Chapter 30 The Fourteenth Assassination Attack!
Chapter 30
Ye Xiren kept her head down, glancing at Liang Yue out of the corner of her eye.
His Majesty sat at the head of the table, appearing to be only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, in the prime of his life. While not as strikingly handsome as Yan Danqing, Chizhan Lance, or others, he possessed an outstanding temperament, exuding a refined and elegant air. Though slender and with a hint of melancholy in his eyes, even in his bright yellow dragon robe and with his hair neatly tied up, he still resembled a cultured scholar.
If Ye Xiren hadn't been beheaded several times by his imperial edicts, she might have thought he was an excellent emperor at first glance.
She dared not look any longer, knelt beside Ye Pei, lowered her head, and presented the evidence with both hands.
The eunuch took it and respectfully presented it to the emperor.
The imperial study was not large, and the emperor was not far from them. Even with his head down, Ye Xiren could see Liang Yue sit up straight in an instant.
She and Ye Pei exchanged a glance.
Ye Xiren: Can the emperor be trusted?
Ye Pei glared at her.
At the head of the table, Liang Yue tapped his fingers on the table in front of him, pondered for a moment, and finally spoke: "How did you know that Chizhan Lance was buying gunpowder?"
Just as Ye Xiren was about to speak, Ye Pei, who was beside her, answered first:
"Your Majesty, I have always suspected that Northern Yan's peace talks this time are ulterior motives, so I sent people to secretly observe the Crown Prince of Northern Yan's every move. A few days ago, Chi Zhanlan Ce made a large purchase in Nandu, so I kept a close eye on the items he bought and the merchants he traded with. It wasn't until yesterday that I discovered something unusual. I have both witnesses and physical evidence!"
Liang Yue frowned, his expression grave: "It seems this person truly has ulterior motives and has sent Jiang You."
"His Majesty!"
Ye Xiren couldn't hold back any longer and raised her head: "Now that we know that the Crown Prince of Northern Yan planted gunpowder in the imperial prison, shouldn't we immediately transfer General Yan?"
What is the purpose of sending Jiang and You messages at this time?
Ye Pei's decision to meet the emperor before the court assembly was precisely to avoid Jiang You.
"Ye Xiren!" Ye Pei scolded, then bent down and said urgently, "Your Majesty, this young woman is impetuous. I hope Your Majesty will not hold it against her."
Liang Yue wasn't angry. Instead, he patiently explained to her, "This is the Southern Capital of the Great Liang Dynasty. Chi Zhan Lan Ce wouldn't dare to do anything wrong. Yan Dan Qing is a traitor. We must be very careful when moving him."
How could he not dare to do evil?
In the seventh cycle, he disrupted the palace and killed the Prefect of Nandu. In the last cycle, he even blew up the Imperial Prison!
Ye Xiren felt as if a fire was burning inside her, her dark eyes blazing with anger, like two flickering flames. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and her voice was hoarse:
"Your Majesty, please look at another piece of evidence. Since General Yan was stationed at the Huai'an Canal last year, he has sent back six secret letters via the 800-li express courier service, but Your Majesty has not seen a single one. I fear that someone has secretly intercepted them, intending to frame General Yan and destroy the foundation of our Great Liang. Now, there is also gunpowder buried under the imperial prison. We do not know how many people in the court have secretly defected to Northern Yan. How can we alert them?"
Jiang You was single-mindedly focused on peace talks and had long since sided with Chi Zhanlan Ce. In Ye Xiren's eyes, he was a traitor.
If he finds out about this, who knows if he'll leak it to Chi Zhanlan Ce? If that happens, will Yan Danqing still be able to move away?
Ye Xi was furious.
How could the emperor trust Jiang You so much?
Ye Pei nodded, his expression solemn as he echoed:
"Your Majesty, we must immediately relocate General Yan, and we must do so discreetly, without letting the news leak out and alerting Chi Zhanlan Ce. The peace talks have not yet begun. Since Northern Yan cares about General Yan's life and death, we cannot afford to lose him! They were able to bury gunpowder in the Imperial City Guard; they might receive the news and detonate the gunpowder!"
Liang Yue then looked at the records and testimonies of the post station. Although he did not know what was written on the secret letters, Yan Danqing had indeed sent back six secret letters by express courier.
He looked at Ye Xiren, who was kneeling.
