Chapter 19 I Will Never Leave Your Side
The failures at Jishetang and the thwarted assassination attempt at Pudu Temple have made Lou Shang, though still outwardly arrogant, noticeably more restrained in his actions.
Clearly feeling the pressure, they have temporarily gone into hiding.
On the surface, the Prince of Jin's mansion appears to be plagued by illness, with the Princess rarely venturing out and the mansion gates tightly shut.
However, internally, Wang Quan and Shan Lan joined forces to carry out a thorough purge of the Wang Mansion, and several servants with unclear and suspicious backgrounds were quietly dismissed from the mansion.
Ye Xunyang has matured a lot after this incident.
He no longer ran around as freely as before, spending most of his time in the mansion, either handling official business or practicing martial arts to strengthen his body. More often than not, he stayed in the main courtyard, accompanying Lou Jin.
After learning that his physical condition was special and that he was key to Lou Jin's recovery, Ye Xunyang felt less awkward about getting close to Lou Jin and more responsible.
He kept the Imperial Preceptor's words in mind, and unless Lou Jin refused, he slept in the same bed with Lou Jin almost every night.
Now he can lie comfortably on the outer side of the bed, and even occasionally when he is a bad sleeper he rolls to the middle. When he wakes up, he finds that Lou Jin just silently moves aside, and he has gotten used to it.
During the day, he often stayed in Lou Jin's study, either reading or studying the chess skills that Lou Jin had begun to teach him.
Lou Jin let him be.
At first, they might have had some intention of taking advantage of or observing, but over time, they got used to having such a noisy person around.
On this day, Ye Xunyang was deep in thought in front of the chessboard when Lou Jin, playing white pieces, had already forced one of his large groups of stones into a desperate situation.
"No, no, I didn't see that move clearly!" Ye Xunyang tried to take back his move, acting like a cheat.
Lou Jin pressed down on the hand that was trying to steal the piece with his fingertips, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Once a move is made, it cannot be taken back. That's the rule."
Ye Xunyang withdrew his hand guiltily and said, "Playing chess with you is really no fun. You don't even know how to let me win."
A barely perceptible smile flashed in Lou Jin's eyes as he picked up his teacup and took a sip: "On the battlefield, will the enemy let you have your way?"
"How can that be the same?" Ye Xunyang retorted.
"The principles of strategy remain unchanged despite all variations."
Lou Jin put down his teacup and looked at Ye Xunyang.
"Your straightforward nature is an advantage, but it also makes you easy to be taken advantage of. Learning chess is about teaching you to calm your mind and think several moves ahead."
Although Ye Xunyang complained, he knew in his heart that Lou Jin was doing it for his own good.
He scratched his head, stared back at the chessboard, and tried to find a solution.
Just then, Wang Quan tiptoed in, a hint of joy on his face: "Your Highness, Your Highness, news has come from the south."
Lou Jin's expression hardened: "Speak."
Wang Quan said in a low voice, "Based on the clues provided by the prince, our people went through many twists and turns in the old territory of the Black Miao tribe in the southern border region and found an old man who had participated in the production of that special spice back then."
"He confirmed that three years ago, a batch of spices laced with the Heart-Eating Grass was indeed bought for a large sum of money by a young nobleman from the Central Plains. According to his description, the man's appearance was seven or eight parts similar to that of the strategist beside the Fourth Prince."
Anger flared in Ye Xunyang's eyes: "Now the evidence is conclusive!"
Lou Jin, however, remained calm. He stroked the chess piece in his hand, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Would the old man be willing to come to the capital to testify?"
Wang Quan looked troubled: "This... the old man is very old and fearful of the powerful and influential people in the Central Plains, I'm afraid... However, he left behind a signed testimony and handed over a small piece of the spice raw material that he had secretly kept back then as physical evidence."
Lou Jin nodded: "Having testimonies and physical evidence is already a rare thing. Let's keep this matter quiet for now."
