Chapter 148: He Intends to Plant a Piece Deep Within the Imperial City (Second Update)

After Xiao樾 handled that matter, there had been no news from him at all. She felt something was amiss, but since it was too embarrassing to ask directly, she beat around the bush to cozy up to him. "Doctor, you keep coming to my residence every other day like this. Won't it delay your medical practice? Isn't it too much trouble for you?"

The old doctor smiled. "The Prince has already covered the medical shop's business for the past two months and left two of my apprentices there to watch the place. They can handle routine injuries and illnesses, so for now, I am residing at the Prince's Manor."

An ordinary common person would not comprehend the vicious and terrifying dark machinations hidden within grand noble households, but Wu Tan was fully capable of grasping the implications—

The Emperor was bound to be displeased that Xiao樾 had entanglements with their family. Although Xiao樾 had not spoken directly to the Emperor, he was constantly running to the Wu residence every few days and even searching for physicians and remedies for her leg injury...

Should the Emperor or someone else find this unacceptable, they could coerce or bribe the physician to tamper with her medication. In that case, not only would her leg be ruined, but even her life might be forfeited as well.

Now, by confining the old doctor within the Prince's Manor and cutting off his contact with outsiders, Xiao樾 could avert a great deal of unnecessary trouble.

Hearing the voices inside and estimating that the medicine application was finished, Lei Ming knocked on the door. "Second Young Miss, may this subordinate enter?"

"Oh! Come in, it's done!" Wu Tan replied.

Pushing the door open, Lei Ming helped the old doctor pack his things while asking, "How is it today?"

"Youth is truly a wonderful thing. The bones knit quickly, and the fracture should be almost healed by now. However, it is still best not to put weight on it for this month. After another month, I will assess the situation before deciding. Once the bones are completely healed, appropriate weight-bearing and movement will still be necessary to restore the strength in the leg so that it doesn't hinder you in the future," the old doctor instructed dutifully.

Lei Ming listened attentively.

Wu Tan's mind, however, was not on this at all. Hesitating for a moment, she couldn't help but probe, "Lei Ming, where is that Feng woman from your Prince's Manor? Since you've made an apothecary physician live at the manor, isn't she raising a fuss?"

Lei Ming opened his mouth, initially intending to answer, but as the words reached his lips, he glanced hesitantly at the old doctor.

Being well-versed in the ways of the world, the old doctor immediately smiled. "I shall step outside first."

With that, he shouldered his medicine box and left the room.

Only then did Lei Ming reply, "Are you asking about Feng Qi, Second Young Miss? She has returned to the Northern Frontier."

"Huh?" Wu Tan could not hide her surprise. "When did this happen? Weren't they saying she came back to tend to your Prince's injuries?"

"Just the other day," Lei Ming said.

Wu Tan frowned in puzzlement.

"Didn't the Prince mention it to you?" Lei Ming continued. "When you went over last time, didn't you tell the Prince not to keep Feng Qi in the manor? The very next day, the Prince sent her away."

Of course, there were other underlying details to this that Lei Ming wasn't sure if Xiao樾 wanted Wu Tan to know, so he kept it brief.

"..." Wu Tan truly had not expected that because of her two unreasonable remarks, Xiao樾 would actually send that woman away. A rising sense of guilt washed over her, and she muttered softly, "I was just saying it..."

Lei Ming did not dwell on the matter. After checking to make sure the doctor hadn't left anything behind, he cupped his fists in a salute and said, "Does Second Young Miss have any other instructions? If not, this subordinate will take his leave and return the day after tomorrow."

"Hey!" Seeing him turn to leave, Wu Tan hesitated for a moment before calling out to him, stammering, "Uhm... What has your... your Prince been busy with lately?"

"Nothing much!" Lei Ming replied casually. "Our Prince naturally has had nothing of importance since returning to the capital."

Lei Ming also had a strategy of his own. To avoid making Wu Tan feel that he was actively fishing for merit on behalf of his master, he had not once mentioned Xiao樾 returning his military command over the past half-month.

Yet the more the master and servant acted like this, the guiltier Wu Tan felt.

