At this moment, Xiao Yu was riding at full speed to the front line.
He had already left Jiangzhou City when he suddenly saw a carrier pigeon following behind him. Xiao Yu lightly touched the back of his horse with his toes, used his Lightness Skill to fly up, and caught the pigeon.
He tied his horse to a tree and, by the moonlight, read the contents of the letter—
The letter, written in neat and elegant small characters, was indeed his elder brother's own handwriting. His brother instructed him on two things: first, to stop by the military camp when he passed through the front lines and check if Qi Fenghua was there; second, to ask him about what had happened to Qi Fenghua at the front lines over the years, and to tell him as much as he knew.
Xiao Yu frowned slightly, then bit her finger and quickly wrote on the back of the letter—
" Qi Fenghua has been an ordinary deputy general in the army for many years. He comes from a noble family, has a high opinion of himself, and is unwilling to submit to General Lin. He has had several conflicts with General Lin. Since General Lin is the commander-in-chief at the front, Qi Fenghua can only obey the general's orders, which makes him quite resentful. The two are outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds. Therefore, General Lin does not allow him to lead troops into battle, but only puts him in charge of transporting supplies. I have not seen him since I went to Yan State. I will investigate carefully about whether he is in the military camp when I return to the front."
Xiao Yu casually wrote the letter and then had a pigeon deliver it back.
After receiving it, Xiao Lou handed it to Yu Hanjiang. Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems that Qi Fenghua has been very unsuccessful in the army all these years. He is dissatisfied with General Lin and is suppressed by him. His father, the Eighth Prince, does not care about politics and will not let the emperor promote him. Over time, it is inevitable that he will feel resentful. At this time, if someone promises him a chance to cooperate with Zhao State in a rebellion, he will naturally be tempted."
Xiao Lou nodded: "I wonder if Ye Qi and the others have any leads..."
Just then, Ye Qi's voice suddenly rang in Xiao Lou's mind: " The Zhao State delegation is making a move. A group of people suddenly rode horses and headed out of the city. Should Liu Qiao and I follow them?"
To keep in touch, Xiao Lou and Ye Qi had linked up with the Telepathic Connection system. Upon hearing this, they immediately said, "Follow them, be careful, don't let them spot you, and use an invisibility card if necessary."
Ye Qi said, "Okay, we're following. We'll report back when we have any news!"
Following Yu Hanjiang's instructions, Ye Qi and Liu Qiao went to keep watch near the post station after leaving the prefectural government. However, less than half an hour later, the gate of the post station suddenly opened, and a group of Zhao State envoys rode their horses and hurried out of the city.
It was already 3 a.m.
The night was cool and still, the bright moon hung high, and all around was so quiet that only the clatter of horses' hooves could be heard.
Ye Qi and Liu Qiao exchanged a glance, quickly activated their card skills, and chased after the group. As they followed, they reported the direction to Xiao Lou. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang also quickly rode their horses out of the city to meet them.
The Zhao State delegation moved swiftly.
But Liu Qiao's [ Light as a Swallow ] allows her to leap across trees. There are trees everywhere outside Jiangzhou City, and she moves among them like a master of lightness skill from ancient times.
Ye Qi's [Teleport] card allows him to teleport 50 meters at a time. After Liu Qiao finds a good landing spot, he can teleport directly to the tree.
The two of them flew in the tree and followed below, maintaining a distance of about 50 meters from the Zhao State delegation.
A breeze was blowing at night. Liu Qiao, thin and light, leaped from tree to tree dressed in black without arousing the suspicion of the Zhao State delegation. Ye Qi also put on a black outfit and solemnly covered his face with a black cloth.
Soon, the two of them left the city with the delegation.
Ye Qi and Liu Qiao dared not act rashly, so they could only follow along while reporting to Xiao Lou via the Telepathic Connection.
Half an hour later, the Zhao State delegation arrived at the mountain outside the city.
There is a temple on the mountain outside Jiangzhou City. The ancient temple, nestled in the mountains, appears particularly serene at night. The group of envoys stopped near the ancient temple. Ye Qi and Liu Qiao climbed a tree together, and to avoid being discovered, they both wore invisibility cloaks.
Near the ancient temple is a clear spring, and two tall men are standing facing each other by the spring.
One of the men in white was handsome, with a piece of clear green jade hanging from his waist. He held a folding fan in his hand, his eyes were smiling, and his white robe looked like a fairy descending to earth under the moonlight, with an otherworldly temperament.
