The imperial edict was temporarily held at the Shuima Relay Station in Gezhou, while Prince Xian’s trusted retainer, dispatched to Mianzhou, had already been intercepted in Jiangzhou.
In accordance with the secret orders Shen Zheng had left along the route, all messages sent from the capital to Mianzhou were to be intercepted, save for imperial edicts. Their bearers were to be detained as well.
Just before dawn, the guards waiting midway received the news. They immediately changed into the clothes from the bundle brought from the capital, wheeled their horses around, and raced toward Mianzhou.
After riding through the night without rest, they finally caught sight of Mianzhou City’s outline the following evening, as the crimson clouds began to fade.
Steam curled through the warm chamber in the rear hall of the Mianzhou prefectural office.
Lou Changsui soaked in a steaming bath, easing the fatigue that had built up over the past several days.
Two servant girls knelt beside the pool, their hands slick with lustrous fragrant ointment as they gently rubbed it into his broad shoulders.
An eerie, peculiar fragrance permeated the bath. It was not overpowering, yet it seeped strand by strand into the flesh and lingered there for a long time.
Lou Changsui was already past forty, and his hair had long since grown thin. Wet with bathwater, it clung tightly to his scalp, making his round head resemble a winter melon covered in fine fuzz.
He was short and stout, with a bulging belly. Submerged in the water, only his upper body showed, like a bloated pufferfish bobbing in a boiling pot—one that could neither be cooked through nor stewed tender.
At the moment, his bulging fish-like eyes were half-lidded, and a glistening layer of oily red sheen covered his garlic-shaped nose. His face was the picture of blissful contentment.
“This godforsaken place, Mianzhou, is dry and hot all year round. It’s only cooled down a little these past few days. This bath is nowhere near as pleasant as the ones in Bozhou,” he complained leisurely, even as he luxuriated in it.
To one side of the warm chamber, Wen Ze lounged in loose Daoist robes, reclining against a soft couch with a long-stemmed pipe in hand and one leg crossed high over the other.
A courtesan in a bright scarlet dress, her skin smooth as congealed cream, knelt at his side. With a seductive air, she gently massaged his shoulders and legs.
“Bozhou may be fine, but it does not have my exclusive Bone-Penetrating Fragrance,” Wen Ze said. His thin chest rose and fell faintly as he blew out one perfectly round smoke ring after another. As he spoke, he reached out and gave the courtesan’s waist a light pinch.
Her cheeks immediately flushed red, and she broke into a coquettish, tinkling laugh.
Lou Changsui laughed heartily as well. “Quite right. Ever since I started using this fragrance, I feel more radiant by the day—and stronger, too.”
He raised one arm and inspected the skin coated with fragrant ointment. It was the equal of any sturdy young man in his twenties.
The two spoke with easy familiarity, clearly having known each other for a long time. Lou Changsui took a sip of the cool tea offered by a servant girl at his side, then asked unhurriedly, “We’ve searched Mianzhou from top to bottom these past days, yet found no trace of those people. How is the Young Master recovering now?”
Wen Ze tapped the ash from his pipe, undisguised disgust flashing in his eyes. “How else? At noon, he gulped down several large bowls of that yellow swill, then went to sleep without a care in the world, clutching a woman in his arms.”
Lou Changsui burst into laughter again. “The Young Master has no ambition to speak of. The burden of the Wen family can only fall upon you, Eldest Young Master. Were it not so, you could never have developed such an exquisitely ingenious Bone-Penetrating Fragrance.”
Wen Ze casually set his tobacco pipe aside, reached into the courtesan’s arms, and groped about with abandon as he said, “Still, I must remind you, my lord: there’s something strange about those people. We cannot afford to let our guard down. Not just for the sake of my good-for-nothing younger brother—for our own peace of mind, you should turn the earth upside down and dig them out.”
“Prince Xian has crossed the river and demolished the bridge behind him, while the Prefectural Granary Commissioner is only concerned with saving his own skin. But I, Lou Changsui, am not someone others can butcher at will.” Lou Changsui scooped up a handful of hot water and splashed it over his increasingly broad, round face. He rolled his eyelids back, and two vicious glints suddenly seeped from his eyes. “Even if His Majesty were to see everything that has happened in Mianzhou, there would be nothing he could do to me. From beginning to end, I have acted strictly according to the regulations of the imperial court.”
