The guard froze; Wu Chen had already breathed his last, blood streaming from all seven orifices.
Amidst the stunned gazes of the crowd, Ashina Suwu slowly rose to his feet. "He applied poison to his lips—a deadly toxin. Do not touch his body directly. Use a rope to drag him out by the feet, find a secluded spot, and burn the corpse to avoid harming the living."
Leng Peishan finally snapped back to reality and slammed his fist onto the nearby square table with a loud bang. "Ashina Suwu! Stop putting on an act here!"
Ashina Suwu pushed Du Li away from his embrace and calmly met the equally composed gaze of Xiao Jinyu. "Prince An, if I were to say this matter has absolutely nothing to do with me, would you believe it?"
Xiao Jinyu did not answer. Instead, he swept a glance across the hall, his furrowed brow gradually relaxing as he spoke in a deep voice, "Guards, remove the bodies... Lower the tent curtains. General Leng, Minister Xue, and Prince Suwu shall remain. The rest of you are dismissed... Chu Chu, take Du Li to the resting quarters first."
"Yes."
Once the crowd dispersed and the tent curtains fell, lamps were lit inside, casting an orange-yellow glow that did little to soften the stern expressions of Leng Peishan and Xue Ming. Judging by their faces, had Xiao Jinyu not been present, they would have lunged at Ashina Suwu and torn him to shreds.
Xiao Jinyu covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice before speaking slowly, "Prince Suwu, I recall it has been four or five years since you last engaged in battle with our forces."
Ashina Suwu nodded. "After Xiao Jue was transferred away, I found the fights dull and went west to battle the Tuyuhun. In recent years, it has been my elder brother Ashina Turo's forces clashing with yours."
"Then why have you returned so abruptly?"
Ashina Suwu's thick brows furrowed slightly. "My elder brother suffered injuries in one battle and lost many troops. My father, the Khan, was furious and recalled him, sending me in his place." He turned his calm gaze to Leng Peishan. "General Leng should be well aware of this."
Leng Peishan shot him a fierce glare, snorted coldly, and remained silent.
"General Leng, you have fought for most of your life. You ought to understand..." Ashina Suwu enunciated each word clearly, "If those four generals had been aiding me, I would have already reached the doorstep of your emperor by now."
Leng Peishan gritted his teeth, uttering not a sound.
Ashina Suwu looked back at Xiao Jinyu. "Prince An, if these were my men, there would have been no need for me to agree to your request yesterday—when you sent word asking for my assistance today—nor would I have come with only Du Li by my side." He then turned to Xue Ming, whose face was dark with anger. "Minister Xue, you have served as the Governor of Liangzhou for nearly a decade, correct? According to what that man said earlier, when the stationmaster was replaced, I would have been at most thirteen years old. If I had possessed such cunning back then, I would not still be here locked in a stalemate with General Leng."
Xue Ming looked toward Xiao Jinyu, whose face remained as placid as still water, devoid of any ripples.
"Prince Suwu..." Xiao Jinyu spoke mildly, "I apologize for any offense caused. You may take your leave."
Ashina Suwu turned and strode away, pausing briefly by the tent flap. "Prince An, you should leave the camp soon. The case is closed, and war is due to resume."
"Very well."
Watching Ashina Suwu push aside the tent curtain and stride out, Xue Ming turned his grim expression toward Xiao Jinyu, who was slightly frowning. "Prince An, you believe him just like that?""If the one causing trouble on the Turkic side is truly Ashina Suwu, we can eventually capture him... But now without evidence, if we rashly arrest him and provoke the Turkic Khan to press the border with heavy forces, even if General Leng's troops can hold them off, can the border civilians endure it?" Xiao Jin Yu's brow tightened slightly. "I know little about warfare, but I understand one thing: external enemies are easier to defend against than internal traitors... Minister Xue, you'd better immediately take people to check Liangzhou Post Station."
Xue Ming froze in surprise, then hurried out of the tent.
Xiao Jin Yu turned to Leng Peishan, whose face was ashen. "General Leng, there's no need to blame yourself... The mastermind behind this is someone meticulous and immensely powerful. If not for some compelling reason forcing their hand, we might not have uncovered this even in ten years."
Leng Peishan suddenly caught the implication, looking at Xiao Jin Yu in astonishment. "Wang Ye... are you saying the mastermind is from our own court?"
Xiao Jin Yu nodded faintly, his expression darkening. "General Leng, do you know why these four committed suicide using Devil's Snare, and why they chose these four different methods?"
"Please enlighten me, Wang Ye."
"I had Xiao Yue investigate their backgrounds. Cheng Yu's wife was violated five years ago and hanged herself at home. Zhang Peng's entire family drowned in a flood three years ago. Zhong Xiang's elderly mother perished in a house fire four years ago. As for Xue Qin... his wife traveled thousands of miles to Liangzhou to accompany him, became pregnant, but both mother and child were lost during a difficult childbirth... It's said he once drunkenly cursed heaven for being blind, asking why such dangerous work couldn't be done by men..."
Seeing the dawning realization on Leng Peishan's face, Xiao Jin Yu said gravely, "The hallucinations from Devil's Snare actually magnify one's deepest desires. Without such backgrounds, they might not have died this way... or perhaps wouldn't have committed suicide after being poisoned at all. Wu Chen chose Devil's Snare precisely because he must have known their pasts intimately."
Leng Peishan knitted his sword-like brows. "These matters aren't particularly secret. Since the Turkics could even replace our post station officials, investigating these things shouldn't be difficult for them."
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head gently. "They might uncover these matters, but they can't simply replace post station officials at will, especially with such perfect timing. The former Liangzhou Prefect left and Xue Ming assumed office within just a day or two. Then Xiao Jue was suddenly transferred from Liangzhou to the southern frontier, followed immediately by Ashina Suwu turning to attack Tuyuhun. Just when you and Ashina Turo were locked in stalemate, you suddenly won a major victory, and the Turkics immediately sent Ashina Suwu... It's all too coincidental." Xiao Jin Yu looked at Leng Peishan's pale face. "General Leng, focus on the war. Xue Ming will surely handle matters at Liangzhou Post Station properly... I must return to the capital immediately. Remember to guard against petty people."
"Yes... May Prince An take care."
When Xiao Jin Yu returned to camp, Chu Chu had already washed, changed clothes, and packed their luggage. She was sitting at the table waiting for him.
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