Chapter 4
Songhe Tower was widely known for its lively atmosphere, and the food really was delicious. However, the flavors were somewhat mild, and the portions were rather small. The idea was to leave diners only seventy percent full.
When Zhao Qian offered to treat everyone to a meal, Chai Yuandao immediately began gathering the family, hoping to bring everyone along.
Chai Zheng had an elder brother named Chai Ji, a typical bookworm who spent nearly every waking moment buried in his study. Though only in his teens, he could already compose elegant prose effortlessly. It was becoming increasingly obvious that he was headed toward a career as a civil official who couldn’t even manage the simplest physical labor. Even if Duke Chai personally came to drag him out, getting him through the door would be quite a challenge.
Conversations between father and son usually went something like this.
Duke Chai would say, “Son, your imperial uncle is treating us to a meal. Why don’t you come out for a bit?”
Without even lifting his head, Chai Ji would reply, “Oh. Not going.”
Strictly speaking, Duke Chai had only one son and one daughter in his entire life. Unfortunately, his son had been born prematurely and was constitutionally weak. As long as he wasn’t doing physical labor, he looked no different from anyone else. But commanding troops was another matter entirely. Chai Ji might have wanted to try, but Chai Yuandao was afraid his son would squander the family’s entire military strength.
Duke Chai had occasionally sighed over his worries that his son might never amount to much. Yet Chai Zheng, nestled in her mother’s arms, secretly retorted, “Your son, my dear elder brother, is going to become the Minister of Revenue, managing all the money and grain in the empire. If the two of us hadn’t been suspected of ‘colluding and becoming a threat,’ we wouldn’t have died so quickly.”
Sometimes, having children who were too capable was a disaster in itself.
Even a peerless hero could have moments of weakness while nestled in her mother’s arms. Chai Zheng yawned and stretched a little hand out from Zhao Linlang’s embrace, grabbing the hem of Ruan Linshuang’s clothes. No matter what, she refused to let go, displaying a determination that suggested she would sooner lose an arm than release her grip.
Perhaps mothers and daughters really did share a connection, including similar tastes. Zhao Linlang was also very fond of the Ruan family’s little girl and took her everywhere. As a result, Ruan Yuzhang was left trailing behind them like an awkward outsider.
“Our Zheng’er is terribly mischievous. She doesn’t have any of the obedience or gentleness you’d expect from a little girl. I suppose Linlang has taken a liking to how quiet and well-behaved your daughter is and wants Zheng’er to have an elder sister.”
The moment Chai Yuandao finished speaking, Chai Zheng’s ears practically stood straight up. If she hadn’t been struggling to articulate her words, she would have recited an entire lengthy essay to her father right then and there, urging him to behave like a decent human being.
Ruan Yuzhang smiled bitterly. “Although Shuang’er has grown up without a mother, she’s actually rather stubborn. She’s nowhere near as… agreeable as she appears. Besides, Miss Chai is energetic and clever. Perhaps she’ll inherit your mantle someday.”
“I certainly hope so, but Zheng’er is only two years old. We’ll have to see what she wants to do when she grows up. Whether she chooses to command troops or pursue her studies, I’ll let her decide. As her father, all I want is to provide a shelter over my children’s heads.”
Chai Yuandao pressed his palms together, looked toward the heavens, and said, “May Heaven bless me with a hundred years of life.”
“…”
Chai Zheng thought, “So you’ve actually had thoughts like that, Father? Here I was thinking that beating me half to death was a hobby you developed out of boredom.”
Then she realized that she really was Duke Chai’s biological daughter after all. They both liked asking Heaven for things that were almost impossible to accomplish, such as reincarnating as a mosquito or… living to be a hundred years old in this lifetime.
Their group wasn’t particularly large, but several of them had familiar faces. Both the waiter and the shopkeeper hurried forward to welcome them and arranged a private room on the eastern side.
The moment the curtain covering the window was lowered, Ruan Linshuang noticed the Grand Princess’s expression change.
Her gentle, amiable smile instantly became like a freshly sharpened blade, revealing an unmistakable glint of danger.
Her beauty had originally been radiant and dignified. Only the imperial family could raise a noblewoman with such sunlike splendor. Even after marrying and growing older, Zhao Linlang remained a luminous pearl amid the vast sea.