“You seem rather relaxed now,” Wen Ze snorted. “But have you forgotten who was running around like an ant on a hot griddle when the locust plague first broke out?”
“That was all thanks to Liu Kangren,” Lou Changsui said, throwing his head back in laughter. “He insisted on charging straight into a dead end, only to crash open a path of escape for me!”
His hands and feet churned the water in the bath until waves splashed over the two servants, soaking them through.
Yet neither dared to dodge. They continued to pour the milky-white fragrant powder into the ointment with utmost deference, mixing it evenly before carefully spreading it over Lou Changsui’s body.
“His Majesty’s vermilion rescript should be arriving soon, shouldn’t it? Only once Liu Kangren is dead can we finally put our minds completely at ease. Then my father can attend the Mianzhou Incense Fair with a clear heart and a smooth temper.” Wen Ze simply pulled the courtesan into his arms and absentmindedly kissed and breathed in the scent of that young, warm body.
“By the way, Eldest Young Master.” Lou Changsui suddenly turned his head, his face filled with curiosity. “Is Director Wen truly the Young Master’s full brother?”
Wen Ze let out a cold laugh. “He was merely born to my second mother and a short-lived licentiate scholar. My father had the scholar killed, then took my second mother as his woman by rights. Later, she gave birth to Wen Xu.”
Lou Changsui thoughtfully recalled, “In my early years in Bozhou, I once worked alongside Director Wen for some time. He was no ordinary man! With a face like a flower and a body white as snow, he wielded thunderous methods and could turn heaven and earth upside down. This time, when he came to Mianzhou to borrow grain, I admit I felt more than a little apprehensive.”
“Liu Kangren took the blame for the grain shortage. What is there for you to fear? By then, we’ll have the imperial edict in hand and Liu Kangren’s head in a basket. We can silence him completely.” Wen Ze sneered. “Besides, he’s hardly as extraordinary as you make him sound. He’s nothing more than a fledgling who’s endured humiliation just to survive.”
“Eldest Young Master, you shouldn’t dismiss him so easily.” Lou Changsui shook his head, his expression turning more solemn. “He achieved quite a lot in Bozhou, and in the capital he rose steadily for four straight years, eventually reaching the highest ranks of the court. Clearly, he is a man of considerable depth.”
Wen Ze withdrew his hand from the courtesan’s body. His earlier excitement had already ebbed away, so he contentedly raised his tobacco pipe once more. “Are you saying he didn’t rise on the strength of that face?”
“That would be a shallow way of looking at it, Eldest Young Master. Anyone who has worked alongside him knows that his stunningly beautiful face is, in fact, the least remarkable thing about him.” Lou Changsui smacked his lips.
At this, Wen Ze tipped the smoking pipe in his hand, his gaze skimming over the bowl. A vicious smile flickered across his lips. “If you knew what this pipe has seared, you wouldn’t be praising him so highly in front of me. Heh—good thing he’s a man. Otherwise…”
His voice cut off abruptly, leaving only the fragrance drifting through the air in fine, curling threads.
After a while, Lou Changsui stretched, his bones cracking loudly, and slowly rose to his feet. “Eldest Young Master, won’t you stay and loosen up for a while?”
Wen Ze tugged at his belt. After a moment’s hesitation, he stood as well. “My lord, please rest. The Mianzhou Incense Festival is only twelve days away. I have far too much to attend to. That useless lump of mud can’t be propped up, so I have to oversee everything myself.”
Wen Ze had barely stepped out of the warm chamber when someone hurried over to report, “My lord, there’s an official from the capital outside. He says he was sent by Prince Xian and has urgent news for you!”
Wen Ze’s brow tightened sharply, and he turned to look at Lou Changsui.
Lou Changsui had only just draped his outer robe over himself. At the news, his puffy eyes narrowed, and he said grimly, “Bring him in at once!”
Wen Ze therefore remained rather than leaving.
A moment later, a guard strode into the warm chamber.
His thick lips were cracked and dry, his face coated in a layer of yellow sand. Though his hair was bound beneath a cap, it was in disarray. His attire was that of a guard from the residence of a high-ranking capital official, outlining a lean, powerfully built frame.
The moment he entered, he said in a rough voice, “Lord Lou, something terrible has happened!”
