Chapter 64 Forgot for the Twenty-Second Time!
Chapter 64
With Yan Shuang free to act, the remaining assassins were quickly dealt with and tied up in a very short time, making it impossible for them to commit suicide.
Ye Xiren breathed a sigh of relief and crawled out from behind Yan Shuang. She had managed to save her life again tonight.
Having witnessed this grand spectacle firsthand, Ye Changming swallowed hard to regain his composure and curiously approached.
However, before he could even ask a question, someone rode up from behind at full speed, the sound of hooves rapid, as if the rider was anxious.
Ye Xiren looked up and saw that it was Yan Danqing.
He jerked the reins as the horse approached, dismounted, and strode toward them.
"Are you injured?" He pulled Ye Xiren aside and examined her carefully. The Emperor's sudden change in the palace tonight, coupled with the need to send people to intercept the letter on the road, meant that even though they rushed here, they were still later than planned and were unable to protect her personally.
"I'm fine." Ye Xiren shook her head, then asked, "How is His Majesty?"
Yan Danqing breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that her clothes were only torn and she was not actually injured. "His Majesty is also fine, but he has a terrible headache and has already gone to bed."
As for who the "A-Wan" the Emperor kept mentioning was...
He didn't know either.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren felt relieved. It wasn't that she was particularly worried about Liang Yue, but rather that in the current tense situation, there couldn't be any further variables, especially those that were detrimental to Liang.
She then pointed to the people who had been arrested and complained aggrievedly:
"They said that my 'master' wanted me to come over, and if I didn't cooperate, they would treat me rudely!"
“I’d like to see just how impolite he is.” A murderous glint flashed in Yan Danqing’s eyes as he raised his hand. “Send him to the imperial prison first, and I’ll interrogate him personally later.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Shuang immediately forced the group to leave.
Only Ye Changming was completely baffled. The events of today were truly strange. First, Yan Danqing produced something and intercepted the arranged marriage. Then, before leaving the palace, Ye Xiren instructed him to bring men and hide in the carriage in case someone tried to ambush him tonight…
"So, what exactly happened? How did you know someone would intercept us tonight?" Ye Changming squeezed between the two men and asked with a frown.
Ye Xiren and Yan Danqing exchanged a glance across Ye Changming, and smiled knowingly at the same time.
"General Yan sent me a letter today, saying that he wants to put some pressure on Chizhan Lance, preferably to the point that he'll do something desperate..." Ye Xiren said slowly.
Ye Xiren didn't know why Chi Zhan Lan Ce wanted to marry her, but it was undoubtedly to coerce her into achieving some goal. She didn't believe that someone like Chi Zhan Lan Ce would exchange a letter of withdrawal and provisions for a marriage contract just because he said he was "interested".
She's not that "worth"
At tonight's palace banquet, Yan Danqing has undermined the Northern Yan Crown Prince by publicly humiliating him. It would be strange if the prince could tolerate this. Since his "marriage proposal" has failed, he will most likely take direct action.
Yan Danqing nodded and then said:
"Last night's peasant uprising must be related to the Northern Yan people. Chi Zhanlan is imprisoned in the imperial prison and cannot see outsiders. We have been trying to figure out how he orchestrated this."
"Therefore, I suspect that he has people lurking in Nandu, waiting for an opportunity to strike..."
So last night he sneaked into the refugees, followed the clues, found the Northern Yan people hiding among them, and arrested them.
"I cut off their fingers, packed them in a box along with some items that could prove their identities, and brought them to the palace banquet to blackmail Chi Zhanlan Ce." Yan Danqing spoke calmly, recounting the harrowing events of the previous night and the present day, including the captures, the fighting, and the interrogations, in a lighthearted manner.
"You're threatening him with his people?" Ye Changming asked in surprise. "He'll just obediently comply?"
Is Chi Zhanlan Ce really that concerned about his subordinates? He killed two thousand people in one go before, and nothing happened to him.
