Compared to later eras, Jinling City wasn’t particularly large. Han Qian and his group still had to wait nearly half a watch before dawn broke at the horizon’s edge and Gao Shao arrived with Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei.
Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei didn’t appear particularly confused or puzzled. They had presumably heard some rumors. But since Emperor Tianyou had already placed these two men as chess pieces in Prince of Linjiang’s Manor, Han Qian believed they still wouldn’t know the details too specifically.
“Minister Feng rushed to Lanting Lane late at night. Han Qian dares not presume to act on his own authority and could only invite the two venerable ministers here for a discussion.” Han Qian invited Yuan and Jiang to sit in the courtyard.
“Minister Han is too courteous.” Yuan Guowei and Jiang Huo still behaved like minor clerks in blue robes before Han Qian. After exchanging pleasantries, they bowed deeply to Feng Wenlan with clasped hands. “Yuan Guowei and Jiang Huo pay respects to Minister Feng. We once made our living under Minister Feng’s command in the past. We wonder if Minister Feng still remembers us two?”
“The Feng family faces great disaster! Please, venerable ministers, point us toward a way to survive!” With a thud, Feng Wenlan fell to his knees before Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei.
At this moment, even Han Qian was startled. He hadn’t expected Feng Wenlan capable of such flexibility and submission. But this also made him maintain an extra measure of vigilance toward Feng Wenlan.
“Minister Feng, you do us two old men too much honor. Whatever the matter is, please rise first, Minister Feng.” Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei hurriedly knelt in return, then helped Feng Wenlan to his feet.
Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei had heard some rumors, but they couldn’t possibly have seen Investigating Censor Zhang Han’s impeachment memorial. At this moment, they had no way of clearly knowing what exactly His Majesty intended to do, much less what the two of them could do. They looked toward Han Qian in puzzlement.
Han Qian briefly explained the matter of the Jiming Mountain collapse crushing tomb construction craftsmen, then stared at Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei and asked, “Venerable ministers, are you truly devoted to helping His Highness ascend to the throne?”
“What does Minister Han mean by this?” Jiang Huo asked, not understanding.
Han Qian said, “If the two venerable ministers are truly devoted to assisting His Highness in ascending the throne, then immediately rush to the Prince’s Manor and request that His Highness rise to write a memorial impeaching Minister Feng for destroying trees on the imperial tomb mountain, causing a landslide and deaths—a crime beyond pardon. Otherwise, let us treat tonight’s events as if they never happened, and please, all ministers, leave early and don’t delay Han Qian’s rest.”
Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei were both intelligent men. Hearing Han Qian speak thus, they understood that Han Qian wanted the Prince’s Manor to take over the imperial tomb landslide case. But Han Qian had received a warning from His Majesty and didn’t want to come forward himself—instead, he hoped they would give His Highness this suggestion.
From current appearances, His Majesty wanted to move against the Feng family, but how to move and who would move—there were many subtleties behind this.
Regardless of whether Han Qian intended to test them, Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei looked toward Feng Wenlan. “Minister Feng, are you willing to see His Highness impeach your Feng family in a memorial?”
No matter how unwilling Feng Wenlan felt in his heart, he knew that asking Han Qian to lead him to see the Third Prince was somewhat unrealistic. Apart from the Third Prince possibly being unwilling to take this risk, if they speculated on Emperor Tianyou’s intentions, the outcome might be even worse.
Beyond that, what Han Qian proposed now might be the Feng family’s only choice to escape the calamity of clan extermination and retain a sliver of hope for future restoration.
“Everything depends on the two venerable ministers. If the Feng family has a future, Feng Wenlan will never forget the aid the two venerable ministers extended today. Should I violate this oath, may Heaven destroy me!” Feng Wenlan gritted his teeth, stood up, and swore to Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei.
“As Minister Han said, we merely serve His Highness loyally.” Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei had seen much of the world and merely smiled at Feng Wenlan’s oath. They stood and said to Han Qian, “Dawn is about to break. If we must rush to the Prince’s Manor, we won’t delay here—Minister Han, are you certain you won’t come with us to see His Highness?”
Han Qian said, “Han Qian merely invited the two venerable ministers here for conversation. I know nothing of other matters.” He then signaled Gao Shao to lead men to escort Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei to the Prince’s Manor, then said to Feng Wenlan, “What Han Qian can do extends only this far. Minister Feng, please return!”
“Liao’er and I will naturally leave and won’t remain to disturb Nephew further. But everyone knows that Feng Yi and Xi Rong are sworn friends with Nephew. If they stay at the Han residence for a few days, Nephew presumably won’t fear being implicated because of this?” Feng Wenlan said.
Han Qian glanced at Feng Yi and Kong Xirong, nodded, tacitly permitting them to temporarily stay here, then signaled Zhao Wuji to see Feng Wenlan and his son Feng Liao off.
“Has our Feng family truly fallen this time?” Feng Yi seemed trapped in a nightmare from which he hadn’t awakened, asking in a dazed and dejected manner.
Yesterday the Feng family had still been prominent and distinguished in Jinling City. On the surface, apart from Investigating Censor Zhang Han’s memorial that hadn’t yet reached Emperor Tianyou, the Feng family remained deeply rooted. He didn’t even understand why his father was so panicked.
