Chapter 40: Concession

Outside a dilapidated temple gate a hundred li from the capital, there were about a dozen martial fighters hired by the Prince Yong’s mansion, sitting or standing.

The sandy ground reflected the flowing clouds after the rain, and Chou Zui squatted outside the threshold, his tattered bamboo hat pressed low, using a small branch to draw something on the ground.

Upon closer inspection, the crooked lines vaguely formed the shape of a plum blossom.

In the dark depths of the dungeon, a frail young boy brought a branch of hidden snow-white plum blossoms from outside and leaned over to look at the trapped beast with iron chains, saying, “You used to have a name.”

In the darkness, a tall figure heavily restrained by iron chains remained motionless, except for a pair of fierce and indifferent eyes occasionally glancing at the blooming white plum blossoms, accompanied by hoarse murmurs, sounding like the whispers of a wild beast.

The jailer who constantly controlled the iron chains explained to the young boy, “Your Highness, assassins have no name, no past. Because they have assassinated their masters and fled, they must be deeply imprisoned to redeem their sins. Therefore, he has another name called ‘Sinner.’”

The young boy pondered these words and shook his head, saying, “That name is not good. I will give you a new name.”

With gentle eyes, he dipped his finger in wine and wrote on the table, smiling, “Chou Zui, would you like to follow me?”

Chou Zui couldn’t read, he still didn’t understand what these complex characters represented, nor could he write. He only remembered the pure and ethereal white plum blossom placed on the table that day.

The branch looked clumsy and delicate in Chou Zui’s rough hands. He drew on the sandy soil for a long time before reluctantly sketching a somewhat decent plum blossom.

A muddy boot stepped on it, crushing the flower.

Zhao Yuanyu, his arm secured with a splint around his neck, covered in bandages, bruised and battered, exclaimed in frustration, “Why haven’t the people from my father’s side come to rescue me?”

However, the martial fighters from the martial world only cared about money, not allegiance like the servants of the prince’s mansion. They were busy sharpening their blades or resting, ignoring him.

Unable to contain his anger, Zhao Yuanyu stomped on the small branch Chou Zui was using to draw flowers, making a crisp sound, then ruthlessly ground it underfoot, saying, “You said you assassinated Zhao Yan, I didn’t believe it before, but now it seems true! Ha, biting and killing two masters, you are indeed a dog that everyone wants to kill. Now only the Crown Prince is willing to accept you! Get up and lead the way!”

Chou Zui looked indifferently at the messy sand on the ground, then picked up his curved knife and stood up after a while.

As the wind swept in, the bamboo forest outside the temple surged, and fallen leaves danced in the air. Chou Zui’s eagle-like eyes suddenly sharpened, looking towards the depths of the dense forest: someone was coming.

Zhao Yan had been thinking about the Liu Ying’s words, “It’s Chou Zui who killed the crown prince.”

When saying this, tears welled up in the Liu Ying’s eyes. She had seen it with her own eyes and wouldn’t joke about such serious matters.

Could it be that Chou Zui was a spy planted by the Prince Yong’s mansion in the Eastern Palace, and after finding a way to get a chance to protect the Crown Prince alone, he plotted to assassinate him on the way back to the palace?

But on the rainy night of the battle at the charity inn, Zhao Yuanyu’s terrified words, “You are not Zhao Yan,” didn’t seem like acting.

If Chou Zui was really a lackey of the Prince Yong’s mansion, he should be the one who knew whether the Crown Prince had been assassinated, and there was no reason for Zhao Yuanyu to confirm that the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace had been replaced until now…

With his arm bandaged, Gu Xing bowed outside, saying, “The buyer of the Jinyun Villa has been escorted back to the Dali Temple prison. He is indeed an aide of the Prince Yong’s mansion, ordered by the Prince Yong’s heir to purchase the villa, used to hide abducted young girls and boys, and refine the supreme secret medicine.”

Zhao Yan recalled the exploding alchemy furnace and the female who tried to die with it, “Does he confess who the ‘immortal master’ instructed by Zhao Yuanyu to refine the medicine is?”

“He only said that the alchemy matters were handled by the female crown, and even the Prince Yong’s heir had never seen the true face of the master. However, since the female is dead, he doesn’t know anything further.”

Gu Xing said, “I carefully interrogated him, and he didn’t seem to be hiding anything.”

Perhaps only when they truly captured Zhao Yuanyu and Chou Zui could these mysteries be unraveled. However, two days had passed, and now trying to catch them was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Zhao Yan sat up, instructing to reward each of the guards who fought bravely with a hundred taels of silver. Gu Xing’s accompanying knife was damaged in the duel, so Zhao Yan personally rewarded him with a horizontal knife with a flower-patterned scabbard, the blade as white as snow without a hint of impurity, a top-grade gift worthy of a hero.

Gu Xing hurriedly kneeled on one knee, bowing his head, “It is my duty to be loyal, I dare not accept such great kindness.”

“You have accompanied me through life and death, eliminating traitors and evil. This is what you deserve.”

