Chapter 27

Deception

Li Yuan sighed, “This matter concerns the survival of our Li family, and it’s not something that can be decided lightly. Shimin, you are always meticulous and thoughtful. I would like to hear your opinion on what path we, the Li family, should take in this situation.”

Li Shimin remained silent for a long while before replying, “Father, do you want to hear the truth?”

Li Yuan nodded, “Of course, it’s just the two of us here. Speak freely, there’s no need for restraint.”

Li Shimin said solemnly, “The current world is in chaos, and the emperor is suspicious of you, Father, wishing to remove you at any cost. In such a situation, loyalty has little meaning. Instead of waiting to be struck down, it would be better to raise an army and revolt. Not only for the sake of the Li family, but also for the common people. Only by overthrowing the tyrannical rule can there be hope for the future, and only then can you, Father, truly live up to the words ‘love and care for the people.’“

Li Yuan’s expression changed slightly, and after a long pause of deep thought, he sighed, “It seems this is the only path left for us. But raising an army requires soldiers, weapons, and provisions—all of which take time. The problem is, the emperor is already so wary of me that he’s willing to send assassins. I hope… we will have enough time.”

Li Shimin said with determination, “Father, don’t worry. Eldest Brother and I will do everything we can to assist you in achieving this great undertaking.”

Li Yuan nodded and said, “Go find your Uncle Xiahou, and after capturing that female assassin, both you and Eldest Brother must personally interrogate her. Do not delegate this task to others, lest rumors spread and cause trouble.”

“Understood,” Li Shimin bowed and left to bring Xiahou Duan in. As for what transpired between them in the room, it remains unknown.

In Jingde Residence, Duan Zhihong laid out a map on the table. “Second Young Master, this is the blueprint of the Taishou Residence that I just got from Head Steward Lin. It marks all the hidden passages and secret rooms, which should help us find the assassin.”

Li Yuan had only been in Honghua County for a few months and was still unfamiliar with the residence. After searching everywhere and finding no trace of the assassin, Li Shimin thought of the blueprint.

Duan Zhihong said, “On our way here, I already reviewed the map. We’ve searched every single place, and there’s no place left unchecked. I can’t think of where the female assassin could be hiding.”

Li Shimin remained silent, his eyes fixed on the map. After a long moment, he pointed to two locations. “There are still these two places!”

Duan Zhihong leaned over to look and immediately shook his head. “Second Young Master, one of them is the wine cellar, and the other is the ice cellar. The wine cellar is frequently visited to fetch wine, and the ice cellar is extremely cold—no one could hide there.”

Li Shimin shook his head. “After failing their assassination attempt, they would be like stray dogs, doing everything they can to hide. What we think are places where no one could hide might, in fact, be the best places for them to conceal themselves.” With that, he slammed his hand on the table and said, “Let’s go—let’s check those two places immediately.”

Just as they were about to leave, Li Shimin remembered something. “Send someone to the dungeon to inform them that the Second Madam has agreed to release Meixue.”

After Duan Zhihong made the necessary arrangements, they proceeded to the wine cellar. There was no one hiding there. As they prepared to head to the ice cellar, they encountered someone coming toward them. When Li Shimin saw the person, he quickly walked up, surprised, and said, “What are you doing here?”

The person who appeared was none other than Li Xuanba, who had previously fought against Yunyi and been poisoned alongside Li Yuan. Apart from his slightly pale complexion, he appeared to be in no other abnormal condition.

“Preposterous!” Li Shimin scolded. “You still have poison in your system; you should be resting properly in your room. As for the assassin, my elder brother and I will handle the capture. Why do you need to worry about it? Go back right now!”

“Second Brother, I’m fine now. Don’t believe me? Just look.” Li Xuanba said as he tried to lift a large stone nearby. Li Shimin quickly stopped him, saying, “Don’t be reckless. Go back immediately!”

Li Xuanba anxiously said, “Second Brother, I’m truly fine now, nothing at all is wrong with me. If you make me stay in bed, that would be the real threat to my life.” Before Li Shimin could respond, he continued, “What’s most important right now is to capture that female assassin and tear her to pieces, only then can my heart rest.”

Li Shimin couldn’t argue with him, and seeing that he didn’t appear to be in serious danger, he reluctantly agreed, “Alright, if you insist, you can come along. But remember, if we encounter the assassin, don’t act recklessly. I, and Guard Duan, will handle it.”

Li Xuanba quickly agreed and followed Li Shimin toward the ice cellar. When they arrived, Duan Zhihong had already opened the heavy iron door and was about to enter. Li Xuanba, out of the corner of his eye, noticed something move nearby. He shouted, “Who’s there?”

Before he could give further orders, the guards rushed in the direction he pointed to and soon brought someone forward.

When Li Shimin saw the person’s face, he was shocked. “Meixue, what are you doing here?”

“I...” Meixue bit her pale, bloodless lip, looking extremely nervous.

Li Xuanba asked in confusion, “I heard from Zhang Jiu that Meixue had been locked in the dungeon by Second Madam. How did she end up here?”

“I’ve already investigated, and this matter has nothing to do with Meixue. So, I told Second Madam to release her from the dungeon. But I didn’t expect them to act so quickly.” Li Shimin explained, then turned to Meixue, asking, “Why aren’t you speaking?”

“Nothing.” Meixue quickly shook her head, then gratefully said, “I wanted to thank Second Young Master in Jingde Residence. If it weren’t for Second Young Master pleading for me with Second Madam, I would still be locked in the dungeon. I never expected to run into you here.”

“It was just a small favor, no need for thanks. But I see you’re looking unwell. You should go rest,” Li Shimin said, still unaware that the person standing in front of him wasn’t the real Meixue, but Shen Yunyi, the very person he was trying to capture.

When Yunyi woke up, she found that Shen Moping was missing. She guessed that he must have disobeyed her and gone to steal something from the kitchen. Having not returned for a long time, it seemed likely that he was in serious trouble. Once the Taishou Residence’s people had captured him, they would definitely try to get information from him about her hiding place. The ice cellar was no longer safe. So, she quickly changed her clothes and left the ice cellar. However, her human skin mask had been torn, and since everyone in the Taishou Residence was searching for her, if she kept using her original face, she would be caught before she could even take a few steps. So, she removed the mask and, not knowing what else to do, decided to take advantage of Li Shimin’s mistake and impersonate Meixue.

“Second Young Master, I will never forget your great kindness,” Yunyi said, testing the waters. “Second Young Master, have the assassins… been captured?”