After leaving Prince Yi's residence, Yan Chi mounted his horse and headed toward the palace gates. Bai Feng followed closely behind and asked, "Master, should we investigate the matter of the Buddha statue in the royal residence?"
Yan Chi raised his chin slightly. "No need."
Bai Feng then said, "Does Master believe Prince Yan Ze's words?"
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Third Brother seeks to avenge his mother's death, which makes us similar in a way, but my instincts tell me something is wrong."
Years of campaigning in the Northwest Frontier Army had honed Yan Chi's innate perception of danger. This time, facing Yan Ze, he felt chilled by the depth of Yan Ze's long-concealed cunning and troubled by his inability to see through the man. For these two reasons alone, genuine cooperation with Yan Ze was impossible.
It remained unclear whether Yan Ze and the Empress were truly aligned, but for Yan Chi, Yan Ze had indirectly contributed to the deaths of the Shen family. For that reason alone, true collaboration was out of the question. Their current alliance was merely a temporary, mutually exploitative agreement, as they shared a common enemy for the time being.
"Tell Fan Xin to make thorough preparations. There must be no mishaps the day after tomorrow."
Bai Feng quickly replied, "Rest assured, Master. Everything is ready. Xun Niang and Master Yuan have already left the city."
Yan Chi nodded, then raised his whip and galloped toward the palace.
The road from Prince Yi's residence to the palace gates was lined with patrols. Despite the grand wedding scheduled for the city the day after tomorrow, the gloom hanging over the capital's residents showed no signs of lifting. Moreover, Yan Chi noticed that the number of Imperial Guards in the city seemed to be increasing. His expression tightened as he rode through the palace gates.
Yan Chi had two purposes for entering the palace: to see the Emperor and to visit the Grand Princess.
When he arrived at Chongzheng Hall, Cheng Yundu and Tao Yongcheng were still present. Upon hearing of Yan Chi's arrival, the Emperor summoned him to the Imperial Study for an audience.
After paying his respects, the Emperor said, "You've worked hard leading the search these past two days. The day after tomorrow is your wedding, so I'm handing this matter over to Lin Zhang for now. Your wedding is of utmost importance. I'll have Zhao Yu lead the Imperial Guards to clear the Path for your procession."
Yan Chi hurriedly replied, "The Imperial Guards are Your Majesty's Personal guard. I dare not—"
The Emperor waved his hand. "If I say it's permissible, then it is. Say no more. It's decided."
Yan Chi hesitated briefly before expressing his gratitude. The Emperor then handed a memorial to Yuan Qing beside him. "Show it to Prince Rui."
Yuan Qing bowed and passed the memorial to Yan Chi. Upon opening it, Yan Chi saw it was from the Northwest Frontier, reporting Chu Fei Sheng's unauthorized departure from the military camp. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Yan Chi. "What do you make of this? Chu Fei Sheng was your father's subordinate—you should know him well. What do you think he's trying to do?"
Yan Chi closed the memorial and replied solemnly, "How could such a thing happen in the Northwest Frontier?!"
After expressing his shock, he continued, "Chu Fei Sheng has a fierce and unyielding temperament. In the Northwest Frontier Army, he saw himself as second-in-command and often showed disrespect even toward my father. My father tolerated him repeatedly only because of his years of service. I never thought that after my father's passing, he would commit such a treasonous act."
Yan Chi's words flowed smoothly. The Emperor raised an eyebrow slightly. "Not only that, but he has also taken control of all the outposts and camps around the Northwest Frontier. What do you think he's planning?"
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes in thought. "I fear he intends to carve out his own territory and declare himself king."
Declaring oneself a king was an act of rebellion, yet Yan Chi did not hesitate to condemn Chu Fei Sheng for it.The Emperor slowly straightened his posture. "In your opinion, how should this be handled? How many troops does Chu Fei Sheng have under his command?"
Yan Chi promptly assumed a solemn expression. "Naturally, he should be dealt with according to national law. As for the troops under Chu Fei Sheng's command, from my observation, there are at least over twenty thousand. Having served in the military for many years, Chu Fei Sheng holds influence both in the main camp of the Northwest Frontier Army and other outpost garrisons. With the prince now deceased, the morale of the Northwest Frontier Army is likely unstable. Chu Fei Sheng's escape from the main camp at this time will likely allow him to rally many officers to his side. The outpost garrisons are scattered with approximately ten thousand troops, and these forces are probably now under Chu Fei Sheng's control."
"Over twenty thousand... that's not particularly many. In your view, if we deploy the main camp officers of the Northwest Frontier Army as vanguards to suppress Chu Fei Sheng, would that be feasible?"
Yan Chi nodded. "Certainly. The main camp of the Northwest Frontier Army has numerous troops, all well-trained and elite. As long as the commander is competent, Chu Fei Sheng will surely be defeated."
The Emperor's slightly furrowed brows relaxed somewhat, as if in agreement with Yan Chi's words. He gave a slight nod. "Good, matters concerning the Northwest Frontier truly require your counsel. I will arrange for someone to eliminate Chu Fei Sheng. You may rest tomorrow and the day after. After your wedding, you will still need to lead the search for people in the capital."
Yan Chi bowed with clasped hands. "I obey Your Majesty's command."
Hearing this, the Emperor's expression eased. "The Empress Dowager has been unwell these past two days, yet she remains concerned about your wedding. Since you're already in the palace, you should go pay her a visit."
"That was precisely my intention. I shall take my leave now."
