Mu Yanzhou’s temper had always been remarkably good. He was typically languid and indolent, rarely appearing upright or formal. In all the years since he had entered the manor, this seemed to be the first time the servants had seen him look so serious. Before Huiming Hall, everyone instantly halted their movements; even those who were breathing did not dare to make a sound. The two attendants who had just been gossiping were instantly covered in cold sweat. At this moment, clutching their bundles and trembling, they could only answer in shaky voices: “Yes.”
The night wind caused the palace lanterns to sway beneath the eaves. Everyone’s heart was pounding. Mu Yanzhou did not even look at the two men, walking straight through the front courtyard. The Prince of Qi was not one to fuss over small details; previously, servants in the manor had gossiped behind his back, but when he heard of it, he had simply smiled it off, choosing not to investigate further. Seeing this, the two attendants exchanged glances, both seeing relief in each other’s eyes. Had they escaped disaster?
However, just as the two attendants believed the Prince would let them off, they heard him speak to Yuan Jiu behind him: “Deal with these two, along with the others from before.”
Yuan Jiu immediately replied: “As you command, Your Highness!”
Following this, he turned and instructed the others: “What are you still standing there for? Go quickly and tidy up the courtyard.”
“Yes!”
The servants came to their senses and busied themselves again. While still afraid, they silently remembered this scene in their hearts: although the Princess Consort’s management was strict, the Prince was clearly enjoying it as well. The people of Chongjing were truly meddlesome.
In the blink of an eye, the sky turned completely dark. Mu Yanzhou had just reached the tree in the courtyard when he saw an attendant carrying a wine pot walk into the front courtyard: “Your Highness, this is the wine sent by the Princess Consort.”
The several bronze keys to the Qi Prince’s wine cellar had all been taken by Song Mingzhi. Every evening, he would send someone to deliver wine to Huiming Hall. A hint of a smile finally appeared on the corners of Mu Yanzhou’s lips. He took the wine pot and was about to drink when he saw the attendant present a food box: “In addition to this, there is also a box of pastries.”
“Pastries?” Mu Yanzhou took it casually and instructed the attendant: “Very well, you may withdraw.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The spring breeze, carrying the fragrance of wine, blew past Mu Yanzhou’s nose. He closed his eyes gently. Just moments ago, his subordinates had cleared up the events of eleven years ago: the child he had escorted to the guesthouse back then was indeed the son of the Prince of the Northern Prefecture of Sulan. Song Mingzhi was not an impostor. Combining the events of the past with his actions today, Song Mingzhi might not be a spy.
“Curious.”
Mu Yanzhou slowly opened his eyes. He took a small piece of pastry and put it into his mouth. Could it be that he truly harbored expectations and hope for himself? This was truly a curious matter.
The Qi Prince’s manor was currently filled with people in a state of anxiety. Seeing Mu Yanzhou holding the food box, everyone silently cast their gazes upon him, prepared to rush up at any moment to take the pastries from his hand. Mu Yanzhou did not like sweet food. In the past, when he received pastries, he would only take a light taste before ordering people to take them away. However, this time, Mu Yanzhou not only finished what was in his hand, but he also called someone over: “Go to Zhuohua Courtyard and tell the Princess Consort that the taste is not bad.”
Everyone: “…”
Reasonable, yet expected.
Heavy rain began to fall in Chongjing. The sunlight that had been dazzling a few days before was now hidden behind dense clouds. Yao Guang Square, where the Prince of Qi’s manor was located, was filled with high-ranking officials and nobles. Aside from the Prince’s manor, the most imposing residence was that of the current Right Prime Minister, Yan Yuanbo.
Early in the morning, before the sky was bright, Song Mingzhi changed into plain clothing again, wore his veil hat, and bypassed the guards in the Qi Prince’s manor unnoticed. Braving the torrential rain, he went straight to the other end of Yao Guang Square, toward the heavily guarded Prime Minister’s residence.
