Seeing Li Chong’s aggressive demeanor, Han Qian suddenly felt an inexplicable sorrow on behalf of his father.
Li Chong had grown up among the military ranks alongside his father and brothers in his early years, making him absolutely more capable and pragmatic than Feng Yi and Kong Xirong. But if even he knew nothing about the true situation of the refugees outside the city, mistakenly believing that his father’s memorial today was meant to help Shouzhou, how could they expect Emperor Tianyou, who had rarely left the imperial palace since establishing the Chu Kingdom, to truly understand the hardships of the common people or comprehend his father’s true intentions?
Of course, not everyone at court could be unaware of the true situation regarding the massive spread of the water gu epidemic among the refugees.
Besides his father, since the Jingzhao Prefecture had long strictly controlled the entry of plague-infected refugees into the city, and the city’s nobility rarely purchased slaves from the refugees outside, clearly most people were quite aware of this situation.
Han Qian thought of a line from “Guanzi”: “When information from below does not reach those above, it is called obstruction.” This was a great defect that even the dream world could not overcome a thousand years later.
Having dwelt deep within the palace confines in recent years, Emperor Tianyou did not understand the refugee epidemic situation and mistakenly believed his father’s memorial urging the expulsion of refugees was intended to relocate them all to Shouzhou, thereby strengthening the power of Xu Mingzhen, the National Uncle stationed in Shouzhou who was the most central figure to the Crown Prince’s faction. Therefore, harboring resentment and flying into a rage was not difficult to understand.
This was a crucial point Han Qian had not thought of before. To prevent his father from submitting another memorial that would anger Emperor Tianyou, he now had to quickly present the “Memorial on the Epidemic Waters” and persuade the Third Prince and Marquis Xinchang to act according to plan to properly settle the refugees outside the city.
However, with Feng Yi and Kong Xirong right behind them, he could not explain anything to the Third Prince and Li Chong at this moment.
“Today is the Winter Solstice. Master Shen Yang has been suffering from a cold for many days without recovery. As students, we should naturally go visit him,” Yang Yuanpu said at that moment, walking over from the corridor side and speaking in an indisputable tone to Guo Rong and Chen De behind him. “Chen De, go make arrangements quickly.”
Seeing Han Qian, Li Chong, Feng Yi, and others in the courtyard, Yang Yuanpu said decisively: “You will all accompany me to visit the master.”
Yang Yuanpu rarely left Marquis Linjiang’s mansion, but this did not mean he should be confined there.
Chen De arranged for people to prepare horses and carriages. Han Qian felt both alarmed and puzzled but could not refuse. Even on an empty stomach, he could only steel himself to mount a horse and follow Yang Yuanpu and the others to rush to Shen Yang’s residence.
Lin Haizheng handed him a wheat cake halfway through the journey. The ravenous Han Qian wolfed it down, only then having the energy to carefully consider whether the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s unusual attitude today was related to his father’s memorial to Emperor Tianyou at the morning court session.
Shen Yang lived in Ming’an Alley in the eastern city. Though he served as imperial tutor to the princes, he could only be considered of modest nobility at court, and the Shen residence was quite simple.
Shen Yang had caught a cold and was coughing incessantly. When Han Qian and the others arrived, a physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau, having received Emperor Tianyou’s decree, had just come to treat Shen Yang, written a prescription, and was about to leave.
Yang Yuanpu did not linger long at the Shen residence. After visiting Shen Yang and emerging from the residence, he stood before the carriage and said to Li Chong: “I hear your household has fine tea, even finer than the treasured collection at the marquis’s mansion, as well as excellent tea pastries. Might you invite us to sample them?”
“My father has a separate residence nearby where several jars of fine tea are stored. If Your Highness does not mind and is not in a hurry to return to the mansion, we could rest there for a while!” Li Chong said.
When Li Chong glanced over at him, Han Qian realized that the Third Prince’s insistence on coming out to visit Shen Yang had been arranged with Li Chong. Seeing that this area was not far from Wuyi Alley where Wanhong Pavilion was located, he wondered whether this so-called separate marquis residence was right next to Wanhong Pavilion.
