Chu Jin said with a faint smile. "Or are you simply not at ease with my arrangements?"

"I have no such intention. I am merely concerned for everyone's safety. If the Prince Regent truly cares about everyone's lives, it would be best not to act so willfully. We only need to interrogate that person, and the matter will be clear."

"Lord Censor makes it sound so simple. What if the time for the ritual is delayed? Have the guards take the person into custody and send them to the Office of the Commandant of Justice for questioning later."

The initial harmonious scene seemed like an illusion, now shattered to pieces. Everyone was already used to this. In fact, the earlier respectful demeanor between the two was stranger.

However, this was the first time Lu Qing had witnessed such a scene. He held his breath, listening with great excitement. The next second, he heard someone beside him say, "You even want to listen to them argue?"

Lu Qing flinched and turned to glare at Wu Ruoxun. "Don't interrupt!"

Lord Wu sneered.

Lu Qing's attention was no longer on him, so he didn't notice the sneer. He was utterly confused by the words of the two men above, not knowing who to believe for a moment.

To be fair, he had seen that the black shadow was furtive and definitely not an innocent person. It was likely tied to the ritual in countless ways and should be thoroughly investigated. Without a doubt, everyone present held the same thought.

But why wouldn't Chu Jin allow it?

Lu Qing couldn't figure it out, or rather—he didn't dare to think about it.

Several tall and sturdy guards had already dragged the person over but were now standing at the entrance, hesitating without orders.

The man they held was dressed in the attire of a servant boy, his head lowered, his face obscured. He seemed to have lost all his strength, allowing himself to be manipulated, with no energy left to resist.

Fan Qu said, "The person has been brought over. It's just a quick interrogation. I'm sure it won't take too long."

Chu Jin's expression was grim. After a long moment, he sneered.

Following Fan Qu's cue, the guards dragged the man to the center, then twisted his arms behind his back, forcing him to lift his head.

The man had an ordinary face and a terrified expression. Seemingly having never witnessed such a grand scene, he kept shrinking back, trembling uncontrollably.

Fan Qu said, "Where is the Commandant of Justice?"

The old Commandant of Justice was ill and hadn't come; Lu Qing was his replacement. Hearing the call, he quickly stood up and replied, "This subordinate is the Vice Commandant of Justice under the Commandant of Justice, Lu Qing."

"The Commandant of Justice oversees judicial trials," Fan Qu sized him up. "You will handle the questioning for this matter. Make it quick."

Lu Qing cried out in his heart, feeling that this was an extremely tricky task. If he handled it poorly, he would likely offend both the Prince Regent and the Grand Censor. But it was his duty, and he couldn't refuse, so he could only say, "Yes."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he braced himself and walked out. Then, he took a deep breath to calm himself.

The Commandant of Justice's trials demonstrated the fairness and integrity of Great Qin. This was what the old Commandant of Justice had admonished him when he first took the post. So, no matter how boisterous he usually was, once he faced a case, he had to maintain a solemn expression, forget personal matters, and uphold justice impartially.

Lu Qing focused his mind, his entire being calming down. He walked up to the man, gave him a discreet once-over from head to toe, and already had a few guesses in mind. He began to question, "Where are you from? What was your purpose in eavesdropping outside the cabin?"

The man's voice trembled. "I'm just a worker on the boat. I was just passing by while working, I absolutely had no intention of eavesdropping."

His answer had no obvious flaws and was within expectations. Lu Qing looked at him expressionlessly, then suddenly clasped his hands behind his back and slowly paced around him. As he walked, he said, "You're dressed as a servant boy on the boat, but these clothes don't fit you well."

As soon as he said this, the "servant boy's" expression stiffened.

Lu Qing walked behind the man, lifted his slightly oversized sleeve, and took a look. "Thick calluses on the fingertips and the web of the thumb, likely from wielding a sword year-round."

The man subconsciously pulled his hand back, but Lu Qing squatted down and carefully examined the soles of his shoes. "The soles are dry, with no river mud. You don't look like someone who has spent years on a boat."

"And..." He reached out and took an old money pouch from the man's waist. "The stitching on this pouch should be the unique Qi Embroidery of Yanling. Nowadays, it's very difficult to find an embroiderer in all of Great Qin who knows this technique—"

Lu Qing stopped walking. These fragmented clues intertwined, and a guess gradually formed in his mind.

"—You are a refugee of the fallen Yanling?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent; everyone was shocked. Before they could recover, a figure suddenly flew up, a cold light flashed as a sword was unsheathed, heading straight for the Yanling refugee!

The sword arrived in an instant. Lu Qing had no time to dodge and instinctively closed his eyes, only to hear a "ding" sound, the clash of swords.

Standing in front of him was Grand Marshal Xu Ying. His brows were tightly furrowed, the weapon in his hand humming as he forcefully blocked the incoming sword strike.

And opposite Grand Marshal Xu was, unexpectedly, the Prince Regent, who had suddenly made a move.

Chu Jin looked at the person blocking him and laughed in extreme anger. "Xu Ying! You dare to stop me?"

Xu Ying remained silent, but the longsword in his hand did not waver.

Everyone present was stunned by this sudden turn of events. Then they heard Li Sheng question coldly, "Prince Regent, why did you try to take this man's life without a word?"

This question seemed to awaken everyone present, as well as the refugee kneeling on the ground. The expression on his face slowly changed from fear to extreme resentment. Under Chu Jin's increasingly sinister gaze, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Prince Regent! I served you loyally for four whole years, and in the end, you want to kill me to silence me!"

"Chu Jin, you will die a terrible death!"

The author has something to say:

Loyal fan, Lu Qing: People who don't understand the Prince Regent's beauty can leave forever?ヾ(￣▽￣)