Chapter 522 - 346: The Target is Xiao Jiulang?
"Not seen," Ran Yan said.
Erasing her trail in the Princess’ Courtyard wasn’t something that could be done in a short period of time, and also, from Xiao Song’s recent demeanor, he didn’t seem likely to return immediately. So, Ran Yan guessed this person was not Xiao Song.
Visibility was not high at night; if someone were trailing her, they would not dare to follow too closely. It only required someone with a similar build to Xiao Song and a slight resemblance to him to pass off as him.
Xiao Song simply used these stalkers to provide an alibi: the Assistant Minister and his lady are having a dispute, busy pacifying his wife, how could he have time to commit arson or murder!
Since it wasn’t Xiao Song, Ran Yan had no interest in dealing with it. She ordered the maid not to come and report anymore, to deny the visitor regardless of what he said. Then she went to bathe and retire for the night.
Lying in bed, Ran Yan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep as she recalled the murderous method of the man in black she had seen on the slope. It greatly resembled Su Fu’s, but Ran Yan had never seen any other assassins kill, and she couldn’t be sure it was him.
Moreover, who could send a message to Bai Yi that he would trust implicitly? Even to the extent of altering the original plan set by Xiao Song and entering through a different door?
Considering Ran Yan’s observations of Bai Yi over this period, she thought that not even Duke Zhou’s message would sway him, unless it was from Xiao Song himself! But Xiao Song clearly had arrived later...
Ran Yan’s mind flashed through the characters seen in the Moon Pavilion, especially the three characters for "Xiao Yuezhi" on the plaque, which were misleadingly authentic. Ran Yan judged it a forgery because she knew, under any circumstances, Xiao Song would never write content suggesting "hidden Yuezhi." He was far too astute and would see through the implication at a glance.
That meant someone inside the Princess’ Courtyard could mimic Xiao Song’s handwriting and was coordinating with the assassin—deceiving Bai Yi into following a set route that left evidence of an attack on the Princess’ Courtyard!