Song Jingning had considered exposing Su Chengzong’s intentions before.
But he was afraid that, with no way out left, Su Chengzong might become desperate and act recklessly, so he had held back.
Now that Qi Yanzhou was willing to help and the troops coming to relieve the siege would soon arrive, they could indeed push Su Chengzong into a corner.
Once the news spread, Su Chengzong would certainly panic and try to refute the rumors.
At that point, Song Jingning would step forward and offer to help clear Su Chengzong’s name in exchange for the release of the scholars.
Then, once the enemy was at the gates, he could simply go back on his word.
That was what Song Jingning had thought, and that was what he told them.
Qi Yanzhou smiled. “We’re thinking along the same lines. Let’s do it.”
After hearing the plan, Sun Chu gave them a thumbs-up, thoroughly impressed.
“Thank goodness I’m not standing on the opposite side from you two. Otherwise, I’d be sold off and still happily helping you count the money.”
He had never thought of himself as stupid. Otherwise, he would never have been able to study military strategy so thoroughly.
But when it came to political schemes, compared with these “natives” who toyed with power, he was utterly outmatched!
Qi Yanzhou pushed down Sun Chu’s hand. “Good that you know it. Since you’ve acknowledged my wife as your master, don’t harbor any ulterior motives.”
Those words were meant to make it clear what kind of relationship Sun Chu had with Ye Chutang.
Although Sun Chu disliked the word “master,” he did not argue.
After all, until he completed the ten tasks Ye Chutang had assigned him, he was indeed under her control.
In high spirits, Song Jingning picked up a piece of cake and put it into his mouth.
It was soft, sweet, and delicious, lightening the heavy mood he had carried all day.
After finishing it, he said, “I hope we can resolve Ningzhou City’s crisis before the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the people can enjoy a proper reunion holiday.”
“We will,” Qi Yanzhou said firmly.
There were still ten days until the Mid-Autumn Festival—more than enough time to break the deadlock in Ningzhou City.
Those words finally put Song Jingning’s mind at ease.
He placed a paperweight on a sheet of fine xuan paper, picked up his wolf-hair brush, and began writing a poem.
Watching Song Jingning’s calligraphy-like handwriting, Sun Chu asked, “How much would a piece of Young Master Haoyue’s calligraphy be worth?”
Song Jingning: “…”
He cleared his throat. “I only give them away. I don’t sell them.”
“You should change your way of thinking and learn from Madam Qi. She knows how to seize both fame and money.”
At that, a smile touched the corners of Song Jingning’s lips.
“Madam Qi is a remarkable woman. No one else can compare.”
“That’s true. In that case, I’d better become her exclusive seller of calligraphy.”
Qi Yanzhou looked at Song Jingning, who was absorbed in writing his poem, and reminded him, “Young Master Song, no matter what happens, make sure you protect yourself first. Your family is waiting for you.”
Song Jingning thought of Ye Chutang and nodded heavily.
“I will. People are selfish, after all.”
As long as his own safety was not threatened, he would do his best to protect everyone.
But if he could not even protect himself, then he would only look after himself.
After all, pointless sacrifice was the most foolish thing of all.
With Song Jingning’s promise, Qi Yanzhou’s anxious heart finally settled.
Once Song Jingning had finished the poem, Qi Yanzhou took it and chatted briefly with Sun Chu about literary matters before rising to leave.
Just as the two of them stepped out of the main reception room where the academy received guests, the young attendant happened to return with the freshly brewed tea.
“Are the two honored guests leaving already? But this tea…”
Sun Chu pointed at the calligraphy in Qi Yanzhou’s hand and said with a grin, “We’ve already obtained the most important thing. Why stay for a meal? You can drink the tea yourself. It’s definitely not as good as the tea at my Thousand Gold Gambling House.”
The soldiers stationed outside heard this and took the paper from Qi Yanzhou.
After confirming that it was merely a sentimental poem, the soldier handed it back to him.