Xiao樾 had returned his military authority, yet he hadn't come to see her...

What was the meaning of this?

After turning it over in her mind, she swallowed her pride and carefully tested the waters. "Then... is he... angry with me?"

"Uh..." Lei Ming froze upon hearing this, and seeing the rather cautious expression on her face, he was utterly shocked on the spot!

This little ancestor had always dedicated herself to frustrating his master; to think that today, of all days, she would unexpectedly worry about his master's mood?

The leap was a bit too grand. Amidst a surge of wild elation, Lei Ming failed to control his expression for a moment and only blurted out vaguely, "It seems... not really!"

In the past, Wu Tan had considered Xiao樾's bodyguard more articulate and much more pleasing than his master. But today, after she had lowered her pride to test him repeatedly, this fellow seemed to be acting completely brainless...

How was she supposed to continue asking after this? She couldn't very well demand directly why he hadn't been visiting!

Wu Tan felt thoroughly defeated. Frustration quickly turned into anger, and she shot Lei Ming a fierce glare, snapping furiously, "Our family isn't without a doctor! Why on earth should I use a doctor from your place? None of you are allowed to come here anymore!"

Lei Ming hadn't yet recovered from whatever fit she was throwing this time, and could only say with a troubled expression, "I'm afraid that won't do."

Wu Tan glared at her. "Are you deaf? I said you are no longer allowed to come to my house!"

Looking distressed, Lei Ming still respectfully reasoned with her, "Second Young Miss, this subordinate is acting under the Prince's orders. Without the Prince's command, I truly dare not make arbitrary decisions. Could you bear with it for a couple more days? The Prince has gone hunting outside the city; once he returns, this subordinate will report back and see if you can use the physician from your own estate instead."

Xiao樾 had gone hunting outside the city and had already been gone for two days? Could it be that he was truly in a bad mood, which was why he went out hunting to clear his mind?

Wu Tan momentarily lost herself in thought.

A bit nervous because of her inexplicable temper, Lei Ming read her expression carefully before tentatively saying, "Second Young Miss? Then please rest; this subordinate takes his leave."

Recovering her senses, Wu Tan glared at him ungraciously.

Only then did Lei Ming leave with a reassured mind.

Although Xiao樾 had claimed to go hunting outside the city and had been gone for two days, he was not actually hunting at all.

Spies in Yuanzhou City had escorted Fourth Master Xue back to the capital and sent word ahead that they would arrive within a day or two. Since the capital was crowded and filled with eyes everywhere, Xiao樾 had bypassed bringing them into the city, having the prisoner detained at one of his manors outside the city walls instead.

He had gone over under the pretext of hunting, stayed for two days, and after meeting with Fourth Master Xue, returned the following day.

Lei Ming should have accompanied him, but because he had to visit the Dingyuan Marquis Manor every other day, he hadn't joined the trip. That evening, upon learning that Xiao樾 had returned to the manor, Lei Ming immediately went to see him.

Just as Xiao樾 stepped into the study and removed his cloak, he turned around, caught sight of Lei Ming, and frowned. "Has something happened?"

"Huh?" Lei Ming reacted, realizing he had appeared too eager, and hurriedly replied, "Nothing has happened." Pausing under Xiao樾's piercing gaze, he added cautiously, "It's just that when I went to the Dingyuan Marquis Manor yesterday... Second Young Miss asked about you."

A faint, subtle smile curved the corners of Xiao樾's lips, though outwardly he remained impassive, tossing his cloak to Lei Ming. "Did she have business?"

"Nothing specific, just asked what you've been up to lately," Lei Ming said.

At first, he hadn't understood what kind of tantrum Wu Tan was throwing, but on his way back, it finally dawned on him—

Was she really unwilling to use the doctor the Prince had found for her? Obviously, she was making a fuss and picking a fight precisely because the Prince kept failing to show his face.

Hearing this, Xiao樾 chuckled softly, feeling refreshed and lighthearted. "A good sign!"

Lei Ming quickly seized the moment. "Then—will you accompany this subordinate there tomorrow?"

"No!" Xiao樾 refused crisply and decisively.

