Chapter 27 Secret Contact? No, it's more like jumping left and right!
Ever since that "rebellion mobilization meeting," Yun Zhan felt like he was sitting on a volcano, with scalding lava below (Yan Linye's gentleness and the grand cause of rebellion) and a sword hanging over his head (his own skull's future). While enjoying Yan Linye's meticulous care, he was simultaneously replaying terrifying mini-movies in his mind of his head being turned into works of art, almost driving him to the brink of schizophrenia.
"System, am I dancing on the edge of a knife? Or soaking arsenic in sugar water?" Yun Zhan lamented inwardly as he ate the grapes that Yan Linye had peeled for him.
[The accurate description should be: A high-risk, self-deceptive infiltration within the target's gentle trap. Current mental state assessment of the host: Highly stressed, accompanied by intermittent periods of immersion and panic upon regaining consciousness.] System Xiaoqi's diagnosis was as accurate and poignant as ever.
"I didn't want to either!" Yun Zhan spat the grape seeds far away. "But the grapes he peeled were just sweeter!"
That's what he said, but Yun Zhan's mind wasn't completely corrupted by sweet talk. He knew that if things continued like this, he would be finished sooner or later. Yan Linye's rebellion plan had already been launched; if he stayed here, he would either wait to be "recovered" or have his identity exposed and be dealt with in advance.
An escape plan must be put on the agenda! Moreover, we can't just sit and wait to die; we must take the initiative!
He thought of his two unlucky bodyguards—An Si and An Wu. Ever since their failed assassination attempt on Yan Linye, when one fell into a trap and the other was so frightened by a wild boar that they stabbed each other in the thigh, they had stayed in Hejian Prefecture to recover from their injuries. Even after they recovered, they did not return to the palace. They were the only two people Yun Zhan could use to some extent here (although they seemed unreliable).
We need to get in touch with them!
The opportunity soon arrived. Yan Linye seemed to have become even busier in preparation for the uprising, and was often not at the villa during the day. Yun Zhan used the excuse that "researching new composting methods requires specific soil" to obtain permission to move around in a specific area (although guards still followed him at a distance).
Taking advantage of a trip to a suburban village for research, he used the meager memories of the original owner's coded messages and the quick wit of a modern person to finally leave the agreed-upon contact mark in an inconspicuous corner.
A few days later, on a dark and windy night (perfect for doing bad things), two shadowy figures silently slipped into Yun Zhan's room like geckos.
"Your subordinates, An Si and An Wu, pay their respects to Your Majesty!" The two lowered their voices and knelt to pay their respects. Although their movements were still swift, Yun Zhan couldn't help but feel that these two exuded an air of utter dim-wittedness.
"Rise, rise!" Yun Zhan quickly pulled them up and furtively closed the window. "Are you two fully recovered from your injuries?"
"Thanks to His Majesty, I am already out of danger!" An Si patted his chest.
"It's just... it left a bit of psychological trauma," Anwu added softly, his eyes still showing fear of the wild boar.
Yun Zhan: "..." Okay, as long as it works.
He lowered his voice and said solemnly, "I have an important task for you!"
Dark Four and Dark Five immediately straightened their backs and tried to sharpen their eyes.
Yun Zhan took a deep breath: "Yan Linye is going to rebel!"
Dark Four & Dark Five: "!!!" The two of them had a mixed expression on their faces, which was "I knew it" and "Shouldn't we do something about it?"
"An Si, you're good at light footwork. Find a way to sneak back to the palace without alerting anyone," Yun Zhan instructed. "Go find Eunuch Gao and tell him about Yan Linye's planned rebellion. Tell him... tell him to arrange for men to come to Hejian Prefecture and find an opportunity..." He made a throat-slitting gesture.
A glint flashed in An Si's eyes, and he clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"
Yun Zhan nodded, but a bitter feeling lingered in his heart. Eunuch Gao… in the original owner's memories, he was the only person in the palace who genuinely cared for him. Although a eunuch, he was highly skilled in martial arts and utterly loyal. Historically, to protect Chu Yin's escape, he personally led the Imperial Guards and eunuch bodyguards against Yan Linye's army, ultimately being pierced by countless arrows, his dying words urging Chu Yin to flee quickly…
The thought of that scene made Yun Zhan's heart ache. Eunuch Gao was a good man and a loyal subject, but unfortunately, he followed the wrong master.
