Han Qian stood in the courtyard, arms outstretched, letting Xi Ren help him remove his leather armor. Looking at the pomegranate tree with its withered branches and leaves, he couldn’t help but sigh softly and say:
“How many people in this world can avoid being subservient to others? If they could truly succeed, I would submit to them and wholeheartedly scheme for them—there would be nothing wrong with that. But unfortunately, their desire for control is so strong it’s stupid. They won’t amount to anything. If we let them mess around, it won’t take long before everything falls apart in a miserable, chaotic end!”
“You should have guessed that after causing so much trouble during this time, they definitely wouldn’t let you off easily. Why such a big reaction?” Xi Ren asked curiously.
“I was prepared for that old woman to personally keep watch over me. Anyway, I can’t take advantage of you or Ting’er, so having one more freeloader, I can bear it. But they have no qualms about suppressing the Third Prince’s proud and imposing spirit—this will ruin everything! They’re truly a bunch of idiots who accomplish nothing but ruin everything!” Han Qian cursed in frustration.
Their greatest advantage now was that Emperor Tianyou had intentions to depose the heir apparent while the Third Prince possessed the bearing of imperial lineage, allowing them to obtain Emperor Tianyou’s direct support for many matters—including establishing the Longque Army and leading the Longque Army to participate in this war.
If nothing unexpected happened, as long as they could exploit the loopholes in salt affairs and the establishment of new Junzhou, and block the mouths of the Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction, they should quickly obtain Emperor Tianyou’s direct support.
A few days ago, when they directly encouraged the Third Prince to agree to let the Longque Army disembark on the northern bank of the Han River, did they rely on Du Chongtao’s awe of the Third Prince?
What they relied on was Du Chongtao’s awe of Emperor Tianyou, whose power had not yet been established.
However, all of Emperor Tianyou’s support for the Third Prince stemmed from the Third Prince being worth cultivating.
At this moment, Han Qian wasn’t afraid of Marquis Xinchang Li Pu playing tricks on him. If he couldn’t resist, at worst he would accept it passively. He could choose to endure, then seize an opportunity to bite back at them. But if Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and the black-veiled woman did this to the Third Prince, the blow would be extremely devastating to Yang Yuanpu, whose youthful blood had not yet cooled and who wanted to be spirited and ambitious.
Why was Yang Yuanpu so diligent? Wasn’t it to escape the shadow of Anning Palace?
Although Yang Yuanpu appeared overly eager for quick success in this process, Emperor Tianyou wouldn’t mind that.
If the Third Prince now realized he was destined never to escape being a puppet, why would he struggle so hard for the succession?
Even if the Third Prince didn’t resist violently and no longer cooperated with the Marquis of Xinchang’s actions, even if his will became dejected and he became a completely controlled puppet, these various changes could not be hidden from Emperor Tianyou’s informants. The resulting consequences would all be catastrophic.
Very likely, the salt affairs and new Junzhou establishment that Han Qian was planning this time would all come to nothing.
“What’s your countermeasure?” Xi Ren saw Han Qian was somewhat frantic with anxiety and realized the severity of the situation. Rarely, she asked Han Qian in a soft tone.
“Difficult.” Han Qian shook his head.
Just as he had directly pulled the Third Prince and Shen Yang to support the Left Administration’s borrowing without consulting Marquis Xinchang at all, the black-veiled woman and Marquis Xinchang had arranged Zhang Ping and Yao Xishui beside the Third Prince this time without revealing any advance warning. Put plainly, they would not allow his side to refuse.
That side had adopted such a tough stance, already indicating there was no longer any possibility of concession. His side, conversely, could no longer resist stubbornly.
With Zhao Ting’er not by his side, Han Qian didn’t care whether Xi Ren hated him for killing her brother. Feeling gloomy at this moment, he explained all the various entanglements to Xi Ren, saying: “I find this matter extremely frustrating, yet I can still talk to you about it. What do you think the Third Prince’s state of mind is right now? Yet at this time, I can’t tear my face with these idiots…”
“If you can’t immediately give firm support to the Third Prince, I’m afraid the Third Prince will become very disappointed in you too. And the salt affairs you’re planning this time will likely be stillborn!” Xi Ren said with furrowed brows.
