At the gate of the capital of Shu Kingdom, pedestrians were coming and going as they did in the past. The only difference was that the guards and soldiers who stood at the gate were interrogating them.
“Stop, stop, the one in front, yes, you.” The two carriages were about to drive into the city gate, when the officers and soldiers shouted loudly and stopped them.
Accompanied by a shout from the coachman, the carriage stopped. One of the leading soldiers raised their hands towards the other soldiers. The soldiers immediately surrounded the two carriages and rummaged through.
“Officer, what’s the matter? My family’s old Master simply went out of the city to visit his relatives, how come the whole city is now under martial law?” The driver took advantage of the gaps in the search by the soldiers and tried to get information.
The other party sized him up and down: “Some rebels have been mixing into the city recently. The Eldest Princess has ordered everyone to be checked. As long as there are any suspicious people, we are to report it immediately. Mistakes cannot be afforded! If anyone dares to hide the rebels in private, they will be punished upon discovery with capital punishment.”
The driver sucked in a breath of air. With a frightened expression: “That’s terrible, then we’d better go out less these few days. Officers, you have worked hard!”
After a long while, the soldiers got out of the carriage. They jumped down and waved their hand towards the leader: “Leader, there is no suspicious person in the carriage.”
The commander nodded and waved his hand to let the person behind him open the fence and let the carriage in.
The driver who had just inquired about the news looked at the other driver in the other carriage. They nodded at each other, and drove the horse back into the city.
The carriage drove slowly into the city gate and drove into a very secluded alley.
“We have entered the city, you can all come out.” Feng Tingye and Shao Zitang, disguised as drivers, jumped off the carriage and gently tapped the carriage.
Not long after, everyone who had also changed their appearances stepped out of the car, one after another.
“Oh, that was really suffocating me!” Xia Yuqing took the two children and lifted the curtain to walk down. Helped by Feng Tingye, she got out of the carriage and took a deep breath.
“Mm, I hid under the carriage for so long, my neck was about to break.” Yun Zhongyue crawled out from under the carriage bottom and rubbed his devastated neck.
“What’s the matter? We have only been gone for a few days, yet the whole city is under martial law as soon as we come back?” Yun Xi stepped off another carriage and asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? That Yun Fourth girl (fourth because birth order) is making a move in advance.” Jin Lao walked out of the car with the support of his two granddaughters. He fiddled with his moustache, and snorted coldly.
Because of his words, everyone’s expressions became serious.
“I wonder how Father and Mother are doing now?” Yun Xi asked with some worry.
“They should be okay, otherwise Fourth Sister would have searched for Yun Xi’s traces to cut the grass and roots.” Yun Zhongyue touched his chin as he whispered back.
Feng Tingye nodded. He glanced at the weariness on everyone’s faces, and whispered: “Let’s find a place to rest for a meal, then we’ll let people go out to inquire news.”
“En, it can only be done like this.”
The people who were travel-worn found a relatively clean inn nearby. They ordered some food, and everyone ate hastily.
“Well, Your Maj… Brother, shall we go back to Wei Mansion now?” Xia Yuqing swallowed the last bite of the dish, glanced around, and asked in a low voice.
Before Feng Tingye could answer, he heard two whispering discussions behind him.
“Have you heard, Lord Lan was arrested.”
A short sentence made everyone’s expressions change. Feng Tingye and Yun Zhong Yue looked at each other, and took a sip from their teacup on the table. They continued to listen to the discussion behind them.
“Master Lan? Which Master Lan?”
“Is there any other Master Lan? It could only be Master Lan Yingran, the grand scribe?”
“What? Master Lan!? Isn’t Master Lan the brother of the Fifth Prince’s consort? Why would anyone dare to arrest him?”
“You don’t know anything about this? I heard that the Eldest Princess took someone to arrest him personally, saying that Lord Lan and the consort were spies sent by the Ye Kingdom to our Shu Kingdom.”
Xia Yuqing and the others had another expression change on their faces. They glanced at each other, their faces were somewhat surprised. The Lan brother and sister duo… have their identities been revealed?
“What? Lord Lan and the consort are spies sent by the Ye Kingdom? How can this be possible?”
“That’s why you can’t judge a book by its cover. Who would have thought that Lord Lan and the consort was like that… Well, I feel sorry for the Fifth Prince. Usually, he’s kept behind closed doors and recuperating from his illness, but now he is implicated in this.”