Zhao Yan handed the knife to him, saying clearly, “A good knife deserves a loyal owner, so it is not demeaning to it. Take it, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to achieve merit with this knife in the future.”

Gu Xing’s Adam’s apple moved, solemnly accepting the knife with both hands, “I thank Your Highness for the reward.”

After sitting quietly for an afternoon, Liu Ying, now calm, came in as usual to administer medicine. Zhao Yan glanced behind her, but didn’t see Wen Renlin.

Didn’t she take care of her personally these past few days while she was ill?

Remembering her slip of the tongue, “Sibling affection, how could the Grand Tutor understand,” Zhao Yan seemed to understand something.

She gestured to Liu Ying, then turned to Li Fu waiting outside the hall, “Send someone to inform the Prince Su, saying that this medicine cannot be administered by others, and ask him to come and see for himself.”

Li Fu left to carry out the order, and soon returned wiping sweat, frowning as he reported, “Prince Su said, if the medicine can’t be administered, just throw it away. He’s busy bathing and doesn’t have the mood to accompany Your Highness.”

Zhao Yan sighed and instructed, “Prepare the carriage to Tangchi Palace.”

Liu Ying looked at her still pale face, feeling distressed, “Your Highness has just recovered from a serious illness, so you really shouldn’t be working so hard. If you have anything to do, please leave it to your servants.”

Zhao Yan held her forehead to relax, and breathed in slightly: “You know, there are some things that only I can do and must do.”

The lights in the Tangchi Palace were bright, and Wen Renlin was indeed soaking in the pool, his eyes lightly closed.

He didn’t tie up his hair, the extremely dark ends of his hair floating in the pool water, like ink spreading out. Without those obstructing petals, the water was clear, extending from the firm curves of his chest and abdomen downwards, revealing everything in the pool.

Zhao Yan’s breath hitched, and she moved her gaze away slightly. After a moment, she firmly brought it back.

She sat on a small couch by the pool, her chin resting on her hand, brows furrowed, pondering how to speak. She heard Wen Renlin’s faint voice saying, “If you have something to say, just say it, don’t disturb my peace.”

He spoke first, which relieved Zhao Yan. Her previously unclear thoughts suddenly became clear, vividly emerging at the tip of her tongue.

Zhao Yan’s voice still carried a bit of hoarseness from her illness, soft but not timid. “I shouldn’t have said that the Prince Su doesn’t understand sibling affection.”

Wen Renlin seemed to be in a trance, without any response.

Zhao Yan thought for a moment and then softened her voice, “I’m disobedient and stubborn by nature since I was young. No one taught me how to act, no one spoiled me to…”

She seemed embarrassed to analyze herself and quickly stopped talking, pursing her lips and avoiding eye contact.

Starting from the phrase “no one spoiled me,” Wen Renlin opened his eyes and stared at her through the rippling water.

“Come here.”

He raised his hand, and the water droplets on his arm fell in a continuous line, breaking the calm surface of the pool.

Zhao Yan thought he wouldn’t speak to her again, so hearing these low, deep words left her somewhat stunned. Blinking, she finally got up and sat beside Wen Renlin, dipping her feet into the hot water of the pool.

The mountain road she ran on that night was too far, and her heels were a bit sore from the abrasions. Stimulated by the hot water, they became both painful and itchy. Zhao Yan took a deep breath, furrowing her brows and complaining, “Prince Su left before my medication was applied during the day.”

“If I don’t leave, I’m afraid I’ll end up killing Your Highness.”

Wen Renlin raised his hand and pressed it gently between her faintly furrowed brows. Although the words were terrifying, his tone was not stern, “As the Crown Prince now, you might as well keep a few attendants and guests, let them do things for you.”

For example, Zhou something, Zhang something, Pei something, and even the commander of the Eastern Palace Guards… even, someone like Liu Ji, who couldn’t even be considered a proper woman.

Zhao Yan pretended to seriously consider this possibility for a while before saying under Wen Renlin’s deep gaze, “With the Prince Su alone is enough.”

Wen Renlin scoffed at this obviously clumsy and false answer, showing no interest.

“The Prince Su will always be my first choice.”

Zhao Yan’s fragile and beautiful face reflected in the ripples of the water, with a bit of the pride of a little princess, “If the Prince Su refuses, I will find someone else to replace him.”

This time, Wen Renlin looked at her for a long time.

“Your Highness might as well give it a try.” He glanced at her, his eyes like fragmented water, revealing no emotion.

“In that case, I ask Prince Su. Don’t give me a chance to try.”

Zhao Yan tightly grasped the jade-carved pool edge, leaning down and turning her head, carefully discerning Wen Renlin’s expression.

In the flickering candlelight, the ripples in the pool mirrored her fluctuating thoughts, returning to silence in silence.

Zhao Yan didn’t know how far Wen Renlin would retreat for her, but many things still had to rely on herself. Back in the hall, Zhao Yan took out the sketch presented by Liu Ji and unfolded it. With Zhao Yuanyu’s tough personality, he must be as timid as a startled bird at this moment, most likely fleeing in disguise only after obtaining false evidence through a decoy.

