After Yan Shaoheng returned to the state guesthouse, Cheng Ying knelt on the ground and said, "Please punish me, Master."
"Get up. This isn't your fault. Did you lay a hand on them?"
Cheng Ying shook her head, blaming herself for being too distracted. She didn't even have a chance to make a move before being subdued by Zhang Yaoyuan's entourage.
"It's better that you didn't make a move. If you had, you would probably be in jail by now, and they could easily pin a charge on you, making it even harder for you to get out."
Cheng Ying felt a wave of fear. His master was not by his side, and he couldn't explain himself. If he was accused of plotting against his master and a prince, he would not be able to escape death.
"Zhang Yaoyuan is truly cunning."
"Why do you say that, Master?"
"Do you really think that a Minister of Revenue would need to see a mere city garrison general in the middle of the night? And to be on patrol at this hour? Even if it were a patrol, would it require the presence of a Minister of Revenue?"
Cheng Ying instantly understood her master's meaning; they were heading straight for their master.
"Master, do they believe it?"
"You think they're all useless? They just can't find any clues. Forget it, I'll head back to Yan tomorrow. Let's not mention this matter again."
"Yes, Master."
"Go and select two of the best assassins in terms of martial arts, internal strength, and agility. Have them secretly protect Chen Jingshu. They should not appear unless there are special circumstances. Remember not to let anyone find out. If they are found out, know what to do."
"yes."
This is the tragedy of suicide warriors: they live their entire lives in darkness, and only in their final moments can they decide their own fate.
After returning to the Minister's residence, Zhang Yaoyuan tidied up and went to the morning court session. After the court session, Zhang Yaoyuan pulled Yan Cheng aside.
"General Yan, may I have a word with you? Are you able to climb the cliffs on the north side of the moat?"
"..."
[Leaving aside whether it's even possible to climb up, who would bother going up the moat, especially from the cliff edge? The moat lies to the north; one wrong step and you're smashed to pieces. Is this old man trying to kill me?]
Yan Cheng probably never imagined that more than 20 years later, his good daughter and son-in-law would rise to such heights.
Seeing that Yan Cheng remained silent, Zhang Yaoyuan said, "Say something!"
"What am I supposed to say? I've never been up there. Nobody knows how high that cliff is. Do you think I'm more handsome than you and want to kill me?"
Zhang Yaoyuan, listening to this unreliable guy, kicked him.
For Yan Cheng, a kick from a frail scholar was less than a tickle.
"Look, you're trying to murder me."
Zhang Yaoyuan rolled his eyes at him. "The Emperor asked me to keep an eye on the Second Prince of Yan. I don't know what's gotten into him these past few days, he insists on going fishing in the moat."
"fishing?"
"Yeah, you bet, and it's late at night when we go fishing."
"Go fishing at night? Who would be so kind as to go fishing at night? Of course, you have to fish during the day. Who can see the fish at night?"
After Yan Cheng finished speaking, Zhang Yaoyuan almost blew his beard and glared. This guy was only reliable when it came to his wife and military campaigns; he was useless in every other aspect.
Yan Cheng realized that if he continued talking, Zhang Yaoyuan would probably eat him alive.
"Don't be angry, I was just teasing you. I've never been to any of the other sides of the moat, let alone from the north. When I was a kid, adults always said that it's easy to get lost in there and never come out."
Zhang Yaoyuan nodded in agreement, "Indeed, quite a few people have gone missing in the moat over the years."
"Didn't the emperor send hundreds of soldiers in to search before, and in the end they only found a few skeletons?"
"Could it be that the second prince of Yan really went fishing?"
I don't think so.
"Hey, you've said all the good and bad things, haven't you?"
If Yan Cheng continued speaking, Zhang Yaoyuan would probably grab him by the neck and kill him, ending it all.
"So, are you going to let me speak or not?"
"Tell me, tell me."
It was not easy for Zhang Yaoyuan to find someone to give him advice, especially since Yan Cheng was second to none in the entire court when it came to strategy.
"First of all, it is very suspicious that the second prince of Yan suddenly decided to go fishing, especially since it was at night. For the past three days, he has been going every day as soon as it gets dark."
"...You don't need to tell me, I can figure it out."
"Don't be impatient, listen to me again. Secondly, we both know what kind of person the Second Prince of Yan is. He has an extremely strong sense of self-esteem. How could he possibly let a mere guard wear his clothes?"
Zhang Yaoyuan nodded in agreement.
"Even a child knows how dangerous the moat and the city walls are. How could the second prince of Yan not know? And how could he be the kind of person who would treat his own life as worthless?"
"Brother, I've already thought of everything you said. Now tell me something useful."
"So, whether you can climb this moat or not, I'll go up it for you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yaoyuan was so happy that he almost hugged and kissed Yan Cheng.
Yan Cheng, seeing Zhang Yaoyuan's predatory gaze, immediately hugged himself.
"What are you trying to do? I've always been chaste and would never betray my wife."
The gratitude I felt just moments ago has vanished completely.
"To thank you, I'll treat you to dinner. Let's go to Yunxianglou."
"No, I'm going home to have dinner with my wife."
Zhang Yaoyuan was already used to this kind of thing. Everyone in the capital knew that Yan Cheng doted on his wife excessively and was a typical henpecked husband.
"...Alright, when do we set off?"
"Hmm... let's have lunch now."
"Alright, in that case, I'll go home with you for dinner."
Yan Cheng immediately became unhappy upon hearing this, saying, "You repay kindness with enmity!"
"??? How did I repay kindness with enmity?"
"It's like repaying kindness with enmity. I helped you investigate evidence at the moat, but you want to disturb our time together."
Zhang Yaoyuan waved his hand, "Forget it, forget it, I can't stoop to your level."
"I'm leaving now, I'll come find you after lunch."
After Yan Cheng finished his lunch, Zhang Yaoyuan arrived at the Yan residence.
The two arrived at the place where Yan Shaoheng was found yesterday. "It was right here that we found the second prince of Yan. His entourage was fishing over there."
Zhang Yaoyuan pointed to the spot where they had been fishing the day before.
Yan Cheng looked up and surveyed the moat, which stretched as far as the eye could see.
Wow, that's so tall.
Zhang Yaoyuan reached out and took the grappling hook from his attendant.
"Here, take this. If you really can't get up there, at least you can protect yourself."
"Thank you." Yan Cheng took the grappling hook, surprised that this guy could be so thoughtful.
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