Seventeen
After leaving Kaifeng, Zhan Zhao traveled without stopping, finally arriving at the outskirts of Fangzhou City at noon fifteen days later. Dismounting, Zhan Zhao walked into Fangzhou. The unexpected tight security check was a surprise; he entered Fangzhou so easily. However, this did not make Zhan Zhao relax. On the contrary, the bustling scenery along the roadside made him feel as if he were in the capital, and it also revealed Chai Wenyi's undisguised ambition. Finding a small inn, Zhan Zhao knew that what he was looking for wouldn't be found so easily, and decided to stay first. Handing the reins to the innkeeper, Zhan Zhao stepped to the counter: "Innkeeper, a room, please."
The shopkeeper looked up from his ledger and sized Zhan Zhao up and down: "Are you alone, sir?"
"Not bad." Zhan Zhao smiled gently.
The shopkeeper casually picked up a ledger and handed it to Zhan Zhao, his face beaming with smiles: "Please register first, sir."
"Registration?" Zhan Zhao deliberately feigned confusion as he carefully examined the information required for registration. He noticed that the register not only included the common name field but also age and place of origin. He couldn't help but secretly speculate that Fangzhou City was far from as peaceful as it appeared.
"Sir, you may not know this, but this is an order from the local officials. All outsiders who come to stay at the inn must register," the innkeeper explained, his eyes also busy secretly observing Zhan Zhao.
Before Xuan Yuanfei and Zhan Zhao could even think, they picked up their brushes and wrote three words. After finishing, they paused slightly, a bitter smile creeping onto their faces. It seemed that no matter how much they denied it, that woman had left an indelible mark on their hearts. They gently handed the booklet back to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper glanced at the name Zhan Zhao had written down, his smile never fading: "Xuanyuan? That's a rare surname."
Zhan Zhao smiled noncommittally. He knew the surname Xuanyuan was too eye-catching, and he blamed himself for writing it down without thinking. However, those familiar with the Xuanyuan family knew that since the death of the late consort Xuanyuan Yizhi a few years ago, and the eldest princess's decision to become a nun, only Xuanyuan Tianyi and her niece Xuanyuan Wuji remained in the Xuanyuan family. Chai Wenyi happened to be one of the few people familiar with the Xuanyuan family.
After placing his belongings in the room, Zhan Zhao strolled out onto the street. As he walked, he discreetly observed the terrain. Fangzhou was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a river valley basin in the middle that had collapsed, forming a "trapped dragon" formation according to feng shui principles. It was clear that Emperor Taizu had moved the Chai family to Fangzhou to prevent their descendants from rebelling against the Song Dynasty in the future. However, people's desire for power cannot be restrained by a mere feng shui arrangement.
As Zhan Zhao walked along, although it seemed no one noticed him, the vigilance of a martial artist made him sense something amiss. Those seemingly simple, smiling people were secretly observing him in their own ways. Realizing he had become the center of attention, Zhan Zhao, who was at the intersection, turned away from the main road. Unlike the bustling main road, this street was noticeably quieter. Looking at the neat courtyards on both sides, Zhan Zhao's pace unconsciously slowed down. Following the street's course, after turning two corners, a huge mansion appeared before Zhan Zhao. Two white marble lions stood on either side of the entrance, and the vermilion gate was adorned with seventy-two door studs, gleaming with dazzling gold. Above the lintel were the three large characters "Chai Wang Mansion." There were no servants guarding the mansion; the tightly closed gates lacked any vitality, and the entire street, along with the mansion itself, exuded a solemn yet eerie atmosphere.
Zhan Zhao strode past the gate, never once glancing at the vermilion door, for he knew countless eyes were watching him from the shadows, and a single misstep could implicate the entire Kaifeng Prefecture. Having memorized the route, Zhan Zhao didn't linger on the street. Soon after returning to the inn, a knock on the door was accompanied by the innkeeper's voice: "Sir, your tea is here."
As he opened the door, Zhan Zhao stepped aside to make way for the waiter: "Thank you for your trouble."
"Sir, you're too kind. Will dinner be brought to your room?" The waiter placed the tea on the table with a fawning smile.
"No, I'll go downstairs to eat." Zhan Zhao refused the waiter's suggestion because he wanted to gain a comprehensive understanding of Fangzhou in the shortest possible time, something he couldn't learn by hiding in his room.
