August twenty-eighth was an auspicious day, and also the day the Third Prince would leave the palace for his residence.
Han Qian arrived early at Fengxiang Street on the eastern side of the imperial palace together with Feng Yi and Kong Xirong.
The street was tranquil. Soldiers had not yet cleared the thoroughfare, and pedestrians moved through as usual, unaware that today differed in any way from other days.
It seemed the palace did not wish to make a grand spectacle of the Third Prince’s affairs.
The Linjiang Marquis’s Residence that Third Prince Yang Yuanpu had been granted as a reward was located on Fengxiang Street, only three or four hundred paces from the Wangjiang Gate of the imperial palace.
Although Third Prince Yang Yuanpu was still young and would not assume official duties, meaning the residence did not require positions like chief administrator or registrar, beneath Guo Rong there were dedicated personnel responsible for carriages and ceremonies, rituals, meals, medicine, bedchamber attendance, and other matters. Additionally, there was a Guard Battalion composed of one hundred twenty loyal soldiers personally selected by Emperor Tianyou from the Imperial Guard.
When Han Qian and the others arrived at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence, most of the guards, palace attendants, and palace maids who had served the Third Prince since childhood—nearly two hundred people in total—had already moved into the residence.
The residence had been properly arranged. The courtyards were filled with clusters of flowers and shaded by green trees. Although the summer heat had not yet passed, the courtyards were quite cool.
However, Guard Battalion Commander Chen De, the residence’s Internal Historian or chief steward Guo Rong, and the newly enfeoffed Marquis of Linjiang himself, Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, had not yet appeared.
Unless Third Prince Yang Yuanpu summoned them, Han Qian and the others could not casually enter the rear courtyard or the Guard Battalion’s quarters. But the front courtyard of the residence alone was three sections deep and four spans wide, quite spacious.
The center of the front courtyard held the main hall for banqueting guests and receiving visitors. The eastern side was the study hall for lessons and reading, with a small garden about an acre in size connecting them.
Artificial mountains and lake rocks lay in a shallow pond hidden beneath willow shade, where more than ten koi swam merrily.
Two or three dozen blue-robed palace attendants and palace maids who had come from the palace and would henceforth serve at the residence were tidying up the main hall and study in the front courtyard, preparing to welcome their master to the residence.
The western courtyard was a dwelling for guests’ accompanying servants to wait. The guards on duty in the front courtyard also mostly remained there and would not move about casually unless something happened.
Han Qian, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong traveled with household soldiers and servants. Han Qian would specifically bring Zhao Kuo, Fan Dahei who had just arrived in the city yesterday, and another household soldier in his early twenties named Lin Haizheng to stay by his side.
After Zhao Kuo and the others entered the residence, they could not move about freely. At this moment they were in the western courtyard undergoing interrogation and inspection by the Guard Battalion’s adjutant, ensuring their identities and backgrounds were completely clean, so that their presence near Third Prince Yang Yuanpu would cause no problems.
Although the Guard Battalion’s one hundred twenty men were all elite cavalry, by Chu’s military system they merely constituted one battalion of troops. But beneath Chen De, there was also an adjutant to assist—this was to ensure that Emperor Tianyou’s requirement that the residence and the Marquis of Linjiang would always have military officers rotating guard duty was met.
Han Qian stood in the courtyard before the study hall, looking at a lake rock by the pond that rose higher than a man’s head, its holes and hollows exquisite. A hibiscus bloomed vigorously, competing in beauty with more than ten flowering plants whose names Han Qian could not identify, as if heralding that this mansion harbored limitless murderous intent.
“What are you thinking about?” Feng Yi came running over with Kong Xirong and asked.
“We came here and have already waited for over an hour. We don’t even know when His Highness will leave the palace. How long must we wait here?” Han Qian complained.
“Then just wait. What else can we do?”
Feng Yi was equally bored. Suddenly thinking of something, he lowered his voice and spoke to Han Qian.
“Inside and outside the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence are all people assigned by Anning Palace. In front of them, we absolutely cannot be too close to the Third Prince. But Guard Battalion Commander Chen De is one of the very few relatives of Consort Wang who has been employed at court. I heard that Consort Wang ran before the Emperor crying and pleading for a long time before he was allowed to personally guard the Third Prince’s safety. However, I heard from my uncle that Chen De is actually a greedy, gambling coward. If something truly happens, I fear we cannot count on him daring to sacrifice his life to protect the Third Prince…”
“What could possibly happen near His Highness?” Han Qian said dismissively.
