The Prince Rui’s Manor lay beneath an autumn gray sky. When Qin Wan’s carriage stopped, she suddenly felt an extraordinary desolation. She sighed and went forward to knock on the door.
When the door opened, the doorkeeper was somewhat stunned, not expecting Qin Wan to come at this time. However, he quickly and respectfully invited her in. Qin Wan walked along the manor’s small path heading north and soon saw Yan Chi striding towards her.
Behind Yan Chi followed two unfamiliar men. Seeing him from afar, the two men quickly withdrew their gaze and turned toward the side door. Qin Wan didn’t know their identities and simply waited holding the food box for Yan Chi to approach.
Yan Chi glanced at the food box in her hands, “What’s this…”
“The Empress Dowager asked me to bring this to you.”
Qin Wan answered, and seeing the flash of disappointment in Yan Chi’s eyes, she knew he had misunderstood. Her eyes twinkled as she said, “If you want to eat something I made myself, I could try, though the taste would certainly be mediocre.”
Yan Chi’s eyes immediately brightened. Taking the food box with one hand and holding her hand with the other, he walked inside, “I wouldn’t dare now, but in the future, if you’re willing to cook for me, my life would be complete.”
Qin Wan laughed mockingly, “Then your idea of completeness comes rather easily!”
Yan Chi immediately squeezed Qin Wan’s palm, “You’ve come at just the right time—”
Qin Wan heard the deeper meaning in Yan Chi’s words and quickly turned to face him, “What do you mean?”
Yan Chi’s eyes darkened slightly as he said, “The person you wanted to see has been found.”
Qin Wan’s steps suddenly halted, “You mean Wang Han?!”
Yan Chi nodded with a smile. Qin Wan’s breath caught! It had only been a few days! Wang Han had been found!
“How did you find him?! Where was he found?!”
Yan Chi could see Qin Wan’s excitement. Her clear eyes, as pure as a shallow stream, instantly brightened, breathtakingly so. Yan Chi’s smile gradually widened, “He had left the capital, but he has a distant uncle in the city. I had my men find his uncle, had the uncle send him a message, and then we caught him on his way back.”
Qin Wan’s eyes grew round, and she immediately gripped Yan Chi’s hand tightly, “Where is he? Take me to see him!”
Yan Chi’s smile deepened as he handed the food box to Bai Ying and led Qin Wan by the hand toward the depths of the prince’s manor. There were no dungeons in Prince Rui’s Manor, so after Wang Han was captured, he was kept in an empty room in the back courtyard. Two black-clad guards stood watch outside the courtyard. Seeing Yan Chi bringing Qin Wan, they quickly bowed respectfully. Yan Chi waved his hand and led Qin Wan through the courtyard gate.
Before pushing open the door, Yan Chi asked, “Do you want to reveal your identity?”
Qin Wan understood Yan Chi’s meaning and shook her head, “Let’s question him first.”
Yan Chi nodded and pushed open the door. Upon entering, Qin Wan first saw an empty room covered in cobwebs, then saw a man bound hand and foot and blindfolded in the corner.
Wang Han was tall and strong; even bound and curled up, he still appeared quite robust. As a member of the palace guard, capturing him naturally required some effort. Now his exposed face and wrists were covered in purple bruises. Though blindfolded, his hearing remained acute. Hearing someone enter, Wang Han immediately tensed up.
He shuffled to sit up against the wall, and realizing the visitors were getting closer, Wang Han shouted in fear, “Who are you?! Who are you…”
Yan Chi remained silent, and Qin Wan was equally tacit.
The silent response was the most grinding dull knife for Wang Han, who was now filled with fear. His back pressed tightly against the wall, appearing particularly shrinking and fearful. Qin Wan frowned slightly. For a man like Wang Han, ordinary bandits wouldn’t cause such fear. His current terror must be because he thought they were people who would take his life.
Thinking this, Qin Wan was even more determined not to speak.
Wang Han’s body trembled, his face covered in cold sweat. Qin Wan stared at Wang Han, her gaze almost tangible. When facing a criminal case, her delicate gentleness disappeared completely. Now her gaze, like Yan Chi’s, was cold and pressing.