Ye Xunyang grew anxious: "Your Highness! Why are you still suppressing it? We'll take the evidence and file a complaint with the Emperor right now!"
Lou Jin looked at him with a deep gaze: "The testimony of an old man from the Southern Frontier and a piece of spice alone cannot shake a prince who is deeply favored by the emperor. Moreover, his mother now holds the Phoenix Seal and is equivalent to the Empress. What the emperor needs is irrefutable evidence and a suitable opportunity."
He paused, then continued, "Moreover, our greatest advantage right now is that he's in the open while we're in the shadows. He thinks I'm doomed and you're nothing to worry about."
"If we alert him now, he will surely retaliate more fiercely. It's better to let him continue to think that we can't do anything to him and lower our guard."
Although Ye Xunyang felt aggrieved, he understood that Lou Jin had considered things thoroughly, so he had no choice but to suppress his anger: "So we're just going to wait like this?"
Of course not.
Lou Jin placed a white piece in an inconspicuous spot on the chessboard, and suddenly, Ye Xunyang's seemingly hopeless dragon formation began to show signs of life.
Lou Jin raised his eyes and looked at the gradually warming spring light outside the window.
"We're waiting, waiting for him to make an even bigger mistake. And we're also waiting..."
"Wait until I'm feeling better."
Ye Xunyang followed his gaze, a thought flashing through his mind. Yes, once Lou Jin recovers, everything will be different.
"Your Highness, don't worry, with me here, you'll definitely recover quickly. Then, we'll go and deal with that Lou Shang together!"
Lou Jin withdrew his gaze and landed on Ye Xunyang's energetic face, the corners of his lips curving slightly.
"good."
On the chessboard, the outcome is still undecided.
At that moment, a servant handed over an invitation.
"The invitation to the palace banquet will be in three days."
Lou Jin placed the gold-embossed invitation on the table, his voice calm, but his eyes were filled with melancholy.
Ye Xunyang picked up the invitation and glanced at it, his brows immediately furrowing: "Why hold a palace banquet at this time? And it even specifically states that princes and their families must attend... Is this a trap?"
He looked at Lou Jin, his tone filled with undisguised worry, "Your Highness, your health has only just begun to improve, you can't withstand any more exertion. Besides, in that kind of setting, with so many people around, that Lou Shang guy is definitely up to no good."
A palace banquet involves lengthy ceremonies, a noisy environment, and insincere social interactions—each aspect is exhausting and mentally taxing.
Not to mention there might be other conspiracies waiting for Lou Jin.
Lou Jin coughed lightly twice, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest of his wheelchair: "The Emperor himself sent the invitation; there's no refusing."
King Entropy's repeated failures will only increase his anxiety. Public occasions like palace banquets, which seem heavily guarded, are actually the easiest places to create accidents.
"But..." Ye Xunyang wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Lou Jin.
"No buts." Lou Jin raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked at him.
"The more this is the case, the more we must attend. Showing weakness and backing down will only make him think we're afraid, inviting even more ferocious retaliation. Besides..."
He paused, his tone softening, yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of gravity: "Xunyang, you need to be prepared. At that time, you and I will become the target of everyone's attacks. Whether it's verbal provocation or other means, they may all be aimed at us."
Ye Xunyang puffed out his chest, his eyes resolute: "Come at me if you want. I'm tough as nails. Don't worry, Your Highness, with me here, I will never let anyone hurt you!"
"I'd like to see who dares to be disrespectful before His Majesty!"
Seeing him like this, Lou Jin was torn by complex emotions. Was it really the right thing for him to drag Ye Xunyang into this vortex?
"When the time comes, stick close to me." Lou Jin finally whispered only this one sentence, all his worries condensed into these few simple words.
He had to make sure Ye Xunyang was within his sight in order to protect him as much as possible.
Ye Xunyang nodded emphatically: "Yes! I won't leave your side for even a moment!"
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