Xu Jingzhou’s teeth itched with frustration. He restrained his emotions, forcing out what he believed to be a kindly smile, and looked at Chao Yan. He first intoned a Buddhist chant, then said:
“Your Highness, if you wished to see this humble monk, you could simply have summoned me. Why go to such lengths?”
Chao Yan walked over to Xu Jingzhou, squatted down slightly, and looked at him. This man was indeed quite good-looking.
He then stood up, walked to a nearby armchair and sat down, picked up a teacup, and calmly skimmed off the tea foam, signalling for Li Lan to untie Xu Jingzhou.
Faced with His Highness’s order, Li Lan had nothing to say. Silently, he untied Xu Jingzhou.
Xu Jingzhou pushed himself up against the wall. His body ached slightly, especially his cheeks. He strongly suspected that Li Lan had taken the opportunity to beat him while he was unconscious.
Xu Jingzhou did not dwell on the matter. After all, he had also beaten the other man, so they were even.
He brushed off the visible dust and, maintaining a sense of propriety, turned his gaze to Chao Yan, thinking to himself:
What exactly is Chao Ziyu trying to do? How should I deal with him? If he means me harm, what then? To hold the emperor hostage in order to command the feudal lords would be difficult under present circumstances, especially with Li Lan here and given the distance between himself and Chao Ziyu.
Xu Jingzhou’s thoughts turned rapidly. At that moment, he heard Chao Ziyu say, “Master, please sit.”
Xu Jingzhou thought: Just the right excuse. He did not show his thoughts, but stepped forward and tentatively sat down beside Chao Ziyu. Seeing no one stop him, he settled in.
He clasped his hands and said, “Your Highness, to call this humble monk ‘Master’ is far too flattering. If Your Highness has any matter you wish me to undertake, please speak freely. If I am able, I will certainly do my utmost to accomplish it for you.”
Chao Yan skimmed away the tea foam, took a sip, and set the cup down. His unhurried speech, combined with the crisp sound of the cup meeting the table, echoed through the narrow room, carrying a strong sense of pressure.
“I invited the young master here because I do indeed have something to ask of you.”
Li Lan stepped out and stood guard at the door. Xu Jingzhou gave a faint, barely perceptible curl of his lips at this.
Chao Yan smiled and said, “It is nothing serious. I merely wish to ask the young master to go and see A-Yun. He has not been well since returning from Cining Temple, and even now has not recovered.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingzhou immediately felt concern. The words “I will go and see Gu Yun right away” almost left his mouth, but his sharp intuition forced him to swallow them back down. Those words weighed heavily in his chest for a moment, and he realised something was wrong.
What did the other party mean by this? He was merely a ritual monk who performed ceremonies and offered blessings; it was not his place to be involved in such matters. Could it be that the other party knew Gu Yun had secretly met him? That must be it, otherwise this would not make sense.
Thinking this through, Xu Jingzhou quietly observed the other man. Since there had been no interrogation about whether he was a spy, it likely meant they did not know that he and Gu Yun had not spoken in the Great Xuan language when they met. However, they might well know that Gu Yun had given him the jade ornament and rose dew.
At present, he could not tell whether this information came from someone else revealing Gu Yun’s meeting with him, or whether it had been witnessed from a distance.
Judging from the implication of the words, they seemed to assume he was Gu Yun’s lover, and that Gu Yun’s illness was due to their separation.
How ridiculous. A jealous husband. He was far more important than a mere lover.
Although Xu Jingzhou cursed inwardly, he was perfectly clear about what the consequences would be in this era if a man in power believed him to be the lover of his woman.
He suppressed his expression and looked at Chao Yan respectfully. “Your Highness, this humble monk is only a cleric. I do not know how to pray, nor do I possess medical skill. Merely visiting Miss Gu will not be enough to cure her. Your Highness would do better to seek another expert.”
Chao Yan said, “You do not know A-Yun?”
Xu Jingzhou replied, “Your Highness, I do indeed know Miss Gu, and we are on good terms, but I cannot improve her condition.”
Chao Yan gave a faint “hm”, relaxed his body, leaned back in the chair, crossed his right leg over his left, and folded his hands loosely over his lap. His voice was slow and unhurried as he said, “What is your relationship? Think carefully before answering. Little master, if I wished to investigate you, it would not be difficult.”
