Chapter 100: Within Easy Reach

"She wants the antidote for Yunming!" Huangfu Chen declared.

Xuan Yuanran's brows knitted tightly, her anger undisguised: "What did you say?"

Huangfu Chen had brought up Yunming intentionally, wanting Xuan Yuanran to know that he was still alive. It was unclear when it had started, but Huangfu Chen had begun to take pleasure in making things difficult for her.

Back then, Xuan Yuanran had orchestrated a scheme for Feng Jinye to kill Yunming, seemingly to frame him and deal a blow to his reputation. However, the title of "God of War" was not easily tarnished. Xuan Yuanran knew Feng Jinye was a formidable opponent; even if he had killed the crown prince, Yunming was not of royal blood, so there was little the court could do. As expected, all the officials in the court were full of rage but dared not speak. Feng Jinye truly held absolute power; even after killing the emperor, he remained unscathed.

Xuan Yuanran understood clearly that dealing with Feng Jinye could not be accomplished overnight; it had to be done step by step. By killing the crown prince, the emperor, and colluding with assassination organizations, the seeds of doubt regarding the sanctity of the God of War would surely take root in the hearts of the people of Liyue.

Thinking of this, Xuan Yuanran laughed heartily. So what if Yunming was still alive? Her true goal had been achieved: using Yunming's death at the hands of Feng Jinye to control Yunshuo. Xuan Yuanran had chosen to remain in the shadows until the people lost their reverence for the God of War. Once the world was in sufficient chaos, the descendants of the Xuan family could emerge to restore order and win the hearts of the world.

And so, the grand play was about to begin in Guanlin City.

Weishao Qianyu’s wounds had fully healed. For the past few days, Huangfu Chen had been performing acupuncture and moxibustion to treat the old injury on her right shoulder. She still resided in the small attic; it was similar to the one at Wanlaixue, though twice as large and considerably darker. Thinking of Wanlaixue, Weishao Qianyu felt a pang of longing for Xuechun and the other maids.

"I wonder..." she began, then sighed, changing her tone: "I wonder how Rui'er is doing?"

Lu Yanran felt a heavy sadness in her heart at the mention of Rui'er. "What are your plans for the future?" she asked, setting aside her own thoughts.

Weishao Qianyu shook her head. She had originally intended to accept assassination contracts to gain a reason to leave the Mu'ai Pavilion, but no opportunity had arisen. It seemed the pavilion was guarding against her. Everything within the Mu'ai Pavilion ran with eerie smoothness, yet there was no news from the outside world. Weishao Qianyu felt a subtle, lingering unease. She had a persistent feeling that someone was using the disappearance of the Princess of War to set something in motion—most likely to target Feng Jinye and the Lu family.

"Is there any possibility of us escaping?" she asked.

Before Lu Yanran could reply, Huangfu Chen walked in from behind Weishao Qianyu. "Why go through the trouble?" his voice echoed. "Try to please me, and I might take you out whenever I like."

Weishao Qianyu’s expression darkened immediately. She turned around, forced a fake smile, and replied coldly: "Very well."

"Young Master of the Pavilion, please, take a seat!" She pulled out a chair with a mocking smile. Sensing that she was up to no good, Huangfu Chen walked over cautiously and sat on a different chair.

The weather had been growing stuffy, and the accommodations in the small attic were decent enough; every day, someone brought a small portion of ice. In recent days, Weishao Qianyu had explored every corner of the Mu'ai Pavilion except for the top floor and had discovered a vegetable garden. With the ice, she had brought back some greens to juice, which would serve perfectly to "entertain" Huangfu Chen.

She sat down and poured a glass of green vegetable juice for him. Huangfu Chen looked at the green liquid and frowned, but seeing Weishao Qianyu drink her own cup, he hesitated. The scent was passable, and even somewhat familiar.

Watching her finish, he took a cautious sip, only to immediately spit it out. He couldn't find any tea to wash away the flavor; the pungent taste of cilantro lingered in his mouth, making him feel physically ill. He stood up, intending to find water, but Weishao Qianyu didn't let the moment pass. She splashed the entire pitcher of cilantro juice over him.

Huangfu Chen’s face turned black. He hadn't tasted anything so disgusting in nearly twenty years—he had almost forgotten what cilantro was. Weishao Qianyu had just helped him recall it in vivid detail. It was truly repulsive; he felt like retching.

Earlier that day, Weishao Qianyu had seen the cilantro in the garden and thought of Feng Jinye. When Huangfu Chen asked her to "please" him, she remembered that he, like Feng Jinye, despised cilantro—perhaps even more intensely. For noble sons like them, once an aversion to a specific food was known, it rarely appeared before them again. Moreover, she knew that Feng Jinye’s dislike was a matter of taste buds, not smell. Thinking about it now, they truly shared many similarities; they were, after all, first cousins.

Watching Huangfu Chen’s darkened face, Weishao Qianyu said gleefully: "Does this way of pleasing you satisfy you, Young Master?"