She knelt on the ground seemingly respectfully, her head bowed, but two flames of anger flickered in her dark eyes. For a moment, he felt as if he saw another person standing before him, staring intently at him with similar eyes, as if loudly questioning him…
What happened next?
Liang Yue frowned, rubbed his temples, and suddenly asked, "Second Miss Ye, do you think Yan Danqing is a traitor?"
Ye Xiren trembled, not understanding why Liang Yue suddenly asked such a question. Would it anger him if she said Yan Danqing was not a traitor at this time?
"I have no evidence."
"But I know that last year, when the Great Liang was in danger, General Yan emerged out of nowhere and turned the tide. I know that the Yan family has been loyal and brave for generations, and two generations of Marquises of Loyalty and Bravery died on the battlefield against Northern Yan. I also know that if it weren't for General Yan's desperate resistance against the Northern Yan army at the Huai'an Canal, there would be no peace talks today. Northern Yan... is an enemy of our nation."
She said there was no evidence, not that she didn't know.
Liang Yue remained silent for a long time, then exhaled and murmured, "Northern Yan, an enemy of our nation."
He threw the evidence in his hand on the table and ordered:
"Summon Ying Changping, Commander of the Imperial Guards, and Ye Pei. I hereby issue you an imperial edict. Take this edict and lead Ying Changping to the Imperial Prison. Use the Imperial Guards to secretly transfer Yan Danqing to the Dali Temple. I entrust Yan Danqing to you and Bai Chengguang to guard. Do not let the news leak out."
Ye Pei was overjoyed and quickly bowed his head: "Your subject obeys."
Liang Yue wrote a letter, affixed the imperial seal, and stared intently at the person bowing below. "Ye Pei, I have handed Yan Chunzhou over to you. If there is no gunpowder in the imperial prison, and he escapes or dies because of it... remember what you said, I will take the lives of your entire family!"
He paused, then gave the following instructions:
"Don't hurt him either."
Ye Pei respectfully accepted the imperial edict, his eyes gleaming with barely suppressed joy. "Yes, Your Majesty, I guarantee with my entire family's lives that I will keep a close eye on Yan Danqing!"
Ye Xiren: "..."
Ye Pei picked up the imperial edict and left with Ye Xiren, looking quite spirited. The fact that the emperor had handed Yan Danqing over to him was enough to show that General Yan's "rebellious party" charges had been shaken.
The pro-war faction is no longer completely overwhelmed by the pro-peace faction. Once Yan Danqing is in the Dali Temple, he is in the hands of the pro-war faction, and they will definitely protect him and not give Chi Zhanlan Ce any chance!
As Liang Yue watched the two leave the Imperial Study, his eyes glazed over, and another figure seemed to surface in his mind.
He frowned and slowly rubbed his temples.
"Your Majesty, is your head throbbing again?"
-
As they walked out, Ye Xiren lowered her voice and said, "I really didn't expect that His Majesty would actually be willing to transfer Yan Danqing to the Dali Temple..."
Although it took some explaining, everything went smoothly.
Before she came, she made many negative assumptions, thinking that the emperor would refuse them outright, and even thinking about... dying again.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Ye Pei replied in a low voice, "His Majesty speaks of evidence. Since we have presented evidence of gunpowder and the post station, he will naturally investigate thoroughly and immediately transfer General Yan."
What they lacked before was evidence, but now that they have some evidence, they can naturally win back the Emperor's favor.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren muttered, "Keen insight? If he were truly wise and discerning, why would he have supported the peace faction before? He favored a bunch of traitors, distrusted loyal ministers, wanted to negotiate peace with Northern Yan, and even wanted General Yan's life... which almost led to the destruction of the country."
It's not just "almost," it's a fact.
Their family was beheaded several times, and they even managed to negotiate a peace agreement. They killed General Yan. Ye Pei was unaware of what was happening in the loop, but she knew all too well. How could she believe that Liang Yue was a wise ruler?
"Shut up!" Ye Pei looked around.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, the two deliberately lowered their voices, and even more people heard them. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and whispered, "You are not allowed to say such treasonous things again. Disrespecting the Emperor is a capital offense!"
Ye Xiren touched her neck, remaining noncommittal.
