Chapter 16

Life and Death

Shen Moping looked anxiously at the dark broken arrow and said, “I am even more worried about your injury now, my lord. What should we do?”

Yun Yi glanced at it and said, “Help me pull it out.”

Shen Moping quickly replied, “No, this arrow is deeply lodged. If we pull it out, it could be life-threatening. It’s better to wait until I find some hemostatic medicine, and then we can remove it.” He looked out at the dark sky and gritted his teeth. “As soon as it’s light, I’ll go out to buy the medicine. Please bear with it a little longer.”

“They’ve already sealed the entire mansion inside and out. They won’t let you leave. Besides... they will soon find out about our relationship, and we won’t be able to stay here much longer.” Yun Yi urged, “Hurry up and act. I can endure it!”

Seeing her insist, Shen Moping had no choice but to agree. He tore her clothes off her shoulder, and his fingers dug into the blood-soaked flesh to grip the broken arrow. Before he even applied force, Yun Yi was already sweating from the excruciating pain.

Shen Moping gritted his teeth, turned his head, and pulled the broken arrow with force. Because the arrow was very short and lodged against the shoulder blade, it was extremely difficult to pull out. Yun Yi endured the searing pain, almost grinding her silver teeth to dust, until Shen Moping finally extracted the arrowhead deeply embedded in her flesh and bone.

As soon as the arrow was removed, blood gushed out like a spring. Shen Moping hurriedly wrapped the wound tightly, but the blood continued to pour out, soaking through the cloth and spreading.

With the blood loss, Yun Yi’s body grew colder, and her eyelids drooped. Shen Moping knew that if she fell asleep now, she might never wake up. He urgently said, “My lord, hold on a little longer. Don’t fall asleep. We still have to return to Luoyang. You’ve killed Li Yuan this time, and the Emperor will definitely treat you differently. He won’t ignore you and the Empress like before. Isn’t this what you’ve wanted for so many years?”

His words caused Yun Yi to open her eyes slightly, but in her weakness, she closed them again. Shen Moping was so anxious that tears fell, choking as he said, “You promised to hold on, how can you break your word? Wake up, don’t scare me. If you die, how will I explain it to the Empress? Wuwu...”

As Shen Moping wept, a faint voice came from Yun Yi, “You’re so noisy, can’t you let me rest for a while?”

Hearing this, Shen Moping was both shocked and overjoyed, and he quickly asked, “My lord, you’re not dead?”

Yun Yi weakly replied with her eyes still closed, “What? Do you want me dead?”

Shen Moping hurriedly said, “Of course not! I wish you could live forever, long life, a thousand years!”

Yun Yi curled the corner of her lips and faintly murmured, “A thousand years... that would make me an old monster, wouldn’t it?” After this remark, she did not speak again, but the faint breath from her nose eased Shen Moping’s anxiety. Carefully laying her down, he fetched some water and gently wiped the blood off the ground.

Meanwhile, the guards had searched the entire mansion but found no trace of Yun Yi. Li Jiancheng’s face darkened as he said, “How is it possible that she’s not here? Could she have disappeared into thin air?”

The captain of the guards knelt on one knee and fearfully said, “I am incompetent. Please forgive me, my lord!”

Li Jiancheng snorted coldly, “Go search again. If you can’t find that bitch, none of you will have it easy!”

“Understood.”

After the guards left, Li Jiancheng headed towards Songtao Residence. Li Shimin and the others were anxiously waiting outside. Upon seeing Li Jiancheng, they immediately asked, “Big brother, have the assassins been caught?”

“No, I’ve ordered them to search again. We must catch that assassin!” As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Wan Shi say, “I hope you really can find her. Otherwise, word will get out, and the entire Honghua County will laugh at our governor’s mansion for being useless, unable to catch even a small assassin.”

Li Jiancheng raised an eyebrow, his voice cold as he said, “There’s no need for you to worry, Second Mother.” Then, he asked urgently, “How are father and Third Brother? Has the poison been cured?”

Li Shimin said worriedly, “I don’t know. Uncle Xiahou hasn’t come out yet. I hope father and Third Brother are okay, or else...”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Li Jiancheng understood his meaning and could only wait anxiously. After a while, Manager Lin hurried over, bowed respectfully, and said to Li Shimin, “Second Young Master, as you ordered, I’ve brought Granny Yang from the dance hall.”

Granny Yang had already heard about Yun Yi’s assassination attempt at the banquet. Before Li Shimin could ask anything, she quickly kneeled down in fear, saying, “This servant has nothing to do with this matter, and I didn’t know that Shen Yun Yi was the assassin. Please, Second Young Master, see for yourself!”

“You didn’t know?” Li Shimin’s face turned cold. “I checked, and it was you who arranged for Shen Yun Yi to go to Songtao Residence. How dare you say you have nothing to do with it?”

Granny Yang quickly explained, “Yes, I arranged it, but it was at Mei Xue’s request. She came to ask me, saying she was worried about going to perform the dance alone, and wanted Shen Yun Yi to accompany her. I thought it wasn’t a big deal, so I agreed. Who would have thought it would lead to such a disaster?” She hurriedly added, “Second Young Master, I truly didn’t know in advance. If I had, even if I had the courage of a thousand men, I would never have let her go to Songtao Residence to harm the governor and Third Young Master.”

Wan Shi stepped forward and asked, “Mei Xue... is she the dancer who performed today?”

Granny Yang nodded repeatedly, “Yes, Madam, it is her.”

Wan Shi turned to Li Shimin and said, “If I’m not mistaken, it was you, Second Young Master, who recommended Wu Mei Xue to the governor, right?”

Before Li Shimin could respond, Li Jiancheng interjected, “Second Mother, what do you mean by this? Are you implying that the assassination has something to do with Second Brother?”

Wan Shi glared at him and coldly said, “The Second Young Master is the biological son of the governor, why would I think that? But with the governor being attacked, it’s likely that Second Young Master cannot escape responsibility.”

Li Jiancheng responded indifferently, “Has Second Mother forgotten something? Whether it’s Wu Mei Xue or Shen Yun Yi, both of them were brought into the mansion by you. If Second Mother had been more careful and investigated their backgrounds, this disaster could have been avoided. So, if responsibility is to be assigned, the first to bear it is... you, Second Mother!”

Wan Shi’s expression changed, and her face turned cold as she said, “Are you accusing me? I know you’ve never respected me as your Second Mother and refuse to be disciplined by me, but no matter what, I am your elder, and you cannot be so rude!”

Li Shimin, worried that their argument might escalate, intervened and said, “Second Mother is right. I do indeed bear responsibility for this incident. Once Father wakes up, I will personally apologize to him.”

Seeing that he had said this, Wan Shi stopped speaking. She then asked, “Where is Wu Mei Xue now?”