Chapter 21: Another Assassination Attempt

The next morning, in the imperial court, the Emperor of Zhou glared at the Great General, his face flushed with fury. If it weren't for the fact that he was no match for the General in a fight, he would have charged forward to strike him.

"Great General, if my memory serves me correctly, this is the second letter of confession you have submitted. Are the imperial guards really so weak and incompetent?" the Emperor demanded. "There were assassins the day before yesterday, and again yesterday? Is the capital of the Great Zhou truly a place where anyone can come and go as they please?"

The Emperor, consumed by rage, swept his gaze across the assembled ministers, the fire in his eyes nearly scorching them. How many people in this world still truly recognized him as the Emperor of the Great Zhou? Even the Great General dared to humiliate him so brazenly!

"Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? Assassins are rampant, and I have submitted a letter of confession to request your punishment. Is there something wrong with that?" The General looked genuinely confused, standing before the Emperor without a hint of remorse or realization that his words might be inappropriate. If you acknowledge that assassins are present, is it really so unbelievable that they would strike again?

The Emperor understood perfectly well. This wasn't about a repeat offense; it was the General expressing his dissatisfaction and applying pressure on him.

"Very well, then tell me, have the assassins been caught?"

"No," the General replied, shaking his head with an earnest expression. "The assassins are far too cunning. By the time I arrived with my troops, they had already fled." He then glanced toward a minister standing nearby, who wore a bitter expression. It was that minister's home that had been raided the previous night; not only had he lost most of his wealth, but his entire estate had been thoroughly trashed by the intruders. To call his residence a ruin now would be an understatement.

"If you haven't caught them, then get out there and catch them! What is the use of these letters of confession?" The Emperor’s heart churned with anger as he looked at Zhou Hao, standing off to the side. Ever since this degenerate had returned, he had been a constant source of frustration; he was truly a jinx! The crushing defeat in the barbarian lands ten years ago had also been brought about by this same curse.

"Do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

Zhou Hao looked at the Emperor with a bewildered expression, his eyes filled with genuine confusion. "Father, what do you mean by that? I was sleeping soundly in my residence last night and was completely unaware of any assassins. Is that, too, a crime?" He continued sharply, his voice cutting through the air like a steel blade, piercing the Emperor’s mind. "Must I rush to the homes of ministers every night to stand guard against assassins? Since when is a Prince expected to serve as a night watchman for his subordinates?"

The argument was sharp and left no room for doubt. Zhou Hao had absolutely no connection to these attacks, and even the spies watching the First Prince’s mansion had not detected any movement from him that night. Yet, the more perfect his alibi, the more the Emperor felt there was something sinister at play.

"Very well, I am giving you a task. From this day forward, you shall follow the Great General and assist him in rooting out these assassins!" The Emperor smiled, but the malice in his expression was visible even to the blind. "And if you fail to find them, be prepared to face the consequences!"

Assassins? Both the General and the Emperor knew the truth: there were no real assassins. The first incident was surely the work of the Empress, and the second... the Emperor could guess easily enough that Zhou Hao was the culprit. He wanted to see how Zhou Hao would react. Would he betray his own men? If he did, the Emperor could simply seize the investigation, twist the testimony, and pin everything on Zhou Hao. That would allow him to confiscate his fief and his gold, removing the need for them to remain under his control. If he failed to find the assassins? He would be punished all the same.

Zhou Hao cupped his hands, his expression natural. "I obey your command, Father. Tell me, did you discover any clues from the assassin captured the day before yesterday? Or did he, perhaps, die the moment he was thrown into the dungeon?"

The Emperor slammed his hand against the throne, his eyes burning with a desire to devour the Prince. The degenerate! He was mocking him to his face and still had the audacity to speak! "Hmph! Instead of worrying about that, you had better worry about what will happen if you fail to catch them! You have seven days. If you fail, you will be held accountable!"

With a final, furious shout, the Emperor turned and stormed out without a backward glance. Why stay? To look at Zhou Hao and the General and only grow angrier? He had never been treated with such disrespect by his own ministers. As the supreme ruler, how could he allow this degenerate to lead him by the nose?

After the morning session, the General followed Zhou Hao, his eyes filled with concern. His "worthy son-in-law's" strategy was brilliant, but the Emperor’s reaction had been unexpected.

"This time... perhaps I should find a death-row inmate to pose as the culprit? You cannot afford to be punished by the Emperor right now." The relationship between Zhou Hao and the Emperor was already as volatile as fire and water; if the Emperor found a real opening, Zhou Hao would be plunged into an abyss from which there would be no return. The Empress and the Third Prince would surely seize the chance to kick him while he was down.

"Don't worry," Zhou Hao said, sitting in his chair and taking a slow, calm sip of tea, showing no signs of panic. "There is a solution. The Emperor may be shameless, but he still had to maintain some semblance of dignity today. He knows these attacks are staged, but he cannot admit it. That is why he set this ultimatum—to make me scramble. But such tricks are simply beneath notice."

Zhou Hao sneered and looked at the General. "Father-in-law, let us continue as planned. Have the 'assassins' attack the mansions of those ministers—preferably those who support the Third Prince and the Empress. Even if their houses are razed to the ground, I won't feel a shred of pity."

At these words, the General looked at Zhou Hao with deep hesitation and confusion. What was he planning? Did he think the situation wasn't chaotic enough? After this latest move, the Emperor already had the urge to kill him. If the attacks continued for days and the assassins remained at large, then Zhou Hao...

The General didn't want to dwell on it, merely patting Zhou Hao on the shoulder to urge him to keep his guard up. "Son-in-law, it is not that I do not support you, but if you do this, you will be the one to suffer in the end. If there is no solution, the Emperor will truly..."

The General left his sentence unfinished, but Zhou Hao understood his fear perfectly. After all, there were no assassins at all. And if there were, they would be the Empress’s loyalists who would immediately swear that Zhou Hao was the mastermind. Who could he appeal to then?

"I have many servants in my mansion who are actually spies planted by others. I can hand them over when the time comes," Zhou Hao said, seeing the General’s reluctance to leave. "What is the use of spies?" the General asked. "They will only admit to being spies, not assassins."