“…” Feng Yi chuckled and said no more.
Han Qian believed Feng Yi must have received considerable warnings at home. Secretly pondering his words, he thought that Feng Wenlan at this time already suspected that blood and disaster might befall Third Prince Yang Yuanpu. This showed his understanding of the situation, or rather of that person in Anning Palace, was clearly much more clear-headed than his own father’s.
However, even if the trajectory of history did not change, that person in Anning Palace would wait until four years from now when Emperor Tianyou passed away before making a move against Yang Yuanpu. What Han Qian was more interested in at this moment was who the other reading companion replacing Zhou Kun would actually be.
Han Qian was just about to ask Feng Yi if he had heard any news when he heard the sound of hoofbeats like urgent rain coming from the long street outside, stopping before the residence gates. He thought: has this person that Wanhong Tower went to such lengths to send to the Third Prince’s side finally appeared?
“Feng Yi, you all arrived first!”
Han Qian and Feng Yi looked toward the sound and saw a tall, powerfully built young man in brocade robes. Looking at his age, he seemed about the same as himself and Feng Yi. He strode in with a long blade at his waist.
When Han Qian and the others came to the residence as reading companions, besides accompanying the Third Prince in his studies, they would also accompany the Third Prince in practicing archery and horsemanship. At the same time, they were members of the Guard Battalion, enfeoffed with the seventh rank merit position of Military Cavalry Commander. So Han Qian as well as Zhao Kuo and Fan Dahei who were designated to follow him could all carry swords and bows into the residence.
If something truly happened, they naturally all had the duty to protect the prince.
The young man’s pair of bright eyes examined Han Qian with a somewhat sharp gaze and asked:
“You must be Han Qian, right?”
“I was wondering who would replace Zhou Kun. So it’s you, Li Chong. Your father Marquis Xinchang and your Li family have connections reaching to the heavens. Why would they still have you do this hard labor?” Feng Yi shrugged. His words toward this newly arrived young man were not particularly friendly, clearly indicating they were not on the same side before.
A brother sharing the same father but different mother as Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe—Marquis Xinchang Li Pu?
No matter how unfamiliar Han Qian was with the high officials and aristocratic families of Jinling City, he still knew a thing or two about Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe, one of Chu’s six great generals alongside Xu Mingzhen and others who had led troops to conquer the Two Zhes and incorporate the fourteen prefectures of Yue territory into Chu, as well as his younger brother Marquis Xinchang Li Pu.
Racking his brains, Han Qian could not imagine that the son of Marquis Xinchang Li Pu would be the person Wanhong Tower had gone to such lengths to send to Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s side.
Could it be that Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was colluding with Wanhong Tower, or that Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was the mysterious master behind Wanhong Tower?
The Li clan where Marquis Xinchang Li Pu belonged was originally a powerful family from Hong Prefecture who had followed Emperor Tianyou in establishing Chu’s imperial enterprise. Many had served as generals and ministers at court, with the Li Yu and Li Pu brothers being the most renowned.
Li Yu especially, as one of Chu’s six founding great generals alongside Xu Mingzhen, had served as Military Governor of Yue Prefecture after conquering the Two Zhes, controlling military and political power in Eastern Zhe. The Li clan in Eastern Zhe had seemingly become a powerful regional force occupying one area.
In the sixth year of Tianyou, when Emperor Liang personally led several hundred thousand troops to invade Shou Prefecture, Emperor Tianyou transferred the Li Yu and Li Pu brothers to station troops in Chu Prefecture, threatening the Liang army’s flank.
After the Liang army withdrew from the siege, Emperor Tianyou transferred Li Yu to court to serve as Vice Director of the Bureau of Military Affairs and Minister of War, not wanting to let Li Yu return to Eastern Zhe. This actually carried the intention of guarding against Li Yu monopolizing local authority.
Li Yu was also perceptive and understanding. Upon receiving the imperial decree, he handed military power over to the Deputy Commander who also served as Defense Commissioner of Chu Prefecture—Prince Xin—and led his brother Li Pu, General Zhang Xiang, and others to Jinling to assume his posts.
