Ye Xiren had considered whether to restart once more to save Yan Danqing.
But with gunpowder buried beneath the dungeon and Chizhan Lan Ce keeping a close watch on the Imperial Prison, restarting would not only revive Yan Danqing but also Chizhan Lan Ce. For a moment, she couldn’t think of a way to save him and could only leave first.
“Today” was her thirteenth life. Having died twelve times, she had never seen the fourth day of the third month. All her time had revolved around the peace talks on the third day of the third month, going back and forth. Now that the peace talks had fundamentally ended, would her rebirth… come to an end because of this?
At this thought, Ye Xiren’s heart skipped a beat, and unease spread.
If the rebirth ended completely, she would have no chance left to save General Yan. Such a fine young general, someone who could bring hope to Daliang… Damn that Chizhan Lan Ce!
After settling Ma Shan and the others, when she returned to Sui’an Hall in the front courtyard of the Ye residence, Ye Xiren’s expression was not good.
“What’s wrong with you?” Liao Changying hurried forward and, seeing blood splattered on her clothes, exclaimed in shock, “Xixi, are you injured?!”
Ye Xiren looked down and only then realized how disheveled she was. Her clothes were covered in dust and mud from evading danger, along with the blood splattered by Chizhan Lan Ce…
“Mother, I’m fine, don’t worry.” Wiping the dust from her face, she shook her head calmly. “It’s not my blood.”
Liao Changying pulled her close, patting her up and down with great concern.
Inside, Ye Pei walked over, his brows furrowed tightly. “Where have you been? Your mother said you left early in the morning. Why are you only returning now? And in such a state?”
As soon as he returned, he had sent people to look for his daughter. The searchers had just left when she came back.
Only then did Ye Xiren notice that Zhao Shi and Liao Changying were both in Sui’an Hall, along with Ye Changming, who had his arm in a sling and was leaning on a crutch. The Ye family was gathered together, and Ye Pei was wearing his vermilion court robes, having just returned not long ago.
Faced with this barrage of questions, she shook her head and could only manage four words:
“It’s a long story.”
What had she done in the past half-day?
First, she knocked out her father, retrieved Yan Danqing’s token, then went to find Ma Shan to capture the merchants and interrogate them for testimony. She brought all the evidence back to hand over to her father, then went to see Ma Shan, threatened Lu Qian to meet Yan Danqing, killed Chizhan Lan Ce after leaving the Imperial Prison, and discussed follow-up plans with Ma Shan and the others…
Ye Xiren was so exhausted that even speaking was an effort. Waving her hand, she sat down on a black lacquered nanmu chair on one side of Sui’an Hall, picked up a teacup, and drained it in one gulp before asking, “Father, why have you returned so early? What’s the situation at court now?”
Hearing this, Ye Pei sat down in the chair at the head of the hall. His mouth felt dry, and he also picked up a teacup and drained it in one gulp before sighing:
“I don’t know what happened either. His Majesty, Prime Minister Jiang, Councilor Zhang, and Councilor Liu seemed to have received some news and suddenly left in a hurry. The court session ended immediately, and the peace talks were no longer mentioned. They just told us all to return first.”
Zhao Shi, already aware of the situation, shook her head. “Not mentioning the peace talks is a good thing, but you presented the evidence, and the court was in an uproar. Yet His Majesty dismissed the court without saying whether General Yan would be released…”
What kind of mess is this!
“Father, you still haven’t said when you gathered that evidence? Didn’t you say before that there was no evidence?” Ye Changming, with his arm in a sling, asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, Ye Pei turned to look at Ye Xiren, his gaze profound. "I also want to know, where did you get the evidence you gave me this morning?"
His daughter, a young lady who rarely stepped out of the house, was just yesterday angry at him for taking the blame, yet today she directly presented evidence they had been investigating for a long time but couldn't obtain—and not just one piece, with both witnesses and material proof…
"What? Xixi gave it to you?!" Ye Changming nearly jumped up, his voice rising in disbelief. "Where did you get this evidence? What's going on? How come I didn't know?"
"The morning court had already begun, and I was in a hurry to leave, so I didn't ask in detail," Ye Pei added, his expression grave. "I've noticed you've been acting strangely since the first day of the third month. Yesterday, you prevented Lu Qian in advance, and today you presented such evidence. What exactly is going on? Who gave it to you? This time, you must explain it clearly to me."
Ye Xiren: "…"
After holding back for a long time, she finally uttered:
"It's a long story."
It wasn't that she didn't want to explain, but the matter truly couldn't be made clear!
Ye Xiren felt a headache coming on. She had tried to talk about the Restart before, but no one believed her. If only everyone were like General Yan, who believed whatever she said without question.
