Shuzhou-Yongzhou border, Shu River
To keep up appearances, Chen Zhibao had arranged for someone to impersonate him. He had also ordered Dian Xiongchu to remain at the military camp in Yongzhou, while he himself escorted the bridal procession with his heavy cavalry.
He had done so to guard against an ambush. Yet the bridal procession had made it all the way to the banks of the Shu River without a single assassination attempt, which left him rather puzzled.
What troubled Chen Zhibao even more was that, according to the spies, every assassin had vanished before entering Yongzhou. No one knew where they had gone.
Chen Zhibao had hurriedly sent people to investigate, dispatching nearly every scout he could spare, but they still found no clues.
By now, he had escorted the procession to the riverbank. Beyond the river lay Xia, and he was starting to grow anxious, afraid that the plan would fail and jeopardize Xu Weixiong's future marriage to Wang Yue.
Truthfully, if it had only been Xu Weixiong, Chen Zhibao wouldn't have been so concerned. The key was that Wu Su cared deeply about this matter, which was why he had taken it so seriously.
So Chen Zhibao rode over to Wang Yue's chestnut horse and asked gravely, "Emperor Xia, what exactly is going on? Have you heard anything? Why haven't the assassins shown up yet? Something feels off."
Wang Yue wasn't worried. What was meant to come would come, and he remained perfectly calm. He said solemnly, "This is only the quiet before the storm. Those people know that their best chance of success is to strike while Wang Xianzhi and I are fighting.
"If they attack at any other time, they'll just be throwing their lives away. They may all risk their lives for a living,