In the seventh year of Tianyou, Li Yu again cited lingering illness as reason to resign from his positions as Minister of War and Vice Director of the Bureau of Military Affairs, requesting to return home to recuperate.
Emperor Tianyou enfeoffed Li Yu as Prince of Eastern Zhe, permitting him to return to his hometown of Hong Prefecture to recuperate, while keeping Marquis Xinchang Li Pu to serve as Vice Minister of War.
Han Qian did not think Li Yu had any problems. If Li Yu were colluding with Wanhong Tower, he would not have so easily relinquished military power back then.
The problem was with Li Pu!
Because military power at court was controlled by the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Southern Court, and Northern Court Military Commands, the Ministry of War had long been marginalized. Li Pu’s service as Vice Minister of War was more of a high-ranking but powerless nominal position.
For Li Pu, who had once controlled military power over several hundred thousand troops together with his elder brother and occupied a region, to harbor resentment was perfectly normal.
And for Wanhong Tower’s schemes to run so deep, having someone like Marquis Xinchang Li Pu participate was only natural.
“I don’t care how you deceived the lady into trusting you and getting yourself arranged to come to this waste Yang Yuanpu’s side. But you must remember one thing: in the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence, without my instructions, if you dare make any rash moves and ruin my plans, watch out for your life!”
After Feng Yi and Kong Xirong went to another courtyard on some matter, Li Chong came close to Han Qian to speak. Though a faint smile curved at the corners of his mouth, making others think he was drawing closer to Han Qian, they could not see the surging killing intent hidden in his eyes.
“You don’t even know why the lady arranged me at the Third Prince’s side, yet you dare say such things. Isn’t that a bit too bold?” Han Qian turned around, staring at Li Chong’s bluffing eyes and asked with a smile.
It would have been better if Li Chong hadn’t threatened him. Once he made the threat, it immediately allowed Han Qian to see through Li Chong’s true nature.
Li Chong probably did not know much about the true secrets between his father Li Pu and Wanhong Tower. Otherwise, with him as a chess piece suddenly appearing in this game, Wanhong Tower would not fail to explain the full story to Li Chong.
This simultaneously further indicated that Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was not the true master of Wanhong Tower. Either he was an accomplice, or he was merely a chess piece controlled by Wanhong Tower.
For Han Qian to think this way was quite normal. If Marquis Xinchang Li Pu were the master behind Wanhong Tower rather than a chess piece controlled and utilized by Wanhong Tower, Li Pu would have no need to hide so much from his own son.
Since in this game of chess Li Chong was no more important than himself, why would Han Qian take him seriously?
Li Chong slightly froze, a flash of anger passing through his eyes. He did not know why the lady would also arrange the unlearned and incompetent Han Qian at the Third Prince’s side, and had not expected that the waste-like Han Qian would actually dare resist him?
“I’m fine with cooperating with you to accomplish things. I don’t want to compete with you for anything either. But first you must tell me your plan. Otherwise, how will I know I won’t interfere with your scheme?” Han Qian continued.
Emperor Tianyou had three sons. Crown Prince Yang Yuanwo and Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan were both adults and had already fathered children. Regardless of whether the mysterious master behind Wanhong Tower wanted to overthrow Chu or usurp Chu’s power, directly kidnapping or assassinating Marquis of Linjiang Yang Yuanpu would not work.
The greatest possibility was that both Crown Prince Yang Yuanwo and Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan would meet with accidents, and Yang Yuanpu who ultimately ascended the throne would fall under their control…
Or, taking ten thousand steps back, if Yang Yuanpu could be sent to govern a region before Emperor Tianyou’s death, ultimately also falling under their control, this could not be considered a bad choice!
Accompanying Yang Yuanpu to govern a region was not a bad choice for Han Qian either.
It was just that Han Qian was completely unclear about Wanhong Tower’s specific plans behind the scenes, nor did he know what their chances of success might be.
“…” Faced with Han Qian’s seemingly reasonable, persuasive questions, Li Chong’s brows furrowed. He felt disdain for scheming with a waste like Han Qian.
Han Qian’s teeth itched with hatred. He thought he would definitely find an opportunity in the future to deal with this bastard.