Chapter 185
Yue Chen’s probing of Gu Jing was closely listened to by Lin Qingyang, who could discern Gu Jing’s guardedness.
No matter what Yue Chen said, Gu Jing always responded vaguely, leaving questioners feeling that he was dull-witted and not worth befriending. However, the reality was quite the opposite; Gu Jing possessed an agile mind, making it difficult for others to manipulate him.
Despite appearing meek in front of his superiors in his forties, Gu Jing actually knew how to seek advantage and avoid harm.
He was a conservative ambitious person, carefully hiding his dissatisfaction, only to stabilize his current position. After all, without background, support, or a patron, reaching this stage was extremely difficult for him.
He wanted to climb higher, but could only do so with the most prudent approach – waiting. Before the opportunity arrived, Gu Jing would swallow all his dissatisfaction, just to reach the highest point.
Lin Qingyang exchanged a toast with someone else, then lowered his head to see Chu Lishu in his arms, lost in thought. Suddenly, Huo Luo sat down, adopting a posture of whispering to Lin Qingyang, and said, “There are assassins surrounding this place. I don’t know who the target is.”
Lin Qingyang was immediately startled, and Chu Lishu’s expression changed slightly. He stood up directly between the two, his hand naturally resting on Lin Qingyang’s thigh, massaging it to alleviate the numbness caused by sitting for so long. Lin Qingyang felt a tingling sensation, almost letting out a sound. Not having the physique of a delicate woman, after sitting for half an hour, his legs indeed felt numb, but he could only adapt reluctantly.
“How many?” Chu Lishu asked in a low voice.
“About five or six. If they attack directly, with the three of us here, it’s not a problem. But if their target is someone else, once the people here split up, we might not be able to handle it,” said Huo Luo. “Should we take action preemptively?”
“Of course, we need to see why they’re here. If they’re professional assassins, catching them won’t help,” Chu Lishu said in a serious tone.
“They probably aren’t here for us,” Lin Qingyang said, enduring the soreness in his legs and speaking up.
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang in confusion and asked, “Why?”
“Because nobody knows you’re here, and whoever is targeting us is probably related to the struggle for the throne. If they wanted to kill me, they would have chosen a time when we’re together to act, killing two birds with one stone. It would be pointless for them if they killed me here and you were alert there. Moreover, the most important thing is that our decision to come here was sudden. To kill us, they would first need to know where we are, and that’s not feasible in such a short time, unless it’s a spontaneous decision,” Lin Qingyang explained.
Chu Lishu nodded. “Indeed, our chances are minimal.”
Lin Qingyang’s analysis was reasoned and logical. In fact, the system hadn’t alerted him about the danger with the male lead. Since it wasn’t part of the original plot either, Lin Qingyang boldly ruled it out. It seemed that as long as the reasons were plausible, he could discuss it without the system warning him about spoilers.
But Lin Qingyang couldn’t say anything more.
“In fact, those assassins are here to kill the Supervisor of the Qintian Observatory,” Chu Lishu suddenly spoke up.
Lin Qingyang instantly widened his eyes in disbelief and looked at Chu Lishu incredulously. How did he reach that conclusion so quickly? Could he read minds now?
“Why?” asked a puzzled Holo.
“Because of the timing and location. If the Supervisor stays here overnight, then he must be the target. If it’s him, we don’t need to intervene. Strictly speaking, he is under the Empress Dowager’s control. Let them handle their own internal conflicts. We just need to stay and observe. Maybe we can even take advantage of the situation. If things go as I expect, this is much better than my initial plan,” Chu Lishu explained, his eyes gleaming with anticipation for tonight’s events.
Although Huo Luo didn’t fully understand, he still went to inform Yue Chen and ask how His Highness had come to that conclusion.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyang stared in astonishment at Chu Lishu. If it weren’t for knowing the original plot, Lin Qingyang’s mind couldn’t keep up with Chu Lishu’s lightning-fast thought process.