The Emperor nodded, and Yan Chi turned to depart.
...
...
The moment Qin Guan arrived at the entrance of the Longevity and Health Palace, she knew Yan Chi had already arrived, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
Although she knew Zhang Dongxuan must have relayed the message to Yan Chi, there was a vast difference between hearing it from Zhang Dongxuan and hearing Yan Chi speak the words herself.
When she entered the Warm Chamber, Qin Guan saw the Empress Dowager holding Yan Chi's hand and speaking about something. Hearing the commotion, both the Empress Dowager and Yan Chi turned around. Seeing Qin Guan, their faces lit up with delight. Qin Guan hurried forward to pay her respects.
After two days apart, the Empress Dowager's complexion had worsened. She grasped Qin Guan's hand and said, "I was just telling Yan Chi that I won't be able to attend your wedding at the royal residence the day after tomorrow. I've already given Yan Chi all the necessary instructions. From now on, if he dares to treat you poorly, you must come to me."
Qin Guan nodded, but the Empress Dowager sighed. "As long as I haven't breathed my last by then, I will certainly teach him a proper lesson."
Hearing this, Qin Guan quickly responded, "Your Majesty, please don't speak like that. Once this winter passes, I will surely be able to cure your illness."
"After this winter... but ah, this winter is too long... I don't know if I can make it through..."
Yan Chi sighed. "Your Majesty will certainly pull through. You still have to see the younger generation marry and establish their careers."
The Empress Dowager smiled at this and tightly held Qin Guan's hand without letting go. "Have you come to the palace today to check my pulse?"
Qin Guan nodded. "To check Your Majesty's pulse and keep you company for a while."
The Empress Dowager smiled. "Good, good. After you check my pulse today, I won't see you again until the day after tomorrow. According to custom, you must come to the palace to express gratitude the day after your wedding. Don't come tomorrow—stay home and make thorough preparations. Ensure everything is in order so no disruptions occur during the ceremony."Qin Guan felt a warmth in her heart. "Yes, rest assured, both the Marquis residence and the royal residence are fully prepared."
The Empress Dowager looked at the two before her, her eyes filled with contentment. Then, as if recalling something, her smile turned bittersweet. "I had originally hoped to personally oversee the preparations at the royal residence, but alas, my health is failing me. Once you two are married, I shall wait for Ning'er and Yan Li. As for Yan Sui and the younger ones, I'm afraid I won't live to see their weddings."
Qin Guan and Yan Chi exchanged a glance, their eyes shadowed with concern.
After speaking a few more words with the Empress Dowager, she began to show signs of fatigue and insisted they need not stay longer, retiring to her inner chamber to rest. Mammy Chen attended to her, and when she emerged with Qin Guan and Yan Chi, her face was etched with worry. "Your Highness, my lady, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager... has been unwell these past two days..."
Qin Guan frowned. "What happened?"
Mammy Chen glanced around before recounting the incident at Changxin Palace. Upon hearing this, both Yan Chi and Qin Guan were startled.
They had already suspected that Consort Feng's illness was not straightforward, and the fact that the Empress Dowager's condition worsened after visiting Changxin Palace suggested she might have uncovered something.
"What exactly did Consort Feng say in her delirium?"
Mammy Chen sighed. "She urged Prince Cheng not to contend for the throne and muttered things like 'the emperor is the emperor'..."
If they had only been speculating before, Mammy Chen's words sent a chill down their spines.
To those unaware of the truth, it might sound like nonsense, but Qin Guan and Yan Chi understood immediately—Consort Feng had indeed discovered the emperor's secret!
Had the Empress Dowager also learned of it? Was that why she had been so listless these past two days?
As they stood in stunned silence, a sudden gust of wind shot toward Yan Chi's back. Yan Chi swiftly sidestepped, his hand snapping backward to intercept the attack. The next moment, a childish cry of pain rang out.
Qin Guan, startled, turned to see Yan Sui—who had appeared unnoticed behind Yan Chi—clutching a blunted dagger. He had attempted to ambush Yan Chi but was caught, his wrist already bruising under Yan Chi's powerful grip.
Recognizing Yan Sui, Yan Chi released him in surprise. Yan Sui, his eyes red, shrank behind Qin Guan, clearly frightened.
Mammy Chen sighed in exasperation. "Your Highness, why are you ambushing Prince Rui? He is not someone you can defeat!"
Seeing their confusion, she explained, "Your Highness, please forgive him. These past two days, the Ninth Prince has been practicing martial arts diligently but lacks sparring partners. He has been testing his skills on anyone visiting the Longevity and Health Palace. This morning, he even managed to strike Prince Gong during a surprise attack—though Prince Gong is not as skilled as you, Your Highness."
Qin Guan smiled wryly. "Your Highness, ambushing others from behind is not the act of a gentleman."
Yan Sui, his wrist now darkly bruised, hung his head meekly. "I... I can't defeat him..."
Qin Guan couldn't help but laugh, and Yan Chi also found it amusing. Noticing the faded blood blisters on Yan Sui's palm, Yan Chi paused thoughtfully. "That move just now lacked both strength and proper angle. If you wish to learn, I can teach you."Yan Sui was taken aback for a moment, then looked up at Yan Chi with pleasant surprise. Seeing his expression, Yan Chi strode into the central courtyard. Yan Sui, no longer afraid for the time being, picked up the short dagger that had fallen on the ground and trotted after him.
OpenNovel