Chapter 52

Chapter 52: The fruit wasn’t poisonous and smelled sweet and fragrant—perfect for picking to cheer someone up later.

Du Yinsui could already detect Xu Lv and the others deep within the forest, so she didn’t need to follow Tan Wang’s group closely.

For safety, she moved with extremely light, slow steps while keeping track of Tan Wang and Zheng Yi’s scents ahead.

Even for skilled guards like Tan Wang and Zheng Yi—among the best in their unit—dragging an unconscious grown man and two women into the woods was no easy feat.

As those ahead slowed down, Du Yinsui reduced her pace too. She even found a moment to detour slightly, plucking small fruits from nearby bushes.

Though unfamiliar with this wild fruit, Du Yinsui noticed traces of small animals around the shrubs and half-eaten fruits where birds had pecked at them. Non-poisonous and sweet-smelling, they’d be ideal for coaxing someone later.

Clutching several handfuls of the fruit, she trailed the group a bit farther before halting beside a large tree.

This spot lay several dozen meters from where Xu Lv was being interrogated but was close enough for Du Yinsui to overhear. Only after she’d stood there awhile did Tan Wang and Zheng Yi finally grunt and heave the Sun Xinang family before Xu Lv.

Sun Xinang woke to a slap. Seeing Xu Lv opposite her—bound like a dumpling, limbs bleeding—she truly thought it was a dream.

Xu Lv, his mouth stuffed with rancid cloth, struggled with muffled cries, his loyalty trapped wordlessly inside.

Tan Wang, Zheng Yi, Ma Datou…

When moonlight revealed the three figures in guard uniforms, half of Sun Xinang’s heart turned cold.

Years of experience told her: those who hid their faces might spare lives. But men bold enough to stand openly like this? They left no witnesses.

Xu Lv was an official. Attacking an officer like this… Neither he nor she—who’d seen it—deserved to live.

Her eyes swept over Xu Lv’s tortured limbs, and the rest of her heart nearly gave out.

Yet Sun Xinang had danced on death’s edge for over a decade. She wouldn’t surrender easily.

"Master Tan…" Clenching her fists to steady their trembling, she spoke first, seizing the chance to negotiate.

But before she could probe further, a familiar choked sob sounded behind her.

Zheng Yi yanked the struggling Li Xiaojuan out and flung her forward.

Sun Xinang’s pupils shrank. "She knows nothing! Question me! Knock her out—she saw—"

A wise plea, ruined by Li Xiaojuan’s sharp eyes.

As Li Xiaojuan shook her head, kicking wildly to scramble away from Xu Lv, her gaze locked on Tan Wang’s face. Sun Xinang’s words died.

"I ask. You answer." Tan Wang pointed at Li Xiaojuan, squirming like a worm, and Li Dayong, still unconscious against a tree. "Speak truthfully. Before I start carving pieces off your children to teach them manners."

Following Tan Wang’s gesture, Sun Xinang noticed Li Dayong tied to the tree. What kind of man was Tan Wang?

Xu Lv had claimed Tan Wang was under their control. How…?

Countless questions churned, yet only one emerged: "Master Tan, I’ll tell you everything. After… can we go? We’ve seen nothing! We know nothing! Just exiled sinners heading to Linzhou…"

Tan Wang pressed his scabbard against the thrashing Li Xiaojuan’s skull. His icy stare silenced Sun Xinang. "No bargaining."

She went quiet, praying his questions wouldn’t sharpen his murderous intent.

But…

He shouldn’t have wanted them dead at all!

Why? Did Xu Lv do something?

"Are you and Xu Lv taking orders from the same person? Who is that person?" Before Tan Wang finished his question, a commotion erupted from Xu Lv’s side.

Without waiting for Tan Wang’s command, Ma Datou kicked Xu Lv, who had been sitting, flat onto the ground.

From afar, Du Yinsui smelled Ma Datou’s sharp hatred at that moment.

It was no surprise. Earlier, Tan Wang had returned from an unknown place, first meeting Zheng Yi and then Ma Datou. Du Yinsui overheard their talk and learned that over ten years ago, during the landslide Liu Wanxing predicted, Ma Datou was among those she saved.

