Наn Yаn glаnсed at Zhuо Qi; hе wаs indееd quick-handed. Не had alrеady rеvivеd Маdаm Zhоu from her unсonscious state so swiftlу. Тhe оld aсquаintаnсes imрrisоnеd in this сеll werе not just Conсubinе Mеi; naturally, thеre was аlso Mаdаm Zhоu. Аs sооn аs Madаm Zhоu wokе uр, shе saw twо figures in blасk standing befоrе her, оne telling Cоncubine Mеi thаt shе cоuld take her аwау. Mаdаm Zhоu соuld nо longеr wаlk—her lеgs had bеen brokеn by thе tоrturе in the рrisоn, lеаving her unable tо stand. She could not еscapе this nightmare, аnd naturаllу, she wоuld not let Concubine Mei fly away alone. Even if she had to descend into hell, she would drag another person down with her. This was the selfishness of human nature, the instinct of humanity. Sacrifice and selflessness were not something everyone could achieve.
Han Yan and Zhuo Qi had already pulled up their masks, so Madam Zhou could not see their faces. She thought they were accomplices Concubine Mei had hired. She bit down hard on Concubine Mei’s hand, wrapped an arm tightly around her, and let out a loud, dry wail, like an utter madwoman. Concubine Mei struggled but could not break free, watching helplessly as Han Yan said to her, "Since your friend so desperately wants you to stay, and it’s getting late, we can do nothing more. Farewell."
As soon as the words were spoken, Zhuo Qi lifted Han Yan like a chick and flew away.
Concubine Mei stared blankly at the now-empty space before her, even forgetting about Madam Zhou, who was still tearing at her. After a moment, a muffled scream escaped her throat, as if she realized she had lost her last chance at freedom. Her eyes instantly turned blood-red. She turned around and glared fiercely at Madam Zhou, who was frightened by her gaze. The next second, Concubine Mei pounced on her like a rabid dog, and the two began tearing at each other.
Outside the prison, the screams of Concubine Mei and Madam Zhou could no longer be heard. Zhuo Qi looked at Han Yan, who stood beside him lost in thought, and teased, "I’ve never seen anyone so shameless. If I were your aunt, I’d want to devour you right now."
Han Yan smiled indifferently. She had never intended to let Concubine Mei go in the first place. Someone like Concubine Mei, who could betray Zhuang Shiyang and sell secrets today, could just as easily betray her tomorrow. At what price would her own secrets be traded? Han Yan could not and dared not take that risk. It was simply a case of being a shrewd merchant for once.
Han Yan stood silently in the wind for a long time. Zhuo Qi glanced at her and asked, "How long are you going to stand here?"
Without looking at him, Han Yan suddenly spoke up, "Zhuo Qi, why did you come to the Great Dynasty?"
Zhuo Qi was taken aback, not expecting Han Yan to shift the topic so abruptly. He paused briefly before immediately laughing it off. "I was being hunted and took refuge in the Great Dynasty."
"You are no stray dog," Han Yan said coldly. "You are a wolf. You were hunted, so you plan to retaliate, and the Great Dynasty is where you’ll strike back. Tell me, what exactly does the person who stole your position in Western Rong, colluding with someone in the Great Dynasty’s court, intend to do?"Zhuo Qi was completely stunned in that moment. Initially, after Han Yan and Concubine Mei’s conversation, Zhuo Qi thought Han Yan had been greatly shaken. Yet, in such a short time, she had returned to her sharp, perceptive self. She spoke of such matters so calmly that Zhuo Qi even felt she had long known about his affairs—that she could foresee everything that would happen, merely watching coldly as the scenes in her mind unfolded in reality.
Seeing him silent, Han Yan turned and asked in a manner both unfamiliar and familiar to Zhuo Qi, “You want to deal with Fu Yunxi, don’t you?”
