Besides wanting to escape punishment, Han Qian also needed to continue gaining the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s trust. So his first step must be to convince these people that he hadn’t acted rashly.
“I didn’t want to act on my own authority either, but this fool Li Chong guarded against me at every turn, leaving me no opportunity to speak with His Highness. And I figured you, this fool, probably looked down on me in your heart. Even if I told you something, you most likely wouldn’t have paid attention—I had no opportunity to meet the Marquis and Madam, but I didn’t want to follow you all to my death, so I could only act on my own,” Han Qian said with increasing composure.
At this moment, Yao Xishui could finally empathize with Li Chong’s explosive fury. She ground her teeth so hard they made crackling sounds, barely suppressing the impulse to strike.
“What confidence did you have to confirm that your stratagem today would work? Don’t tell me you truly believed His Highness’s clumsy performance today could deceive anyone?” The woman who had remained silent behind the screen until now asked in a hoarse voice.
“Not only do I confirm this stratagem would work, but its true benefits may actually manifest as early as tomorrow,” Han Qian said. The reactions of Shen He, Guo Rong and others today had given him too much information, enough for him to now weave his entire lie into a complete story. “Moreover, I never intended for His Highness’s performance to deceive anyone. On the contrary, the essence of this stratagem lies precisely in ensuring His Highness’s performance could deceive no one—especially not His Majesty!”
“How so?” the hoarse voice behind the screen continued asking.
“Regardless of whether the manor and Wanhong Tower participated in spreading the news, the Crown Prince’s excessive debauchery and immersion in wine, women, and elixirs must certainly displease His Majesty. Obviously, with the Crown Prince supported internally by Anning Palace and externally by Shouzhou’s military forces, no matter how brilliant and martial Prince Xin may be, His Majesty doesn’t dare easily change the heir apparent. However, have you considered whether His Majesty, with Prince Xin leading Chuzhou’s forces to confront Shouzhou, might have thoughts of using the Marquis of Linjiang to replace the Crown Prince?”
Although Han Qian asked this question, he didn’t expect the people behind the screen to answer. He continued with his own response.
“You must have thought this way, and you must have eyes and ears in the palace transmitting information, which is why you went to such lengths to place this fool Li Chong at the Marquis of Linjiang’s side. But your approach was completely wrong!”
“…” Li Chong felt that if he didn’t die of anger today, he could consider himself lucky.
“Even if His Majesty’s health is still relatively robust now, I don’t believe the Marquis and Madam haven’t thought about how much time remains for you to calmly make arrangements around the Third Prince,” Han Qian continued. “But have you considered that the remaining time is actually His Majesty’s greatest concern and worry at this moment? I’ve already said this much—Marquis, Madam, must Han Qian continue?”
“You mean to say that by rashly using this stratagem today, you wanted His Majesty to see that the Third Prince, despite his young age, is not someone servants can bully?” The man behind the screen couldn’t help asking in surprise.
“Correct.”
Although Han Qian had only now thoroughly understood many doubts, he could shamelessly continue speaking.
“Before today, using the Third Prince to replace the Crown Prince was merely an idea in His Majesty’s mind, but after today, this will truly become an option. I trust the Marquis and Madam understand the difference between these two, and I trust the Marquis understands that Han Qian today not only committed no fault but actually achieved merit…”
“How do you prove these things—just based on the palace not wanting to publicize family scandals today?” Seeing Han Qian so silver-tongued, Yao Xishui couldn’t help questioning.
“Didn’t I say? The benefits of using this stratagem can be seen as early as tomorrow,” Han Qian said. “If Miss Yao doesn’t believe it, we can make a wager—after all, I’m still short a bed-warming maid in my chamber!”
Yao Xishui was so angry the veins on her forehead nearly convulsed.
“…” Having fabricated this much, Han Qian naturally didn’t mind saying a few more sentences to completely dispel the doubts of the two people behind the screen. “His Majesty doesn’t even dare use Prince Xin to replace the Crown Prince, so how could he not consider how complex the court and realm’s situation would be if he established the Marquis of Linjiang as heir apparent, and whether the Marquis of Linjiang could balance the situation after His Majesty’s passing? Only if His Highness now has the will that servants cannot bully and the heart to employ stratagems can he be considered true dragon seed.”
“True dragon seed?” the man behind the screen asked unconsciously.
“Yes. His Majesty’s health is still relatively robust now, but only if His Highness is true dragon seed will he feel it’s not too late to cultivate His Highness. Do you think His Majesty would despise His Highness, who is only thirteen years old, for using such a clumsy stratagem? Haven’t you considered that precisely because His Highness’s performance was clumsy, in His Majesty’s eyes it appears natural and unadorned, not the result of scheming ministers instigating from behind!”
