Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 716 - 556: Success or Failure, All in One Move
The room fell into a prolonged, seemingly dull, yet seemingly calm silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Wuzheng finally sighed softly and said, "It seems we’ve underestimated the opponent. This person acts swiftly and cleanly, hardly like they’re doing this for the first time."
"..."
"But the most terrifying thing is not this person’s methods."
Yu Wenye looked at him without speaking, while Pei Xingyuan puzzledly said, "Isn’t that terrifying enough? I nearly lost my life to this person today. What could be scarier than that?"
Shen Wuzheng shook his head with a smile.
Then he said, "What’s scarier is that there’s such a person around us, yet we never noticed."
"...!?"
Pei Xingyuan’s eyes widened abruptly.
Yu Wenye’s gaze flickered slightly before he thought it over and said, "Brother Fu Ming means—as the wise live among the people, much like an awl in a pocket, its tip is soon exposed."
Shen Wuzheng nodded.
Pei Xingyuan blinked, contemplating for a while before suddenly realizing: "Exactly, if such a formidable person existed, how could they have remained completely unknown until now?"
Shen Wuzheng said, "Even Shantong’er—a mere child, Feng Chen could call his name and know his origins when he went to Wanggang Village."
"..."
"The troubles this person has caused us with his methods and intelligence far surpass Wanggang Village, yet such a person, we had no knowledge of their existence, nor have they ever been mentioned among the folks."
"..."
"This person seems almost like—like—"
He frowned slightly, seeming to deliberate his words.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi, who had been silent all along, suddenly said, "Almost as if dropped into this world by the heavens."
"...!"
Hearing this, the three men were taken aback.
Especially Yu Wenye, who seemed completely unexpecting of Shang Ruyi to say such a thing, looked at her in astonishment, while Shen Wuzheng pondered and slowly said, "That’s precisely it."
"..."
"What this person knows and can do surpasses ordinary people by far."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi’s eyes deepened a bit, her lips pressed into a line, and she said nothing more.
The whole room plunged back into a nearly oppressive silence.
However, this silence was quickly broken by Pei Xingyuan. He raised his hand and slammed it on the table, only to forget his injury, grimacing in pain with reddened eyes but still showing a disdainful expression, saying, "So what if he surpasses ordinary people?"
"..."
"Are we ordinary people?"
"..."
"That person exhausted so much effort to try to kill me, yet didn’t succeed, did he?"
At this point, he seemed to remember something, turned to Yu Wenye and said, "Oh right, tonight, Jin Daji kept sending people to block me from behind, just to prevent me from playing tricks and having anyone follow us. How did you find that place and get there so quickly?"
Yu Wenye glanced at him and said, "Fire Observation Tower."
"Ah?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xingyuan’s eyes lit up and he said, "The Fire Observation Tower next to the Metropolitan City?"
Yu Wenye nodded.
The Fire Observation Tower is a tall structure built outside the four busiest markets within Daxing City. Though called a building, it’s actually a simple wooden tower, its height nearly parallel to the city wall. Standing atop enables a panoramic view of the markets, promptly identifying fires in any market and roughly pinpointing them for firefighting.
Among the two Fire Observation Towers in East City, one is constructed at the northwest corner of the Metropolitan City.
Upon losing track of Pei Xingyuan, Yu Wenye refrained from barging in forcefully, since that might not have allowed him to follow, and alarming the enemy would make them act desperately.
He said, "I arrived at the Fire Observation Tower, and just upon arrival, I saw the flicker of flames over there."
"..."
"I estimated the location and immediately led people over."
As he spoke, he glanced at Pei Xingyuan, his eyes flickering slightly, and said in a low voice, "Luckily, you bought yourself some time."
"..."
"Otherwise—I really might not have made it in time."
Hearing this, Pei Xingyuan couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive.
Indeed, it was only because at that time he fought desperately, using the one thousand taels silver note to lure Jin Daji closer, then clutching his arm tightly to take him down with him, forcing him to order those people to extinguish the flames, granting time for Yu Wenye to arrive, that he narrowly escaped death tonight.
Though still on edge, Pei Xingyuan immediately laughed and said, "Good brother, you’re still the reliable one."
"..."
Yu Wenye, however, did not speak immediately. He remained silent for a while before looking at him and saying, "Xing Yuan, tonight, you saved yourself!"
Pei Xingyuan immediately felt a bit smug, shook his head and smiled, then looked at Shen Wuzheng and said, "See, I told you, the opponent is stronger than ordinary people, but are we ordinary people?"
"..."
"He couldn’t kill me even after racking his brains, let alone all of us combined."
"..."
"Besides, even if the opponent can foresee—more so, be omniscient, can he figure out what we’re thinking? I doubt it, otherwise, he wouldn’t need to be so cautious to kill me."
