Chapter 131: It Would Actually Be Him (Part One)

The banquet did not end until the moon had climbed near the center of the sky. Once everyone had dispersed, Prince Qin entered his study.

A man was already waiting inside, bent respectfully at the waist. The moment he saw Prince Qin enter, he dropped to both knees, thrust his backside high into the air, and kowtowed loudly.

“Long live Your Highness. Long live Your Highness. Long, long live Your Highness,” he said, keeping his head bowed and not daring to look up.

“Mm. Rise,” Prince Qin said as he settled into his chair.

He then looked at the man standing respectfully before him. “You are Wang Youwei?”

The man was indeed Wang Youwei, who had traveled day and night to reach the Upper Capital. He replied, “That is this humble official.”

Prince Qin nodded at his impeccable manners. “Mm. Jingmin has praised you several times. What brings you to the Upper Capital?”

Wang Youwei raised his head and glanced at Prince Qin before lowering it again. In a cautious, subdued voice, he said, “The Eldest Prince may have encountered some trouble.”

Prince Qin frowned. “Mm?”

Wang Youwei bent even lower and hurriedly said, “After the imperial examinations, the Eldest Prince was assassinated when he left Drunken Mortal World.” Feeling the oppressive atmosphere in the room, Wang Youwei did not dare raise his head. He continued, “The Eldest Prince was stabbed in the shoulder. Fortunately, his life is not in danger, so please do not worry, Your Highness.”

Prince Qin already knew the entirety of Yin Ruxin’s escape plan, so he was not particularly surprised to hear that Jingmin had been attacked. What surprised him was that Yin Ruxin had acted ahead of schedule.

Yet if she had taken action immediately after the examinations, and if the plan had succeeded, Jingmin should have arrived in the Upper Capital by now. Since he had not, the plan must have failed.

Some time earlier, Prince Qin had learned that the prefect of Yingtian had been implicated in the prison riot at Yingtian Prefecture and imprisoned as a result. One of the important pieces he had spent years placing in the capital had been locked away just like that, and it had enraged him.

Now he had learned that Jingmin’s rescue had also failed. The two incidents had likely occurred at nearly the same time.

Prince Qin fell into deep thought. After a long while, his expression darkened. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Wang Youwei.

Could it be that Yin Ruxin had betrayed him?

At last, Prince Qin gave a deep, heavy grunt.

Wang Youwei wiped the sweat beading on his forehead from nervousness and said, “After the Eldest Prince appeared once following the Mid-Autumn Festival, His Majesty sent soldiers to guard the Prince’s Residence under the pretext of protecting the two princes’ safety. Even visits from officials were forbidden. I went to see him several times, but was stopped outside each time, so I began to worry about the Eldest Prince.

“He once instructed me that if he were placed under house arrest, I was to find a way to inform Your Highness. That is why I came to the Upper Capital.”

Several knocks sounded at the door.

Hearing them, Prince Qin knew that the steward had come to report something. He said, “Mm. You have done well. The journey to the Upper Capital must have been difficult. Rest properly for a few days first. I will consider how to arrange things for you.”

Wang Youwei knelt and thanked him. “Thank you, Your Highness. Then this humble official shall take his leave.”

After Wang Youwei left the study, the steward ordered a servant to escort him out of the prince’s residence. He then entered the study and said, “Your Highness.”

With that, he respectfully presented Prince Qin with a letter.

Prince Qin frowned when he saw that it was a secret communiqué. The mark stamped upon it indicated that the letter had been written by Yin Ruxin. He frowned again and unfolded it.

Yin Ruxin had been worried that the secret investigators would fail to intercept Wang Youwei, who had already been on the road for several days. She was also concerned that Wang Youwei might learn of the Eldest Prince Jingmin’s failed escape. Though that was unlikely, one could never be too careful.

Thus, she had written this letter and entrusted it to Yin Ruyun, who was heading to the Upper Capital to protect Yang Yaozong. The indistinct figure Yang Yaozong had seen standing upon a rooftop during the banquet had indeed been Yin Ruyun.

Yin Ruyun had given the letter to Madam Jiang, who had then sent someone to deliver it to Prince Qin.

In the letter, Yin Ruxin claimed that the Second Prince, Jingyu, had orchestrated the prison riot at Yingtian Prefecture, causing the prefect of Yingtian to be imprisoned and also leading to the Eldest Prince Jingmin’s failed escape. She placed all the blame on the Second Prince and stated that she would find a way to help Jingmin escape again.

Whether Prince Qin believed her or not, the letter would at least delay him.

As for whether Wang Youwei might pose a threat to Yang Yaozong, Yin Ruxin believed that as long as Yin Ruyun remained at Yang Yaozong’s side, she could ensure his safe retreat even in the worst possible circumstances.

Prince Qin read Yin Ruxin’s secret letter several times. Then he suddenly let out a cold laugh and burned it.

Whether Yin Ruxin’s words were true or false no longer mattered to the great undertaking he was about to set in motion. Yet even with all his calculations, Prince Qin could never have foreseen that, in just a few days, none of these matters would have anything to do with him anymore.

His ambitions, his grand aspirations, and the rebellion he had spent so long plotting would all be destroyed by a earth-shaking upheaval.

“Your Highness.”

A maid hurried to the study and stopped outside the door, her voice anxious.

“What is it?” Prince Qin asked.

“The Third Prince is crying again. Consort Ru cannot soothe him either. She said that he will stop crying only when Your Highness holds him, and specifically ordered me to come and fetch you,” the maid said nervously.

“Mm. I will go at once.”

Prince Qin thought of the son who had been born only recently. The child would fuss endlessly unless he was held by his father. Prince Qin gave a helpless smile.

Before leaving, he instructed the steward beside him, “By the way, send someone to investigate a man named Yang Guo. I have the distinct feeling that I have seen him somewhere before. Tomorrow, go and visit Elder Bai yourself. He has been ill for a long time. It is about time he recovered.”

The steward nodded and smiled faintly. “Elder Bai’s stubborn temper is probably still acting up because the Eldest Prince has not returned to the Upper Capital, because Your Highness is preparing to head south, and because of the terms Your Highness agreed upon with the Turks.”

Prince Qin stopped walking and turned his head, fixing the steward with a deep look.

“What? Do you share Elder Bai’s opinion as well?”

The steward hurriedly bowed. “This old servant would not dare.”

Prince Qin nodded and sighed. “Elder Bai is old. Still, go see him tomorrow. If he is still angry, let him be.”

The steward bowed. “This old servant obeys.”

Yang Yaozong escorted Ayi back to the entrance of the inn where she was staying. There, he saw Jiezhi slightly and Se Wu, whom he had not seen for several days, waiting outside.

After chatting with them for a while, Yang Yaozong said his farewells and turned to leave.

“Yang Yaozong? Why is he in the Upper Capital?”

Wang Youwei also happened to be staying at that inn. He had just arrived at the entrance after leaving Prince Qin’s residence when he caught sight of Yang Yaozong’s retreating figure.

Hearing someone nearby mention the name of the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince of Great Zhou, Ayi instinctively looked toward the speaker. She saw a man frowning as he carefully watched Yang Guo’s back.

Ayi furrowed her delicate brows and asked the man, “Do you know the person ahead? What did you say his name was?”