Then he sneered, “A rough fellow discussing poetry is like a young bride wielding a broadsword—what a joke!”
Qi Yanzhou put the poem away and smiled. “You’d better not let General Su’s daughter hear you say that.”
The soldier’s expression changed.
He hurriedly explained, “Don’t make things up. Miss Su is a heroine, not some young bride!”
“You’re right, officer. This commoner has learned his lesson.”
Sun Chu urged him, “You’ve got the calligraphy you wanted, so stop dawdling. Let’s go.”
“Yes, shopkeeper.”
Since Sun Chu was carrying a handwritten note from Su Chengzong, the two of them were not searched when they left.
After returning to the Thousand Gold Gambling House, Qi Yanzhou did not leave at once. Instead, he pulled Sun Chu back to his room.
“How much do you know about the troops stationed in Ningzhou City? Is there any weakness we can exploit?”
Sun Chu knew more than just the ins and outs of business. He had also thoroughly investigated the officials of Dingzhou City.
He had a relationship with those officials that was both cooperative and adversarial.
Without something to hold over them, they would have devoured him whole.
“If you’re asking about the officials’ weaknesses, I can tell you a thing or two. But as for the garrison, I’m afraid I can’t help.”
His business had nothing to do with the troops, so he had never made much effort to investigate them.
Qi Yanzhou knew that information about the garrison would be difficult to obtain and had never expected Sun Chu to know anything useful.
“Then tell me about the officials.”
“The magistrate of Dingzhou City is somewhat greedy, but he knows when to stop. Overall, he’s a good official.
“The Inspector’s family has a vicious wife, but he prefers men. Their son is the same way.
“Su Chengzong runs his army with strict discipline, but he’s a lecher who favors his concubine and neglects his wife.”
At that, Sun Chu’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“I’ve thought of a way to deal with Su Chengzong.”
Looking at the sly expression on Sun Chu’s face, Qi Yanzhou felt that his idea was bound to be dubious.
“Let’s hear it.”
Sun Chu raised an eyebrow and uttered three words.
“A male seduction ploy.”
“What? You want me to seduce his favorite concubine and work with her from the inside to deal with him?”
“The plan is right, but we’ll need someone else.”
Qi Yanzhou immediately ran through the faces of all his subordinates who could carry out a male seduction ploy.
None of his trusted men were unattractive, but none of them were nearby.
The men supporting the operation inside and outside Ningzhou City were not only inconspicuous, but also unfamiliar faces.
The moment any of them appeared near the concubine, Su Chengzong would keep an eye on him, making the plan impossible to carry out.
At that thought, Qi Yanzhou’s gaze fell on Sun Chu’s face.
Sun Chu felt a chill run down his spine under that stare, and quickly finished what he had left unsaid.
“The target of the seduction ploy isn’t the concubine, but her daughter. I heard that Su Chengzong once loved a woman he could never have. His favorite concubine resembles that woman by about fifty percent, while the daughter she bore resembles her by about seventy percent. She’s deeply doted on.”
Qi Yanzhou smiled. “Perfect. She’s about your age.”
The corners of Sun Chu’s mouth twitched.
“Don’t even think about it. I’m allergic to women.”
He was not some paragon of virtue.
But he would never deceive an innocent woman by pretending to have feelings for her.
It was not as if he was the one who wanted to take Ningzhou City.
He absolutely refused to become a love cheat!
Qi Yanzhou coaxed, “If you succeed, I’ll have Atang give you a—”
Before he could finish, Sun Chu crossed his arms over his chest and rejected him righteously.
“No reward will work. I’m not doing it!”
Then he added an explanation.
“That young lady often does charitable deeds. We shouldn’t do something so immoral to her.”
Qi Yanzhou stared at Sun Chu, speechless.
“Wasn’t the male seduction ploy your idea? Besides, regardless of that girl’s character, she and Su Chengzong are bound together for good or ill. She can’t escape death either.”