This side of Han Yan was one Zhuo Qi recognized well. When he first met her and threatened her to cover for him, she had carried herself exactly like this—seemingly casual and calm, yet keeping a distance of a thousand miles, vigilant and guarded, as if facing a stranger who might strike at any moment. Zhuo Qi disliked this version of Han Yan; her aloofness made him feel distant from her, as if he could never truly approach her. Zhuo Qi narrowed his eyes and leaned in with a hint of danger. “So what if I do?”
“Let’s make a deal,” Han Yan said, entirely unaffected by his demeanor, her tone indifferent. “Leave Fu Yunxi alone. Whatever you plan to do, I can cooperate.”
Instead of anger, Zhuo Qi laughed. He hated this side of Han Yan—tense and worried for Fu Yunxi’s sake. How Fu Yunxi treated Han Yan was something everyone had witnessed. Zhuo Qi never expected a woman like Han Yan to fall for him in such a short time; if she were that kind of person, he wouldn’t have been so uniquely drawn to her. These past days, Zhuo Qi felt he and Han Yan were growing closer, while Fu Yunxi gradually faded from her side. To say he wasn’t secretly pleased would be a lie. Yet, after just a few words from Concubine Mei, Han Yan was showing concern for Fu Yunxi again. Though he didn’t understand why, Zhuo Qi was genuinely angry. In his life, only women had ever fawned over him; he had never faced such cold indifference. He admitted he wasn’t a broad-minded person, and at this moment, he could no longer hold back, almost erupting in rage. But when he turned his gaze, he met Han Yan’s calm eyes. She simply looked at him indifferently, as if seeing someone else through him—and the shadow reflected in her heart was undoubtedly Fu Yunxi. Zhuo Qi suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of defeat. He sneered, “How do we cooperate?”
Han Yan looked at him. “The ruler of Western Rong is colluding with someone in the Great Dynasty’s court. The sky is about to change. Zhuo Qi, you should know that the ones conspiring with Western Rong are the Seventh Prince and the Empress Dowager.”
Zhuo Qi neither confirmed nor denied it. By now, nothing Han Yan said would surprise him. This woman simply knew too much, despite being a young lady who rarely left her home. Yet her information seemed more extensive than anyone else’s. The phrase “sharp-eyed and keen-eared” suited her perfectly. Most importantly, she possessed a terrifying intuition for politics.
“They intend to overthrow the current Emperor. I suspect Western Rong has promised them some reward in return—perhaps territorial concessions,” Han Yan said.By now, the Empress Dowager's ambitions had been fully revealed. She was determined to deal with The Emperor and his brother Fu Yunxi, along with the Seventh Prince who had no sense of familial affection. These two, colluding in their wicked schemes, actually intended to ally with the Western Rong people, seeking their help to deal with the Emperor and his brother. With insufficient military forces under the Empress Dowager and the Seventh Prince's control, they naturally had no choice but to borrow troops from the Western Rong. They wanted to use the Western Rong's military power to suppress the entire court and the Great Dynasty, yet they failed to realize that this was akin to inviting a wolf into the house or seeking a tiger's skin—a perilous endeavor. The Western Rong people were cunning and their ambitions unfathomable. Once their soldiers and armies truly set foot within the borders of the Great Dynasty, a storm of bloodshed would inevitably sweep across the land, and the common people would face unimaginable suffering. By that time, the Empress Dowager and the Seventh Prince would only bring trouble upon themselves, for merely offering territorial concessions as compensation would never satisfy the Western Rong. They aimed to replace the Great Dynasty entirely—their goal was the whole of the Great Dynasty.
Zhuo Qi was actually a man of considerable strategy. What he intended to do was simply watch the tigers fight from the mountain and then reap the benefits as the fisherman. Han Yan speculated that Zhuo Qi must have secretly stationed some troops within the Great Dynasty as well. His plan was to engage in a final confrontation with the Western Rong ruler after the Western Rong had destroyed the Great Dynasty.
OpenNovel