After a simple dinner, Zhan Zhao returned to his room and sat quietly at the table, recalling the layout of the Chai Prince's mansion he had passed through that day. A moment later, he knew all the possible hiding places for his guards, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. Zhan Zhao blew out the candle, sat cross-legged on the bed, and waited patiently for the third watch of the night to infiltrate the Chai Prince's mansion.
Meanwhile, in the right wing of the Chai Prince's mansion, the Ghost Judge frowned as he looked at the registration books that had just been delivered from various inns on the table. Chai Wenyi had sent word that Zhan Zhao had left the capital fifteen days ago. If he wasn't mistaken, Zhan Zhao's destination should be Fangzhou. However, the Ghost Judge also understood that Zhan Zhao would definitely conceal his identity, and it wouldn't be easy to find out which one was Zhan Zhao among the many people who came to Fangzhou every day.
As he flipped through the book, the Ghost Judge's eyes were drawn to a name: Xuan Yuanfei. The surname Xuan Yuan was too eye-catching; Zhan Zhao wouldn't be foolish enough to choose such a prominent surname. The Ghost Judge shook his head, dismissing the idea. However, for some reason, from the very first glance at the name, the Ghost Judge had a strong feeling that this was the person he was looking for.
After much deliberation, the rationality cultivated through years of meticulous planning ultimately triumphed over intuition. The Ghost Judge couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was truly getting more and more senile with age; since when had he started trusting his intuition? He wondered how Chai Wenyi's dealings were going in the capital. He only awaited news from Chai Wenyi; then, the scheming and planning of so many years and generations would finally pay off. Thinking of this, a satisfied smile appeared on the Ghost Judge's no longer youthful face.
As night fell, the crescent moon, like a faint smile, hid behind thick clouds, shrouding the entire city of Fangzhou in darkness. Zhan Zhao cautiously approached the Chai Prince's residence, following the path he had taken during the day. Though cautious, Zhan Zhao's speed was surprisingly fast, even astonishing. However, someone was faster than Zhan Zhao, and in the pitch-black night, this person brazenly wore all white. Looking at this familiar figure, Zhan Zhao frowned slightly, offering a wry smile, inwardly sighing that this troublemaker seemed to be everywhere. Despite these thoughts, he continued walking, chasing after the direction where Bai Yutang had disappeared.
At the corner in front of the Chai Prince's mansion, Zhan Zhao felt a gust of wind rush towards him. Instinctively, he raised his arm to block it, barely managing to deflect Bai Yutang's fist. Turning his head, Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang, who had missed his attack and realized something was wrong. Bai Yutang looked at the familiar figure in front of him, paused for a moment, then smiled and deliberately lowered his voice: "Cat, is it really necessary? It's only been a few days since I last saw you, and you already miss me."
Seeing Bai Yutang's somewhat smug smile, Zhan Zhao rolled his eyes and turned to head towards the Chai Prince's residence. Not expecting Zhan Zhao to leave without a word, Bai Yutang hurriedly caught up with him: "Cat, what kind of attitude is that?"
Zhan Zhao stopped and turned to look at Bai Yutang: "Bai Yutang, this is not a place for you. You'd better not follow me."
"Fine, I won't follow you. You go your way, I'll go mine." With that, Bai Yutang turned and walked away without looking back.
Seeing Bai Yutang like this, Zhan Zhao knew that he was being stubborn again. Fangzhou was different from other places, and he couldn't let him act up. Helpless, Zhan Zhao had no choice but to call out, "Bai Yutang."
Upon hearing Zhan Zhao call him, Bai Yutang stopped and revealed a smug smile. When he turned around, the smile had disappeared, and he asked with a tense face, "What does Lord Zhan want with me?"
"Since we share the same goal, let's go together." Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang gently, trying his best not to let him see the smile he was trying to suppress.
"Oh, that won't do. We can't let it interfere with Lord Zhan's official business." Bai Yutang glanced at Zhan Zhao sideways, his words laced with sarcasm.
Upon hearing Bai Yutang's words, Zhan Zhao could no longer hold back and burst out laughing. However, before Zhan Zhao could finish laughing, Bai Yutang angrily said, "Little Zhan, you're mocking me!" With that, he turned and left.