Su Chengzong’s crimes were serious enough to warrant the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his entire clan. Countless innocent members of his family would be dragged into it.
At the very least, that girl had enjoyed the wealth and splendor Su Chengzong had brought her.
Sun Chu tugged at the corner of his mouth and cleared his throat.
“I was only teasing you. Why did you take me seriously? If you went and used a handsome-man ploy, wouldn’t Ye Chutang kill me?”
After saying this, he thought for a moment and came up with a compromise.
“We don’t have to use a handsome-man ploy. Since the favored concubine’s daughter is doomed to die anyway, let’s capture her.”
Taking advantage of the situation was one thing, but deceiving someone’s feelings would be going too far.
Although Su Chengzong would never compromise for the sake of his daughter, having an extra bargaining chip could only help.
Seeing how resolute Sun Chu was, Qi Yanzhou did not press the matter.
“All right. Tell me what the favored concubine’s daughter looks like, and how we can capture her.”
He did not have the ability to charge into the military camp and abduct her.
Sun Chu: “…”
He had never even seen the girl. How was he supposed to know what she looked like?
“I heard that people are named according to their appearance, and Su Xuerong is as beautiful as a hibiscus. She’s said to be the most beautiful girl in Ningzhou City. However, she was born with a congenital illness and has always been in poor health. She needs to take medicine year-round. From time to time, she stays at Wanfu Temple to distribute alms to the poor. Perhaps you could try your luck there.”
Qi Yanzhou asked, “When Su Xuerong isn’t staying at Wanfu Temple, where does she live?”
“Su Chengzong dotes on Su Xuerong and often keeps her by his side, so she spends quite a lot of time at the military camp. The rest of the time, she stays at the Su residence in the city or at Wanfu Temple. As for where she is now, let me look into it.”
“All right. If you get any news, send me a message with a pebble.”
Qi Yanzhou returned to the inn.
After softening his disguise with a special solution, he molded his face back into its former appearance.
His skill at disguises was only average, and he could restore his features to about eighty percent of their original appearance at best.
But that was enough to fool someone who had only met him once.
As the sky grew dim, he left the inn and headed for the distillery that brewed highland barley wine.
Highland barley wine was a specialty of Ningzhou City, and an entire street was lined with distilleries.
The rich, intoxicating scent of wine could be detected from far away.
After nightfall, drinkers streamed in without end. Qi Yanzhou mingled among them and chose the busiest tavern.
He sipped his wine while listening to the patrons boast and gossip.
From their conversations, he extracted the information useful to him.
Because Ningzhou City was under martial law, the common people knew that something was about to happen. They were all trying to uncover the truth and making their own guesses.
“It feels like a war is about to break out. We’ve never had so many soldiers in the city before.”
“I heard General Su is planning to raise an army, establish himself as king, and force the Song family to support him. That’s why he sealed off the academy.”
“Exactly. I also heard that General Su wants to marry his legitimate daughter to the son of General Qin of Haixi Commandery.”
“That’s not all. General Su’s legitimate son is also betrothed to the daughter of the governor of Wuhai Commandery.”
“If the three commanderies form marriage alliances, General Su will have nearly two hundred thousand soldiers under his command. His conquest of the realm will be just around the corner!”
“I’m not optimistic about General Su. He’s nothing but a lustful brute. If he became emperor, he might not do any better than His Majesty does now.”
Many people agreed with that assessment.
Back when Su Chengzong was only a deputy military commander, he had already committed plenty of corrupt and illegal acts.
After becoming commander of the garrison, he grew even worse.
That favored concubine was a married woman he had taken by force!
Of course, calling her a married woman was a slight exaggeration.
She had only been betrothed at the time and had not yet married.
But she and her fiancé had grown up together and loved each other deeply.
After Su Chengzong claimed her for himself, the concubine had felt that life was no longer worth living. Her fiancé then arranged for them to jump into the river together and die as lovers.
In the end, only the fiancé died. Concubine Fang was rescued by Su Chengzong.
