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As Xu Manor was joyfully preparing for the Wedding Ceremony, Fang Yi'ai found it impossible to feel happy. With the day of his appointment approaching, he was filled with anxiety.
Rebellion was a grave crime, and this time many were involved, including King Jing Li Yuanjing, Xue Wanche, and Chai Lingwu, all of whom were members of the Court, Royal Family, or influential ministers. If Fang Yi'ai were to leak any information, it would lead to disaster.
He understood Princess Gaoyang's character well; to keep this secret conspiracy under wraps, she would not hesitate to eliminate anyone who posed a threat. Having been inexplicably demoted to Fangzhou, he had discovered through investigation that Princess Gaoyang was behind it all. If he were to suddenly "die" on his way to take up his new post, it would not be surprising at all.
He despised Princess Gaoyang for her lack of loyalty. Although they were married in name, there was no affection between them. She was fickle and had no interest in him; instead, she preferred monks or men who were already married, displaying an extremely peculiar taste and a ruthless nature.
He resented Xu Zhen for not extending a helping hand at a critical moment; she didn't even have the courage to meet him and avoided him as if he were a plague.
He felt both anger and fear. The more his emotions fluctuated, the more paranoid he became, spending his days lost in thought and fearing that someone might harm him. Yet he couldn't bring himself to join the ranks of the Rebellion.
The more he imagined these scenarios, the more restless he became. In just a few days, he had lost weight and appeared spiritless and unremarkable.
Just as he was hesitating, Murong Hanzhu came knocking at his door. Fang Yi'ai hurriedly opened the gate to welcome him. When Fang Xuanling was alive, they dared not act arrogantly; now that Fang Xuanling was gone, they lived even more cautiously.
Murong Hanzhu was a special assistant to the emperor and highly valued by Li Zhi. His advice was always taken seriously, making him a rising star in the Tang Dynasty Court. Among the civil officials, Murong Hanzhu's reputation and influence were comparable to Xu Zhen in the eyes of military generals.
In fact, there were indeed plans among the civil officials to promote Murong Hanzhu as a model figure to stand alongside Xu Zhen.
Fang Yi'ai had no prior dealings with Murong Hanzhu and wondered why this prominent figure would suddenly visit him. He felt uneasy.
"Could it be... that he knows something?" Fang Yi'ai thought to himself. With the power of Boling Cui Clan behind him, Murong Hanzhu had control over court intelligence. This allowed him to make appropriate decisions that earned Li Zhi's favor.
In turn, he advised Li Zhi on new court initiatives beneficial to Cui Clan and other prominent families in areas such as agriculture and commerce. This not only invigorated the court but also allowed noble families to profit from these changes—truly a win-win situation.
Although Murong Hanzhu had become an influential figure, he still maintained an air of humility and grace typical of a scholar. His every gesture reflected elegance, which is why the civil officials valued him so highly.
He first praised Fang Xuanling's contributions and then encouraged and comforted Fang Yi'ai with casual conversation about trivial matters. Fang Yi'ai listened in confusion, merely responding with agreement.
Fang Yi'ai was confused, but Murong Hanzhu suddenly changed the subject and casually asked, "I have had a longstanding relationship with Xu Jun Gong. He has returned to court for several days, yet I have not had the opportunity to pay my respects. I heard that the Minister visited Xu Manor a few days ago; how is Xu Gong doing?"
Murong Hanzhu appeared casual, but Fang Yi'ai's heart tightened. Everyone in the court knew that Murong Hanzhu and Xu Zhen were at odds. The two were rivals, one in civil affairs and the other in military matters. Despite Murong Hanzhu's clever strategies, he often found himself at a disadvantage. The Cui Clan was also watching closely, always eager to criticize Xu Zhen.
Even though Xu Zhen had turned Fang Yi'ai away, he was already furious about it. Even without this incident, he would not dare show any connection to Xu Zhen in front of Murong Hanzhu and quickly distanced himself.
"To be honest, when I visited that day, it was merely a colleague's greeting. Unfortunately, Xu Jun Gong was busy with affairs and did not meet with me..."
Murong Hanzhu raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile and leaned in slightly, saying, "Oh? Xu Zhen has no official duties yet seems so busy. Surely she cannot be secretly plotting something unsavory?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai's face turned pale. He suspected that Murong Hanzhu was aware of Princess Gaoyang and others' rebellion plans and intended to use him as a scapegoat.
However, he was mistaken. Murong Hanzhu indeed knew about Princess Gaoyang's conspiracy and had been secretly communicating with her. It was because of this illicit relationship that Murong Hanzhu leaked the true cause of Fang Xuanling's death to Princess Gaoyang and subtly incited her rebellious intentions.
In truth, Murong Hanzhu was the mastermind behind the entire plan!
During the Tuguhun, he had remained silent for ten years due to the stability of the court and the populace. It wasn't until he instigated Nuohebo to harass Tang Territory and plunder border residents that he gained an opportunity for advancement.
Chaos breeds heroes; without turmoil, heroes have no place to shine. Like Xu Zhen, he was not a passive wait-and-see type; if there were no opportunities, he would create them!
He exploited Princess Gaoyang and Xue Wanche's dissatisfaction with the Tang royal family and Li Zhi to successfully rekindle their anger. Moreover, he aimed to drag Xu Zhen into this vortex; he wanted not just her death but her utter disgrace!