The two continued to speak when another person intervened in a low voice, “That’s not necessarily the case. Maybe the prince was not completely unaware, maybe he was the leader of it all. Maybe the Fifth Prince colluded with the spies of Ye Kingdom in an attempt to take advantage of our Emperor. Fortunately, the princess has a keen eye, otherwise…”
“Tsk tsk tsk…” Everyone was in an uproar again.
“Besides, you don’t know? Not just Lord Lan and the princess, even the Wei family was a spy sent by the Ye Kingdom to be stationed in the capital!”
“The Wei family? The Wei family, that’s the richest people in the capital?”
“Yes, yes!”
As soon as the news came out, there were more people talking.
“This Ye Kingdom is too much of a bully! Even the Wei family belongs to them? This Wei family has been in the capital for many years. This Ye emperor had people lurking in the territory of our Shu Kingdom so early, yet no one has discovered them? It is really impossible to guard against them. It’s scary thinking about it. Fortunately, there’s the princess…”
“Yes, yes, right… Fortunately, there is the princess.”
Xia Yuqing and the others stared solemnly at the table in front of them, listening to the people behind them starting to complain about Ye Country and praise the princess. All of them had ugly expressions.
Feng Tingye was silent for a moment. Pursing his lips, he sneered: “They’ve been counter attacked, that woman… is not a simple character.”
“What should we do now?” Shao Zitang did not expect Lan Yingran and Wei Yan to be discovered so soon. It should be known that in the years before this, they were all innocently living in harmony. Did someone reveal this news, or had some people known it for a long time, but were just waiting for this opportunity?
“No matter what, it is because of us that they were dragged into this. Now, we can’t go back to Wei Mansion. For now, we can only be cautious. Without letting our whereabouts be exposed, we will have to figure out our current situation.” Feng Ting Ye turned his head and glanced at Yun Zhongyue.
Yun Zhong Yue nodded knowingly: “There are not much people here. You should stay here first, and try not to go out if you have nothing to do. Tonight, I will visit the residence of Fourth Royal Sister.”
“Second Brother, alone?” Xia Yuqing was wiping the rice grains on Second Baby’s mouth. Hearing Yun Zhongyue’s words, she raised her head suddenly, her eyes were a little worried. Even she knew how grim the situation was now.
Yun Zhongyue saw the worry in Xia Yuqing’s eyes, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. He raised his head proudly and smiled: “Of course, alone. Junior Sister, don’t forget what your Second Brother does for a living. It will be easier to handle this alone. If I bring too many people, they will only get in the way.”
Xia Yuqing was stunned and nodded, then she surprisingly quieted down.
Yun Zhong Yue smiled. As everyone got up, he approached Feng Tingye’s side and spoke with a voice that only the two people could hear: “Fifth Brother has already contacted troops to rescue the king, they are expected to arrive in the capital tomorrow. During this time, protect Junior Sister and Xiao Xi. Make no mistakes.”
Feng Tingye’s long phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. He cast his eyes down on Yun Zhongyue. Fifth Brother? The Fifth Prince of Shu who has been sick in bed? Isn’t this Fifth Prince still in prison?
How did that person contact troops and tell the news to Yun Zhongyue? Has Yun Zhongyue and the Fifth Prince been in touch the entire time, or did they scheme… at the last moment? It seems that Yun Zhongyue still had a hand left to play. This is really getting more and more interesting. Before everyone’s cards are revealed, it is not certain who will be the winner!
“En.”
Feng Tingye had already begun to take action. At the same time, in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment of the State of Shu, an extraordinary drama was being staged.
Cold water droplets fell on the ground trickling and making a crisp sound. The darkened cell was filled with a damp smell.
Lan Yingyao sat on the dilapidated bed paved with straw. She looked at the man sitting in the corner, far away from her, and secretly clenched her hands.
“Prince, don’t you want to ask your consort anything?” Lan Yingyao bit her lip. In the end, she was the one to break the long-standing stalemate between the two of them.
The Fifth Prince Yun Yuliu in the corner listened to Lan Yingyao’s call. He did not even change his posture against the wall.
Lan Yingyao looked at him, feeling her heart turning cold bit by bit. She pursed her lips, lowering her head, and said with some difficulty: “It is true that it is my fault for not telling you the truth. But whether you believe it or not, all these years, I have never done anything that would let you down.”
