Jiang Lin, easily appeased, resumed their nauseatingly sweet antics.
Their monitor occasionally glanced back, but the couple’s relentless affection eventually bored him. By the time the carriage reached the palace gates, he’d given up entirely.
At the entrance, guards searched them thoroughly. Jiang Lin’s dagger was safely stashed in his space, while Wei Yunzhao’s wheelchair hid undetected mechanisms. Cleared, they proceeded inside.
Despite the alleged urgency, they were halted outside the Audience Hall by Gan Yongfu himself. "His Majesty is occupied. You must wait."
Jiang Lin’s suspicions solidified, Emperor Changde’s true target was the Wei family.
He prepared to challenge Gan Yongfu about the "urgent summons," but their escort beat him to it, whispering urgently to the eunuch. Gan Yongfu paled, ordered guards to watch the pair, and scurried toward the emperor’s quarters.
Meanwhile, Emperor Changde lounged in contentment, boasting to his beloved Ruyue about the orders he’d given Gan Yongfu.
His trust in Ruyue had grown, after all, a woman locked in a secret chamber could never betray him.
But as Ruyue listened, a flash of venom crossed her eyes. Her ministrations turned rough.
The emperor winced but initially ignored it, until Gan Yongfu’s frantic voice pierced through the door.
Annoyed, Emperor Changde rose and let Ruyue dress him, storming out with a glare.
Gan Yongfu bowed deeply. "Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but the situation has become complicated. The Zhou and Du heirs are currently at the Wei mansion. If our men harm them—"
Minister Zhou was his right-hand minister and Master Du was his former tutor, both families were indispensable. Their sons’ deaths would shatter loyalty.
Emperor Changde’s brow furrowed. "Coincidence?"
Gan Yongfu bowed hastily. "Indeed. The young masters of those families have long been close to Jiang Lin, it’s common knowledge. Reportedly, they often visit to taste his culinary creations."
Emperor Changde didn't care about food gossip, only that these "young masters" were now inconvenient obstacles.
"Dispatch someone to intercept them. Ensure they remain unharmed. But if it’s too late…" The emperor’s gaze turned icy. "Make it clean. You understand."
"Yes, this servant understands."
As Gan Yongfu turned to leave, he hesitated. "Your Majesty, Wei Yunzhao and Jiang Lin await outside the Audience Hall. Will you see them now?"
"Let them wait. This emperor is occupied with memorials." Emperor Changde strode to his desk and began flipping through memorials with pointed indifference.
Gan Yongfu dared not comment. After relaying the orders, he stationed himself silently beside the emperor.
____
The drought persisted. Even Shengjing which was less affected than other regions, had seen only scant rainfall since summer began. The blazing sun hung like a molten coin in the sky, baking the earth to cracking point.
Now, just past noon during the day’s fiercest heat, Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao stood exposed before the Audience Hall. Sweat beaded on their skin within moments.
Jiang Lin flapped his sleeves futilely. "That old dog is toying with us," he muttered.
Wei Yunzhao’s voice was low. "He’s buying time. His men have likely reached the Wei mansion by now."
Trapping them here served dual purposes: preventing their intervention, and perhaps savoring their despair upon returning to a slaughtered family, if they still had a chance to return.
The plainclothes summon, the secrecy, all pointed to Emperor Changde’s desire for their quiet deaths.
How noble of an emperor, Wei Yunzhao thought acidly. His methods grew ever more… dignified.
Squinting at the sun, he reassured Jiang Lin, "Endure a little longer. News should arrive soon."
If Emperor Changde’s assassins succeeded, they’d be left roasting outside indefinitely. If not… the emperor’s composure would shatter.
As predicted, Emperor Changde soon abandoned his pretense of reviewing memorials.
Beyond awaiting the Wei family’s fate, the memorials themselves agitated him.
The locust plague resolution, credited largely to Jiang Lin’s methods, was now a done deal. Emperor Changde had already begrudgingly ennobled Jiang Lin as "Heir of Anyang Bo," but the praise in these reports rankled.
Worse were the accounts of merchant-funded relief efforts, particularly those of the Jiangnan Yun family - Jiang Lin’s maternal relatives.
So the greatest contributors to disaster relief are all tied to Wei Yunzhao?
The realization choked him.
Then came the final straw: a frontier report lauding Xuancheng rice, its drought resistance, its yields. The official urged nationwide adoption to prevent future famines.
Xuancheng rice, the project Wei Yunzhao had championed.
Memories flooded back with vicious clarity.
"WEI YUNZHAO!" The emperor hurled the memorials to the ground. "Like a vengeful ghost haunting this emperor!"
He whirled on Gan Yongfu. "Well? Any word?"
"Not yet, Your Majesty. Handling the Zhou and Du heirs may have caused delays. Patience..."
"Useless!" Emperor Changde spat. "With Wei Yunzhao here, if they can’t even slaughter women and children, they should rot where they fail!"
Gan Yongfu stammered, "This servant will send scouts. Perhaps they’re already returning."
Just then, two imperial guards staggered into view, supporting a blood-soaked figure in black.
Gan Yongfu rushed forward. "What happened?!"
The man weakly tugged down his face covering, revealing the ashen features of one of Emperor Changde's shadow guard captains, leader of the assassination squad.
He tried to speak, only to vomit a mouthful of blood before collapsing, motionless.
A guard checked his pulse. "He's gone."
Gan Yongfu sighed. "Bury him."
Turning back, he braced himself. The emperor’s rage would be catastrophic.
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