Chapter 57
Zhong Wan stood outside the study for one hour . Whenever the servants walked by, they would glance at him in a flabbergasted manner . He rubbed his face . Turned around to make for his own room .
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Just now, he kept wondering how Yu She would react if he had just rushed into the study and explained things to him . If he had revealed all the information on Yu She’s background he had dug out .
Zhong Wan grew impulsive many times, yet also forced himself to suppress the urges .
He definitely needed to get on Yu She’s good graces even more before he could do this .
Enough so that even if Zhong Wan knew his past, he wouldn’t grow so furious that he’d kick Zhong Wan out . On the contrary, he would explain those pieces of secret information . He would be willing to let him stay and become his advisor .
Zhong Wan truly wasn’t the slightest bit confident about this .
After all, he came from Prince Ning’s estate . At present, it was possible that Xuan Rui would fight for the throne . Would Yu She think Xuan Rui sent Zhong Wan to his side as a spy?
It seemed that now, the best method was…
Zhong Wan muttered, “Let him f*ck me once . ”
Just once . Then Zhong Wan would be confident that he could fool Yu She for a lifetime .
His words frightened the little servant girl, who had come to deliver his medicine, to the point of stumbling . Zhong Wan helped her steady the bowl of medicine . “Why are you so scared? I don’t bite . ”
On guard, the little servant girl looked at Zhong Wan . From start to finish, she found him a bad person .
She did not speak . After she had watched Zhong Wan finish drinking the medicine, she rushed out with the empty bowl .
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Before the evening meal, Yu She had been summoned away . This time, it wasn’t Emperor Chongan making trouble out of nothing . He informed Yu She about the unrest at the northern border . Nowadays, a sign of disturbance had appeared in the court . Whether or not it had anything to do with Yu She, Emperor Chongan still wanted him present . Yu She was completely unwilling to do this . Previously, for the sake of protecting Zhong Wan, he had already promised the emperor he would not shirk his responsibilities anymore . And now, he was unable to reject the emperor’s request, on call at any time .
Zhong Wan looked at the hourglass . Sighed . Originally, he had planned to stick to Yu She after the evening meal . But now, it looked like there wouldn’t be a chance . Yu She probably wouldn’t return for now .
He felt a bit tired . Ever since he had taken the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, his health took a turn for the better . He also slept deeper than he had in the past . Every day, his sleep was two hours longer than the previous day’s . As such, once the sky darkened, drowsiness would overtake him . He rubbed his eyes . Mulled over whether he should directly enter Yu She’s inner chamber, when all of a sudden, a faint sound came from the window lattice .
His heart trembled . He took in the room . The little servant girl had already left .
First, Zhong Wan shut the door . Then he made to open the window . Lin Si flipped as he leapt inside .
He gestured, “I wanted to come during the morning, but the estate’s security is too tight . When Young Prince Yu left, half the family soldiers went with him . Only then could I sneak in . ”
Zhong Wan nodded . “Are Xuan Yu and Xuan Congxin well?”
Olc Vl cbvvfv jr kfii . Vjlv klat rluc ijcuejuf, “Nfgs kfii . Tbecu Zlrr xfqa jrxlcu jybea sbe . ”
“Pa’r ubbv atja cbatlcu tjqqfcfv . ” Itbcu Qjc rlutfv klat fwbalbc . “Yglulcjiis, P kjcafv atfw bea bo atf mjqlaji jr rbbc jr qbrrlyif . Dea cbk, la rffwr eccfmfrrjgs . Pa’r ecmfgajlc ktfatfg Kjcu Zlcu tjr jgglnfv ja Hljc Cc . Po tf tjr… atfc Hljc Cc gfjiis lrc’a j rjof qijmf . ”
If Tang Ming truly led Xuan Rui astray to do something stupid, then these two children could claim ignorance and would not be implicated .
As soon as Lin Si had heard his words, his expression stiffened . He paused, then signed, “Tang Ming did not go to Qian An . ”
Startled, Zhong Wan asked, “He didn’t go? Did I guess wrong? Didn’t he craft such a large plan… to meet with Xuan Rui?”
Lin Si gestured, “You did guess correctly . It’s…”
Lin Si seemed to be suppressing his emotions as he signed, “Xuan Rui simply did not return to Qian An . Not even ten days after he had left the capital, he encountered Tang Ming’s people . They told him that he could not return to Qian An . That people who wanted his life were waiting at Qian An, prepared to attack . ”
At that moment, his head spun .