Those words sent Lou Changsui’s heart—so securely settled in his chest—suddenly leaping into his throat. The comfort suffusing his body vanished in an instant.
“What is there to panic over?” Lou Changsui asked with displeasure.
Yet the guard did not answer at once. Instead, he lifted his eyes and swept an indifferent, faintly contemptuous gaze over Wen Ze, who stood beside him. His brow furrowed warily.
Never before had Wen Ze been looked over with such eyes. His face immediately darkened, and his grip around the pipe tightened.
“They are all our own people. Speak plainly,” Lou Changsui urged coldly.
Only then did the guard give a disdainful snort. He shook the yellow dust from his clothes with evident distaste, clasped his hands behind his back, and assumed a lofty air. “Minister Bu instructed me to inform you that His Majesty has long known that something is amiss in Mianzhou. First, he openly ordered Governor Wen to borrow grain from Mianzhou. Then, in secret, he commanded him to detour through Liangzhou and bring the grain into Xingjing to provide disaster relief, while also investigating Mianzhou’s suspicious dealings. At present, the Fifth Prince and Director Wen have already arrived in Xingjing and Liangzhou!”
Lou Changsui’s eyelids flew open, every nerve drawing taut.
The guard continued, “You previously submitted a memorial requesting that Liu Kangren be punished. His Majesty had already been wavering on the matter. Upon learning of it, Duke Liu remonstrated with his life on the line, striking his head on the floor of the imperial hall until blood streamed down his face. His Majesty’s heart softened at once. He has now ordered a captain of the Imperial Guard to carry an imperial edict to Mianzhou and personally escort Liu Kangren to the capital, where His Majesty will interrogate him himself.”
By this point, all color had drained from Lou Changsui’s lips. A fine sheen of cold sweat beaded at his temples and slid down his cheeks.
Seeing this, the guard finally softened his tone. “The commander of the Imperial Guards will likely arrive before long. Though His Highness Prince Xian does not know what brilliant plan you may have, he is compassionate by nature. He specially sent me racing here day and night to give you a warning, in hopes that you will make preparations soon. Do not delay your own future, nor disappoint His Highness Prince Xian’s painstaking goodwill.”
Seeing Lou Changsui lost in grave thought, seemingly slow to react, the guard added more bluntly, “His Highness Prince Xian hopes you will remain safe and prosper. This favor... when you have the chance in the future, you should remember to repay it.”
A vein at Lou Changsui’s temple twitched almost imperceptibly. It was clear that only the entirety of his self-restraint kept him from having the man thrown out at once.
What was this supposed to be?
The moment they saw that things were going badly, they had distanced themselves from him. Now that there seemed to be a way out, they were rushing to offer a convenient favor, and before the matter had even been resolved, they could not wait to demand compensation.
This grasping, self-serving display from Prince Xian’s faction was truly ugly to behold.
Yet it was precisely the guard’s haughty bearing, like that of a watchdog stationed at his prince’s side, that made Lou Changsui believe three or four parts of the story.
Prince Xian’s faction had always treated them with just this sort of contempt, even while finding it necessary to make use of them.
Though the man before him was only a lowly guard, he had Prince Xian’s trust. His airs were greater than those of Lou Changsui, a fifth-rank court official.
After a moment’s consideration, Lou Changsui suddenly pulled his mouth into a meaningful smile and looked the guard up and down, his gaze as hooked as a barb. “This official has indeed been awaiting His Majesty’s vermilion-written approval for some time. I am only curious: how is it that Prince Xian’s messengers travel faster than the Emperor’s edict?”
The guard was utterly unruffled. With a trace of mockery, he said, “The Imperial Guards are bringing a prison carriage from the Court of Judicial Review, so naturally they travel more slowly. Surely Lord Lou does not think the son of Duke Liu, the former great general of the southern border, would be escorted in that shabby prison cart of yours from Mianzhou Prefecture?”
The condescension in that jab made Lou Changsui’s face darken at once. His bulbous nose flared slightly as he forced down his temper.
The guard continued, “And that is not all. The Fifth Prince is far more shrewd than any of you imagine. Prince Xian originally sent three parties to deliver messages to Mianzhou, but as soon as we reached the courier stations and stated our destination, we were detained. I alone reacted quickly enough to escape. I have endured wind and hunger on the road and dared not waste a moment, only reaching you now in time to warn you.”