Ye Xiren shook her head: "There is an information gap. He doesn't know how many people Yan Danqing has captured, but no matter how many, since the death of those two thousand guards, they have been his only reliance. If he gives up directly, it will be as if he has completely lost his hands and feet and has no hope at all."
Moreover, they haven't found all the people that Chi Zhanlan Ce put outside yet, and there's not a single trace of them, which is enough to show that these people are hidden very well, and they are probably involved in other secrets of Northern Yan.
“His fear today only proves that my guess was right.” Yan Danqing looked at the mess around him, his eyes gloomy. “There are still people from Northern Yan hiding in Southern Capital, and there is someone or a secret that Chizhan Lance cares about very much.”
Ye Changming suddenly realized.
I see!
Last night, Chizhan Lance's men caused trouble among the refugees. Yan Danqing spent a day and a night finding some of them and used them to blackmail Chizhan Lance into abandoning the engagement. The more arrogant he was in court today, the less Chizhan Lance knew about his investigation. Naturally, he had no choice but to back down.
With the arranged marriage failing and Yan Danqing having already uncovered clues, the Northern Yan people couldn't possibly remain calm. And when they're anxious, they'll take action, culminating in tonight's attempt to abduct Ye Xiren...
"In that case, Chi Zhanlan's scheme has failed once again!" Ye Changming clapped his hands, very excited. "If we can get the mouths of these people we've captured, we'll know more information."
Ye Xiren said meaningfully, "Who told you that these people tonight were arranged by Chi Zhanlan Ce?"
"Huh?" Ye Changming looked completely bewildered.
What's the meaning?
Isn't this someone from Chizhan Lance?!
Yan Danqing looked at Ye Xiren, and this unspoken understanding brought a smile to her face.
"The fact that he can threaten Chizhan Lanze shows that he is not entirely clear about the situation of these Northern Yan people outside."
"The arranged marriage failed, the Chizhanlan plan fell apart, and the Northern Yan people outside were well-informed enough to immediately implement a new plan, which is why it was exposed..."
He was indeed unable to send a message out from inside the imperial prison.
The peasant uprising was caused by the Northern Yan people outside trying to rescue the Crown Prince, and the person in charge was someone he cared about. Yan Danqing and Ye Xiren set up the scheme to exploit the information gap between them, who had no communication.
Chi Zhanlan Ce had no idea how many people had been arrested outside.
People outside don't know why Chi Zhanlan Ce's arranged marriage failed, or whether he's in danger.
Yan Danqing had a hunch that as long as he could find out who Chi Zhanlan Ce cared about, he would know... what secrets Bei Yan still held that made him willing to risk his life in Nandu!
"How can you be sure it's not Chi Zhanlan Ce?" Ye Changming asked again.
“Because he currently has no way to contact the Northern Yan people.” Yan Danqing suddenly smiled. “Is he treating Jiang You as if he doesn’t exist?”
at the same time
Chi Zhanlan Ce sat in the Northern Yan embassy, his eyes cold as he looked at the person opposite him, saying each word clearly: "It's getting late, isn't Prime Minister Jiang going back?"
This phrase, meant to drive away customers, has been repeated many times.
Jiang You smiled politely and said humbly, "Your Highness has been wronged today, and I must express my apologies on behalf of the Great Liang. I will stay at the embassy tonight and sleep next to Your Highness."
Chi Zhanlan Ce's expression grew increasingly gloomy.
He flicked his sleeve, lowered his eyes, and said calmly, "I can't sleep with other people around."
"I see..."
Jiang You seemed not to understand, set up the chessboard, and said with a smile, "Then I'll play chess with Your Highness for a while longer, and leave later."
Chi Zhanlan looked out the window.
Later?
It will be dawn soon if we stay any later!
Ye Changming gasped. This was truly... The palace banquet appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were already surging beneath the surface, and everyone was taking action, racing against time to seize the initiative.
