Chapter 711 – Unexpected Problems (Part 3)
Yang Si immediately stepped forward, pressing her for answers.
“Has the Lord already figured out who the mastermind is? What is their motive? Why attempt to assassinate the Lord?”
Motive?
Jiang Pengji scoffed, “This assassination is neither to frame Xu Pei nor Xu Fei; the assassin was only after your Lord. The target was me, not anyone else, and never aimed at anyone else. Xu Pei and Xu Fei were just unfortunate victims; who told them their luck was so poor to stumble into this? By the way, that assassin’s skill was extraordinarily lacking; how could someone with such little ability have the audacity to come and attempt to kill me? What a waste of my time.”
Yang Si never imagined the assassin was actually gunning for their own Lord.
Could it be a foe of the Lord?
Thinking about it made him uneasy. “Should we inform the Old Patriarch?”
With the enemy hidden and their own side exposed, vigilance was key. If they informed Liu Zhi, their safety would surely increase.
“No need, I can handle it. If I tell my father, it would just add another person to worry about me.”
Yang Si sighed, persistently advising, “Lord should not over-exert yourself; safety comes first.”
“I understand.”
Yang Si was well aware he couldn’t persuade Jiang Pengji, so he could only quietly set the matter aside for now.
Then he thought about the Xu brothers and felt a bit of sympathy for them; they truly were suffering an undeserved disaster.
“…I just recalled something; the Xu brothers are rather pitiable—they might end up in a rift over this…”
Yang Si spoke with a hint of schadenfreude, looking forward to the spectacle.
Let’s not be too harsh—after all, everyone serves their own master, and nothing done is excessive.
Strategists, aren’t they just professionals who benefit by harming others?
“The Xu brothers seem harmonious on the surface, but their internal fighting is growing more intense behind the scenes. Even without this incident, Xu Fei and Xu Pei’s rivalry would inevitably escalate. As for a rift? Ha, the patriarch of the Xu Clan is old; how many more years does he have left? While he lives, the struggle between Xu Pei and Xu Fei will be kept in check. If he dies, and the Xu Clan doesn’t have a universally accepted successor, the two cousins will definitely turn against each other.” Jiang Pengji analyzed coolly, adding a parting remark, “The Xu Clan is deeply rooted; they could very well become a future formidable enemy. If we have a chance to step on them now, it would be a pity to miss out. Your Lord distinguishes between private and public matters—friendships aside, public business must not be muddled.”
While she had a “friendly” relationship with Xu Pei, when it came to business, stepping on their toes was a must.
Yang Si’s thoughts shifted, asking, “So, will we still support Xu Pei in the alliance?”
Jiang Pengji turned her head with a smile, “Of course we will support him; your Lord’s word is as good as gold, and he won’t easily break his promises.”
For the idle folks, supporting anyone was just as good.
If supporting Xu Pei maximizes their profits, why not support him?
The allied camps stretched over two hundred miles, grand and mighty.
The cold wind blew the flags, making a rustling sound. Jiang Pengji discreetly returned to the camp, her mind racing with all sorts of matters.
“I just heard that the Lord was attacked last night. Were you hurt?”
Upon seeing Jiang Pengji return unscathed, Feng Zhen hurried over, relieved but still a bit anxious.
Jiang Pengji dismounted, tossing Xiao Bai’s reins to her guard, and faced Feng Zhen.
“I forgot to bring you wine; don’t be mad.”
Feng Zhen paused, realizing the meaning behind her words, nearly choking on his response.
At this time, worrying about wine felt absurd.
“Rest assured, I wasn’t hurt. This trip was quite fruitful; I’ll tell you all about it back in the tent.” As Jiang Pengji spoke, she walked towards the tent, suddenly remembering something. She turned back to Feng Zhen, “You just said… you only received news of my assassination last night?”
Feng Zhen replied, “Yes, I was just about to rush to Xu Pei’s camp, but I didn’t expect you would return first.”
Jiang Pengji quickly deduced that it was Xu Pei who had sealed the news.
If the details leaked before the problem was resolved, it would certainly attract the attention of the ever-watchful Liu Zhi, and Xu Pei wouldn’t be able to handle it at all.
“Send someone to inform my father that I’ve returned safely and that the assassin didn’t injure me last night, so he shouldn’t worry.”
Feng Zhen bowed, turned, and called over a soldier, directing him to convey the message to Liu Zhi’s nearby camp, so he wouldn’t fret.
When Liu Zhi received the message from the Messenger, his anxious heart finally settled, and a subtle smile formed on his brow.
He waved to the Messenger and said, “Go and receive your reward.”
With his daughter safe, he certainly should reward the one delivering the news.
Liu Zhi glanced outside at the sky, his brows deeply furrowed, almost tied in knots.
He knew more than Yang Si did about the underlying situation and well understood that this assassination wasn’t targeted at the Xu brothers; it was clearly aimed at Jiang Pengji.
“At least she’s safe—Amin, if you are watching, please protect her well—”
Liu Zhi rubbed his hands together for warmth, exhaling a sigh of relief as his breath formed a white mist, dissipating into the air.
If anyone in the world hated the two of them with a passion, besides that woman, he couldn’t think of a second candidate.
“Could it be that foolish woman finally wised up and realized the true identity of Chen Di? After all these years, only now she understands, ha!”
Liu Zhi lowly mocked, murmuring to himself, his voice barely audible.
“What a pity though; she was still a step too slow. The current Lan Ting is not a mere plaything to be manipulated…”
A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as if his gaze turned tender and distant, transcending to another realm.
“Amin, just wait a little longer—once Lan Ting reaches that position, my heart’s wish will conclude, and our family will be reunited in joy…”
He didn’t know if he was speaking to himself or to the one who had already passed on.
Two flowers bloom, each declaring their branch.
Xu Pei sought help, connecting with quite a few allied forces, inciting unrest in his long-time rival—Xu Fei.
To make matters worse, Xu Fei received the alarming news from his informants—Liu Zhi’s son, Liu Xi, was attacked in Xu Pei’s camp last night.
His first reaction was joy—Xu Pei was in deep trouble!
But after analyzing with his strategists, cold sweat broke out on Xu Fei’s forehead, leaving him in a muddled state, unsure of how to proceed.
Liu Xi’s attack wouldn’t matter if he died.
However, since he survived, who would bear the weight of suspicion?
Needless to say, this unexpected calamity would land squarely on Xu Fei.
If Xu Pei were to fall, he’d benefit the most, so suspicion and motive pointed towards him, and there was no escaping it.
Yet, seeing things from Xu Fei’s perspective, he believed it was nothing but a staged act by his cousin Xu Pei.
“Xu Pei, that hypocrite, is truly despicable. He shamelessly frames me while playing the innocent! What a splendid play of ‘thief cries out to catch a thief’!”
Receiving the news, Xu Fei was fuming, smoke practically billowing from his head.
He paced back and forth within the tent, as if trying to drill a hole in the ground.