As he spoke, he swept his gaze around the warm chamber. Seeing no empty chair, he curled his lip and rubbed his fingers together discreetly, his tone carrying a pointed hint. “The hardship I have endured on this journey, all so that you might have time to make your arrangements, cannot be explained in just a few words.”
Lou Changsui: “...”
By now, he believed five or six parts of it.
Only someone from the capital who had seen the world and understood the inner workings of the Three Judicial Offices would know the distinction between a prison carriage and an ordinary prisoner cart.
A prison carriage was made specifically to transport high-ranking criminals. Its body was fully enclosed, save for small ventilation holes, and it contained mechanisms designed to prevent the prisoner from killing or injuring himself.
An ordinary prisoner cart, meanwhile, was merely a crude, half-enclosed wooden cage. It could prevent escape, and little more, aside from administering a measure of punishment.
Given the special status of Duke Liu’s son, he would naturally be confined in a prison carriage, ensuring that he arrived safely in the capital.
Lou Changsui had originally believed that once he submitted the list of charges he had compiled, His Majesty would surely fly into a rage and issue an order to execute Liu Kangren at once. After all, how could Duke Liu's plea for mercy outweigh the seething resentment of the people of Mianzhou?
But from what this guard had said, it seemed the capital had caught wind of something, and the Emperor had reacted with unusual calm.
If Liu Kangren were truly allowed to see the Emperor, then with Duke Liu's military achievements adding to the pressure, Lou Changsui would be facing utter ruin.
Left with no choice, he shot Wen Ze a meaningful look. Wen Ze understood at once. Keeping his displeasure firmly in check, he drew a heavy silver ingot from his robes and pressed it into the guard's hand. "You've had a hard journey, sir. Please accept this small token, enough at least to quench your thirst."
The guard swiftly took the silver and weighed it in his palm for a moment before tucking it away with satisfaction. Yet his face assumed an upright, proper expression. "My own hardships are of no consequence. But I have a question on behalf of Prince Xian: how does my lord intend to clean up this matter?"
Only days earlier, frauds claiming to be from the Liu family had appeared, and Wen Ze was still shaken by the incident. The bags beneath his eyes twitched as he forced a smile and asked, "There is one more thing I would like to inquire about. Did you bring any token from Prince Xian or Minister Bu on this journey? Even a handwritten letter would do."
The guard shot him a disdainful glance, his expression plainly saying, You know perfectly well why not. "Do you expect Prince Xian to leave you something that could later be used as leverage against him?"
Wen Ze was already irritated, but a commoner could not contend with an official. He could only keep smiling. "Without any proof, sir, and since we have never met you before, it is difficult for us to verify your identity. I hope you can understand."
Lou Changsui nodded along. "Indeed. There must be some object to prove who you are. The last time Minister Bu sent someone here, he even included a handwritten letter."
The guard remained perfectly composed, affecting an indifferent air. "There was originally something I could have shown you, my lord, but when I was detained at the official post station, everything was searched and confiscated."
After a brief pause, he continued, "My lord may send someone to the post station to inquire whether orders from the Fifth Prince were received to intercept messages sent from the capital to Mianzhou. You may also ask merchants traveling from Xingjing and Erzhou whether Governor Wen and the Fifth Prince are already providing disaster relief there."
Having laid out a course of action, he curled his lips into a smile. "If my lord still refuses to believe me, there is nothing more I can do. I have risked my life to deliver the message I was sent with. Whether my lord's future brings fortune or disaster depends entirely on the choice you make."
Lou Changsui and Wen Ze met each other's eyes. After several seconds, they silently reached an understanding.
Turning back, Lou Changsui arranged his features into a courteous smile. "It is not that I distrust you, sir. This matter is simply of great consequence and requires careful consideration. You have traveled far and must be exhausted. Why not stay at my residence for a few days? Allow me to extend proper hospitality, and to show my gratitude to Prince Xian, Minister Bu, and yourself."
As he spoke, he looked toward the door and addressed the waiting steward in a low voice. "Take this gentleman to rest. Prepare fine food and wine, and send two clever maids to attend him. See that he is not slighted in any way."
It was hospitality in name only; in truth, it was surveillance. The steward was Lou Changsui's confidant and immediately understood. He gestured for the guard to follow.
The guard was equally forthright. He patted the silver tucked into his robe and swaggered off with the steward to rest.