But Ye Pei could tell from her expression that she was still unconvinced. He sighed almost imperceptibly, moved closer, and spoke even softer:
"His Majesty is neither a rare wise ruler nor a destined emperor to be remembered for all time... but that does not mean His Majesty is not a good emperor."
"In the past, Emperor Xianzong brought disaster to the country, and in the future, a young emperor ascended the throne. Now, His Majesty is a rare emperor who listens to advice and is easy to talk to. He has never received imperial education and hastily ascended the throne last year, only to face a huge mess of internal and external troubles. In addition to trusting Prime Minister Jiang, His Majesty is also afraid of being fooled and never makes decisions on a whim, but only looks at the evidence."
This is also why Yan Danqing was labeled a "traitor"—numerous pieces of evidence pointed to his treason.
An overly cautious and obedient emperor has both advantages and disadvantages, but in the current turbulent Liang Dynasty, beset by internal and external troubles and dominated by treacherous officials, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Ye Pei recalled the events surrounding the new emperor's ascension to the throne and whispered again:
"Last year, General Yan suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The new emperor had just ascended the throne and had not yet taken control of the court situation, but batches of military rations and imperial edicts were still sent to the battlefield to support General Yan's great battle."
"Although the national treasury is controlled by Yu Youcao, I am, after all, the Minister of Revenue. I know that the national treasury is empty and the court doesn't have much money. Under such circumstances, how much pressure must His Majesty be under to support General Yan Xiao with all his might, giving him money and grain as needed?"
The emperor believed Yan Danqing. Even though he had killed several officials and massacred displaced people, the emperor did not rush to convict him. Instead, he wrote to Yan Danqing to plead his case.
But later, various pieces of evidence proved that Yan Danqing had "let him down," so how could he not be angry?
"Last year, the new emperor ascended the throne and everything was kept simple. Since then, the New Year and the emperor's birthday have all been celebrated simply. The palace has always been frugal. His Majesty has never been extravagant. He has devoted himself to his work. The harem is empty, and even the concubines have not been officially appointed..." Ye Pei couldn't help but praise.
He came from the time of Emperor Xianzong, and in his opinion, the current emperor has many advantages and is truly a good emperor.
Ye Xiren was somewhat surprised to hear this: "His Majesty has never married? Has he never had an Empress?"
Only then did she recall that she seemed to have never heard of the Empress of the Great Liang Dynasty. Before the Emperor ascended the throne, he was Prince Yu, and she had never even heard of Princess Yu.
Thinking about how I'm 26 or 27 now, it shouldn't be like this.
Ye Pei was taken aback, not expecting her to pay attention to these things.
Then, he shook his head:
"It was delayed before. When Emperor Xianzong was alive, he was very ruthless to the imperial clan and would kill them at the drop of a hat. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been unable to find even a close member of the imperial clan. Prince Yu didn't dare to step forward at that time, lest he incur Emperor Xianzong's jealousy and hatred, so no one would grant him a marriage."
Xianzong's father and Xianyu were brothers. It is said that Emperor Gaozu almost chose Xianyu as the crown prince, but Xianzong's father ascended the throne and Xianyu was exiled to the south.
Otherwise, when the Northern Yan attacked the Northern Capital last year and massacred the royal family, how could they have survived and escaped this calamity?
These are all things of the past, Ye Pei mentioned them briefly.
Ye Xiren nodded and asked no further questions.
Ye Pei then asked her, "I need to move General Yan right now, do you want to come with me?"
"I'll skip this; I have something else to do."
Ye Xiren handed him the key she had taken from Lu Qian, thought for a moment, and then instructed, "Lu Qian is used to humiliating people. Yan Danqing's hands and feet are bound by iron chains with fine iron spikes piercing his flesh. He bleeds profusely with the slightest movement. Before you move, remember to remove the chains. Once you arrive at Dali Temple, have a doctor apply some medicine and check his injuries."
She was afraid that if she moved him with the chains, he would bleed to death before even reaching the Dali Temple. The reason she was so eager to kill Lu Qian in the morning was to get the key.
"Understood." Ye Pei nodded.
After agreeing, he realized something was wrong, narrowed his eyes, and asked suspiciously, "How do you know so much?"
Ye Xiren blinked innocently.
Then, the two walked out of the palace gate. She waved her hand and said, "Father, I have something to do, so I'll go first. Keep an eye on General Yan. Remember to be careful of explosives and be on guard against everyone in the Imperial City Guard. There are many spies there."