Although Lei Ming could bring back news every other day, having not seen Wu Tan for over half a month, he actually felt rather restless and frustrated inside.

However, if he were to rush over eagerly now, that young lass would inevitably put on airs and climb all over his head, making her even harder to manage in the future. He still needed to find a proper opportunity for a "chance encounter" to smooth over this hurdle.

Yet—

She was still recovering from her leg injury and couldn't leave the house...

Watching his expression shift through several changes from the side, Lei Ming could not gauge what his master was really thinking. Seeing that it ultimately settled into a heavy frown, Lei Ming grew cautious and guessed, "Master, what is wrong? Was—was this trip outside the city unsuccessful?"

Hearing this, Xiao樾 finally reined in his wandering thoughts.

"See for yourself!" Without a word of explanation, he pulled a roll of Fourth Master Xue's confession from his sleeve and tossed it over.

Suspiciously, Lei Ming unfolded it.

The document spanned several pages, detailing everything clearly: the tasks the Lady Meng had entrusted to him, the purpose and role of these operatives within the capital, and even the existence of Cao Feiying.

As Lei Ming read on, his vision swam, and by the end, he couldn't stop gasping in shock. "What does this mean? They are the Dingyuan Marquis's men? In other words, the Dingyuan Marquis is their true master?"

"When Marquis Wu left them behind, he claimed that Wu Qinglin was ambitious and feared that in his absence, Wu Qinglin would arrogate authority and manipulate the Marquis Manor's forces. Thus, he left this batch of people in the capital for contingencies, turning them over to Lady Meng before his departure." Xiao樾 sat back down behind his desk, leaned against the back of his chair, and tapped his fingers rhythmically against the armrest as he leisurely mulled it over. "He handed the people over to Lady Meng, yet at the same time, he guarded against her. That is why he left a head steward in the manor whom even Lady Meng knew nothing about, to control the overall situation. Regarding the incident at Xiangguo Temple last time, these people received orders from Lady Meng to target that lass, and they only acted after that steward gave his nod. However, they hadn't expected Lady Meng to be a two-faced snake who would subsequently turn on the old Madam Wu as well, which panicked Manager Cao. Before Lady Meng could make a move, he sent someone to report to Marquis Wu. How about it? When pieced together, isn't the whole affair quite interesting?"

Interesting? It was nothing short of mind-boggling!

For a moment, Lei Ming stood stunned and disoriented, his mind rapidly synthesizing all the information he had received before letting out an incredulous laugh. "What on earth does all this mean? Was the Dingyuan Marquis's original intention in leaving these men in the capital to deal with the Heir Apparent? And was assassinating the Second Young Miss also within his scope of tacit permission?"

Was that what it meant? But why on earth would Wu Xun do such a thing?

Even if he favored Lady Meng and doted on her, Wu Qinglin and his sister bore no unforgivable faults. Yet he had tacitly permitted, or even arranged, for people to assassinate his own biological children?

"This is impossible!" No matter how Lei Ming turned it over in his mind, the whole thing sounded like sheer absurdity. Clasping the testimony in his hands, he muttered, "Could this fellow have fabricated it just to clear Lady Meng's name? According to the intelligence we gathered, the Dingyuan Marquis has always valued the Heir Apparent and treated the Second Young Miss quite well..."

In the lamplight, the look in Xiao樾's eyes flickered uncertainly, half of his face submerged in the shadows of the bookshelf, making his expression difficult to read.

Mid-sentence, Lei Ming fell silent on his own accord.

Only then did Xiao樾 let out a leisurely sigh. Turning his gaze toward the window to the side, his tone remained calm. "If this testimony is without flaws, and the people who ambushed Wu Qinglin within Jiangjian territory last time were also Wu Xun's men, wouldn't it stop seeming strange at all?"

"What?" Overwhelmed by shock, Lei Ming nearly roared the word.

He had followed by Xiao樾's side for nearly ten years, from the time Xiao樾 was a boy until he followed him to the Northern Frontier to serve in the military and then returned. He had seen his fair share of storms and tempsters; even within the imperial family, back when the Emperor wished to slaughter his own kin and Dowager Empress Zhou tried every possible means to maneuver, balance, and turn the tide...