Yet now, that beauty was suddenly mingled with the fierce presence of clashing weapons and galloping warhorses, becoming breathtakingly formidable. It was a quality forged through years of experience. No matter how wealthy or distinguished a family might be, they could never cultivate even a fraction of it through upbringing alone.
Ruan Linshuang possessed rather keen instincts. From the moment the Grand Princess lowered the curtain, she tightened her grip around Chai Zheng’s fingers.
Danger was gathering around this small room. Something serious might happen very soon.
“Imperial Brother, just how unpopular have you become?” Zhao Linlang said with a smile. “Even when you’re simply trying to have a meal, someone has to come and cause trouble.”
Zhao Qian smiled helplessly. “What can I do? The political situation is unstable.”
During the final years before the late emperor’s death, the dynasty had been plagued by internal unrest and external threats. Regional military governors had colluded with foreign powers, causing the sixteen prefectures of Mobei to change hands several times almost overnight.
At that critical moment, Chai Yuandao had been entrusted with the commander’s seal and appointed to lead the army. Zhao Qian was assigned responsibility for military funds, provisions, and equipment, while Zhao Linlang served as the vanguard commander of the advance forces.
The three had grown up together as childhood friends. Years of hardship in the military had further tempered their characters, forging a bond between them through countless life-and-death experiences.
Chai Zheng wasn’t surprised by the change in her mother’s demeanor.
The daughters of the Chai family had wildness running through their blood. In those days, Zhao Linlang had been an unmatched fighter throughout the three armies. However, she was different from Chai Zheng in one respect.
Compared with Chai Zheng’s fierce temperament, which drove her to fight until both sides were destroyed, Zhao Linlang possessed a more accommodating gentleness. She was like a reed growing in water, bending beneath countless blows without ever breaking.
In later years, Duke Chai would lament that his daughter had inherited his temperament. He feared she would not live long. If only she had possessed even three-tenths of the Grand Princess’s disposition, the road ahead of her might not have been so difficult…
Even without ordering anything, guests in Songhe Tower’s private rooms were first served three small plates of refreshments and a pot of tea. As long as they paid enough, the shopkeeper would happily allow them to sit inside and doze off without ordering a single dish.
The two floors of Songhe Tower were separated by a hollow space designed to filter out most of the noise, allowing guests to enjoy themselves without disturbing one another.
Even so, the silence outside at that moment was excessive. Almost no sound could be heard.
Songhe Tower welcomed a constant stream of customers. It had elegant private rooms like this one, with windows facing the street and views of pine groves, cypress woods, and the rising and falling tides. It also had a bustling main hall.
People from every walk of life gathered there, so loud conversations, drunken disturbances, and other commotions were naturally unavoidable.
When the owner first constructed the building, he had taken this into account. A spiral exterior corridor allowed guests to go directly from the first floor to the second without passing through the main hall, making it convenient for high-ranking officials and nobles who wished to avoid the crowds.
But now, the main hall, which should have been the liveliest place in the building, was completely silent.
Instead, faint movements could be heard along the exterior corridor.
The approaching visitors were exceptionally careful. They hadn’t even disturbed the wind chimes.
Unfortunately for them, apart from Ruan Yuzhang and his daughter, everyone in the room was an expert accustomed to sleeping with weapons at their side, always prepared for battle… Even at two years old, Chai Zheng believed she was better at fighting than four-year-old Ruan Linshuang.
“Give me the children.”
Ruan Yuzhang had also become alert. He voluntarily took responsibility for protecting the children and added, “We should have asked His Majesty to bring more guards. His status is different from what it used to be, after all.”
“Hey!” Chai Yuandao sounded displeased. “Little Ruan, are you looking down on me? As long as I’m here, that brat Zhao Qian isn’t going to lose his life.”
“…”
Chai Zheng thought, “Father, my dear biological father, I’m begging you. When things get chaotic in a moment, could you please stab Zhao Qian a couple of times?”
Unfortunately, a two-year-old child had absolutely no say in the matter.
Chai Zheng was unceremoniously stuffed into Ruan Yuzhang’s arms, headfirst.
Chai Yuandao and Zhao Qian worked together to move the redwood Eight Immortals table into a corner, creating a fairly spacious hiding place beneath it. They then had Ruan Yuzhang take the children inside.
The redwood tabletop was three or four inches thick. An ordinary blade would never be able to pierce it.