Seeing Lin Qingyang’s expression, Chu Lishu smiled helplessly and said, “I’ll explain it to you later if it turns out to be true.”
As the evening progressed, some guests bid their farewells while others decided to stay overnight. As Chu Lishu had predicted, the Supervisor took his companion to a private room and requested that Gu Jing stay behind as well. Although he suggested that Gu Jing find a companion, the implication was clear: Gu Jing was to remain behind to look after the Supervisor. With his accustomed expression, it was evident that Gu Jing was accustomed to being assigned such attendant-like tasks by the Supervisor.
Thus, Gu Jing could only escort his companion to the adjacent room where the Supervisor was staying.
Chu Lishu immediately gave Lin Qingyang a signal, prompting him to stand up and embrace Chu Lishu. With a casual tone that everyone understood, Lin Qingyang bid farewell and led Chu Lishu out of the room towards the adjacent one where Gu Jing was staying. Meanwhile, Huo Luo and Yue Chen remained behind to continue drinking, ready to assist if needed.
Upon entering the private room, Lu Shi appeared without any hesitation.
Lin Qingyang remained calm about the situation, but today, when Lu Shi came down, it seemed like he gave Lin Qingyang a fierce glare.
“Master, it can be confirmed that the assassins are all surrounding the Supervisor’s room. Lu Yi is keeping an eye on them,” Lu Shi reported.
Chu Lishu pondered for a moment before saying, “You and Lu Yi continue to watch the assassins. Tell Huo Luo that if the assassins leave the Golden Phoenix Tower, he should follow them and observe their movements to determine whose men they are.”
Lu Shi nodded and went to carry out the instructions.
“And what about us?” Lin Qingyang asked.
“We observe,” Chu Lishu replied.
This owes much to Princess Xinyue, who originally told Lin Qingyang about the small secret in the Golden Phoenix Tower. Chu Lishu naturally remembered it. In each room of the Golden Phoenix Tower, there is a surveillance point hidden behind the cabinet, designed to guard against some perverse guests. This time, it actually benefited Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang.
The two of them moved the cabinet aside and could see Gu Jing through the small hole in the wall.
Unexpectedly, Gu Jing had already sent away the accompanying girl and was resting alone.
It’s unclear whether he’s asleep, but the lights in the room are still on.
Gu Jing’s side was temporarily quiet, so there was no need for them to keep an eye on him.
Bored, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but ask how Chu Lishu had made his judgment earlier.
Chu Lishu explained, “Unless there are special circumstances, it’s unreasonable to sneak into such a bustling place to kill someone. Apart from the fact that the officials from the Qintian Observatory are usually not free to go out, any other person could be assassinated more conveniently at any time and place other than here. And this supervisor is known for his licentious behavior. It’s rare for him to come out, so he’s likely to indulge in revelry all night, making it an ideal opportunity for an assassination. Therefore, judging by probability, the most likely target is the supervisor.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but admire, realizing it was all based on probability analysis.
“Then what follows is just my speculation. If someone wants to kill the supervisor, it means someone wants to manipulate the Qintian Observatory. However, the supervisor has intricate ties to the Empress Dowager’s family and has always been ingratiating towards her, so he wouldn’t be easily manipulated. If someone tries to bribe him, there’s a high chance he might betray them. The most prudent course of action would be to eliminate the supervisor and choose a new candidate to support…”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yue Chen and Huo Luo were discussing the same issue.
“The new candidate naturally would be Gu Jing,” Yue Chen said. “His Highness truly has a keen eye for people. The person you’ve chosen, the other side has also chosen. However, they surely don’t know how clever Gu Jing is. They probably see him as someone without a strong background, easy to manipulate, and afraid of death—a mere threat. Once we elevate Gu Jing, we can thwart any tricks they have in mind.”
“And who exactly is the other side? What kind of tricks are they planning?” Huo Luo inquired.