Yet he truly could not accept this: without the slightest cause or warning, a father would plot to assassinate his own biological children.

Within Xiao樾's logic, such a thing should likewise be untenable, but because he had witnessed the harsh reality with his own eyes—

Given the specific parameters, he accepted it.

"The previous two times I met Wu Qinglin, his state of mind was clearly somewhat distracted. However, since he didn't wish to speak of it to an outsider like me, I didn't ask. If my estimation is correct, he should have discovered some clues or signs on his end by now," Xiao樾 sighed.

Although he had no concrete evidence of the assassination attempt within Jiangjian territory, since Wu Xun could tacitly permit his subordinates to target his own daughter, Wu Tan—

It wouldn't be strange at all if he now plotted to kill Wu Qinglin as well.

Yet, deep inside, he shared the exact same doubt as Lei Ming—

No matter what, they were still his own flesh and blood. Even if he favored Lady Meng and the children she bore, he could simply remain indifferent toward the children born of Lady Shi. Why resort to such vicious measures?

Was it to utilize Wu Tan, and because he feared Wu Qinglin would break ties with him, he chose to strike at Wu Qinglin first?

Yet that didn't make sense either. Through a twist of fate in this lifetime, Wu Tan had already jumped free of his chessboard; why would he still strike at Wu Qinglin?

Even a tiger will not eat its own cubs—this was a saying Xiao樾 still believed.

Therefore, although he was well aware of whatever deeds Wu Xun might commit, he found it temporarily difficult to fathom the man's motives and successive actions.

Master and servant each pondered for quite a while, yet both remained completely baffled.

Unable to make sense of it, Lei Ming simply stopped thinking and asked, "My Prince, will you be telling the Second Young Miss about these matters?"

Xiao樾 glanced up at him slightly. "Why would I tell her? With her suspicious nature, she'll probably never be cured of it in this lifetime. I've only just managed to stroke her fur down the right way; should I go tell her these things now and make her think I harbor ulterior motives and am trying to drive a wedge between them?"

Thinking about it, Lei Ming realized he had a point—

Even they found it absurd that Wu Xun would strike at Wu Qinglin and his sister; how could Wu Tan possibly believe such an accusation?

And even if she did believe it, what could she do?

She was merely a young maiden completely under Wu Xun's control, powerless to change anything.

Lowering his head to look at the testimony in his hands once more, Lei Ming asked again, "What about the Heir Apparent? Should... should you let him take a look at this?"

"There's no rush for that!" Xiao樾 said. "For now, just keep a tight watch on Lady Meng. As long as she is prevented from sending messages to Wu Xun, she will continue trying to make a move against old Madam Wu within the Dingyuan Marquis Manor. The moment she drops her disguise and reveals her true colors, Wu Xun will be forced to step out personally and take control of the situation."

At this, Lei Ming recalled the puzzle that had troubled him for a long time. "Right, My Prince, what on earth is Lady Meng afraid of? That strange letter she wrote to the Dingyuan Marquis last time..."

Mentioning this, Xiao樾 curved his lips into a smile.

Standing up, he exhaled deeply. "Wu Xun's desire to marry his daughter to the imperial family as a demonstration of loyalty is false; his true intention is to plant a chess piece inside the imperial city and use that piece to stir up the winds and clouds. The reason Lady Meng tried to murder old Madam Wu is that she refuses to watch her own daughter become a chess piece and be sacrificed. But now things are different—she discovered that this Prince is very interested in Wu Tan. To put it bluntly, the piece they hold does not necessarily have to be played beside Xiao Yun; it can be beside this Prince just as well. What he wishes to disintegrate is the internal power of the Great Yin imperial family—and looking across the entire court, the only ruling prince currently wielding power in the imperial family is this Prince alone. Therefore, this conflict must be deliberately provoked between this Prince and the father-son pair of Xiao Zhi. Do you understand? In other words, you have always felt that this Prince cannot tolerate Wu Xun, but in places neither of you can see, he has already begun placing his stones, plotting against both this Prince and the entire Great Yin."