A rumor spread throughout the Dian Kingdom about the assassination attempt in the palace.
Some citizens speculated a foolish enemy kingdom dared to send assassins to kill their emperor and princes. Their purpose was to seize the kingdom. Those citizens heard the emperor ordered the northern army to move back thirty li and seize three territories of an enemy kingdom.
Other citizens gossiped about how seventh prince heroically used his body to save the emperor. They thought although seventh prince was stabbed, he was also the person who benefited the most from the assassination attempt.
In the palace, seventh prince was recovering in bed while Consort Mu took care of his injury. Seventh prince and Consort Muâs servants reported to them about the rumors spread outside the palace. Seventh prince and Consort Mu smiled with each other and they rewarded their servants.
The crown princeâs supporters were worried about seventh princeâs heroic reputation so they spread a rumor outside the palace that seventh prince was the person who sent the assassins to the palace.
In contrast to the chaos in the palace, the atmosphere inside Pei Jinâs manor was tranquil.
Since the day Pei Jin returned from the Chi Ruan chamber he followed his fatherâs order and stayed home with Yan Shi Ning. Of course he stayed home while Yan Shi Ning was in an inconvenienced state otherwise he would have taken her sightseeing.
That morning Pei Jin was sitting in Bei Douâs chamber and rubbing a herbal remedy on his knees. The shattered stone pieces pierced through his knees deeper than expected.
âIt appears itâll leave a scar,â Pei Jin said.
âWhy wonât you more attentive that day?â Bei Dou asked.
âIf I didnât kneel on the shattered stone pieces then how can I feign shock that day?â Pei Jin asked. âIsnât it good that Iâm learning from seventh brotherâs tactic? Besides, Iâm happy I got to see how worried little lion was about me.â
Pei Jin remembered that day he returned home from the palace, Yan Shi Ning saw the blood stains on his knees and she was worried enough for her soul to float away.
âI didnât think Pei Zhang would use his body to save the emperor,â Bei Dou said.
Pei Jin pulled his pants down and stood to wash his hands. âSeventh brother was certain he wouldnât die. A shallow stab isnât going to harm his healthy body.â
âItâs a pity he was rewarded,â Bei Dou said.
Pei Jin smiled. âThatâs uncertain.â
âWhy?â Bei Dou asked suspiciously.
âMy imperial father isnât a fool,â Pei Jin said. âImperial father saw that seventh brother could have easily pushed the sword away but seventh brother chose to let the sword stab him. Itâs a pity imperial father hates other people acting in front of him the most. Seventh brotherâs heroic display was only rewarded by imperial fatherâs disdain. Imperial father is naturally a suspicious person. It looks like he is favoring seventh brother by letting seventh brother stay in the palace to recover... but imperial father purposely detained seventh brother in the palace to make it easier for him to investigate who sent the assassins. If seventh brother had behaved and focused on recovering in the palace, he would have earned imperial fatherâs trust... a pity Consort Mu impatiently sent servants to spread news about seventh brotherâs heroic deed and made imperial father more suspicious of seventh brother.â
Bei Dou listened to Pei Jinâs explanation and he realised his assumptions were naive.
âThe crown prince is more intelligent than seventh prince,â Pei Jin said. âAfter the assassination attempt the crown prince acted like his bodyâs weak and stayed in the Eastern chamber to rest. It made the empress angry enough to break off fingernails. Iâm uncertain whether the crown prince is truly giving up his position or if heâs waiting for a good opportunity to retaliate.â
âIf you had let me enter the palace to assassinate the crown prince then you wouldnât be as troubled as you are now,â Bei Dou said.
Pei Jin knew if he had let Bei Dou wield a sword at the palace that day then the crown prince would no longer be under the same sky as them.
âBei Dou, I didnât send the two assassins to kill people,â Pei Jin said.
âThen what was the purpose?â Bei Dou asked.
Pei Jin looked out the window and he saw the cloudy sky and the palace in the distance. âI merely wanted them to be in a chaotic state. If imperial father is more suspicious of them then they would be too busy retreating to cause trouble for me. Indeed being a carefree prince isnât bad.â
Pei Jin picked up a fan Yan Shi Ning gave him and waved it in front of him to blow away the worries in his head.
Of course Bei Dou didnât believe Pei Jinâs simple reason. According to the news Bei Dou received, the emperor was suspicious of seventh prince and the crown prince. The emperor also demoted all the court officials that were secretly cooperating with Huang Guo. That news startled him. He realised if Pei Jin had listened to his advice and cooperated with Huang Guo then no one in Pei Jinâs manor would be safe.
âYou knew long ago the emperor was suspicious of Huang Guoâs motives,â Bei Dou said.
Pei Jin looked at the words beautifully embroidered on the fan and smiled. âIn the past I wasnât certain but after imperial father demoted their positions, it confirmed my intuition. Twelve years ago Huang Guoâs sudden resignation would make people suspicious.â
Bei Dou thought that Pei Jinâs strategic skills were better than he expected.
âIâm going back to my chamber to play with the little lion,â Pei Jin said.
Pei Jin walked to the door but he remembered something he forgot to ask Bei Dou and turned his head around to face Bei Dou. âI almost forgot why I came here.â
Bei Dou was curious what else Pei Jin wanted to discuss.
âHonestly, how long does a womanâs inconvenience time last?â Pei Jin asked. âLast time I asked, you said it lasts for four to five days. But itâs past six days, why isnât my wife well?â
Bei Dou glared at Pei Jin, he wanted to vomit blood. Heavens! What was he? A woman? How was he supposed to know? He brushed his sleeves to vent his anger and left his chamber.
Pei Jin watched Bei Dou leave in an angry state. Afterward he rubbed his chin and realised the little lion wasnât inconvenienced.
***
End of Chapter Twenty-Three (Part 1)