Chapter 18

Hiding Place

Li Shimin turned back and glanced at her, saying, “As long as this matter is truly unrelated to you, I will ensure no harm comes to you.”

Mei Xue expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you, Second Young Master. If...” She tightly grasped the rotting bars, trying to overcome the fear in her heart. “If I cannot escape this disaster, please, I beg of you, do not let them harm my father. He is just a farmer who makes a living by farming and hunting. He knows nothing of this and is in no way involved!”

Li Shimin looked at her and replied, “Whether your father is safe depends on whether what you’ve said is true. If you lie, no one will be able to save him!”

When Li Shimin exited the dungeon, the servant he had sent to investigate Shen Mo Ping had already returned and bowed, saying, “Second Young Master, we found out that after Shen Mo Ping entered the residence, he worked in the firewood room. The guards have already been notified and are heading there now.”

“Good.” Li Shimin responded, quickly making his way to the firewood room. By the time he arrived, it was already daylight, and the guards were searching the area. The head of the guards stood there with a frustrated expression.

“Did you find anything?” Hearing Li Shimin’s voice, the head of the guards hurriedly saluted and said, “Reporting to Second Young Master, when we arrived, we did not find Shen Mo Ping.” Just as he finished speaking, another guard came over and said, “Second Young Master, Captain, we’ve checked everything, but there’s nothing inside. However, I did find dried bloodstains in a corner, and there are signs of cleaning on the ground. It seems the assassin did indeed come here.”

Li Shimin was about to speak when the head of the guards knelt on one knee and clasped his hands in apology, saying, “I have failed, please punish me, Second Young Master.”

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Why do you say that?”

The head of the guards explained with regret, “Actually, during the chase last night, we came here. At the time, someone was chopping wood here, likely the Shen Mo Ping you mentioned, but we didn’t know he was connected to the assassin, so we let him go.”

Li Shimin frowned slightly. “Did you search the firewood room at the time?”

The head of the guards hurriedly responded, “Yes, we searched, but we didn’t find any traces of the assassin, not even blood, so we overlooked it and moved on.”

“Shen Mo Ping...” Li Shimin muttered, “This place is not far from the Moonlight Pool. When Shen Mo Ping entered the residence, he referred to the assassin as his sibling. The assassin must have been hiding here, but you didn’t notice.”

“I also think so. But the place is so big, and we searched both inside and out, yet we didn’t see any sign of the assassin!” The head of the guards said.

Li Shimin looked around and his gaze finally fell on the scattered firewood. “Was it like this when you came last night?”

The head of the guards thought for a moment and replied, “I remember, the firewood was stacked back then, and only a few pieces were scattered around. It wasn’t like this, with everything all over the place.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shimin crouched down to examine the firewood closely. The head of the guards, puzzled, asked, “Second Young Master, what are you looking at?”

Li Shimin ignored him and continued examining the firewood. After looking at several pieces, his expression changed slightly. He handed the piece of wood to the head of the guards, saying, “Take a closer look.”

The head of the guards, confused, inspected the inconspicuous piece of firewood. When he saw the bloodstain at the top, his body trembled. “Second Young Master, this is...”

Li Shimin wiped the dust off his hands and said coldly, “This is the assassin’s blood. If I’m not mistaken, she was hiding under this pile of firewood and managed to avoid detection!”

The head of the guards broke into a cold sweat and said nervously, “It’s all my fault for being careless. I didn’t search thoroughly, allowing the assassin to escape right under my nose. I deserve to be punished!”

“The most important thing now is to find the assassin and Shen Mo Ping. The rest can be dealt with later.” After a pause, Li Shimin added, “The governor’s residence has already been sealed off by my elder brother’s orders. The assassin has been seriously injured. Even if Shen Mo Ping helped, she can’t escape. She must still be hiding somewhere.”

The head of the guards immediately said, “I will go search right away, Second Young Master!”

After he left, a servant came in to report that Li Yuan had woken up. Upon hearing this, Li Shimin quickly headed to Songtao Residence. By the time he arrived, Wan Shi and the others had already arrived first and were gathered around Li Yuan, asking about his well-being.

Wan Shi, wiping away her tears, said, “Governor, I’m so relieved that you are fine. I’ve been so worried all night while you were unconscious, fearing that something bad might happen to you.”

“Why say such dismal things, sister? The Governor’s fortune is long-lasting. No matter what danger he faces, he will always turn disaster into good and safely get through it,” said Lin Shi, one of Li Yuan’s concubines. She was young and beautiful, with a soft, melodious voice like that of a warbler. She had been sitting next to Wan Shi during the banquet the previous night and had earned Li Yuan’s favor in recent years.

Wan Shi shot her a glance but didn’t respond. Instead, she looked at Li Yuan with concern and asked, “Governor, how are you feeling? Should we call Summer Hou to check on you again?”

Li Yuan motioned for her to help him sit up. “I’m fine. It’s just that my arms and legs are weak, and I still feel a bit dizzy. It’s strange—it’s only some superficial wounds, yet it feels so severe.”

Li Jiancheng said, “Father, you don’t know, but the assassin had poisoned her dagger with a rare poison from the Western Regions. Both you and Third Brother were poisoned, and you narrowly escaped death. Fortunately, Summer Hou was here, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Li Yuan nodded, then immediately asked, “What about the assassin? Has she been caught?”

Wan Shi spoke from the side, “Originally, she was surrounded, but then Second Young Master was suddenly taken hostage by the assassin. I was afraid she would harm Second Young Master, so I wanted to send the guards to rescue him. But to my surprise, Eldest Young Master not only refused but allowed the assassin to escape. She still hasn’t been captured.”

Li Jiancheng shot her a cold glance and said, “Father, due to the chaos last night, and because the assassin had taken Second Brother hostage, I had no choice but to let her go. I initially intended to capture her during that time, but she was cunning and managed to escape. However, she is seriously injured, and I’ve already ordered the Governor’s residence to be sealed. No one is allowed to leave. Just give me a little more time, and I’m certain we’ll catch her!”

Wan Shi was unconvinced, saying, “But Eldest Young Master has been searching all night. The guards have thoroughly searched both inside and outside the residence and still haven’t caught the assassin. How do you explain that? This person nearly killed the Governor, and if she truly escapes, what will we do when she returns to attempt another assassination?”

Li Jiancheng’s face changed, and he was about to speak when Li Shimin interrupted, “Actually, after the assassin escaped last night, she hid in the firewood room. She had accomplices who helped her avoid being found by the guards. Now that we know their identities, I believe we will have results soon. There’s no need for Second Mother to worry too much.”