The two of them made a round and settled down at a teahouse.
Zhang Yun said in a low voice, "We can’t get in. It seems that the Nanchu King is quite safe." Before Zhou Gu could respond, he shook his head, "No, that’s not it. This only indicates that the situation is even more tense. This doesn’t mean that it is safe. Once both sides mobilize their troops, the Royal Palace would be vulnerable, despite being heavily fortified."
Zhou Gu nodded, "That’s right."
Zhang Yun asked, "So what do we do now? My martial arts skills are not as good as yours, so I definitely can’t make it. You could try, but the palace has strict defenses. It’s not guaranteed that you won’t make a big fuss once you’re in. At that point, our initial intention of sneaking someone out would be completely thrown off."
He turned to Zhou Gu, "Moreover, it would be too risky. There could be unforeseen problems. Our lives are at stake after all."
Although Zhou Gu was now the Nanchu King’s son-in-law, they had yet to meet. Whether the Nanchu King approved of him was still unclear. Therefore, barging in so rashly wasn’t the best plan.
Zhou Gu stroked his chin, "Actually, I predicted this situation before we came."
Zhang Yun looked at him, "So what’s your plan? Do you have a strategy to get in unnoticed?"
Zhou Gu nodded, "It depends on whether a certain person is willing to help us."
"Who?" Zhang Yun sounded a bit doubtful, he thought of something and widened his eyes in surprise, "You’re not planning on looking for..."
"Second Young Master Ye." Zhou Gu replied.
Seeing that his guess was correct, Zhang Yun’s face showed astonishment, "You... can’t be serious? You want to find him?"
Would a romantic rival help?
Let’s not forget that it was because of him, Miss Seven refused Ye Guixue and rejected him and the Ye Xiang Residence. Now that he, the romantic rival, is here seeking help and he wants to kidnap the Nanchu King, would they help? If they not only refuse to help but also secretly kill both of them, then it’s all over.
"Yes." Zhou Gu nodded, "He should be willing to help."
Zhou Gu had good reasons to persuade Ye Guixue, "The Nangong Family and Ye Xiang Residence have always had conflicts. The current situation is only making things worse. Before Ye Guixue left the capital city of Daliang, he already indicated that he would support Su Rong. He wouldn’t hold grudges against her just because she called off the marriage. He is not a man ruled by emotions. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been educated by the Nanchu King and Ye Xiang for many years. He is a suitable candidate for a queen. But for this reason, his reason outweighs his emotions. Us taking away the Nanchu King is beneficial for him, for Nanchu Country and for the Ye Xiang Residence."
Zhang Yun blinked, "So, it could really work?"
"Yes." Zhou Gu responded, "You’ve never met Ye Guixue. He’s a lot more magnanimous than I am."
Zhang Yun: "..."
There was no need to be so bluntly honest.
He asked, "So, how do we find Ye Guixue?"
"Tonight, we sneak into the Ye Xiang Residence." Zhou Gu replied, "Stick with me."
"Alright then." The person that the Nangong Family and the Royal Family of Nanchu most want to kill is the Nanchu King. The defenses of the Ye Xiang Residence should not be as impenetrable.
After they agreed on a plan, they had a couple glasses of tea and found a place to rest while waiting for nightfall.
Deep into the night, they put on their night-clothes and headed for the Ye Xiang Residence.
The Ye Xiang Residence was a grand mansion with a large courtyard. Following their earlier recon of the layout, they snuck straight into Ye Guixue’s courtyard after entering the Ye Xiang Residence.
Thankfully, Ye Guixue loved peace and quiet. His courtyard was located in a relatively quiet area of the Ye Xiang Residence. It was separated from the surroundings by water pavilions, gardens, and trees, forming a separate yard with few guards and servants close by.
When they snuck in, things went smoothly. Despite being careful while climbing over the wall into Ye Guixue’s yard, they were immediately noticed. A black figure instantly brandished a shining sword and challenged, "Who’s there?"
Zhang Yun was startled while Zhou Gu drew his sword to block the attack, lowering his voice to say, "It’s me, Zhou Gu."
The person wielding the sword was Yin Yue, who stopped in surprise, "Lord Thursday?"
