"Duke Wen!" Shen Lixue exclaimed in feigned surprise.
Everyone was startled and looked over instantly. He was dressed in ordinary black clothes, completely different from his usual noble and arrogant self. However, his tired eyes and slightly aged face were very familiar to everyone.
"Duke Wen, Su Lie, seize him!" At the Crown Prince's command, the guards surged forward like a tidal wave.
He'd been pretending for so long, but he still got caught!
Duke Wen recovered from his shock, glanced indifferently at Dongfang Zhan, and with a light step, used his lightness skill to fly quickly into the distance.
"Grab him, don't let him get away!" The guards, swords in hand, chased after him as they ran.
"No wonder the Emperor mobilized so many people but couldn't find Duke Wen. It turns out he was taken in by Prince Zhan as a secret guard!" Shen Lixue said sarcastically, looking at Dongfang Zhan's gloomy gaze and unpredictable expression.
Dongfang Zhan is truly audacious to harbor the wanted criminal Qingyan.
"You're the one behind this!" Dongfang Zhan's sharp gaze suddenly shot towards Dongfang Heng. If it weren't for that volley of arrows just now, Duke Wen wouldn't have come out to save him, nor would his identity have been discovered. The rain of arrows wasn't meant to kill him, but to force Duke Wen out.
Dongfang Heng, that's a brilliant plan.
"Brother, I have been wronged! It was Dongfang Heng who framed me!" After a brief moment of shock, Dongfang Zhan quickly calmed down and glared at Dongfang Heng.
"Prince Zhan, the guards around you are all handpicked by yourselves. How could I possibly frame you? How could I force you to harbor the Qingyan wanted criminal who killed my elder brother?" Dongfang Heng's sharp tone was laced with sarcasm.
Dongfang Zhan smiled coldly: "Your abilities, Prince An, are extraordinary. It's easy for you to frame someone."
“My elder brother was shot to death by arrow. I’m too busy capturing Duke Wen to help him hide.” Dongfang Heng raised an eyebrow at Dongfang Zhan: “A real man should be responsible for his actions. As the Prince of Qingyan Zhan, you have disobeyed the Emperor’s orders and secretly harbored Duke Wen. Your crimes are heinous. If you are discovered, do you not dare to admit it?”
Looking at the night sky, Dongfang Zhan said proudly, "I have been framed and falsely accused. Of course I will not admit to such a crime!"
"Dongfang Heng, Prince Zhan, stop arguing. Once we catch Duke Wen, the truth will come out!" Duke Wen had already flown far away, and the guards had also disappeared. Shen Lixue looked at the empty surroundings and a strange smile appeared on her lips.
The arrow rain just now was indeed ordered by Dongfang Heng. Because Su Lie was secretly hiding in the Zhan Prince's mansion as a secret guard, in order to prevent being discovered, he would definitely stay by Dongfang Zhan's side at all times. When encountering danger, other secret guards would step forward, and he would also come out to save people.
The arrow rain was intended to force Duke Wen to show himself. Of course, Dongfang Heng had also considered killing Dongfang Zhan with an arrow, but Dongfang Hong arrived, so he had to abandon his idea.
Dongfang Hong glanced coldly at Dongfang Zhan, then turned and walked forward, his icy voice echoing in the air: "Take Prince Zhan to arrest Duke Wen!"
---Aside---
(⊙o⊙)... Yesterday a reader left a message saying the writing wasn't as good anymore. Could you guys give me some feedback? Tell me specifically what's wrong with it. I'm a humble person, so I'd like to ask for your opinions, lalala...
Chapter 160: The Downfall of the Duke's Mansion
Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng followed the trail left by the guards and were about to catch up with the dark figure when he suddenly turned and fled into a large mansion.
Shen Lixue drifted to the ground, stared at the plaque above the mansion, and suddenly paused in surprise: "The Duke of Wen's Mansion!"
The Su family is a prominent family in Qingyan Capital. The Wenguo Duke's Mansion was a house purchased by the Su family. After Su Lie was demoted, the mansion was not taken back. Instead, the plaque above the gate was changed from Wenguo Duke's Mansion to Su Mansion.
Su Lie went to Lingzhou to take up his post. The journey was long, and none of his concubines or mistresses went with him. They all stayed in this mansion.
When his illegal manufacture of arrows was discovered, the emperor sent many guards to monitor the Su residence both openly and secretly, but did not make things difficult for the poor women in the household.
