This detail was enough for the perceptive and thoughtful Fu Heng to notice something amiss.
An Ke frowned and whispered, "And the boss just told me and Qing'er to get to the backyard as soon as possible, and said not to go to the front hall if we hear any noise tonight. Uncle, under what circumstances would you say something like that?" A dark glint flashed in An Ke's eyes. This inn was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface.
Master Ai nodded heavily; it was indeed strange. He gave Fu Heng a wink, and Fu Heng, understanding, withdrew to make the arrangements.
"Since the boss has said so, you should all get a good rest tonight. You'll know the whole story tomorrow." Master Ai patted An Ke's head affectionately, but An Ke didn't notice the deep look in his eyes.
"Uncle?" An Ke didn't understand. Was he not allowed to participate in this matter?
"Listen to your uncle, keep the doors and windows closed tonight and get a good night's sleep." Old Master Ai patted An Ke's shoulder with a slightly firm touch, conveying an air of unquestionable authority.
A flicker of struggle crossed An Ke's eyes, but seeing her uncle's resolute gaze, she lowered her guard. She nodded readily; her uncle had his reasons for doing so. Lord Fu Heng's competence was undeniable. An Ke had no doubt that she wouldn't see the full story tomorrow.
"Alright, would you like to take a walk with your uncle?" Looking at his well-behaved niece, the old man felt very gratified and comforted. "I see that bamboo grove outside, it looks so peaceful. It's time to go for a walk after dinner."
Anke burst out laughing when she heard her uncle say that. Because while living in the palace, Anke had always said: "Walk a hundred steps after a meal, and you'll live to ninety-nine!"
Unexpectedly, my uncle overheard this, and he had persisted in this for so many years. During that time, a "sports craze" swept through the palace. Knowing that my uncle would take a stroll in the Imperial Garden after meals, the ladies of the palace would all go there and pretend to bump into him.
Later, her uncle found the crowds too numerous and bothersome, so he went for a walk in the small garden behind the Qianqing Palace. To An Ke's surprise, even when traveling incognito, her uncle still remembered this little habit.
Emperor: Of course, I'd like to live longer if I could!
Anke: Live for 500 years?
Emperor: That's not necessarily true (wiping sweat) ?_?
“Alright, An’an hasn’t digested her food yet. Then An’an will reluctantly accompany Uncle for a walk.” An’an smiled and reached out to take her husband’s arm.
"Reluctantly accompanying your uncle?" Master Ai narrowed his eyes, feigning indifference with a stern face, but his tone was full of teasing.
"No, no, no. How can accompanying Uncle for a walk be something you have to force yourself to do?" Anke understood her uncle's little thoughts and coaxed him along with his whims. "Let's also take a walk with Qing'er and the others."
The master looked at Qing'er and Ertai, who were standing alone to the side, and with a wave of his hand, he mercifully allowed them to come along. "Then let's all go together."
The master and An'an walked ahead, laughing and chatting, while Qing'er followed slightly behind. Ertai, acting as their bodyguard, kept a watchful eye and ears open, ready to ensure the safety of the master and young lady at any moment.
Inside the pavilion
Little Swallow was telling everyone what had happened inside the carriage. Ziwei stood to the side, her head bowed and eyes lowered, not uttering a word, which made her look quite pitiful.
"Didn't Master stay at Shufangzhai all night back then?" Benjamin asked, puzzled. "Didn't that mean Master really liked Ziwei's chess skills and singing voice? Why is he like this today...?"
Before Benjamin could finish speaking, the "temperamental" Erkang slammed his fist on the stone table. "It seems Princess Yong'an still remembers the time we offended her in the imperial kitchen. So she's deliberately trying to trip up Ziwei today." Erkang hadn't forgotten how, at Longshan Temple, his master had listened to Anke's answer but not Ziwei's. Wasn't it Princess Yong'an who was causing trouble? Remembering Ziwei's forlorn expression, Erkang felt a pang of pain in his heart. He quickly looked at Ziwei, who sat to the side, shrouded in shadow.
Ziwei sat in a corner of the pavilion, the hazy moonlight bathing her. She appeared so aloof and lonely. Erkang's chauvinistic tendencies began to stir again. Ignoring the opinions of those around him, and unconcerned whether anyone was watching, he moved directly next to Ziwei and took her hands in his.
