Falling into a trap (2)
It would be best to leave the Prince Ning's residence as soon as possible.
Unexpectedly, Rong Xuan offered him the chance to leave.
“Miss Yan, a letter from His Highness.” Fangbi entered the room, handed Yan Qing a letter, and placed a package on the table. “His Highness asked me to tell you that if you wish to leave, you may do so. Your new identity documents and travel expenses are on the table.”
Fangbi was the maid who had verbally stopped the pursuing soldiers on the street that day. Yan Qing was not used to having someone serve her in the courtyard, but she couldn't dismiss everyone. After all, she could barely accept having someone by her side compared to someone watching her from the shadows.
So Fangbi was left alone in the courtyard.
He took care of Yan Qing's daily life and monitored her every move.
Yan Qing took the envelope, opened it, and read it. She felt the winter chill instantly dissipate. She wanted to jump up and down on the spot, but because Fang Bi was there, she could only shout "Awesome!" in her heart.
The letter stated that the female official Yan Congjin, who had fled, had been arrested in the suburbs of Beijing, and wanted posters had been put down in various places.
Once the storm has passed, no one will remember the few words that described Yan Congjin's appearance, and Yan Qing will no longer need to conceal himself.
She put down the letter and picked up another document.
[Yan Qing, a young lady from the Yan family of Jiangnan, was lost in the capital when she was young and was found twenty years later...]
The long pages were filled with Yan Qing's life story, but she couldn't tell whether it was true or fabricated, because she didn't have Yan Congjin's memories.
After the initial excitement wore off, Yan Qing sensed something was amiss. She didn't mention it to Rong Xuan, but he proactively resolved her immediate crisis.
She certainly wasn't naive enough to think it was a sudden change of heart.
A person who wanted to kill you the moment you met suddenly changed their mind, eliminating all threats to your life and making clear arrangements for your escape route.
Is this possible?
Yan Qing wanted freedom, but she wasn't stupid. She kept the things Rong Xuan had sent and dismissed Fang Bi, saying she needed to think about it for a while.
[Cat Number One?]
[Yes, host.]
[What do you mean by Rong Xuan? Is there any more information about him?]
[I don't know, no. The Cat System can only read the general situation of this world, not specific personal information. However, the memory module was recently updated, and the original owner's memories will be transmitted to her from time to time through dreams. Please check them.]
[Can't you give me all of it at once?]
[Emmm, this is not supported in the current version.]
[Can I specify a memory segment?]
Cat Number One started playing dead again, and after a long while without receiving a reply, Yan Qing understood.
[So it's because the current version doesn't support it, right?]
【bingo!】
Bingo my ass, what's so great about that?
You still have to rely on yourself.
The next day, Yan Qing, carrying many questions, a bamboo basket of delicious food, a soft and warm-looking quilt, and a small wooden house that Fang Bi had found overnight based on his description, set off in a large group towards the kitten's location.
Under her direction, the cabin was properly placed in a corner of the alley, with a comfortable mattress laid out inside and a basket of food placed at the back, replacing the original simple dwelling made of a few planks of wood.
The big cat was quite unceremoniously nestled on Yan Qing's head, while the five kittens in her arms were either sleeping or resting. She steadied her head to avoid dropping the big cat, and then carefully used her hands to pull the kittens that were trying to crawl out back in, while also worrying about waking the sleeping kittens. In short, the scene was very busy, and Yan Qing looked a little disheveled, but she was in a great mood.
After the wooden house was installed, Yan Qing went over to put the kittens inside, and then said to the guards who had come with her, "You can go back first, just leave Fangbi here with me."
The group exchanged glances for a moment, then looked at Fangbi's expression, and only left after circling around like this.
Fangbi stood not far away, watching Yan Qing play with the kittens.
After a while, Yan Qing naturally took the big cat into her arms.
[Cat No. 1, exchange for communication skills.]
[Cat #1 received, distribution underway, timer started.]
Yan Qing fed it dried fish and asked about the details of the witnesses.
[Mimi, have the people who fled to Wuren Lane been arrested in the last couple of days?]
[I was arrested, for a very, very long time.]
Only four or five days have passed since she gave the clue about Wuren Lane, and Yan Qing suspects that the cat's perception of time is different from her own.
[Were you arrested after you met me?]
[I was arrested before I met you, by so many dark-skinned people.]
Before I met her!
Yan Qing had a guess, but was not sure.
She glanced at Fangbi seemingly casually. The other woman stood ramrod straight, dressed in simple and neat black, staring intently at her. Yan Qing's eyes darted around, and she met Fangbi's indifferent gaze, saying, "Want to come and play with the kittens for a while?"
"No need," Fangbi refused outright, then added, "If Miss Yan likes it, she can take it back to the Prince's residence."
Yan Qing patted the big cat and the little cat's heads and said goodbye.
He then got up and walked out of the alley.
"They're used to being wild, and they'd probably feel uncomfortable being kept in the house. Let them stay here."
Actually, that's not the case. Before Yan Qing left, she clearly told the big cats that she would bring them home once she had a place to live.
After returning to the manor, Yan Qing re-examined Rong Xuan's character.
