Hearing this, Wei Zhao knew that his foolish son was the least likely to lie.
If he said he had seen Wei Chengye, then he surely had.
After a moment's thought, Wei Zhao mounted a horse himself and said, "Qian Zhong, come with me to North Mountain!"
Seeing this, Wei Zeyu tugged at Empress Feng's sleeve and said, "Mother, I'm worried about Sixth Brother too. Can we go look for him as well?"
Empress Feng noticed that Wei Zeyu was unconsciously rubbing the edge of his clothes as he spoke, and narrowed her eyes slightly.
She asked him gently, "Yu'er, do you mean you want me to go with your imperial father too?"
Thinking of what Wei Mingxiu had told him to do, Wei Zeyu nodded firmly. "Yes!"
Empress Feng studied his expression and already had an idea in mind.
She immediately ordered a carriage prepared and took Wei Zeyu with her to follow Wei Zhao.
After hearing Empress Feng point out the direction, Zhou Ye had immediately ridden north.
He had a rough idea that this was very likely the plan Wei Mingxiu had mentioned, but he could not help worrying.
After all, the resentment between Wei Chengye and Wei Mingxiu ran deep. If Wei Mingxiu had concealed his strength to lure Wei Chengye into a trap, then took this opportunity to kill him out in the wilderness, he would be committing a grave transgression.
After all, the difference between their standing in Wei Zhao's heart at present was simply too great.
From the way Wei Zhao had dealt with the Zhao Family after the last sacrificial ceremony, it was clear that he had not given up on that piece.
By extension, his favor toward Wei Chengye would not change either.
So if Wei Mingxiu killed Wei Chengye, he would truly enrage Wei Zhao.
Even if he could come up with plenty of excuses and make Wei Chengye's death look like an accident, he still could not escape blame.
So if this was Wei Mingxiu's plan, Zhou Ye had to do everything he could to stop him!
Under the current circumstances, Wei Chengye could not die yet!
At this moment, deep in the woods, Wei Chengye and Wei Mingxiu slowly tightened their reins, and their horses slowed to a walk.
"This is the place."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Chengye suddenly drew his sword and slashed viciously at the neck of Wei Mingxiu's black horse!
Blood gushed out, and the black horse dropped to its front knees.
Blood splattered over half of Wei Mingxiu's body. Instantly, he "turned pale with fright" and fell awkwardly from his horse.
It was as if he had not expected Wei Chengye to do such a thing.
Wei Chengye looked down at the disheveled Wei Mingxiu and finally burst out laughing.
It was as though he were venting all the anger he had bottled up over his family's punishment these past few days.
"Idiot! Did you really think you could come here with me and make it back alive?"
As soon as he spoke, rustling came from deep in the woods. Five men in close-fitting clothes emerged, drew their sabers, and stood beside Wei Chengye.
"And what fair duel? Bullshit. I never intended to face you alone!"
"Even if you lost to me at the Imperial Academy, I wouldn't risk my own safety!"
"So a few days ago, I hired some deathsworn from outside and had them lie in wait in these hunting grounds. They've been waiting to kill you with me!"
Wei Chengye still remembered what Noble Consort Shu had told him.
Be cautious.
He was worried that Wei Mingxiu would play tricks on him, so he had made this arrangement.
Today, he would take Wei Mingxiu's life!
Wei Mingxiu's face was filled with disbelief, which slowly turned into teeth-gritted hatred.
He cursed, "Wei Chengye! You broke your word. That's the act of a scoundrel!"
Wei Chengye admired Wei Mingxiu's expression, so close to collapse, and smiled all the more happily. "Don't forget, you once plotted to frame me too! Now I'm giving you an eye for an eye. This is your retribution, your fate!"
With that, he ordered the deathsworn, "Go, kill him for me!"
The deathsworn worked for money, and Wei Chengye had offered them enough. They did not hesitate, immediately raising their sabers and slashing at Wei Mingxiu!
Wei Mingxiu was still young. How could he fight these big, burly men? He drew his sword and struggled to block a few blows, but the web between his thumb and forefinger was already bleeding.
His clothes had been cut in two places as well.
Despair appeared on his face. He did his utmost to force two of them back, then broke off the fight, pushed through the bushes, and fled toward the open country!
"Run?" Wei Chengye sneered. "How far can you get without a horse?"
"After him!"
He gave the deathsworn their orders, then took the longbow from his body, drew an arrow from his quiver, and nocked it, aiming in Wei Mingxiu's direction.
He aimed and released.
Whoosh-
The arrow grazed Wei Mingxiu's calf and buried itself in the soil!
Though it missed him, it gave Wei Mingxiu a fright.
The young man's hair had come loose around his crown as he ran. He turned to look at Wei Chengye, terror in his eyes.
The next instant, he ran faster, a picture of despair.
"Hahaha!! Look at you, you coward!" Wei Chengye was thoroughly pleased by Wei Mingxiu's expression. He gently squeezed his horse's flanks with his legs and chased after him, drawing his bow once more.
"Today, you're my prey! I'm going to torture you to death, bit by bit!"
Wei Chengye had hated the way Wei Mingxiu conducted himself since childhood.
He had such a lowly mother, one who made a living serving patrons, yet he felt no shame at all.
When they bullied him, he never bowed his head or admitted defeat.
He even fought back on occasion, like he had that day at the Imperial Academy.
Not only had he dared to tackle Wei Chengye and snatch the hairpin, but he had even dared to argue loudly with their imperial father, the majestic ruler of a nation, to protect a little eunuch.
Wei Chengye could not understand a Wei Mingxiu like that.
But he knew he hated Wei Mingxiu intensely!
He hated this young man who was neither servile nor arrogant, this young man who got back up no matter how he was tormented!
He hated this young man who kept growing, until Wei Chengye found himself inexplicably wary of him!
So today, he was determined to break Wei Mingxiu's proud spirit!
He would make him bow his head and admit defeat, and then kill him!
To eliminate future trouble!
Arrows whizzed past him, and the situation was extremely perilous.
Yet when Wei Mingxiu turned away from Wei Chengye and continued running with his back to him, the fear he had shown Wei Chengye vanished from his face.
His gaze swept swiftly over the trees beside him.
He saw the marks he had secretly left on them with a hidden weapon earlier and calmly kept track of the position of Wei Chengye's horse.
That was how he calculated where the next arrow would land.
Thus, those seemingly perilous arrows were all within his calculations.
They were enough to stir Wei Chengye's desire to hunt and kill, while still allowing him to narrowly dodge them.
After running along the marks like this for some time, Wei Mingxiu narrowed his eyes and looked into the far distance, where white smoke was drifting.
Delighted, he pretended to trip over a stone and fell to the ground. His sword flew from his hand, and he picked it up in a panic, swinging it wildly in front of him several times.
"Stay back! All of you, stay back!" Wei Mingxiu's voice was hoarse and thick with tears.
He looked up at Wei Chengye and finally stopped talking tough. He begged, "Third Brother, I know I was wrong. Don't kill me. Please, spare my life!"
"I promise that once we're back at the palace, I'll follow your lead in everything, and I won't breathe a word about today! If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west!"
"So please, be merciful. For the sake of the blood we share, let me go!"