Chapter 940: Midnight Assault
Without Fang Shijie’s consent, Li Qingmu directly read the Emperor’s decree, leaving him utterly confused. How did the matter here reach the Emperor’s ears so quickly, and why was he suddenly given an official position?
Moreover, the rank of this official position was not insignificant: Left Commander of the Cao Yun Government Office, a Sixth Rank official. It all felt like a dream, incredibly unreal, yet it happened to him?
Li Qingmu had already prepared his explanation for this: "You’ve been appointed, so take the position with peace of mind. Nothing escapes the Emperor’s notice, and if you engage in corruption during your tenure, you will not be spared!"
"Yes, I obey the decree!"
Fang Shijie always had aspirations to pursue a political career; otherwise, he would not have taken the Jinshi examination. However, due to court corruption, one had to bribe Ministry of Personnel officials to become an officer. In frustration, he wrote a poem satirizing the current court’s corruption and was subsequently stripped of his Jinshi status.
Now, confronted with the sudden offer of a Sixth Rank position, he would certainly not refuse.
Qi Jingyu had been quietly observing Fang Shijie’s subtle expressions, noting that after receiving the decree, Fang neither showed ecstasy nor any fear or worry—instead, he accepted the arrangement calmly.
"This young man’s temperament is indeed commendable. Given time, he will surely become my right-hand man," Qi Jingyu thought to himself.
As he exited the Cao Yun Government Office, Qi Jingyu anxiously asked, "Uncle, who do you think is orchestrating things from the shadows? Refined iron powder is no trivial matter, and the Ministry of Industry daringly sells it in secret; could Minister of Public Works Zuo Chongzhi be involved?"
"Hard to say. The problems involved here might be too complex for Zuo Chongzhi alone to handle. I think we shouldn’t rush; follow the clues and investigate further, and we’ll surely uncover the true mastermind!"
Li Qingmu was also baffled by this case; he had just discovered issues with the official ship when two leaders posing as government officers were shot dead. Then, when he barely tracked down Vice Governor Shi, he was silenced too.
It seemed that someone was persistently watching him from the shadows. With the enemy hidden and him exposed, dragging them out would not be easy; it might mean not being able to leave Yunzhou City soon.
The two returned to the inn to find Long Yue and Liu Ran’er enjoying some snacks at the table, chatting leisurely. Li Qingmu smiled and asked, "No danger just now, I trust?"
"With you around, who would dare touch me?" Long Yue replied with a slight glare, though she couldn’t hide her smile.
Liu Ran’er tilted her head and said, "Something seemed off earlier. Two attendants came upstairs to deliver water, and one kept his head down the whole time. I never saw his face."
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingyu and Li Qingmu exchanged glances, both noticing the shock in each other’s eyes. Could the mastermind have already caught wind of their situation?
Qi Jingyu subtly nodded toward the door, and Li Qingmu immediately understood, making an excuse to go downstairs and order some dishes, while Qi Jingyu said, "I’ll go too."
"Do two people need to go to order food? What are you up to?" Long Yue asked, dissatisfied.
Liu Ran’er noticed Qi Jingyu’s covert signal but said nothing, merely watching thoughtfully as the two went downstairs.
In the first-floor hall, Li Qingmu said, "This place isn’t safe. I’m worried they might target Yue’er and Miss Liu."
"Yes, I feel the same way. We must change inns tonight and, by the way, let Uncle keep watch overnight." Qi Jingyu’s skills weren’t as great as Uncle’s, so he willingly passed the troublesome task.
Li Qingmu shook his head with a smile, deliberately bowed and saluted, saying, "I obey the decree."
"Oh dear, Uncle, what’s this? There’s no need for such formal ceremonies between us; that’s too much."
"You are the Emperor, and as your Minister, I must follow Dazhou law."
"Uncle, that’s misguided. When have we ever been so polite with each other?"
Li Qingmu followed up, "Then I won’t be polite—you keep watch tonight!"
"What? Uncle, you set that trap for me?" Qi Jingyu instantly realized he’d fallen into Uncle’s setup, shaking his head with a bitter smile, "Alright, I’ll keep watch, then."
The Emperor of Dazhou, of all people, personally handling night watches—it was truly too difficult.
Li Qingmu felt it was entirely appropriate, as Yue’er and Miss Liu were young women hardly suited for keeping watch; if danger arose, they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves. Considering his seniority over Qi Jingyu, the younger must be used to practice.
Night came swiftly, and the four of them selected a new inn. This time, Li Qingmu arranged the room selection: three adjoining rooms in the Emperor Suite on the third floor, at the corridor’s end.
Qi Jingyu took the outermost room, next to it Liu Ran’er, and directly across from Liu Ran’er was Li Qingmu and his wife’s room. This setup was intended to place Liu Ran’er, who had no combat ability, furthest in.
From the outer rooms, whether it be Qi Jingyu or Li Qingmu himself, they could react immediately if danger approached, and even Long Yue had considerable combat skills.
Qi Jingyu placed two benches behind the door, reclining against the wall in the chair, dozing off. Sure enough, in the dead of night, he heard a faint noise at the door latch. He turned his head to see a sharp dagger extending inside, trying to manipulate the latch.
Quietly, he got off the bench, took out his own sword, and stood behind the door waiting for the intruder to enter.
With a creak, the door opened, and a man clad in black stealthily entered, eyes filled with murderous intent. He silently approached the bed, gripping the dagger tightly as he stabbed down!
The expected resistance did not come—rather, it smoothly struck the bed frame. Alarmed, he quickly lifted the bedding, finding only two pillows instead of a body!
"Stop searching, I’m here. I’ve been waiting for you for ages." Qi Jingyu yawned and mocked, "If you’d delayed any longer, I might have fallen asleep."
The masked man became infuriated, rushing toward Qi Jingyu with dagger in hand, aiming directly at his throat!
But he was shocked to find the cocky young man didn’t even dodge—until the dagger was just an inch from his neck. Suddenly, the youth moved!
The speed was astounding!
Qi Jingyu grabbed the masked man’s arm without warning and delivered a low kick!
Too fast for the masked man to react and mount an effective defense, he was kicked directly in the groin, an indescribable pain forcing him to hunch over and collapse.
Unhurriedly, Qi Jingyu re-secured the door latch, lit the candle with his flint, and approached the masked man, intending to remove the cloth from his face.
Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, the masked man managed to prop himself up, suddenly springing up like a carp, charging towards the window, his intent clear—he wanted to escape through the window.