"Who is Number Thirteen?" Lin Zheqi countered.
"The letter from Lord mentions that it is Prince Jing’s concubine, Mo Xiang," answered Butler Lin. "Lord dispatched Mo Xiang to be close to Prince Jing, partly to relay messages from The Capital and partly to stir up Prince Jing to vie for the throne, inciting chaos within The Capital. When that happens, Lord can seize the opportunity to benefit. Mo Xiang has been doing very well, but yesterday she failed to relay the message on time. It turns out she has been missing from Jing Prince Mansion since the 14th, hence Lord sent a message for Young Master to investigate the reason."
"Father has come to The Capital?" Lin Zheqi’s mind was racing, though his face showed nothing but admiration and longing.
Seeing that the Young Master still deeply missed and respected Lord, Butler Lin felt relieved. "Lord hasn’t come. Mo Xiang is just a chess piece trained by one of Lord’s friends. To avoid leaving any loose ends, Lord has arranged for someone else to be in regular contact with Mo Xiang. That way, if any accident befalls her, it won’t lead back to Lord." ƒrēewebnovel.com
"Oh," Lin Zheqi showed a fitting hint of disappointment. "Father’s friend isn’t someone from Beiyue or Xiliang, is he?"
Butler Lin shook his head. "I don’t know who that person is, but it’s neither from Beiyue nor Xiliang."
Could Father be collaborating with others as well?
As Lin Zheqi pondered this, he elegantly sipped his tea from the table, then said indifferently, "So Father just wants me to clarify the reasons?"
"Lord means that if necessary, she should vanish without a trace," Butler Lin stated the order from Lord plainly.
"Take her out?" A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Zheqi’s eyes. "She doesn’t know core secrets, and training a spy is both time-consuming and laborious. Is it necessary to go to such lengths? Moreover, she’s a chess piece of Father’s friend; how would Father explain it to him afterward?"
It wasn’t that he felt sorry for Mo Xiang but rather he was alarmed by his father’s caution and ruthlessness; once anyone became useless to Father, they were cut down without remorse.
Butler Lin hastened to explain, "I have always taught the Young Master that those who achieve great things must possess the decisiveness and courage to take ruthless actions. One should show no womanly compassion or else greatness cannot be achieved. Lord’s actions are precisely what is expected of a ruler. As for how to explain it to that person, I trust Lord has his own strategy."
Despite these words, he was unable to keep his composure, even feeling a sense of ’when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves.’ If one day he became useless to Lord, would he also vanish like Mo Xiang?
No! That won’t be the case! His loyalty to Lord was absolute, and Lord had entrusted his most cherished and relied-upon Young Master to his care and guidance, which clearly showed his trust in him. He should not harbor such wild thoughts.
Besides, his life was saved by Lord, and even if Lord wished to take it back in the future, he would have no regrets.
Having reasoned it out, Butler Lin spoke with heartfelt earnestness to persuade Lin Zheqi, "Young Master, don’t blame Lord. Mo Xiang spent no short time with Lord’s friend; she may have learned some secrets. If she falls into the hands of the person on the dragon throne, the consequences would be unimaginable. And right now, Lord’s power is too weak; it’s not the optimal moment to achieve great things. The best course of action is to nip potential threats in the bud."
Originally, Lord’s ventures had come close to success but were ultimately thwarted, and he had no choice but to devise another plan. The Emperor, considering the larger picture and his reputation, did not pursue charges against Lord.
Over the years, the Emperor has rejuvenated the administration, not only settling the chaos left by the upheaval at the start of his reign but also gradually turning Dong Chu into the prosperous and peaceful state it is today. Together with supporters like Prince Chen, the exceptionally wise Princess Chen, and the backing of Qing’an Country, Dong Chu’s prosperity and power are just around the corner.
If the Emperor ever becomes aware of Lord’s existence and intentions, he will undoubtedly not let Lord off easily. The Emperor prides himself on being a sage ruler; before taking action against Lord, he will surely look for a legitimate reason, and that would be ’Lord’s insurrection.’
If Mo Xiang falls into the Emperor’s hands and reveals certain secrets, wouldn’t that be tantamount to giving the Emperor proof of Lord’s rebellion?
Lin Zheqi sneered coldly, "Leave this matter to Le Ya and Le Fei to handle."
Seeing the scorn and cynicism in Lin Zheqi’s eyes, Butler Lin sighed inwardly. The Young Master, rigorously trained since childhood, was a meticulous and capable individual. Still, he retained some compassion at heart. Whether that was good or bad, who could say?
After Butler Lin and Le Ya and Le Fei had left, Lin Zheqi immediately lowered his voice and tasked Le Shui with finding Mo Xiang before the others. If the secret investigation by Zhang Run proved true, Mo Xiang’s death would not only be untimely but also a wasted opportunity.
Le Shui responded respectfully.
Jing Prince Mansion.
Learning of Mo Xiang’s unscheduled absence from the mansion, Prince Jing thought she might have gone shopping or to Huangjue Temple (Mo Xiang had the freedom to come and go from the mansion, and every few days, she would visit Huangjue Temple to pray for him, sometimes staying overnight), and didn’t take it to heart.
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