Xu Jingzhou smiled. “Your Highness may understand it as a sibling relationship between Miss Gu and myself. I have already renounced the secular world; it is impossible for me to have worldly entanglements.”
As soon as he said this, Xu Jingzhou heard a laugh. A pair of pitch-black eyes suddenly fixed on him. A chill rose from the soles of his feet and he shuddered for no clear reason. He steadied himself and said solemnly, “Your Highness may not believe me, but I speak the truth. Monks do not lie.”
Chao Yan stared at him and said, “From beginning to end, I never said A-Yun’s illness had anything to do with the young master. I only asked you to go and see him. Seeing a familiar face may cheer him up and help him recover. Young master, why did you insist on saying you are innocent?”
Xu Jingzhou was stunned.
Chao Yan took in his reaction fully. In the near-dead silence, he said unhurriedly, “Young master, are you feeling guilty?”
Xu Jingzhou: “……”
Xu Jingzhou nearly ground his molars to dust. Jealous husband, it is a waste that you are not investigating cases.
He had been completely set up, and irritation surged through him. He silently reminded himself several times that even if his head did not remain intact, his bro’s head still needed to remain intact, and forced himself to calm down.
Just as he was considering how to respond, Li Lan knocked and entered. He approached Chao Yan and bent down to whisper.
His voice was too soft for Xu Jingzhou to hear clearly. He only saw Chao Yan’s expression shift slightly, showing a trace of displeasure, though within moments he returned to calm, stood up, and walked out.
“Li Lan, take good care of the young master,” Chao Yan said.
Li Lan replied expressionlessly, “Yes.”
Xu Jingzhou’s heart sank. Take care? How exactly? He immediately moved to seize Chao Ziyu, but Li Lan stepped in front of him in a flash.
He was too slow. Xu Jingzhou’s expression darkened.
…
“Your Highness, have you finished meeting that honoured guest?”
Gu Yun had walked through several corridors, trying to locate where Chao Yan was. As he passed a moon gate, Chao Yan emerged from the opposite side. Gu Yun did not see Li Lan beside him.
According to Zhang Zhangshe, the two had come together. Why was only Chao Yan here?
As Li Lan was Chao Yan’s most trusted personal guard, he should not have been absent unless he had other business.
A wave of panic rose in Gu Yun’s heart. His steps faltered as he hurried forward and spoke quickly to ask.
Chao Yan stood still, sweeping his gaze over him from head to toe. Gu Yun felt as though he had been doused with cold water and instantly calmed himself. He formed a plan and grabbed Chao Yan’s hand, shaking it slightly, saying, “I suddenly remembered more information about Li Yangquan.”
Chao Yan gave a faint “hm” and said indifferently, “Speak.”
Gu Yun said, “Li Yangquan is strong and tall, both brave and resourceful, and possesses an aura that inspires confidence.”
A rebel leader ought to have such qualities, shouldn’t he? Even if it was wrong, it could be corrected later. The priority was to get through the present situation.
“Anything else?” Chao Yan asked.
Gu Yun said, “No.”
Chao Yan said, “Why did you not wait until I returned to the palace before speaking? I recall telling you I would only instruct someone to handle this tomorrow morning.”
Gu Yun explained, “I was afraid you would not rest in Chunhe Palace as you did last night.”
Chao Yan said, “Even so, Zhao He would have told you where I was. Would he dare to ignore you?”
Zhang Zhangshe and the others had already caught up, with Zhao He following behind them. Hearing this, he immediately knelt.
“Your Highness, how would this servant dare!”
Chao Yan glanced at him and said, “Zhao He has neglected his duty, and so have Zhang Zhangshe and the others. Why did none of you enquire after my whereabouts to report to him?”
Zhang Zhangshe and the others all knelt in turn. “Your Highness.”
Gu Yun hurriedly said, “I did not think of that at the time.”
Chao Yan smiled and said, “Zhao He, did you tell A-Yun this morning that I had gone to morning court?”
Zhao He cautiously glanced at Gu Yun and replied, “This servant did.”
Gu Yun tried to recover the situation. “I simply did not think further. This has nothing to do with them; it is all my fault.”
Chao Yan looked straight at him. “You still have the mind to protect others.” Gu Yun felt somewhat afraid and stepped back slightly, but before he could retreat further, Chao Yan gripped his hand tightly and pulled him back into place.