“Ziwei is fine. There will be many more opportunities in the future,” Erkang said firmly, his eyes gentle and tender. “Master will discover your sincerity, kindness, and beauty.” Erkang was thinking about creating opportunities for Ziwei and Master to be alone together. Then, he would have to get Princess Yong'an and Qing'er out of the way. Qing'er was easy enough, but Princess Yong'an…
"Really? Erkang?" Ziwei slowly raised her head after hearing Erkang's words. Her dark eyes were brimming with tears, threatening to spill over but holding back. She stared directly at Erkang, as if he were the only one in her world. Erkang's chauvinistic ego was satisfied. If it weren't for the opinions of those around them, he would have loved to pull Ziwei into his arms and comfort her.
“Really, Ziwei, you are so wonderful. Master will discover your goodness.” Erkang firmly believed that his thoughts were correct. But what about Princess Yong'an…? Erkang turned to look at Yongqi beside him.
With an air of imperious authority, he said, "I'll send Qing'er away. As for Anke, Yongqi, you can send her away. Then Xiaoyanzi can watch Benjamin paint and go sightseeing with him. That will create an opportunity for Ziwei and Master to spend time together." Thinking this, Erkang felt that his idea was absolutely flawless. It was perfect, and Fu Erkang happily fantasized.
Yongqi was the first to object. Putting aside the fact that Xiaoyanzi was supposed to be with Benjamin, Yongqi was already annoyed. They actually wanted him to get rid of An'an? Was they using both him and An'an? When did the Erkang he knew start to "change"? The Erkang of the past was a trusted minister of the Emperor, a shrewd and resourceful imperial bodyguard, an ambitious and idealistic young man.
Recently, they've not only been acting and speaking without thinking, but they've also brought their hypocritical behavior to the forefront. Yongqi finds this utterly despicable. He thinks their thinking is incredibly naive. So what if they've managed to get An'an away? Do they really want to reveal that huge secret right now? Even if they do, what difference does it make? Can Ziwei compare to An'an's position in the Emperor's heart?
Why compare everything to An'an? Even the princesses in the palace wouldn't be so foolish as to compare their father's favor with An'an. Isn't it obvious?
Besides, if An'an found out he was using her, he, as her fifth brother, would probably have no familial affection left for her. That wouldn't do! An'an was his cousin, whom he had known since childhood. If one day An'an really stopped talking to him because of these things, that would be a truly tragic thing.
Yongqi stated firmly, "I disagree. This is too risky, and the chances of success are too small." Most importantly, he was afraid that there would be discord between him and his sister.
Erkang turned stiffly, looking at Yongqi with utter disbelief. He seemed unable to accept that Yongqi had also betrayed them. "Why? Don't you want their identities switched? If Master had sat with Qing'er and Anke the whole way, what chance would Ziwei have? What was our initial purpose in coming out? Wasn't it to get a get-out-of-jail-free card?" Erkang was so anxious he almost shouted, pacing back and forth restlessly, trying to explain things to Yongqi. He was practically jumping up and down with frustration!
Yongqi maintained his indifferent, nonchalant, and aloof attitude. "No means no. If An'an finds out, the consequences will be unbearable for us," Yongqi tried to explain to Fu'erkang, presenting facts and evidence.
But how could Fu Erkang, who had rationally run away from home, listen to any of this? He only knew that Yongqi was no longer helping them, and his eyes instantly turned red. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he stared straight at the clueless Xiao Yanzi beside him and gave Yongqi a cold smile.
"Little Swallow, for the sake of your identities, would you be willing to send Anke away?" Erkang asked expectantly. Little Swallow would never refuse Ziwei's request; if Little Swallow took over, then Yongqi would also handle the matter.
"Of course, I've got it covered." Little Swallow patted her chest confidently, as if she were a bit naive. Besides, she felt Yongqi's words were a bit of an exaggeration. Back in Cining Palace, An Ke had spoken up for them. Moreover, Ziwei's affairs were her affairs; she had already usurped Ziwei's identity and fatherhood for so long. She would do anything Ziwei asked.
