Fuyi reached out to pull the arrow from the wooden pillar. It was deeply lodged, and she had to use all her strength to yank it out before slowly making her way towards Ning Wang.
“Miss Yun!” Several armed guards rushed out from around the corner, the leader drawing his sword at Fuyi. “Harming an imperial family member is a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire clan!”
“Cen Chu?” Recognizing the person, Fuyi halted her step. She toyed with the arrow in her hand and said, “It’s been three years, and you’ve grown taller.”
Cen Chu tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and lowered his gaze, bowing his head. “Miss Yun, you’ve been close friends with His Imperial Highness for many years. There must be some misunderstanding.”
Fuyi tossed the arrow toward Ning Wang, but one of his guards cut it into two pieces in midair.
“Impressive,” she sneered coldly. “Ning Wang Manor sure has quite a few experts.”
“You may not believe me, but I have never sent anyone to hunt you down.” Clutching his shoulder in pain, Ning Wang slowly stood up. His sleeve was stained red with blood, and sweat dripped down his pale face. “I swear…”
“If oaths were useful, there would be no such things as betrayal in this world.” Fuyi cut in, her tone dripping with irony. “Sui Ruijing, I know you’re doing this farce to win my trust. You’re afraid of the Yun family, and you’re afraid of me.”
She had met Sui Ruijing when she was five. Every inch of the floors in Chenque Palace had borne the marks of her footsteps, and every year, a few of the pomegranates from the trees in his courtyard had ended up in her stomach.
Unfortunately, human hearts were not immune to the allure of power.
“What will it take for you to believe me?!”
“Did you know, three years ago, the masked archer who shot an arrow through my chest had a black mole above his forehead?” Fuyi picked up the broken arrow from the ground and mounted her horse. “That black mole is exactly similar to one on a eunuch in Noble Consort Zeng’s palace.”
The color drained from Ning Wang’s face.
“And another thing.” Fuyi stroked her horse’s mane and looked down at the ashen-faced young man. “Stop behaving as if we had any great affection for each other. Don’t you know that a married man should stay loyal to his wife? Faking deep emotions only makes me sick. Miss Lu is talented and beautiful, and being your Wangfei is already a huge injustice to her. You should appreciate it.”
“Wangye,” Cen Chu watched Fuyi leave in a daze and turned to see his lord coughing up blood. He rushed to support him. “We’ll take you back to the manor and summon the imperial physician immediately.”
“No, keep it quiet,” Ning Wang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his fingertips trembling. “No one can know about my injury.” Given his current precarious position, if this incident were to be made public, it would only give the emperor an excuse to meddle in the affairs of his manor and clean out his forces.
Looking at the blood still flowing from his shoulder, Ning Wang was dazed for a moment, then let out a bitter smile. Fuyi knew him too well—she knew what he was concerned about, which was why she had treated him so ruthlessly.
However, events would not shift according to Sui Ruijing’s will. Though he had kept the matter quiet, Fuyi rode her horse straight to the gate of the Metropolitan Magistrate Office.
“Help! Someone, help!”
The guards at the gate saw the woman rushing on horseback, her expression panicked, and even her hairpin had tilted. They quickly stepped forward to help her rein in the horse.
“Sirs, please help! Someone is trying to kill me!”
The guards were shocked by her words and immediately opened the gates to hide her inside, then drew their swords to guard the entrance.
The magistrate had just laid down to rest1 when he heard the report that a young woman had been chased by assassins in the street. Terrified, he hurriedly climbed out of bed and rushed to the front hall.
Just as he stepped into the hall, he heard a woman crying out about her ordeal with her right hand covering her face, while clutching two broken arrow pieces in her left.
The magistrate paused in his step. ‘Why does this girl’s voice sound somewhat familiar?’
When she finally raised her head, the magistrate’s legs almost gave out, and he would have collapsed had it not been for an attendant supporting him.
‘W-who let this devil incarnate in?!’
“Sir!”
The magistrate trembled three times at the sound of her grief-stricken call.
“Sir, you must seek justice for me! Someone is trying to kill me.” Fuyi cried even harder, making it clear she wouldn’t leave until the culprit was caught.
The magistrate hurriedly ordered someone to bring her hot tea. “Miss Yun, are you sure about this?”
“Sir, how could I joke about something like this?” Fuyi handed the broken arrow to the magistrate and took a few sips of tea from the cup a servant brought in. “Yesterday, His Majesty conferred upon me the title of Junjun. Today, after dining with some friends and leaving the restaurant, someone ambushed me. This is the arrow they used to try to harm me.”
Hearing this, the magistrate bent over in anxiety. ‘Assassinated the day after being conferred the title? This is a major case!’
“Men, immediately investigate the area where Yun Junjun was attacked. Do not overlook any suspicious individuals.” the magistrate cautiously observed the ‘overly frightened’ Fuyi. “Did Miss Yun catch a glimpse of the assailant?”
“I saw a figure from a distance, but it wasn’t clear.” Fuyi tried her best to recall. “At the time, his arrow missed its target, and when the person saw that I had spotted his hiding place, he turned and fled. But his escape was somewhat odd, as if his left foot was not working properly.”
“And what about his height and build?”
“He wasn’t very tall, and he was rather slim.” Fuyi handed her empty teacup to the magistrate. “Could I trouble you for another cup, sir?”
The magistrate poured her more tea. “This is a serious matter, Lady Junjun. Please do not leave the Magistrate Office for the time being. I will send someone to notify your family at once.”
“Thank you, sir,” Fuyi said gratefully, “It’s fortunate to have such a just and upright official like you in charge of the metropolitan magistrate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known where to hide when facing such a danger.”
“You flatter me, Lady Junjun,” the magistrate coughed lightly, stroking his beard, trying to appear calm and dignified. Even though he was somewhat embarrassed to receive such sincere praise, the fact that even a notorious idler like Miss Yun called him just and reliable meant he had earned a good reputation among the people!
“Rest assured, our Magistrate Office will definitely capture this villain!” The magistrate felt a surge of energy washes over him as his blood boiled with vigor. ‘This case, I’ll definitely solve it! The assailant must be brought to justice!’
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