"I was ordered to lead troops back to the capital. On my way, I passed by the prison and heard fighting sounds. I just came over with my guards to investigate and found that Minister Zhuang and his family were trying to escape!" Lei Hong spoke with conviction and his demeanor was quite proud!
"Lord Lei, your arrival is perfectly timed!" Shen Lixue chuckled softly, drawing out the last syllable of her voice, her meaningful tone leaving much to the imagination.
"What do you mean?" Lei Hong's face instantly turned terribly gloomy, and deep in his eyes as he looked at Chen Lixue, there was a hidden anger burning.
"I'm praising Lord Lei for arriving at just the right time!" Shen Lixue's lips curled slightly, forming a faint smile, extremely faint, yet revealing boundless mockery. Something that had been planned in advance would naturally arrive at the perfect moment.
Shen Lixue was clever and eloquent, and Lei Hong had unknowingly fallen into a disadvantageous position. He felt a lump in his throat. Seeing her gaze shift to Mu Zhengnan, Lei Hong raised an eyebrow and said arrogantly, "Zhuang Weicheng's execution is largely thanks to this young man!"
"You flatter me, sir!" Mu Zhengnan said modestly, lowering his head and a very faint smile playing on his lips.
"Young Master Mu is a mere scholar, utterly powerless, yet he and the frail young lady Shen Yun joined forces to kill Zhuang Weicheng, who was under a spell, ruthless, and indiscriminate in his killing. It's truly admirable, considering that Zhuang Weicheng even managed to wound Lord Lei..."
Shen Lixue smiled slightly, her dark eyes suddenly deepening. In the chaos inside the prison, arrows rained down from the outside. Trying to break out of the prison and escape was as difficult as climbing to heaven. Mu Zhengnan and Shen Caiyun were both smart people. Instead of forcing their way through the rain of arrows, they did the opposite and killed the serious criminals that the officials wanted to arrest. In this way, they made a great contribution and could leave the prison legitimately. How clever!
Was Shen Lixue mocking him for being inferior even to a weak scholar? Lei Hong's face was terribly gloomy. He lightly covered his wound, and his gaze towards Mu Zhengnan instantly turned cold.
He was a sane military general, while Zhuang Weicheng was a madman under a spell. If the two fought head-on, there was nothing shameful about him losing. Mu Zhengnan was a scholar, and it was even less likely that he could defeat Zhuang Weicheng. He must have used some kind of scheme to bring Zhuang Weicheng to justice. It was just a despicable tactic, which could not be compared with his true talent and learning.
The crowd looked at Mu Zhengnan with a different gaze. Zhuang Weicheng was originally the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. He had seriously injured so many well-trained prison guards during his prison break, which showed how high his martial arts skills were. Mu Zhengnan was a weak scholar, and he was able to kill him so easily. It was not only luck, but also skill.
The two were vastly different in strength; he must have used underhanded methods to kill Zhuang Weicheng.
Looking at the mocking and disdainful gazes of the crowd, and at Lei Hong's cold, gleaming eyes, Shen Lixue smiled. She no longer needed to worry about Lei Hong valuing and promoting Mu Zhengnan!
"You flatter me, Miss. I am just an ordinary scholar. It was only by a twist of fate that the criminal was brought to justice. I cannot be compared to Lord Lei..." Mu Zhengnan said politely, but a cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes: Shen Lixue was ruining his reputation and sowing discord between him and Lord Lei.
"Killing Zhuang Weicheng is a fact, Young Master Mu, why be modest..." Shen Lixue replied casually, her dark eyes calm and unwavering. She dreamt of regaining Lei Hong's favor: "Lord Yang, Young Master Mu, Sister Caiyun killed an escaped convict and performed a meritorious service. I wonder if her sentence can be reduced?"
"Of course." Lord Yang concealed his displeasure, nodded, and then added, "However, we must wait for the Ministry of Justice to complete its investigation and deliberate carefully before making a judgment!"
"It would be good if the sentence could be reduced!" Shen Lixue smiled politely, but her smile was eerie. Mu Zhengnan had done a good job, and a sentence reduction was only a matter of time. Shen Lixue brought it up first because she wanted Lei Hong to remember that Zhuang Weicheng, who had injured him, was killed by Mu Zhengnan, and also to let the officials remember that Mu Zhengnan had used improper means to reduce his sentence.
Whenever Lei Hong sees Mu Zhengnan, he will be reminded of the humiliation he suffered today, as well as Mu Zhengnan's intelligence and meritorious service. The contrast between their injuries and joy will make him hate Mu Zhengnan to death. Even if Mu Zhengnan gets out of prison, he will not have a good life.
"Thank you, Lord Yang!" Shen Caiyun curtsied, her voice sweet and charming, with a strange emotion surging in her beautiful eyes.
Whether it was praise or ridicule, everyone only targeted Mu Zhengnan, automatically ignoring her, the one who had made a contribution. She didn't compete for it because her sentence wasn't heavy, and a little bit of merit was enough to get her out of prison.
"It's late, everyone should go back to their residences first. I'll handle things here!" The prisoner had died, and many jailers had also been killed or injured. Lord Yang had to report to the Ministry of Justice and comfort the families of the deceased, so he was busy for quite some time. He tactfully gave them the order to leave.
