The air fell silent for a few moments. The group exchanged glances, and finally Qiao Yan was the first to break the silence.
"Fine, fine. Since your mind is made up, there's no reason for me not to help. Just tell me what you need me to do."
Xie Huaiyue slapped the table and said,
"This matter is the responsibility of the Supreme Court of Justice. Since you're willing to be the bait, there's no way my court will stand by and do nothing. Just tell me what arrangements you need."
Seeing that everyone had agreed and knowing that it was no use trying to persuade Ye Xi any further, Yun Qi gritted his teeth and nodded to show his support.
Hun Yuan naturally had nothing to say. He crossed his arms sulkily and said,
"At this point, what else can I say? Just tell me. Do you want me to cast a divination?"
Touched, Ye Xi's eyes swept over each of them one by one. She curtsied gracefully and said,
"Thank you all for your willingness to help. I'm grateful."
Then she turned to Hun Yuan and said seriously,
"I do need you, senior brother, to calculate first whether the enemy will show up during tomorrow's visit to the Yuhua Gate. After all, the premise of luring the snake out of its hole and then catching it in a jar is that the snake has to come out first. If they don't come, all our plans will be in vain."
"Okay,"
Without a word, Hun Yuan began to take out his copper coins and said,
"I can't calculate for you, so I'll calculate whether Ling Yan will get into a fight tomorrow."
"A Yan,"
Ye Xi looked at Qiao Yan and said,
"Tomorrow, you should come to my mansion in a grand manner with an invitation card, saying that you're inviting me to relax and relieve my worries. The Yuhua Gate is the most frequently used gate for merchants coming and going. Both Dayin merchants and foreign businessmen gather there, and there are many novel things. You can say that you're taking me to a lively place to see interesting things, which will help me get over my troubles."
Qiao Yan nodded and said,
"Okay, leave it to me."
Feeling a bit thirsty from talking, Ye Xi picked up the tea beside her and took a sip. Then she turned to Yun Qi. Instead of directly stating the plan, she asked,
"General Yun, is Yun Qianying still under house arrest?"
"Huh?"
Yun Qi was confused and replied doubtfully,
"Yes. She's been quite obedient these days, but the time I set hasn't passed yet, so I haven't let her out."
"Lift the house arrest,"
Ye Xi said calmly, with a faint smile on her eyebrows,
"Everyone in the capital knows about the feud between Miss Yun and me. It's reasonable for her to hire a killer out of anger if she really can't stand it."
"What!?"
Yun Qi was shocked and said,
"No way. Hiring a killer is a serious crime, and besides, Xiao Ying..."
"General Yun, don't be in a hurry,"
Ye Xi quickly interrupted him and said,
"It's not really hiring a killer. We just need to go to the black market in Miss Yun's name and tell those people that I'll be in danger when I go out tomorrow."
"However, we still need to arrange real assassins to make it look real so that the enemy will take the bait."
Ye Xi lowered her eyelashes slightly and continued,
"There's something you all don't know. Before I cut off ties with the Ye family, I don't know who hired the Shuyu Clan's killers to assassinate me.
"At that time, they mistook someone else for me, and A Ning took the blow for me. Logically, since the Shuyu Clan didn't complete their mission, there should have been a series of follow - up assassinations. But since then, the people from Zai Shuang have never made a move again.
"Then there was the incident on the path of Sheng Guo Temple. The people from Zai Shuang made another move. The target was Man Ping, but of course, it was also me.
"Before A Yuan arrived, someone secretly protected me with a hidden weapon, a needle."
Ye Xi slowly scanned the surprised faces of the group and thought for a moment before saying,
"I don't know if there's a connection between the Zai Shuang's decision not to make a move after accidentally injuring A Ning and the people who protected me on the path of Sheng Guo Temple, but it's obvious that the enemy wants me alive.
"If they know that I'll be in danger again tomorrow and there's no one to protect me, I bet they..."
A cold smile slowly curved Ye Xi's lips, and a glint flashed in her eyes,
"Will definitely not ignore it."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hun Yuan leaned over and said,
"I've just recovered from a serious injury, so I was afraid of making mistakes and cast the divination several times. But the result is the same every time: there will be trouble on tomorrow's trip, but it won't be fatal."
"However,"
Hun Yuan frowned and said,
"One part of the divination is very vague. It seems that an important person will still be lost."
That meant the enemy would definitely come.
Amazed by Ye Xi's courage and carefulness, Yun Qi said seriously and admiringly,
"I understand. Miss Xi, you're really smart and brave. If you were a man, I'd really like to be sworn brothers with you."
Ye Xi smiled and was about to speak when Qiao Yan gave Yun Qi a disdainful look and said first,
"You're dreaming. Xiao Xi is so beautiful and has a good personality. Your sister is so arrogant and willful. Whether Xiao Xi is a man or a woman, she won't marry into your family."
Seeing Yun Qi looking embarrassed, Ye Xi quickly gave Qiao Yan a warning look and tried to smooth things over,
"Okay, okay. We're partners now. Don't talk about such things."
As she spoke, she changed the subject and said,
"If we want the enemy to take the bait tomorrow, we can't have too many people, or we'll surely alert them.
"It's not convenient for us to bring people. Lord Xie..."
Ye Xi looked at Xie Huaiyue and said,
"You've been ordered by the emperor to investigate this matter, so it's most reasonable for you to mobilize the manpower, and you're also the most familiar with the Yuhua Gate. The enemy is highly skilled in martial arts and good at using hidden weapons. The people we send to ambush must be the elite of the elite.
"It's best for everyone to prepare a mask and bring some sleeping pills with them. We might need them."
Xie Huaiyue nodded slightly at Ye Xi and said,
"Don't worry. I'll definitely make proper arrangements."
"However, there are too many people at the Yuhua Gate. It's not reasonable for us to arrange for the assassins to act in a crowded place, and it will easily cause panic among the common people. There's a Zhufeng Street there. There are fewer people coming and going. There's a Baisheng Store on the street. The owner of the store is an old friend of mine.
"I'll go and say hello later. Then you can go to that store. The Baisheng Store has been open for many years and specializes in selling things imported from other countries. It fits well with your excuse of 'going to look for novel things', so no one will suspect anything."
"Okay."
Ye Xi replied. The group discussed the arrangements for the other people in detail, determined the location to catch the enemy and Ye Xi's escape route, and then they dispersed.
The next day—
It was the end of the tenth lunar month and the beginning of the eleventh. In the afternoon, it started to snow again in the capital. The streets and alleys were soon covered in white.
Yi Yuan was still unconscious, and Shen Zhou hadn't returned yet.
Qiao Yan's carriage was already waiting outside.
Ye Xi held Yi Yuan's big hand and leaned down to kiss his forehead gently. In the warm bedroom like spring, Yi Yuan's forehead was strangely cold.
"A Yuan..."
Ye Xi murmured as her thumb gently caressed the skin on Yi Yuan's hand,
"Wait for me to come back."
Yi Yuan, who was sleeping in a dream, seemed to sense something. His long and jade - like fingertips trembled slightly.
That boneless and delicate hand slowly withdrew. In his dream, Yi Yuan was so anxious that his eyes turned red, but he still couldn't hold on to it.
Don't go—
Please,
Don't go.
The sound of the door creaking open came, followed by the howling wind, and then the sound of the door closing.
The owner of the hand had left, and no one heard what was in his heart.