At this point, Lan Yingyao’s words have become a bit choked. She turned her head, not allowing the person on the side to see the tears falling down her face.
After a while, when Lan Yingyao thought that the person near her would never pay attention to herself again, she heard a light sigh. In the next second, her slightly slumped face was lifted up. In her eyes lay a familiar, somewhat distressed face.
“Woo…” Unable to restrain herself anymore, she threw himself into the other’s arms. She clasped the other’s waist, and started to cry in a low voice, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
At this moment, Lan Yingyao had only one sentence tossing over and over in her mind. After meeting this man, she had kept this secret in her heart. After so many years of deep affection, she had long forgotten this secret that she had kept for so many years. However, she also forgot that if some things exist, then they exist. Just because you forget about them, doesn’t mean you can treat them as if nothing has happened.
This sudden change had shattered her dreams that she had woven for so many years. It made her taste deep-seated fear for the first time in her life. She was afraid. Afraid to see the anger of being betrayed in the eyes of this man, the disgust of being deceived, and even more afraid to see his deep disappointment in herself…
Yun Yuliu listened to Lan Yingyao’s cry again. With a light sigh, he stretched out his hand and gently patted Lan Yingyao’s head: “This is what you and your eldest brother have been hiding from me all these years?”
Lan Yingyao trembled, not daring to look up at Yun Yuliu. Her eyes were full of surprise, he…knows…
“Living in the same bed for so many years, if I had not found out at all, then all those years would have been wasted as husband and wife.”
“You…” What Lan Yingyao wanted to ask was, since you have already noticed something strange, why didn’t you ask? But thinking about it, this was not what she should ask. This was because she was the person who concealed something from the beginning. Even if Yun Yuliu asked, would she really dare to answer truthfully? She… couldn’t be sure.
Yun Yuliu seemed to see through what she was thinking, and chuckled softly: “I just think that even if you are a husband and wife, one can have a little secret of their own. Even me, there are some things that I have hidden from you. It’s just that I didn’t expect this secret to be so unexpected. It’s not a surprise, but a fright.”
Lan Yingyao heard Yun Yuliu’s words were not as angry as she expected. She raised her head in surprise, then immediately grabbed the main point of his words. She was surprised: “You have hidden something from me?”
Yun Yuliu’s lips twitched slightly, the corners of his eyes swept to the side, as if he had noticed something. He coughed softly, covering his mouth.
“What’s the matter? Is it too cold here? Are you feeling sick again?” When Lan Yingyao heard Yun Yuliu’s coughing, she suddenly became nervous. She didn’t even care about asking what happened, she stepped forward and patted Yun Yuliu on the chest.
Yun Yuliu’s health had always been poor. Now having to stay in such a cold place, it would be strange not to get sick. Lan Yingyao’s face was pale. She was anxious. Yun Yuliu was pulled into her arms as she stroked his chest.
“Yuliu?”
“Hush…” Yun Yuliu borrowed this position and used Lan Yingyao to block his body. From a distance, it looked like Lan Yingyao was very anxious and patting his chest for his relapse of his sickness.
“Don’t say anything, someone is watching from over there.” Yun Yuliu lowered his voice and said.
Lan Yingyao was taken aback. She carefully crossed the gap between Yun Yuliu’s body and looked behind them. As expected, a young man dressed as a servant was staring at every move made on the other side of the prison.
The astonishment in Lan Yingyao’s eyes flashed, but her attention was once again attracted by the man who was holding her tightly: “Your illness…”
Yun Yuliu didn’t answer, but looked at her with a smile. Lan Yingran suddenly understood. She finally understood what the hidden thing Yun Yuliu mentioned was: “You…you have been pretending to be sick?”
Yun Yuliu nodded. He leaned on Lan Yingyao’s shoulders and whispered: “I will explain this to you later. Don’t worry. We’ll wait in this prison for a little bit and we will be able to get out soon.”
Lan Yingyao was startled again. She thought she knew everything about this man in front of her from all these years, but she only discovered today that she might not have completely seen this man through.
But… since he still chose to believe in herself even when he knew what she had hidden from him, then this time she would also give her wholehearted trust to the other party as before.
Lan Yingyao grasped Yun Yuliu’s clothes tightly and said softly, “En.”
