The fact that the assassin who attacked Yun Fuyi was a eunuch made the case even more complicated, and the matter was soon reported to the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Imperial Palace.
It had only been a few days since Yun Fuyi had earned the merit of saving the Empress and was granted the title of Junjun, and now someone was trying to kill her. Not only the magistrate, but even the people dispatched by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice suspected that the two incidents were related.
The officials from the two offices had just arrived at the Metropolitan Magistrate Office and hadn’t even had time to sip their tea when a bailiff rushed in to announce His Imperial Highness’ arrival.
As Yun Zhaobai stood up to pay his respects, he cast a quick look at his little sister, who blinked back at him, looking very innocent.
Before the officials could rush to the entrance, His Imperial Highness had already stepped into the main hall.
“Your humble subjects greet Your Imperial Highness.”
“There’s no need for formalities, Sirs.” Sui Tingheng strode past them and approached the Yun siblings. “Is Miss Yun injured?”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Imperial Highness, this subject daughter is unharmed,” Fuyi curtsied and greeted him again.
“I’m glad you’re safe.” Sui Tingheng’s deep voice lingered. He had stopped three steps away from her, maintaining a polite distance. “Take a seat, everyone.”
“Your Imperial Highness.” Mo Wen hurriedly stumbled in, holding a cloak in his hand. “The spring days are still chilly. You’ve only just recovered from your illness a few days ago and mustn’t catch a cold again.”
It was only then that Fuyi noticed the Prince was wearing a light blue casual robe, with a soybean-sized ink stain at the bottom of his right sleeve. His waist was bare, missing the jade pendants and sachets he usually wore.
Clearly, he had rushed out without even changing.
“That’s unnecessary,” Sui Tingheng raised his hand, gesturing for Mo Wen to retreat, before turning to the magistrate. “Sir, you can tell me more about this case.”
“At once, Your Imperial Highness. Please have a seat, and your humble subject will explain everything in detail.” As he bowed politely, the magistrate thought to himself—‘With my dear niece present, why would His Highness come to ask me? Could it be he’s heard of her notorious reputation and wants to keep his distance?’
He suddenly felt compelled to speak up for Fuyi. Though his niece could be playful and often misunderstood because of it, she was genuinely sharp and sincere. There was nothing wrong with her!
With this in mind, the magistrate not only laid out the case in full detail but also interspersed his explanation with praises for Fuyi, trying his best to clear any prejudice the Prince might hold against her.
When the magistrate mentioned how Fuyi had fled in terror to the Magistrate Office, seeking help in tears, Sui Tingheng’s eyelids trembled. He turned to Fuyi, “Miss Yun must have been frightened.”
Fuyi forced an awkward smile, unsure how to respond. Had the events of last night really made her seem so pitiful?
“Miss Yun, after you left the restaurant, did you encounter anyone else?” Sui Tingheng’s gaze swept over the teacup in Fuyi’s hand. “Miss Yun’s tea has gone cold. Bring her a fresh cup.” He instructed Mo Wen.
“There’s no need to trouble yourself, Your Imperial Highness,” Fuyi lifted her teacup and took a sip. “This subject daughter isn’t particular about my tea.”
After saying this, she noticed the Prince gave her a deep look. Fuyi frowned, glancing at her teacup—‘Is there something wrong with it?’
“Your tea, Junjun,” Mo Wen placed a steaming cup of tea beside Fuyi, took away the cold one, and bowed before retreating.
The other officials, seeing their tea was also replaced with a fresh, hot one by other eunuchs, felt deeply touched. His Imperial Highness’s attentiveness was truly remarkable! If not for the inappropriate timing, they would have expressed their heartfelt gratitude!
“Well, to speak the truth, there was another individual with me during the attack,” Fuyi confessed, taking a small sip from her teacup. ‘This taste… is this nerve-calming tea?’
“Who was it?”
