Chapter 64 Trust Me

As he said this, Cen Yan was actually holding Zhuang Dongqing's pulse, so he knew exactly how nervous the other person was.

Seeing Zhuang Dongqing trying so hard to remain calm, Cen Yan said nothing. He gently hugged Zhuang Dongqing and patted his back, feeling Zhuang Dongqing bury his head in his shoulder. Cen Yan then stroked Zhuang Dongqing's hair and said in a steady voice, "It's good that you're not afraid. Take a breath."

Zhuang Dongqing nodded.

Cen Yan then looked towards the outside room.

In the short time it took to say those few words, the fire had grown even bigger, turning half the sky red.

I wonder which unlucky bastard did this, sabotaging his father's efforts on the last day of the Emperor's birthday celebration. I'm afraid things won't end well for them.

With a thought racing through his mind, Hao San and his men, who were guarding outside, immediately sent people out to investigate.

"My lord, the altar has been destroyed. The Director of the Imperial Observatory and a deputy director have been injured. The Imperial Guards are still investigating the civilian casualties. The area around the altar is in chaos, and there may still be unburned explosives. The Imperial Guards are escorting the ministers and nobles who are watching."

A moment later, Hao San came forward to report.

Cen Yan nodded and asked, "Has anyone died?"

Hao San: "I see some among the people."

Praying for the dead is not a good omen.

Instead, Cen Yan touched Zhuang Dongqing's face, turned her head away, and asked him in a low voice, "Are you feeling better? Can you walk?"

Realizing belatedly that Cen Yan, though temporarily assigned, was also responsible for part of the altar's guard duties, Zhuang Dongqing took a breath, glanced at Hao San out of the corner of her eye, stepped back a bit, and nodded.

Cen Yan studied his face for a moment before saying, "Shall we go outside and take a look?"

Zhuang Dongqing nodded again.

Cen Yan held his hand.

Once you step outside the palace walls, you can see what's happening outside; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it turmoil.

Flames shot into the sky, and not only the altar, but also many large candlesticks used for lighting collapsed. The area was filled with a cacophony of voices, panic, shouts, screams, and collisions, all happening in the same place.

Cen Yan glanced around, but there was still some distance between them, so he couldn't see what the altar looked like. He didn't rush forward amidst the throng of people.

"Aaaaaaahh ...

"Waaah, waaah waaah—"

"Oh no, oh no, the gods are angry."

"Did the prayer fail?"

"Is this year going badly?"

"@#￥%￥￥——"

"@#￥%@——"

Cen Yan's expression suddenly changed. He stepped forward and stood in front of Zhuang Dongqing, saying, "Two thieves are coming this way, Hao San!"

After glancing at him twice, Cen Yan accurately said, "The one in black right in front of us."

"There's also someone wearing blue on the left side."

The prince's guards moved at his command, and as soon as they got close, they immediately started fighting.

Zhuang Dongqing's heart pounded, but Cen Yan pressed his long fingers against the back of his head and said in a low voice, "You will go back to the Prince's Mansion with Liu Qi in a little while."

"This matter is likely to drag on for several days."

"I will probably stay in the palace for a couple of days as well..."

"Let's go back first."

He paused, then said solemnly, "Eat and drink well, and don't panic no matter what you hear. Trust me, can you do that?"

Cen Yan's gaze was resolute as he looked directly at Zhuang Dongqing, his eyes seeming to weigh heavily on her.

Zhuang Dongqing held Cen Yan's wrist, their faces very close, and he could feel the warmth of the other's breath.

Realizing something, Zhuang Dongqing slowly nodded, "Okay."

Cen Yan's eyes softened instantly. He didn't say anything, but gently pinched the back of Zhuang Dongqing's neck.

Looking up again, Hao San and another team of guards from the Prince's Mansion had already subdued the two villains.

Cen Yan showed no intention of interrogating him, and instead ordered, "Send a few men to tie him up and hand him over to the commander."

