135: Dawn (Part Two)

"I'm afraid things aren't peaceful in the city..."

Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning sat in the main hall with ease, appearing completely unbothered by the recent assassination attempt. The two sisters each held a bowl of silver ear lotus seed soup, chatting and laughing as they slowly savored the taste.

"Stimulating Yingqi's acupoints these past few days has yielded very significant results." Luo Yongan slowly set down her bowl. "Yingqi was born with his Ren and Du meridians already open, which is why he learns things so quickly. And... it's also thanks to you unintentionally teaching him our cultivation Mental Method back then; otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to achieve this so soon..."

"At the time, I just thought it would be fun. Besides, I remembered Maternal Grandmother saying how special and unique our Mental Method is, so I thought, how could I not give such a good thing to Yingqi?" Luo Yongning smiled. "But Sister, after all, this is a Mental Method that only women can cultivate. Yingqi is a boy..."

"It doesn't matter. It might not work for others, but if it's Yingqi, it's a completely different story." Luo Yongan seemed indifferent. "I specifically asked Maternal Grandmother about it before. She said that this Mental Method is indeed only for women, and specifically those with a Pure Yin constitution born in a Yin month and at a Yin hour like us sisters. But Yingqi is different."

"He was born with his Ren and Du meridians open. According to the Taoist concept of Yin and Yang, Yingqi has a natural Yin-Yang balanced constitution. Guess why Martial Uncle hasn't left the mountains or taken a disciple in all these years, yet broke so many of his own rules for Yingqi, even willing to betray the oath he made to his beloved just to take Yingqi as his sole disciple? None of this happened without a reason."

Luo Yongning naturally understood this, but she hadn't realized her husband was such a rare treasure. Anyone else might have thought about how to exploit Mo Yingqi, but in the eyes of these two sisters, there was only one thought—

I knew the man I chose wouldn't be mediocre!

Exploitation? Sorry, that didn't exist. If it weren't to better control Mo Yingqi, he probably wouldn't even be able to step out the door by now.

Luo Yongan had once said, "No matter how Yingqi sees us, even if he uses Yongning and me as tools for his revenge, we are perfectly willing."

Loving to the extreme, their temperaments had become utterly maddened. As long as Mo Yingqi stayed by their side, they would give up everything, even their own lives, without hesitation.

"The priority now is how to use this opportunity to push Yingqi further toward the direction we've envisioned." Luo Yongan pondered for a moment. "Su Yan has already been sent to the Zhou Residence. That Taoist likely already has poison in his system. When the time comes, Yingqi can kill him without Martial Uncle even having to step in."

"But it's quite a hassle, Sister. Don't forget, the School sent people out, and they've already made contact with Martial Uncle." When Luo Yongning mentioned the School, her eyes held an unmistakable annoyance. "If those Taoists weren't so useless, they wouldn't have caused such a big mess, delaying our plans and keeping Yingqi so busy that we haven't had much time to be intimate with him..."

The maidservant waiting on them couldn't help but feel like laughing. Second Princess, are those even sensible words? It's actually a blessing this happened; otherwise, wouldn't the Imperial Son-in-Law have been sucked dry by the two of you?

However, the maidservant's heart also fluttered secretly at the thought of Mo Yingqi. It couldn't be helped; that face was simply too handsome. He was skilled in martial arts, and his literary talent wasn't lacking either. Most importantly... every time she thought about helping clean his room, especially when she went in early each morning and saw that scene... but she could only think about it in secret. Forget acting on it, she couldn't even speak of it to the other maids. In fact, when Mo Yingqi first became the Imperial Son-in-Law and moved into the Princesss Residence, a maid had once gossiped about him.

That maid had even gone so far as to say how wonderful it would be if she could have a night of passion with him. She was reported to Ying Hong by a maid she had been friends with for years, and it just so happened that Luo Yongning overheard it that day.

Needless to say, that indiscreet maid met an extremely miserable end. But even the one who snitched was eventually cruelly slaughtered by Luo Yongning.

The sisters naturally wouldn't tolerate anyone coveting Mo Yingqi, but they also utterly loathed those who would wag their tongues and betray their own friends.

After that incident, none of the maidservants dared to have any more stray thoughts. Besides, as long as it didn't involve Mo Yingqi, their two masters were actually quite decent.

"You girl, how can you speak so shamelessly now?"

"Sister, I need to remind you, you and I were actually born on the same day, you know?"

