Chapter 95 Playing the Chess

Cen Yan really finished his lunch with just congee and side dishes.

Zhuang Dongqing yawned, her mind still a bit foggy and confused. "Won't I run out of energy?"

There must still be fighting on the mountain. Although he didn't know the specifics, Zhuang Dongqing figured that none of the Liu, Hao, or Xu families were in the mansion. They must all be dealing with the "mountain bandits."

"Thankfully, there was meat in the bun."

Zhuang Dongqing had no appetite and couldn't eat the steamed buns, so she only had porridge and steamed bread. The steamed buns all ended up in Cen Yan's stomach.

My thoughts slowly began to turn. Hmm, that makes sense.

Zhuang Dongqing yawned again, his eyelids drooping. Cen Yan noticed and knew he was injured, poisoned, and exhausted. But even knowing this, seeing it with his own eyes still made his eyelids twitch uncontrollably twice. He lowered his eyes to hide the unusual twitch, then looked up again and said softly, "Go inside and lie down. You're still poisoned..."

"oh."

The answer was very obedient, almost subconscious.

After Cen Yan helped the person back, Zhuang Dongqing, who had just said she wanted to wash her face and rinse her mouth before going to sleep, had already closed her eyes and was breathing steadily when Cen Yan wrung out the handkerchief.

Cen Yan remained silent as he watched this scene unfold.

Liu Fu was serving him, and for some reason, he had a feeling that Cen Yan was in a very bad mood at this moment, very... terrifying.

Even if the other person is just standing there quietly.

Cen Yan wiped Zhuang Dongqing's face before tucking him into the blanket.

They were quick and gentle, and Zhuang Dongqing didn't wake up throughout the entire process.

"Go ask Master Zhao when the detoxification can begin and whether acupuncture can be administered?"

Sitting down by the bed, looking at Zhuang Dongqing, Cen Yan instructed Liu Fu.

A short while later, Liu Fu returned with a message, saying that he would come back in half an hour and the needles would be available.

Cen Yan nodded, seemingly lost in thought, and sat by Zhuang Dongqing's bedside for a while, during which time the second personal guard returned to report the news.

"The governor and his men have all been captured. The generals from Suzhou witnessed the governor's resistance. Commander Xu has communicated with them and confirmed that they can testify."

They moved back to the courtyard and sat down. After listening, Cen Yan asked, "What kind of testimony?"

"The governor colluded with mountain bandits, causing havoc in the region."

Cen Yan lowered his eyebrows and gave a faint reply.

If there was nothing else to say, then he was satisfied. The guard then said, "Manager Liu sent me to say that several bandit leaders have been interrogated and a breakthrough has been found. The governor has already arrested them. Does Master want to interrogate them personally?"

Cen Yan: "Of course, bring it back."

With his long fingers tapping lightly on the stone table, Cen Yan said, "Bring back the bandit leader and the governor. Hao San can interrogate the rest on the spot. Liu Qi can just bring these two back."

"That Commander Xu..."

"Let him decide how to handle things. If there are many matters to attend to on the mountain, he can stay. If he feels he can return, then he can."

"yes."

After the personal guards left, Cen Yan calculated the time. It was almost Shenshi (3-5 PM). The troops in Suzhou were still there. They needed to be sent away properly, and the captured bandits also needed to be dealt with. Even if Liu Qi was quick, he would still need to arrange things at the mountain camp first. By the time he brought the people back, it would be dark by then.

Just in time, after Qingqing was cured of the poison and had dinner and rested, he could slowly interrogate her.

He poured himself a cup of tea and slowly drank it, his expression cold and empty.

The wind rustled through the trees, making a soft, whispering sound.

Cen Yan's hands, however, remained steady as he held the teacup.

*

"Mountain bandits?"

"You heard me right?"

"How could they just be bandits?!"

Li Zhuo jumped to his feet in disbelief.

