Chapter 66: Madam Marquis, Madam Marquis Part 2

Once Wei Tingxia was settled, Yan Xinfeng asked in his hoarse, weak voice, “If the emperor had been the one hurt at this banquet, who benefits most?”

Wei Tingxia snorted a laugh. “Need I say? Whoever thrives on war benefits.”

If the emperor fell, the court would topple, and the borders would erupt in chaos.

Border chaos meant war.

Da Zhao didn’t have many generals who could shoulder it now: Yan Xinfeng, Huang Pei, and Pei Zhou at the Northern Border; Wu Ke and Qi Gufang guarding the southeast; a few old generals in the capital; and Prince Jin and Prince Chen.

Once war started and enemies besieged the city, Prince Jin and Prince Chen would surely see heavy use. By then, regardless of the emperor’s state—dead or alive—power would shift toward them.

“…”

Pei Zhou muttered, “I really can’t stand these lunatics…”

Dragging all of Da Zhao down for the throne—these two were completely mad!

“The current plan is to watch those two closely, lest one scheme fails and they cook up another, stirring shit in the capital like sticks every day,” Wei Tingxia said. “And I have a bad feeling.”

At those words, the eyes of the lying and sitting men both changed.

Pei Zhou asked cautiously, “Where’s the bad feeling?”

“Can’t say exactly, just uncomfortable,” Wei Tingxia stared at the bed curtain. “Keep an eye on personnel changes at the Capital Suburbs Military Camp and the other barracks. If needed, transfer garrison troops from elsewhere.”

The Capital Suburbs Military Camp had many veterans who’d campaigned with the Late Emperor and Princes Jin and Chen. At a critical moment, it was hard to say if they’d turn traitor.

Better to swap in a fresh batch.

The garrison troops from nearby provinces had been assembled only in recent years, their commanding generals loyal to Li Yun—reliable to use.

Pei Zhou nodded. “Got it. I’ll arrange it after this.”

He stood, gave his good brother one last look at his complexion and bearing to confirm no issues, then turned to leave.

“Be careful and don’t let them find out,” Wei Tingxia instructed from behind him. “If Li Ji and Li Yan are really involved in this, then Li Yan must be the mastermind. He’s more scheming than Li Ji and better at putting on an act. Stay away from him as much as possible.”

“Got it.”

Pei Zhou pushed open the door and left, sensing nothing amiss. Back in the Northern Border, whenever they ran into trouble, the two of them had always listened to Wei Tingxia. Even though it had been two years since they last saw each other, now that they were back in the capital, things should go back to the way they were.

……

……

The door lock clicked shut, and Yan Xinfeng coughed lowly twice, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

Wei Tingxia turned his head to look at him. “Did you pull on your wound?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You deserve the pain,” Wei Tingxia sneered coldly. “Who told you to chase after him?”

Yan Xinfeng countered weakly, his voice faint as a thread. “If I hadn’t chased him out, were you really going to draw your sword and hack at him?”

“……”

Wei Tingxia fell silent.

He had truly been so furious earlier that his head was full of fire. He had gone to such great lengths to save Yan Xinfeng, yet these two fools had gotten such a long gash on his body over a broken chair. Blood had flowed like a little river. If not for Wei Tingxia having the System Space to rely on, the man would not have been savable.

“It’s giving me a headache,” he said. “I never put you through this much trouble, and now you’re not even as good as you were two years ago. At least back then, you could stand up and walk a couple of steps.”

“I can still get up and walk now,” Yan Xinfeng said.

“Forget it,” Wei Tingxia scoffed. “If your wound splits open again, it really won’t be easy to stitch. My skills aren’t great—I’d end up sewing a centipede onto you.”

Yan Xinfeng wanted to say that the current stitches already looked like a centipede, but he was only injured, not stupid. He knew that if he said it out loud, the man would get angry, so he stayed quiet for a moment and said, “I’m tired.”

Wei Tingxia sighed. “You should be tired.”

He touched Yan Xinfeng’s forehead, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. “Sleep, then. I’ll keep watch over you.”

……

……

Only when Yan Xinfeng truly sank into darkness did the pain from his severe injuries slowly emerge.

The medicine from the System Space could save his life, but it could not erase the suffering for him. He still had to endure it for a while.

Wei Tingxia leaned against the bed, staring at the flickering candlelight as many thoughts ran through his mind.

“I was really scared.” He told System 0188, “Headache.”

[I could tell—your heart rate spiked pretty high,] the mechanical voice of System 0188 carried a trace of human-like lingering fear. [Fortunately, the Collapse Index went back down.]

The instant Yan Xinfeng was attacked, along with the alarm, System 0188’s screech had rung out.

The protagonist’s personal safety was threatened, and the world Collapse Index shot up rapidly. Almost all the progress Wei Tingxia had painstakingly made in calming it down was wiped out, and even the world view in front of the host shook.

If Yan Xinfeng had died, they would have turned into fireworks and gone up to the heavens together.

[Fortunately,] System 0188 summed up, [as long as he didn’t die.]

Wei Tingxia let out a light sigh, feeling helpless too. “Yeah, as long as he didn’t die.”

System 0188 rarely voiced concern. [So how are you feeling now?]

“Not great,” Wei Tingxia said honestly. “I’m starting to like them more and more.”

[Like who?]