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Tang Ming…
Lin Si signed, “Xuan Rui was skeptical . Because Tang Ming’s men said, said…”
“Just say it,” said Zhong Wan in a low voice .
Lin Si gritted his teeth and gestured, “Tang Ming’s men said to Xuan Rui that if Qian An was safe, why didn’t Zhong Wan return himself?”
Zhong Wan fell into a daze . Out of the blue, he laughed .
“Tang Ming’s men also said that if His Highness did not believe them, then use the reason that he’s still sick to slowly return to the south . Listen to the movements of the capital to see if His Majesty wants to act against Qian An . Indeed, half a month ago… Master met with that bribe allegation and the things that came after it,” gestured Lin Si .
Zhong Wan couldn’t refrain from smiling . Lin Si glanced at him . Felt bitterly disappointed for him . He proceeded to gesture, “Even though you and Young Prince Yu had suppressed that matter, Xuan Rui still heard some rumors . Hardly recovered from a recent shock, he indeed dared not return to Qian An . He followed Tang Ming’s men . Made a turn to the south . Steward Yan felt something was amiss but was unable to persuade Xuan Rui from going . He could only anxiously dispatch someone to the capital to request help from you . But you weren’t at the estate . I intercepted the messenger . Feared that it was a trap . The next day, I personally nosed around . Indeed… Last night Xuan Rui arrived at another manor of Tang Ming’s, in the suburbs of the capital . ”
“If a feudal prince…” Zhong Wan’s lip twitched . “…Secretly returned to the capital, this is the crime of rebellion . ”
Anxious, Lin Si signed, “Exactly . Xuan Rui was frightened to the point that he didn’t dare return to Qian An . But what if others find out where he went? Furthermore, how long could he hide this? Three months? Half a year? The garrison troops and officials of Qian An aren’t blind . If no matter how long they waited, His Highness didn’t return to his fief, how could they not report this to the capital? At that time, when His Majesty finds out, then…”
Zhong Wan’s eyes grew bloodshot . “What about Tang Ming?”
Expression grave, Lin Si gestured, “I came here today because of this… It’s unknown where that old bastard is hiding these days . Most likely, he’s waiting for Xuan Rui to return to the capital . Steward Yan sent a letter to me that read, at 12:10 tonight, Tang Ming would go to that rural manor and meet with Xuan Rui . Steward Yan already lost Xuan Rui’s trust . No matter how much or how long he tried to persuade him, it was to no avail . He tried his best but could only send us this news, unable to do anything else . He merely hoped that Master could borrow some people from Young Prince Yu and destroy that rural manor . Steward Yan said Master can do anything you want to Tang Ming . However, Master must not let Young Prince Yu know that Xuan Rui has returned to the capital . So as to avoid this matter being spread, since once it does, Xuan Rui’s life would be in danger . ”
Not a word escaped Zhong Wan’s lips .
Lin Si hurried to sign, “Master, can you control Young Prince Yu’s men? I thought about asking Fourth Prince for help, but feared he would not protect Xuan Rui . ”
Unable to sit or stand still, Lin Si gestured, “Fortunately, Young Prince Yu is not at the estate today . Is Master able to dispatch some people over there first? To settle this matter tonight? After that, whether he’s knocked unconscious or tied up, we can have Steward Yan send Xuan Rui back to Qian An as soon as possible . This way, even if Young Prince Yu finds out, he can’t catch up . As long as Xuan Rui returns to Qian An, this matter will pass! Master…”
Tone light to the extreme, Zhong Wan said, “Conceal this from Ziyou? Use his men?”
Lin Si hesitated before nodding .
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Zhong Wan said dully, “If in the future, someone says that Ziyou abducted Prince Qian An, stopped him from returning to his fief, and after conspiring together, sent him back to Qian An, what’s to be done?”
Lin Si was startled . In a moment of desperation, he had not considered this .
“Xuan Rui’s life is a life . Then is Ziyou’s life not a f*cking life?” Zhong Wan closed his eyes and did not speak anymore .
Lin Si knelt straight away . Signed, “I didn’t think this through . I… I will ask Xuan Jing for help!”