Ma Datou was a man who knew gratitude. After following Tan Wang through years of exile, he saw Liu Wanxing as a true younger person. Before retiring to his hometown, he wanted one last trip to the Northern lands to see her.

But she had died…

Tan Wang’s questions, given Xu Lv’s state, gave Sun Xinang, long in the palace, a glimmer of hope to survive.

But should she tell the truth or lie? Keep a future alive or untie the deadly knot now…

Sun Xinang hesitated.

That earned Li Dayong a sword scabbard strike to the face from Zheng Yi.

His lip split and bled, waking him up. A sour rag was stuffed into his mouth, muffling his anger and questions.

"I told you not to lie," Tan Wang said, his eyes impatient and angry.

"The Second Prince," Sun Xinang lowered her gaze, still too scared to name the truth that would doom everyone.

Tan Wang stayed silent, stood up, and cut off Li Dayong’s right arm with his sword.

"I said, don’t lie." Tan Wang pointed the sword at Li Dayong’s left arm. "Say it again. Who?"

In an instant, Li Dayong became like a live shrimp in boiling oil, writhing so hard the ropes nearly failed to hold him, his eyes red with pain.

A living demon…

Sun Xinang shut her eyes.

Everyone wants something. As long as he desired something, she might live. But what did this demon want?

"Prince Cheng," Sun Xinang gave in, forgetting future survival to live through today.

That familiar but fake name made Tan Wang sneer coldly. He raised his sword to chop off Li Dayong’s left arm for this lie.

But just as the blade neared the prison clothes, Tan Wang frowned and pulled back. He turned to Xu Lv, who gasped painfully on the ground.

"So it really is Prince Cheng…" Tan Wang walked to Xu Lv, stomped on his wailing form to stop him from biting Sun Xinang, and mocked his furious look. "Know why I didn’t believe her when she said ‘Second Prince’? Because you, trying to stop her, relaxed when you heard it. Like just now when she named Prince Cheng, you broke down as if hit at your core. You, you showed me who it really is."

Xu Lv, earlier mad that Sun Xinang named someone he’d kept secret despite torture, felt ice-cold dread freeze his heart.

"Master Tan, you’re wise. I’m not lying—it’s Prince Cheng! I’ll be honest: Prince Cheng forced me to work for them! I had no choice! If you need anything, I’ll do it all, because Prince Cheng is… because he’s my enemy!" Sun Xinang spoke with honest feeling that turned to bitter hate.

She didn’t know what Xu Lv or Prince Cheng did to Tan Wang, but she had to show her loyalty and value fast, as she always did.

Sun Xinang thought Tan Wang would ask about her grudge with Prince Cheng. She planned to beg for pity and spin a tale of revenge needing her help, then…

As Sun Xinang imagined this, far off, Du Yinsui sniffed lightly and frowned.

Tan Wang was ready to kill.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Tan Wang removed the cloth from Master Xu’s mouth.

"Spit…" Xu Lv spat at Tan Wang, a smile tugging at his lips despite his efforts to look angry. "You know everything now; what more do I have to say? Kill me if you want. Prince Cheng will avenge me!"

Tan Wang paused, grabbed Xu Lv’s face, and said coldly, "Do you think this expression and deliberately mentioning Prince Cheng will make me doubt your earlier act? That you pretended to slip up and break down just to mislead me into suspecting Prince Cheng?"

Xu Lv answered with a cold laugh and stayed silent.

"What a loyal dog." Tan Wang slapped Xu Lv’s face sideways.

Xu Lv’s acting was clumsy, but it still shook Tan Wang’s certainty for a moment.

Unlike Tan Wang, who could only piece together the truth through reasoning, Du Yinsui could actually smell that Prince Cheng was the right answer.

But after risking exposure to listen this far, she understood Tan Wang’s madness wasn’t aimed at them.

Since it didn’t involve them, Du Yinsui couldn’t care less who lived or died in these woods.

Should she head back? That person probably hadn’t slept yet…

Of course he wouldn’t sleep until she returned.

These little berries spoiled easily; returning early meant he’d get them fresh.

Just as Du Yinsui decided to retreat, a name froze her in place.