Chai Zheng stretched her head outward, barely managing to see past the edge of the table.
Her not-yet-fully-developed brain was working far beyond its capacity as she desperately tried to figure out why the assassination attempt at Songhe Tower had never developed into anything significant. In fact, she had never even heard of it.
“They’re here.”
Zhao Linlang picked up a cup from the table.
At almost the same instant, a small concealed crossbow bolt shot through the window.
The bolt had insufficient force behind it. It became trapped against the bottom of the cup and snapped into three pieces with a crisp crack.
Judging by their division of responsibilities, Chai Yuandao was in charge of protecting Zhao Qian, Zhao Qian was busy recklessly courting death, and Zhao Linlang was their last line of defense, standing guard beside the table.
Consequently, when the crossbow bolt fell, Chai Zheng got a clear look at its craftsmanship.
This object clearly wasn’t from the Central Plains.
Although it had obviously been made to imitate local weapons, copper production in the Central Plains was relatively limited. Concealed crossbow bolts generally had iron tips and wooden shafts. Even with proper maintenance, they would eventually develop rust after prolonged use.
This bolt, however, had a brass tip.
Its shaft was also wooden, but the grain was distinctly unusual. When it broke in the middle, it released a faint grassy fragrance.
Chai Zheng had fought campaigns across both northern and southern territories and was familiar with the customs and environments of many different regions. This kind of fragrant wood preferred shade, damp conditions, and saline-alkaline soil. Most of it grew in coastal areas.
After examining these details, Chai Zheng shifted her attention to the people who had broken into the room.
There were four of them in total.
Chai Zheng estimated that another one or two people were probably waiting outside to assist their retreat.
All four intruders had their faces covered, but none wore the black clothing typically associated with nighttime assassins. Wearing such outfits in broad daylight would have attracted far too much attention. They might have been arrested by the authorities before they even had a chance to commit their crime.
Their clothing was simple, consisting of coarse linen garments in gray or dark brown. They could blend effortlessly into a crowd of merchants, peddlers, and laborers.
Chang’an was the imperial capital and exceptionally prosperous. If the authorities launched a large-scale search based solely on these clothes, at least five out of every ten people they stopped might be dressed similarly.
Judging by the meticulous arrangements, the person behind the attack probably possessed a reasonable amount of intelligence.
However, they weren’t sufficiently familiar with the Great Jing Dynasty and hadn’t conducted a proper investigation on the ground. Relying entirely on assumptions based on outward appearances had led to a flaw as obvious as the concealed crossbow bolt.
Chai Zheng thought again, “If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t make such a mistake.”
All four intruders were highly skilled fighters, more than qualified to be trained as death warriors.
They also carried short weapons, which allowed them to fight effectively in confined spaces.
Chai Yuandao and the others, on the other hand, were completely unarmed.
“Their martial arts are decent, but assassination isn’t a job just anyone can handle. After arranging such a meticulous plan, they ended up sending a few martial artists from the jianghu. It’s obvious they don’t actually want to succeed.”
Chai Zheng frowned.
“Are they trying to frame someone?”
At that moment, Ruan Linshuang’s voice sounded behind her.
Chai Zheng was faintly startled, but she didn’t let it show.
Ruan Linshuang said, “They seem very afraid of dying.”
If even Ruan Linshuang could tell they were afraid of death, then that fear was practically written across their faces.
If these men fought with everything they had, even Chai Yuandao might suffer a few injuries.
But it was obvious that their entire purpose in staging this assassination attempt was to create an opportunity to retreat. They had no intention of putting in even the slightest bit of extra effort.
Chai Yuandao separated a pair of chopsticks, keeping one in his hand and tossing the other to Zhao Qian.
The chopsticks were made of green jade. As long as they didn’t strike a heavy object sideways, they were sturdy enough to remain intact.
Chai Yuandao reached out and seized the man in reddish-brown clothing standing before him.
When the man’s short blade came stabbing toward him, Chai Yuandao pressed his chopstick against the back of the blade.
The weapon suddenly dipped downward, slicing straight into the attacker’s own fingers.
Blood immediately gushed out.
At the same time, the other chopstick plunged directly through the crown of the man’s skull, splitting his head open.
Chai Zheng turned around and covered Ruan Linshuang’s eyes.
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