Chapter 41: Caught in One’s Own Web

Yun Chu took a step outside, throwing aside the blade in his hand…

Li Yunli looked at Cheng Si, who had been brought before her in restraints, along with the evidence recovered from his residence. For a moment, she couldn’t quite grasp what emotions were stirring within her.

She hesitated, glancing at the two men before her. Yun Chu truly had a knack for this sort of thing. Unable to resist, she turned her head and asked,

“How did you know the real informant was him?”

Standing behind her, Yun Chu’s lips curved in an almost imperceptible smile. “Your Highness permitted me to review the official documents and reports of the various levels of government in Yongzhou, including the county office’s records. This man only arrived at the Yongzhou County Office two years ago.”

Li Yunli was momentarily taken aback. “So?”

“Two years ago, the Chu Kingdom had just ended its war. Because of the wartime effects, there was considerable movement of people. But Yongzhou, bordering the western frontier, was much more unstable than Yizhou.”

Li Yunli asked, “So, when I asked for your help, you had already thought of which areas needed additional surveillance? You remembered the backgrounds of everyone in the county office and had already identified your suspects?”

Yun Chu nodded slightly.

Once again, Li Yunli marveled at him.

It was true that Yun Chu had reviewed the official documents of Yongzhou, but it was originally for the purpose of questioning the officials. She had only asked him to help sort through their records and reports, and it had only been two days.

If, in just two days, he could accomplish this—remembering even the resume of a mere cleaning servant in the county office in such detail—

…he truly had an eidetic memory.

No wonder he had once been renowned in Wei.

Li Yunli suddenly felt lucky.

Someone like him was not her enemy but an ally. This was practically divine intervention!

She murmured, “Impressive.”

Yun Chu replied, “Two years ago, the Emperor of Chu had just ascended the throne, and the Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain. The He family of Yizhou, led by Marquis Yongcheng, rose to power. That same year, Your Highness relinquished military authority and was granted Yongzhou as your fief.”

Li Yunli turned to look at him.

In an instant, she understood.

He had investigated not with the primary goal of finding a mole, but with the intent to identify anyone who might pose a threat to her.

Judging by the timeline, if there was an orchestrated scheme against her, it must have started only after she was granted her fiefdom.

His methods were unconventional, but the results were exceptional.

Such an intelligent man—she ought to make more use of him.

She smiled. “Alright, I’ll thank you in advance.”

“It is I who should thank Your Highness for your trust,” Yun Chu said, lowering his gaze. “How does Your Highness wish to deal with these two?”

Li Yunli glanced at the two prisoners and did not hesitate.

Handling such matters was simple: leave professional work to the professionals.

She pushed herself up from her chair and addressed the shadow guards beside her. “This one is a man of Marquis Yongcheng. Extract every detail about his involvement.”

Then, she pointed at the coachman and noticed something odd in the documents related to him. Her brows furrowed slightly in deep thought.

“This one—interrogate him separately. Since he wanted to flee west, I want him to exchange valuable information for his life.”

The coachman jerked his head up at her words, his bloodshot eyes widening in shock and fury. The veins on his forehead bulged.

“You! You—” His pupils dilated, his gaze frozen, his throat constricted as if he could no longer form complete words.

Yun Chu’s heart thumped.

Though the man appeared to be glaring at Li Yunli, in reality, he was staring at Yun Chu, who stood behind her.

That look of disbelief and hatred—it was aimed at him?

—

That evening, Li Yunli received an expected invitation.

The sender was Gongliang Chong, but the letter was penned by Qing Nian.

Along with it was the osmanthus-patterned handkerchief Li Yunli had left behind. She was invited to meet outside the city the following morning.

It seemed they were ready to speak openly.

When it came to knowledge and control over Yongzhou’s affairs, she certainly couldn’t match Qing Nian, who had lived two lifetimes here.

Though she didn’t blindly trust memories from past lives, she believed that success depended on action. Even if she didn’t know what the future held, she trusted in her ability to turn crises into opportunities.

Having Qing Nian as an additional resource was beneficial—it also helped her maintain a facade in front of Yun Chu.

At that moment, Yun Chu was not in the room.

Li Yunli read the letter, then tossed it into the incense burner.

—

At that time, Yun Chu was at the county office’s prison.

The princess had ordered that the two captives be interrogated separately by the shadow guards.

For the time being, they had repurposed part of the county office’s dungeon for questioning.

Royal shadow guards were trained in secret camps, skilled in all arts—including interrogation.

The coachman was already tied to the torture rack in a spread-eagle position.

When Yun Chu arrived, the shadow guards had not yet started the torture.

Their attitudes toward Yun Chu were ambiguous. Initially, when Li Yunli had stormed Hongcui Pavilion to seize him, everyone thought he was as good as dead.

Among the shadow guards, betrayal meant death, no exceptions.

Yet within a day, Yun Chu had regained Li Yunli’s trust and was once again standing by her side.

Some despised him for it, while others, having witnessed his investigative and strategic abilities, held him in newfound respect, even saluting him in private.

Coincidentally, the guards present in the interrogation chamber were the same ones who had captured Cheng Si alongside Yun Chu earlier. When he arrived, they respectfully stepped aside.

“Does the royal consort have a message from Her Highness?” one of them asked.

Yun Chu replied, “Her Highness gave no further orders—I only came to observe.”

Taking it as a sign he wished to watch the torture, the shadow guard lowered his whip and advised, “Once we begin, things may get gruesome. You might want to step outside.”

Yun Chu’s gaze fell upon the man strapped to the rack, noticing the venomous hatred in his eyes. A sense of unease crept over him.

Before they could begin, he asked, “Can I question him first?”

“He won’t talk—our men already tried persuading him. He’s a tough one,” the shadow guard said. Seeing that Yun Chu insisted, he relented. “If you wish, go ahead.”

“Thank you.”

Yun Chu nodded and approached.

“Are you from Wei?” he asked softly.

The man’s bloodshot eyes fixated on him with seething hatred. “A soldier of the Wei army.”

The shadow guards stiffened.

Yun Chu’s eyes darkened. This was the answer he least wanted to hear.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed on, “You’ve been at the county office for two years. Who sent you?”

The man sneered, his lips curling in scorn. “What do you think, Your Highness?”

The words pierced Yun Chu like a steel needle.

Yun Chu’s hands trembled slightly.

The man suddenly shouted, “You servile coward! To think we fought for years, only for our prince to turn into a spineless dog! Heaven has abandoned Wei!”

Yun Chu’s pupils contracted sharply.

The man then smiled, blood trickling from his lips—he had bitten through his tongue.

At that moment, Yun Chu understood.

He was sending a message through his death.

Yun Chu’s fingers trembled.

The man spat a mouthful of blood. “Better to have died in battle than become a disgrace—”

A flash of steel.

The man’s throat was slit.

The shadow guards gasped in horror.

Yun Chu lowered his trembling hand. “I killed him. I’ll explain to Her Highness.”

Then, he took a step outside, a chilling smile on his lips.