Chapter 303: Chapter 299: Who’s Next

“Assassins appeared in Fangzhou, the Crown Prince is uneasy, but a petition requests the Crown Prince return to the Capital City.”

When Li Mu spoke, his eyes were fixed on the door of the inner room.

Qin Rong also glanced in that direction.

Inside, Doctor Feng, hurriedly brought over, was tending to Miss Tang’s wound.

The wound bled, though its depth was unknown.

This left the Crown Prince utterly discomposed.

She wanted to mock him, but when the words reached her lips, she found herself in no mood.

The death of Xin Yi left Tang Ziqian and his sister in chaos; the Crown Prince remained calm and could even see an opportunity to seize.

Qin Rong composed herself and calmly suggested, “There has been no contact between the Duke Yan Mansion and the Crown Prince Mansion, and now Tang Ziqian has no time for himself. Should Prince Li petition instead?”

Li Xingyuan had no objections, but he too glanced distractedly toward the inner room, “What might the origins of this assassin be?”

“The assassin was after Xin Yi,” Li Mu said.

…

When Tang Xiaobai emerged with her bandaged wound, Li Xingyuan and Qin Rong had already left.

“Was the assassin truly after Xin Yi?” she asked.

Her eyes red, her voice hoarse.

“Indeed—” Li Mu brushed her temple, “The assassin targeted Xin Yi’s residence, nowhere else was disturbed, implying an inside connection. Whether you were there or not, Xin Yi couldn’t escape death.”

She tilted her face up, forcing a faint smile, “Are you comforting me?”

“I’m stating the facts,” Li Mu replied.

The luxurious gown of crimson embroidered with branches, her half-pinned black hair, was a rare sight.

She changed into new clothes, once meant to elicit laughter and a heart-stirring smile, but now only forlorn sorrow.

She had always been fearless in adversity, never giving up.

Whether it was his fall from the cliff or the disappearance of her father and brother, she would calm her fears and anxieties to find solutions.

But this time…

The dead remain beyond help.

Moreover, Xin Yi died while shielding her from three fatal arrows shot at once.

Li Mu carefully avoided her wound, embracing her, and soothingly patted her back, softly saying, “I was careless in my vigilance, I didn’t provide you with more protection.”

Tang Xiaobai’s eyes grew hot, holding him tightly, “It’s not your fault, nor do I blame myself. We will avenge Xin Yi!”

Seeing she didn’t fall into self-blame, Li Mu discreetly sighed in relief, then asked Feng Hua, “How is Second Miss’s injury?”

“No damage to bones, but the wound is large and requires time to heal, which will cause some discomfort during recovery,” Feng Hua replied.

Li Mu nodded and further instructed, “Ensure no scarring.”

Feng Hua answered respectfully.

Tang Xiaobai, preoccupied earlier, only now recalled.

Feng Hua is the Crown Prince’s chief physician, and the young lord had Mo Ji bring him back. Did he get the Crown Prince’s consent? Would the Crown Prince feel the young lord disrespects him?

As she considered asking, someone came from Tang Ziqian’s side, “The young master invites Second Miss over!”

“I’ll go with you.” Li Mu tightened his grip on her hand.

Since Xin Yi died shielding her from arrows, it was rare she hadn’t sunk into self-blame. Li Mu feared Tang Ziqian might be unclear in his reasoning and vent his anger on her.

…

Tang Ziqian was in Xin Yi’s room.

After the accompanying military physician confirmed Xin Yi’s death, he carried Xin Yi into the room.

When Tang Xiaobai and Li Mu entered, Xin Yi had already changed clothes, lying cleanly on the bed, eyes shut, as if asleep.

Tang Ziqian sat by the bed, looking at her.

“Brother…” Tang Xiaobai called him, uncertain of what to say.

Tang Ziqian looked up at her, “Come over.”

Tang Xiaobai was about to go over but was held back by Li Mu.

Tang Ziqian chuckled, “Afraid of what? Think I’m confused?”

“Yes,” Li Mu replied indifferently.