Yun Yuliu’s lips curved upwards. He coughed a few times again. The young man staring outside the prison didn’t find anything strange, so he turned and left. He breathed a sigh of relief. There was a clear killing intent flashing across his eyes.
“What’s the matter?” Yun Yuliu let go of Lan Yingyao. Stepping back two steps, he found that Lan Yingyao was sad and asked with concern.
Lan Yingyao shook her head, and said with some worry: “It’s okay, I’m just a little worried about my brother, I don’t know how he is doing.”
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.” Although Yun Yuliu comforted Lan Yingyao like this, in his heart, he was also a little worried. He looked up at the only narrow window that could bring light, his face was slightly cold.
What Yun Yuliu didn’t expect was that their most worried thing was happening at a distance of seven or eight cells past this window.
The flying whip cracked, accompanied by the painful grunt of the cruelly treated person.
“Master Lan, you’re not planning on revealing anything?” Yun Shan sat leisurely on the seat of the edge of the cell, enjoying being waited upon. She took a cup of tea from Xizeyan’s hand and blew it gently.
Lan Yingran, who was hung up and covered with whip scars, panted and smiled: “The princess’s meaning, this minister does not understand.”
“You rebel…” Xize Yan said. Getting stimulated all of a sudden, he pointed at Lan Yingran. He was about to curse him, but was interrupted by Lan Yingran’s low laugh.
“Hahaha, rebel? I, Lan Yingran, still have not reached the level to beg for mercy for being called a rebel by a dog who only knows how to follow a person who intends to kill their own brother to usurp the throne.”
“You actually called me a dog!?” Xi Zeyan’s face was blue. Grabbing the whip in the hands of the executioner on the side, he flicked it fiercely at Lan Yingran.
Lan Yingran groaned a few times again, but laughed in a low voice: “I…I didn’t say who this dog is, why should Master Xi be so eager to check into that seat?”
“You!” Xi Zeyan turned green. He raised his whip and wanted to lash out, but heard a lazy but implied warning: “Enough, step back.”
Xizeyan was shocked. Although he was unwilling, he still retreated to the side.
Yun Shan waved away the gigolos who were kneeling on the ground massaging her legs. She got up and walked slowly towards Lan Yingran.
Her nails painted with scarlet polish ran across Lan Yingran’s adam’s apple, making Lan Yingran, who had not said a word even after being flogged for a long time, shiver abruptly. A cold sweat ran down his back.
“Hehe, killing one’s own brother to usurp the throne? It seems that Lord Lan really knows something. Tell me, where is Xi Er hiding now? On the day of the banquet, were those people in the same group as you?”
“What did your highness say? This minister does not understand at all.”
“Paaa–” Accompanied by a loud sound, Lan Yingran’s face was slapped to the side abruptly.
“Still lying?!” Yun Shan squinted her eyes with anger. She pinched Lan Yingran’s chin, and forced him to look at her. “That woman was not Miss Lan at all. Ben Gong sent someone to check. Miss Lan was well versed in various instruments, but she just didn’t know how to play the pipa.”
Lan Yingran’s face went white. His eyes widened and he looked at Yun Shan in surprise.
Yun Shan laughed when she saw this. She shook off Lan Yingran’s chin, then took out a handkerchief to wipe her blood-stained hand: “Ben Gong didn’t expect you to be like this. You guys are actually bold and daring enough to play tricks in front of Ben Gong? The fake Miss Lan actually wanted to assassinate Ben Gong that day. Ben Gong was wondering why there could be so much blood for no reason. It turns out… Haha, Lord Lan, you are so courageous! Say, who are those people? Are they the chaotic bunch from Ye country? Did Xi Er mix in with them and return to the Shu country secretly?”
Lan Yingran’s face changed slightly. However, he still gritted his teeth and turned away, without answering.
Yun Shan seemed to have expected this reaction from Lan Yingran. She didn’t care. She turned around and walked back to her original place to sit down. She picked up the cup of tea that was already lukewarm, and blew again: “It doesn’t matter if Master Lan doesn’t say anything. Anyways, it’s not like Ben Gong can’t find out. It’s just that Ben Gong has been thinking that Lord Lan has been an official for many years. Even if you have no credit, there is at least hard work, so Ben Gong thought of giving Lord Lan this opportunity. Even if Lord Lan doesn’t care about himself, Lord Lan should at least take pity on Madam Lan and Miss Lan, who share the same joys and sorrows of Lord Lan. They are now in this prison, waiting for Master Lan to help them.”
