Prince Yi's Residence.
Qin Liuqi glanced cautiously at Prince Yi, hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't help but say, "Your Highness... judging from today's situation, the Emperor seems to be on alert. As for tomorrow... I think we should consider another plan? If Your Highness can leave the city today, I can escort you back to your fiefdom. The situation in the Northwest is so chaotic right now; the court can't mobilize troops to target us for the time being."
Prince Yi snorted coldly, sat down on a chair covered with a whole white tiger skin, picked up the crystal glass in front of him, and took a sip of the wine from across the ocean.
"Qin Liuqi, I've said before that you only use six or seven tenths of your brain, which is why I changed your name. If I want to leave, when can't I? Who can stop me? Even if my fourth brother is alert, so what? He can't guess my plans. To appease the people and court officials, tomorrow's military departure ceremony will proceed as scheduled. As long as the ceremony takes place, victory is in my hands. Who knows how many cards I hold? Who knows where my most important card lies?"
Qin Liuqi said in a low voice, "This subordinate just feels that it will be somewhat risky."
"Riskful?"
Prince Yi smiled arrogantly. "Where in this world can wealth and glory come for free, let alone the entire empire? Besides, I know the emperor too well. You're right, the Northwest is indeed in chaos, and the court can't hastily gather enough troops. But compared to that, the emperor would rather forgo the three northwestern provinces than not kill me first!"
"Since things have come to this, everyone already knows the truth."
He looked at the amber wine in his glass and said coldly, "I have the advantage tomorrow. I know the cards the emperor holds, but the emperor doesn't know the cards I hold. If I lose again like this, I'll have no face to fight for the empire anymore." "..."
"More than a decade ago, I began making arrangements... but due to various reasons, it was delayed until today. Now that the perfect opportunity has finally arrived, how could I possibly give it up?"
He paused, then continued, "Twelve years ago, I instructed Li Yuanshan to deceive the emperor, claiming that Mongol experts were attempting to infiltrate the Sui Dynasty to assassinate him. I foresaw that the Seventh Prince would be uneasy. The Seventh Prince is the emperor's right-hand man; as long as he remains in Chang'an, I cannot act easily, nor can I gain any advantage. At that time, no one knew how powerful the Seventh Prince was! Even if I had a thousand methods at my disposal, if he came alone, what could I do? Who could stop him?" "Can you keep him in check?"
"Fortunately, the plan from twelve years ago succeeded. The Seventh Prince is utterly loyal to the Emperor and harbors a deep hatred for the Buddhist sect. Hearing that Mongol experts were planning to infiltrate the Sui Dynasty, his arrogant nature naturally prevented him from standing idly by. That's why he embarked on his westward journey… Li Yuanshan's scheme was brilliant, deceiving both the Emperor and the Mongols. As a result, the Sui Dynasty's martial arts practitioners and the Mongol experts engaged in a fierce battle at Fangu."
"I originally thought I could use the Mongols to eliminate the Seventh Prince. Who would have thought he would wipe out all those Mongol barbarians at Fangu? Just when I thought I had failed…" "At that time, he actually stormed into the Mongol Yuan territory, into the snowy mountains! That arrogant idiot... he really thought he was invincible."
Prince Yi took a breath and said, "I started planning this a long time ago, but because the Seventh Prince was trapped in the Northwest, he became too complacent and wanted to take the opportunity to eradicate his power in Chang'an. This aroused the Emperor's suspicion, and I was excluded from the court. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's protection, I might have been sent back to my fiefdom and imprisoned long ago. That small mistake made me wait ten years... Ten years, and my temples have grown many white hairs. I can't wait any longer."
"Everything is ready now, we await the final blow tomorrow."
Qin Liuqi bowed his head and said, "Your Highness's calculations are brilliant, unmatched by anyone."
Prince Yi shook his head: "Brilliant calculations? If I were truly infallible, I wouldn't have misjudged Li Yuanshan. That fellow's ambition is so vast, what right does a nobody like him have to contend with me for the throne? Yes, I scheme against everyone, but I will never give the Mongols an inch of land. Li Yuanshan is a bastard! As a Sui citizen, he actually kowtows to those Mongol barbarians!"
"After I ascend the throne, the first thing I will do is send someone to kill him!"
Qin Liuqi Qin Liuqi said, "Since Your Highness has made up your mind, I will do my utmost. My only concern is whether the Martial Arts Academy can keep things under control. Although no one has witnessed Zhou Banchuan's skills, since it's rumored he's the strongest cultivator in the Sui Dynasty, it can't be wrong..."
Prince Yi shook his head: "The title of 'Number One in the World' is impressive, but Zhou Banchuan hasn't made a move for too long. New talents emerge in every generation; his era will end sooner or later. You don't need to worry about the Martial Arts Academy; just focus on your own tasks."
Qin Liuqi said, "Everything has been arranged here. We're just waiting for the Emperor to leave the palace tomorrow. We'll wait for him..." "Come out, and I will immediately lead men into the palace to protect the Empress Dowager. Once the matter outside the Taiji Palace is resolved, I will escort the Empress Dowager out to subdue the officials."
"Hmm."
Prince Yi nodded: "I know your loyalty to me perfectly well. After this great undertaking is accomplished, I will reward you with an immense honor! Zhou Banchuan could serve as the Dean of the Martial Arts Academy for so long, so can you."
Hearing this, Qin Liuqi's eyes suddenly lit up: "Your subordinate... thanks Your Highness for your promotion!"
...
...
When Fang Jie and Mu Xiaoyao returned to the shop, Chen Xiaoru and the other two had been waiting for a long time. Daquan and Qilin still had things to do, so they couldn't return and reveal themselves. The three of them were startled when they saw Fang Jie's appearance and hurriedly went to greet him.