Han Qian poured a cup of tea and carefully organized his thoughts. He reflected that when he, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong had been selected to study alongside the Third Prince, on the surface this all seemed to be Palace of Tranquility’s intention. But on the eve of the Third Prince formally leaving the palace for his manor, Guo Rong had visited his home. Now it seemed that at that time, Palace of Tranquility had no confidence in how his Han family or even the Feng family would react to this matter.
Did this represent that his Han family and even the Feng family being drawn into the succession struggle actually also reflected Emperor Tianyou’s intentions?
Or rather, that he, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong being able to study alongside the Third Prince was something both Emperor Tianyou and Palace of Tranquility approved?
Palace of Tranquility’s intention was perhaps thinking that he, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong were incompetent, while Emperor Tianyou’s intention was to observe the Feng and Han families’ choices after being drawn into this entire matter?
Thinking to this point, Han Qian sighed softly and said to Feng Yi, “When we went to study alongside His Highness, His Majesty may have already been considering using His Highness as a replacement. Unfortunately, your Feng family never wanted to fall into the trap. Dragging it out until now before wanting to enter—it’s too late!”
Speaking of it, the Han clan also hadn’t fallen into the trap, but his uncle Han Daoming had immediately chosen to join Palace of Tranquility and the Crown Prince’s faction. No one had expected that he and his father would break with the Han clan.
To a certain extent, or in outsiders’ eyes, the Han clan had still placed considerable stakes on the Third Prince’s side.
Of course, whether all this was as he speculated—Han Qian felt that after the Third Prince formally submitted a memorial impeaching the Feng family for illegally logging and damaging the imperial tomb’s geomancy, the answer would be revealed.
If it matched his speculation, the Prince’s Manor should gain authority to handle this case. Otherwise, Han Qian felt he needed to reconsider from the beginning the twists and dangers behind all this.
After Han Qian arranged for Feng Yi and Kong Xirong to sleep in the side courtyard first, only then did Zhao Ting’er couldn’t help but ask, “Does Young Master think that in this calamity, the Feng family can avoid clan extermination but cannot escape house confiscation?”
“What I think doesn’t matter much. Everything still depends on whether His Majesty is pleased to arrange for the Prince’s Manor to take on the pleasant task of being responsible for confiscating the Feng family’s property!” Han Qian said. He then called Tian Cheng over and said, “Have the Left Bureau’s investigative section focus these next few days on watching the residences of Niu Gengru, Zhao Mingting, and others—see who comes and goes! Additionally, dispatch several investigators to monitor the movements of Feng Wenlan, Kong Zhou, and Feng Liao.”
Zhao Ting’er could understand Han Qian dispatching people to watch Palace of Tranquility and the Crown Prince faction’s core figures.
Since Feng Wenlan could know about Investigating Censor Zhang Han’s impeachment memorial, presumably Palace of Tranquility had also gotten wind of it. Even if Palace of Tranquility might not guess that Feng Wenlan was so sensitive, as long as the Third Prince submitted a memorial impeaching Feng Wenlan as well, they would inevitably also become alert.
However, Han Qian specifically instructed Tian Cheng to specially dispatch people to monitor Feng Wenlan, Kong Zhou, and Feng Liao. Zhao Ting’er asked, “Why are you worried Feng Wenlan might be problematic?”
“Regardless of what kind of person Feng Wenlan is, he’s an old fox. With the Feng family facing the crisis of house confiscation and clan extermination at this moment, whether he’ll place hope solely on our side is really hard to say.” Han Qian shook his head and said, “When he initially asked me to take him to see the Third Prince, he actually harbored evil intentions. He thought I was young and reckless and wouldn’t recognize it.”
“But hasn’t Feng Wenlan left Young Master Feng and Young Master Kong here?” Zhao Ting’er said.
Han Qian smiled, not knowing how to explain to Zhao Ting’er that sometimes father-son affection wasn’t worth trusting.
What kind of person was Feng Wenlan? Han Qian thought if he didn’t guard against Feng Wenlan somewhat, that would be too naively benevolent. Moreover, Feng Wenlan obviously couldn’t completely trust his side either.
The sky had already brightened. Han Qian returned to his room and lay down. Just as he felt he had closed his eyes, he sensed a tender little hand pushing his shoulder, calling him to wake.
Han Qian was utterly exhausted and had no desire to get up at this hour. He mumbled vaguely, “Let me sleep a bit more, or you lie down with me for a while.” He reached out to grasp Zhao Ting’er’s waist to pull her onto the bed to hold for a while. Unexpectedly, seeing his lecherous claw reaching out, the person instinctively dodged backward, and he grasped a soft, elastic mass he couldn’t hold onto.
Han Qian opened his eyes to withdraw his hand, but Xi Ren’s palm chopped toward his chest.
“The Third Prince sent someone to summon you to the Prince’s Manor,” Xi Ren said, her beautiful eyes glaring furiously at Han Qian.
Han Qian rubbed his chest, which ached from Xi Ren’s chop, thinking this girl really could strike hard. He feigned confusion and asked, “Why did you hit me? What time is it now?”
Seeing Han Qian playing dumb, Xi Ren glared at him and walked out.
Han Qian put on his outer robe and walked out. The person the Third Prince had sent was waiting in the courtyard, urging Han Qian to accompany him to the Prince’s Manor.
Han Qian had said this matter had nothing to do with him, but when Jiang Huo and Yuan Guowei went to see the Third Prince, they wouldn’t conceal his participation in the details. He told the messenger to return first. He would wash up, eat something to fill his stomach, then ride to the Prince’s Manor…