Upon hearing Erkang's words, Yongqi naturally realized he was being forced to submit. He had initially hoped Xiaoyanzi would show some composure. However, seeing Xiaoyanzi's resolute gesture, Yongqi's once passionate heart plummeted to rock bottom. His burning desire felt as if it had been frozen solid, chilling him to the bone.
Yongqi couldn't stand it any longer and stormed off. Xiaoyanzi watched Yongqi's retreating figure, wanting to call out to him, but after opening her mouth, she didn't know what to say.
Yongqi walked along the road with his head down, lost in thought, and didn't even notice that he almost bumped into Anke.
"Fifth Brother, snap out of it." An Ke had no choice but to speak up to remind him.
Yongqi was startled by the person in front of him, breaking out in a cold sweat. He turned his head to look at the pavilion. Had Father and An'an heard their conversation? He cautiously inquired, "Father and An'an, where are you going?"
"I just came out of the bamboo forest with my uncle," Anke said with a smile in her eyes, answering Yongqi's question.
Upon hearing this, Yongqi breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he didn't want to help Erkang and the others, he didn't want to put them to death. After all, that big secret could have far-reaching consequences.
"Son will accompany Father back." Yongqi smiled and stepped forward, standing on the other side of the old man.
The emperor glanced thoughtfully at his son, the man he had once been so proud of. They had actually overheard some of the conversation, but because they were too far away, they hadn't heard the details. They had only heard about sending An'an and Qing'er away. Why send An'an and Qing'er away? This question had also raised a huge question mark in the emperor's mind.
An Ke glanced at Yong Qi with a smile, taking in his unease. She said nothing, however. Fifth Brother's arrival at this time was tantamount to disapproving of their ideas and distancing himself from the situation. So An Ke remained silent. "Fifth Brother, please don't disappoint me!" An Ke then gave Yong Qi another wistful look.
After Yongqi was completely relieved, he noticed Ertai following behind them. He then realized that Ertai seemed to have distanced himself from them throughout the entire trip. He didn't participate in anything, didn't speak, and no longer acted alongside them. He simply followed silently by the master and An'an, like a loyal guardian.
Could it be that Ertai saw through their true colors even earlier than he did? Was that why he needed to leave as soon as possible? This question slowly formed a knot in Yongqi's mind. But now was not the time to ask, so Yongqi could only forcefully suppress the urge to inquire.
After escorting the master and An'an back to their rooms, Yongqi forgot about the incident. He figured it wouldn't be too late to ask about it tomorrow.
But unexpectedly, a major event occurred after they had fallen asleep.
In the morning, they all went to the front hall on their own initiative to prepare for breakfast. They then discovered that the master, Anke, Qing'er, Ertai, and Lord Fuheng had already arrived at the front hall early.
Meanwhile, Ying, one of Lord Fuheng's personal guards, was pinning down a man dressed in coarse, tattered clothes. The man's eyes were unusually fierce, and there was even a knife at his feet. Even though Ying was holding him down tightly, he kept struggling.
Xiao Yanzi and her friends, who had just arrived at the front hall, were completely bewildered and had no idea what had happened.
"Master, what happened?" Little Swallow asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
The master didn't even glance at Xiao Yanzi, only silently staring at the man before him. Xiao Yanzi pursed her lips and began to scrutinize the man pinned to the ground.
"Thank you so much for upholding justice for me, sir." The shopkeeper came out from a side room, knelt down in front of Fu Heng, and kept thanking him.
"Get up first." Fu Heng could command thousands of troops without changing his expression on the battlefield, but when faced with the thorny issue of a woman kneeling down, Fu Heng felt at a loss.
An Ke could only step in to help Lord Fu Heng out of this predicament. "Boss, please get up. Kneeling like this isn't a good thing. Besides, your right leg needs proper care too."
After hearing An Ke's words, the woman stood up, half-covering her face with a handkerchief. "This man is the one who bought and sold me. If it weren't for him, I would have been the only daughter of Mr. Zhang, the owner of the grain store. I was living in the capital. If I hadn't helped him, I wouldn't have been abducted here, and my family wouldn't have abandoned me because of this."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com