Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Luring out the Mastermind

Seeing Lu Zhan rise and head for the door without the slightest hesitation, Zhi Ye frowned and sneered, "And here I thought Wan’er meant the world to you. Turns out, compared to your family, she’s nothing.

And to think Wan’er is so devoted to you, looking out for you and the Lu Family, even begging me not to report you.

It seems her heart was given in vain."

Lu Zhan turned and looked at him coldly. "And you? Wan’er respects you, treats you like family, yet you used her trust to abduct her. Doesn’t your conscience bother you? What right do you have to criticize anyone else?

Besides, what’s wrong with choosing my own family?"

Zhi Ye narrowed his eyes, staring intently at him. "So, you’re just going to abandon Wan’er?"

"You’re her blood uncle, yet you had the heart to hurt her. Why wouldn’t an outsider like me do the same?" Lu Zhan said nonchalantly.

"Lu Zhan, do you think you and your family can get away clean just by not participating in the assassination? You are gravely mistaken!

During the inspection tour of Jiangnan, the Emperor ordered you to secretly find the descendant of King Jin. But your Lu Family harbored the descendant instead. All I have to do is send a letter of accusation to the Emperor, and you and your entire family will be doomed!

So, are you sure you won’t reconsider cooperating with me?" Zhi Ye said, calm and unhurried.

Lu Zhan scoffed. "I don’t cooperate with treasonous rebels. Besides, do you really think I’d give you the chance to send that letter?" With that, he took a sudden step back and waved his hand. Archers instantly appeared around the inn, their arrows aimed at Zhi Ye.

Zhi Ye stood up, smiling coldly. "It seems you really don’t care if Zhi Wan lives or dies!"

"And how do you know my men haven’t already rescued her?" A faint smile played on Lu Zhan’s lips.

Zhi Ye froze for a second, but then said with conviction, "Impossible! I shook your man last time. There’s no way he knows where I’ve hidden Zhi Wan."

"Santian Town." Lu Zhan calmly spoke two words.

Zhi Ye’s pupils shrank, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Lu Zhan, stop bluffing. You can’t possibly know where I’ve hidden Zhi Wan."

"You know perfectly well whether she’s in Santian Town," Lu Zhan said slowly. "What surprises me, though, is that you don’t seem to have a single capable person at your side. This mastermind of yours... is he genuinely trying to support you? Or is he just using the cause of King Jin’s descendant to further his own ambitions?"

His words left Zhi Ye rooted to the spot, stunned.

Lu Zhan took in his reaction and continued mockingly, "You’re disfigured now. Even if the assassination succeeds, it won’t be you taking the throne.

This mastermind of yours—once the empire is within his grasp, don’t you think he’ll have his own ideas? Of course, he could always find another so-called descendant of King Jin to prop up.

When that time comes, all your careful planning will have been for nothing but to pave the way for someone else."

Zhi Ye’s mind reeled at the words.

"No, he would never betray me!" With that, he abruptly charged out.

Lu Zhan waved his hand, and the archers, who had been ready to release their arrows, immediately stood down.

"Princely Heir, shouldn’t we arrest him?" Tong Da stepped forward to ask.

"No. I want to use him to lure out the mastermind. Follow him, quickly. See who he meets, and don’t lose him this time," Lu Zhan ordered.

"Yes." Tong Da acknowledged and quickly gave chase.

Lu Zhan remained, lost in thought for a moment, before leading his men back toward the hunting ground.

Meanwhile, as Zhi Wan was nearing the hunting ground under the escort of Chen Jiu and his men, she unexpectedly ran into the brothers Daniu and Erniu.

Seeing them from a distance, Zhi Wan was so surprised she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Once she was close enough to be sure, she asked in astonishment, "Brother Daniu, Brother Erniu, what are you doing here? Has something happened in the Capital?"

Staring at the person before them, who was dressed like a beggar, the brothers asked uncertainly, "Are you... the Miss?"

"It’s me," Zhi Wan nodded, then asked again, "What happened? Who sent you?"

Daniu didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the door to the carriage.

When she saw Jiang Shi lying inside, Zhi Wan’s face filled with shock. "Jiang Shi?"

Chen Jiu heard her cry and hurried over. He was shocked to see Jiang Shi so grievously wounded. He quickly jumped onto the carriage and helped Jiang Shi sit up. "Jiang Shi, who did this to you?"

"It was Zhi Ye," Jiang Shi replied in a low voice. "Where is the Princely Heir? I have something urgent to report to him."

"The Princely Heir is at the hunting ground," Chen Jiu said. "I’ll take you inside now."

"No, we can’t," Jiang Shi refused, shaking his head. "The man conspiring with Zhi Ye has seen my face. We can’t let them discover I’m still alive, or it will tip them off."

Chen Jiu immediately understood the gravity of the situation. "Then let’s not enter the hunting ground. I’ll find a place to get you settled, then I’ll bring the Princely Heir to you."

Jiang Shi shook his head. "No, there’s no time. They’re making their move tonight..."

Chen Jiu’s eyes widened. "What?"

Zhi Wan and the others stood beside the carriage, unable to hear what the two men were muttering about inside.

But when Chen Jiu emerged from the carriage, his expression was grave.

He whispered to Zhi Wan, "Miss, I fear there will be trouble at the hunting ground. I’ll have some men escort you back to the Capital first."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan felt a jolt of alarm, but she didn’t ask any more questions. She only said, "Then please, be careful."

"Rest assured, Miss. I will protect the Princely Heir," Chen Jiu said.

Once he had arranged for her escort, Zhi Wan boarded the carriage.

Watching the hunting ground recede into the distance, she felt both sorrowful and worried.

’I thought I would see my cousin soon,’ she thought. ’I can’t believe something else is happening.’

But she knew that if she stayed, she would be of no help to her cousin. In fact, she’d only be a burden.

"You don’t need to worry, Miss. The Princely Heir will be fine," Jiang Shi said, sensing her anxiety and trying to comfort her.

Zhi Wan saw that he was covered in wounds, his arms and legs bound in splints, and couldn’t help but ask, "Jiang Shi, how did you get so injured?"

Jiang Shi paused for a moment before answering truthfully, "Zhi Ye injured me."

Zhi Wan was no longer surprised to hear it.

’Her uncle was willing to abduct his own niece; why would he spare anyone else?’

Still, she was curious how it had happened. "What exactly took place? Can you tell me?" she asked.

Mindful of Jiang Shi’s injuries, Shuang’er had padded his bedding with thick quilts the night before.

Lying on the quilts, Jiang Shi began his story slowly. "After Zhi Ye fell from the cliff, the Princely Heir suspected he hadn’t died, so he sent me to investigate. I tracked him and, sure enough, found he was alive and conspiring with someone from the court to assassinate the Emperor during the autumn hunt.

But Zhi Ye had already discovered me. He caught me off guard, stabbing me in a vital spot and throwing me off a cliff... With a sword through my chest and the long fall, Zhi Ye was certain I was dead. That’s the only reason I managed to survive."

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