Guo Rong had not come along, and Chen De would never defy Yang Yuanpu’s will. The group clustered around Yang Yuanpu as they headed toward Marquis Xinchang’s nearby residence.
As Han Qian had suspected, Marquis Xinchang’s nearby residence was separated from Wanhong Pavilion by just one alley. Though the gate appeared unassuming, once inside there was another world entirely—winding paths leading to secluded spots, with several layers of courtyards.
Many servants with steady and sharp gazes stood guard in the courtyard. Seeing Li Chong leading Yang Yuanpu, Han Qian, and the others inside, they treated them as invisible, as if they had received extremely strict training.
Han Qian did not know whether these people were household soldiers of Marquis Xinchang’s mansion or assassins secretly trained by Wanhong Pavilion.
Walking into the innermost courtyard, a decorative rock formation over ten feet high stood directly at the courtyard entrance. Despite accumulating some fallen snow, several green vines remained vibrantly colored—exotic species transplanted from who knows where that added an elegant touch to the cold courtyard.
The group circled around the decorative rocks to find a middle-aged man with a thin, sallow face standing with his hands behind his back in the courtyard.
Having been brought to Jinling City by his father less than a year ago, Han Qian had only spoken with Marquis Xinchang Li Pu through a screen and never met him face to face. But seeing Li Chong bore some resemblance to this man in features, he knew who he was.
Feng Yi and Kong Xirong clearly recognized Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, and at this moment were both alarmed and puzzled.
“Oh, Chong’er is bringing His Highness over to visit. I was wondering who was making such a commotion coming in.” Li Pu said mildly, as if he truly had not known he was here before Li Chong brought the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu over and had encountered him by chance.
Li Pu’s words could not fool Han Qian, but Feng Yi and Kong Xirong believed them completely.
After all, it was well known throughout the court that Marquis Xinchang Li Pu intended to support the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s bid for succession. If Li Pu truly wanted to see the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and say something, there was absolutely no need for such roundabout methods.
“This must be Young Master Han Qian, son of Junior Supervisor Han?” Li Pu looked toward Han Qian and said, “I’ve heard from Chong’er that Young Master Han is well-versed in agriculture and commerce. Meeting by chance today, I, Li Pu, have some questions to ask Young Master Han.”
“Finally rid of that slave Guo Rong, we can rest here comfortably for half a day. I shall drink tea in this room with Marquis Xinchang, Li Chong, and Han Qian. You find somewhere else to play touzi and don’t disturb our peace.”
Yang Yuanpu directly ordered Chen De to take Feng Yi and Kong Xirong elsewhere to play touzi gambling games.
Though Chen De was a relative of Consort Shi Madam Wang’s maternal family and had been entrusted by Consort Shi Madam Wang with protecting the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s safety, he was addicted to gambling. Fearing he might ruin things, he still did not know too many secrets.
This was Marquis Xinchang’s residence with tight security. If Marquis Xinchang Li Pu wanted to discuss confidential matters with the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and Han Qian, Chen De naturally need not worry about anything and proceeded to pull Feng Yi and Kong Xirong to the adjacent courtyard to play touzi.
The looks Feng Yi and Kong Xirong cast toward Han Qian at this moment were both alarmed and puzzled, but they were half-dragged, half-pulled away by Chen De.
Han Qian’s expression darkened. At this moment, he was so angry his hands and feet began to tremble. He had not expected Marquis Xinchang and his son to so easily expose his true identity before Feng Yi and Kong Xirong.
No matter how close he had been with Li Chong before, it would not have attracted much attention. After all, they were junior figures with relatively little influence on their respective families, and besides, Feng Yi and Kong Xirong still occasionally gathered with Chen De for gambling entertainment.
However, when Marquis Xinchang Li Pu appeared at this moment, signaling Chen De to drag Feng Yi and Kong Xirong away while keeping him alone, could the significance be the same?