The moment the guard disappeared from view, the smile vanished from Lou Changsui’s face. Narrowing his puffy eyes, he said to Wen Ze, “Go at once and make inquiries among the merchants coming from the direction of Xingjing to attend the incense festival. Find out whether disaster relief has begun there. I’ll immediately send men to the post stations along the road to the capital to verify it. We must determine whether that fellow is lying.”
“My lord is wise. That is indeed the best way to distinguish truth from falsehood.” Wen Ze stroked his pipe, finding the plan sound. Without further delay, he vanished in an instant.
The Wen family had deep roots in Mianzhou City and influence that reached everywhere. They knew the movements and backgrounds of passing merchants like the backs of their hands.
In less than a day, Wen Ze entered the courtyard with a grave expression and went straight to Lou Changsui. In a hoarse voice, he reported, “Xingjing Prefecture is indeed distributing relief. Their grain reserves are plentiful, and the disaster has already been brought under control. The local grain merchants’ hoarded supplies have been left on their hands, and they’re complaining bitterly. Worse still, that Fifth Prince is truly vicious. He actually used cuttlefish ink to blacken the rice, claiming that anyone who ate it would be rendered infertile. The officials, great and small, were so frightened that not a single one dared embezzle any. Someone took a close look—it was clearly Champa rice from Liangzhou!”
Lou Changsui’s face turned deathly pale. He now believed seven or eight parts out of ten of what the guard had said.
Two days later, the runners he had dispatched toward the capital came racing back to the yamen, drenched in sweat. Gasping for breath, they reported, “My lord! When we reached the Shuixian Water-Horse Post Station, we bribed the postmaster heavily. He confirmed that they had indeed received a secret order from the Fifth Prince—to intercept all messages being sent from the capital to Mianzhou!”
“What...” Lou Changsui staggered back two steps, panic flooding his heart. By then, he believed eight or nine parts out of ten of the guard’s words.
Another two days passed. The last group of runners charged into the city like homeless dogs. The moment they entered the yamen, they howled at the top of their lungs, “My lord! We reached the Gezhou Water-Horse Post Station and caught sight of an imperial guard officer from the capital resting there! Fearing we might delay matters, we rode two horses to death getting back here. The imperial decree will likely arrive within two days!”
Those words utterly shattered Lou Changsui’s resolve.
All strength seemed to drain from his body at once. With a thud, he collapsed to the floor. In his daze, he could already see the executioner’s gleaming blade swinging toward his neck.
It was over. Everything was over!
Ignoring his disheveled state, he scrambled to his feet and hurriedly urged the steward at his side, “Quick! Bring that officer here!”
The guard had just finished dinner and was leisurely drinking from a wine cup when the steward rushed in and dragged him outside. Immediately annoyed, he shouted, “Why are you panicking like this? I haven’t even had my fill of wine yet!”
“Oh, sir! It’s a matter of utmost urgency. Please, hurry!” The steward was sweating profusely as he pleaded and tugged at him.
When the guard stepped into the inner hall and saw Lou Changsui trembling all over, only just having crawled up from the floor, the corner of his mouth curved into an amused smile.
“What is the matter with Lord Lou? Don’t tell me the sky has fallen in?”
Lou Changsui forced a smile uglier than a grimace. He stepped forward and clutched the guard's sleeve tightly. "In recent days, this official was too ignorant and full of doubts. Only now do I understand that every word you said was true. Mianzhou is about to face a great calamity! For the sake of this official's former devotion to Prince Xian, I beg you, sir, to show me a way out. Has Prince Xian, together with Minister Bu, left me any path to survival?"
"Ha!"
The guard gave a derisive snort. "So Lord Lou finally believes it. But four days have already passed. Is it not a little too late? Delay another step, and not even the immortals will be able to save you."
Hearing that there might still be hope, Lou Changsui's eyes immediately lit with a faint glimmer. "Please, sir, explain!"
"Minister Bu is a man of great foresight. Though he does not know how you lured Liu Kangren into your trap, he has already concluded that if Liu Kangren dies, you live; if Liu Kangren lives, you die." The guard paused. As though fearing eavesdroppers, he looked carefully around before bending close to Lou Changsui's ear and lowering his voice. "Lord Lou, Prince Xian's reputation for virtue is known far and wide. He fears that, when you can no longer endure torture, you may speak foolish lies that damage his name. Therefore, Minister Bu has ordered me to tell you this: Liu Kangren cannot be allowed to remain alive."