Tang Ziqian still laughed, “I am only clear-headed now—”

“The post station’s perimeter couldn’t possibly relax vigilance. Without inside help, the assassins couldn’t breach. Given inside aid, they wouldn’t have mistaken their target, especially since you just arrived, with Xiaobai’s room not yet set up. They were after Xin Yi!”

His smile turned cold.

“They killed to silence her, someone has reached a desperate measure!”

Upon discovering Xin Yi’s origins, they uncovered the truth of Empress Xiao’ai’s death.

Killing to silence because the adversaries know they’ve been discovered and still don’t care they’re aware.

After breaking ties, awaiting them in the Capital City is a fierce battle.

“Of course, I’ll remain clear-headed, clear-headed to avenge her.” Tang Ziqian coldly declared.

Tang Xiaobai suddenly felt something amiss.

As she tried to think it through, Tang Ziqian once again called her over.

This time, Li Mu didn’t stop her; instead, he retreated to the doorway, leaving the siblings to speak privately.

“Did you say much while changing clothes?” Tang Ziqian asked softly.

Tang Xiaobai responded affirmatively but became choked up, taking a long time to speak, “She said… she wanted to stay by your side, not as your sister…”

“Then what else?” He asked hoarsely.

“Brother… I… I don’t remember…” Tang Xiaobai struggled to say.

If she truly didn’t remember, then fine.

But she remembered clearly, remembered her tension, her shy gentleness, her joyful anticipation, and the delight in her expression when she touched the moon-white shirt.

She was unsure whether she ought to make her brother remember too.

Tang Ziqian smiled self-deprecatingly, “She struggled to express herself before dying, yet I never taught her to understand…”

“She already knows,” Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but tell him, “She said she doesn’t care what people say, only what they do… She said you’ve always treated her well…”

The moon-white shirt, along with her collapsing into his arms, her forehead receiving that frantic kiss.

She surely understood.

Tang Ziqian lightly chuckled twice, “It’s good she understood.”

His palm brushed over Xin Yi’s closed eyes, suddenly standing up.

“Xin Yi is dead, who’s next?”

…

Xin Yi is dead, who’s next?

Tang Xiaobai abruptly opened her eyes, her entire body cold, palm sweaty.

She didn’t know if she’d slept. Since shutting her eyes, her mind was filled with the grisly image of Xin Yi’s blood-stained body and her brother’s words.

Who’s next?

Her mind was chaotic, devoid of answers.

Tang Xiaobai lay still awhile, unable to sleep, then turned over.

As she turned, Yingying, sleeping at her bedside, reflexively sat up.

“Did I wake you?” Tang Xiaobai asked apologetically.

Yingying shook her head, “Second Miss, are you awake?”

Tang Xiaobai affirmed softly, saying, “Continue sleeping.”

Yingying lay back down obediently.

Silence reclaimed the night.

After a long silence, Yingying spoke, “Second Miss, can’t sleep?”

“Can’t you sleep either?”

Yingying was quiet for a while, then said, “If… if I had been quicker…”

“Don’t think about what ifs.”

“Then what is Second Miss thinking about?”

Tang Xiaobai paused.

In truth, she too was thinking about what ifs.

If she hadn’t sent Yingying away…

Rationally, she knew not to drown in self-reproach, yet she couldn’t stop the what-ifs.

So many what-ifs.

If she had resolved the heart’s knot between Xin Yi and her brother sooner, if she had insisted on Xin Yi joining them in Hedong last year, if she had never chosen her to stay close in the first place…

If these what-ifs existed, perhaps today’s outcome wouldn’t have occurred.

But there are no what-ifs.

What-ifs are irrational.

Tang Xiaobai lay sideways, gazing out the window, the moonlight filtering through the gauze, casting dim patterns inside.

Previously, she would have found it calm and beautiful.

But now, it seemed fraught with danger.

“I’m thinking, Xin Yi is dead, who’s next?”

“Who?!” Yingying suddenly sat up, sword drawn defensively before the bed, “Who’s outside!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep