Chapter 203: Anticipating
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Bai Shiyan stepped out of the palace, treading on the thick accumulated snow. Before he even reached the bridge to mount his horse, he saw a familiar carriage parked at a street corner, a bit away from the stone used to dismount.
The person in the carriage had been waiting impatiently, and before Bai Shiyan could get his other foot on the carriage’s edge, they pulled him up.
“Has Second Uncle gone in? How’s it going?”
“He just went in. I don’t know how it’s going. It’s most important that he returns safely. As for the aftermath, we’ll consider it step by step. Even Uncle is getting involved. Let’s just wait here.”
Seeing Liu Zhongming’s furrowed brows, he comforted him, “Chenzhou was the one who took him in. After all, His Majesty is willing to listen to him. With him by your side, you should trust him.”
When he mentioned this, Liu Zhongming felt even more uneasy.
“Shiyan, don’t you see? Huai Wang’s net is cast wide this time, and he argeted at Second Uncle and Jingchen. I’m afraid that his primary focus is on Chenzhou.”
Bai Shiyan dropped the curtain and was momentarily dumbfounded by these words. “What do you mean?”
“Huai Wang isn’t someone who willingly bears a loss. Ding Lekang has died, and the Jinwu Guard is in Chenzhou’s hands. I came back safely as well. The harem is currently dominated by elder sister. Everyone inside and out benefits, the Liu family and Chenzhou.”
“Even if he doesn’t fully understand, he should be suspicious of Chenzhou.”
“Previously, Chenzhou cast a divination for Consort Xian, and the result was ‘Peace and Harmony’ Chenzhou said he didn’t lie, but this outcome isn’t what Huai Wang desired. It’s probably even less favorable for Chenzhou.”
Annoyed, Liu Zhongming pinched his forehead and asked, “Did he express anything when you saw him just now?”
“No,” Bai Shiyan didn’t dare to be careless. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head, “He just glanced at me and seemed to be mainly focusing on Second Uncle. He seemed calm, as if he was planning to come out to console you.”
Picking aside the cotton curtain, Liu Zhongming looked at the towering red palace walls, which were fragmented by the drifting snowflakes, and nobody knew what was truly happening inside.
Bai Shiyan took out a bottle of wine from the carriage and handed him a cup. “Have you finished dealing with the Tang family?”
“Almost,” he answered in a slow voice, “The royal family is merciless. His Majesty didn’t hesitate to deal with Ning Wang and the Empress. How could he spare the Tang family? It was the same with the Liu family before, and now it’s the same with the Tang family.”
Bai Shiyan felt a bit uncomfortable.
“Married couples have a hundred days of grace. Why has it come to this?”
“What grace? For the sake of their positions, the Emperor even went so far as to take action against his own birth mother. If it weren’t for the Empress Dowager and Ning Wang standing in the middle, they would have fallen out a long time ago.”
Liu Zhongming also sighed, realizing that the stories he and Qu Chenzhou had pieced together weren’t too far from the truth. Otherwise, how could they have made the Empress Dowager act so urgently?
Bai Shiyan, not knowing the details, listened to his two younger brothers as they recounted, and he gradually understood the intricacies of the situation.
“Then, do you think the Empress Dowager has been aware of this over the years? How much does she know? If she knows, how has she managed to live for so long?”
Liu Zhongming rubbed his temples, trying to distract himself by talking.
“The Empress Dowager has seen everything since being designated as the crown prince consort. If there were no suspicions, what would have sustained her for so long?”
“The Emperor and Empress both want to use her to threaten the other side, but they also fear pushing her too far. The three-way balance maintains stability.”
“She’s certainly unwilling as well. If it weren’t for Chenzhou this time, even if the Empress Dowager were to use her life to hold Ning Wang back, sooner or later, the Tang family would find a way to save Ning Wang.”
Bai Shiyan was shocked by this revelation, and he remained silent for a while before finally managing to say, “How could it come to this…”
After that, there was only the sound of snow falling with the wind. They sat by the window, watching as the snowflakes fell thicker and thicker, leaving only a vague shape for the palace gate.
After an unknown amount of time, both of them suddenly straightened up, seeing a figure moving quickly through the falling snow.
Seven or eight cavalrymen, their horses’ hooves pounding, passed by the carriage without stopping.