Lou Changsui understood perfectly. A ruthless thought flashed through his mind. "...Make him take his own life out of guilt."
The guard arched a brow and smiled. "I never said that."
"So be it! At this point, it is either him or me. This official will arrange for someone to act in the prison at once!" Lou Changsui stamped his foot and turned to leave.
But the guard's expression darkened sharply, and he gave a cold laugh. "Has Lord Lou been possessed by a nightmare? The imperial edict will arrive at any moment. If he suddenly dies in prison, how could you possibly explain it? Do you take His Majesty, Duke Liu, and all the ministers of the Grand Secretariat for fools?"
Lou Changsui was already at the end of his rope, struggling desperately for his life. The words made him frantic. "Then what am I to do? Am I supposed to sit here and await death?"
The guard said slowly, "Liu Kangren must die, but he absolutely cannot die in prison. My lord should stage a performance for all under Heaven to see."
Lou Changsui drew a sharp breath, his eyes full of confusion. "I beg you to enlighten me."
"Minister Bu has said it: Liu Kangren's death must have nothing to do with you. Better still, you should earn merit from it."
Lou Changsui was utterly bewildered. He could not help saying, "Is that not sheer fantasy? If he dies by my hand, how could I possibly be credited with merit?"
The guard's gaze gradually turned vicious. "Why not bribe the banner soldiers who once served under Liu Kangren and arrange a prison break?"
He reached out to support Lou Changsui's bloated frame, speaking with grave earnestness. "Simply deceive Liu Kangren into believing that His Majesty has sentenced him to immediate execution. Filled with resentment, he will surely fight desperately to escape. Then you and those soldiers can settle upon a route that leads him toward the city gates, while heavy troops are stationed there to intercept the fugitive. In the chaos of battle, it would be perfectly natural for some official to kill Liu Kangren by mistake. By then, my lord would be the hero who pursued and captured an escaped criminal. The minor offense of negligent custody would naturally be wiped away, while Liu Kangren would have brought destruction upon himself."
Those words struck Lou Changsui like a revelation. His eyes lit up at once, and he slapped his thigh repeatedly in praise. “Brilliant! An absolutely brilliant plan! Minister Bu truly saw this coming and thought of everything. And you, sir, are a man of extraordinary spirit!”
The guard waved a hand. “There’s no time to lose. You must make the arrangements immediately. Once the Imperial Guards arrive, it will be too late!”
Lou Changsui hardly needed urging. Already frantic with impatience, he heaved his bulky belly forward, rushing outside so quickly that one of his official boots nearly slipped off.
“Someone! Bring every constable in the yamen to me!”
Standing behind him, the guard watched his flustered retreat and revealed a meaningful smile.
With disaster looming, Lou Changsui moved with surprising efficiency. He knew full well that this matter concerned their very lives. Afraid that bribes alone would not be enough to keep everyone in line, he hardened his heart and ordered his men to seize the families of the seven bannermen and drag them all to the government office. One by one, they were forced to kneel in the courtyard, steel blades pressed against their throats.
“I’m not asking much of you!” Lou Changsui stood on the steps, his voice harsh and ruthless. “Follow the plan tonight. Once it succeeds, your families will be safe, and you’ll receive a handsome reward besides! But if you turn against us at the critical moment or breathe a word of this to anyone, don’t blame me when my blades come down. I’ll kill your parents, wives, and children—all of them!”
The seven bannermen were held to one side. Seeing their loved ones’ lives hanging by a thread, they were consumed by grief and fury, wishing they could hack Lou Changsui into a thousand pieces.
Yet for the sake of their families’ safety, no matter how unwilling they were, they could only grit their teeth, swallow their resentment, and nod through their tears as they prepared to set a trap for Liu Kangren.
Fearing that the Imperial Guards might enter the city at any moment, Lou Changsui dared not delay. He immediately decided that the prison break would take place that very night.
The guard volunteered at once. “Rest assured, Lord Lou. Tonight, I’ll pretend to be someone sent by Duke Liu to lend assistance. I’ll accompany the bannermen so I can keep an eye on them and make sure no one loses his nerve at the critical moment and ruins everything.”