"Master, it really is Prince Cheng!" Sun Xinang, seeing Xu Lv redirect Tan Wang’s suspicion toward her with a few words, quickly pledged loyalty. "Xu Lv was Prince Cheng’s planted agent in the Capital—utterly loyal to him. The Second Prince only used him because he didn’t know. But when you asked who backed Xu Lv and me? It’s Prince Cheng, no doubt. The Second Prince only hates Jiang Wu; Xu Lv’s orders were to make Jiang Wu suffer, with no care whether he lived or died. But Prince Cheng needed Jiang Wu to suffer without dying. My role was to make Jiang Wu suffer. Xu Lv ensured he suffered without dying."

Tan Wang chuckled softly. "You’ve got it backward. You two make Jiang Wu suffer. I’m the one who stops him from dying."

By his usual rules, Tan Wang would ignore someone like Jiang Wu—troublesome connections, no payoff—but he’d still work hard to keep him alive on the road.

But if this was the plan, these people were reckless.

His best effort didn’t guarantee success.

Whoever pulled their strings—did they truly want Jiang Wu to suffer without dying? It felt more like they didn’t care if he lived or died.

"Prince Cheng blackmailed me too. But uncovering leverage and sending threats takes time. He shouldn’t have had enough time back then. How did he manage it?" Tan Wang now believed Sun Xinang ninety percent.

"Because Prince Cheng is like that. He spent years collecting people’s secrets, ready to use them anytime. He didn’t investigate you when he needed you; he’d already done it long before. Look at me—why am I here, like this? Because he did the same to me!" Sun Xinang wept openly by the end.

Du Yinsui, who’d meant to leave after hearing "Jiang Wu," smelled the calculation in Sun Xinang’s tears—her attempt to win Tan Wang over—but also smelled truth underneath.

Still…

Even after combing through the original memories, Du Yinsui found no reason for Prince Cheng to target Jiang Wu. To the original owner of these memories, Jiang Wu—who’d rarely left the palace except once for disaster relief—and Prince Cheng—whose territory lay far southwest, visiting the Capital once every few years—should’ve had no connection…

Du Yinsui sensed something important here.

If Tan Wang killed Sun Xinang without learning the truth, that wouldn’t do.

Saving someone from three guards without exposing herself? Du Yinsui wasn’t too confident.

They weren’t as unprepared as Zhao Qi and Cui Wu had been; killing them wouldn’t be easy…

Luckily, just as Du Yinsui planned how to strike, Tan Wang—who’d only wanted to uncover the mastermind—got curious thanks to Xu Lv and Sun Xinang.

"You’re saying Prince Cheng investigated me long before needing me? A small guard captain like me—why bother?" Tan Wang believed Sun Xinang, but it made no sense.

"I’m just a nursemaid, and he went to more trouble for me." Sun Xinang smiled bitterly. "He’s done this for many people over the years. That’s just how he is."

"Why…" Tan Wang began, but a late realization struck him.

"Because he’s a prince with eyes on the Emperor’s throne." Sun Xinang answered Tan Wang’s unspoken question, pulling him toward her side. "Master Tan, if you move against Prince Cheng, include me. Together, we’ll strike him hard."

Tan Wang knew this woman had been angling for sympathy and alliance all along. He couldn’t help scoffing. "You, a nursemaid. Me, a guard captain. We’ll strike hard at a prince scheming for the throne for years? At best, we could kill Jiang Wu—the one he wants tortured but kept alive. That’s hardly a strike, is it?"

Whether Prince Cheng would be struck hard remained unknown, but Du Yinsui, hearing this from afar, felt like her heart took a heavy blow.

Du Yinsui pressed her chest, her gaze sharpening.

Tan Wang had to die.

Just as Du Yinsui’s killing intent rose, Sun Xinang—still desperately bargaining for her life—dropped another bombshell.

"*We can strike Prince Cheng hard. Because I know why he’s doing this to Jiang Wu." Sun Xinang glanced at Li Xiaojuan, who lay whimpering nearby. "It’s a secret. Master Tan, may we speak alone?"

"I don’t care about royal scheming," Tan Wang said, weary of palace plots, and kicked Xu Lv’s limp body. "I only want to know: since Prince Cheng had my secrets ready to blackmail me, who were the people snooping around Linzhou about me while threatening me?"

Du Yinsui: "…"

She didn’t care about Linzhou or blackmail; she wanted to know why that bastard targeted Jiang Wu!

Not doing interrogations herself was truly inconvenient.