"What happened? Could it be that our prediction was wrong, and there are still experts in Songbai Tower?"
Chen Xiaoru asked. Fang Jie shook his head and said, "The matter at Songbai Tower is settled. I happened to run into Fang Henshui when I left the city."
"Ah."
Chen Xiaoru exclaimed, "Fang Henshui who killed Mo Wanwu of the Martial Arts Academy?"
Fang Jie nodded, "It was him. If it weren't for Meng Wudi, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, arriving with his men and killing Fang Henshui, I'm afraid I wouldn't be back today."
Fang Jie didn't tell Chen Xiaoru the truth; the three of them were Su Buwei's men. Fang Jie was quite wary of this low-profile eunuch in charge of the Imperial Study. He didn't want anyone to know that he could kill Fang Henshui, after all, Chang'an City was too chaotic right now. And since the incident of being trapped in the cage, Fang Jie would never easily trust anyone again. "Thank goodness."
Chen Xiaoru sighed, "To be able to kill a professor from the Martial Arts Academy, Fang Henshui's cultivation level must be considerable."
Fang Jie smiled, "I've always had good luck."
He pulled Mu Xiaoyao inside, and Chen Xiaoru wanted to ask who she was but couldn't. He couldn't help but feel envious; although the woman Fang Jie was holding wasn't as beautiful as Shen Qingshan and looked rather disheveled, her figure was undeniably stunning. When he recognized the dirty flying fish robe Mu Xiaoyao was wearing, he suddenly remembered that Fang Jie had a woman who was a commander in the Imperial Guard.
"Hasn't Shen Qingshan returned yet?"
Fang Jie asked.
The dark-skinned boy, sniffling as he walked, said, "She came back once, but when she saw you weren't there, she left again. She didn't answer when asked where she went, only saying she'd be back by dark."
Fang Jie hummed in agreement, "Could you get me a big basin of hot water? I need a good bath."
The dark-skinned boy agreed and turned to leave. Fang Jie took Mu Xiaoyao's hand and said, "Let's shower together."
Mu Xiaoyao's face immediately flushed red, like a flustered little girl. She let Fang Jie lead her into the room; for the first time, she felt so vulnerable in front of him.
Although Fang Jie said that, Chen Xiaoru and the other two were still outside, and it wasn't the time for romantic water activities. He quickly showered, changed his clothes, and came out again, sitting down in the living room and gulping down several mouthfuls of wine. Mu Xiaoyao was a completely different person after her shower, even more delicate and beautiful.
The black-haired boy stared wide-eyed at Mu Xiaoyao, who was wearing that bright red dress again, forgetting to sniffle. A snotty strand hung from the corner of her mouth, dangling precariously. Chen Xiaoru glanced at the white legs exposed under the red dress, muttered "Don't look," and then pretended to be nonchalant, squatting to the side, too embarrassed to look up again.
Nie Xiaoju, on the other hand, seemed unmoved, staring blankly at the embroidery needle in her hand.
Fang Jie poured the last mouthful of wine from the flask into his mouth, wiped his lips, and said, "Today's business is basically finished. Those stewards have been apprehended by the Imperial Guards. Once they're there, they'll have nothing to hide. Prince Yi hasn't made any moves, but losing so many allies must have had a significant impact on him. We've done almost everything we can; now we can only wait and see what happens tomorrow."
Chen Xiaoru hummed in agreement and asked, "His Majesty summons you to the palace. When are you going?"
Fang Jie replied, "Waiting for Shen Qingshan..." "We'll talk about it when we get back. His Majesty probably doesn't have time to see me right now. By the way, has court adjourned?"
Chen Xiaoru nodded. "Court adjourned, but His Majesty kept all the officials for a meal. It's said that the ministers hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, so His Majesty specially ordered a banquet for them to eat together. I reckon they might not be back even after dark. When they return and see things have turned out this way, they'll probably be utterly shocked."
Fang Jie smiled. "They might not even have the chance to be shocked."
"How did your matter go?"
He asked.
Chen Xiaoru said, "No surprises."
Fang Jie hummed in agreement, and looking up, she saw Shen Qingshan walking slowly in from outside, her face somewhat pale. Her first glance was at Fang Jie, but her second glance fell on Mu Xiaoyao in her red dress.
"Senior Sister?"
She exclaimed softly, clearly surprised. Hearing the words "Senior Sister," Mu Xiaoyao was even more surprised than Shen Qingshan: "Ah?"
She paused for a moment and asked, "You called me?"
Shen Qingshan nodded, then frowned as she walked up to her: "You're injured? Who is it?"
Mu Xiaoyao was silent for a while before saying, "The rebels from the Northwest… You seem… changed. You never used to call me Senior Sister, and you never cared about my life or death."
Shen Qingshan shook her head without saying anything. Mu Xiaoyao wasn't in Chang'an and didn't know that Shen Qingshan's personality had changed so much, so she was somewhat surprised.
"You're injured too?"
Shen Qingshan asked Fang Jie.
Fang Jie quickly explained, "I'm fine, just a superficial injury."
He sighed inwardly, thinking that a ninth-rank expert was indeed powerful. With just one glance, she could tell that both he and Mu Xiaoyao were injured. "I've lost Wu Yidao."
She sat down opposite Fang Jie, her tone slightly angry. "Before leaving the city, he said he was going to buy some food to eat on the way and told me to wait. I waited outside, but after a while, he didn't come out. So I went in, but I don't know how he escaped. Clearly, the owner of that pastry shop is one of his men; that man absolutely refuses to say where Wu Yidao went."
Fang Jie shook his head. "Never mind, let him go wherever he wants. At least it proves he's safe. You and Sister Xiaoyao get ready; we're going to the palace."
He murmured to himself.
Will tomorrow be a turning point in my life?