“No need . ” Zhong Wan sucked in a deep breath . “I have a plan… Wait here . In at most one hour, you and I will leave the capital . ”
Zhong Wan turned around . Rushed out of the room . Once he found Steward Feng, he said, “I… I feel a bit unwell . May you please find a way to get Yu She to return . ”
Steward Feng was frightened to the point of jumping . He examined Zhong Wan’s complexion . His face was pale, eyes lifeless . He truly seemed unwell . Shuddering with fear, Steward Feng said, “H-how could this happen? Your medicine is tested by others before you take it . Your meals are the same as Heir’s every day . How could this… Where do you feel unwell? I’ll summon an imperial physician . ”
“Call for Ziyou first,” said Zhong in a soft voice . “If I don’t see him, I won’t see an imperial physician . ”
Steward Feng was so worried that he almost went crazy . He rushed to have someone summon Yu She .
Zhong Wan sat in the central room waiting . Exhausted, he rested his body on the desk, consoling himself in spite of adversity as he thought, it’s fine like this . Before I could tell Yu She I know about his past, perhaps it’s now Yu She uncovering my past .
Before an hour rolled by, Yu She returned with a frigid aura enveloping him, a few imperial physicians in tow .
Just a glance, and Yu She knew Zhong Was fine . Expression cold, he removed his cloak . Told the imperial physicians to take a break first .
Yu She dismissed everyone, anger in his eyes . “Why did you make such a big fuss deep into the evening?! The senior officials of the emperor’s cabinet were all present when people from the estate suddenly came, saying you fell ill and would only take your medicine after seeing me . You… Do you know how those cabinet members looked at me?! Why don’t you sleep properly? What are you acting coquettish for?!”
Zhong Wan wanted to laugh . But he could only force the corners of his lips to tilt upward a hint . In the end, he couldn’t laugh .
Zhong Wan had sat here for a long time, and had already figured out what he was capable of doing . In simple and brief terms, he explained what was going on with Tang Ming and Xuan Rui to Yu She . Then he said, “Tonight, we must destroy that rural manor . Once dawn breaks through the skies, I’m afraid that old bastard would flee . ”
Yu She narrowed his eyes slightly . “You want to secretly borrow the men of the Dali Temple?”
“No,” said Zhong Wan . “There’s no need to keep it secret . Just lend me some men . Take advantage of the fact that people can still enter the palace right now, and tell the emperor you received a secret letter . That it says people heard evildoers captured Prince Qian An . To act first, report later . To dispatch men to surround them and annihilate them . That way… no matter what, this has nothing to do with you . ”
Shocked, Yu She glanced at Zhong Wan . He said, “You think the emperor would believe this? He would definitely suspect Xuan Rui . Moreover, after just a bit of investigation, he’d find out Xuan Rui had returned to the capital . Although he wouldn’t go as far as killing Xuan Rui… Xuan Rui most likely won’t be able to keep his position as a Prince of the Third Rank . ”
“I know . ” Exhaustion seeping into his bones, Zhong Wan rubbed at the center of his brows . “I’ve already tried my best…”
Yu She’s pupils trembled a bit . They were in the middle of an extreme emergency, but a tinge of ecstasy that was hard to control suddenly sprung in his heart .
Shouldn’t Zhong Wan be exploiting him to protect Xuan Rui as much as he could?
If he himself died, what did it have to do with Zhong Wan?
If Yu She secretly handled this matter, then Xuan Rui could escape unscathed .
For him to act this way, did it mean Zhong Wan was afraid he’d be implicated?
Yu She couldn’t help but want to ask Zhong Wan, am I more important to you than Xuan Rui?! Don’t you like Xuan Rui more?
Noticing that Yu She was silent, Zhong Wan hesitated before saying, “Heir… is that okay?”
Yu She closed his eyes, dismissing all the distracting thoughts . “This plan isn’t thorough enough . You don’t know how many people are in that rural manor, and neither do I . Wouldn’t this be falling into their trap? You don’t know, but I know even less . In addition, how many people do I need to give you for you to capture them all?”
Zhong Wan fell into a daze .
“If I give you too many people, even if you’re holding a letter from me personally, it wouldn’t be easy to leave the capital come night . ” Yu She scoffed . “What’s more, since you want me to borrow the imperial sword from the emperor first, then capture the person who led Xuan Rui astray, shouldn’t such a grand contribution be attributed to me? I want this first-class merit .
“In fact, as long as I mention this to the emperor, I don’t even have to personally go . ” Yu She threw his cloak at Zhong Wan . “Put it on . Tell your dog I’ll accompany you out of the capital . ”
Before Zhong Wan could respond, Yu She glanced at him, gaze profound . Killing intent rose in it . “What’s most important are… those matters regarding you . I have many things to personally ask Xuan Rui . ”