Xu Zhen had risen from obscurity as Wuhou to prominence in the military and became a revered Divine Child in religious circles. Whether quelling domestic rebellions or leading campaigns at the borders or diplomatic missions abroad, she achieved remarkable success in every endeavor, gaining fame across seas and reverberating throughout lands.
If he utilized Cui Clan's hidden power, he could assassinate Xu Zhen without anyone knowing. However, such a victory would lack glory and was not what Murong Hanzhu desired.
He wanted Xu Zhen to lose everything—her life and reputation. He aimed to involve her in this rebellion case so that she would be utterly disgraced. Furthermore, he sought to unleash an even greater storm through this rebellion; it was his opportunity as well as Cui Clan's!
With this rebellion, he could use the current emperor's hand to eliminate ancient families that posed threats to Cui Clan and remove all enemies obstructing his path alongside Cui Clan, allowing Murong Hanzhu to truly stand above all others!
However, trying to drag the Xu Zhen into this was a difficult task.
Although the Xu Zhen had gained fame, he had few allies in the court. His approach was no different from that of foreign generals like the Initiation and Closure Force; he was loyal only to the royal family and the emperor, refraining from forming factions or socializing. His direct subordinates were scattered among the military ranks, controlling substantial military power.
To pull such a person into this matter, one could only rely on his loyalty and sense of justice. Clearly, the isolated Fang Yi'ai was the key figure in dragging the Xu Zhen into this situation!
Murong Hanzhu recognized this point and instructed Princess Gaoyang to pressure Fang Yi'ai, forcing him into a corner where he had no way out, compelling him to seek help from the Xu Zhen repeatedly.
However, Murong Hanzhu did not anticipate that Fang Yi'ai would be unable to speak up, and the Xu Zhen seemed to possess foresight, not even giving Fang Yi'ai a chance to open his mouth!
This greatly surprised Murong Hanzhu, but he quickly calmed himself. He did not understand why the Xu Zhen would refuse to meet Fang Yi'ai, but he believed it was not due to the Rebellion, as this matter was extremely secretive and he had been plotting behind the scenes, making it seamless.
Thus, after receiving the news, he personally came to nudge Fang Yi'ai, insisting that Fang Yi'ai bring the Xu Zhen into this.
After hinting at this, seeing Fang Yi'ai's face change dramatically and unable to speak, he stopped pretending and continuously hinted that he already knew Fang Yi'ai's secret, causing Fang Yi'ai to be greatly alarmed yet unable to express it.
He had already learned about Fang Yi'ai's personality flaws from Princess Gaoyang and understood Fang Yi'ai's limits. After applying pressure for a while, he left the residence as if nothing had happened.
Fang Yi'ai was in a state of panic. After thinking it over, he wished he could report this matter immediately; however, he had no solid evidence and lacked confidence that he could topple Princess Gaoyang and others with just his words.
He needed to rely on the power of the Xu Zhen because at that moment, the Xu Zhen had re-entered Li Zhi's inner circle. Having just returned triumphantly from Tuguhun and having repelled Ashina Helu, he was currently at the height of his popularity.
If he could gain the Xu Zhen's assistance and carefully plan this matter, he would surely expose the conspiracy of Princess Gaoyang and others for all to see. His suffering days would come to an end, allowing him to start anew!
With this thought in mind, how could Fang Yi'ai sit still? After sending off Murong Hanzhu, he ordered preparations for a carriage and intended to visit the Xu Zhen's residence again.
However, this time he had a different idea. Before leaving, he ordered the carriage to be withdrawn and dismissed those around him. Changing into commoner's clothing and going alone, he arrived at Xu Manor.
Upon receiving notice from the doorman about Fang Yi'ai's arrival, the Xu Zhen furrowed his brows. He had just returned from Taiyi Mountain and was preparing for his marriage with Li Mingda. Remembering what was recorded about Fang Yi'ai in Historical Records, he instinctively wanted to close his doors to guests.
The doorman heard that Fang Yi'ai had come alone and had made a small disguise. After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately allowed Fang Yi'ai to enter.
Fang Yi'ai had just entered Xu Manor through the back door when a vendor at the street corner exchanged a glance with his wife. She immediately understood and nodded slightly, picking up a bamboo basket and hurriedly leaving.
The Xu Zhen finally agreed to see him, and Fang Yi'ai was overjoyed. After meeting Xu Zhenzhi, he disregarded their respective statuses and hurriedly took a few steps forward, bowing deeply and saying, "Duke of Wuan, save me!"
Seeing this, the Xu Zhen quickly helped him up but sighed lightly in her heart.
Fang Yi'ai did not conceal anything. The Xu Zhen was adept at reading people; psychology was a subject every magician needed to study. Thus, she could tell that Fang Yi'ai was not hiding or deceiving her.
This eased Xu Zhenxin's mind somewhat; at least Fang Yi'ai was not like what was recorded in the Historical Records, taking the initiative to lead and plan the Rebellion case.
Moreover, from the current situation, it was clear that Fang Yi'ai was indeed on opposing sides with Princess Gaoyang.
The Xu Zhen understood her predicament well. If she got involved in this upheaval, regardless of which side she stood on, it would be a thankless task. However, she could not bear to see Fang Yi'ai harmed and could only promise indirectly that she would not stand by idly.
Yet she underestimated Murong Hanzhu; as long as the Xu Zhen took in Fang Yi'ai, regardless of her stance, this unfortunate soul would eventually be dragged into Princess Gaoyang's side. By then, even if the Xu Zhen had a hundred mouths, she would not be able to absolve herself.
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