Li Yue Shu's gaze swept over him coolly, without answering directly.
Wei Zi Miao, who had been observing the expressions of both, spoke up, "If Young Master Shen were to lie to her, given Madam Shen's temperament, it wouldn't be surprising if she were to divorce you."
Li Yue Shu shot him a glare, her face clearly screaming "Why are you butting in?"
Shen Wei's heart skipped a beat, and his smile became a little stiff, "How could I lie to A Shu..."
From his understanding of Li Yue Shu, he had no doubt about the possibility of "divorce."
Seeing their expressions, Wei Zi Miao's lips curved into a smile. He stood up, "I still need to accompany Ling Er with her calligraphy. Madam Shen, please continue with your medical books. I shall not disturb you further."
With that, he left with a smile, passing by Shen Wei without a glance, as if completely unaware of what was about to happen.
As soon as Wei Zi Miao left, the atmosphere around them instantly became quiet.
Li Yue Shu placed the medical book on the table and looked up at Shen Wei, "Did you need me for something?"
Shen Wei looked into her unfathomable eyes, his heart skipping a beat, and he inexplicably remembered Wei Zi Miao's words.
For a moment, he couldn't utter a single word of what he had prepared.
"I... A Shu, I'm hungry." He blinked his eyes pitifully, his beautiful eyes seeming to glisten with a hint of moisture.
He had discovered long ago that she particularly liked these eyes of his and seemed to have no resistance to them.
As expected, Li Yue Shu's stern face instantly softened.
She shifted her gaze uncomfortably and, without a word, got up and walked directly towards the kitchen.
Watching her retreating back, Shen Wei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Little did he know that Li Yue Shu, as she walked into the kitchen, felt her anger, which had just subsided, grow even stronger.
This scoundrel! He had been given an opportunity and still didn't say anything. If he had the guts, he shouldn't speak up for the rest of his life!
"Bang bang bang!"
The sound of a cleaver chopping on a cutting board echoed from the kitchen, sending an inexplicable chill down the spine of anyone who passed by.
...
While Li Yue Shu was recuperating, Qin Ye Xiu in Hong Ning City also learned that none of the assassins he had sent had returned alive.
Despite losing more than a dozen elite guards, Qin Ye Xiu was not angry at all.
The deaths of these dozen or so guards at least confirmed for him that the person was not truly foolish.
Seeing his calm expression, the black shadow kneeling on the ground spoke again, "Your Highness, I investigated in Tong Mu County and found that the wound on one of the guards was very strange."
"He was struck in the center of the brow, a fatal blow. However, the wound had been deliberately disturbed, as if to conceal the previous injury."
"I examined it carefully, and the object used to disturb the wound was likely a smaller, more delicate sharp instrument than a flying dagger. The other guards also had wounds inflicted by such instruments, but I couldn't identify what weapon it was."
Qin Ye Xiu's brows furrowed, and his heart sank slightly, "In that case, he has an expert protecting him?"
If it were his own men, there would be no need for such unnecessary actions.
The black shadow did not know the truth and dared not jump to conclusions, "I am already having people investigate."
Li Yue Shu had no idea that people in this world could identify weapons by examining wounds, even though she had used a scalpel to cover up a bullet wound.
Qin Ye Xiu's expression was serious, with a hint of worry between his brows.
That person was already difficult to deal with, and now there was another mysterious expert. He feared that...
"We depart for Chong Zhou tomorrow. Pass the news back secretly. Ensure that everyone who needs to know, knows," Qin Ye Xiu's voice carried a hint of murderous intent.
The black shadow immediately understood his meaning.
In Chong Zhou... no, in the entire realm, there were many who wished for that person's death.
"Yes."
The black shadow immediately went to make arrangements for the departure the next day.
His Highness had encountered several assassination attempts on his way to Hong Ning City. The return journey would surely not be peaceful. Now that they had lost more than a dozen men, they would have to borrow some men from Lord Wei.
Upon learning that the Crown Prince was leaving, Wei Tong Hao burst into laughter, "Hahaha! Excellent! Your Highness, just name how many men you need, and I will arrange them immediately!"
Black Shadow: "..."
If he didn't know Wei Tong Hao's personality, he would have thought this fellow held a grudge against His Highness.
The reason Wei Tong Hao was so happy was that once the Crown Prince left, he could go to Tong Mu County.
The news of his daughter's death was a deep pain in his heart. Upon learning that he had a granddaughter, he wished he could fly to Tong Mu County immediately, but he had to remain in Hong Ning City due to the Crown Prince's affairs.
After waiting for so long, the Crown Prince was finally leaving, so how could he not be happy!
With that thought, Wei Tong Hao's actions became even more hurried, giving the impression that he wanted to send the Crown Prince off that very night.
Perhaps sensing Wei Tong Hao's eagerness, Qin Ye Xiu set off with his entourage early the next morning.
As soon as he left, Wei Tong Hao, with his men, departed Hong Ning City.
He could even see the distant figures of Qin Ye Xiu's procession as he left the city.
With two groups leaving the city one after another, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.
At the very back of the crowd, a man wearing a bamboo hat silently watched the departing processions. A long white veil concealed all his emotions.
The person behind him asked cautiously, "Master, with Wei Tong Hao gone, Hong Ning City will be without a leader. Shall we..."
"Wei Tong Hao is not to be feared," the man interrupted him coldly. "The Wei family has controlled Hong Ning City for so many years, surely it's not because of Wei Tong Hao's brute strength?"
The person behind him was confused, "When Master had his accident, the City Lord of Hong Ning City was executed. Isn't the person in power now precisely because they value Wei Tong Hao's bravery but lack of cunning?"
Hong Ning City had copper mines, and no matter who looked at it, it was a coveted prize.
The person in power had chosen Wei Tong Hao, who had no background and was brave but not cunning, with the intention of taking Hong Ning City into his own hands once the situation stabilized.
They had been lying low in Hong Ning City for years, precisely to strike before that person.
The man glanced back at him, "If it were just Wei Tong Hao, the court would have reclaimed Hong Ning City long ago. Why would we have waited until now? The one truly in charge of Hong Ning City is Wei Zi Miao."
The person behind him froze, clearly not expecting the sickly young man who could die at any moment.
They had poisoned Wei Zi Miao to control Wei Tong Hao one day. Therefore, in their plan, Wei Zi Miao was just a pawn that could be sacrificed at any time.
But listening to his master, Wei Zi Miao seemed even more troublesome than his father.
Although the person behind him was confused, he did not dare to ask further and only cautiously mentioned, "Then Hong Ning City..."
The man looked at the two processions outside the city, whose figures had long since disappeared. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "It matters not. The pieces we have laid out over the years are more than just Hong Ning City."
Upon hearing this, the person behind him said no more, respectfully waiting behind him.
...
Li Yue Shu was completely unaware of the matters in Hong Ning City. However, she learned from Wei Zi Miao that Wei Tong Hao would be coming.
Although she had met him in Hong Ning City before, this time he was coming as Ling Er's maternal grandfather, so she naturally had to entertain him well.
Calculating the days, when Wei Tong Hao arrived, the academy would be on recess, and he could also meet A Min.
With that thought, Li Yue Shu quickly instructed A Yu to tell his elder brother when he went to the academy tomorrow, so that he could be mentally prepared.