“Ahem, ahem…”
Ying Qingye gave a tactical cough.
How awkward!
He had assumed Ying Zheng would follow up with another question, so he was just waiting for him to ask, but instead…
Awkward!
“It’s just that earlier when I was at the Zuiyue Pavilion, one of Xu Fu’s disciples had a bit too much to drink and let it slip by accident, and this son happened to overhear it.”
“Oh… at the Zuiyue Pavilion, you say?”
“Hm? Wait, the Zuiyue Pavilion?”
“That’s right! The Zuiyue Pavilion!”
Ying Qingye nodded, seemingly still oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
“You went to the Zuiyue Pavilion?”
“Yeah! Is there something wrong with that?”
“If I recall correctly, Zuiyue Pavilion is a pleasure house, isn’t it?”
Ying Zheng maintained a completely expressionless face.
“Imperial Father, your memory is truly impressive!”
“Hehe…”
“Well, since there’s nothing else, this son will take his leave!”
Ying Qingye vaguely sensed that trouble was brewing. He felt that if he didn’t slip away right this second, the consequences were going to be severe.
“Hold it right there!”
Ying Qingye wasn’t foolish enough to just stand his ground; he turned tail and sprinted for the exit.
“Guards, capture him for me!”
Before Ying Qingye could even make it out the doorway, a pair of imperial guards pounced and hauled him right back.
“You reckless brat, you actually dare to run?”
“You are an imperial prince—who gave you permission to visit a pleasure house?”
Ying Zheng glared at him with laser focus!
“I had nothing to do, so I just went to listen to some music and unwind!”
“Hehe…”
Ying Qingye offered an awkward, sheepish smile.
“Listening to music and unwinding, is it?”
“Since you’re so fond of seeking entertainment, drag him outside and give him thirty heavy floggings!”
“Wait!”
Oh goodness gracious!
Why did this man always resort to beating him?!
“What? Do you still have something to say?”
“Of course I do!”
“Earlier, Imperial Father, you promised that once I refined that map, there would be a reward.”
“Can we just cancel out the reward, waive this punishment, and call it even?”
Ying Qingye let out a nervous, dry laugh.
“No, no, no!”
“My rewards and punishments have always been strictly separate!”
“Merit is merit, fault is fault; they cannot be lumped together!”
“You performed a service, so you shall be rewarded!”
“Drag him out and give him sixty heavy floggings!”
Huh?
What on earth?
How did it suddenly jump to sixty?!
Goodness me!
“You’re rewarding me by doubling my beating?!”
“That’s right!”
“That reward was thirty floggings wrapped up in disguise!”
“Is there a problem with that?”
A faint, teasing smile hung at the corners of Ying Zheng’s mouth.
Ying Qingye: (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)
“Imperial Father, please tell me—am I truly your biological son?”
“It’s precisely because you’re my biological son that you get sixty; if you weren’t, I wouldn’t even bother!”
Ying Qingye: “…”
“Drag him out!”
Ying Qingye felt tears welling up inside!
This beating was completely unavoidable.
The guards hoisted Ying Qingye up and hauled him outside. He didn’t bother struggling, knowing full well it would be entirely useless.
“Zhao Gao, tell them to just give him thirty!”
Ying Zheng’s heart softened in the end; after all, the boy was still his own flesh and blood.
“Understood!”
Zhao Gao hurriedly scrambled out to relay the order.
“Your Majesty, Dunruo requests an audience!”
At that moment, an attendant hurried in to report.
“Send him in!”
“Understood!”
He truly didn’t have a single moment of peace; even finding a brief second to gather his thoughts alone was impossible.
“Dunruo pays respects to Your Majesty!”
“What is the matter?”
Ying Zheng said calmly.
“Your Majesty, the Commandant of Justice just captured a few remnants of the six states.”
“When they were apprehended, it appeared they were plotting something!”
Dunruo reported, cupping his hands in respect.
“Have you interrogated them yet?”
“Not yet!”
Ying Zheng furrowed his brow slightly.
“Dunruo, that is hardly your usual style of handling matters!”
“Your Majesty, what this minister wishes to report is that they were captured right inside the Zuiyue Pavilion.”
“The Zuiyue Pavilion?”
Ying Zheng seemed to realize something.
“Indeed. At the time, the Fifth Prince was also present!”