The current Right Prime Minister, Yan Yuanbo, was the head of the treacherous faction. He had originally been a minor official beside the Emperor, responsible for carriages and travel, but later, because he was good at guessing the Emperor’s intentions and reading the room, he was continuously promoted. In the end, after the death of the previous Right Prime Minister, he naturally sat in that position.
The previous Right Prime Minister. Thinking of this, Song Mingzhi’s footsteps paused. The previous Right Prime Minister’s surname was also Liu, from the same family as Empress Xianping. When the current Emperor ascended the throne, nearly half of the high-ranking officials in the court had some connection to the Liu family. Twenty years had passed; this group of people had either died of old age or retired, and they were almost entirely gone. It was said that “when a peak is reached, a decline follows,” and later generations did not pay much attention to this change. But combined with the Gu poison, this might not be a coincidence. It was the Emperor intentionally suppressing them.
At the hour of the rabbit, the morning bell rang. The guards at the gate of the Prime Minister’s residence began to change shifts. Song Mingzhi stopped and waited at the corner of the wall, silently shaking his wrist. Only after confirming that the bell, stuffed with cotton, would not make any sound did he feel at ease.
At the same time, the rainwater slid off the bell with his movements, outlining the three characters “Mu Yanzhou” quite clearly. It was only after Song Mingzhi returned to Zhuohua Courtyard that he discovered the Prince of Qi had carved his name on this bell.
Song Mingzhi: “.”
The previous Emperor of the Great Chu was the older brother of that foolish Emperor. During his reign, he had not only imprisoned all the Prince-regents in their manors but also humiliated them and their descendants in every way. For instance, the character “Yan” in the name of Mu Yanzhou, who was born during this period, was the masterpiece of the former Emperor. After the foolish Emperor ascended the throne, he did not change the name. This indirectly explained that he was not as caring toward his so-called “son of his original wife” as the history books recorded.
The guards of the Prime Minister’s residence were changing shifts. In the heavy rain, no one noticed that someone was hiding under the courtyard wall. Now! Song Mingzhi adjusted his veil hat carefully. With a tip of his toes, he leapt into the Prime Minister’s residence while the guards were changing. As soon as he stood firm, he hid the bell in his sleeve.
The Liu family of the past had helped that foolish Emperor seize the throne by sending troops because of the bad behavior of the previous Emperor. It had taken only three days for the world to have a new master. Song Mingzhi, who had been a secret guard his whole life, was no stranger to this kind of plot.
Song Mingzhi speculated that the foolish Emperor might have begun to fear the Liu family and Mu Yanzhou, who carried half of the Liu family’s blood, after the palace coup. A centipede, though dead, does not stiffen; he, who had been pushed onto the throne by the Liu family, feared nothing more than repeating the past.
The sound of the guards interrupted Song Mingzhi’s thoughts: “Be more careful! Everyone, keep your spirits up!” The guards at the Prime Minister’s residence were much stricter than those at the Qi Prince’s manor, but this did not hinder Song Mingzhi from coming and going as he pleased.
He glanced indifferently at the guards in the distance, turned, and walked into a secret passage hidden behind the rockery in the Prime Minister’s residence. After Mu Yanzhou ascended the throne and purged the treacherous faction, the Prime Minister’s residence was also reclaimed by the imperial court. A hundred years later, Song Mingzhi, as a secret guard, had to come here every few days, and he had long since figured out every secret passage and secret room in the residence.
In just the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Song Mingzhi passed through the secret passage into the secret room connected to Yan Yuanbo’s study, keeping watch silently. As a secret guard, he had always been very patient.
The Ministry of Revenue bribery case was already pointing toward Feng Ronggui, who had written the false accusation. In original history, after Mu Yanzhou ascended the throne and investigated the matter to him, the treacherous faction attempted to kill him to silence him. However, at that time, Mu Yanzhou, already the Emperor, was well-prepared and sent secret guards to protect Feng Ronggui, the key witness. This time, the situation was different. The foolish Emperor clearly did not have the brains of the Prince of Qi. Song Mingzhi had to find a way to protect this witness.