Wang Han grew increasingly afraid, “I… I didn’t mean to come back… I… are you… are you people from the palace?”
At these words, Yan Chi and Qin Wan exchanged a glance.
“I gave all my property to my uncle to manage, I don’t have that money, I simply couldn’t survive. I… I only came back to retrieve my money, I had no intention of betraying Her Majesty the Empress…”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes, and a cold light flashed in Yan Chi’s eyes as well.
Wang Han seemed terrified, “Don’t kill me, I won’t tell anyone, I… if you just let me go, I’ll leave far away and never return to the capital again, don’t kill me, please…”
Looking at the pleading Wang Han, Qin Wan remained expressionless, her lips pressed together.
Hearing no response, Wang Han immediately continued, “I swear, I swear, I will follow Her Majesty the Empress’s instructions. I wouldn’t dare disobey anything Her Majesty commanded. I don’t even want my position in the palace guard anymore. My loyalty to Her Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon. Please don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”
Thinking of something else, Wang Han’s expression changed again, “Also, please don’t harm my uncle. My uncle knows nothing, he’s just an honest businessman… please…”
As Wang Han continued pleading, Qin Wan suddenly glanced at Yan Chi, then gestured with her eyes toward the outside.
Yan Chi went outside with Qin Wan.
After walking some distance from the door, Yan Chi asked, “What is it?”
Qin Wan said, “This person is crucial, but he won’t properly confess just by questioning like this. I just heard him pleading for his uncle – what exactly is his relationship with this uncle?”
Yan Chi explained, “His mother died early, leaving only a seriously ill father at home. He has good martial arts skills, and his ability to enter the palace as a guard was entirely due to this merchant uncle paving the way for him. He’s extremely grateful to this uncle, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come back at such a critical time.”
Qin Wan nodded, “He’s someone who knows how to repay kindness. This is perfect!”
A flash of anticipation appeared in Yan Chi’s eyes as he looked expectantly at Qin Wan. Qin Wan’s eyes darted around before she said, “Don’t blame me for using him, but at this point, we can only use him as a stepping stone.”
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, and Qin Wan quietly explained a strategy. Upon hearing it, Yan Chi burst out laughing, “Wan Wan, this doesn’t seem like a strategy you would come up with…”
Qin Wan had been quite cold and serious, but being teased by Yan Chi like this, she became somewhat embarrassed, “Do you think it will work?”
Yan Chi smiled, “Why wouldn’t it work?! Leave it to Bai Feng, he’s best at this kind of thing!”
Hearing this, Qin Wan immediately felt relieved. Yan Chi quickly took Qin Wan to instruct Bai Feng. When Bai Feng heard Yan Chi’s instructions, he showed no surprise, but when he learned the strategy was Qin Wan’s idea, he nearly dropped his jaw in shock, making Qin Wan even more embarrassed…
At nightfall, the door to Wang Han’s room opened once again.
Bai Feng, accompanied by two guards, roughly dragged Wang Han out of the room.
As Wang Han pleaded and shouted, Bai Feng delivered a blow to knock him unconscious.
On this dark and windy night, Wang Han awoke among the graves at the foot of Qi Wu Mountain. While the mountain itself was covered in tombs, only the capital’s wealthy families had the privilege of burying their dead on the mountain proper. Because this was considered auspicious land, commoners gradually began placing their tombs in the large pine forest to the southwest of Qi Wu Mountain. Due to its remote location and lack of oversight, more and more graves appeared in this forest until now, when the entire woods were filled with burial mounds.
When Wang Han regained consciousness, his head was throbbing with pain. His hands and feet were still bound, and his vision remained dark, but perhaps due to being dragged for so long during transport, while his wrists hurt, the ropes binding him had loosened considerably. Wang Han twisted his wrists and realized they were loose enough that he might be able to free himself, causing a flash of joy in his heart.
“Brother, this guy’s still not awake…”
“Keep digging. It’s better if he’s quiet when we bury him.”
“Right, we need to get back to the palace before dawn.”
The joy in Wang Han’s heart instantly turned to cold sweat…
Who were these people speaking? Who were they going to bury? They were from the palace?!
As these three questions spun through his mind, Wang Han suddenly felt his entire body go cold – these people were going to bury him alive to silence him!