Just how hard-hearted must a man be to refuse the rare moment of softness from a cold and aloof woman?
In any case, Xie Zhifei couldn’t do it.
“You can go, but you absolutely mustn’t cause trouble.”
“Don’t worry.”
As if I could relax.
Xie Zhifei watched the master and servant mount their horses. He took several steps backward, leaned against a tree, and gasped for breath.
Others say heroes can’t pass the beauty barrier.
What about me?
Can’t pass the… sister barrier??
Zhu Qing came over. “My lord, shall I follow them from a distance?”
“Mm!”
Xie Zhifei’s answer was extremely weak. “Send a message to Ding Yi by carrier pigeon. Tell him that no matter where his investigation has reached, he should hurry back. I’m short-handed.”
If that girl continued being so reckless with her life, his own life would be forfeit in her hands sooner or later.
…
“Miss, we really won’t cause trouble?”
“Really won’t.”
“Then what are we going to the imperial palace for?”
“To wait at the palace gates.”
“Wait for whom?”
“Lu Shi.”
“Even if we wait for him, he won’t pay us any attention.”
“That’s fine, I don’t need him to pay attention.”
“What if he has the Brocade Guard arrest us?”
“We’re neither robbing nor stealing—why would he arrest us?”
“What if he lets the Brocade Guard arrest us?”
“We’re not robbing or stealing—what would he arrest us for?”
Yan Sanhe urged her horse forward and called back, “Buyan, hurry up.”
No matter how fast they went, it still took them nearly half a shichen to see a stretch of city walls towering into the clouds.
Below the walls, two vermilion doors were tightly shut. On either side stood two sword-bearing guards—these were the Imperial Guards, the Emperor’s personal troops.
Yan Sanhe strolled around in a circle, not approaching closely but returning instead to where the officials parked their carriages and sedans.
The drivers and sedan bearers were gathered in groups of three or five, some gambling, some telling bawdy jokes.
She didn’t know how long they waited. Morning court ended, and civil and military officials came walking out one after another. Drivers and bearers quickly dispersed.
Soon, carriages and sedans departed one after another. In merely the time it takes to drink tea, in the vast open space, only seven or eight carriages remained.
“Sanhe, look—that one is the Crown Prince’s, that’s the Grand Prince’s, Xie Daozhi’s, and the old censor’s is over there.”
Following Li Buyan’s pointing finger—
She saw two sword-bearing guards standing beside the old censor’s carriage. The driver sat cross-legged by the wheel, holding needle and thread, mending a pair of trousers.
Yan Sanhe was about to speak when the driver suddenly looked up, his gaze stabbing straight toward her.
It was actually Lu Da.
Yan Sanhe felt as if a large hand had closed around her neck. That suffocating sensation of approaching death surged up once more.
Just then, voices drifted over from the distance.
Lu Da quickly tied a knot, lowered his head, bit through the thread with his teeth, stuffed the trousers into the carriage, and went forward to meet someone.
The approaching person was Lu Shi, with the ethereal Grand Prince Zhao Yishi beside him.
Yan Sanhe’s body flashed backward, pulling Li Buyan to hide behind a large tree.
“Why are we hiding?” Li Buyan silently asked.
That’s right!
Why am I hiding?
Yan Sanhe wondered herself. It seemed like an unconscious reaction—she just didn’t want the Grand Prince to see her.
…
Before the carriage, Zhao Yishi stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the old censor with some hesitation.
Yan Ruxian’s nickname was Old Ancestor. His disciples and grand-disciples were countless—these disciples and grand-disciples were like his hands, reaching into every corner inside and outside the palace.
Yan Xi at his own side was merely one of them.
He had long heard of the Yan faction’s corruption, abuse of power, and unrestrained behavior.
Over the years, those who openly or secretly impeached Yan Ruxian either had their clans executed or were demoted, or died under mysterious circumstances. Even he, the dignified Grand Prince, had to respectfully address him as “Eunuch Yan” when encountering him.
The most fundamental reason for all this was: His Majesty favored him.
These past two days, following his father in investigating the case at the Three Judicial Offices, he was shocked to discover that the evidence Lu Shi had collected was nearly all ironclad. Even without hanging himself, Yan Ruxian would have had absolutely no chance of rehabilitation.
This also meant that Lu Shi, with his own power alone, had uprooted the entire Yan faction.
How did he manage it?
Lu Shi seemed to perceive the Grand Prince’s hesitation. “Does Your Highness have something to say?”
Zhao Yishi shook his head.
“In that case, this old subject takes his leave.”
“Wait.”
Zhao Yishi took a deep breath and said softly, “Doesn’t the old censor fear His Majesty’s displeasure?”
“Your Highness refers to the corpse exposure?”
“Yes.”
Lu Shi laughed heartily, his downturned eyes slanting up toward his temples. “His Majesty is an enlightened ruler. Enlightened rulers only do what is right.”
Seeing Zhao Yishi’s confusion, he added, “When Your Highness sits in that position one day, you’ll understand that in this world, even emperors cannot always act according to their wishes in certain matters.”
Zhao Yishi was slightly stunned.
“Your Highness, this old subject takes his leave first.”
“Farewell, old lord.”
Zhao Yishi watched the carriage slowly depart, his gaze calm, without warmth.
At this moment, the driver brought the carriage forward. Shen Chong helped Zhao Yishi aboard, and the group gradually moved away…
Behind the tree, Yan Sanhe, who had been covering her mouth and nose, let out a long breath. After exchanging glances with Li Buyan, she said softly, “Come on, let’s follow Lu Shi.”
…
Lu Shi’s carriage had now reached the main road.
Among the bustling crowd, someone with sharp eyes spotted it and shouted, “It’s Lord Lu’s carriage!”
“Lord Lu!”
“Lord Lu!”
“Our great upright official!”
The common people swarmed forward, following Lu’s residence carriage as it moved ahead.
In just a brief moment, several hundred people had gathered in a grand procession behind the carriage.
“Sanhe, is he a good person or a bad person? I’m completely confused.”
“I’m confused too.”
And utterly bewildered at that.
Seeing too many people following, the Brocade Guard feared something might happen and immediately pulled out their badges, shouting loudly to the crowd:
“Disperse, everyone disperse. Lord Lu still has official business.”
At this moment, several Five Cities Guards patrolling the city rode past on horseback. Seeing the situation, they also helped the Brocade Guard drive people away.
The common people dispersed in various directions. Only Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan remained, leading their horses and still following the carriage at an unhurried pace.
Yan Sanhe had even prepared a backup plan—if they tried to drive her away, she would claim on the street that she was Lu Shi’s illegitimate daughter, that her birth mother had died, and she had come to seek out her biological father.
If Lu Shi refused to acknowledge her, she planned to cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide—creating an uproar known throughout the capital.
She wanted to see how Lu Shi would respond.
Strangely, there was no movement from the carriage. Lu Shi seemed unaware that someone was following him.
The carriage passed through long alleys and lanes, stopping before a small building.
Lu Da lifted the curtain and helped Lu Shi down. Immediately an alert attendant came forward and led the carriage away.
Lu Shi’s group then walked into the building.
Yan Sanhe quickly followed, looking up at the plaque—Singing Spring Garden.
What kind of place was this?
Just then, another young attendant ran over with an ingratiating smile. “Are you two young ladies here to listen to opera?”
So it was a place for listening to opera.
Yan Sanhe glanced at Li Buyan: Did you bring enough silver?
Li Buyan: Don’t worry, plenty enough.
With this assurance, Yan Sanhe was confident.
“We’re here to listen to opera. Like Lord Lu ahead, we want the best seats.”