"The rest of you will follow us."

Hao San accepted the order.

Cen Yan: "Come on, I'll see you onto the carriage."

Zhuang Dongqing hesitated: "It's so messy, aren't you sure it's alright to give me a ride?"

"It's alright."

Cen Yan was certain, so Zhuang Dongqing followed him silently. When they arrived, the worship ceremony was about to begin, and the outer circle of the altar was already packed with people. Liu Qi wanted the guards to clear the way, but on such an important day, Zhuang Dongqing did not want to be too conspicuous, so he had the carriage stop on the outer edge.

This decision has made their journey much smoother.

The inside was in complete chaos. If the carriage were inside, with so many people running around in a panic, the horses would be startled and unable to move.

As we circled around the perimeter, a couple of people rushed over, but were stopped by the well-trained guards.

All around him were the sounds of collapses, screams, and cries, but he was surrounded by people who were protecting him closely. The hand holding Zhuang Dongqing's hand was firmly held and never let go.

Looking up, he could see Cen Yan half a step ahead of him, seemingly blocking his way.

Amidst such chaos, as she moved through the chaos, Zhuang Dongqing's frightened heart gradually calmed down, and she slowly regained her composure.

They arrived safely near the carriage and saw Liu Qi anxiously looking around from under it.

Both groups breathed a sigh of relief when they met.

"Master, young master, are you alright?" Liu Qi stepped forward and asked.

Although it was the two people asking the question, their eyes were both focused on Zhuang Dongqing, constantly looking her over.

Zhuang Dongqing: "It's alright."

Cen Yan: "We weren't near the altar when the explosion happened. We were looking for a place to talk, and luckily we avoided it."

Liu Qi let out a long breath and whispered, "Thank God, thank the Bodhisattva for protecting us."

Cen Yan didn't waste any words: "The Imperial Guards are being mobilized. The fire is starting to subside, and someone will probably be coming to find us soon. How many men did you take with you when you went out?"

Liu Qi gave a number, and Cen Yan said, "I'll give you another team from here. You all go back to the manor immediately."

Liu Qi was stunned for a moment, and Cen Yan looked at Zhuang Dongqing, "Come on, get in the car."

The coachman quickly placed the stirrups in place, and Cen Yan helped Zhuang Dongqing into the carriage. Before getting in, Zhuang Dongqing turned back to look at Cen Yan, who whispered, "Remember what I said?"

Zhuang Dongqing nodded.

“Go ahead,” Cen Yan said gently. “I’ll watch you go in.”

The carriage curtain was lowered.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhuang Dongqing got into the car, Cen Yan turned around and gave some other instructions. Liu Qi realized something, looked around, and then choked up.

Not far away, a squad of imperial guards was rushing towards them.

Cen Yan: "I should go."

Liu Qi composed himself and simply said, "Master, please be careful in everything you do."

Liu Fu got out of the car again. Cen Yan thought something was wrong, but then his eyes fell on the food box Liu Fu was carrying, and he smiled and understood.

*

By the time the Fourth Prince Li Ren arrived with his men, the carriage had already started moving ahead.

Li Ren: "That's..."

Cen Yan: "The Prince's carriage, does the Fourth Prince suspect there are thieves on board?"

Li Ren: "..."

Knowing Cen Yan's temperament, Li Ren was not like the third brother, Li Zhuo, who would provoke everyone he met.

Li Ren asked tactfully, "Oh, Your Highness and your personal guards were called away today. Weren't the carriages from the Prince's residence supposed to pick you up and take you back? Why have they left now?"

Normally, Cen Yan wouldn't be patient with these roundabout questions, but today...

Cen Yan smiled and said, "Knowing that the altar is busy and that I might not have enough to eat, the carriage came specially to deliver food to me."

As he spoke, he glanced at Hao San, who took the food box and opened it layer by layer in front of Li Ren.