When Liu Zhongming rushed to the door and lifted the cotton curtain, he could only see the person leading them, seemingly blending with the snow and wind.
Bai Shiyan came over and anxiously asked, “Left Valiant Camp! Are they conducting a search?”
“No…” Liu Zhongming slowly shook his head. “If they were conducting a search, it wouldn’t be just a few people, and they wouldn’t send Chenzhou. Let’s wait and see.”
His demeanor was steady as a rock, his words confident, which helped ease Bai Shiyan’s worries.
Now, all they could do was patiently wait.
Before long, the shadow of a carriage could be seen at the other end of the street, swiftly approaching through the wind and snow. It stopped not far from them.
The figures that got off the carriage were clear to see. There were several women and a few young children, bowing their heads as they followed Qu Chenzhou and others, disappearing at the palace gate.
“These are Second Uncle’s concubines and a few of his sons,” Bai Shiyan explained.
A thought crossed Liu Zhongming’s mind, an assumption that should have allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, it weighed on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
In the late afternoon, when the wind and snow had stopped, they finally saw the people they had been waiting for at the palace gate.
Bai Shiyan was the first to lift the curtain and jump down. “Uncle! Second Uncle!”
Liu Weizheng did not say a word. It was Liu Weixian who greeted them, “Why has everyone come? We’ve never seen you so eager to welcome me before.”
Liu Zhongming noticed Qu Chenzhou, who was escorting the people out, and joined the others in calling out, “Father, Second Uncle.”
“Go back,” Liu Weizheng looked at his younger brother sending his family into the carriage, then gestured towards the carriage on the other side, saying, “Weixian, get on. Let’s go.”
The wind and snow had stopped, and the charcoal fire in the carriage burned hot, causing them to slightly lift the curtain. They could only hear the solid sound of the wheels rolling over packed snow.
Liu Zhongming sat in the outermost seat and, seeing no one on the street, asked, “Is Consort Xian alright?”
“She’s fine,” Liu Weizheng replied simply, leaving the explanation to his brother.
“She’s fine,” Liu Weixian thought for a moment, then smiled and added, “Rest assured, I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Seeing the serious expressions of the two young men, he chuckled nonchalantly, “It’s not a big deal. You’re watching me so closely, it’s making me nervous.”
Liu Zhongming was genuinely worried. “Second Uncle, are you really okay? How about the Emperor…”
Liu Weixian raised his hand. “Even though I can’t do much in my old age, I won’t hinder you either. As for Old Dong’s side, I’ll keep an eye on it…”
“Second Uncle!” Liu Zhongming interrupted, “If he dared to come at this time, he must have prepared thoroughly in the accounts. We just had trouble on our side not too long ago. Don’t stir up more problems here. Let some time pass, and we’ll figure something out.”
Liu Weixian chuckled and patted his shoulder, saying with emotion, “You’re still young.”
Halfway along the journey, Liu Weixian didn’t continue with them. He got off the carriage first, but before he did, he had a few more words for Liu Zhongming.
“Remember, Zhongming, we older folks are alright. You need to watch out for your little friend.”
Liu Zhongming looked serious. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Jingchen was also here today,” when mentioning this name, Liu Weixian paused for a moment before continuing, “Qu Chenzhou has said a few times that he can’t figure anything out. Although the Emperor hasn’t spoken, his expression isn’t good.”
Liu Zhongming understood. Jingchen was the one who had pushed Chenzhou forward. Even if everything Chenzhou said was true, when it didn’t align with the Emperor’s intentions, it was inevitable that the Emperor would have many doubts.
“The principle of rising to great heights before a fall,” Liu Weixian sighed, “the Emperor has gradually become used to his presence. Naturally, his demands have increased, and he’s not as easily satisfied as before. When you have time, remind him to speak less.”
He wasn’t sure if it was because of these words or because there was an empty seat, but the atmosphere in the carriage suddenly grew colder.
Bai Shiyan finally got a chance to speak, “Uncle, is this matter… really just going to pass like this?”
They had been anxious, even Chenzhou had been nervous, after hearing about this matter.
“It will pass.”
Liu Weizheng clarified his stance before getting out of the carriage.
“Your Second Uncle can suppress this matter. It surely surprised them. Since they’ve already taken action, they won’t stop.”
“For Qingru and the Young Prince, I’ll take care of them. You don’t need to be concerned about that. But you need to act quickly.”