Thinking of Yan Danqing, Ye Xiren felt a pang of sorrow. Despite all her efforts, she still couldn't save him.
"Could it be that someone is coercing you?" Ye Pei tentatively asked.
Before Ye Xiren could react, Ye Changming gasped in realization, feeling as though he had unlocked a hidden passage—everything suddenly made sense!
Ye Changming slapped the table decisively and declared:
"There must be a mastermind behind her! Think about it, Father. The Peace Faction's Lu Qian and his associates had such a secretive plan, yet the other party knew about it and even thwarted it in advance. The evidence that your War Faction couldn't find, that person managed to uncover… This is definitely a highly capable mastermind!
"It's already a blessing that the mastermind was willing to tell Xixi. Father, you shouldn't press for details. What if the mastermind gets angry and stops intervening?"
The mastermind knew the secrets of the Peace Faction and had saved their family. How could they risk offending such a person?
Ye Changming even suspected that whatever they said now, the mastermind might know!
Ye Xiren: "?"
Ye Pei was momentarily dazed but then asked, "Then why tell Xixi instead of coming directly to me?"
Ye Changming replied matter-of-factly, "That must be the mastermind's reasoning! Most likely, the mastermind's identity is special and they couldn't meet you directly, so they approached Xixi. Think about it, Father. Xixi is a delicate young lady who rarely leaves the house, knows nothing about the outside world, hardly knows anyone, and is timid. If it weren't for the mastermind actively sending her information, how else could she have known?"
After speaking, he muttered quietly:
"Why didn't the mastermind come to me? I'm definitely more reliable than my sister…"
Ye Pei found this reasoning plausible and relaxed his frown slightly.
"And Xixi must have promised not to say anything, which is why she's keeping her mouth shut," Ye Changming, convinced of his own cleverness, raised an eyebrow at his sister. "Right, Sis?"
Ye Xiren: "??"
Ye Pei let out a long sigh, gave up on pressing further, and instead cautioned:
"Xixi, you shouldn't get involved in these matters, especially those concerning Yan Danqing and Chizhan Lan Ce. These two are crucial to Daliang and Bei Yan, even influencing the outcome between the two nations. This is a matter of great importance. If you get entangled, you might be implicated."
Ye Xiren: "…"
Ye Changming waved his hand dismissively, showing little concern. "Xixi was just passing along evidence collected by experts. Father, you're worrying over nothing. A timid and delicate girl like her couldn't get involved even if she wanted to! Has she ever met General Yan, or could she possibly have access to Chizhan Lan Ce?"
Ye Xiren: "…"
For a moment, she had many things she wanted to say but didn't know where to begin. Ye Changming's "analysis" smoothed out the wrinkles in her brain.
Zhao Shi remained silent the whole time. After glancing at Ye Xiren, she lowered her eyes, her cloudy gaze filled with doubt.
Ye Pei rubbed his temples, looking deeply uneasy.
"Since you're all back, rest well for now. Don't overthink things," Liao Changying said as she poured tea for Ye Pei, offering a gentle reminder.
Ye Xiren finally spoke up, cutting in: "There won't be any peace talks. The evidence is useless."
Ye Pei was taken aback. "Why?"
Just then, a servant hurried in to report: "Master, Lord Bai has arrived."
"Let him in at once!" Ye Pei immediately stood up, forgetting Ye Xiren's words for the moment. His gaze anxiously turned toward the doorway. Bai Chengguang and Zheng Wen Jue had gone to gather information, and their hurried arrival surely meant they had news.
"The dungeon collapsed, General Yan is dead. His Majesty and Prime Minister Jiang have sealed off the Imperial City Department. The Imperial Guard has surrounded the area tightly, preventing any leaks. Brother Ye, something major has happened!"
Ye Xiren didn't let him repeat that statement. Patting him, she pressed him back into his seat, picked up a cup of tea, and offered it to him. "Don't worry, Daliang isn't finished yet. Yan Danqing was killed by Chizhan Lan Ce, not by the court. Chizhan Lan Ce is also dead. Right now, the odds between Daliang and Bei Yan are fifty-fifty. We haven't fallen yet."
According to General Yan's analysis, with both him and Chizhan Lan Ce dead, the battlefield was evenly matched. Daliang hadn't reached its end yet.
Moreover, with Chizhan Lan Ce's body in the court's hands, there was still some leverage to tip the scales.
It was still too early to talk about the nation's collapse.
Ye Pei and Bai Chengguang were stunned, both turning to look at her.
Before she could finish, another person entered the Ye residence. As soon as he saw them, he urgently spoke: "Lord Ye, Lord Bai! Something terrible has happened! General Yan and the Northern Yan Crown Prince… are both dead!"