Gu Yun looked up at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince brushed aside the stray hair on Gu Yun’s forehead and looked into his misty, watery eyes for a moment before saying, “Why have you come here? Have you thought about telling me the truth?”
“I…”
The Crown Prince lowered his head and whispered into his ear, “Tell me the truth, and everything can be negotiated. I have already guessed quite a lot. Someone has already let something slip.”
Gu Yun’s eyes widened slowly, his heartbeat quickening. At that moment, a young eunuch rushed over. Reaching them, he stopped at once, stepped aside, and lowered his head.
Chao Yan released Gu Yun and summoned the eunuch forward. “What is it?”
The young eunuch said, “Chancellor Meng has fallen ill.”
Chao Yan said to Gu Yun, “Think carefully. A gentleman’s word is his bond.” With that, he left with the eunuch.
Gu Yun turned to look at his departing figure and slowly spread out his hands, both palms covered in cold sweat.
As Chao Yan left the Eastern Palace, he asked, “What happened?”
The young eunuch replied, “It is said that after Your Highness left the Secretariat, Chancellor Meng and Grand Chancellor Hu quarrelled over your insistence on constructing the Ascension Tower, and came to blows.
“Afterwards, Grand Chancellor Hu whispered something to Chancellor Meng, and Chancellor Meng became so enraged that he could not breathe and collapsed on the spot.
“Grand Chancellor Song immediately sent for the imperial physician. His Majesty, upon hearing of this, ordered the best physician to attend him.
“The physician said Chancellor Meng is elderly and suffered a fit of rage that led to collapse. Fortunately, there is no serious issue. He has been taken back to the Meng residence by Vice Minister Meng, but according to the Meng household, he has not yet regained consciousness.”
The young eunuch looked around and, as Chao Yan boarded the carriage, slipped him a rolled-up piece of paper sealed with wax. “This is what Wang Er asked me to deliver to Your Highness.” Wang Er was the young eunuch previously responsible for relaying various messages by virtue of his position.
Chao Yan took it, boarded the carriage, and unrolled it. Two lines were written: The Emperor is secretly monitoring several Chancellors. The Emperor likely commands a hidden army, and court officials may also be under surveillance.
Chao Yan read it at a glance.
The carriage moved forward, its wheels making a faint sound. Suddenly, the sound stopped, and the carriage came to an abrupt halt.
Chao Yan tore the note into pieces and dropped them into the vase of fresh flowers on the tea table. He lifted the curtain and asked, “What is going on?”
A nearby guard replied, “Your Highness, Commander Liu wishes to see you.”
The Imperial Supervisor of the Eastern Palace, Liu Wen, had already learned of Chancellor Meng’s illness. He stopped the carriage intending to accompany them to the Meng residence. His true purpose, however, was unknown.
He was fair-skinned and clean-shaven, and stood by the roadside with two young eunuchs. Through the open carriage door, he smiled at Chao Yan and said, “Your Highness, may I?”
Chao Yan looked at him silently.
After a moment of eye contact, Chao Yan said calmly, “Commander Liu, please get into the carriage.”
…
After Chao Yan left, Gu Yun no longer attempted to search for that honoured guest.
Zhao He and Zhang Zhangshe remained closely by his side, giving him no opportunity. He returned to Chunhe Palace, drank a stomachful of cold tea, and sat by the window, sorting through his thoughts.
Chao Yan had said: Why have you come here? Have you considered telling me the truth?
And also: Tell me the truth, and everything can be negotiated.
This meant that the other party already knew he had secretly met Xu Jingzhou. Chao Yan could not understand Mandarin, so he did not know what they had spoken about, but he must have known what they had done.
Had Chao Yan misunderstood his relationship with Xu Jingzhou? Was he jealous? That would be normal enough; it was inevitable when someone one liked was seen embracing another man.
But he was a man.
Chao Yan also said: I have already guessed quite a lot. Someone has already let something slip.
If Chao Yan said Xu Jingzhou had betrayed him, Gu Yun would not believe it. But if he said Xu Jingzhou had let something slip, Gu Yun became uncertain.
After all, Xu Jingzhou did sometimes blurt things out when flustered, though he would quickly realise and try to cover it up. But given Chao Yan’s intelligence, he would certainly be able to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Gu Yun, lost in thought, did not notice time slowly passing.
…
The Meng residence was brightly lit.
By the time Chao Yan arrived, many people had already gathered there.