Huh?
wrong.
Ye Changming's expression was strange, and he raised another question: "These things need to be adapted to the reaction of the Northern Yan people, and cannot be completely predicted. When did you two discuss this?"
Chi Zhanlan Ce failed to contact the Northern Yan people, and Yan Danqing and Ye Xiren only exchanged a single note, yet they explained everything clearly and even discussed plans at any time?
Ye Xiren and Yan Danqing spoke at the same time:
"Does this need to be discussed?"
After saying that, the two of them were both stunned for a moment, then looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without being said.
Ye Changming: "..."
I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a bit full.
Ye Xiren felt a warmth in her heart. In this cycle of despair with no way out, with Yan Danqing's cooperation, some hope was born, as if they would one day be able to get out of it.
Some things didn't even require careful discussion; they were the tacit understanding honed through countless past collaborations—how to use themselves as bargaining chips to extract enough clues from a fog of mystery, even at the cost of their lives…
These have all happened more than once.
Even a clever man like Jiang You, wasn't he? He knew nothing, but as soon as he saw how angry Yan Danqing was at Chi Zhanlan Ce, he knew exactly what he should do.
After finishing his sentence, Yan Danqing hurriedly left. He still had to interrogate the captured Northern Yan people. He had gone through a lot of trouble to get these people out of the country, and he needed to get some clues.
"Let's go back too. Father and Mother must be very worried," Ye Changming reminded them.
Ye Xiren nodded and went home with her brother.
The Ye family's gate was tightly closed, and the lights in the courtyard had long been turned off, leaving only the quietly hanging lanterns, which provided a faint light. There was no trace of Ye Pei and Liao Changying's "worry".
Ye Changming: "..."
Ye Changming: "???"
He rushed into the Ye residence first, incredulous: "Father and Mother are already asleep? They didn't wait for us?!"
The servant nodded awkwardly.
Ye Changming was speechless. So many things had happened today. Not to mention that his daughter had been betrothed by imperial decree, and that his daughter hadn't returned from outside, how could the two of them sleep?
"My parents are really something, aren't they worried about us at all?" Ye Changming complained. "Are they even their own children?"
Ye Xiren: "..."
"Alright, everyone go back first." She shook her head, not taking it to heart. "Don't wake your parents up. They've been exhausted lately. You should go back to sleep too."
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Ye Changming asked in surprise.
"I want to wait for news from Yan Danqing," Ye Xiren replied.
Since they've already set their sights on her and threatened her safety, she needs to figure out what they're up to. Besides, she touched the dagger in her sleeve... There's something else she needs to think about calmly.
Upon hearing this, Ye Changming's expression turned solemn: "Then I won't sleep. I'll wait with you. If you receive a message from General Yan, remember to come to Changheng Courtyard to find me immediately. I won't sleep. Remember that."
His sister is in danger, and he's not as carefree as his own father; how can he still sleep like this!
Ye Xiren felt a warmth in her heart and nodded gently.
The two parted ways and returned to their respective hospitals.
Unlike Changheng Courtyard, where all the servants were waiting for the young master to return, Tingxue Courtyard was quiet and peaceful. The maids and nannies had all gone to sleep, and even Xuechan, who was always the most worried about her, was not waiting in the room.
Ye Xiren made a slight movement.
What's wrong with you lately?
It seems that as long as she's not in front of them, these people can turn their heads and forget about her completely...
She shook her head, not telling Xuechan to get up, and went back to her room. She lit candles, illuminating the room brightly, and then took out a dagger from her sleeve, examining it carefully by the candlelight.
There were indeed words written on it, but they were not clear.
"Wan".
There is indeed a character "婉" on it, and it feels similar to the one on the plum blossom hairpin, but it is too blurry to be seen with the naked eye.
Ye Xiren frowned subconsciously. For some reason, an unease spread through her heart. The emperor's unusual behavior, the appearance of things related to the Yan family in her grandmother's courtyard...