The scout reported: "A fight has broken out at the salt fields, and there are also troops borrowed from Suzhou. It's difficult for the Prince's personal guards to investigate. The news from the Suzhou army indicates that they are indeed just bandits."

Li Zhuo waved his sleeve and angrily said, "How could they be bandits? They are clearly..."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but then he stopped himself from saying them.

Take a deep breath.

Only one or two of the advisors knew the inside story, and one of them analyzed, "Could it be that the prince doesn't know yet?"

Li Zhuo thought it didn't seem like it.

Cen Yan was a veteran. When he inherited the title of Prince of Dingxi, several major clans in Yunnan were in chaos. It took them two or three years of scattered fighting to secure his position as a prince of a different surname. Others could not see through his disguise and could not fool him.

That shouldn't be the case.

Another aide pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Could it be that they're planning to strike all at once when the time is right? Let's hold off on that for now and investigate thoroughly?"

Li Zhuo's expression softened slightly. "This explanation makes sense."

Cen Yan always thought three steps ahead before taking any action. This matter was of great importance, so reporting to the bandits first was more in line with his character.

With the suspects caught red-handed and the evidence irrefutable, the case was presented to the capital, leaving the Eighth Prince with no way to deny anything.

Suddenly, another thought popped into Li Zhuo's mind. It was very small, but it made Li Zhuo nervous.

Could it be that Lao Ba has won over Cen Yan?

He felt it was absolutely impossible, at least given Cen Yan's personality and his understanding of him; it was nothing short of a fantasy. But...

Now that we've reached this point, and the outcome is almost decided, we have to consider things more carefully.

After a long period of turmoil, Li Zhuo said, "We'll know whether it's bandits or something else by observing the subsequent movements of the Prince's Mansion."

Right now, it seems he has no other choice but to wait.

Hopefully, I hope it's as he predicted.

*

Li Zhuo was anxious, while Li Yang was also puzzled.

It wasn't appropriate to speak carelessly in front of the generals and soldiers in Suzhou, so they kept quiet in private. Once only the Prince's mansion and their own people remained, Li Yang grabbed Liu Qi and asked, "Manager Liu, are they just bandits?"

He paused, then revealed his true intention: "How could they just be mountain bandits?"

They are clearly occupying the mountain and using the guise of bandits to raise their own private army.

Liu Qi replied calmly, "Sixth Prince, please be careful with your words. If they are not bandits, is there any evidence to prove they are something else?"

Li Yang fell silent instantly.

Oh right, we also need statements and physical evidence.

The evidence is simple: the size of the hilltop and the number of horses and armor are irrefutable proof.

Confession...

Li Yang looked at Liu Qi, realizing something, and said, "Should the Prince's Mansion interrogate the leaders of the bandits?"

"nature."

"Not only the bandit leaders, but also the governor who colluded with the bandits and the officials and merchants involved, all of whom need to be questioned thoroughly."

Li Yang nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble the various commanders and supervisors of the Prince's Palace."

Liu Qi smiled and said, "It's my duty, of course."

After Li Yang left, Liu Qi immediately stopped smiling. During their conversation, Xu Si, who had been looking for Liu Qi, was already waiting on the side. After Li Yang had gone far away, he said to Liu Qi, "The Sixth Prince is still a bit too green."

Liu Qi lowered his eyes for a moment, then said only, "Stop talking, just follow orders."

They did whatever Cen Yan told them to do, ignoring everything else.

As for whether they were bandits or private soldiers, only Cen Yan could say for sure.

Xu Si nodded and got back to business, saying, "You've tied everyone up. The sun is about to set, so I need to escort the Suzhou troops back to the port. The Prince's men are all camped down the mountain today. Hao San just finished setting up the tents. What about you? Take your men back to the Prince's mansion?"

Liu Qi glanced at the sky and said, "No rush. I'll go and discuss the arrangements here with Hao San. We can come back slowly."

Thinking of something, Xu Si didn't say anything more.

*

Mr. Zhao arrived half an hour late in the afternoon.