“You’re not stupid either,” Han Qian said.
Xi Ren couldn’t help wanting to glare at Han Qian. Was this praising her or cursing her?
Han Qian paid no attention to what Xi Ren was thinking. The key problem was exactly as Xi Ren said—he couldn’t tear his face with idiots like Chai Jian, but if he couldn’t immediately adopt a tough stance before Chai Jian, Zhang Ping, and Yao Xishui to limit their interference with the Third Prince, not only would he fail to comfort the Third Prince’s wounded heart, but he might also disappoint the Third Prince, and many things would become a complete mess.
Han Qian found an excuse to run to the Third Prince’s temporary residence again, finding a familiar guard. This guard was just an old soldier originally recruited from the Longque Army who didn’t know too many things, but after Zhang Ping arrived in Xiangzhou city at noon the day before yesterday, he could sense the Third Prince had obvious emotional changes.
Han Qian racked his brains without a solution. As the sky gradually darkened, he had no appetite to eat anything. Around the hour of hai, someone finally came to report that the Third Prince had returned from Defense Commissioner Du Chongtao’s place.
Han Qian called Xi Ren and Yang Qin over and said, “I’ll go see His Highness first. You follow shortly and barge in looking for me, saying you’ve received intelligence that Liang army movements have been discovered in the direction of Shaoxi Mountain, but what exactly is happening still needs further confirmation.”
Yang Qin didn’t know what had happened that would make Han Qian have him falsely report military intelligence. Xi Ren, however, knew that Han Qian had no way to untie this knot and could only use this strategy to temporarily escape. At least in the short term, he wouldn’t have to directly face the Third Prince, to avoid the Third Prince becoming utterly disappointed in him personally.
After instructing Yang Qin and Xi Ren, Han Qian crossed through the alleyway to see the Third Prince.
This was Han Qian’s first time meeting Palace Attendant Zhang Ping. He saw he was a middle-aged man in his early forties, possibly even older, with a pale beardless face, narrow and thin cheeks. He appeared shrewd and capable, with brilliant light in his eyes. Looking at his wrists where the joints were thick and large, he must have also practiced martial arts.
Besides the Third Prince, Chai Jian, and Zhang Ping standing in the corridor, when Han Qian arrived, he also saw the courtyard outside the great hall in chaos. Over ten garishly dressed women were carrying boxes and moving things like they were moving house. After asking, he learned these were musicians and dancers Du Chongtao had sent to the Third Prince. The Third Prince hadn’t refused either. After eating the banquet, he had directly brought them back to this residence.
Looking at the Third Prince’s gloomy expression standing before the corridor, clearly he hadn’t become cheerful from obtaining over ten beautiful women, but was just forcibly restraining himself from erupting.
Han Qian knew everything was as he had anticipated. The arrival of Zhang Ping and Yao Xishui was something the Third Prince strongly resisted internally but was powerless to resist, so he completely disregarded whether there were informants planted by Du Chongtao or others among these ten-plus beautiful women and accepted them.
Was the Third Prince also using this willful, reckless way that risked losing control of the situation to vent his dissatisfaction with Zhang Ping and the others?
Chai Jian and Zhang Ping’s expressions also didn’t look good.
Zhang Ping’s true identity couldn’t be exposed. Originally, they thought that after arriving in Xiangzhou city and removing all of Ning’an Palace’s informants from beside the Third Prince, when they usually spoke and acted, they wouldn’t need to be so cautious anymore. Yet unexpectedly, because of the Third Prince’s willfulness, this group of musicians and dancers whose backgrounds were unclear had moved into the residence.
“My newly adopted daughter has nothing to do in Xiangzhou, so let her discipline these musicians and dancers,” Zhang Ping said in an unquestionable tone.