Rongxuan was born to Consort Shu, but she grew up under the care of Consort Cheng. Consort Shu and Consort Cheng gave birth at the same time, and Consort Cheng's fourth son died young. To ease Consort Cheng's grief over the loss of her son, Consort Shu entrusted Rongxuan to Consort Cheng's care, and only brought Rongxuan back to her own family many years later.
In the court, the Cheng family maintained a neutral stance, neither aligning themselves with the Crown Prince's faction nor favoring the Second Prince.
For this reason, Rong Xuan's relationship with the Cheng family is somewhat delicate, neither close nor distant.
Yan Qing's decision to immediately leave the Cheng family after sensing his murderous intent also stemmed from this consideration.
But now it seems that Yan Qing had oversimplified their relationship.
Mimi said that the servant was arrested before he met her, but Rong Xuan was able to get witnesses after she gave him the information that had already expired. What does this mean?
This shows that Rong Xuan didn't use the information she provided at all; he had the witnesses in his hands from the very beginning!
There's only one possibility for pushing Yan Qing in front of the Cheng family and giving her all their favors: it's also the one thing Yan Qing least wants to see.
She had unknowingly become Rong Xuan's shield!
Yan Qing guessed that Rong Xuan had a good relationship with the Cheng family, but in front of the Cheng family, Rong Xuan was still gentle and had no sharp teeth or claws.
Despite the combined efforts of the entire Cheng family, they couldn't find a breakthrough. Rong Xuan couldn't simply send the witnesses over to maintain his public image; he needed an intermediary.
Coincidentally, Yan Qing, that unlucky fellow, appeared, shouting that there were witnesses and clues.
Thinking of this, Yan Qing was already starting to feel depressed. Maybe this task should be left to whoever wants to do it. It's really hard to stand encountering such a cunning person right after leaving the newbie village.
The host's negative emotions were detected, and Cat Number One was dispatched.
[Talk to the kitten and wish it a long and healthy life. Good luck, host! Victory is just around the corner, and so is the reward!]
It's more like death is imminent.
But there was no other way; for the sake of the kitten, he had to moo and keep working.
The situation is a bit tricky right now.
It's a good thing that she was saved by Cheng Changfeng, but the bad thing is that the mastermind behind this matter has probably already set his sights on her.
They'd laid out such a grand plan, only to have it all ruined by some nobody who appeared out of nowhere. Even Yan Qing would be furious, let alone those who held absolute power.
It is foreseeable that if things go as Yan Qing predicted, her troubles will be endless.
Then she had to find an ally, but after thinking it over, she realized that Rong Xuan, the culprit, was the most suitable candidate.
Only the trader could tell how accurate the guess was. Ignoring the late hour and heavy dew, Yan Qing went straight to Rong Xuan's courtyard.
The guards blocking the entrance to the courtyard saw Fangbi standing to the side, so they made way and let them in.
The study was brightly lit by candlelight. Rong Xuan dismissed the servants, as if he were waiting for her.
Yan Qing didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down opposite her, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said leisurely, "Prince Ning is really generous, giving me such a great favor for nothing."
"Not at all, the person is indeed in Wuren Lane. The information you provided is all true, so naturally it's yours as well," Rong Xuan replied calmly.
Hearing him say that, Yan Qing knew that things were as she had thought. She said directly, "You had that witness in your hands from the beginning. You were struggling to figure out how to deliver it to the Cheng family, and I just happened to appear as a target. You really went to great lengths to hide your true colors."
"It was just something I did on the spur of the moment," Rong Xuan said deftly. "Is Miss Yan here to interrogate me?"
"What are you saying? Prince Ning has been so generous in sending me off, how could I not appreciate it?" Yan Qing stopped arguing with him and said in a formal tone, "I'm here to discuss something. I want to cooperate with you!"
At first, Rong Xuan was excluded simply because he was thought to be powerless, but now it seems that he is quite capable. If we can reach a cooperation agreement with him, it might not be a bad thing.
After all, there was nothing left to pretend in front of him. Compared to having to feign weakness in front of King Qi to gain his trust, this was a much more comfortable situation.
"Whether you defeat the Crown Prince or you wish to replace him, I will be your greatest asset."
Yan Qing's tone was as solemn as a vow, which stunned Rong Xuan. After a moment, Rong Xuan leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with interest.
"Oh? In that case, Miss Yan, why don't you first tell us about the witnesses? Where did you get this information about Wuren Lane?"
“I can’t share my livelihood with you, but if I can get information about Wuren Lane, I can get other information you want.”
“With the target right in front of you, it’s hard not to get caught in the crossfire.” Rong Xuan was dissatisfied with her answer, frowning as if she were conflicted. “I have plenty of people under my command, and I don’t need to trouble Miss Yan with the information I want.”
It took Yan Qing a full 0.001 seconds to realize that Rong Xuan was acting again.
"You might have misunderstood something. I'm not here to seek refuge with you." Yan Qing tapped the table, showing no intention of backing down. "I want to be your equal, to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results!"
“As expected of someone from the Crown Prince’s ranks, they’re quite adept at this…” Rong Xuan paused, looked at Yan Qing, and smiled with disdain, “Bluster.”
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