Moreover, his father would certainly urge him to hand over the “Memorial on the Epidemic Waters” to Li Pu and the others to implement.
At this critical juncture, spreading these matters—how could it not attract attention?
What a group of self-righteous fools!
Once Chen De and the others left, Li Pu waved his hand to signal all the guards in the courtyard to stand outside. He invited the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and Han Qian to enter the inner room, where they saw a tall bookshelf slowly being pushed away from the wall, revealing a dark passageway. Yao Xishui accompanied a woman whose face was veiled in black gauze as they emerged. Behind them, a swordsman wearing a bronze mask did not step inside but guarded the entrance to the passageway.
“This humble woman is neither human nor ghost. Years ago I vowed never to show my true face to others. I beg Your Highness’s understanding.” The woman glanced at Han Qian, then bowed to Yang Yuanpu.
Yang Yuanpu was also meeting for the first time the greatest power supporting him from behind the scenes. Still somewhat nervous, he walked to sit behind the long table in the center with forced composure, saying: “Madam and my mother shared hardships together in the Guangling Military Commissioner’s Mansion when they were young. Without Madam’s support, my mother would have had no way to persevere until now. I have heard from my mother about Madam’s various past experiences. There is no need for formalities.”
“Since you are already neither human nor ghost, why emerge to see people?” Han Qian, with a face full of indignation, walked directly to sit behind the long table below Yang Yuanpu’s position, recklessly mocking her.
“Impudent!” The swordsman guarding the passageway entrance pressed down on the sword at his waist, shouting with murderous intent, “Do not forget—you are a slave of our Wanhong Pavilion!”
Han Qian removed the short blade from his waist, placed it on the long table before him, and looked coldly at the masked swordsman who dared not even step half a foot into the room, saying disdainfully: “What pretentious theatrics! Since Madam so easily no longer trusts Han Qian, if you want this worthless life of mine at this moment, take it. Why be polite?”
“Have I said I no longer trust you?” The woman in black gauze sat down across from Han Qian, her beautiful eyes that revealed no hint of age staring intently at him.
The two long tables below Yang Yuanpu’s position were occupied by Han Qian and the woman in black gauze. Marquis Xinchang Li Pu could only sit diagonally across from Han Qian. Though he appeared sickly, his eyes stared at Han Qian’s face with extreme sharpness.
“If Madam had not ceased trusting Han Qian, why so easily expose before Feng Yi and Kong Xirong that I secretly serve His Highness?” Han Qian questioned indignantly. “If you had even a shred of trust in me, if you could have asked my father in advance why he made such a memorial at court today, you absolutely would not have destroyed so completely this brilliant move I so painstakingly laid out for His Highness!”
“With your father being so thoughtful in planning for Shouzhou this time, if we don’t apply a little pressure and let you father and son continue playing both sides, won’t we be sold out by you two someday without even knowing it?” Li Chong asked with a cold laugh.
“I refuse to speak with a fool like you.” Han Qian closed his eyes, unwilling at this moment to even look at Li Chong once.
Han Qian did not know who exactly had been instigating this, but with the situation deteriorating so badly, he was caught off guard and at a loss for the moment, not knowing how to salvage the situation.
Today his father’s memorial at court had already angered Emperor Tianyou. During the court session, not only was he driven out of Qihua Hall, Emperor Tianyou also ordered the Censorate to investigate his father’s crime of speaking out of turn.
If the matter were limited to this, it would not be so bad. Even if Emperor Tianyou resented his father for secretly aiding the Crown Prince’s faction, he would not lightly resort to murderous intent.
However, Han Qian knew that once word spread that he secretly served the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, even without presenting the “Memorial on the Epidemic Waters,” Anning Palace, holding to the principle of “better to believe it exists,” might well suspect his father’s proposal to drive the plague-infected refugees to Shouzhou harbored malicious intent toward the Crown Prince’s faction.
And by that time, would there still be any way for him and his father to survive in Jinling City?
These fools—did they truly believe that by doing this, they could force his father to abandon his so-called ideals and completely join them to huddle together for warmth?