It doesn't matter, Zhuang Dongqing is asleep anyway, and coming early would only disturb her rest.

As soon as Master Zhao entered the main house, Zhuang Dongqing was also woken up by Liu Fu in time.

Cen Yan sat to one side, watching Master Zhao take Zhuang Dongqing's pulse and tentatively insert a few needles to check the depth of the poison.

"There will still be some discomfort, but it's definitely not as uncomfortable as stitching. I'm sorry for offending the young master."

Master Zhao twisted the needle and said.

Zhuang Dongqing smiled and said, "You're being so polite, it makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

Learning traditional Chinese medicine from Master Zhao was a classic case of extreme treatment. When discussing Western medicine, disinfection, and preventative cleaning—topics Master Zhao didn't know—Master Zhao's eyes would light up. But when it was Zhuang Dongqing's turn to recite texts, select medicinal herbs, and take a test on their properties, Master Zhao's gaze would be filled with forbearance as he patiently kicked him out.

But once the acupuncture began, Zhuang Dongqing could no longer smile.

Cen Yan took his hand and said gently, "If it hurts, just say so. You can even scream it out. Don't hold it in."

Zhuang Dongqing forced a smile, "It's alright, it's alright... hiss," another needle went in, and she instantly grimaced, but managed to finish, "It's alright."

Seeing the cold sweat beading on Zhuang Dongqing's forehead, Cen Yan smiled along with Zhuang Dongqing, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Where Zhuang Dongqing couldn't see, Cen Yan's gaze was so cold it could freeze a person to death.

Seeing this, Master Zhao simply buried himself in his work and worked silently.

Fortunately, the dose of toxin was not large, and Zhuang Dongqing endured it.

After the acupuncture was finished, Cen Yan gently wiped his face and asked softly, "Do you need to wipe your body?"

Zhuang Dongqing pursed his lips, and as soon as he did so, Cen Yan asked him, "Where are you still feeling unwell?"

Zhuang Dongqing hesitated.

Before he could speak, Cen Yan reached out and touched his vest, understanding.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

There's no need for him to say anything more now.

Cen Yan said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "After they leave, I'll take care of you. You also need to apply medicine to your body again."

Zhuang Dongqing nodded obediently.

This earned him a faint smile from Cen Yan, who touched his cheek, but the smile vanished the moment he looked up.

Master Zhao: "I will come back to administer acupuncture again in two hours. With the decoction, drinking it for two days will cure the root cause."

Zhuang Dongqing nodded.

Cen Yan: "Where is his hand?"

Master Zhao also sighed, and said carefully, "Let's change the dressing later. The wound is too deep, it might..."

Cen Yan picked up the conversation, "Can't you use your hand properly after it heals?"

Oh, it's too deep, it might have damaged a nerve, Zhuang Dongqing realized.

Cen Yan, a veteran of leading troops for many years, was well aware of these injuries and their aftereffects. Even if Master Zhao didn't say anything, he could still get a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

Master Zhao had no choice but to tell the truth: "That's possible. If this happens, we'll have to use acupuncture and let it heal for a while before seeing how it goes."

Rehabilitation.

Zhuang Dongqing glanced at his arm subconsciously. As soon as his gaze shifted, Cen Yan immediately said, "It's not necessarily true, Qingqing, don't worry too much."

He wasn't worried at all...

The person who is worried is...

Zhuang Dongqing looked at Cen Yan and confirmed that something was wrong with him.

He was the one who asked, and he was the one who denied it... Zhuang Dongqing had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

But he still tried to sound relaxed and said, "It's nothing, it's just my left hand that's injured. At most, I won't be able to lift heavy things in the future..." Noticing that Cen Yan's expression had turned ugly, he quickly added, "Anyway, I'm in the Prince's mansion with so many servants, I don't need to do anything myself."

"Well, now I'm a wealthy and leisurely person, haha, hahaha."

Zhuang Dongqing smiled.