Forging evidence and identity takes time. If at this time, the incident of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace being attacked and the assassin being captured was used as a reason to thoroughly investigate the counties, it might not be impossible to find some clues.

However, there were many routes out of the capital, and Zhao Yan couldn’t be sure which direction to investigate. So, she carefully rolled up the sketch and stuffed it into her sleeve, preparing to ask Liu Ji.

As soon as she left the hall, she saw Cai Tian standing in the courtyard, respectfully saying to Zhao Yan, “Your Highness, please come this way.”

Zhao Yan knew he must have come on Wen Renlin’s orders. After weighing it for a moment, she finally turned around.

Liu Ying and Gu Xing wanted to follow, but were stopped by Cai Tian.

Zhao Yan shook her head at them, indicating that they didn’t need to follow. Then she followed Cai Tian out of the side gate.

Outside the gate was a familiar carriage. Zhao Yan got on, and indeed saw Wen Renlin sitting with one knee up, his excellent-quality dark sleeve robe hanging down like ink, his slightly disheveled hair sliding down his broad shoulders, still damp from the pool.

In front of him was a plate of ice-chilled lychees, each fruit plump and glistening, emitting a cool mist. Seeing Zhao Yan approaching, Wen Renlin casually speared a lychee with a fork and offered it to her lips.

The fork, about the length of a finger, was also made of jade, intricately carved at the handle.

As the carriage started moving, Zhao Yan bit into the lychee, bursting its juices between her teeth and lips, moistening her almost pale lips with a refreshing sweetness.

“Is it delicious?” Wen Renlin asked, his lazy and calm demeanor resembling someone enticing a cat with a treat.

Zhao Yan nodded honestly, then asked, “Prince Su invited me here, surely not just to taste lychees?”

Wen Renlin didn’t say anything but speared another piece of lychee and brought it to her lips.

Zhao Yan felt that the jade fork looked somewhat familiar, subconsciously scanning Wen Renlin’s waist where the jade belt hook and fan pendant were. After a moment, she opened her mouth to take the lychee, carefully guiding it in without letting her lips touch the familiar material of the jade fork.

Wen Renlin glanced at her, seemingly smiling but not, and said, “Your Highness dislikes using things that have been touched by yourself.”

Zhao Yan froze, unsure whether to swallow the lychee or spit it out, her slightly pale cheeks finally showing a hint of color.

Wen Renlin lifted his hand to support his chin, the depths of his dark and cold eyes showing a faint smile, then used the jade fork that Zhao Yan had used to put the lychee into his own mouth. His pale lips lightly brushed against the moist jade fork, as if savoring the sweetness of the lychee, yet also reminiscing about something else.

Zhao Yan coughed and lowered her eyes, focusing on swallowing the lychee.

Instead of descending the mountain, the carriage continued along a small path towards the depths of the forest. Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it stopped in front of a steep cliff covered with overhanging vines.

As they alighted from the carriage, Wen Renlin reached out to assist Zhao Yan. Cai Tian, holding a torch, pushed aside the vines covering the cliff, revealing a moss-covered stone door shaped like a beast’s head.

Pressing the mechanism, the door swung open, and a cold air rushed out, with a few sparks leaping and extending deep into the underground.

“Where is this…?” Zhao Yan was astonished.

Sensing her struggling steps, Wen Renlin slowed his pace slightly, hands behind his back. “This is a secret passage leading to the Yuquan Palace.”

Curious about where this passage led within the Yuquan Palace, Zhao Yan asked, “Since it connects to the Yuquan Palace, why didn’t we just come directly from the palace entrance earlier?”

Wen Renlin smirked softly, “Since it’s a secret passage, how could we allow outsiders to easily know the entrance and exit?”

Am I not an outsider?

The words formed a circle on her lips but were swallowed back by Zhao Yan.

The intricately built and sturdy secret passage was no match for the Jinyun Villa of Zhao Yuanyu. Zhao Yan carefully followed Wen Renlin, unaware of such a hidden place behind the Yuquan Palace.

Why would he create such a secret passage under the royal recuperation of the Yuquan Palace?

Thinking that Wen Renlin wouldn’t be interested in killing people and plundering goods here, Zhao Yan gradually put aside her doubts and stopped asking further questions. After walking dozens of steps along the secret passage, they reached another hidden door. Wen Renlin raised his hand to signal Cai Tian to stop.

He slightly tilted his head, his facial features appearing particularly deep and indistinct in the dim room, and looked at Zhao Yan, saying, “This is the last time I will yield to Your Highness.”

With that, he lifted his boot to trigger the mechanism of the hidden door, revealing another passage leading to a deeper chamber. As Zhao Yan descended into the chamber, she finally understood the meaning behind Wen Renlin’s earlier words.

This was an underground dungeon, holding the person Zhao Yan hated most at this moment.

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