“What on earth happened?”
Ying Zheng’s expression shifted slightly.
“At that time…”
Dunruo recounted the entire sequence of events. Everything Ying Qingye had done at the Zuiyue Pavilion had been captured by the eyes and ears of the Black Ice Terrace’s operatives.
As the head of the Black Ice Terrace, Dunruo naturally knew all about it.
The Black Ice Terrace answered directly to the emperor, functioning somewhat like the Imperial Guard of later dynasties.
Normally, Dunruo never interceded on anyone’s behalf, but moments earlier, Ying Qingye had escalated Xu Fu’s punishment from the execution of three familial generations to nine.
That single act had earned Ying Qingye a considerable amount of admiration from Dunruo. Though he was an elderly man, Dunruo was fundamentally a ruthless individual who firmly believed that the pests endangering Great Qin deserved harsh, uncompromising penalties.
Xu Fu’s elixirs had caused Ying Zheng’s health to deteriorate steadily, which was a direct threat to Great Qin.
Therefore, Dunruo deeply agreed with Ying Qingye’s approach. His primary reason for coming here now was to inform Ying Zheng of the full story.
In his view, it was Ying Qingye who had successfully delayed the suspects, allowing Meng Yi to capture them smoothly.
Thus, Ying Qingye had rendered a service and should not be subjected to a flogging.
Furthermore, upon receiving the initial report, Dunruo had intended to investigate personally; right as he was about to set out, he had spotted Ying Qingye being hauled away.
After making inquiries, he discovered that Ying Qingye had visited the Zuiyue Pavilion and was being punished by Ying Zheng.
That explained how this entire situation had unfolded.
“So you are saying that Qingye has performed a meritorious service?”
“Precisely!”
Dunruo nodded affirmatively!
“Very well then!”
“Call off his flogging!”
“Many thanks, Your Majesty!”
Meanwhile!
Inside a modest dwelling nestled within Xianyang City!
A man dressed in plain, unpretentious garments hurried back through the door and quickly bolted it behind him.
The others inside the room saw him return and immediately crowded around.
“How did it go?”
“What’s the situation?”
“We just received word—Chu Xiong and the others have been captured!”
“What?”
Everyone present gasped in profound shock.
“Is that true?”
“True. Our scout witnessed them being led away by soldiers with his own eyes.”
“And who was leading the detachment? Meng Yi!”
“Meng Yi?”
When they heard the name Meng Yi, their faces turned ashen, convincing them of the grim reality of the news.
“Our operations were planned with such absolute secrecy—how could we possibly have been exposed?”
Someone asked, utterly bewildered!
“The Qin state’s Black Ice Terrace is not to be underestimated. From now on, we must exercise even greater caution.”
The others nodded solemnly in agreement.
“Furthermore, I heard that Chu Xiong and his companions originally had a window to escape.”
“However, Prince Ye blocked their path, causing them to miss the optimal moment for retreat.”
“Prince Ye?”
Exchanging glances, the men recalled what they knew of Ying Zheng’s numerous sons.
They were mostly familiar with Fusu being the most outstanding among them. Compared to Fusu, this Prince Ye was entirely insignificant.
“I have heard a vague rumor or two about this Prince Ye.”
“Isn’t he just a useless good-for-nothing?”
“How could he possibly discover Chu Xiong and the others? And how on earth did he manage to hold them back?”
“Suggesting he belongs to the Black Ice Terrace is utterly absurd.”
“The Black Ice Terrace answers solely to the King of Qin. When that tyrant passes on the throne in the future, it is bound to go to Fusu.”
“The tyrant knows far too well how crucial the Black Ice Terrace is. To plant Prince Ye inside it would be inviting future chaos upon the Qin state!”
“If Prince Ye grew dissatisfied with Fusu and took control of the Black Ice Terrace, Great Qin would undoubtedly plunge into utter turmoil!”
Listening to this analytical breakdown, the others nodded in unanimous agreement.
“Could it simply be a massive coincidence?”
Someone ventured to ask.
“Impossible. I refuse to believe there are such coincidences in this world.”
“We’ve visited the Zuiyue Pavilion countless times without incident!”
“Why is it that the moment Prince Ye shows up, we get pinned down?”
“Besides, with so many rooms in that establishment, why on earth did he have to barge straight into Chu Xiong’s room?”