“Minister Yan! Sir, that brat Feng Ronggui cannot withstand the investigation at all. If we delay any longer, he will definitely expose us…”
Song Mingzhi: “!!!”
It did not know how much time passed before Song Mingzhi’s ears finally caught a noisy sound. Someone had walked into Yan Yuanbo’s study! The heavy rain in Chongjing still had not stopped. Buried deep under the Prime Minister’s residence, the stone-walled secret passage did not have a single candle, appearing especially cold and damp on this rainy day. Song Mingzhi’s plain clothing had long since been soaked by the heavy rain.
The coldness spread to his whole body along the stone wall, yet he felt as if he did not perceive it. He walked up quietly, placed his ear against the thin stone slab, and patiently listened to the conversation between the two people in the study, through the pitter-patter of the rain outside the secret passage.
Different from the previous person, Yan Yuanbo’s mood was not agitated: “Feng Ronggui must not be kept…”
He coughed a few times and said to the other person: “To avoid long nights and many dreams, you must act at the hour of the dog today. Kill him directly, and say he… committed suicide for fear of punishment. Then just set a fire to burn his residence.” The other person immediately said: “Yes, Sir!”
Song Mingzhi: “…”
This scene was exactly the same as in history. In the darkness, Song Mingzhi bit his lip gently. The original owner’s martial arts were not bad, but having lived a pampered life, he was not accustomed to the cold, damp secret passage. Before he had listened for very long, Song Mingzhi’s fingertips were eroded by the cold and began to tremble slightly. However, he was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he waited patiently here, listened to all of Yan Yuanbo’s arrangements, and then held his breath again, quietly leaving the Prime Minister’s residence through the secret passage.
Then, leaning against the courtyard wall in a back alley, he closed his eyes and coughed lightly. At the same time, he thought carefully: although he could take action to save the man, he, who was not in the court, would be of no use even if he saved Feng Ronggui. At the moment, he had only one choice: bet on the final hand, bet that the Prince of Qi was really as he suspected, biding his time and keeping his light hidden! Bet that he would take action to help!
Song Mingzhi opened his eyes abruptly. His task now was to pass on the information.
A gray-blue carriage passed through the neighborhood. Braving the heavy rain, it headed openly toward the side door of the Ministry of Revenue.
The commoners living nearby all knew that the person in this carriage was a servant responsible for purchasing for the Ministry of Revenue. Every once in a while, he would take this carriage to Chongjing City to purchase the vegetables, fruits, tea, and wine needed for the residence.
The carriage traveled unimpeded into the Ministry of Revenue. From beginning to end, no one took a second look at it, much less would anyone think that the person sitting in the carriage was actually the current Prince of Qi. At this moment, he was closing his eyes slightly, sorting out the Ministry of Revenue case: currently, the investigation had reached Feng Ronggui and had temporarily fallen into a deadlock. It was time to come to the Ministry of Revenue and have a chat with Du Shanhui.
The rain showed no signs of stopping. The servant’s voice penetrated the carriage wall and fell into his ears: “Your Highness, Minister Du is waiting for you in the main room.”
Mu Yanzhou opened his eyes slowly: “Good.”
As his voice fell, he opened his paper umbrella and walked slowly off the carriage. A moment later, he walked into the main room with the servant through layers of rain. However, Mu Yanzhou did not sit at the long table like a normal guest, but instead bypassed the bookshelf, restrained his aura, and headed toward the secret room to the side. At the same time, the carriage moved silently into the courtyard.
The Prince of Qi’s reputation as a “deadwood” spread throughout the world. The people of Chongjing only heard that: Du Shanhui, a “strict teacher,” had never liked this unlearned student, the Prince of Qi.
Every time he mentioned Mu Yanzhou, he looked as if he hated him for not living up to his potential, and he was even unwilling to admit that he was his teacher. Even Du Shanhui’s own son did not know that he and Mu Yanzhou had always been in contact privately.
Du Shanhui’s injuries had not yet healed. But after Mu Yanzhou entered the door, he struggled to get up immediately and bowed: “Your subordinate, Du Shanhui, pays respects to His Highness the Prince of Qi.”
