This Third Prince seemed not so bad. Yan Zhaoshuang didn't feel any danger or excitement, but her parents were drenched in cold sweat, trembling with fear.
When they got home, they found someone already waiting.
Yan Zhaoshuang saw the Third Prince again.
She saw a hint of a smile on his face. She was about to smile back and bow when she saw him pat the Fourth Prince's shoulder, his words forcing Yan Zhaoshuang into a corner.
"My good little brother, learn from this. Why leave a trail for others to talk about if you're dissatisfied? Just find an opportunity and kill them in secret."
*
Waking from a nightmare, she opened her eyes to find it was already dusk. She went out and saw Lu Yu standing alone by the railing, gazing at the street.
"I thought you would be at the granary consoling the people, my lord."
Lu Yu retorted, "This is your hometown, Lord Qian. Why do you seem so indifferent to the people of Nanchuan? You haven't even gone to see any old friends."
Qian Xingzhi knew she was in the wrong. "I can barely save myself, let alone the world. As for you, Lord Lu, while benefiting all under heaven is righteous, it also makes you vulnerable to coercion. Those officials earlier were probably just waiting for you to open your purse. If the Lu family ever falters, there will be no retreat."
Lu Yu knew this well. But if he didn't gain some reputation to support the family, the Lu family would probably have been carved up long ago.
"Aren't you worried about Yuan Bai, Lord Lu?"
Whenever Qian Xingzhi suspected something, she couldn't help probing him. Lu Yu was the same.
"Worrying is useless. Since even the generals can't find the Third Prince's whereabouts, opening the granaries and establishing contact with the mob as soon as possible is the necessary best course."
Qian Xingzhi was noncommittal. "I have some thoughts on this uprising."
He played along. "Oh? I'd like to hear them."
Qian Xingzhi tapped the railing rhythmically. "Rather than an uprising, it's more like someone planned to kidnap the Third Prince, using the uprising as a pretext to attract His Majesty's attention. In reality, they don't need military suppression; they're just hiding and dragging out time."
Lu Yu agreed. "Oh, indeed."
"I just want to confirm one thing," Qian Xingzhi put on a fawning smile. "Just moments after I mentioned wanting to return to Nanchuan, we got an excuse to come back. Quite a coincidence. Did you arrange the kidnapping of the Third Prince, my lord?"
Lu Yu's smile paused almost imperceptibly. "Lord Qian's imagination is quite vivid."
Qian Xingzhi cleared her throat. "The General of the Northern Pacification is now in Nanchuan, and large numbers of Suzhou troops have been transferred here. Lord Lu, if the northern barbarians were to invade now, do you think Nansheng could escape unscathed?"
Lu Yu's smile faded. He said meaningfully, "The General's troops didn't follow him, so naturally there's no problem. Lord Qian, you should refrain from excessive speculation when you have nothing better to do."
From under the eaves, they could see the full sunset. Tonight the sky was a spread of pink and purple, and the crescent moon had already appeared.
"Swoosh—"
An arrow flew through the corridor and embedded itself in Qian Xingzhi's door.
Qian Xingzhi tore off the note attached to the arrow. Written in bold cursive: "Midnight, three days hence, Chengxin Temple. Lu and Qian."
She handed the note to Lu Yu. "Lord Lu, this is most likely a message from the mob, isn't it?"
Lu Yu was noncommittal. "Take it to the generals."
The General of the Northern Pacification was already frustrated by this whole affair. Upon seeing the note, he cursed, "Absolutely audacious! Aren't they afraid I'll ambush them in the mountains? I must catch these villains!"
Qian Xingzhi raised an objection. "The note only states time and place, nothing about what to do. If we can't rescue all three at one stroke, we'll be in a worse position."
"Lord Qian makes sense. In my opinion, I'll go with Lord Qian, and the General and others can lie in ambush behind us, acting on signal."
The General had fought on battlefields for years with few defeats. He had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility on this trip, but now he had not only failed to find the Third Prince but also lost Governor Wei.
There was no large-scale uprising. He had brought a huge force running to Nanchuan—who was he supposed to suppress?
He was practically developing an illness from anger, when another piece of bad news arrived.
"General, disaster! The northern barbarians have invaded; they are at the city gates!"
Qian Xingzhi touched her mouth. Why was she like a prophet?
She glanced at Lu Yu; he happened to turn his head to look at her. Their eyes met, and somehow both felt guilty.
The two leaned in to whisper.
Lu Yu teased her, "Lord Qian is amazingly prescient. Could it be that you're actually extremely well-connected and arranged all of this?"
Qian Xingzhi chuckled awkwardly. "Not at all, it's a constitution issue. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to pass as a wandering Taoist."
The General could no longer sit still, looking as if he would grab his blade and rush to the northern frontier. "Outrageous! They come looking for death the moment I'm away. Do they think I'm dead!"
The junior officer quickly reported further, "But His Majesty has appointed the Seventh Prince as the General-in-Chief, and he has already marched north."