He was being chased by the guards, and instead of fleeing to hide elsewhere, he ran to the Su residence. Did he want to be trapped like a turtle in a jar and captured alive?
"Capture Su Lie alive!" someone shouted from the crowd. The guards were instantly excited, roaring and wielding their long swords, and surged towards the gate of the Su residence like a tidal wave.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Countless black feathered arrows suddenly shot out from the mansion without warning, mercilessly heading towards the group of guards.
The guards running ahead were startled and hurriedly swung their arrows to block. After a series of crisp sounds, the arrows either fell to the ground or pierced people's bodies. More or less half of the guards were injured. A faint smell of blood permeated the air. The casualties were quite heavy.
Shen Lixue picked up a stray arrow that had fallen to the ground and examined it closely. The arrowhead was rather long, indicating it was a new type of arrow. She lightly scraped the arrowhead a few times with her dagger, removing the outer protective layer and revealing its true, chilling gleam. It was exactly the same arrow that had killed Dongfang Xun.
Arrows continued to fly out of the Su residence, preventing the guards from getting even a step closer, let alone entering to arrest anyone.
Her gaze sharpened. The Su residence was just a large mansion, and the guards inside were not very skilled in martial arts. As long as the Crown Prince gave an order to summon the Imperial Guards, the Su residence would be razed to the ground in an instant. Su Lie's resistance was nothing but a futile struggle. In other words, he was indirectly admitting that he wanted to rebel, which would only hasten his own demise.
Su Lie is a smart man, how could he do something so foolish? Has he lost his mind in desperation?
"I told you long ago, this arrow was a gift from Su Lie!" Dongfang Zhan's arrogant and sophistical argument suddenly rang out.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, a faint smile appearing on her lips as she turned to look at him: "Does Prince Zhan and Su Lie truly have no relation whatsoever?"
"Of course!" Shen Lixue's smile was warm and bright. Dongfang Zhan was momentarily stunned, but answered loudly, wondering why she would ask such a question.
“The guards are being suppressed by Su Lie and can’t get close to the Su residence. Why don’t you, Prince Zhan, go in and arrest him? This will prove your innocence and allow you to redeem yourself!” Shen Lixue’s lips curled into a half-smile.
Su Lie took the blame for Dongfang Zhan and was wanted by the authorities. If Dongfang Zhan let him go, it would confirm the accusation of colluding with him. If Dongfang Zhan personally arrested him and brought him to justice, he would be utterly disappointed in Dongfang Zhan and would fight to the death. Either outcome would not benefit Dongfang Zhan.
Dongfang Zhan's expression changed slightly: "With the guards here, it's not my turn to take action!" Was she provoking him, or testing him?
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "Su Lie is cunning and treacherous, and the guards can't do anything to him. Prince Zhan has some friendship with him. If you don't want to kill him, you can persuade him to give up resistance. The guards' casualties are minor, which is also a great achievement!"
"This..." Dongfang Zhan lowered his head in thought, a cold light flashing in his eyes. If he personally captured Su Lie, Su Lie would not only resist fiercely, but would also curse him for being ungrateful. At that time, everything he had done in secret would no longer be a secret...
"The Imperial Guards are here!" The sound of footsteps, almost imperceptible, came from behind him. Dongfang Heng spoke calmly, his sharp gaze fixed on Dongfang Zhan.
Shen Lixue glanced to the side and saw the Imperial Guards, clad in armor, rushing towards her in orderly formation, their footsteps thumping the ground. Their gazes were stern, their faces grim, and they carried sharp longswords and thick shields, specifically designed to deal with Su Lie's black feathered arrows.
Dongfang Hong is really quick; he mobilized the Imperial Guards so fast!
"I'm going to capture Su Lie." Dongfang Zhan's expression changed again as he looked at the hundreds of Imperial Guards. He suddenly responded and strode forward into the midst of a hail of black arrows. Su Lie must not fall into the hands of the Imperial Guards.
Shen Lixue frowned. Just now, Dongfang Zhan made excuses and refused to arrest people. But as soon as the Imperial Guards arrived, Su Lie was surrounded and had no way to escape. So he couldn't wait to go over. Arresting people was a pretense, but his real intention was to kill people and silence them first.
The Imperial Guards' thick shields blocked the dense barrage of arrows. They strode forward past the guards, slamming their fists against the door with a deep, drawn-out sound that carried far and wide in the silent air.
As the sturdy gates of the Su residence gradually loosened, Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth. The guards of the Su residence were no match for the Imperial Guards: "Su Lie will be arrested soon!"