“Yan Xinfengs—all the data with that face and that name,” Wei Tingxia gestured vaguely with his hand, trying to extend his answer through the unclear motion. “I’m starting to like them more and more.”

System 0188 didn’t understand. [Is that a problem?]

“Go to hell, of course it is!” Wei Tingxia knew he couldn’t explain it clearly to this machine, but if he didn’t vent to something, he was going to explode. “The problem isn’t liking them—it’s liking them more and more.”

[……I don’t understand.]

“I don’t understand either. I shouldn’t like them this much, you know? I’ll have to leave eventually. I have to return to the origin world. I have to leave all the data behind. I have a place I need to go back to.”

This faint ache had existed since the first time he saw Yan Xinfeng. Back then, Wei Tingxia could still control his emotions. He loved, but he also waited. When the right moment came, he would withdraw without hesitation and head toward his goal.

But now, if he had to leave again, Wei Tingxia would be very sad.

“I’ve gotten weak,” he admitted to System 0188. “The more I like him—or them—the weaker I get.”

[I’m sorry.]

And System 0188’s response was the most useless apology.

Wei Tingxia quickly turned the tables. “Go to hell. Of course you should apologize. Who created this string of data? It’s all your fault. Do you know how dangerous the origin world is? If I go back like this, I’ll definitely die there. And if someone asks, how are you going to explain it?”

His little mouth chattered away, the sudden shift in attitude catching System 0188 off guard.

It stayed quiet for a moment, feeling like it had walked into a trap but unable to escape, so it asked sincerely, [What should I do to earn your forgiveness?]

“Check who arranged for the assassin,” Wei Tingxia said smugly, goal achieved. “I want the exact name.”

System 0188: [……]

System 0188: [Okay.]

It left, and Wei Tingxia was satisfied.

For the moment, there was no one else in the room—just him and Yan Xinfeng’s quiet breathing.

Wei Tingxia propped his head up with one hand and looked at the man deeply asleep on the bed. Suddenly feeling playful, he leaned in and planted a kiss on Yan Xinfeng’s forehead.

Yan Xinfeng’s features were very handsome. With his eyes closed at the moment, he exuded even more serene charm. His bone structure was excellent, so even when he looked emaciated, he still stirred the heart.

Many, many, many years ago, the first time Wei Tingxia peered at him through the crowd, he had felt fondness. He still felt it very much now.

He used to think it was lust at first sight, but as time passed, Wei Tingxia gradually stopped believing that.

“Have we met before?”

He whispered softly by Yan Xinfeng’s ear.

Yan Xinfeng gave no answer. No one could answer that question unless Wei Tingxia went back to check for himself.

System 0188’s search program ran for a full two days. During this time, it even left the mission world briefly to report back to the space. Finally, just as the sun was about to set on the second day, it got the answer.

[I pulled 389 comparison lines, traced back five months on the timeline, and even asked colleagues from other departments to help with cross-analysis. I hope this result earns your forgiveness, though I don’t even know what I did wrong.]

Wei Tingxia sat in the courtyard, slicing off a piece of peach and popping it into his mouth. He laughed until his eyes curved at the words.

He said, “I love you to death.”

System 0188 fell silent.

Before the rehire, their relationship hadn’t been this harmonious. They had been a standard formal partnership, hardly discussing personal matters or emotions during conversations. Wei Tingxia completed tasks, System 0188 provided support, and man and system both climbed toward the top of the honor list.

These seemingly minor changes had all happened after the rehire. Wei Tingxia was happier, more lively as a person, and sometimes he would tease System 0188. Surprisingly, System 0188 didn’t mind.

[I found a name—the direct leader of that assassin. You haven’t heard of him. He’s not important, but his network extends to Prince Jin’s residence.]

The small knife he had been fiddling with in his hand was crushed into scrap metal. Wei Tingxia tossed the little iron ball aside casually, stood up, took a deep breath, and nodded.

“Keep the evidence safe. We’ll definitely need it later.”

[I know.]

He stood alone in the courtyard for a moment, waiting for his turbulent emotions to gradually calm, then Wei Tingxia turned and returned to the room.

The air in the room was chilly. Wei Tingxia paused at the doorway for a bit, his gaze falling on Yan Xinfeng, who lay in deep sleep on the couch.

That assassin’s blade had basically cycled all the blood in Yan Xinfeng’s body. Though he was recovering now, his face was still pale, as if his life hung by a thread.

Wei Tingxia gazed quietly for a moment when he suddenly heard faint footsteps outside the door. The steward reported softly through the door curtain, “Physician Wei, Your Majesty… Your Majesty is greatly worried and has sent people multiple times to inquire about the marquis’s condition.”

Wei Tingxia’s gaze remained fixed on Yan Xinfeng. He didn’t even glance outside as he said flatly, “Inquiring won’t help. The man’s lying here, half-dead already. What’s there to worry about?”

The words were rough, but the reasoning was sound. Yan Xinfeng couldn’t even wake up now—what could anyone count on from him?

The steward had no choice but to withdraw helplessly and report back.

Wei Tingxia sat by the couch, silently pondering what path to take next.

He wanted to plan carefully, but he also knew deep down that their opponents probably wouldn’t give them time for that.

Sure enough, when night deepened and dew grew heavy, a sudden piece of news exploded like thunder across the imperial city and beyond.

Right under the noses of the imperial guards, Prince Jin—who had been confined to his residence for many days—had gone missing.