Mu Yanzhou sat slowly into the secret room. “Minister Du, no need to be formal.” He picked up the teacup at the table and took two sips before speaking: “Today, I have come to Minister Du’s residence for the sake of Feng Ronggui.”
Outside the secret room, Du Shanhui struggled to get up and sat back by the couch. Mu Yanzhou could not stay at the Ministry of Revenue residence for too long, so Du Shanhui did not say another half-sentence of nonsense and directly said: “As far as this old official knows, that Feng Ronggui is a total fence-sitter!”
Mu Yanzhou suddenly spoke: “Fence-sitter.”
Du Shanhui was stunned for a moment: “Your Highness?”
Mu Yanzhou put down the teacup: “Nothing, continue.”
The sound of the rain passed through the wall and into the room. He squinted slightly, listening carefully to Du Shanhui’s words, while secretly thinking: Du Shanhui knew he was a fence-sitter, so the treacherous faction naturally knew it as well. If he were the treacherous faction, no matter how great the risk, he would also have to kill him to silence him.
“Boom!” A spring thunder sounded over Chongjing. Du Shanhui, who had been talking fluently, was interrupted by the sound of thunder and could not help but look up at the window. Worried about arousing suspicion, Du Shanhui did not dismiss the servants. At this moment, a servant was walking under the eaves. He stopped speaking immediately, and Mu Yanzhou also restrained his entire aura.
Similarly, accompanied by this spring thunder, Song Mingzhi, wearing his veil hat, bypassed the guards of the Ministry of Revenue and, without any effort, came before the main room. Seeing the servant from afar, Song Mingzhi hid in the darkness, looked toward the room, and carefully observed the surrounding environment.
After the servant left and confirmed that everything in the Ministry of Revenue residence was as usual and there was no aura of anyone else here, he walked forward slowly. Following that, he pushed open the door and walked in like a phantom.
He remembered the last time he came to the Ministry of Revenue residence. Du Shanhui had woken up halfway, looked at him, and without even asking, had rested assured and accepted his treatment. At that time, Song Mingzhi had felt it was a bit strange. And now, many days later, combined with the records of the two being “both teacher and friend” in history, and the Prince of Qi’s actions of rehabilitating Du Shanhui after his death, Song Mingzhi gradually had a suspicion in his heart: that day, Du Shanhui, nine times out of ten, had taken him as the person sent by the Prince of Qi to save him, which was why he was so at ease.
Although he was the “Princess Consort of Qi,” this identity did not carry much credibility. If he directly passed on the news, it might even have the opposite effect. Song Mingzhi thought about it and finally decided to come to the Ministry of Revenue residence, using Du Shanhui’s mouth to pass this matter on to Mu Yanzhou. After all, he really had once saved Du Shanhui’s life.
In the main room of the Ministry of Revenue residence, the sound of spring thunder fell, and the servant had gradually gone far away. Outside the house, only the sound of rain remained. Through a thin wall, Mu Yanzhou had not yet spoken again when he heard: Du Shanhui, who had just been preparing to talk about the matter in detail, stopped once again.
Following that, he stuttered: “You, it is you. The last person who wore a veil hat to save me was you!”
Immediately, someone said: “Shhh!”
Du Shanhui immediately quieted down. Inside the wall of the secret room, Mu Yanzhou’s gaze dimmed instantly. It actually was him again! Outside the house, the sound of the rain was still as loud as before. Through the sound of the rain, Mu Yanzhou only heard the person outside the wall lower his tone, deliberately muffling his original voice, and saying to Du Shanhui: “I have a matter that requires you, Minister, to pass on to His Highness the Prince of Qi. Would you be willing to cooperate?”
Hearing this, even Du Shanhui, who had experienced countless storms and waves in his life after serving several dynasties, could not help but widen his eyes. He subconsciously wanted to turn his head to look into the secret room, but in the end, he endured it and gritted his teeth: “Speak!”
Inside the secret room, Mu Yanzhou narrowed his eyes as if he had heard something interesting. So that man wearing a veil hat was coming for him?