By this point, Han Qian almost believed that all of this was what he had thoroughly contemplated before taking the risk to offer his stratagem.
Behind the screen came another long silence.
“Marquis, Madam, we’re all grasshoppers tied to the same rope. In the future, if I want to hold power over all under heaven and sleep drunk on a beauty’s couch, I’ll rely entirely on the Marquis and Madam’s support. Henceforth at His Highness’s side, if Li Chong can cooperate with my actions, Han Qian will certainly not disappoint the Marquis and Madam’s high expectations,” Han Qian said, making grand promises with his mouth wide open.
“Father!” Seeing Han Qian so audaciously bold as to demand he follow orders, Li Chong could no longer contain himself and called out loudly.
“Chong’er, if there are any urgent matters at His Highness’s side in the future with no time to report, you and Han Qian should discuss and handle them together,” Li Pu finally stopped concealing his identity behind the screen. Then he said to the woman behind the screen, “Madam, Li Pu and Chong’er won’t disturb you further here.”
No matter how unwilling Li Chong was, he could only steel himself and walk behind the screen.
Behind the screen was obviously another secret passage leading downstairs. Li Pu and his son Li Chong quickly descended and departed.
“Xishui, escort Young Master Han out,” the woman behind the screen said, but she also showed no intention of coming out to meet Han Qian.
……
……
Walking out of the wooden building, Han Qian discovered that among the grass and trees outside were vaguely over a dozen robust figures. They must all be assassins or guards secretly trained by Wanhong Tower. He thought that if Wanhong Tower could make Xinchang Marquis Li Pu submit, the forces they secretly cultivated would absolutely not be weak. He just didn’t know whether above that woman behind the screen there were even more formidable figures, or what their ultimate purpose was in placing their bets on the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.
Getting through this crisis had already been difficult. Han Qian temporarily set aside other thoughts, thinking he should first walk steadily through each step before him.
Circling to the side lane on the southern face of the small earthen hill, Han Qian could finally catch his breath slightly. But with Yao Xishui right behind him, he couldn’t show relief. He still maintained an air of leisurely strolling as he walked outward.
“Young Master Han certainly enjoyed wagging his tongue today. Does your heart feel very satisfied? Would you like to rest briefly in this servant’s courtyard?”
The soft Wu dialect that could melt one’s heart made Han Qian’s hair stand on end. He discovered they had already reached the outside of Yao Xishui’s courtyard. Turning back with an ingratiating smile to decline, he saw that Yao Xishui’s moon-like eyes contained only severe cold light—where was there half a trace of tender warmth?
“A lone man and widow alone together late at night—if word got out, it wouldn’t be good for the young lady’s reputation. Han Qian doesn’t dare trouble you,” Han Qian said with a bitter smile, looking at the courtyards in the surrounding side lanes, wondering where he should flee to.
“This servant comes from Wanhong Tower—what good reputation could there be? Moreover, Young Master Han just now kept calling people fools and sluts most satisfyingly on the left and right. Now you don’t want this servant to help warm your bed anymore?” Yao Xishui’s right hand moved to the side. A glint of cold light flashed as she already held a foot-long thin sleeve sword in her hand, pointing it at Han Qian’s throat and blocking his path.
No matter how skilled one’s martial arts, one still fears a kitchen knife.
Han Qian didn’t know that some women had no bottom line when they became hysterical. He raised his hands in surrender and obediently squeezed along the wall into the courtyard.
Yao Xishui followed closely step by step. Han Qian passed through the courtyard gate and his body flashed to the side. Watching Yao Xishui thrust her sword out, seizing the opportunity, he reached out to grab her wrist, thinking to seize the weapon first.
At this moment, Yao Xishui’s body suddenly curled up in midair like an agile cat. Her right foot kicked toward Han Qian’s chest like a shooting star.
Han Qian felt his chest violently struck as if by a tree stump. His body retreated several steps backward, pressing against a decorative rock on the side to avoid falling. He nearly had his breath knocked out. He never imagined that despite Yao Xishui’s delicate appearance, her legs would have such strength, and moreover, her strikes were ruthless.
If he hadn’t been diligent in training these past three months, she would have broken several of his ribs.
“Stop hitting, I apologize to Miss Yao. I’ll never again dare slight you. Ouch, it hurts, it hurts…” Han Qian clutched his chest and crouched at the base of the wall begging for mercy, gasping for breath as if this little shrew Yao Xishui had truly broken several of his ribs.