Yue Chen furrowed his brow. “In the former imperial harem, anything is possible. After all, the Qintian Observatory is said to be the easiest to manipulate and the most easily exploited. His Highness mentioned for you to follow those assassins, right? You should go and be on guard.”
Huo Luo nodded solemnly. “Then you be careful on your own.”
“I’m not a child,” Yue Chen chuckled. “I’ll just stay here and drink, wait for you all to leave. There are plenty of people here!”
However, as soon as Huo Luo got up, he heard Yue Chen’s mischievous voice, “Beauty, come over here, keep brother company for a drink…”
Huo Luo’s eyebrows twitched, and he turned around, grabbing Yue Chen’s shoulder and leaning in close to whisper in his ear, “Stay alert, don’t get distracted, focus on the task at hand!”
“Ts, I’m just disguising myself,” Yue Chen hurriedly explained.
Huo Luo shot Yue Chen a stern look, half believing his words. Suddenly, he leaned in close to Yue Chen’s neck and took a sniff. Yue Chen jumped in surprise but tried to remain calm, suppressing the tingling sensation coursing through his body. “What are you doing?”
“I’m remembering the scent now. If there’s an overpowering fragrance later, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?”
“Go and complain to His Highness that you’re neglecting your duties.”
Yue Chen retorted with annoyance, glaring at Huo Luo.
Huo Luo finally left, leaving Yue Chen to rub his sore shoulder from being grabbed. “He’s such a brute. Come on, darling, help your big brother massage it.”
“Brother Yue, where’s Huo Luo?”
“He’s constipated…”
At that moment, Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang also heard muffled noises coming from the adjacent room, along with warnings from Lu Yi and Lu Shi.
Sure enough, those assassins had come to find Gu Jing. Everything was just as Chu Lishu had anticipated.
Lin Qingyang, who knew the entire plot, watched as the characters in the drama continually guessed the plot correctly, feeling the excitement coursing through him.
As they were discussing, Chu Lishu was now fixedly staring at the surveillance point, and Lin Qingyang sensed that Chu Lishu had probably guessed everything by now. However, Lin Qingyang’s own guesses for what would happen next were based purely on intuition, and he didn’t feel like saying much more about it.
In the original plot, the male lead planned to use Gu Jing to set traps using the resources of the Qintian Observatory to trap his enemies. However, if he were to do so, he would first need to eliminate the current supervisor using Gu Jing, and then slowly support Gu Jing. But now it seemed that someone else had taken the initiative to do this for him, allowing him to reap the benefits.
The arrival of those assassins naturally startled Gu Jing. He had actually been awake all along, pondering what to do in the dead of night. Soon, he found himself kneeling before a figure clad in black.
“Gentlemen, are you after wealth or lives? I am just a low-ranking official, I implore you…”
“Lord is about to be promoted to the position of supervisor. How can you call yourself just a low-ranking official?” The person in black sneered.
“What?” Gu Jing exclaimed.
“The current supervisor will be found dead next to a lady in the morning breeze. Then, a new supervisor will be selected. We will inform you in advance of the test. As long as you pass, you will be the new supervisor, controlling all the royal predictions from then on.”
Gu Jing’s face changed drastically. He wasn’t horrified by the supervisor’s death but rather by his own future. Rising in rank and wealth under these circumstances wasn’t a good thing. It was obvious they were trying to force his loyalty. If he refused, tonight would be his death sentence. If he agreed, there would likely be very difficult situations in the future. It was a high-stakes gamble; one wrong move could lead to a complete loss, but it could also mean rising to the top.
But now, it seemed like he didn’t have much of a choice, did he?
“Which lord are you serving?”
The leading figure in black smiled, handing a jade plaque to Gu Jing. Gu Jing saw a certain special pattern on the plaque, his expression immediately turning grim.