It seemed that before Han Qian and the others arrived, Zhang Ping, Chai Jian, and the Third Prince had been discussing how to handle these musicians and dancers.
The people were sent by Du Chongtao. Zhang Ping had no better way to handle it, thinking to first drive everyone to Yao Xishui’s place—at least that would quiet down this residence.
Guo Rong, Shen Yang, and others were still on their way to Xiangzhou. Moreover, Guo Rong now only served as Supervisory Commissioner and had no authority to manage the inner quarters of the Marquis of Linjiang’s household. Within these inner quarters, it was Zhang Ping and Chai Jian who had the say.
Yang Yuanpu now somewhat regretted rashly agreeing to accept these musicians, but with resentment still unabated in his heart, how could he be willing to once again become a chess piece manipulated by others?
He stood there with a gloomy expression, looking toward Han Qian.
Han Qian nodded to Yang Yuanpu, indicating he already knew about these matters. He cupped his hands toward Zhang Ping and said coolly, “Han Qian greets Master Zhang. I didn’t know before that Master Zhang would be coming to Xiangzhou. Where is Miss Yao?”
Just as Han Qian’s words fell, Yao Xishui turned and walked out from the rear hall. Zhang Ping and Chai Jian should have discussed on the way back how to handle these musicians.
“All of you, temporarily move your trunks to the rear courtyard to settle in. His Highness has just arrived in Xiangzhou city, and the residence is quite empty. Having you live here will add some liveliness,” Han Qian said directly to the group of rather confused musicians and dancers, paying no attention to Zhang Ping and Yao Xishui’s expressions.
Except for a few who might be informants intentionally arranged by Du Chongtao, most of the musicians and dancers were merely pets kept by the powerful and noble, unable to control their own fate. Perhaps this was the first time they had been sent out, so they were somewhat confused and at a loss. Han Qian directly had them all go to the rear courtyard first to settle in.
“Master Han…” Zhang Ping didn’t want to give Han Qian the opportunity to interfere in the marquis household’s inner affairs. He immediately lowered his voice to rebuke Han Qian, telling him not to reach too far.
Before Zhang Ping could think of what to say, Yang Qin and Xi Ren came barging straight in from outside, blocked by guards in the courtyard.
“What’s the matter?” Han Qian waved his hand for the guards to step aside, letting Yang Qin and Xi Ren come in. He took from their hands the secret letter prepared in advance, opened and looked at it, then turned to say to the Third Prince: “Your Highness, there are unusual movements by the Liang army in the direction of Shaoxi Mountain and Wuguan. Two of the Left Administration’s scouts have died. The information transmitted back is vague and unclear. I must immediately rush to Jingzi Pass!”
Hearing Han Qian say this, whether it was Yang Yuanpu, Zhang Ping, Chai Jian, or Yao Xishui, their attention immediately shifted from the previous matter.
Although the over two thousand three hundred troops that had gone to garrison Jingzi Pass with Li Zhigao and Li Chong only accounted for twenty percent of the Longque Army, these over two thousand three hundred troops were the elite of the Longque Army’s elite. No one dared imagine what setback the Longque Army would suffer if these troops had any mishap.
How could Chai Jian and Zhang Ping distinguish true from false?
Hearing Han Qian say this, they immediately felt Han Qian should depart at once—the sooner they could clarify the Liang army’s movements in the direction of Shaoxi Mountain and Wuguan, the better, lest complications arise overnight. The arrangement of the ten-plus musicians and dancers became an insignificant trifling matter.
Han Qian immediately left the city with Yang Qin and Xi Ren, took a boat across the Han River, then Han Qian and Xi Ren took four horses and rode west along the northern bank of the Han River through the night.
“This is just a temporary measure. You can’t deceive them for more than a few days. You still have to return to Xiangzhou to see the Third Prince. Otherwise, many of your plans cannot be implemented. What exactly are you thinking?” After crossing the Han River, Xi Ren couldn’t help asking.
“We’ll talk after seeing Li Zhigao,” Han Qian said.