Garlic-flavored spare ribs and steamed prawns, both quite large, were thoughtfully peeled and deveined.

Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, served with a steaming bowl of winter melon and sliced ​​pork soup...

Smelling the aroma of food, Li Ren's Adam's apple bobbed. Today had been incredibly busy; not only had Cen Yan missed a meal, but several of the Imperial Guard commanders had also gone hungry.

Cen Yan: "It's still hot, that proves it, right?"

Li Ren then came to his senses and smiled apologetically, "The situation is special, so I have to ask one more question. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Cen Yan smiled slightly, a hint of mockery in his expression, and remained silent. Instead, he took the lid from Hao San's hand and casually sealed the food box again.

After tidying things up, Cen Yan clapped his hands and asked Li Ren, "How is the situation? Has any noble person been injured? Has His Majesty summoned anyone to hold someone accountable?"

Li Ren: "".

The first two sentences were fine, but the last sentence perfectly explained why they were looking for Cen Yan.

When the matter was reported to the palace, the emperor was furious and summoned the commanders of the guards who had been on duty that day to the palace for questioning.

Li Ren's expression was complicated: "It's not good. Some officials from the Imperial Observatory were injured, but the rest are fine."

"His Majesty is questioning the person in charge of the guards."

When it comes to understanding the Emperor's intentions, if Cen Yan claims to be second, then none of his brothers would dare to claim to be first.

Cen Yan calmly said, "Then let's go to the palace."

Upon seeing the Emperor, the commanders knelt respectfully, one after another. When asked about Cen Yan, Li Ren listened numbly as he repeated the same words he had used against him before his father.

Hmm, the food is still hot, and we haven't eaten it yet, so it's perfect as evidence.

"The commander said this afternoon that we didn't have enough manpower. I refused once, but he came back a second time..."

"Once the prayers began and everyone was in their places, I found a spot. Before I even ate, I heard an explosion."

"So I wasn't around the altar after that."

"With such a big incident, I figured I wouldn't be able to return to the Prince's residence today. Since the area around the altar was too crowded, I spoke with Liu Qi about the arrangements for the next few days at the Prince's residence, including the Dowager Consort's plans. Later, the Fourth Prince came looking for me..."

That's how the process works.

After examining the food box, Eunuch Feng said to Emperor Shengwu, "The food is still warm."

Emperor Shengwu then nodded.

According to Cen Yan, he was completely implicated.

Emperor Shengwu looked at Li Ren and several commanders and slowly said, "We contacted the Prince of Dingxi in the dispatch, and the only two remaining thieves were captured by the Prince of Dingxi's mansion, is that right?"

Those who were supposed to be doing the work did absolutely nothing of substance.

Li Ren and several commanders bowed their heads deeply, and sweat dripped from their foreheads onto the hall.

Emperor Shengwu closed his eyes briefly and waved his hand, saying, "Ayan, go and wait outside the palace."

This means to become angry and question.

Cen Yan bowed respectfully and was led out of the main hall by a senior eunuch. As soon as he stepped out, he heard the sound of things being smashed inside. It seemed that these people were in for a bad time today.

"Your Highness, shall I bring you a chair to sit on?"

The chief eunuch knew that Cen Yan had been left behind as a trusted confidant to await orders, so he spoke kindly to him.

"Thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law."

Cen Yan then asked, "Could you move another low table?"

Although he didn't understand, the eunuch still complied.

Cen Yan placed the food box on the low table, sat down, and listened to the scolding voices coming from inside, waiting.

We're not waiting inside, we're waiting for news from the Prince's residence.

After a moment of silence, sure enough, a guard from the Prince's residence ran in and whispered a few words in Hao San's ear. Hao San stepped forward and reported in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Liu Qi and the others have returned to the residence. They sent someone to report that Your Highness can rest assured."

Cen Yan: "What should we do if someone is frightened?"

Hao San: "Master Zhao has examined everything and everything is fine. He prescribed a calming herbal medicine. If you have trouble falling asleep, then you can drink it."