“Behave yourself in the future. Whatever you should or shouldn’t do, someone will teach you. If you speak out of turn, you and your family will meet a grim fate.” With this simple threat, the person in black left with their men.
Gu Jing sat on the ground, clutching the jade plaque, his eyes filled with fear. The power struggle at the highest levels had suddenly descended upon him, catching him off guard and making him an unwitting pawn. He feared death, but he also feared a lifetime of being oppressed by others. Thinking of the supervisor next door who had already met his demise, perhaps this was his chance. Maybe he had truly found his own support. Gradually, the fear in Gu Jing’s eyes transformed into ambition.
“Do you think you’ve found your chance?”
Suddenly, a voice rang out in the room, startling Gu Jing so much that he nearly fell backward.
Turning his head, he saw that the candlelight in the room had dimmed by half, and seated on a couch not far away was a figure in white, flanked by two figures in black.
Their features were obscured by the darkness, with only their lower bodies visible. This was even more terrifying than the black-clad figure who had appeared so suddenly earlier. Moreover, the way he spoke indicated that he was aware of what had just transpired here.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, Gu Jing realized he was the cicada in this scenario.
“Who are you… are you here to kill me? But I haven’t done anything!” he exclaimed.
“It doesn’t matter who we are. But if you become the lackey of those people who just visited you, and if you do anything, you will surely die. You must have witnessed such things quite often in the Qintian Observatory,” Chu Lishu spoke in a low, ominous tone.
Gu Jing’s expression changed slightly. Indeed, the work in the Qintian Observatory was very dangerous. In the past few years, during the reign of the Crown Prince, because of his disbelief in the Qintian Observatory’s ability to predict fortunes and assess people’s destinies, their power had been suppressed. This indirectly allowed them to lead a relatively stable life. But now, things were different. They had reverted to being pawns in the power struggle among the ruling class.
“But if I do nothing, won’t I still end up dead?” Gu Jing murmured to himself, feeling trapped in a difficult situation.
Chu Lishu waved his hand, and Lu Shi stepped forward to snatch the jade pendant from Gu Jing’s hand.
Chu Lishu glanced at it and chuckled lightly. “Ah…”
Gu Jing’s expression changed slightly. From the sound of it, the other party had recognized it. In fact, each prince had their own unique pattern on their personal accessories, and the jade pendant bore the mark of the Third Prince. This indicated that it was the Third Prince’s personal item, a sign that he wanted to recruit Gu Jing.
“Leaving such obvious evidence behind… It seems like… Empress Cheng wants to recruit you,” Chu Lishu said, his tone noticeably lowering when he mentioned Empress Cheng’s name.
Gu Jing was taken aback, suddenly raising his head. What? Empress Cheng? What was going on here, and what did this person mean? Didn’t they recognize that this was something belonging to the Third Prince?
“Is your expression suggesting that I misspoke?” Chu Lishu said slowly.
Gu Jing’s mind raced. His fate was currently in someone else’s hands. Perhaps it was better not to say too much voluntarily.
“Gu Jing, though you may be somewhat clever, you still lack understanding of the palace’s internal struggles. Do you really think this is the Third Prince trying to recruit you?”
Gu Jing’s expression immediately turned to one of surprise. “It’s not…?”
“We can wait for the answer. If it’s Empress Cheng, then we’ll hear about it soon,” Chu Lishu said calmly.
Gu Jing was truly filled with questions. Before long, there was a sound from the roof. Lu Ten flew up and moved a piece aside, revealing the voice of Huo Luo.
Huo Luo intentionally lowered his voice, which Gu Jing didn’t notice, but he could hear the content clearly.
“Those people went to the nearby Cheng Family, and they’ve already met with the people inside. It’s confirmed,” reported Huo Luo.
“You… who exactly are you people? What does that mean? They clearly…” Gu Jing suddenly found himself bewildered by the twists and turns of the situation, even suspecting that the person in front of him was acting and deceiving him. He no longer knew whom to trust.
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