The young man in black standing opposite him had handsome features and a hint of sharpness in his eyes.
Ye Qi suddenly realized in his mind, "This man in black looks a lot like a younger version of the prince, he must be Qi Fenghua?!"
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were on their way when they heard this and immediately said to Ye Qi, "Hold your positions and listen to what they're saying. Be sure to hide with the Invisibility Cloak and don't alert them."
Ye Qi continued to eavesdrop.
Qi Fenghua frowned and said, "Second Prince, when do you plan to... "
"When to act?"
The Second Prince chuckled and said, "Brother Qi, don't be in a hurry. Poisoning the Crown Prince at the wedding banquet is a very risky thing. I need to plan carefully. I need to ensure success on the first try, so that the Crown Prince dies without anyone knowing, and I also need to do a good job of cleaning up the mess. I need to find a 'murderer' who is willing to take the blame for me to cover things up and prevent my father from suspecting me. Only in this way can I rightfully succeed to the position of Crown Prince."
Qi Fenghua nodded: "There are still a few months until your wedding with Princess Shuan. I hope the Second Prince can prepare quickly."
The second prince narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Don't worry, I won't let him sit in the position of crown prince for too long."
Qi Fenghua was silent for a moment, then took out an exquisite bottle from his pocket and said, "This is the kind of deadly poison I mentioned in the letter. It is a powder personally developed by a poison master I know. It is colorless and odorless when mixed into food. As long as you put a small spoonful into the food or drink, the other party will not be able to detect it. It is enough for you to poison dozens of people you want to deal with."
The second prince smiled and accepted it, saying, "Thank you."
Qi Fenghua said, "After it's done, don't forget our agreement."
The Second Prince nodded: "Of course. Brother Qi helped me ascend the throne, and I will surely help Brother Qi fulfill his long-cherished wish. From now on, the two of us will share this prosperous land, and Qi State and Zhao State will be forever allied. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Qi Fenghua clasped his hands in a fist salute to him: "I should not stay in Jiangzhou for long. Farewell."
Seeing that Qi Fenghua was about to escape down the mountain, Ye Qi immediately called Xiao Lou through the Telepathic Connection: " Qi Fenghua is going down the mountain, Liu Qiao and I may not be able to catch him!"
Xiao Lou said, "Don't worry, Hanjiang and I have already reached the foot of the mountain. Qi Fenghua has no way to escape. You all continue to keep an eye on the Second Prince."
Ye Qi breathed a sigh of relief and continued monitoring.
After Qi Fenghua left, the Second Prince played the bamboo flute at his waist, and the group of envoys rushed in, kneeling down in unison: "Greetings, Your Highness!"
The second prince raised his hand, signaling them to stand up.
A man said, "Your Highness has summoned your subordinates. What are your instructions?"
The Second Prince chuckled, fanning himself with his fan, "Besides getting medicine from someone, I secretly infiltrated Great Qi State this time to see what the princess of the royal palace whom Father Emperor has betrothed to me looks like. Now that we've achieved our goal, let's go back as soon as possible and avoid arousing suspicion."
The messenger said, "But isn't it against the rules for us to leave so suddenly?"
The Second Prince said calmly, "Leave a letter saying that Zhao State is busy with internal affairs and has left without saying goodbye. Please forgive me, Your Highness. Thank you for your hospitality these past few days. In the future, the Second Prince will definitely visit you in person."
He waved his hand, mounted his horse, and said, "Let's go."
Several messengers immediately followed him down the mountain from the other side.
*
At this moment, down the mountain.
Yu Hanjiang brought a group of Shadow Guards and surrounded Qingshan.
The token His Majesty had given him finally came in handy. The Shadow Guards treated the token as if it were His Majesty, and obeyed Yu Hanjiang's orders without hesitation. There were dozens of these highly skilled Shadow Guards, and no matter how skilled Qi Fenghua was, he couldn't escape the encirclement of so many people.
Qi Fenghua sensed something was wrong as he came down from the mountain.
He alertly pricked up his ears and observed his surroundings.
The surroundings were eerily quiet. The trees cast dark shadows under the moonlight, and the shadows on the ground seemed to be baring their fangs and dancing like vengeful ghosts.
Not far away, a long white silk ribbon hung from a tree, with what appeared to be a woman in white suspended from it, swaying in the wind.
This scene reminded him of his younger sister hanging on the tree in the Prince's mansion...
