Chapter 132: Assassination

After His Majesty learned of the matter, he merely ordered that a few men be assigned to keep watch for the time being. No rash actions were to be taken. Yet the problem lay with Yuwen Hong indeed having stirred up trouble. Moreover, he was adamant in urging His Majesty to capture the culprit.

On the second day of their stay at the inn, the Marquis of Yue from Chu, who had accompanied Yuwen Hong, was attacked in an assassination attempt. Fortunately, nearby residents were alert and saved him, though his arm was gravely wounded. When he went to see His Majesty, his arm was heavily bandaged.

Yuwen Hong was furious and discontented, even blaming the place for its lack of safety and accusing them of failing to protect their envoy from Chu properly. His Majesty remained impassive, listening to his confident assertions but finding little credibility in his words. Instead, it seemed they were deliberately making things difficult here.

“Are you certain the injury occurred inside the courier inn?” Lord Cao suddenly asked.

The other party seemed unaware of any impropriety and responded aggressively, “We rushed here from elsewhere, weary from travel. Unfamiliar with the land of Qing, we had no choice but to stay at the inn arranged by your Qing Empire’s sovereign. The assassination attempt happened here, nowhere else.”

His account was largely believable, but who could say how much was truth or fabrication?

“Crown Prince Yuwen, we have heard that you also stayed at the Wushuang Inn. Some witnesses claim to have seen you there. We do not know if this is true,” came the probing remark.

At these words, the Chu envoy’s face changed abruptly—it seemed there was truth to it.

“That’s impossible. We know no one here...” His hurried explanation was weak and unconvincing. Perhaps it was time to summon the innkeeper for testimony.

“We would not wrong you. The innkeeper has already been brought here. If the witnesses are mistaken, your innocence will be proven,” came the coordinated reply.

Their exchange confirmed it: they were intentionally causing trouble.

“Your Majesty, even if the attack happened at this inn, it occurred on your Qing Empire’s land. Should we not receive an explanation?” The statement was quite reasonable. Yet who could be sure this was not a staged act?

“Of course,” His Majesty replied calmly.

“This case has been handed over to the Ministry of Works’ Deputy Minister. I trust a verdict will be reached within three days.”

Seeing no benefit from the affair and nearly being exposed, Yuwen Hong left in sullen defeat.

The attempted assassination of the Chu Marquis was indeed a grave matter, demanding utmost vigilance. The priority was to investigate those who had close contact with Yuwen Hong in recent days, as they were the true key figures.

Sure enough, the inquiry uncovered something: His Highness Prince Huai had met with Yuwen Hong and even spent several hours conversing in a private room. What was the reason behind this? Was it merely a matter of hospitality? The answer was uncertain.

“Brother Han, it is unusual for Prince Huai to meet directly with a foreign envoy,” Cao Yan said cautiously. Since His Majesty had entrusted him with the matter, he expressed his concern.

“There is no evidence yet, and we must not act rashly,” he added. It was unreasonable to confront Prince Huai directly.

“That Marquis of Yue is no ordinary man,” Han Qing mused. Initially dismissive of these few, he now believed they must proceed with caution. Should these men rebel, the Qing Empire would be left defenseless.

Sure enough, clues emerged. Though the Marquis was injured, many visitors came to see him in Qing. No one managed such minor affairs officially, but who could guarantee there was no secret activity underway? Perhaps even plotting harm.

“Investigate that person. He is but a performer—how could he know the Marquis’s whereabouts? It’s baffling.” Cao Yan nodded. The actor was reportedly once from Chu but had come here to study the arts, living here for decades. Now, with the Chu Crown Prince’s arrival, he sought to join him back home and tried by all means to establish contact.

This explanation was plausible. Yet was it truly so simple? Were there no other motives?

“No, that actor must know some martial arts,” Han Qing said. He had watched a play at the Plum Garden and noticed that while the man always played the clown, his skills and bearing suggested training beyond mere performance—likely martial training. Having learned some techniques from the old beggar, Han recognized certain moves.

“Was that actor the one who tried to assassinate him that night?”

“What?” The Chu Crown Prince was shocked. But seeing all the evidence before him, Yuwen Hong could no longer deny it—it was indeed a Chu man.

Why would he do such a thing?

“My lord, I hate Chu and its people. Had I not been driven from my home in my youth with no refuge, why would I have crossed mountains and rivers to come here?” The actor spoke slowly, tears filling his eyes.

“I think the one who wronged you then was an insignificant master, not the Chu royal family,” Yuwen Hong asked in confusion.

“True, not your family, but if you had not issued certain laws then, would those people have dared to humiliate my family so?” It seemed he bore deep resentment.

Yet Han Qing did not believe the matter was as simple as it appeared. How could a mere actor know where the Marquis stayed? Someone must have ordered him. Once the truth was revealed, he gave this story as an excuse—quite perfect, as no flaws were evident.

The man was imprisoned, awaiting trial in late autumn.

With the crisis resolved, the Chu Crown Prince came before His Majesty to explain their purpose. Their ruler wished to establish a peaceful future with Qing and was willing to offer generous gifts to show sincerity.

Oh? This sudden turn was unexpected.

“Your Majesty, we heard that some Chu people have been disturbing the border residents of Qing. We have arranged to deal with them all,” he declared, showing goodwill. Yet surely they sought some benefit in return. After all, it was a matter of mutual gain for both nations.