Luo Yongan didn't mind her sister's backtalk. She picked up the soup and took two more sips, then seemed to remember something and turned to ask the maidservants, "Now that the Imperial Son-in-Law has left the Estate, has Aunt and the others followed him?"

"Yes, Your Highness, Aunt Ying Hong has already followed him," the maidservant quickly nodded and replied. "She also followed Your Highness's orders and requisitioned the Musket Squad to go with him... but Your Highness, is it really alright to requisition the Musket Squad without permission?"

"It's fine. Imperial Father said that as long as we don't cause too much of a scene, Sister and I can deploy the Musket Squad as we please." Luo Yongning let out a soft laugh. "But just bringing the Musket Squad isn't enough, is it?"

"It's enough. The Imperial Guard is already equipped with crossbowmen. With them cooperating with the Musket Squad, there shouldn't be any major issues." After Luo Yongan finished speaking, she set down her soup bowl and slowly stood up. "Alright, help Yongning and me change. Since this grand play has already begun, the two of us cannot remain on the sidelines. Yingqi has already entered the capital; the rest can be left to Yongning and me."

"The Old Scoundrel really shouldn't be underestimated. I didn't expect that after all these years, he would have secretly raised a force of Death Warriors." As Luo Yongning said this, a hint of crimson flickered in her eyes like a red light. "Sister, I'm afraid these people have already infiltrated the entire capital. Along with the City Patrol Command, even if Imperial Father wants to shut the door to beat the dog, it won't be that easy, will it?"

"I'm not worried about that. I only care that the old fellow likely still has an ace up his sleeve." Hearing this, Luo Yongan's brow furrowed tightly. "I don't think that old fellow would be foolish enough to think that relying solely on his Death Warriors and the City Patrol Command would be enough to commit treason."

Although Luo Yongan loathed Zhou Chutian, the man had reached the pinnacle of power as a subject for many years and had managed to raise so many people to die for him without anyone noticing. He must have some other trump card in his hand.

"Use the fastest speed to send a carrier pigeon, then send our people to gallop through the night with the Princesss Residence token to deliver a message to Maternal Grandfather!" Luo Yongan suddenly spoke after a moment's thought. "Remind Maternal Grandfather's side to be alert, and also send someone to warn Granduncle to be careful. Right, tell them to spare some men to enter the capital to protect the sovereign!"

"Sister, do you think it's that serious?" The smile on Luo Yongning's face faded. "Aren't the Imperial Guard, the Pacification Bureau, and the garrison outside the city enough?"

"Carefulness is the key to longevity. Since that old fellow dares to do this, he must have some methods waiting for us." Luo Yongan's gaze gradually turned cold. "If that's the case, he likely has ways to deal with the Imperial Guard, the Pacification Bureau, or even the garrison outside the city. We must make preparations early."

Pausing for a moment, the cold killing intent in Luo Yongan's eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by an ambiguous smile. "But this is even better. The more it's like this, the more Yingqi will be tainted by slaughter. I only have the heart to do something this cruel once. When the dust settles, the result we want most will be waiting for us..."

What kind of result Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning were waiting for, Fang Wenbo couldn't guess. Right now, he only felt incredibly miserable.

It wasn't that he was truly afraid because the other party was wearing Zhao Jiguang's face. Rather, it was because the opponent's martial arts were very high—likely even much higher than the real Zhao Jiguang's had been.

"Wearing a dead man's face, don't you find it disgusting?"

Fang Wenbo wiped the blood from his face. There was nothing he could do; he just had to accept his inferior skills. Fang Wenbo had been able to reach the rank of Commander, and now he was on the verge of being promoted to Pacification Commissioner, or even directly to Commander; his martial arts were definitely not poor.

However, the opponent not only had superior skills but also seemed to have figured out his Xiuchun Saber Technique, always able to predict his next move.

Although he was busy with the internal affairs of the Pacification Bureau these days, Fang Wenbo had never neglected his training. Earning a living this way, he knew very well that the slightest slackness could cost him his life any day.

Only a fool would focus solely on fame and fortune after a promotion and neglect their basic skills. A single mistake in gripping the saber could lead to death. This was also a major reason why Fang Wenbo looked down on Zhao Jiguang.

He couldn't stand how the man curried favor, thinking only of how to stabilize his career, abandoning the justice a Flying Fish Guard should have, and neglecting his training. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been instantly killed by Mo Yingqi.