A layer of mist seemed to rise before my eyes, obscuring my vision and making it difficult to see clearly, yet it inexplicably aroused fear, making me dare not explore any further.
There was some unusual activity outside the window.
"Who?" Ye Xiren looked up and gripped the dagger tightly.
Yan Shuang opened the window, jumped in, and said succinctly: "The general has uncovered some clues. They arrested you to threaten the general and save Chi Zhanlan Ce's life."
Ye Xiren's heart sank.
These people, unable to get their hands on Yan Danqing, have instead set their sights on her.
Yan Shuang drank a cup of cold tea and continued, "There are indeed some Northern Yan people hiding in Nandu City, but we don't know where they are hiding. We haven't found out yet. Also, the general has extracted an important piece of information."
"What?" Ye Xiren asked hurriedly.
"Grain." Yan Shuang's expression turned serious. "The grain that Chi Zhanlan Ce wants to exchange is actually the batch of military rations that Daliang lost before, which is nearby."
"Still in Nandu?!" Ye Xiren was shocked. The batch of grain that had been replaced with river sand had actually been in the vicinity of Nandu all along and had never been to the Huai'an Canal.
This is really...
It's dark under the lamp.
Yan Shuang nodded and let out a breath. "Yes, it's still near Nandu. It's a matter of great importance. General, you need to continue interrogating them to get more information and retrieve that batch of grain as soon as possible!"
Yan Danqing originally wanted to come in person, but the situation there was urgent, so she had to send Yan Shuang first to deliver the message and protect her.
Ye Xiren pursed her lips, then stood up with the dagger in her hand and hurried to find Ye Changming.
Putting aside her other skills, her brother was quite adept at gathering intelligence. The situation was critical, and the Great Liang was desperately short of food. They had to find it as soon as possible before they could begin their counterattack against the Northern Yan!
With a clue to the supplies, everything else became secondary. If they could recover this batch of supplies, along with the supplies sent by Yunlai, at least Liang could fight Northern Yan again.
Changhengyuan
Ye Xiren stood motionless at the door, her hand holding the dagger trembling slightly. A chill ran from her feet to her scalp, and she felt as if she were nailed to the spot, unable to move.
Her jaw clenched so tightly, her face was as pale as paper, her eyes were filled with horror, and large beads of cold sweat dripped down her forehead, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
The gates of Changheng Courtyard were closed, all the lights were off, and it was quiet, just like not long ago when Ye Changming said he wouldn't sleep and would stay with Ye Xiren to wait for news, as if it were just a dream.
Her brother forgot to ask her for information.
Her parents had forgotten that she didn't eat bamboo shoots.
She didn't come back yesterday, so the whole family slept peacefully.
Today, she was betrothed. Her parents forgot, the maids at Tingxue Courtyard didn't know she hadn't returned, and her brother forgot their promises after leaving her...
One incident after another flashed before my eyes, sending chills down my spine and pulling me into a state of extreme fear.
Ye Xiren's voice trembled: "Yan Shuang, have you forgotten me?"
"Huh?" Yan Shuang was stunned, looking completely bewildered.
Ye Xiren could no longer control herself. She lifted her skirt, turned around, and hurriedly ran to the backyard with a dagger and a plum blossom hairpin in her hand. "Grandmother, only Grandmother was waiting for me last night!"
The Longevity Hall was pitch black, but the flickering candlelight inside made the figures of the people kneeling and chanting Buddhist prayers sway. In the dark of night, with the moon obscured by clouds, this Buddhist hall and the candlelight inside were the only light in the world.
Ye Xiren ran inside, panting.
Inside the Buddhist hall, Zhao Lanjun was chanting sutras, but since Ye Xiren had smashed the original white jade Guanyin statue, there were no offerings. Zhao was quietly chanting sutras in front of the empty Buddhist hall.
"grandmother……"
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Author's note: See you tomorrow!
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