By then, Lou Changsui’s mind was already in complete disarray. He had no room left to consider the matter carefully. He bowed repeatedly to the guard, thanking him profusely. “No wonder you serve in Prince Xian’s household. You’ve thought of everything!”
And so, a crude yet vicious plot began to take shape.
No one knew that the scheme had reached Wen Zhuo’s ears almost immediately.
At that moment, Wen Zhuo was seated in the courtyard, a pebble pinched between his fingertips as he contemplated the crisscrossing grid drawn on the ground.
When he heard the report, the corners of his expressive eyes curved upward. He raised his hand and flicked the pebble onto a corner of the grid, neatly breaking the pattern Shen Zheng had used to defeat him a few days before.
“Understood. Is everyone ready?”
The guard who had appeared shrewd and avaricious at the government office now stood before Wen Zhuo with complete deference. Bowing deeply, he replied, “Reporting to you, Director, everything has been arranged according to your instructions.”
He paused, then could not help adding in an earnest tone, “Director, your wisdom and strategy are truly unmatched. You anticipate everything and leave nothing to chance. I followed your instructions word for word, and Lou Changsui reacted exactly as you predicted.”
The guard was a man of the Yongning Marquis’s household and had spent many years with the military. He had always respected only those with formidable strength and exceptional martial skill.
But after what had happened, he was utterly convinced by the seemingly frail Wen Zhuo. He looked at Wen Zhuo with even greater admiration than he showed the Fifth Prince.
“He once worked under me. I simply know him better than you do.” Wen Zhuo rose, brushing his sleeves, and tossed all the pebbles on the ground behind him. After several days of deliberation, he was now certain that he would not lose to Shen Zheng again—or be subjected to any more ridiculous punishments.
“Tonight, we’ll stake everything on this. I want you all to give it your utmost. You must bring Liu Kangren safely before me, and none of you are to come to harm!” Wen Zhuo turned, his expression turning stern.
“Understood, sir!”
Wen Zhuo considered for a moment. To ensure nothing went wrong, he turned to Jiang Mannü. “You’ll go with them as well.”
As the saying went, overwhelming strength could overcome any trick. Jiang Mannü had been born with extraordinary power; no matter how skilled an opponent might be, they would struggle to gain any advantage against her. With her there, even charging straight into the magistrate’s office would be as easy as taking something from one’s pocket.
“Yes, sir!” Jiang Mannü perked up at once and quickly began stretching her limbs.
But just as she was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something. “Sir, while I’m out, should I pick up some medicine to reduce internal heat?”
Wen Zhuo frowned in confusion. “Why?”
Pointing at Wen Zhuo’s lips, Jiang Mannü replied with blunt sincerity, “These past few days, you’ve clearly looked like you have excessive liver fire. Your lips are red and swollen—you must not be acclimating well. Don’t go falling ill again all of a sudden.”
Wen Zhuo: “…”
Shen Zheng, who had heard every word, could no longer hold it in. He quickly lowered his head and buried his face in his sleeve, though his shoulders shook uncontrollably.
Mortified and annoyed, Wen Zhuo’s ears instantly turned red. With a swift motion, he pressed his lips tightly inward, puffing out his cheeks until they were round, then shot Shen Zheng a reproachful glare.
Liu Qiying came over carrying water. Taking in the scene, she said meaningfully, “Don’t overthink it. Sir is from Mianzhou—how could he possibly be unaccustomed to the local climate? Besides, I’ve kept a close eye on those lips for days. They aren’t red at all. They’re practically pale as paper.”
“Oh.” Jiang Mannü scratched the back of her head and wandered off with an empty mind.
But they really did look a little red and swollen!
Once only Wen Zhuo, Shen Zheng, and Liu Qiying remained in the courtyard, Shen Zheng lifted his head. Suppressing the amusement in his eyes, he walked over with feigned concern and teased softly, “Teacher, are you not acclimating well? Let me see just how swollen they are.”
Knowing full well that he was doing it on purpose, Wen Zhuo immediately raised a hand and pushed him away. Without saying a word, he merely turned and headed inside.
Seeing that he had truly irritated him, Shen Zheng hurried after him. Leaning close to Wen Zhuo’s ear, he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, “I was wrong last night, and I was wrong just now as well. I shouldn’t have stood aside and tried to laugh at you. Teacher, in your great generosity, please forgive your student.”
