Rebirth of a Star General (Legend of the Female General)

Chapter 96: Probing

In the night, a row of soldiers stood at the gate of the Sun Residence, an unusual sight for guarding one's own gate. However, given the current state of panic and paranoia that had gripped Sun Xiangfu, he didn't care about the oddity of it all. All the servants in the residence were being questioned one by one, but so far, no suspicious individuals had been identified.

Right Army Commander Xiao Jue and Imperial Censor Yuan Baozhen were both staying in the residence. Sun Xiangfu could sense an undercurrent of tension between these two apparently calm individuals. He sat in his room, sighing with exasperation, having learned the full details of the entire incident from the servants. "Father, why are you still troubled by this matter?" Sun Ling asked.

Sun Xiangfu's anger flared, "If it weren't for your meddlesome actions in bringing those women back to the residence, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"I brought those women back for my own use, not for you to entertain guests," Sun Ling retorted and rolled his eyes. "Now that trouble has arisen, you blame me? Those women were useless; if they wanted to assassinate someone, they should have succeeded on their first attempt. They died for nothing, and who knows whose gain that is?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Sun Ling was silenced by a hand over his mouth, and his father, Sun Xiangfu, looked around cautiously. He whispered, "Do you want to die? Don't say such things!"

Sun Ling, undeterred, said in a hushed tone, "I didn't say anything wrong. Father, do you also happen to dislike Xiao Jue?"

Sun Xiangfu fell silent. Was it even a question of whether he liked Xiao Jue or not? Rather than whether he liked Xiao Jue, he should be more concerned about whether Xiao Jue liked him.

"I overheard that Xiao Jue and Yuan Baozhen seem to have some disagreements. You can just sit back and watch them go at it. Lord Yuan is quite amicable, so why not secretly assist him? An enemy's enemy is a friend, right? If something does go wrong, you not only get rid of Xiao Jue, but you also build a connection with Lord Yuan. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?" Sun Ling suggested.

He felt confident that he was making a valid point, but Sun Xiangfu unexpectedly slapped him on the head, scolding, "It's not as simple as you think! Today, you didn't see it, but Xiao Jue that person..." He hesitated as he remembered something, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes. "He's not easy to handle."

.....

Inside the room, the dimly lit lamps cast a shadowy atmosphere. Yuan Baozhen sat at the table, his expression changing as he mulled over the situation. His unassuming guard stood behind him, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"Xiao Jue is suspicious of me," Yuan Baozhen finally said, "and now, the opportunity may be lost."

"Why would he suspect you?" his guard, named Ding Yi, asked.

Thinking about what had just happened in Sun Xiangfu's study, Yuan Baozhen was furious. Xiao Jue's blatant suspicion and arrogant tone left him at a loss for words. He had only recently arrived in Liangzhou City and had no prior interactions with Xiao Jue. No matter how you looked at it, Xiao Jue should not have any reason to suspect him.

"And, how did Cheng Lisu go blind?" Yuan Baozhen furrowed his brow. "Was this part of the plan as well?"

Ding Yi shook his head. "I've never heard of it."

Suspicion wouldn't get them anywhere now. With all the assassins dead and not a single survivor, their questions remained unanswered.

"That Cheng Lisu seems a bit strange," Ding Yi spoke up. "If it weren't for his timely intervention, Xiao Jue might have drunk the poisoned wine."