After saying that, she quickly disappeared.
Ye Pei shook his head helplessly; his daughter really had a lot of secrets.
Ma Shan had been waiting outside the palace, while Yan Shuang and the others hid but were also keeping watch nearby. When she came out, Ma Shan immediately went up to her and went in another direction with her.
Time was tight, and she had a lot to do today, so she was very busy.
Ye Changming was stunned for a moment, then called out, "Hey, Ye Xiao'er, shall I go with you?"
Ye Xiren waved her hand without turning her head, "I have important things to do, I don't need you, don't follow me."
Ye Changming: "..."
He looked at Ye Pei again, took a few steps forward, and asked, "Father, shall I go with you?"
Ye Pei turned in another direction, looking disgusted, "I have important business here, you go away and don't get in my way."
Ye Changming: "…………"
Well, people are starting to dislike him.
When did his sister become like their father, calm and efficient, capable of handling important matters on her own?
On the other side, Ma Shan lowered his voice and asked, "Second Miss Ye, where are we going?"
Ye Xiren tightened her veil, a flash of murderous intent passing through her eyes, and said softly, "First go to Yuyinlou, and then... meet Chizhan Lance."
She didn't go to pick up Yan Danqing not because she didn't want to, but because she had more important things to do.
She let out a long breath.
Everyone is taking action; the timing and location are both favorable. We just hope everything goes smoothly this time.
-
It was already fully light.
The West Market Jade and Silver Shop was extremely luxurious, specializing in jewelry, jade and other extravagant items at exorbitant prices. Even in the bustling West Market, only "nobles" would visit on ordinary days.
The shop had just opened early in the morning, and the goods hadn't even been set out yet. The waiter was cleaning up when Ye Xiren's carriage stopped outside the Jade Silver Shop. Inside, the shopkeeper was yawning, as if he hadn't woken up yet.
Seeing someone get out of the carriage to enter the shop, and knowing that only officials and their families could ride in a black lacquered carriage, the shopkeeper immediately came out to greet them with a smile.
"Does the guest wish to buy something?" the chubby shopkeeper asked with a beaming smile.
Yan Shuang, dressed as a maid, jumped down first and reached out to help Ye Xiren down.
She was young and beautiful, dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with pearls and jade, looking every bit the wealthy young lady. The shopkeeper's eyes lit up instantly.
"I wanted to look at some jewelry." Ye Xiren nodded and let the shopkeeper lead her inside.
The shopkeeper hurriedly ordered someone to bring out tray after tray of jewelry, but Ye Xiren glanced at them and shook her head.
Yan Shuang lowered her eyes, her voice icy:
"None of these are what the ladies like, shopkeeper. Do you have any better jewelry here?"
Just as the shopkeeper was about to agree, Ye Xiren added, "I like blue gemstones, preferably made into a headdress, a hairpin and two rings, one of a kind. Do you have any here, shopkeeper?"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's expression changed slightly.
He then smiled and extended his hand, "Of course I have some. Please come upstairs with me, young lady. I'll take the items up, and we can choose them slowly in a private room!"
The two went upstairs one after the other. The private room was filled with jewelry, as well as various gemstones and jewels. The shopkeeper closed the door but didn't take anything. Instead, he looked at Ye Xiren and frowned slightly.
"What exactly does this young lady want to do?"
His voice had become serious, and he looked her up and down.
"Give it to your master as soon as possible. I'll wait for news here. Remember to remind him to hurry."
Fifteen minutes later.
Holding a piece of paper, the person scratched their head, looking quite troubled. "How do we lure Chi Zhanlan to the West Market...? Peace talks are about to begin, how do we do that!"
Isn't this making things difficult for someone?!
He scratched his head again, noticing that his already precarious hair had fallen out even more, and he gasped in shock as everything went black.
-
Yan Shuang lowered her voice: "Can we lure it out?"
Ye Xiren was also anxiously waiting. Although she had already killed Chi Zhanlan Ce once, this time she would not turn the tables on him, but rather lure him out first and then carry out the assassination according to plan.
Will it work?
She felt uneasy.
But when answering Yan Shuang, her voice was firm: "No problem, this is the plan devised by General Yan. He said that the person behind Yu Yin Lou can lure people out, so it will definitely work."