“If I don’t teach you a lesson, you truly won’t know how much your bones weigh,” Yao Xishui stared coldly at Han Qian.
“Xishui, Madam said to give him a bit of suffering and that’s enough. His Highness will stay in the palace for three days—you need to let him be able to crawl up and go to Linjiang Marquis Manor to report for duty in three days,” At this time, a man’s voice came from outside the courtyard wall.
“Oh my, enough, I know Miss Xishui’s formidability…” Han Qian gasped heavily while wailing for mercy.
Hearing the footsteps in the side lane outside fade away, Han Qian sat on the ground in agony.
Seeing Han Qian like this, Yao Xishui also worried that her kick just now had used too much force and directly broken Han Qian’s ribs. If broken bones pierced his organs, that would be terrible.
Yao Xishui put away her sleeve sword and reached toward Han Qian’s chest to examine him. But approaching closer, she saw a trace of cunning flash in Han Qian’s eyes. When she tried to retreat, it was too late. Han Qian pounced like a wild beast and held her tightly.
As Yao Xishui’s body fell backward, her hands clenched into fists and struck like small hammers toward Han Qian’s temples, hitting until Han Qian saw stars. But Han Qian knew that if he didn’t want to be humiliated by this shrew Yao Xishui today, he had to grit his teeth and endure.
He had wasted six years and only recently resumed training in hand-to-hand combat. His strength might be somewhat greater than Yao Xishui’s, but in ordinary one-on-one combat, he would only humiliate himself before Yao Xishui. Taking advantage of the moment when Yao Xishui was knocked down and struggling to get up, he locked her tightly from behind with his hands and feet.
“If you don’t let go, I’ll call for people,” Yao Xishui said, gasping. Her strength ultimately couldn’t match Han Qian’s. She had no way to break free from Han Qian, who was locked onto her from behind like a turtle shell.
“Even if you call people over, I won’t let go,” Han Qian said. Was his brain waterlogged? Would he dare let go now?
“You want to keep holding me like this forever?” Yao Xishui was both ashamed and angry, never expecting that despite her precautions, she still fell for this little mongrel’s trick.
“The first time holding Miss Xishui, although the posture differs somewhat from my imagination, it’s still better than not holding you at all,” Han Qian said.
“How long can you hold out?” Yao Xishui’s body relaxed slightly to conserve energy. She didn’t believe Han Qian could maintain his grip without ever relaxing. As long as she found an opportunity to break free, she would severely punish this little mongrel.
“When I can’t hold out anymore, I’ll naturally shout loudly. Besides Madam, presumably Wanhong Tower has quite a few overnight guests who would be very interested in seeing this scene,” Han Qian said.
“What do you want before you’ll let go?” Yao Xishui trembled with anger. She certainly didn’t want others to see this unseemly state—otherwise she would have already called for people.
“You’re not allowed to hit me,” Han Qian didn’t dare make higher demands of this little shrew. He only wanted to escape safely.
“I won’t hit you,” Yao Xishui said helplessly.
“What if you’re deceiving me?” Han Qian asked. “How about calling Madam over to witness?”
“…” Han Qian’s hands were locked tightly across her chest. Although he had no deliberate intention to take liberties, this still made Yao Xishui die of shame and indignation. “I, Yao Xishui, mean what I say. I won’t use cunning schemes to deceive people like you.”
“My mother told me that beautiful women are the most deceptive. I don’t trust you,” Han Qian said. Besides locking Yao Xishui tightly from behind with his hands, his legs also wrapped around Yao Xishui’s legs from behind.
Although the weather had entered midwinter, while Yao Xishui wore a padded jacket, her lower body still wore silk trousers and gauze skirt that were quite thin. Han Qian could feel that Yao Xishui’s seemingly slender body actually had full, rounded hips.
Unfortunately, the beauty in his arms was like a man-eating leopardess. Han Qian didn’t dare romantically enjoy the physical contact between them and continued negotiating: “You swear a poisonous oath on your mother, then I’ll let you go.”
“…”
Han Qian couldn’t see Yao Xishui’s face from behind, but he could feel the delicate body in his arms about to erupt again like a leopardess. Immediately he applied even more force to lock Yao Xishui tightly.
“If I, Yao Xishui, am unkind to Han Qian again today, may my face grow poisonous sores—I’ve sworn this oath. You should let go now, shouldn’t you?” Yao Xishui said in an ice-cold voice.
Han Qian let go. Seeing Yao Xishui’s man-eating expression as she turned and stood up, he also didn’t dare quibble that her oath only applied to tonight. He fled from the side lane out of Wanhong Tower in utter dishevelment.