The Road to Glory

Chapter 62: "All Dead."

The Pingzhou government office was currently in complete chaos.

No one had anticipated that Wen Yu would encounter an assassination attempt on her return from the temple ceremony.

The suggestion for Wen Yu to hold the temple ceremony in Pingzhou had been proposed by lower-ranking officials primarily because, although she had met numerous officials since arriving in Pingzhou, the common people in the city had only caught a glimpse of her carriage on the day she entered the city and knew very little about her, the former Liang princess.

After Pei Song's battle with Wei Qishan in Dingzhou, he had already begun deploying troops to suppress the various rebel kings in the south.

If they wanted to quickly build momentum and continue recruiting talented individuals, they had to make some noticeable moves.

Holding the temple ceremony was the best method. Firstly, since the Wen imperial family had been nearly wiped out, no one had formally held a memorial ceremony for them until now. This move undoubtedly declared to the world that Wen Yu, representing former Liang, had officially entered the power struggle. Secondly, it allowed the people of Pingzhou to behold her imperial countenance, helping Wen Yu gain more popular support.

Chen Wei, Li Xun, and others had planned this for a long time. Fearing potential ambushes, they kept it confidential until the day of the ceremony. They arranged multiple layers of guards along the route to ensure Wen Yu's safety.

Unexpectedly, while the journey there proceeded without incident, on the return trip, a group of refugees suddenly rushed toward the carriage and began slashing with knives. With many onlookers among the common people, chaos immediately erupted.

The guards tightly protected the carriage, but the assassins were dressed like ordinary civilians, making them extremely difficult to defend against.

When the assassins finally broke into the carriage, Zhao Bai, still recovering from his injuries, couldn't handle so many attackers alone. At the critical moment, fortunately, another Royal Residence Guard emerged and turned the tide.

Wen Yu sat in the inner chamber, allowing the physician to take her pulse through a silk handkerchief, her expression calm.

After checking her pulse, the physician stroked his beard and said, "Your Highness's pulse is weak and floating, likely due to recent mental strain and the shock of today's events. This humble physician will prescribe some medicine for you. Proper rest and recuperation are all that is needed."

Wen Yu lowered her sleeve and thanked the physician, then said, "My martial maid has sustained some injuries. I trouble you to examine her as well."

The physician packed his medical kit and agreed.

Chen Wei, Li Xun, and the others who had been waiting nearby finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Wei said with a face full of remorse, "It's fortunate that you are unharmed, Princess. Otherwise, this official wouldn't have ten heads enough to atone..."

Wen Yu replied calmly, "You both have done your best. If those people had received the information earlier, they would have attacked on my way to the temple ceremony. That way, I would have been assaulted, and the ceremony would have failed—killing two birds with one stone. But since they waited until my return to attempt the assassination, it seems they obtained the information suddenly and acted hastily without proper preparation."

Li Xun said with bitter regret, "It's a pity those fellows had poison sacs hidden in their mouths. They all took poison and killed themselves as soon as they were captured, so we couldn't interrogate them for information."

Wen Yu looked at him and said, "Not necessarily."

Li Xun showed hesitation. "What does the Princess mean...?"

Wen Yu rose from the official's chair, her face showing no trace of the panic one might expect after surviving an assassination attempt. "Lord Chen must have some idea which aristocratic families in Pingzhou have been won over by Pei Song or Wei Qishan. Although the assassins took their own lives, we can use the investigation as a pretext to temporarily suppress the businesses of those prominent aristocratic families."

Chen Wei's worry turned to delight, and he clasped his hands respectfully. "Your foresight is admirable, Princess."Wen Yu said, "This matter can be considered a blessing in disguise. Calculating the days, one of my cargo ships should be arriving in Pingzhou soon. I was originally worried about how to unload the goods while avoiding the watchful eyes of the aristocratic families at Pingzhou docks, but they’ve handed me an excellent opportunity."

Chen Wei and Li Xun exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other’s eyes. "Cargo ship?"

Wen Yu lowered her lashes slightly and said, "It’s a shipment of grain and medicinal herbs I ordered to be purchased along the way before I left Yongcheng. At present, it’s considered a batch of high-demand goods."

The main reason for wanting to avoid the attention of Pingzhou’s forces while receiving these goods transported by Xu Jia’s cargo ships was to protect Xu Jia.

Xu Jia’s cargo ships had been able to travel safely to Pingzhou under the pretense of purchasing grain and medicinal supplies for Pei Song. Although the southern prefectures and counties had rebelled, none were bold enough to openly plunder Pei Song’s resources.

