#145: Into the Water

Meeting her gaze, Feng Li suddenly laughed. “So you really thought Eldest Young Master went to Hedong? In reality, he suspected you long ago. He hasn’t left—he’s secretly stayed in Honghua Prefecture, waiting for you to slip up!”

“Nonsense! Li Jiancheng…” Before Yunyi could finish, Feng Li interrupted with feigned excitement, calling out behind her, “Eldest Young Master, she’s indeed the female assassin! Quickly capture her!”

Instinctively turning her head, Yunyi found no one behind her—it was a trap. Before she could react, a heavy palm struck her chest, while another force twisted her arm, turning the blade toward herself!

If Feng Li had harbored any hesitation earlier about killing Yunyi, it vanished completely now. Of course, capturing her alive would be ideal! He couldn’t believe it—Eldest Young Master had originally sent him to assassinate her, fearing she might bewitch Second Young Master, only to discover she was the escaped female assassin.

Oddly enough, despite thoroughly checking everyone in the mansion—including the possibility of disguises—how had she managed to evade detection?

Yunyi, physically weaker, struggled as the blade was forced closer to her neck, now just an inch away. Feng Li coldly said, “If you surrender now, you might still live!”

“Live? You should worry about yourself!” With that, Yunyi suddenly leaned backward like a boneless snake, using her legs to deliver a powerful kick to Feng Li’s jaw. Caught off guard, he staggered back several steps. Before he could recover, a chilling sensation pierced his abdomen. Looking down, he saw his own blade now embedded in his stomach, warm crimson blood slowly dripping down its length.

Expressionless, Yunyi pulled the bloodied blade free and struck again. Though gravely injured, Feng Li dared not fight back. Clutching his wound, he fled with all his might, leaving a trail of blood in the empty streets.

As the blood continued to flow, Feng Li felt his body growing colder, his vision blurring. To make matters worse, he realized he had nowhere to run—a river several zhang wide blocked his path. It was the largest river in the prefecture, the Qing River.

Damn it, how had he ended up here?! As Feng Li came to a halt, Yunyi caught up. Pointing her blade at him, she coldly declared, “It’s time to end this.”

Breathing heavily, Feng Li weakly spat, “Even if you kill me, you won’t escape. Eldest Young Master will uncover your plot and tear you apart!”

“Is that so? Too bad you won’t live to see it!” Yunyi sneered, advancing step by step without another word. Realizing he was cornered, Feng Li clenched his teeth. “Even if I die, I won’t die by your hand!” With that, he leapt into the turbulent river. The swift current, combined with the darkness, quickly swallowed his figure.

Severely wounded and now submerged in such fierce waters, Feng Li’s fate was sealed. Still, Yunyi remained uneasy, waiting by the riverbank until dawn. Seeing no sign of Feng Li resurfacing, she finally threw the steel blade into the river and left.

Upon returning to the mansion, Yunyi bypassed Yuefang Pavilion and hurried to Jingji Pavilion. The most urgent matter now was Wu Laosan’s situation.

By coincidence, Li Shimin was about to leave when he saw her approaching. Pausing, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yunyi quickly explained Wu Laosan’s predicament, concluding, “Father insists he’s already over fifty, and Uncle Fang next door agrees. But for some reason, the household registry records him as forty-nine. This means he falls within the conscription range. At his age, how can he endure such heavy labor? That’s why I’ve come to ask Second Young Master—do you have any solution?”

Li Shimin had been troubled by the conscription orders these past days. He didn’t want to see the local people suffer separation—or worse, death—from their loved ones. Yet he had no choice—it was an imperial decree from Luoyang, and no one could defy it. He hadn’t expected Wu Laosan to be among those conscripted. After pondering for a moment, he said, “If Uncle Wu truly isn’t fifty yet, then conscription is inevitable. Even I can’t change that.”

Yunyi urgently replied, “But Father remembers clearly—he’s definitely over fifty. It’s the household registry that’s wrong.”

After ordering tea for Yunyi, Li Shimin said, “I understand your point, but without evidence, it’s hard to argue. The ages of the common folk have always been based on the household registry. If it were a child recorded as an adult, we might question it. But a one-year difference… without proof, they won’t believe us.”

His words weighed heavily on Yunyi. “So… there’s truly no way?”

Li Shimin thought for a moment. “Don’t worry yet. I’m heading to the county office today. Come with me—we’ll take another look at the household registry.”

“Thank you, Second Young Master.” Grateful, Yunyi followed Li Shimin to the county office. Since the court’s conscription order, both the prefectural and county offices had been overwhelmed. Some people, desperate to avoid conscription, lied about their ages, forcing officials to verify household numbers door-to-door. Those caught lying were brought back to the county office.

Magistrate Qin wasn’t present, so Li Shimin went directly to the clerk in charge of the household registry, Lu Sheng, whom Yunyi had met during her previous visit. Lu Sheng flipped to Wu Laosan’s entry and handed the ledger to Li Shimin. “Second Young Master, see for yourself—it clearly states he’s forty-nine. Wu Laosan must have intentionally understated his age to avoid conscription.”

Li Shimin examined the entry carefully. There were no signs of tampering, but the ink appeared fresh. Tracing the characters, he subtly brought them to his nose to sniff. “Is the person responsible for recording this ledger still around?”

Lu Sheng shook his head. “This was over thirty years ago. The original clerk is long gone.”

Li Shimin nodded. “Bring the other ledgers.”

Startled, Lu Sheng replied, “Second Young Master, Wu Laosan’s information is only recorded in this one. The others contain no related entries.”

“I know. Just bring them.” Complying, Lu Sheng retrieved the other ledgers. After flipping through them, Li Shimin repeated the same sniffing motion with his other hand. Then he remarked, “Why does the ink in these volumes appear lighter than the original?”