Zhan Zhao hadn't expected Bai Yutang to actually get angry, so he quickly stepped forward and grabbed Bai Yutang, saying, "Brother Bai, it was my fault, please don't be angry." After saying that, seeing Bai Yutang turn his head away in a huff, he softened his tone and said ingratiatingly, "Brother Bai, if you have nothing else to do, could you do me a favor?"
"Oh, I'm very busy." Bai Yutang stroked his chin, pretending to think, and said, "However, since the cat has asked, I'll reluctantly help you." After saying that, he turned around abruptly, jumped in front of Zhan Zhao, and said with a grin, "What is it?"
Looking at Bai Yutang, who had now revealed his true colors, Zhan Zhao smiled and pointed to the Chai Prince's Mansion in front of him: "How about we go and investigate?"
Nodding hastily, Bai Yutang smiled smugly: "That's exactly what I was thinking."
Seeing Bai Yutang's impatient expression, Zhan Zhao finally couldn't help but chuckle. This earned him a low growl from Bai Yutang, who was somewhat exasperated: "Little cat Zhan, you're still laughing!"
Turning to dodge Bai Yutang's punch, Zhan Zhao rushed towards the Chai Prince's residence. Bai Yutang, having missed his attack, also followed closely behind Zhan Zhao.
The two men crouched atop the high courtyard wall, presumably to prevent anyone from hiding there, as there were no trees around the walls of the Chai Prince's mansion. The mansion was divided into an inner and outer courtyard, and their current position allowed them a clear view of the outer courtyard. Unlike the unguarded outer courtyard, the Chai Prince's mansion was manned by guards every five steps and sentries every ten. Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a glance, then tacitly lowered their bodies. After spending two full hours figuring out the changing of the guard schedule within the Chai Prince's mansion, they finally leaped down from the wall and, with a few bounds, disappeared from the mansion.
"Cat, what are your plans?" Bai Yutang slowed his pace and asked Zhan Zhao in a deep voice.
After a moment's thought, Zhan Zhao finally spoke: "I plan to observe for a few more days. The Chai Prince's residence is different from other places; we cannot act rashly."
After listening to Zhan Zhao's words, Bai Yutang, unusually, did not refute them: "Then let's observe for a few more days, in case the guards of the Chai Prince's Mansion have some special shift change method."
For the next few days, the two men would stake out the walls of Chai Wangfu every night, and stroll around Fangzhou City in the mornings, ostensibly for leisure, but secretly to observe and hopefully find some clues about Chai Wenyi's rebellion. After dusk, they would return to the inn to rest so they would have the energy to act at night. To avoid arousing suspicion, the two never met except when they went to Chai Wangfu at night, and even if they happened to meet, they would pretend not to know each other.
However, after a few days, the two men secretly wondered why neither Chai Wenyi nor Chai Siyi concealed their ambitions. Logically, Fangzhou City should at least show some tension before the great battle, but apart from the cautious observation of the city's residents, they couldn't see anything amiss. Yet, the more this was the case, the more alarmed they became, because the pervasive hostility made them sense something strange.
“Cat, logically speaking, if Chai Wenyi wanted to rebel, he must have made preparations for war. But there isn’t a single soldier in Fangzhou City, and there are very few guards. Don’t you find that strange?” Finally, a few days later, Bai Yutang asked the question that had been on his mind late at night.
After listening to Bai Yutang's words, Zhan Zhao did not turn his head, his eyes still fixed on the movements inside the Chai Prince's Mansion: "Fangzhou City is surrounded by mountains on all sides, so it is an easy thing to hide an army in the mountains."
"Then how do we find it?" Bai Yutang asked anxiously.
Zhan Zhao pointed down and said softly, "Let them take us there."
"Let them take us there? You have a plan?" Bai Yutang vaguely guessed Zhan Zhao's thoughts and couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile.
"If you were them, and there weren't enough men to handle the thieves in your mansion, wouldn't you go and call for reinforcements?" Zhan Zhao continued.
Looking at Zhan Zhao's cunning smile, Bai Yutang felt fortunate that he and Zhan Zhao weren't truly enemies; otherwise, he would have been in serious trouble. The man before him seemed gentle and harmless, but those who knew him well knew he was far more complex than he appeared. Because no matter the circumstances, he could always use his opponents to achieve his own goals. Therefore, you should never be fooled by his gentle smile. But in this world, very few people could resist the charm of Zhan Zhao's warm smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