"Your Majesty?" An Si whispered a reminder when he saw Yun Zhan in a daze.
Yun Zhan shook his head, clearing his mind of those distracting thoughts. Now was not the time to be soft-hearted! Protecting his own head was the most important thing! He instructed, "Remember, only tell Eunuch Gao! The news must not be leaked to other officials in the court, especially those like the Prime Minister!" He didn't want the news to leak out, alert the enemy, or be used by those powerful ministers.
"Understood!" An Si nodded solemnly.
"Anwu, you will remain in Hejian Prefecture to secretly protect... uh, to provide support for me," Yun Zhan said to Anwu.
An Wu's face showed a hint of difficulty: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan's residence is heavily guarded, and I..."
"You don't need to enter the palace!" Yun Zhan quickly said. "Just wait outside! Once I find a chance to escape, you're responsible for leading me out of Hejian Prefecture! Understand?"
An Wu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously: "Your Majesty, I swear to protect you with my life!"
Having arranged everything, and watching An Si disappear into the night like a ghost, Yun Zhan felt a little more at ease. Finally… he had taken the first step towards self-rescue.
However, the next morning, when Yun Zhan saw Yan Linye bringing in breakfast, his newly formed resolve began to waver again.
"Did you sleep well last night? You have some dark circles under your eyes." Yan Linye placed a bowl of fragrant rice porridge in front of him, his tone gentle.
"It's...it's alright." Yun Zhan lowered his head, not daring to look at him. In his mind, he was frantically complaining: Alright?! I just arranged for someone to kill you last night! I'm incredibly guilty right now!
"Since we have nothing to do today, how about I teach you to write?" Yan Linye seemed to be in a good mood and suggested, "Your handwriting still has a lot of room for improvement."
Yun Zhan recalled the ambiguous scene of him being taught to write "hand-in-hand" last time, and the tips of his ears began to heat up again. He originally wanted to refuse, but then he thought, isn't this a good opportunity to lull him into a false sense of security and lower his guard?
"Okay...okay." He tried to make his voice sound normal.
And so, another blush-inducing teaching scene unfolded in the study. Yan Linye wrapped his arms around him from behind, his warm breath brushing against his neck, his large hand enveloping his own, moving slowly across the paper.
Yun Zhan inhaled his refreshing and pleasant scent, felt the firm touch against his back, and his heart pounded as if it would leap out of his throat. Two little voices were arguing wildly in his mind:
Person A: Remember! He's the one who's going to chop off your head! He's rebelling! Wake up!
Little Person B: But he's so gentle, his hands are so warm, and his handwriting is so beautiful...
Despicable Person A: He's trying to bewitch you! A sugar-coated bullet!
Little Person B: This cannonball...it tastes so sweet...
"Focus." Yan Linye's deep, chuckling voice rang in my ears, tinged with obvious pleasure.
Yun Zhan was on the verge of tears. He wanted to concentrate on thinking about his escape plan, but his body and heartbeat simply wouldn't obey him!
"System! I can't take it anymore! The enemy's honey trap is too powerful!" he lamented inwardly.
[Abnormal host physiological indicators detected again. Suggestion: Silently repeat 'Skull Warning' one hundred times.] The system is providing completely unhelpful advice.
As Yun Zhan looked at the character "Yun" gradually taking shape on the paper, bearing the brushstrokes of Yan Linye, and then thought about the assassins he had sent out last night, a strong sense of guilt and absurdity welled up within him.
What is he doing? Enjoying his target's kindness while secretly stabbing him in the back? That's incredibly despicable! (Even if it was to save his own life)
When will this constant back-and-forth end?
He looked at Yan Linye's profile, which was so close to his face, and his mind was in complete turmoil.
The assassination plan has been launched; there's no turning back now.
But deep down, I secretly hoped... that there might be another turning point?
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