Cen Yan nodded, which was taken as his approval.

He stood up and stretched his limbs before sitting back down and asking Hao San to open the food box.

Let's eat at this low table!

And so, that night, the most bizarre thing happened.

When Li Ren and several commanders emerged from the main hall, drenched in cold sweat after being thoroughly scolded, they smelled the aroma of winter melon and pork slice soup.

Well, having not eaten for so long, Cen Yan first chose to drink some soup to open up his stomach.

With Zhuang Dongqing around, the food at the Prince's Mansion has become increasingly refined lately. The sliced ​​meat is real, and it's winter melon soup, but the cook lacks any sense of ethics and used broth made from an old hen to cook this pot...

then,

It smells so good!

The group of people who came out all thought of the same thing at the same time.

They had all been busy together and hadn't eaten. The Fourth Prince, Li Ren, had already asked about it, so he wasn't surprised and just lowered his head.

One of the commanders, being more easygoing, even greeted Cen Yan, saying, "Is Your Highness having dinner?"

No sooner had I finished speaking than my stomach growled loudly, making me extremely embarrassed.

Cen Yan made no attempt to invite anyone to sit down. He nodded and, poking at a sore spot, said, "Yes, His Majesty has given the order, and the commander still has time to chat with me here?"

Commander: "..."

As they were talking, they watched as Cen Yan picked up a large shrimp and put it in his mouth.

The commander silently cursed himself, then turned around and saw Eunuch Feng standing outside the hall, smiling sinisterly as he watched them leave. Immediately, his spirits lifted, and without even bothering to eat, he hurriedly left.

It is clear that more than just this group of people were summoned tonight.

On the last day of the Emperor's birthday celebration, after two busy days, with the altar being of utmost importance, the commanders were so busy they didn't even have time to eat. Other officials, who had heavier responsibilities, were in much the same boat.

When the Minister of Rites arrived, wiping away sweat, the aroma of garlic-flavored spare ribs filled the air.

Glug—

The Minister of Rites swallowed hard, greeted Cen Yan, and then entered the hall, feigning composure.

The Vice Minister of Justice followed him outside the hall. The Minister of Rites had not yet come out, so Cen Yan took the initiative to greet him.

"Your Highness, are you having dinner?"

Cen Yan nodded: "Yes, I was temporarily transferred there and was busy all afternoon. I only just had a bite to eat."

"Please forgive me, sir. It looks like I'm going to be busy all night. I'll eat while I have some time."

The Vice Minister of Justice dared not refuse to forgive, but... what kind of stir-fried dishes does the Prince's residence use? They smell so delicious.

He had eaten, but he was preoccupied with other things, so he only ate a couple of bites to fill his stomach.

And so, the ministers entered the palace amidst the aroma of food, were thoroughly berated, and then left amidst the aroma of food again.

As the Third Prince Li Zhuo was leaving, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you really have to eat here?"

Cen Yan had already finished his meal. Blowing on the remaining half-bowl of soup, he leisurely replied, "What, Third Prince, haven't you eaten yet?"

"..."

There was indeed no food available.

Li Zhuo: "His Majesty is furious, yet you're eating outside the main hall. What kind of behavior is this?"

Cen Yan sipped his soup and said slowly, "It wasn't me who messed up the job, so what do I have to be embarrassed about?"

Li Zhuo: "..."

Cen Yan: "Doesn't it smell amazing? It's like a rich broth that's been simmering all afternoon."

Why bring this up?!

Cen Yan: "It's a pity you came late and didn't smell the garlic ribs. They're marinated so well."

Li Zhuo: "?"

Li Zhuo retorted angrily, "Are you sick in the head?!"

After finishing the last sip of soup, Cen Yan put down the soup bowl, closed his eyes, and said contentedly, "Hmm, I'm full."

Li Zhuo: "…………"

The starving third prince turned and left!