Lan Yingran’s face changed. His calm appearance had completely collapsed: “What do you want to do? They are innocent, don’t touch them!”
“Innocent?” Yun Shan seemed as if she heard some promising joke. She laughed a few times while covering her mouth. “Lord Lan, did you forget what status you have now? You are a spy of the Kingdom of Ye, a traitor of the Kingdom of Shu for colluding with the enemy. This crime is linked with the execution of 9 generations of your family. Your precious daughter, Miss Lan… Hehe, since daddy is covering for the fake Miss Lan, then the real Miss Lan will have to take the blame. Ben Gong thinks this is also good.”
“No, you can’t do this to her, she’s still a child!”
“Ben Gong wants to see if Ben Gong can treat her like this!” Yun Shan’s face sank as she interrupted Lan Yingran’s words. She gave Lan Yingran a chuckle and narrowed her eyes, “Master Lan, whether your precious daughter can be safe or not, it all depends on…Lord Lan, your performance.”
“…” Lan Yingran stared at Yun Shan with his pair of eyes, a little blood gradually dripped from his clenched lips.
The inside of the prison cell was turbulent, while the princess mansion on the other side also ushered in an uninvited guest.
Yun Zhongyue took advantage of the moonlight to travel around the princess’s mansion for a long time, but failed to detect any news that was different from the news he heard during the day. Besides that, Yun Zhongyue discovered that Yunshan’s room was empty.
It’s late, but Fourth Sister hasn’t come back yet? Yun Zhongyue murmured in his heart. Then, he remembered the letters found in Yunshan’s room that day.
Maybe there is something else in that room that I haven’t discovered, hiding some other evidence! Unwilling to return empty-handed, Yun Zhongyue had the mentality of giving it a try, so he rushed into Yun Shan’s room again to search.
Of course, the Goddess of Luck didn’t care about Yun Zhongyue every time. After spending a long time looking through Yun Shan’s room, Yun Zhongyue couldn’t find a second hidden mechanism.
As Yun Zhongyue turned over the last piece of the floor tiles in Yun Shan’s room, a gentle light was projected from the outside.
Could it be that Fourth Sister came back? Yun Zhongyue anxiously flew out of the window and rushed into the bushes outside. After a while, Yun Zhong Yue realized that it was not Yun Shan who had returned, but a maid who was keeping watch, passing by accidentally. However, because of this, Yun Zhong Yue got his first news since entering the house.
“Her Royal Highness hasn’t come back yet?”
“Yes, I heard that she went to the prison cell to personally interrogate the traitors who were recently arrested.”
“Her Royal Highness has it hard.”
“But…”
Seeing the two girls drift off, Yun Zhongyue poked his head out of the bushes and murmured: “It turns out that Lord Lan and the others have been imprisoned in the torture department. Fourth Sister is also personally interrogating them. It seems that we need to move a little faster.”
Yun Zhong Yue got up and prepared to leave. As soon as he raised his head, he saw the round moon above his head. Somehow, he remembered what Xia Yuqing said to himself before leaving: “Second Brother, you must be careful when you go to the princess mansion. Oh, if someone discovers you, you can make a wish to the moon. People say that wishing to the moon is very spiritual. If you make a wish, the moon may satisfy your wish. A beautiful girl will fall down representing the moon and will help you destroy the evil people.” (reference to sailor moon)
“…” At that time, Yun Zhongyue was thundered by the strange brain circuit of his little Junior Sister, and made a complaint. Why must it be a beautiful girl falling down and not a man? Shouldn’t men be more powerful in fighting?
Now Yun Zhongyue, seeing the big moon above his head, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch when he thought of Xia Yuqing’s words. He mumbled: “If wishing to the moon is so great, why doesn’t it show me the evidence of Fourth Sister colluding with the enemy and being a traitor? Tch..”
Yun Zhongyue pointed at the moon, then “tch” with disdain. Suddenly, there was a heavy blow to the top of his head. With a click, something hit him, then fell to the ground.
“…” It wouldn’t be this extraordinary, right?
Yun Zhong Yue became stiff. He leaned over and picked up the letters that had fallen on the ground, and flipped through them mechanically. He confirmed the names on the front pages of these letters were indeed from Fourth Sister. He couldn’t help but explode with curses in his heart.
WTF, even that could work? !