The Imperial Guards had been tormenting Yangquan County all day, taking people everywhere to search while cursing and swearing, saying they were searching for Ma Yuantong’s remaining followers and Ma Yuantong himself. It was this group who had poisoned the Grand Prince, causing His Highness to still be bedridden.
Ye Jingchuan had gone out with them all morning. After returning at noon, he refused to leave again. Learning that Song Chuyi was in the Grand Prince’s room, he rushed in to find her. Song Chuyi was personally assisting Advisor Hu, passing him towels. He waited until she finished before standing to the side and calling out to her.
He actually didn’t know what he had come to find Song Chuyi for. These past few days, Song Chuyi had been busy rushing about, either discussing matters with Commander Zhou and Song Yan who had arrived later, or instructing Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun to patrol outside—she hadn’t had a moment’s rest. He was simply tired from running around aimlessly and very much wanted to see her.
Song Chuyi turned her head, widened her eyes, and hummed in acknowledgment, then walked out with some confusion and asked him, “What’s wrong?”
Ye Jingchuan couldn’t help but recall the first time he met her. She had been very small then, a little girl around eight years old, who with extreme composure had given him advice to help him avoid being too implicated in the Tatar military revolt incident in Tongzhou. He had also helped her, but he had been too careless—it was Zhou Weizhao who had smoothed things over. Since then, it seemed Song Chuyi never needed his help, yet their relationship gradually improved. He was lost in thought for half a moment before shaking his head and asking her, “His Highness still shows no improvement?”
Song Chuyi shook her head, her expression rather grim. It was already the second day. Although she had made other preparations and written to Old Madam Cui asking her to invite the Taibai Immortal, seeing no progress at all still worried her heart.
Ye Jingchuan made a sound of understanding and lowered his head to nudge the kitten crouching at his feet, sighing. “This strategy of drawing the snake from its hole—who knows if it will actually work. If it doesn’t, we’ll still have to wait for the Taibai Immortal. I don’t know if the Taibai Immortal can make it in time.”
Having made two-fold preparations, they had done everything humanly possible. The rest could only be left to fate. Song Chuyi glanced behind the screen. Although she no longer knew what fate awaited others next, she believed that surviving great danger brings great fortune. Since Zhou Weizhao had already avoided the landslide that killed him in her previous life, he shouldn’t die like this.
Fortunately, this strategy of drawing the snake from its hole ultimately worked. In the evening, Song Chuyi had just closed her eyes when Qing Ying shook her awake. Her face carried both anxiety and some joy, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turning up. “Miss, someone really, really has infiltrated!”
Song Chuyi immediately sat up. Letting Qing Ying change her clothes and drape a cloak over her, she rushed toward Zhou Weizhao’s courtyard. Rose petals from the flower trellis rustled down all over her. She ignored them and hurried through, meeting Ye Jingchuan and Commander Zhou’s group also rushing to the entrance.
“I heard they emerged from underground.” Ye Jingchuan told her the news he’d received. “Inside the room, Qing Zhuo and Han Feng are guarding closely without leaving for a moment. They just aren’t making any sound. Those stupid donkeys thought there was no one in the room.”
This was all thanks to Zhou Weizhao. After Song Chuyi had witnessed Zhou Weizhao’s secret passages at the Yellow Immortal Temple and Chongyin Workshop, she became vigilant about such things. She had discussed countless times with Commander Zhou and Lai Chenglong, instructing them to definitely guard against Ma Yuantong’s group having also dug secret passages in the county office—these rebels hadn’t occupied the county office for just a day or two. Given these people’s shady mentality, they would very likely dig tunnels to preserve their lives or prepare escape routes.
They had made thorough preparations. The entire county office was practically like an iron fortress. As long as someone entered, they would definitely be discovered. Even the dog hole by the kitchen was specifically guarded.
Pushing open the door, Song Chuyi saw Lai Chenglong’s subordinates skillfully tying up the several people who had snuck in and tossing them on the ground to one side. Lai Chenglong didn’t delay. Nodding to her, he said, “I’ll take these people for interrogation.”
Song Chuyi and Commander Zhou both nodded. The Imperial Guard’s methods of interrogation were far superior to theirs—there was nothing they couldn’t extract. Time was urgent; he had to personally conduct the interrogation.
Lai Chenglong was extremely efficient. By the time Imperial Physician Yan and Advisor Hu administered another round of acupuncture to Zhou Weizhao, he had already returned. His expression serious, he said, “Ma Yuantong isn’t among this group, but they’re all Ma Yuantong’s trusted confidants. There’s one surnamed Ma who is Ma Yuantong’s strategist. According to him, he doesn’t know what poison His Highness was given.” His face showed no expression, but his eyes faintly revealed killing intent. “Some of the others couldn’t hold out and revealed Ma Yuantong’s current hiding place. I’ll take people up there tonight.”
This was what mattered most—first capture Ma Yuantong, dead or alive, and make him produce the antidote.
Since Lai Chenglong was going personally, and rebels really had come to assassinate tonight, Commander Zhou couldn’t sleep and didn’t dare sleep anymore. He simply moved a chair over to personally guard the entrance with his soldiers.
Ye Jingchuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Since they now knew where Ma Yuantong was, and there weren’t many of them, with Lai Chenglong’s capabilities, capturing a person or two was well within his abilities. Seeing the dark circles still under Song Chuyi’s eyes, he urged her to rest first. “Commander Zhou and I are guarding here. No matter how fast Lai Chenglong is, he can’t return until tomorrow at the earliest with the round trip. You might as well rest first. If anything happens, I’ll call you.”
Staying here indeed wouldn’t help much. Song Chuyi nodded but didn’t immediately return to her room. She had Qing Ying fetch Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun and asked them, “Has any news arrived from the capital?”
Calculating the days, it was already past the middle of April. The spring examinations were about to announce results. Song Jue should have sent news out. But after a moment’s thought, she realized her question was somewhat superfluous. These past few days, Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun had been busy in Yangquan. Yangquan was currently in ruins awaiting reconstruction, and the post station was just for show—their channels definitely couldn’t be used.
Sure enough, both Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun shook their heads, saying they probably had to return to central Jin to know if any news had arrived.
Given the current situation, the best scenario was that Lai Chenglong could capture Ma Yuantong this time and cure the Grand Prince’s poison, then they could return to central Jin. She furrowed her brows, then relaxed them. The net in the capital had been laid for so long, and with Grandfather and Elder Brother there, there was no reason they couldn’t catch their prey without her.