Qi Fenghua suddenly snapped to attention, his body instantly stiffening as if frozen in place. He didn't believe in ghosts or spirits, much less in vengeful ghosts. Upon seeing the white shadow hanging from the tree, he immediately drew his sword, leaped forward, and sliced the white silk in two. He then hacked wildly at the white shadow, shouting, "Who's playing tricks?!"
As the white silk tore, the "woman in white" lying on the ground revealed her true form—
It is a doll made of white cloth.
Qi Fenghua was shocked and realized that she had been tricked.
Just then, a giant net fell from the sky, almost covering him completely.
Fortunately, Qi Fenghua reacted quickly and immediately leaped onto a tree. However, countless dark figures suddenly appeared around him, their swords flashing like white snow, instantly enveloping him. Even with his superior martial arts skills, he was forced to land.
Another giant net was held by several men in black with excellent lightness skills, completely surrounding him!
The net grew denser and denser, as if the group of men in black had set up some kind of formation. Qi Fenghua had nowhere to escape. After struggling for a moment, he was finally captured by the eight men in black working together!
Suddenly, flames blazed around them, blinding Qi Fenghua and making him squint.
The group of men in black were carrying torches, and many of them were carrying bows and arrows, their sharp arrowheads all aimed at him.
A man and a woman walked out of the crowd.
The man was tall and handsome; the woman, draped in a blue cloak, stood gracefully in the moonlight, exuding extraordinary charm.
"Young Master Qi, it's a pleasure to meet you." Yu Hanjiang lowered his voice and said slowly, "Shouldn't you be on the front lines? What are you doing in Jiangzhou?"
Qi Fenghua feigned calmness and said, "Who are you? What nonsense are you spouting? My name is Qi Zhao, and I am a hunter from the mountains. I came down to hunt but was inexplicably captured by you. Release me! You have mistaken me for someone else."
"Is that so?" Yu Hanjiang retorted coldly. "Young Master Qi's appearance bears a striking resemblance to His Highness. I am the Perfect of Jiangzhou, and I have had considerable contact with His Highness while investigating a murder case. I shouldn't be mistaken. Besides, didn't Young Master Qi just meet with Zhao State... "
Has the Second Prince met him? The Second Prince is of such high status, why would he meet a hunter?
"..." Qi Fenghua's face turned ashen.
"Just now, my husband and I made a white rag doll and hung it on a tree to play with. I didn't expect Young Master Qi to react so strongly. As soon as he saw this scene, he immediately flew over and cut the white silk in half with his sword. I wonder why?" Xiao Lou said with a smile.
"..." Qi Fenghua's eyes were bloodshot with rage, wishing he could tear the net apart. However, the net that trapped him seemed to be made of special material, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break it.
Yu Hanjiang looked at him coldly and said, "Miss Wang, Qi Yiyao, your own sister, was murdered by you, wasn't she?"
Qi Fenghua gritted her teeth and refused to answer.
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow and gave the Shadow Guard a look: "Search them."
Two Shadow Guards stepped forward and quickly searched his pockets—
Sure enough, they found the poison.
It was the deadly poison he had just given to the Second Prince, and it might have been the tool he used to poison his sister Qi Yiyao!
Xiao Lou took the medicine bottle, placed a cloth in his palm, and poured out a little powder to examine it closely. The powder looked very much like transparent rock sugar powder; mixed into food, it would certainly be colorless, odorless, and difficult to detect.
A flood of vivid memories suddenly came to mind.
Back then, my father discovered this very powder in the series of poisonings in the capital.
Later, her father died from this poison. Knowing that the perpetrator was a master of poisons, her mother took her two sons, Xiao Lou and Xiao Yu, and fled the capital overnight. She even had her two sons disguise themselves as little girls to avoid the killer's pursuit and revenge.
Recalling his childhood experiences, Xiao Lou clenched his fists tightly.
This poison has reappeared.
Following Qi Fenghua, we might find the murderer who poisoned my father back then!
Seeing Xiao Lou's expression, Yu Hanjiang immediately understood the reason for his grim face. Yu Hanjiang gently put his arm around Xiao Lou's shoulder and whispered, "Madam, don't be anxious. Now that we have caught him red-handed, we can surely find some clues. Following this poison powder, we might be able to uncover the secrets of the rebellious forces in the capital."
He glanced coldly at Qi Fenghua, then waved to the Shadow Guard behind him: "Take him away!"
Qi Fenghua, who was being escorted to the prefectural office, looked extremely pale.
He never expected that his late-night meeting with the Second Prince would result in him being caught red-handed by the Prefect of Jiangzhou, who was lying in wait at the foot of the mountain!