Back in Yongcheng, Wen Yu had not anticipated that the situation would evolve to this extent.

She had paid only half the price to Xu Jia for double the goods, initially concerned that Xu Jia might resell them independently upon reaching Pingzhou.

However, the current rise of rebel kings had further alleviated Wen Yu’s worries.

To fund their armies, rebel kings often seized the properties and wealth of local merchants under any pretext. Smarter merchants, like the Jia family in Zhaoxian, Xinzhou, had already ingratiated themselves with the authorities, surrendering most of their assets to ensure their safety.

If Xu Jia attempted to do business with other rebel kings, it would be like tossing a piece of meat into a dog’s mouth.

As for distributing the goods to other merchants, that was even more challenging. Wen Yu’s earlier strategy had accelerated the rise in prices of grain and medicinal herbs—a trend that would have otherwise occurred only after the spread of the war. Merchants south of the Wei River had already stockpiled goods in advance.

With their own inventories still unsold, they were unlikely to purchase Xu Jia’s stockpiled goods.

The only entities capable of absorbing Xu Jia’s several shiploads of goods were the local prefectural governments.

Xu Jia dared not collaborate with the rebel kings, nor did they dare to work with Pei Song.

Not only had the cargo ships already been heading south for some time, making transportation costly and labor-intensive, but the extent to which Pei Song’s subordinates drove down prices was enough to deter anyone.

Pei Song’s army had been consistently purchasing grain and medicinal supplies, but even with prices soaring to such heights, they continued to buy at suppressed rates. If they couldn’t acquire the goods through purchase, they would seize them by force after capturing other prefectures.

Yet, the merchants were shrewd.

As the saying goes, "Fortune favors the bold." They used the pretext of working for Pei Song to obtain procurement documents from his army. On the surface, they traveled north and south to purchase grain and medicinal supplies for Pei Song, but in reality, they used these documents as passes to deter rebel kings and bandits from openly plundering them, allowing them to continue their own businesses.

Of course, they did supply a portion of the goods to Pei Song’s army and offered substantial "tributes" to the officials handling the transactions.

Xu Jia’s willingness to continue this transaction with Wen Yu stemmed from the fact that, amid the sudden upheaval in the realm, merchants had once again forged a path to sustain their wealth and profits.

They were unaware of the origins of Wen Yu’s funds and could not foresee that the cargo ships arriving in Pingzhou might attract the attention of Pei Song’s spies stationed there. As the one maneuvering this chessboard, Wen Yu understood that even the slightest misstep in her moves could allow Pei Song to trace everything back to its roots.

Xu Jia’s trade network could connect Pingzhou and Yongcheng. She intended to develop this into a covert channel, which was why she had to ensure Xu Jia’s protection.Upon hearing that she still had supplies, and what's more, medicinal herbs coveted by all the rebel leaders, Chen Wei and Li Xun were both astonished and even more impressed with Wen Yu. They cupped their hands in excitement and said in unison, "With Your Ladyship here, how could our Great Liang not prosper?"

Wen Yu said, "This matter also requires you two to dispatch some capable and trusted aides to handle it. Be sure not to let the news leak. I want the Yong merchant Xu family to serve me from now on."

Chen Wei nodded, sincerely convinced, "This official understands. This official will go and make arrangements immediately!"

After he left, Li Xun showed a trace of worry again: "Although it's said that one cannot have both fish and bear's paw, the Southern Chen envoy is about to arrive in Pingzhou. At this time, if we continue to suppress the news of Your Ladyship's assassination and strictly investigate the major aristocratic families in Pingzhou city, I... fear that those with ulterior motives might make a big issue out of it."

Wen Yu picked up a memorial with her fingertips and read it, her eyes calm as she said, "Isn't that even better? Send people to keep a close watch. We might even be able to uncover a few spies."

Li Xun's worry did not diminish: "If the Southern Chen envoy thinks we urgently need their protection, I'm afraid they will become too arrogant during the alliance negotiations and not agree to the terms you set..."

Wen Yu slightly raised her eyelids: "I have my own ways to deal with this matter. Instead, it's regarding Mr. Li Yao..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Keeping him in the dark about the temple sacrifice this time wasn't due to distrust of his loyalty to the princely estate, but rather concern that among the advisors who support him, there might be those with ulterior motives who could leak information and bring disaster. But the old gentleman is proud by nature, and resentment must have already taken root. I don't seek his understanding, but only trouble you to go to the storeroom on my behalf, select some gifts, and give them to him as a token of apology."

