Chapter 97

In the courtyard of the chief’s mansion, the ten thousand gold mentioned in Zhu Jingyu’s posthumous edict was neatly stacked in several large red boxes that had not been opened yet.

Feng Bao was quietly organizing Qin Yan’s belongings in the inner courtyard. The carriage to Mocheng was already prepared and waiting at the east courtyard gate, ready to depart immediately.

Due to fatigue over the past couple of days, Su Mi felt a sense of exhaustion. With the support of Chun Mei, she sat on a stone bench. Qin Yan was worried about her, but Su Mi tried her best not to show any signs of weakness.

Qin Yan walked to Su Mi’s side and gently brushed away the stray hair near her ear. His voice was low.

“You go to Mocheng first, and I will come later in a few days.”

“But, Lord, didn’t you say we would return together?” Su Mi didn’t know the relationship between Qin Yan and Zhu Jingyu, but she could sense Qin Yan’s emotions. So when he asked her to leave first, she became even more worried.

“I still have some matters to attend to in the Eastern Bureau. You go ahead.”

Qin Yan’s tone was always resolute, especially this time. Su Mi knew she had to agree. When she reached the courtyard gate and saw Feng Bao packing the luggage, she finally understood that Qin Yan had made plans from the beginning.

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It wasn’t until a familiar figure in black appeared at the gate that Ling An’s eyes showed a glimmer of excitement.

Qin Yan walked past Ling An expressionlessly, without even looking at him, and mounted a green horse. Without pausing for a moment, he galloped toward the city center.

Ling An glanced at him and propped himself up, his knees numb from prolonged kneeling. After stumbling a few times, he finally mounted another horse and followed behind.

Watching the two horses disappear into the distance, Feng Bao shook his head helplessly. The Emperor’s sudden departure must have been hard on master. After all, the Emperor had relied heavily on master in the past. However, if it was merely a matter of loyalty between ruler and subject, Feng Bao couldn’t help but feel that it was more than that. But this wasn’t something he should be thinking about.

Lost in his thoughts, Feng Bao was startled by a familiar voice.

“Feng Bao!”

Feng Bao turned around in surprise and saw Su Mi, who was supposed to have already arrived in Mocheng, along with Chun Mei supporting her.

“Madam, weren’t you going to Mocheng? Why are you still in the capital?” Moreover, as soon as the master left, the madam appeared. Feng Bao couldn’t believe it was a coincidence.

“Feng Bao, I didn’t go. Where did the Lord go? The Eastern Bureau?” Su Mi didn’t explain much. It was only her intuition. She was worried about Qin Yan. How could she easily go to Mocheng?

She had the coachman take her to Mrs. Yu’s small courtyard and stayed there for a few days. Every day, she secretly came to the chief’s mansion in a carriage. Today, when she saw Qin Yan leave, she immediately got off the carriage. Although she also wanted to follow him, she was afraid that Qin Yan would find out. In that case, she might be forcibly sent back to Mocheng.

“Madam, I don’t know either, but you should go back to Mocheng and wait for master. Otherwise, he will definitely be angry if he finds out.” 

“Feng Bao, I can’t go back. I have to wait for him here.” After seeing Qin Yan’s expression in the study, how could she leave him alone? If she couldn’t stop Qin Yan from doing what he wanted to do, at the very least, she wanted to hear news from him before she could feel at ease.

Su Mi stood for a while, feeling dizzy. Chun Mei quickly helped her sit on a stone bench in the courtyard. “Miss, please don’t exert yourself anymore. You haven’t been sleeping much these past few days. Look at you now, so weak.”

“Chun Mei, I’m fine.”

The Prime Minister’s Mansion, separated from the street by a wall, was filled with the sound of laughter and conversation that was about to overflow.

In the backyard, a makeshift stage made of bamboo had been set up, and the new troupe had put up curtains and performed several plays.

Zhang Huaian sat on a mahogany recliner, swaying and humming along to a tune. The actors from the troupe that had rushed back from out of town had voices that were versatile and charming, with solid pronunciation and full of charm. This left Zhang Huaian extremely satisfied, and most importantly, it put him in a good mood. He rewarded them after every performance, and it hadn’t stopped.

At the end of a song came another word: “reward.”

“We thank you, sir,” the actors replied.

Li Zhi looked at Zhang Huaian, who seemed satisfied with what he had heard, and waved his hand. The actors on stage descended one after another, tidying up their props.

He stood by, brewed a cup of tea for Zhang Huaian, and smiled. “From now on, the court will be under your control, sir. I can already imagine songs and plays being written about your extraordinary presence.”

Li Zhi struck a chord in Zhang Huaian’s heart, and Zhang Huaian burst into laughter. “Well, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“By the way, how is Prince Qi doing?”

“Sir, Prince Qi has been staying in his own mansion. Our people stationed there say that he seems to feel guilty about Zhu Jingyu and hasn’t stepped out of his house. He is genuinely mourning for Zhu Jingyu.”

“Hmph, how can a person who accomplishes great things be bound by such emotions?”

“You’re right, sir. After all, Prince Qi is still a child. He’s nothing like you—far-sighted and wise.”

