Chapter 469: Chapter 453: Taking the Blame
At the crack of dawn, Nangong Heng came looking for Fengyu, his clothes still in disarray, panic evident in his demeanor, bringing word that Han Ziqi had been murdered at the West Wind Inn.
"What?" Fengyu had spent the prior night comforting Xie Xun, staying up until late. She’d barely gotten any sleep before Qiuxiang woke her up. Nangong Heng wouldn’t have sought her out unless it was a significant matter—and indeed it was.
"He’s really dead?" Fengyu was stunned, barely able to process the news. She hadn’t even had the chance to discuss anything with her Second Brother, and now Han Ziqi was already dead. "Was he frozen to death?"
"Frozen to death? No, he was killed with a single strike." Nangong Heng spoke hurriedly. "Miss, you need to wake up—this isn’t a dream. He’s truly dead, his body’s gone cold, and now the people of Sannan are demanding we turn over the murderer."
"Who’s the murderer?"
"Fang Chuning!"
Fengyu: "..."
Fang Chuning had been gravely injured and hadn’t yet recovered—how could he possibly leave the mansion to kill Han Ziqi? Moreover, killing Han Ziqi would only escalate tensions between Sannan and Jiangnan. While Fengyu herself did have reasons to kill Han Ziqi due to the threat he posed to her family, Fang Chuning lacked any motive to act. On the contrary, his goal was to defuse Sannan’s war crisis, not exacerbate it by killing Han Ziqi.
News of the murder reached Fengyu, and Xie Xun also received word. The two exchanged a look and decided to inspect the body personally. Nangong Heng had already brought the corpse to the government office, where a coroner had examined it. The verdict was clear: a single fatal strike. It was undoubtedly Han Ziqi. Fengyu still found it hard to believe; Xie Xun was even more shocked.
"Cause of death?"
"Fang Chuning killed the Princely Heir. The night guard overheard an argument between them and witnessed the wounds inflicted by his sword." Han Ziqi’s guard said gravely. They’d heard the argument, seen the fight, and even recognized Fang Chuning’s sword.
Fengyu couldn’t help but think—no wonder so many people from Sannan had entered the city. They must have learned about Han Ziqi’s murder. The Sannan guard pressed Fengyu and Xie Xun to turn over Fang Chuning, adding that Sannan would not let this matter rest otherwise.
Xie Xun refused to be intimidated. "Fang Chuning doesn’t belong to West State, nor does he belong to my Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. If he committed murder, why should you demand him from us? That’s unreasonable."
"Fang Chuning is currently staying in the City Lord Mansion. Could it be that the Prince is sheltering him?"
"He’s staying as a guest. If he committed murder, we were unaware. Let us investigate the matter thoroughly and then provide you with an answer."
"Fine, then we’ll wait for the Prince’s reply."
Fengyu understood the gravity of the situation and knew it wouldn’t be resolved peacefully. She still couldn’t figure out why Fang Chuning would attack—even if he did. The truth remained uncertain. When Fengyu and Xie Xun returned to the City Lord Mansion, Fang Chuning and Xie Jue were already awake. Something had clearly transpired between them, as their expressions were equally unpleasant. Fang Chuning, still recovering from his injuries, had a particularly dark and stormy demeanor due to his anger.
"Had an argument?" Xie Xun asked, inexplicably amused at the tension between them. Despite knowing the seriousness of the matter at hand, he couldn’t help but gloat. His reaction had the unexpected effect of slightly tempering Fang Chuning’s expression, which softened marginally.
Xie Xun relayed the details of Han Ziqi’s death, still unable to fully believe it had truly happened. It was utterly astonishing. He and Ayu had been plotting how to kill Han Ziqi, but now the deed had been done without them lifting a finger.
The timing felt almost too coincidental!
"It was me who killed him. I’ll go negotiate with the Sannan people myself." Fang Chuning said coldly. He shot a glare at Xie Jue before sweeping his sleeves and storming off, clearly still angry.
After Fang Chuning left the mansion, Xie Xun asked, "Second Brother, was it you who killed him?"
"Yes."
"Then why frame Fang Chuning?"
"Han Ziqi died in West State. If he doesn’t take the blame, who else fits the role? You?" Xie Jue retorted with a sly smile.
Xie Xun: "..."
That’s your beloved, isn’t it? You kill someone and let him take the fall—what kind of twisted sentiment is that? The Prince fell into deep contemplation, unable to fathom this peculiar dynamic. Fang Chuning had clearly been furious just moments ago.
Xie Jue spoke matter-of-factly, "Spread the word back to Sannan as well—say Fang Chuning killed Han Ziqi. Sannan wants to deploy troops, don’t they? I’ll help them on their way."
"What good would Sannan deploying troops do us?" Xie Xun questioned. His plan to kill Han Ziqi had involved waiting until Han Ziqi left the city, where Xie Xun would disguise his men as river bandits to murder Han Ziqi. Once the entire group perished at sea, there’d be no witnesses or complaints. If Han Ziqi died in West State City, what if King of Sannan sought to hold them accountable?
"It was Fang Chuning who killed Han Ziqi; what does that have to do with us?" Xie Jue said coldly. "If King of Sannan truly intends to march on the Twelve Provinces, then Han Ziqi’s life or death is irrelevant to his plans. My lineage within the Sannan Royal Family isn’t a secret. Think about it—does King of Sannan have a better chance of victory joining forces with Ningzhou Iron Cavalry against the court, or allying with Jiangnan’s stationed army to attack the Twelve Provinces?"
"But would Fang Chuning willingly bear the blame?"
"Why are you all doing this to my brother?" Fang Lingjun, who had overheard everything from the doorway, stepped inside, her face pale. She rushed forward. "Second Young Master, framing someone for murder—why does it have to be my brother?"