Perhaps after surviving death once, she resigned herself to her fate and became Su Chengzong’s most favored concubine.
Everyone drinking there sighed when the conversation reached this point.
They lamented that lovers were destined never to be together.
One man, drunk out of his mind, slumped over the table and mumbled, “It’s still unclear whether that concubine’s child is really General Su’s…”
His voice was quiet and was drowned out by the noisy discussion around him.
Qi Yanzhou was sitting nearby, and with his exceptional hearing, he caught every word.
A glimmer flashed through his deep eyes.
He joined the conversation and poured the man sitting across from him a cup of the finest highland barley wine.
“I heard Concubine Fang only gave up on killing herself because she was pregnant.”
The man drained the cup in one gulp.
“As expected of Li’s Distillery’s signature Green Jade—what excellent wine!”
He set down the cup and answered, “You’re right about that. Concubine Fang gave birth to Miss Su seven months after she fell into the river.”
When everyone heard that Qi Yanzhou had bought the finest wine, quite a few people came over and joined them.
He did not hold back. He ordered another bottle and poured each of them a cup.
In doing so, he obtained the information he wanted.
Su Chengzong’s favored concubine, Concubine Fang, had given birth to Su Xuerong—and the girl was very likely the child of Concubine Fang’s former fiancé!
Whether that was true or not, Qi Yanzhou intended to investigate.
He had also learned Concubine Fang’s whereabouts after only a few bottles of wine.
Concubine Fang loved listening to opera.
On certain fixed days every month, she went to Qunfang Garden to watch performances.
The next one would be the day after tomorrow.
Qi Yanzhou paid for the wine and left Li’s Distillery. He wandered around a few other establishments before using the gold ingots given to him by the wealthy merchant to place an order at Li’s for one hundred vats of strong highland barley wine.
Li’s did not have that much in stock and would need to obtain some from other distilleries.
“I’ll come to collect the wine in five days. Once I’ve confirmed that everything is in order, I’ll pay the rest of the money. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course. Here is your receipt, sir. Please keep it safe.”
Qi Yanzhou planned to give the wine to Ma Weiyuan.
The winters in the north were harsh, and drinking wine could help drive away the cold.
When he returned to the inn, he noticed soldiers lingering nearby.
Clearly, they knew he had ordered wine at the distillery and wanted to steal his payment before he settled the bill!
Qi Yanzhou pretended not to notice anything.
He asked the waiter to bring two dishes and a soup to his room, then handed him a packet of medicine.
“Just like at noon—add three bowls of water to one packet and boil it down to a single bowl.”
The waiter accepted the medicine and the tip, nodding eagerly.
“Yes, sir. I’ll bring your medicine in a little while and clear away the dishes then.”
“When you bring the medicine, bring a few buckets of hot water as well. I want to take a hot bath and work up a sweat.”
Qi Yanzhou deliberately coughed twice to show that he was still ill.
“Of course, sir.”
Not long after the waiter left, the food was delivered to the room.
Qi Yanzhou tested it with a silver needle, then took a small bite of each dish.
Only after confirming that the food had not been poisoned did he begin to eat.
A short while after he finished, the waiter brought in the boiled medicine.
“Sir, I’ve brought you some candied fruit as well.”
Qi Yanzhou stood by the window, looking at the brilliant lanterns lining the street, and gave a slight nod.
“Leave it there. I’ll drink the medicine once it cools a little. Go prepare the hot water.”
The waiter slowly cleared the bowls and plates from the table and replied, “Sir, you should drink the medicine while it’s hot. Otherwise, it won’t work as well.”
His words immediately aroused Qi Yanzhou’s suspicions. He cast a cool glance at the steaming bowl of medicine.
“I know.”
Seeing that Qi Yanzhou had no intention of listening, the waiter did not urge him further, afraid of arousing suspicion.
“I’ll go fetch the hot water.”
With that, he carried the leftover food and dishes out of the room.