Li Zhi continued to flatter with a smile, and Zhang Huaian felt a great sense of satisfaction. He could already imagine how everyone at court would dare not speak up against him once he and Jingchen ascended the throne.

As the two of them were engrossed in their conversation, a servant from the Zhang Mansion rushed into the backyard in a panic. It was clear that he had witnessed something terrifying, as he couldn’t even articulate his words clearly. “Si… Sir, someone has stormed in!”

“Who is it?”

Although Li Zhi was a civil servant, he was born into a family of generals and had some martial skills. He revealed the short sword wrapped around his waist and held it up in front of Zhang Huaian. This was not the time to hold back; it was time to make a move.

Anyone who dared to intrude upon the Prime Minister’s Mansion was undoubtedly someone with no eyes. There was nothing to fear.

“It’s just a nobody. Is there any need to be so afraid?”

“Is that so?” A black figure appeared at the entrance of the courtyard.

Qin Yan’s voice sliced through Li Zhi’s ears like a sharp sword. His hand couldn’t help but tremble, and when he saw Qin Yan’s cold face stepping into the courtyard, he unconsciously took a few steps back.

Zhang Huaian hid behind Li Zhi, thinking that at least he had two people on his side. With a bit of courage, he said, “Qin Yan, what are you doing here? The late Emperor’s edict has already removed you from your position. Why did you come to my mansion instead of handling the remaining matters in the Eastern Bureau?”

Li Zhi echoed, “Yes, Qin Yan, what are you planning to do?”

He had never held Qin Yan, the eunuch, in high regard, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how formidable he was. In the past, he didn’t have to face him directly and could just rely on his wit to gain the upper hand. But now, seeing Qin Yan up close and feeling the oppressive aura emanating from him, Li Zhi found it hard to breathe. If it weren’t for his future career prospects, he would have long abandoned Zhang Huaian and left.

“Is it you who killed Jingyu?”

“What does it matter?”

A strong murderous intent flashed in Qin Yan’s eyes. Before Li Zhi could overturn his previous words, in an instant, Qin Yan had grabbed him by the throat, lifting him a foot off the ground. The short sword at Li Zhi’s waist had long been thrown by Qin Yan into the distant bushes.

Li Zhi struggled desperately, looking at Qin Yan with a terrified expression. He tried to pry Qin Yan’s hand off, but Qin Yan’s grip was like steel, impossible to break.

Behind Li Zhi was Zhang Huaian, but he couldn’t even turn his body to seek help from Zhang Huaian. All he could manage were some whimpering sounds from his throat.

“Qin Yan, Zhu Jingyu took his own life! You merely seek fame and fortune, and I can give you that,” Zhang Huaian pleaded as he cautiously circled around a chair, pressing his back against the chairback, his hand nervously clutching the armrest. “Release Li Zhi first.”

A sinister smile curled at the corners of Qin Yan’s lips. “Heh, fame and fortune. Do you know what I want?”

Without giving Zhang Huaian time to ponder, in the next moment, Qin Yan tightened his grip, and there was a crunching sound as bones dislocated. Li Zhi, lifeless, stood before Zhang Huaian, his head hanging limply, causing Zhang Huaian’s heart to nearly stop.

“Now you know.”

Zhang Huaian couldn’t even stand still. When he first saw Qin Yan, he could not maintain his composure. Even when Qin Yan grabbed Li Zhi, he thought it was just an additional bargaining chip. But now, as he watched Qin Yan swiftly kill Li Zhi, it meant that what he wanted was nothing more than their lives.

With a mournful voice, Zhang Huaian said, “Qin Yan, what deep enmity do I have with you? If you kill me, Prince Qi will surely avenge me, and you won’t have a way out in the future.”

Qin Yan tossed aside Li Zhi’s corpse and walked toward the trembling actor huddled by the stage pillar.

“You have a rope.”

“Yes.”

One of the actors tremblingly handed over a rope. Qin Yan glanced at him, took it, and then returned to Zhang Huaian. With great patience, he proceeded to bind him tightly to the chair, securing him in the center of the stage.

“Qin Yan, release me. I can give you anything you want!”

“I want him alive.”

Zhang Huaian didn’t understand why Qin Yan had such an obsession with Zhu Jingyu. “Qin, no, chief, you don’t know. Zhu Jingyu is not the Emperor’s bloodline, and the fire was not set by us; he started it himself!”

Qin Yan’s fingertip brushed against the fire starter in his hand, and the sporadic flames began to intensify. He lightly tossed it, and the fire started at the corner of the chair, gradually spreading upward, scorching Zhang Huaian’s feet, then his legs, and finally his waist, making him endure excruciating pain without the release of death. His body twisted and contorted in agony.

“Ling’an.”

“Yes.” Ling’an descended from the eaves, holding a wooden bucket in his hand. He poured water from the bucket, extinguishing the flames on Zhang Huaian’s body.

Zhang Huaian, with half of his body burned and dragged along fragmented charred bones, remained barely conscious, barely recognizable, but still clinging to a thread of life.

Qin Yan crouched down and smiled at the mangled remains on the ground. “Of course, I know. He is my younger brother.”