Although Li Xun was several decades younger than Li Yao, having worked together in the princely estate for many years, he naturally understood Li Yao's loyalty to the estate. He just hadn't expected the old fellow to be so stubborn and pedantic, convinced that a woman couldn't accomplish great deeds, unwilling to recognize Wen Yu as his new lord as he had served his former master.

He even declared that if not for the debt of gratitude owed to the late heir for saving his finger, he wouldn't have come to Pingzhou to live under Southern Chen's thumb. By defecting to Wei Qishan and serving another great leader of the world, he could still kill Pei Song and avenge his former master.

That day when he sent someone to summon Zhao Bai, it was because Li Yao had spoken such disrespectful words in front of many advisors.

After Wen Yu found out, she didn't punish Li Yao, but simply began to cold-shoulder the group of advisors led by him.

Thinking about how the group of people who had once sworn to avenge the prince and the heir had ultimately split like this, Li Xun felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart.

But Wen Yu had already been sufficiently benevolent towards Li Yao and his followers.

He bowed deeply to Wen Yu and said, "I thank Your Ladyship on their behalf. They will eventually understand Your Ladyship's苦心."

After Li Xun left, Zhao Bai came over from the side hall and called out, "Your Ladyship."

Wen Yu, resting her head on her hand as if deep in thought, looked towards her at the sound and asked, "How are your injuries?"

Zhao Bai said, "Fortunately, Yan Que arrived in time. It's just another superficial wound."

Yan Que was one of the most trusted personal guards of the former Changlian Wang's estate. When Wen Yu traveled from Luodu to Southern Chen, it was he who led the other guards to escort her south.

Wen Yu collected her thoughts and pressed her temples, saying, "That's right. So finally someone from the princely estate has found us? I haven't had time to see him since returning. Summon him inside."

Zhao Bai went to the doorway and had the maid call him into the room.Before long, a powerfully built, tall man entered the room and knelt on one knee before Wen Yu, his eyes red-rimmed as he said, "Yan Que is incompetent. Since the ambush earlier this year, it was only today that I finally found you, My Lady..."

Wen Yu quietly watched the man kneeling below her for a moment before speaking, "Rise and speak. Why have you come to Pingzhou alone? Where are the others?"

The redness in Yan Que's eyes deepened, his voice strained as he replied, "There are no others. They're all dead."

Zhao Bai pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

Nearly a hundred Royal Residence Guards had originally accompanied Yan Que in escorting Wen Yu. They were all elite troops carefully selected from the residence, many of whom she had trained personally. How could her heart not be troubled?

Although Wen Yu had long suspected this outcome, hearing it confirmed still made her momentarily dazed.

She asked, "Zhen Feng, Mian Yue... are they dead too?"

Zhen Feng and Mian Yue were the two martial maids who had served her since childhood. To divert the pursuers, Zhen Feng had disguised herself as Wen Yu, while Mian Yue traveled with her posing as refugees. They had believed that with Zhen Feng's exceptional martial skills and the numerous guards, escaping after diverting the pursuers wouldn't be difficult.

But Zhen Feng and the guards never returned.

Worried that something had happened, Mian Yue went to gather information and likewise vanished without a trace.

While hiding among the refugees, carefully evading pursuers and searching for her guards, Wen Yu had unfortunately fallen into the hands of slave traders.

It was precisely because she believed not all her guards could have been captured that she never gave up trying to contact them after arriving in Yongcheng.

Yan Que replied mournfully, "They're all dead."

This final confirmation brought a wave of sorrow to Wen Yu's eyes. Her dark gaze fixed unwaveringly on Yan Que as she asked, "What exactly happened on the day you diverted the pursuers?"

Yan Que's throat moved with difficulty as he prepared to answer when suddenly, panicked shouts from maidservants came from outside the courtyard: "General Xiao! You cannot enter without the Lady's summons!"

But hurried footsteps had already reached the doorway.

Zhao Bai's eyes sharpened, her hand instinctively drawing her waist sword half an inch from its sheath.

Yan Que also glanced outward to see a coldly handsome young man in armor pushing past the obstructing maids to appear at the entrance. Breathing heavily as if he had rushed here urgently, his gaze fixed firmly on Wen Yu.

Frowning at the man who should have been at the Military Camp but had suddenly appeared here, Wen Yu had no time to speak before Xiao Li clasped his fists and knelt on one knee. His still-unsteady breathing made his voice particularly deep: "This general has urgent matters to report."