"Yes."
Yin Yue was unsure whether to withdraw his sword, and after a pause, asked with doubt, "Why is Lord Thursday sneaking into the Ye Xiang Residence in the middle of the night?"
"I’m looking for your young master." Zhou Gu replied, "It’s not appropriate to show up publicly, so I had to resort to this. May I ask if Second Young Master Ye can see us?"
At this moment, the room door opened and Ye Guixue emerged in plain clothes. He looked at Zhou Gu and Zhang Yun, both dressed in night clothes, with some surprise, "Lord Thursday? Please come in!"
Yin Yue immediately retracted his sword and gestured for them to enter.
Zhou Gu put his sword back into its sheath and, together with Zhang Yun, followed Ye Guixue into the room.
With the door closed, Ye Guixue said with a smile, "I never expected Lord Thursday to come to the Royal Capital. Did the Princess come with you?"
Zhou Gu shook his head, "She didn’t come. She still has some matters to settle in Daliang. I came ahead to scout the way."
Ye Guixue smiled, "So that’s how it is. How long has Lord Thursday been here?"
"Two months." Zhou Gu replied.
Ye Guixue understood, "So it turns out that Lord Thursday was behind the trouble with the Nangong Family."
Zhou Gu nodded, "I wanted to see just how deep the roots of the Nangong Family tree were. I didn’t expect them to be so hard to shake, and almost got caught up in it."
Once he was done, he turned to Zhang Yun who was standing by, "This is Zhang Yun, Second Young Master Ye should know of him."
"I’ve heard of him." Ye Guixue greeted Zhang Yun, "The third son of Pingxi General’s Residence, whose cunning is nearly demonic."
"Second Young Master Ye flatters me." Zhang Yun immediately replied, "My small tricks aren’t worth mentioning."
Ye Guixue laughed, "Young Master Zhang, you’re being too modest. I’ve received news that the civil unrest in Daliang has quelled, and the mass killing by the Jibei Army was avoided due to Young Master Zhang’s mediation."
He continued to smile, "Since Young Master Zhang has come to Nanchu with Lord Thursday, have you decided to pledge allegiance to the Princess?"
Zhang Yun nodded, "Second Young Master Ye is correct, the Princess thought highly of me, and I’m willing to follow her and serve her."
Ye Guixue smiled and turned to Zhou Gu, "I wonder why the two of you came to see me tonight."
Zhou Gu lowered his voice and said, "The current situation in Nanchu is extremely critical, with the possibility of war breaking out at any given time, which would be an unpredictable disaster. After Zhang Yun and I arrived in Nanchu, we made numerous probes and found out that the Nangong Family has deep roots indeed. I’m sure that the current situation has the Nanchu King and the Ye Xiang Residence struggling to cope, let alone with the ambitious Nanchu Royal Family headed by Prince Liu’an who has been cultivating power for many years. I’ve discovered that the Nangong Family has secretly contacted the Dawei Crown Prince Yuan Zhao for a loan of fifty thousand soldiers. They also control another fifty thousand soldiers and have won over the Jinglu Troops’ commander, which adds another hundred thousand troops. This means the Nangong Family now controls two hundred thousand soldiers. I believe the Nanchu King and Ye Xiang Residence have a similar force, perhaps even less than what the Nangong Family has, and it’s spread thin. Therefore, I think the Nanchu King is currently an easy target. Neither the Nanchu King nor the Ye Xiang Residence will be able to withstand a second backlash from the Nangong Family and Prince Liu’an. Su Rong can’t get to Nanchu in time to save the day. Since I’m already here, I could represent half of her and solve this urgent matter. That’s why I came to discuss a strategy with Second Young Master Ye. A strategy that would benefit the Nanchu King, Nanchu Country, and the Ye Xiang Residence."
Ye Guixue listened quietly. When Zhou Gu finished speaking, he asked, "Lord Thursday, please feel free to speak. I’m all ears."
Zhou Gu replied straightforwardly, "Get the Nanchu King out of the palace without anyone noticing, get him out of the palace and turn this easy target from an obvious to a hidden one, protect him, and then wait for Su Rong to arrive and reverse the situation."
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