Chapter 151: The Assassin

Several soldiers escorted the ninth young master of the Wei family out of the estate in a swaggering manner. All along the way, aside from Steward Wei's continuous pleading, everyone else acted as if they were driving away a plague god, eagerly wishing the youth would be dragged off immediately.

"They don't seem to care much for you?" The young general mounted her horse, glanced at the youth sitting on another horse, and tilted her chin slightly toward the Wei estate.

The youth was bound and unable to move, yet a smile lingered on his lips. "It is quite enough that the General fancies me!"

"You..." Chu Junhan pointed a finger at him. Seeing his dissolute and untamed smile, she relented, let out a cold and indifferent scoff, and spat out, "Shameless!"

With that, she rolled her eyes at the youth and rode off.

Even though he had been arrested, the youth's smile remained undiminished, and he even looked somewhat pleased.

An army of five thousand men marching grandly out of the city, just to capture the son of a merchant?

No one would ever believe that the General would make such a tremendous fuss over a mere youth. Not only were high-ranking officials and nobles whispering amongst themselves, but even the common folk were engaged in endless discussions.

***

Inside the Liu residence, Liu Yan'er paced back and forth, her expression filled with puzzlement. "Taohong, tell me, why on earth would Junhan mobilize five thousand elite cavalry just to arrest a merchant's son?"

"Young General Chu is extraordinary, so naturally, whatever she does differs from ordinary people," Taohong answered cautiously, standing to the side. Whenever it concerned Chu Junhan, her young mistress's temperament would undergo a drastic change.

"You wouldn't be able to give me any answers anyway. Forget it, forget it," Liu Yan'er muttered. Lifting her skirt, she headed toward the Prime Minister's study, thinking she might perhaps pick up some gossip or news there.

In truth, it was only natural that Liu Yan'er could not make sense of it; even Crown Prince Xiao Shengjie was utterly baffled. He had originally thought that by planting informants all around Chu Junhan, he could keep track of everything she did. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected Chu Junhan's recent actions to be so utterly incomprehensible.

Who could have possibly imagined that the universally renowned Jiulingjun—whose wealth rivaled three nations—would turn out to be the very person the young general had made such a grand spectacle to arrest?

The commotion within the city persisted until late into the night, eventually subsiding as people drifted off to sleep. The General's residence was equally still, save for the howling of the winter wind.

Chu Junhan stretched lazily and collapsed onto the bed, planning to get a good night's sleep and thoroughly interrogate that good-for-nothing, dissolute ninth young master of the Wei family tomorrow!

No sooner had she dozed off than a faint disturbance echoed through the room, instantly tensing every nerve in her body.

An assassin? Who has the audacity to break into the General's residence in the middle of the night? Those Tianwu scoundrels couldn't possibly be stupid enough to send hitmen to assassinate me right on my own doorstep, could they?

With this thought, the person on the bed clenched her hands into fists, pricked up her ears, and strained to identify the movement inside the room.

*Thump, thump, thump.* Accompanied by the violent pounding of Chu Junhan's heart, a dark figure materialized beside the bed, a large hand reaching out to grab the bed curtain.

"Who goes there!" the person on the bed barked in a low voice, snapping her eyes open. With a swift roll, she grabbed the dagger from beside her pillow and slashed toward the dark figure.

A flash of light reflected across the intruder's face, revealing the corners of his thin lips curved slightly upward.

Such thin lips, and such a smile...

"Wei Ziyuan?!" Chu Junhan's pupils dilated in shock, and she stood frozen for so long that she forgot to continue her attack on the dark figure.

"Mhm," the youthful shadow replied calmly. He turned around, lit the candle on the table, and wore a smiling expression. "The General looks much more dashing with her hair down."

"What are you doing here?" Disregarding the youth's flirtatious teasing, Chu Junhan gripped her sharp blade, pressing it straight against his throat while casting a cold, sharp, and scrutinizing gaze at him.

Forced to lift his chin slightly by the edge of the dagger, Wei Ziyuan blinked his eyes exaggeratedly and said, "The General is terrifying me like this!"