Chapter 43 – You’re Such a Busybody

After selecting Tian Yuan, Mu Nanjin also chose a middle-aged woman, a martial artist of the Eighth Rank Grandmaster level.

The woman’s name was Song Longzhu. All of her family members had died, and she joined the court seeking protection.

Mu Nanjin chose her precisely because she was alone and had something to gain from serving the court. Someone in her situation would not easily betray her benefactors.

As for those who were not selected, the court still granted them generous rewards so their trip would not be in vain.

When the selection was over, Mu Nanjin wanted to accompany Kan Chaoyan to escort Tian Yuan for his imperial audience. But just as she was about to leave, Captain Liu stopped her.

“I need to take you somewhere,” he said.

【You’re such a damn busybody.】

Captain Liu: “…”

Mu Nanjin was clearly displeased. “What is it now?”

“Just come with me.”

Captain Liu led her back to the Commandant’s Office and took her on a tour of the underground prison. “This dungeon connects directly to the Imperial Prison. From now on, after morning court, once you’ve had lunch here at the Commandant’s Office, you’ll be responsible for delivering meals to the prisoners below.”

Mu Nanjin frowned. “And what if I can’t make it back by noon?”

“Someone else will handle it.”

After leaving the dungeon, Captain Liu saw that it was already late. “That’s all for today. You’re dismissed, you may go home now.”

The moment Mu Nanjin heard she could finally go home, she did not hesitate for a second before leaving the Commandant’s Office.

Instead of heading straight back, she stopped by a roadside stall and ordered a bowl of noodles to fill her stomach.

Just as she was about to sit down, two masked men in black suddenly leaped down from a nearby rooftop, brandishing blades as they charged toward her.

Before the blades could reach her, Heitan, who had been behind her, bit onto her collar and yanked her back hard, pulling her out of harm’s way just in time.

The two black-clad men froze for a moment, stunned that the horse had saved her.

Heitan seized the chance. He raised his front hooves and kicked. One of the attackers was sent flying a full fifty meters away.

With a loud crash, the man smashed into someone’s food stall, destroying it completely.

At that very moment, Tang Jingrui, who had just finished his duties and was heading home, saw the commotion. Spotting Mu Nanjin under attack, he immediately drew the broadsword from his waist and slashed at the remaining assassin.

Seeing that their opponent was a Jinyiwei, the assassin panicked and bolted into a nearby alley.

Tang Jingrui, worried there might be more attackers hidden nearby, decided not to give chase.

“Mu Nanjin, are you alright?” he asked, breathless.

Mu Nanjin calmly picked up her bowl of noodles and took a bite. “I’m fine.”

Tang Jingrui frowned. “Who were those people? Why were they after you?”

Could it be that someone wanted to silence her before she could reveal something she should not?

“I don’t know,” she replied flatly.

【Even if I did know, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.】

Tang Jingrui’s brows furrowed. “You really don’t know?”

“Mm.”

【If I told you it was your aunt who wants me dead, would you believe me?】

Tang Jingrui: “!!…”

That was hard to believe.

Mu Nanjin had already moved out of the Tang residence. Why could his aunt not let her go? Did she truly hate Mu Nanjin that much?

With suspicion swirling in his mind, Tang Jingrui walked over to the black-clad man Heitan had kicked.

He had hoped to question him, but the man was already dead.

Sighing, Tang Jingrui pulled out a silver ingot to compensate the stall owner for the damage and ordered his men to dispose of the corpse.

Mu Nanjin finished her noodles, then quietly returned home.

Tang Jingrui, meanwhile, went back to the Tang residence and immediately told Tang Wenzong what had happened.

After listening, Tang Wenzong also found it hard to believe that his younger sister could have gone so far as to hire assassins.

“Are you certain it was your aunt?” he asked.

“That’s what Mu Nanjin’s inner voice said,” Tang Jingrui replied.

Tang Wenzong frowned. “So there’s no actual proof it was her? Then it would not be right for me to confront her outright. With her temperament, she would never admit it anyway, and it would only create more tension between us siblings.”

After thinking for a while, Tang Jingrui said, “Father, I think we should have someone keep an eye on Aunt.”

Tang Wenzong was silent for a long time before finally nodding. “Alright. We must, at the very least, give your uncle an explanation.”