Xue Feiyan just smiled. For every creature, there is one that can tame it. The thought brought him no comfort. He steadied himself before meeting the Prime Minister's gaze.
"Lord Deng, what was so urgent?" he asked.
Deng Qinyao paced the room. "Has the Seventh Prince heard about Lord Yu Weide?"
"That the Minister of War was assassinated? The news is all over the city." Xue Feiyan's smile remained, but his eyes were sharp.
Deng Qinyao didn't answer immediately. He walked to his desk and, from beneath a stack of books, retrieved a carefully folded letter, handing it to the prince.
The calligraphy was graceful. It was the handwriting of the Sixth Prince, Xue Moyan.
"A letter from my sixth brother?"
"Indeed. The Sixth Prince is a man of great learning. I sent a description of Yu Weide's death to him, asking his opinion on the cause." Deng Qinyao watched him, hands clasped behind his back.
Xue Feiyan read in silence. There were no pleasantries. Just a single answer: Not arsenic. The poison is unknown to me.
A poison that even Xue Moyan had never seen. Their opponent was no amateur.
"What are your thoughts, Seventh Prince?"
Xue Feiyan placed the letter on the table. "The Ministry of Justice has yet to reach a conclusion. I don't have my sixth brother's knowledge, nor did I see the body. It wouldn't be right for me to speculate."
"Does the Seventh Prince truly know nothing?" Deng Qinyao asked, stroking his beard, his tone pointed.
"What are you implying?" Xue Feiyan was no fool. "Do you think I was behind it?"
"Forgive my boldness, but with Yu Weide dead, you benefit most. It is hard not to draw that conclusion."
Xue Feiyan laughed. He'd thought the same thing. He'd been expecting someone to use it against him. But days had passed with nothing. Xue Liulan was still drunk in some brothel, and Guo Shangzhong had made no move.
"Why does the Prince laugh?" Deng Qinyao had expected anger, a swift denial. But a smile? He was at a loss.
Xue Feiyan's smile faded. "I just think the one who framed me is rather clumsy."
"Oh?"
"I had a public disagreement with him over the Sushen appointment. For him to be assassinated right after… if I had ordered it, would I have chosen such a time?" He smirked.
To commit a crime so brazenly would only draw suspicion.
"A man destined for greatness," Deng Qinyao said with an appreciative nod. "If not you, then who?"
Xue Feiyan had been pondering the same thing. The assassin was a professional. But who in Jindu wanted Yu Weide dead? The man was known for his integrity, a veteran who didn't make enemies.
"Yu Weide championed Guo Ren," Xue Feiyan said slowly. "It's unlikely Guo Shangzhong would have him killed. Could it have been my fifth brother?"
"The Fifth Prince doesn't have such a weapon. Perhaps he borrowed it from the Murongs," Deng Qinyao mused. "But they are far away. And right now, he is trying to win over Guo Shangzhong. He wouldn't sabotage himself like this."
Xue Feiyan rose and walked to the window. The hand behind his back clenched, then unclenched.
"Lord Deng," he said suddenly.
"Seventh Prince."
"While I'm not responsible, I am now linked to it. I'm afraid our father is already suspicious."
"You are correct. The Empress mentioned to the Emperor today that she wished to adopt you. He was… displeased." Of course he was. Even the suggestion was intolerable to the Emperor.
"So, regardless of who is behind this, it is best to avoid suspicion." Xue Feiyan's voice was low. "I recall news from the south. The Wei River has flooded."
"Indeed. The Emperor is still deciding who to send. If handled poorly, it could incite a rebellion."
Xue Feiyan turned. "I wish to use this opportunity to leave the capital. Can I count on your support?"
"Leaving to manage disaster relief would allay the Emperor's suspicions, and a success would win you the people's hearts. A brilliant strategy." Deng Qinyao looked at him, worried. "But the Fifth Prince is still in the capital. If he were to make a move…"
Xue Feiyan laughed softly. "I doubt he's capable. Our father's suspicion from the Crown Prince affair has not yet faded. Another move now would only invite disaster."
The next day, Deng Qinyao submitted a memorial, recommending the Seventh Prince as the Imperial Inspector for disaster relief.
Three days later, Xue Feiyan left the capital with little fanfare, accompanied only by a single guard in black.
From the Yichun Courtyard, Xue Liulan leaned against a railing, watching Xue Feiyan gallop out of the East Gate. His smile deepened. Well played, Seventh Brother.
"I didn't think your move would be so easily countered," Die Man said, entering with tea.
"How so?"
"With Yu Weide dead, he was the prime suspect. An investigation would have tied him up for weeks. But he's escaped. Hasn't he foiled your plan?"
Xue Liulan laughed. He took a sip. "Framing him was never the point."
"Then why kill Yu Weide now?"
"To make our father suspicious enough to let him leave the capital."
"You only wanted him to leave?"
"After the incident with the ministers, our father is suspicious of me. Leaving is my best move, too."
"But you were afraid he'd make a move in your absence, so you forced him out first?" Die Man stared, a new admiration in her eyes.
Xue Liulan set down his cup. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You continue to surprise me," she said. "First, I thought you were just a philanderer. Then, I learned of your ambitions. And now…"
"And now?"
"Now, I know that in a time of chaos, you would be a king." She covered her smile. "You always show eight parts of your plan, but keep the two fatal parts hidden."
He laughed. "I can't tell if that's a compliment or if you're calling me devious."
"A compliment, of course. Admitting otherwise would be admitting my own poor taste in men, wouldn't it?" She glided to his side, her hand resting on his arm.
His smile faltered for a beat. He sat down, subtly pulling his arm from her grasp.
"What of the others on the list?"
Her hand was left empty. She frowned, then her bright smile returned. "Just waiting for your signal."
"Begin tonight. Follow the order." His fingers tapped a dull rhythm on the table.
"The Seventh Prince is gone. Do we still need to move on them?"
"The fact that he left means he knows the death was a move against him. A ghost is only terrifying as long as it remains unseen. If he learns our methods, Thousand Day Drunk becomes just another group of assassins." He glanced at her.
She understood. The list was a chaotic mix of targets—some allied with the Seventh Prince, some with Guo Shangzhong. No pattern. No motive.
A knock came at the door. "Who is it?" Die Man asked.
"Hanlu." The voice was cold.
Die Man opened the door and watched the guard enter. She hesitated, then stepped outside, closing the door. No matter how close they were, some things were not for her.
"What is it?" Xue Liulan asked, rising.
"Gongzi Suyi is in Yuling. The princess's messenger had just arrived when I departed."
"And what I asked of him?"
"Gongzi Suyi's message was this: Since he has agreed, it will be done."