But now, Fang Wenbo truly had no options left. There was no sound from outside. Logically, the patrolling Flying Fish Guards should have arrived. It was impossible for him to break away, and if he shouted, it would be meaningless if those Flying Fish Guards didn't come.

"Is the Commander anxious?" the fake 'Zhao Jiguang' said with a playful expression. "I knew this human skin mask wouldn't fool the Commander, but don't expect the night patrol of your Pacification Bureau to show up... or rather, I'm afraid they won't be coming at all for now."

Not far from the courtyard where Fang Wenbo worked, a squad of Flying Fish Guards lay sprawled on the ground. There were no signs of a struggle; only a masked man in black was dusting off his hands.

White powder was scattered on the ground, and a strange fragrance filled the air. The man looked up at the moonlight, then stood leaning against the wall as if nothing had happened.

"I guessed as much. If you dared to come in, you probably wouldn't be alone. I'm afraid my brothers..."

"Commander Qianhu must be joking. If possible, we wouldn't want to kill a single Flying Fish Guard." The man laughed and interrupted Fang Wenbo. "You know as well as I do that the Flying Fish Guards are well-trained. Whether it's individual arrests, collective pursuits, or formations, even the Shen Family Army wouldn't dare claim to be better than the Pacification Bureau. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been a thorn in the side of every official in the capital all these years."

"So, Commander Qianhu, the only one we ever intended to kill was you. We originally planned to strike on your way home, but you are so diligent and conscientious, fulfilling your duties to the letter, that you've been living at the office. We were in a difficult position, so we had to put in some extra effort and come here to pay our respects."

Fang Wenbo didn't answer. He didn't know whether to be glad he hadn't gone home and involved his family, or glad that being at the office at least gave him a glimmer of hope.

"It seems my life won't be spared tonight. Hey, should I beg for mercy?" Fang Wenbo suddenly laughed, but even as he spoke, his hand holding the xiuchun saber didn't loosen at all; instead, his grip grew tighter. "Your master is likely that Grand Chancellor Zhou, isn't he? Why don't I go with you to see him? Maybe I have some information he wants to know."

"Hahaha, the Commander really knows how to joke. If you were that kind of person, you wouldn't have killed the person the Grand Chancellor sent to give you gifts back then and sent his head to the Zhou Residence."

Zhou Chutian knew exactly what kind of person Fang Wenbo was. This man had always respected Eunuch Fang as if he were his own father. Eunuch Fang was loyal to The Emperor, so he was loyal to The Emperor, never questioning right or wrong, only following his own heart.

Back when he had just been promoted to Commander, Zhou Chutian intended to win him over and sent ten thousand taels of gold. To his surprise, Fang Wenbo killed the briber on the spot in his own courtyard and sent the severed head back to the Zhou Residence.

And that wasn't all. The next day, Fang Wenbo dressed as a commoner, carrying his official robes and those ten thousand taels of gold, and made a scene before the Late Emperor. The Late Emperor naturally didn't punish Zhou Chutian—firstly because there was no evidence, and secondly because the Late Emperor's health was becoming increasingly frail at the time.

The farce eventually ended up coming to nothing, but because of it, the Late Emperor trusted Fang Wenbo even more. Eunuch Fang had even said with a smile, 'Your Uncle's current position is all thanks to your decisiveness that day.'

But Fang Wenbo never cared about such things. In fact, he was well-versed in the ways of the world and the darkness of officialdom, yet he never gave them a thought.

To say something with great irreverence, rather than being loyal to The Emperor, he was loyal to his Uncle. Fang Wenbo's father had told him from a young age that his Uncle had sacrificed his entire life for the family, sacrificing everything to support his unpromising younger brother. Even if his Uncle wanted to kill his own father, Fang Wenbo was not allowed to resist, let alone hate his Uncle.

"Without your Uncle, there would be no me, and certainly no you."

That simple sentence was something Fang Wenbo remembered to this day. This man naturally knew that Fang Wenbo could never truly beg for mercy. If he were really taken to see Zhou Chutian, he would likely be intent on taking the instigator down with him, wouldn't he?

"Ha, you're not too stupid." Fang Wenbo gave a somewhat helpless, bitter smile. "But you see, my temperament follows my Uncle and my father; I'm not someone who accepts fate."

"So, my expert friend, if I die today, I'll be taking you with me, rather than you just killing me!"