Chapter 30: Catching the Assassin

The man in black was startled when he spoke, his footsteps faltering with confusion. Meanwhile, Liu Susu was running swiftly outside, crying out for help at the top of her voice.

“Help! There’s an assassin!”

The man in black knew he had been exposed. After a fleeting moment of panic, the steel blade in his hand became ever more ferocious. At this moment, Chen Mu was unarmed—he could barely withstand the man’s fierce attacks, let alone fight back. Helpless, Chen Mu retreated again and again, using the doorway’s pillar as cover, struggling to hold on until the guards arrived.

Someone shouting about an assassin in the Crown Prince’s residence was no small matter, especially when it was the Crown Princess herself raising the alarm. Quickly, a cacophony erupted outside, and flashes of torchlight could be seen in the courtyard. The guards of the Crown Prince’s residence must have been rushing over.

Hearing the commotion, the man in black grew even more frantic, his attacks losing their precision. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Mu lunged forward and grabbed the hilt of the man’s blade with all his strength. Although the assailant had some skill, she was a woman. With the chaos outside growing, she was flustered and failed to reclaim her weapon from Chen Mu at once.

“Who are you? Who sent you?” Chen Mu demanded coldly.

“Let go,” the man in black replied, her voice unexpectedly clear and crisp.

Seeing she refused to answer, Chen Mu pressed no further. He reached out and tore away the black cloth masking her face. Instantly, a beautiful face was revealed—fair skin, delicate features, and lively eyes. If one ignored the raging fury and terror in her gaze, she could be considered a classic beauty.

As the two remained locked in confrontation, the first squad of guards burst in, led by Li Biao.

“Protect His Highness! Capture the assassin!”

With Li Biao’s shout, the guards quickly surrounded Chen Mu and the assailant. The man in black struggled desperately, wrenching the blade from Chen Mu’s grasp. Chen Mu stumbled back; the guards immediately stepped forward to steady him.

“Your Highness, are you unharmed?”

“Your Highness, are you injured? Should we summon the imperial physician from the palace?”

Chen Mu waved them off, indicating he was fine, his gaze fixed on Li Biao and the woman in black.

After retrieving her blade, the woman turned to flee. But Li Biao was already before her, swinging his sword down. She barely managed to parry, but Li Biao’s strength was far beyond hers. In just three strikes, Chen Mu saw the assassin faltering, defeat imminent.

“Take her alive!” Chen Mu seized the moment to shout to Li Biao.

Grateful for Chen Mu’s trust and kindness, Li Biao was eager to repay him. When Chen Mu was attacked, Li Biao had intended to kill the assassin, but upon hearing his command, he obeyed. He reversed his sword and struck the woman’s neck with the back of the blade. She let out a muffled cry, collapsed to the ground, unconscious, her weapon falling from her hand.

The guards rushed forward and tied her securely.

“Your Highness, the assassin has been captured. Awaiting your instructions.”

Chen Mu stepped forward, kicking the steel blade aside, and examined the woman’s face by the light of the guards’ torches. She was utterly unfamiliar. In all his memories from past and present lives, Chen Mu was certain he had never seen her before. If she was not an enemy, she must have been sent by someone else. But who would send a woman to assassinate him?

“Your Highness, shall we take her straight to the prison?”

Chen Mu shook his head.

“A desperate soul like this surely harbors thoughts of death. Whoever sent her must have planned for contingencies.”

With that, Chen Mu untied her black night attire and searched her body, both to check for suspicious items and to take full advantage of the moment. The guards watching nearby grew restless, but since Chen Mu said nothing, they remained obediently at their posts.

Soon, Chen Mu found several items on her: a handful of throwing darts, two flying knives, a short dagger, and a small white porcelain bottle sealed with red cork.

Without needing to check, he knew the bottle held poison.

After confirming she carried nothing else, Chen Mu rose and looked at the surrounding guards.

“All right, you may take her to the prison now.”

As the guards lifted her, the woman’s loosened clothing revealed a fleeting glimpse of her chest. Chen Mu felt a rush of heat in his body. Without time for further thought, he quickly adjusted her clothing and signaled the guards to escort her away.

Before long, only Chen Mu and Li Biao remained in the courtyard.

“Your Highness, what should we do with these items?” Li Biao asked, eyeing the weapons Chen Mu had just retrieved.

“I’ll keep these blades; they’re important evidence,” Chen Mu replied, handing Li Biao the porcelain bottle and unfastening his own waist token.

“With my token, you may freely enter and leave the palace. Take this bottle to the palace, find the imperial physician, and have them examine its contents. Then report tonight’s events to the Emperor. Be very cautious with the poison; do not let news leak.”

Li Biao immediately grew solemn, bowed respectfully to Chen Mu, and departed.

Having dealt with everything, Chen Mu gathered the remaining weapons and returned to his chambers. As soon as he entered, Liu Susu threw herself into his arms, weeping uncontrollably. Chen Mu set the items aside and held her close, soothing her until she calmed.

“My husband, the people of the realm praise your wisdom and valor—why would anyone seek to harm you?”

Chen Mu looked at his wife’s innocent expression and could not help but smile wryly.

“The people praise me, but not all the court officials are fond of me.”

“Who was that assassin?”

Chen Mu shook his head.

“We’ll have to wait for the interrogation to find out.”

Liu Susu nodded, her gaze falling on the weapons. She had studied music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as embroidery and weaving, but had never encountered such items. Curious, she picked up a throwing dart.

Chen Mu patiently explained each item to her. Liu Susu nodded in partial understanding and continued to examine the weapons. After a moment, her brow furrowed in confusion.