“It’s Ning Wang, Your Imperial Highness.” Fuyi glanced at the gray-robed man bound on the ground. “If it weren’t for Ning Wangye’s help, the arrow would have struck me.”
Clank.
The sound of a lid scraping against the rim of the cup echoed, and a few drops of hot tea splashed over the edge, scalding Sui Tingheng’s hand as they dripped onto the wooden table.
“This lowly servant deserves punishment. I forgot the tea was boiling hot,” Mo Wen hurriedly apologized upon seeing the Prince’s hand scalded red from the tea.
“It’s nothing.” Sui Tingheng gently set the teacup down, wiping his hand casually with a handkerchief. His eyes briefly paused on the ink stain on his sleeve. “Give me the cloak.”
“Go invite Imperial Uncle,” Sui Tingheng said as he fastened his cloak. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something and called out to the messenger, who was about to leave. Turning to Fuyi, he asked, “Miss Yun, do you have any objections?”
“None, Your Imperial Highness,” Fuyi shook her head. “With Ning Wangye’s assistance, the case might be solved quickly.”
Of course this was all part of Fuyi’s plan. How else could she make the case blow up across the entire court if Sui Ruijing was not called over? Over the past two years, he had been keeping a low profile and earning a good reputation, but she wanted to help him gain the same attention he was used to three years ago, with the whole capital paying attention to his every move and deed. If the Emperor and Empress learned of her actions, she believed they’d praise her for being helpful.
Sui Tingheng lowered his eyelids and said no more, simply raising his hand to instruct the messenger to go to Ning Wang Manor.
Seeing that the Prince had stopped speaking, the officials racked their brains and began offering their views on the case, hoping to display their abilities. Unfortunately, His Imperial Highness’ mood seemed darkened by the audacity of the assassination attempt, and he didn’t show any hint of a smile.
“Ning Wang has arrived.”
At the announcement, everyone rose to their feet again. Now that the case involved a eunuch and Ning Wang, it was no longer a simple case that could be handled at their discretion.
“We’re truly sorry to have troubled you to come to the Magistrate Office at such an early hour, Imperial Uncle,” Sui Tingheng offered his respectful greeting as a junior. “However, the situation is urgent. Before you left your manor, did you explain things clearly to the Imperial Aunt? Should I send someone to offer her further explanation?”
At the mention of ‘aunt,’ Ning Wang instinctively glanced toward Fuyi, but she was standing behind Yun Zhaobai with her head lowered, her face hidden from him.
“No need,” Ning Wang withdrew his gaze, smiling gently. “Your Imperial Aunt is always gentle and considerate; she never makes things difficult for me.”
“Imperial Uncle and the Imperial Aunt truly share a deep bond,” Sui Tingheng commented, then turned and gestured. “Please, take your seat.”
“After you, Nephew.”
The uncle and nephew sat down together, but as Sui Tingheng moved, he accidentally bumped into Ning Wang’s injured shoulder, causing him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.
“Imperial Uncle, are you injured?” Sui Tingheng’s expression immediately darkened. He looked toward the gray-robed man bound on the ground. “Imperial Uncle, this man attacked a court-appointed Junjun and injured a Qinwang. What do you think the punishment should be?”
Ning Wang clutched his shoulder where the pain surged from Sui Tingheng’s unintentional bump. ‘Is this guy ox or something?!’ He wanted to grimace, but tried his best to maintain his composure. After taking a deep breath, he barely managed to regain his poise. “Is this the man who attacked Miss Yun?”
“Wangye doesn’t recognize him?!” Fuyi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Perhaps you should take a closer look to jog your memory.”
“What do you mean by that, Miss Yun?” Ning Wang looked at Fuyi and noticed the slight curve of her lips. He knew this look well—the same kind she used to wear in the past whenever she was up to screw over somebody.
< Previous | TOC | Advanced TOC | Next >
Wants more chapters?
Click this page for the status of sponsored chapters.
Click this page for advanced chapters TOC.