"Guards, escort Miss Shen to the Prime Minister's residence!" Lei Hong coldly gave the order, his expression ruthless and arrogant.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I am used to traveling alone and do not like having anyone following me!" Shen Lixue smiled lightly, her gaze deep. Under the guise of protection, she sent guards to monitor her. Lei Hong was clever; if he were more despicable, he could have secretly arrested her, tortured her, and forced her to confess, and she would have been doomed.
"It's dangerous for a girl like you to walk alone at night!" Lei Hong said righteously, a cold glint in his eyes.
Shen Lixue smiled gently, her eyes clear: "Lord Lei has been ordered to lead his troops back to the capital. He must first report to the Emperor. Of course, all the guards must go with him. If even one is missing, wouldn't that be disobeying the imperial decree?"
"Thank you for reminding me, Miss. It was my oversight!" Lei Hong's expression darkened slightly, but his gaze remained cold. Shen Lixue was indeed cunning and eloquent!
"Farewell!" Lei Hong said goodbye to Lord Yang, gave Shen Lixue a cold glance, mounted his horse, and rode away with his rows of guards. The guards' steps were neat and uniform, and their thuds on the ground sounded like a silent warning.
Shen Caiyun and Mu Zhengnan were imprisoned again, awaiting their sentencing tomorrow.
Shen Lixue bid farewell to Lord Yang, declined his offer to send someone to escort her, and walked back to the Prime Minister's residence alone.
Night had fallen, and the streets were quiet, not a soul in sight. A cold wind blew by, bringing a chill. Shen Lixue tightened her clothes and quickened her pace. Suddenly, a glint flashed in her eyes. Shen Lixue turned her head sharply and saw a guard holding a long sword swiftly disappear into a corner.
Shen Lixue curled her lips into a cold smile. Lei Hong really had sent people to follow her!
With a light step, Shen Lixue's slender figure darted forward. The wind whistled past her ears, and she heard hurried yet light footsteps behind her. Shen Lixue suddenly turned around and stabbed the person chasing her with her silver needle.
A flash of silver light, and two guards fell to the ground silently. Shen Lixue smiled coldly. They were hidden in the shadows, so it was inconvenient for her to take action. By luring them into the open, she would take control of the situation.
The guards were dressed in armor and carried long swords, just like the guards Lei Hong had brought. Moreover, the guards had a slight smell of dust on them, which was due to their hurried journey. Without a doubt, the guards were sent by Lei Hong.
"You killed them?" A tall, slender, and upright white figure appeared not far away. He was handsome, elegant, and noble. It was Dongfang Heng.
"No." Shen Lixue shook her head and quickly tampered with the guards' clothes: "They're just temporarily unconscious. They'll wake up automatically in two hours!"
"What are you doing?" Dongfang Heng frowned at Shen Lixue. Didn't she know that men and women shouldn't touch each other? She actually touched those two guards.
Shen Lixue smiled mysteriously: "Give Lei Hong a warning! Anyone who dares to plot against her should be prepared for a fierce counterattack."
Dongfang Heng frowned, gazing intently at Shen Lixue, but said nothing more.
"Dongfang Heng, is something on your mind?" Dongfang Heng is usually not very talkative, but Shen Lixue felt that he was unusually silent tonight.
Dongfang Heng's eyes deepened, and his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised: "Do you know what official position Lei Hong holds?"
"Vice Minister of War, is there something wrong?" Shen Lixue had been in the Prime Minister's residence for many days and had already subtly inquired about the identity and status of the Grand Commandant's master. Grand Commandant Lei's eldest son, Lei Hong, was the Vice Minister of War and was quite capable.
"Minister Zhuang is the Minister of War, and Lei Hong's official position is second only to him. Now that he is dead and Lei Hong has made meritorious contributions, he is very likely to be directly promoted to Minister of War!" Dongfang Heng said, his gaze solemn.
Shen Lixue was startled, and a series of recent events flashed through her mind: the discovery of the Gu worms in the Minister's mansion; the exchange of unreadable glances between Minister Zhuang and Grand Commandant Lei when Minister Zhuang was taken away; and the day after that, Lei Hong led his troops back to the capital, where he happened to encounter Minister Zhuang's family escaping from prison and killed them, thus gaining merit. The events were too coincidental, as if someone had deliberately orchestrated them...
Minister Zhuang was shot and killed by Lei Hong himself. He made a great contribution and was promoted to Minister Zhuang in a legitimate way. His power would grow and grow. In addition, with Grand Commandant Lei's influence in the court, the father and son, one a civil official and the other a military general, joined forces and no one in the court could match them.
"We cannot allow Lei Hong to be promoted to Minister!" Shen Lixue's cold eyes narrowed slightly.
“I know I can’t, but he has made great contributions, and his promotion is perfectly justified. Can you think of a suitable reason to stop him?” Dongfang Heng looked up at the starry night sky, his dark eyes flashing with a cold light. He didn’t want Lei Hong to become the Minister either!
Shen Lixue frowned: "The biggest beneficiary of Minister Zhuang's death is Lei Hong, and those implicated include Mu Zhengnan and Shen Caiyun..."
Shen Lixue's eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a faint smile, bright yet enigmatic: "Dongfang Heng, I've thought of a way to stop Lei Hongsheng from becoming Minister!"
The following day, Dongfang Heng went to the Imperial Study to meet the Emperor.