Cen Yan didn't laugh.

Their gazes were fixed on his arm, and the atmosphere became unusually quiet after Zhuang Dongqing's dry laugh.

"No, don't think too much about it."

Cen Yan grasped Zhuang Dongqing's hand and finally spoke softly.

The atmosphere became even stranger.

Master Zhao coughed at the opportune moment, "Well, the medicine has been brewed, and it should be a bit cold now. Would the young master like to take his medicine?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "Okay, I'll take my medicine."

After Zhao Ye finished his acupuncture and left, Liu Fu brought in the medicine.

What a big bowl!

Zhuang Dongqing's face scrunched up after just one sniff.

Cen Yan took the dried fruit from Liu Fu and looked at Zhuang Dongqing, saying, "Have something sweet after you finish drinking, Qingqing."

Ugh.

Is he after that little bit of sweetness?

He simply doesn't like drinking Chinese medicine.

Zhuang Dongqing stared at Cen Yan expectantly, but Cen Yan remained unmoved. Realizing there was no room for negotiation, she pouted and drank the medicine.

It's bitter, so bitter it's made my tongue ache.

How can it taste so awful?

Why are there no Western medicines in this day and age? It's terrible!

After drinking it all in one gulp, Zhuang Dongqing's face scrunched up even more. Cen Yan asked, "Is it very bitter?"

Zhuang Dongqing gave him the bowl, which still had a small bite left inside.

It was a joking gesture, but to everyone's surprise, Cen Yan actually took it and drank it.

Zhuang Dongqing: "!"

Cen Yan calmly clicked his tongue: "A little."

No way, bro, you're really drinking it?!

Before Zhuang Dongqing could react, Cen Yan put the dried fruit in his mouth and kissed Zhuang Dongqing.

That feeling is hard to describe; it must have been bitter.

But the plum in Cen Yan's mouth was sweet and sour.

As his mouth was thoroughly cleaned, Zhuang Dongqing kept his eyes open, watching Cen Yan intently. Cen Yan, however, was very focused.

They really don't mind.

When Zhuang Dongqing realized this, she had mixed feelings.

Hao's hand was on Cen Yan's shoulder. He originally wanted to push him away, but he couldn't bear to, and instead pulled him closer.

As the plum was pressed against his tongue, Zhuang Dongqing tasted a distinct sweetness.

Lips separate.

Another plum was quickly pushed onto Zhuang Dongqing's tongue by Cen Yan's finger.

Two.

My mouth was filled with the sweetness of plums.

Is it still bitter?

Cen Yan asked the question earnestly and gently.

Zhuang Dongqing didn't know if it was bitter or not, she only felt very erotic.

My ears are still a little hot.

"It's not bitter."

Zhuang Dongqing looked at Cen Yan and finally couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, A-Yan?"

Cen Yan didn't speak, and lowered his eyes.

Zhuang Dongqing said very quickly, "Don't say you're fine, don't make up stories... um."

Zhuang Dongqing was caught off guard when he was kissed again.

He thought he would ask after the kiss, but the kiss was long. Just now he felt that Cen Yan was tasting the bitterness in his mouth, so this kiss was more like the other person slowly tasting his teeth... Zhuang Dongqing's ears turned a little red again, not because he was embarrassed, but just an instinctive reaction.

When Cen Yan released him, Zhuang Dongqing began to pant heavily, a rare occurrence for him.

Cen Yan buried his face in his neck, his breath hovering over his skin, as if trying to inhale his scent completely into his lungs.

Zhuang Dongqing was confused: "You..."

Cen Yan: "Qingqing."

She pressed her face against his shoulder and neck, rubbing it slowly, in an extremely intimate and passionate way.

Zhuang Dongqing felt the air had become thick and sticky.

Cen Yan then said two unrelated things.

"The Imperial Observatory has begun calculating auspicious days."

"Let's go back to our fiefdom, shall we?"

It was very light and gentle; it sounded more like a request than a question.