Qi Yanzhou quickly went to the table and picked up the bowl to smell it.
Beneath the bitter medicinal scent was the faint odor of a sleeping drug.
The dosage was heavy. One sip would be enough to send someone into a deep sleep.
Holding the bowl, Qi Yanzhou listened to the waiter’s footsteps as he carried the water up the stairs. The corners of his lips curled into a mocking smile.
When the door to the room was pushed open, he pretended to be startled. The bowl slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor.
“You scared me half to death! Why didn’t you knock?”
Having been accused before he could explain, the waiter hurriedly apologized.
“I’m sorry, Young Master. It was my mistake. I’ll brew you another bowl in a little while.”
“No need. The medicine was spilled, which means I wasn’t meant to drink it.”
Those words sent the waiter into a panic.
“Y-Young Master is right. A hot bath followed by wrapping yourself in a blanket and sweating it out should work just as well.”
After saying this, he led two attendants carrying water into the room and poured the prepared hot water into the tub.
Then they cleaned up the shards and spilled medicine from the floor before leaving.
After taking his bath, Qi Yanzhou stood by the window and tossed down the pebble Sun Chu had thrown to him earlier.
He then placed a small bell against the door bolt and another by the window. That way, he would notice immediately if anyone tried to break in.
Exhausted after a long day, he fell onto the bed and went straight to sleep.
It was nearly midnight when Qi Yanzhou caught the scent of sleep incense.
As the heir to Prince Chen’s residence, he had been trained from childhood to resist all kinds of drugs. Ordinary medicines had long since lost their effect on him.
He immediately rose from the bed, slung his bundle over his back, and hid behind the door.
It wasn’t long before the bell fell to the floor.
“Jingle!”
The two soldiers picking the lock were startled and nearly turned around and fled.
Then they remembered that the person inside had been drugged and continued working at the door bolt.
With a faint creak, the door opened.
A lantern hung at the top of the stairs, its weak light spilling into the room.
The two soldiers, disguised as thieves, crept toward the bed.
Once they were two steps from the door, Qi Yanzhou swiftly slipped out of the room and shut the door behind him.
“Help! Thieves have broken in! This inn is a den of criminals! Everyone, check your belongings to see if anything’s been stolen! Hurry and report this to the authorities!”
His booming voice woke the sleeping guests, and the inn instantly erupted into chaos.
The soldiers trapped inside the room panicked and pulled hard at the door.
But even with all their strength, the two of them couldn’t get it open.
They had no choice but to escape through the window.
For soldiers with some martial-arts training, jumping from the third floor was hardly too dangerous.
They immediately abandoned the door and rushed to the window. After pushing it open, they leapt down.
As the first man jumped, Qi Yanzhou pushed open the door.
“Help! The thief is trying to escape through the window!”
Before he had even finished speaking, the soldier below stepped on the pebble. He cried out in pain.
“Ah!”
His anguished cry had barely begun when it abruptly stopped.
The second soldier had landed on top of him, knocking him unconscious.
By then, every room in the inn had lit up.
The quicker guests had already rushed outside and blocked the masked soldier who was trying to escape.
But the guest’s small frame was no match for a soldier. He was shoved heavily to the ground.
“Help! Somebody help! I’m being robbed! They’re trying to kill me!”
Even as he screamed, he didn’t forget to cling tightly to the unconscious soldier’s leg.
Seeing more and more people emerging from the inn, the soldier had no choice but to abandon his companion and flee alone.
When Qi Yanzhou came downstairs, he held his bundle tightly in his arms and wore an expression of righteous fury.
“Where’s the proprietor? Get him out here!”
The innkeeper hurried over from the rear courtyard.
“Young Master, I’ve already heard about the thieves. I’ve sent a waiter to report it to the authorities. Please rest assured—the inn is absolutely not a den of criminals. Since our negligence allowed the thieves to break in, I’ll waive your room charge for three days.”