"..."
"So, it’s still the same: as long as we think deeper than the opponent, he can’t do anything to us, and he definitely can’t beat us!"
"..."
"Feng Chen, what do you say!"
"..."
Yu Wenye did not answer him, just glanced at him, then slowly stood up, walked to the other side of the room, and pushed open the window.
With a sudden whoosh, a fresh breeze blew into the room, dispelling the anxiety that had just begun to grow. Even Shang Ruyi and Shen Wuzheng, along with Pei Xingyuan who had inhaled a lot of smoke and felt suffocated, found their breath easing, letting out a light sigh.
So comfortable!
And looking up outside again, the once pitch-black sky now faintly showed a hint of dawn.
The sky was about to break.
Only then did Pei Xingyuan realize they had been struggling all night—it’s no surprise, he had arrived at the North Gate of the City at midnight, then went through a life-and-death situation, was taken here, Yu Wenye dealt with those people, and now, it was indeed almost dawn.
On the dimly lit street, the silhouettes of carriages started to appear, the sound of horse hooves and wheels running over the ground gradually broke the silence that had enveloped this long night.
At this time on a normal day, it would be when the court officials entered the palace for the morning court, but now, even though the morning court was exempted, on the first day of the plague Yu Wenquan had ordered that he would handle affairs early every day at Chengqing Hall, so the officials had to hasten to the palace at this time to assist in governance.
Yu Wenye slowly turned around, looking at the three people in the room.
The dense night behind him, and the faint morning light that couldn’t be concealed by the thickest of nights, outlined his tall figure more clearly, more distinctly, were those ever unflustered eyes, calmer in chaos.
He said, "Of course."
He then slightly lowered his eyelids, his long lashes covering the restrained brilliance in his eyes, only a faint gleam leaked out, "After tonight, I instead think that this person maybe truly has foresight, but—"
Shang Ruyi asked, "How?"
Yu Wenye replied, "Knowledge and wisdom are two different things."
Hearing these words, a flash of insight appeared in Shen Wuzheng’s eyes, and after a moment, he nodded gently.
But Pei Xingyuan apparently didn’t understand what they meant, looking at Yu Wenye and then at Shen Wuzheng, anxious, he said, "What do you mean? What do you two mean? Explain it clearly!"
Yu Wenye merely pressed his lips and ignored him, then said to Shang Ruyi, "It’s about time, let’s go."
Shang Ruyi nodded and immediately stood up.
She was indeed different from the "unfeeling" Yu Wenye and Shen Wuzheng. After getting up, she said to the somewhat angered Pei Xingyuan who felt neglected, "Mr. Pei, you just rest well here, take care, we will send someone to inform your family."
Pei Xingyuan, though a bit displeased, could only nod at her words.
Shang Ruyi then looked at Shen Wuzheng, "Brother, then you—"
Shen Wuzheng replied, "I have no position nor favor, so I won’t enter the palace with you, I better stay here to take care of Xingyuan."
Initially unhappy, Pei Xingyuan immediately smiled upon hearing this, "At least you have a conscience."
Shen Wuzheng shook his head, looked at Yu Wenye with an even more serious expression than before, and said, "The plan these days hinges on this one move—be careful!"
Yu Wenye nodded, "Hmm."
Finished speaking, he turned and left the room with Shang Ruyi.
Not long after, the sound of a carriage leaving came from downstairs. Shen Wuzheng walked to the window, watching their carriage go farther and farther away until it finally disappeared at the end of the still dim long street.
He sighed gently, turning back.
Only to see Pei Xingyuan slowly standing up and stretching, yet pulling at several bruises on his body, grimacing in pain, Shen Wuzheng walked back to his side and asked, "Do you want to call a doctor to check again, or—"
Pei Xingyuan immediately waved his hand, "Let’s talk later, I need a nap first, having been up all night, my eyelids are about to stick together."
Shen Wuzheng shook his head, smiling, then helped him to the bed and lay down, pulling up the quilt to cover him.
Pei Xingyuan laughed, "I didn’t expect you to care so much about me."
Shen Wuzheng tucked the quilt, and then said, "By the way, you burnt Ruyi’s five hundred silver notes last night—remember to compensate her."
"Ah?"
The room immediately echoed with Pei Xingyuan’s scream—
"Five hundred taels, and you want me to compensate? I also lost five hundred taels myself!"
"I don’t care if you burn your own, but you burned Ruyi’s, so you must pay up."
"You’re so heartless..."
Amidst their complaints and quarrels, the sky gradually brightened, and the streets which had been silent all night emerged in the dawn with clear outlines. As the first ray of sunlight hit the Daxing Palace, the once closed city gates suddenly opened.
A rider sped in, stirring the already undercurrent-laden morning of Daxing City into even greater tension.
