Chapter 23: Truly Overestimating Oneself

Having finally accomplished the first task, Gu Nanshu had never felt so exhausted. Yet, the road ahead remained long, and she had to proceed with extreme caution, for a single misstep could prove fatal.

However, she had underestimated the insidious nature and methods of Jiang Mubai. An invisible hand was already reaching out toward her, intent on clipping her wings.

Night fell.

Lu Heng sat before a candle, holding a military treatise. Wrapped in a white fox-fur cloak with a matching cap, he was deeply engrossed in studying the essence of the text.

Lieyan suddenly entered the hall to report, "Your Highness, I have come to brief you on today’s events regarding the Princess Consort."

Without lifting his eyes, Lu Heng took a sip of tea. "Speak."

Lieyan frowned. "The Princess Consort was ambushed at Fangyin Village today."

"Ambushed?" Lu Heng’s hand, which had been caressing the teacup, froze abruptly. To think that someone dared to attempt an assassination on his woman right under his nose—they must be tired of living. He raised his handsome, furrowed brows, his expression filled with concern. "Was she injured?"

"She was not."

"Have you discovered who was responsible?"

Lieyan’s expression turned somber. "I have investigated thoroughly. Those assassins all bore the same knife-shaped tattoo on their chins; they appear to be a group of desperate mercenaries living for coin. The remaining ones, those who did not die, bit their tongues and took their own lives. The trail has gone cold."

As he listened, Lu Heng gently rotated the teacup in his hands. He pondered that, aside from her entanglement with Feng Zinian, Gu Nanshu had no grievances with anyone; it was unlikely that anyone would want her dead.

If it were Feng Zinian, acting out of resentment for failing to win her heart, it seemed improbable—that lad was neither that impulsive nor that vicious.

Thus, it must be either an enemy targeting him, as his own hands were stained with quite a bit of blood, or—perhaps that night at the old Jiang estate, when he rescued Gu Nanshu and jumped the wall, a single earring had been snagged off by a branch. It must have fallen there, and after Jiang Mubai found it and identified the owner, was he now trying to silence the witness?

The latter seemed the most plausible. After all, he had heard Jiang Mubai raving like a madman that night about avenging Feng Sanniang and killing someone. But who exactly did he intend to kill?

"Has there been any unusual movement from Vice Minister Jiang?" Ever since Gu Nanshu revealed she was Feng Sanniang, he had kept people watching Jiang Mubai closely.

Lieyan shook his head in confusion. "Vice Minister Jiang has been preoccupied with his wedding preparations lately. Even if he were suspected of wanting to kill the Princess Consort, he seemingly would have no time for it."

Lu Heng expressed his skepticism. "This matter certainly involves Jiang Mubai; we simply lack sufficient evidence. Keep a close watch on him."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Also, what was Gu Nanshu doing at Fangyin Village today?"

Having said this, Lu Heng returned to his military treatise, seemingly unconcerned about the revelation that Gu Nanshu was Feng Sanniang, treating it as little more than a pastime to amuse himself.

Lieyan kept to the key points. "She went to find a man named Zhong Muqiu. This man studied martial arts at the Wulin Manor for seven years. His skills are not inferior to those of the imperial guards, and furthermore, he was the son of Feng Sanniang’s foster mother. They can be considered foster siblings."

"Oh? Is that so?"

He recalled the request Gu Nanshu had made to him on the street that night. She had said she needed a group of talented individuals to assist her; she must have been referring to this Zhong Muqiu.

She possessed a certain cleverness, yet her thinking was far too naive. Did she truly believe that finding just anyone could ensure her safety?

How incredibly arrogant of her.

He would wait and see if she could uncover evidence of Jiang Mubai’s murder plot within the next three months, and how she would cultivate her own power to turn the tide against such adverse circumstances.

The next day, just as Gu Nanshu rose, Yun Feng arrived with news.

He reported that the Grand Princess and the Prime Minister, Feng, had arrived. The day after next was the day of Feng Yuxi’s marriage. As the only biological brother born of the same mother as the Grand Princess, Lu Heng was required to attend the ceremony in full grandeur to escort Feng Yuxi to the Jiang residence.

The Grand Princess and Prime Minister Feng had come personally to invite Lu Heng to escort the bride—Lu Heng’s influence was indeed vast.

Gu Nanshu was not surprised, but she wondered: was the wedding date between Jiang Mubai and Feng Yuxi not set for a month from now?

Why had the date been brought forward so suddenly?

Huantao whispered to Gu Nanshu, clearing up her confusion. "Your Highness, the day you fainted, the Prince warned Vice Minister Jiang that the matter of Feng Yuxi’s premarital pregnancy required a respectable explanation to the Prime Minister and the Grand Princess. That is why the wedding date was moved up."

Gu Nanshu nodded.

Huantao continued in a low voice, "I also heard that the day Vice Minister Jiang went to the Prime Minister’s estate, the Grand Princess was so enraged upon learning of her daughter’s pregnancy that she slapped him right across the face."

Gu Nanshu was slightly startled; she had never expected Jiang Mubai to be struck by the Grand Princess!

For a man of such unyielding pride, he must have been filled with deep resentment and humiliation.

As they chatted, Gu Nanshu arrived at the main hall of the Prince’s residence, where the Grand Princess was chatting warmly with Lu Heng.

Prime Minister Feng sat upright in the seat of honor, lifting his steaming tea, brushing away the floating foam, and taking a sip.

He appeared to be in his forties, in the prime of his life. However, as the Prime Minister of the realm, the passage of time had left fine lines upon his handsome face.

His demeanor was upright, his movements revealing maturity and stability. He was learned, cultured, and elegant. Yet, beneath such a righteous exterior, he harbored a heart capable of such heinous deeds.

Gu Nanshu had not forgotten: her own death had been orchestrated by Prime Minister Feng. Although she lacked evidence, the words Feng Yuxi spoke the night before she killed her were proof enough!

Yet now, this powerful official stood before her. She longed to kill him, but he had now become her brother-in-law. How cruel fate could be.

Gu Nanshu endured the hatred, burying that hollow and absurd familial bond deep within her, forcing herself to greet him with a smile.

Upon seeing Gu Nanshu, the Grand Princess immediately stood, took her hands, and held them tight, smiling warmly. "My sister-in-law is truly a beauty of national renown. Seeing you today, I am quite fond of you."

Gu Nanshu had heard of this Grand Princess of the Northern Liang Kingdom.

She had once been the only princess to go to the battlefield, win victories, slay enemies, and shed her own blood. Many soldiers of Northern Liang deeply respected her, admiring her loyalty and courage, hailing her as a heroine of their nation.

If she were to learn that her husband, the Prime Minister, and her daughter had conspired in secret to commit murder, what would her state of mind be?

Though Gu Nanshu did not dislike the Grand Princess, she felt no affection for her either. She bowed slightly and said, "This consort greets the Grand Princess. May the Grand Princess be blessed with longevity."

Seeing Gu Nanshu’s formal distance, the Grand Princess squeezed her hands tighter. "Why does my sister-in-law still call me Grand Princess? Call me Elder Sister!"

Call her Elder Sister?

Gu Nanshu glanced at Lu Heng. He was picking up his teacup to drink, not having looked at her once from the beginning. She quickly changed her tune and smiled kindly at the Grand Princess. "My apologies for the oversight. I offer my respects to you, Elder Sister."

Lu Heng frowned at these words and set his teacup down on the table with a sharp clatter, looking rather displeased.