After forcing those words out, the innkeeper turned to the other guests.
“I sincerely apologize for disturbing everyone. I’ll waive one night’s lodging for all of you.”
The moment he finished speaking, the guest who had been shoved to the ground dragged the unconscious “thief” into the main hall.
“Keeper, I bravely fought the criminals and was injured in the process. How are you planning to compensate me?”
When the innkeeper saw the soldier’s uncovered face, his vision went black.
This was a disaster!
It was bad enough that one of General Su’s men had been caught stealing. Now he had actually been captured!
The innkeeper took a deep breath, pulled a tael of silver from his sleeve pocket, and held it out to the injured guest.
“Thank you for your trouble, Young Master. I’ll have someone take this bandit to the authorities at once!”
Only if the man fell into his hands could he arrange for him to escape.
Qi Yanzhou naturally knew that the innkeeper was paying to clean up General Su’s mess.
Suddenly, he said, “This man’s face looks awfully familiar.”
He quickly stepped over to the soldier and examined him carefully.
“His right hand is covered in calluses, especially around the base of his thumb. Those are from years of wielding a blade. Could this man be…”
Before he could finish, someone else answered for him.
“He’s a soldier! I’ve seen him before!”
The innkeeper felt as if his heart had stopped.
“Everyone, be careful with your words. The consequences of falsely accusing an official soldier aren’t something ordinary people like us can bear!”
His words successfully silenced the discussion.
Qi Yanzhou had already achieved his goal, so he followed the innkeeper’s lead.
“This man could also be a mountain bandit who’s spent years robbing travelers.”
“Exactly, exactly! He’s a mountain bandit! People can look alike, and we ordinary folk don’t often get to see soldiers. It’s understandable that someone might mistake him for one.”
Though the guests were certain they had not mistaken him, none of them were foolish enough to argue with the innkeeper.
They couldn’t afford the consequences of offending the soldiers.
Seeing that he had stabilized the situation, the innkeeper immediately ordered the waiters to carry the soldier away.
Qi Yanzhou held out his hand toward the innkeeper.
“Refund my room charge. I wouldn’t dare stay at this inn any longer!”
After repeatedly assuring him that everything would be fine, the innkeeper saw that Qi Yanzhou remained adamant and had no choice but to refund his payment.
“Young Master, the curfew has already begun. Why don’t you stay for the night? I guarantee we’ll strengthen security and won’t let any more bandits in.”
“No need. I’ll stay at the Qianjin Gambling House next door. It costs a little more, but at least it’s safe!”
Although the curfew was in effect, the gambling house was still bustling.
As long as those who went there to gamble didn’t wander outside in the middle of the night, the soldiers enforcing the curfew wouldn’t interfere.
The innkeeper had no grounds left to persuade him and could only watch Qi Yanzhou leave.
Qi Yanzhou then moved into the gambling house.
The fourth floor contained all kinds of themed rooms, each costing five taels of silver per night.
He chose a room near Sun Chu’s.
When he entered and saw that the room had been decorated like a bridal chamber, the corner of his eye twitched.
The room was spacious and divided into an outer and inner chamber.
The air was thick with the overpowering scent of face powder, making Qi Yanzhou frown.
He opened the window to air the room out, then went into the inner chamber to rest.
On the low table beside the bed sat a tray filled with all sorts of bizarre objects.
There was a soft whip about the length of a hand, along with a strange-looking tether that resembled a dog leash…
Qi Yanzhou shook his head and climbed into bed.
He had only just lain down when Sun Chu arrived.
“Heh heh, I never knew Young Master Qi had such tastes. You actually rented a themed bridal chamber all by yourself.”
As he spoke, Sun Chu picked up the little leather whip and smacked it against his palm.
Qi Yanzhou met Sun Chu’s teasing gaze, then rose from the bed.
“I may not have Young Master Sun’s refined tastes. Change rooms!”
With that, he picked up his bundle and outer robe and went to Sun Chu’s room.