“Chenzhou is of utmost importance. Based on their actions, it won’t take them long to see through everything. You need to protect him.”
The two elders were speaking in veiled terms, and Liu Zhongming couldn’t fully grasp their meaning. He could only secretly feel fortunate that he hadn’t been able to meet with Qu Chenzhou for a few days. However, he hadn’t expected to quickly learn the details from the palace.
There are no sealed walls in the world, let alone the Emperor not ordering to keep quiet.
Liu Zhongming ascended the creaking stairs, not even having the chance to shake off the snow from his cloak before he heard a loud noise coming from the front room. It sounded like someone had fallen to the ground.
Shortly after, Mu Jingchen emerged from inside with a dark expression on his face. When he met Liu Zhongming on his way out, his steps paused for a moment. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words and hurriedly left.
Liu Zhongming lifted the curtain and walked in. Indeed, he saw someone covering their face, lying on the ground, and a group of people were helping him up in a flurry.
“What happened?” Liu Zhongming tossed his cloak to someone else and extended his hand as well, saying, “With Wangye’s good temper, how did you manage to provoke him?”
The person took his hand, grimacing as he stood up, “I didn’t say anything wrong. We were all discussing it. A few days ago, Liu Shang… “
He had only spoken halfway when someone viciously jabbed him from behind. He suddenly looked up and saw who it was, immediately turning pale.
“Liu what?” Liu Zhongming smiled gently, twisting the person’s hand to prevent him from leaving, “What were you talking about just now? Let me hear it and have a good laugh too.”
As the person was about to speak, he intended to flatter Jing Wang, but somehow his flattery ended up sounding wrong. He knew he couldn’t mention this matter in front of him.
“Would you like me to say it for you?” Liu Zhongming suddenly threw a punch at the person’s cheek, then dragged him back, saying, “If I speak for you, the punishment will be even worse—take your pick.”
The person didn’t dare to make another sound. He knew he couldn’t escape today and could only hide his face, murmuring quietly.
“I was just saying that Liu Shangshu… Normally… goes to the pleasure district but… can only watch and can’t participate… even the concubines in his house are being well-maintained… his sons aren’t even… “
Liu Zhongming kicked him in the chest.
Caught off guard, the person fell backward, landing amidst the overturned chairs and tables.
“Clearly it’s been spread around with such vivid details, even whether the concubines are well-maintained is so clear. Who exactly are you, a little bug, to be meddling around in these corners?”
Liu Zhongming’s gaze swept slowly over the group of people like a knife, “Quite a lot of people came today. It’s a good opportunity to spread my message—if you let me hear anyone idle enough to wag their tongues, make sure you clean your necks before I hear anything.”
He stormed out of the room. As he descended the stairs, his steps were uneven, stumbling.
In truth, even though his Second Uncle hadn’t said it, he knew the rumors were true. If not, how could the Emperor so easily back down?
And not only were they true, but maybe a long, long time ago, after succumbing to temptation with Consort Xian, his Second Uncle had worried that secrets are easily exposed. Afraid of being used as leverage against Consort Xian, he might have planned this out long ago.
As he got into the carriage, he covered his face with his sleeve.
The Second Uncle, who appeared to be indulging in worldly pleasures, smiled even when reproached by his family. He didn’t offer a single word of defense. Yet, at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquets over the years, he would carefully hide his playful demeanor, only to meet Consort Xian.
These years, I’ve been doing well. I hope you are too.
“She’s fine.”
“Rest assured, I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Liu Zhongming remembered his Second Uncle’s calm smile and suddenly had a strong desire to see Qu Chenzhou.
Originally, he thought that after getting his hands stained with blood and reaching this point, he would truly be as tough as iron, impervious to anything. However, there was still someone by his side who he could hold onto.
Huai Wang’s scheme not only tore apart his Second Uncle’s reputation.
“D*mn it…”
Suddenly, he pounded his fist against the carriage wall. The sleeve covering his face was already damp.
“D*mn it!”
The author has something to say: Previously, I’ve written that the Liu family is very one-track-minded when it comes to emotions. I wonder if I’ve made this chapter clear enough. Long ago, after Second Uncle rolled in the sheets with Consort Xian, he planned a way to make himself ‘inadequate’. He was afraid that one day he would ruin Consort Xian and Jingchen. In fact, in this lifetime, he only has Consort Xian.
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