After saying that, she turned her head to the side:
"You should go and set up an ambush. General Yan said that Chi Zhanlan's carriage is very special. It has many traps inside to protect people very well. So, we must wait until he gets off the carriage before we start the plan."
Yan Shuang nodded and, before leaving, instructed, "Second Miss Ye, you don't know martial arts, so please be careful."
"It's alright." Ye Xiren waved her hand, not taking it to heart. "I'll just wait here. Chi Zhanlan Ce doesn't know me. As long as I don't go over there, I won't be in danger."
Yan Shuang was relieved and left quietly.
Ye Xiren continued to wait.
After waiting a while, a sudden, urgent carriage sound rang out. Ye Xiren turned her head sharply, her dark eyes fixed on the direction the carriage was coming from. She heard the sound getting closer and closer, and the familiar carriage sped towards her, surrounded by countless people.
A tall horse, guards from Northern Yan, and coachman Moller.
It's here!
Red Cup Orchid Strategy!
-
Meanwhile, at the Imperial City Guard and the Imperial Prison.
Yan Danqing lowered his eyes, staring at the original "six" under the straw and the newly drawn "thirteen". Countless thoughts were constantly being overturned in his mind, but he still couldn't figure it out.
What happened after his death? Why hasn't Miss Ye arrived yet?
He couldn't understand it.
Another danger?
No, that's not right. He was killed in the explosion. Chi Zhanlan Ce must have already been killed, which is why he was desperate and detonated the gunpowder. So who would still target the Ye family? Even if someone did make a move, Yan Shuang and the others would definitely protect the Second Miss Ye...
Just then, a series of footsteps sounded.
Since he was imprisoned here, so many people had never come in at the same time. The dense footsteps grew clearer and clearer. He frowned and looked up.
Two officials in red robes walked at the front, followed by the Imperial Guards led by Ying Changping. There wasn't a single person from the Imperial City Guard. They rushed in and headed straight for him.
"General Yan!" Bai Chengguang was the first to bow, but upon seeing the prisoner's current state, he immediately frowned, clearly displeased. "How dare you treat General Yan like this?"
Damn Lu Qian and Zhang Yuanmou!
Seeing that Yan Danqing remained silent and looked puzzled, he quickly said, "This humble official is Bai Chengguang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. When General Yan entered Nanjing, I had the honor of meeting you once. I wonder if you remember me?"
In fact, the last time they met was when Yan Danqing's assassination attempt failed and he was escorted back to Nandu. As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he was ordered to come and interrogate him.
They only met briefly at the time, and before the questioning even began, Jiang You handed the person over to the Imperial City Guard. Zhang Yuanmou became the interrogator, and Jiang You was no longer able to intervene.
But since they had met before, Ye Pei brought him along so that he could initiate the conversation and gain Yan Danqing's trust.
"There is gunpowder buried beneath this prison. Chi Zhanlan Ce is a wolf in sheep's clothing and wants to assassinate the general! His Majesty has already ordered that General Yan be transferred from the Imperial City Guard to the Court of Judicial Review."
Bai Chengguang then introduced the person beside him, his attitude warm: "This is Minister of Revenue Ye Pei, who is in charge of transferring the general."
Ye Pei raised his hand in a salute, very politely. He had long admired this young General Yan and held him in high esteem. Even before he knew whether Yan Danqing was a traitor, he was willing to risk his life to protect him.
Now that some evidence has emerged proving that Yan Danqing was indeed a loyal and capable general, he is even more respectful.
Yan Danqing froze when she heard his name.
He gleaned a great deal of information from their brief conversation, and all the key points that had puzzled him before came together. He suddenly understood and could roughly deduce what had happened. His expression softened.
“Alright.” Yan Danqing looked at Ye Pei, a polite smile appearing on his lips. “My courtesy name is Chunzhou. You may call me Chunzhou, Lord Ye.”
Ye Pei: "?"
Bai Chengguang: "??"
He was practically dying of envy. He leaned close to Ye Pei, lowered his voice, and squeezed out a sarcastic remark, "When did you meet General Yan? You're already so familiar with him, and you still want me to help you get closer?"
Ye Pei: "..."
I don't know!
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Author's Note: Ye Pei: When did we become so close?
Thanks for the comments and the nutrient solution, today is another day of combining two!
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