The newcomer was none other than Zheng Wen Jue, the Prefect of Southern Capital, who had also gone to gather information.
All three leaders of the War Faction had arrived, each more shocked than the last. Their faces were filled with horror, overwhelmed by one piece of news after another.
Could it really be true?!
Ye Changming nearly jumped up, but his injured foot made him grimace in pain. "Is it true? Lord Zheng, who killed them?"
Zheng Wen Jue let out a long sigh and shook his head. He didn't know who had killed Chizhan Lan Ce either.
Ye Changming hissed through his teeth, muttering, "Good heavens, which brave soul killed Chizhan Lan Ce? Who would dare? And most importantly… who could have done it?!"
Ye Pei and Bai Chengguang exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding with fear.
They were at the very center of the storm, working tirelessly for Yan Danqing and Chizhan Lan Ce. Yet, in such a short time, these two figures crucial to both Daliang and Bei Yan had both died, and they hadn't received even a hint of news!
What other secrets lay at the heart of this storm?!
Imperial City Department
Jiang You rubbed his temples. The incident had occurred suddenly and had significant repercussions, but the truth wasn't hard to uncover. No one had concealed their tracks; in fact, the perpetrator had even come forward to "confess." The truth was plain to see.
Just as Ye Pei produced evidence of Chizhan Lan Ce purchasing gunpowder, the dungeon where Yan Danqing was held exploded. Clearly, this was the work of the Northern Yan people—Chizhan Lan Ce wanted Yan Danqing dead.
"These Northern Yan people, with their wolfish ambitions!" Liu Doxi gritted his teeth. "According to Ma Shan, the Northern Yan people came to plant gunpowder to kill Yan Danqing. When they discovered it, they rushed to stop them. They killed Chizhan Lan Ce but still couldn't save Yan Danqing…"
Jiang You paused, his hand freezing mid-air.
He lowered his hand, his brow furrowed, murmuring, "Do you think everything Ma Shan said is true?"
"Of course," Liu Doxi nodded. "Otherwise, why would Chizhan Lan Ce appear outside the Imperial Prison? And the gunpowder was indeed purchased by Northern Yan—the evidence is solid."
"Something feels off to me…" Jiang You looked at the collapsed Imperial Prison, then at the rooftop opposite, and finally at the corner where Chizhan Lan Ce's body was found.
The body of the Northern Yan Crown Prince had already been taken away, and Yan Danqing's remains had been excavated. These two were of utmost importance; even their corpses had to be preserved without any mishaps.
"Today was supposed to be the day for peace talks. Chizhan Lan Ce should have been in the palace, yet he suddenly came to the Imperial Prison. If he wanted to kill Yan Danqing, why now?" Jiang You rubbed his fingers together, his aged face sharp with suspicion. "Who exactly did he want to kill?"
And who killed him?
Jiang You couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't the Yanjia Army who discovered the gunpowder and stopped Chizhan Lan Ce, but… there was another person involved, someone crucial.
Who could it be?
Why was there no trace of them?
Jiang You turned to Liu Doxi and asked, "Has Ma Shan left yet?"
"He should be leaving soon. He has Yan Danqing's blood-written letter. The Emperor has already appointed him as the General of the Swift Cavalry and ordered him to head to Huai'an Qu immediately to stabilize the army's morale." After saying this, Liu Doxi shook his head. "War is about to break out again…"
Ma Shan and the others from the Yanjia Army killed Chizhan Lan Ce and disrupted the peace talks—an act of rebellion. Many in the court suggested executing Ma Shan and his men to avoid letting a tiger return to the mountains. However, after seeing the blood-written letter, neither the Emperor nor Prime Minister Jiang agreed. Instead, they ordered Ma Shan to go to Huai'an Qu immediately.
Regardless of the truth, with both of them dead, the outcome would likely be war. Peace talks were no longer possible.
Jiang You's eyes sharpened as he ordered, "Follow Ma Shan. See who he meets before leaving the city."
Whoever Ma Shan meets…
That person is his master. Jiang You trusted his intuition—there was definitely another person involved, someone deeply hidden, capable of manipulating them and controlling the fates of Yan Danqing and Chizhan Lan Ce.
Ye Residence
"How did you know in advance? Who exactly told you?"
Ye Xiren was about to speak.
Outside, yet another visitor arrived.
"What's going on today?" Ye Changming couldn't help but mutter. "Why is everyone coming to my Ye Residence? Are we holding some grand meeting here?"
"Who is it?" Ye Pei asked, frowning.
"The Yanjia Army, Ma Shan."