Furious but helpless, Huangfu Chen kicked the door open and stormed out. Lu Yanran admired her courage: "How did you know he was the Young Master of Mu'ai Pavilion?"

"I guessed," Weishao Qianyu said, taking another sip of the remaining juice. "Only someone of a certain standing could bring people in and out as they please, right?"

Lu Yanran nodded and asked, "He is the eldest son of the Qinbo Marquis estate; he grew up with the Prince of War. How could he be the Young Master of Mu'ai Pavilion?"

Weishao Qianyu was also puzzled. Huangfu Chen hid his secrets deep, but many things no longer added up.

In Guanlin City, rumors of the Lu family’s collusion with the enemy grew more intense. The Lu family had expected news from the Prince of War’s estate, but after waiting for days, there was no word. Without information, Lu Liyuan dared not act rashly.

At the Prince Yuan estate, Ye Shiyi was also tormented by the situation in Guanlin City. Ever since Qu Jun had surrounded the outskirts, every carrier pigeon sent to Ye Shi had been shot down. Furthermore, he discovered that there were groups of people in the city searching for news of Xuechun. Clearly, the opposition had acted with preparation, seizing the moment when the Princess of War went missing.

Feng Qingxuan occasionally split into the personas of Mianyin and Meiji, but she spent her days by Yunming’s side. Meiji had returned to Yuedu with Dong Nuan, leaving the Prince Yuan estate without a clear leader. Thus, one night, Ye Shiyi went to the Lu estate. Lu Liyuan was surprised to see him, knowing he was one of Feng Jinye’s shadow guards.

Ye Shiyi informed Lu Liyuan of the situation in Yuedu, concealing only the fact that it was highly unlikely Weishao Qianyu could be saved. Lu Liyuan was stunned to learn that the rumor of "The Weishao clan produces a heavenly woman every hundred years" had spread throughout Yuedu, and he was even more shocked that the young Emperor Yunshuo had sent men to besiege Feng Jinye.

Lu Liyuan studied Ye Shiyi, feeling that his visit was not merely to share news. Ye Shiyi did not beat around the bush: "General Lu, I suspect my master is unaware of the situation in Guanlin City; otherwise, he would never leave it to its own devices."

"Now that news cannot leave the city, I have a plan, but I dare not act on my own." Ye Shiyi had come to deliberate with Lu Liyuan, as the matter greatly concerned the Lu estate.

Lu Liyuan understood his intentions. The accusations against the Lu family were growing, and with the city gates closed and the standoff with Qu Jun, the Lu family was losing ground. In the eyes of the people, the Lu family owed an explanation regardless of their innocence, but they had been paralyzed by concern for Weishao Qianyu and Lu Yanran. If the gates remained closed, it would eventually incite public fury. Yet, opening them was not a solution; Qu Jun would surely strike the estate immediately. If they went to war with Qu Jun, they would have no defense against the accusation of collusion, and the soldiers would lack the morale to fight.

The more Lu Liyuan thought about it, the more he realized the mastermind behind this was truly cunning. The siege appeared to target the Lu family, but in reality, it was aimed at the Prince of War, Feng Jinye. If he did not break the deadlock, the Lu family would be forced to surrender.

Lu Liyuan concluded that Ye Shiyi’s plan was the only option. Since news couldn't get out, they would have to let Qu Jun be the one to carry it to Yuedu.

"Very well," Lu Liyuan agreed. "I will help you get out of the city."

At the third watch, a dark figure infiltrated Qu Jun’s camp and ended his life with a single strike. Ye Shiyi felt a flicker of contempt; how could a man like that ever be worthy of Xuechun?

Standing on the city walls, Lu Liyuan sighed. He realized the mastermind had clearly intended for Qu Jun to come to Guanlin City to die. Otherwise, why block all news? It was a trap to force them to kill Qu Jun, yet it was the only choice the Lu family had.

The next morning, the camp outside Guanlin City fell into chaos. The deputy general immediately sent news of Qu Jun’s assassination back to Yuedu. The people of Liyue were in an uproar.

"The Lu family must be colluding with the Mu'ai Pavilion! Otherwise, why kill Commander Qu, who was sent by the Emperor to deliver an imperial decree?"

"Is the Lu family planning to rebel?"

"Could this be related to the Prince of War? Isn't the eldest daughter of the Lu family the Princess of War..."

"Didn't we hear a few days ago that the Prince of War killed the crown prince and the emperor? There are rumors he’s in league with the Mu'ai Pavilion..."

"But the Prince of War conquered the Xiyan Kingdom for us. That makes no sense..."

"It’s not impossible. If he wants to unify the world, he has to conquer either Xiyan or Liyue. We should just be glad he was born in Liyue..."

"You didn't see the bloodthirsty way he killed the emperor..."

"It’s simply: submit and prosper, or defy and perish..."

The people mostly followed the crowd, never considering the deeper schemes or the fact that if the Prince of War truly wanted the world, it would already be his for the taking.