Chapter 24: Rivals Meet

Chapter 24: Rivals Meet

"My lord, we’ve tracked down the carriage!"

Inside the Hanlin Academy’s private room, a servant hurried in with a letter.

The man behind the desk stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the candle. "Out with it!"

"My lord, the person in the carriage that day was the concubine of Wei Crown Prince from the Marquis of Anning’s household, who went to the Great Buddha Temple to offer incense."

"The Marquis of Anning?" Zhou Yan's face darkened. He never imagined A Yuan would end up in the Marquis of Anning’s household. No wonder he couldn’t find her for years.

As for Wei Xun, Zhou Yan was no stranger to him.

The Capital Prefecture’s youngest assistant magistrate, the Emperor’s most trusted minister, and the noblewomen’s top pick for a son-in-law—each of these was impressive.

Even he, after interacting with Wei Xun, couldn’t help but admire him.

Yet this man took his A Yuan.

Zhou Yan clenched his fists at his sides, his heart burning with rage.

"Look into Wei Xun’s activities over the years, especially that concubine of his. The more details, the better!"

"Yes."

The servant didn’t get why his lord cared so much about a mere concubine in the Marquis’s household, but remembering his lord’s outburst that day, the servant felt a sudden unease—could that concubine be tied to his lord?

This is bad news!

To go up against the Heir Apparent for a woman, his lord didn’t stand a chance.

The servant acted quickly, but Wei Xun’s guards were strict, and he could only scratch the surface.

"Lady Xie entered the Marquis’s household three years ago. Initially, Madam Wei picked her to serve the second young master of the Wei family, but she wound up in the Heir Apparent’s chamber. She has served the Heir Apparent for three years, and the other day was the first time she left the household, seemingly to offer incense for a concubine from the second young master’s courtyard who had passed away."

"What was the concubine’s name?" Zhou Yan interrupted him.

The servant tilted his head in thought. "I think it was Bi Wu."

"So it was her."

Zhou Yan naturally remembered Bi Wu. At the Chunyan Pavilion, she often bullied A Yuan. Back then, A Yuan would only hide and cry when she was wronged. The young girl loved sweets, and the money he earned from selling his paintings all went to sweeten her mouth.

"And A Yuan? How is she faring?"

As a concubine, Bi Wu even lost her life. What suffering must A Yuan, who is merely a concubine, have endured?

Zhou Yan’s heart felt as if it were boiling in oil, full of torment.

The servant shook his head. "I couldn’t find out, but the Heir Apparent has not yet married, and there is only Lady Xie in his chamber, so she must be doing well..."

He watched his lord’s expression, his voice trailing off.

Zhou Yan’s face was grim. He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice, "I understand. You may leave."

He should be glad A Yuan is doing well, but that happiness should have been given by him.

It was Wei Xun who took his wife away.

......

After the court session, the officials filed out in a line.

Wei Xun, dressed in a red official robe, looked both dignified and imposing, standing out among the ministers.

"Lord Wei, please wait."

Suddenly called out to, Wei Xun halted and turned around.

Seeing it was Zhou Yan, he gave a slight nod, "Hanlin Zhou."

As a member of the Anning Marquisate, his manners were beyond reproach.

Though Zhou Yan held no official rank, Wei Xun displayed no arrogance.

Under normal circumstances, Zhou Yan would have admired him even more, but now, knowing Wei Xun had taken his beloved, Zhou Yan felt only hatred.

"I wonder if Lord Wei has time to share a drink with me?"

Wei Xun was surprised by Zhou Yan's invitation to share a drink. Though Zhou Yan held no official rank, he was a favorite of the Emperor and usually avoided close associations with other officials to steer clear of suspicion.

Wei Xun narrowed his eyes, "I have official duties to attend to, so I’m afraid I can’t..."

"Does Lord Wei look down on me?"

Zhou Yan interrupted him, his aggressive tone making Wei Xun sense something amiss.

He had heard about Zhou Yan’s character; since joining the Hanlin Academy, he had kept to himself and was never known to be close with any minister.

Despite his humble origins, he lacked the bitterness typical of those from poor families, instead exuding a pride that made Wei Xun take notice.

But today, being pressured to drink, Wei Xun couldn’t help but suspect Zhou Yan had ulterior motives.

Thinking of the unsolved case of abused women in the capital, Wei Xun composed himself and agreed.

"Since Hanlin Zhou insists, I’ll join you."

"Lord Wei, please."

They each boarded their carriages, and within half an hour, they arrived at Jingyuan.

This was the capital’s most famous tavern, where the flower girls sold their talents, not their bodies, yet could charm men into spending a fortune for a song.

As they stepped out of their carriages, they were greeted by several beautiful flower girls. They hadn’t changed out of their official robes, but the flower girls pretended not to notice, waving their handkerchiefs to catch their attention.

"Gentlemen, please come in. Do you have a favorite girl? If not, perhaps this humble one could sing for you?"

The men who frequented Jingyuan were either wealthy or noble, and the flower girls were accustomed to it.

Moreover, Wei Xun and Zhou Yan were young and strikingly handsome, and the flower girls were willing to do anything to be with them.

Zhou Yan studied Wei Xun’s expression, but the man was inscrutable, and Zhou Yan couldn’t glean anything after a long look.

They took their seats, and when a flower girl moved to serve them, Wei Xun waved his sleeve, "Just leave the wine."

"Sir..." The flower girl bit her lip, looking hurt.

It was the first time she’d been turned down.

Zhou Yan chuckled, "Coming to Jingyuan, how could Lord Wei not pick a flower girl? Drinking alone is no fun!"

Wei Xun glanced up at him, straightening the sleeve that the flower maiden had brushed against, and removed his official hat, placing it beside him. His usually indifferent lips curved into a faint smile. "My family keeps a close eye on me. If I come home smelling like perfume, there’ll be hell to pay."

His tone was casual, his eyes soft with fondness. Zhou Yan’s hand clenched inside his sleeve, and he took a few deep breaths before finally speaking.

"Has Lord Wei married?"

"Not yet."

"Then who does 'family' refer to?"

Zhou Yan clenched his fingers, holding his breath as he waited for Wei Xun's answer. But Wei Xun merely picked up his wine cup and took a sip, changing the subject.

"Did Zhou Hanlin invite me out just to poke into my personal life?"

Zhou Yan pressed his lips together. "Of course not. I just didn’t expect someone as honorable and upstanding as Lord Wei to also have someone special in his heart."

"Everyone has feelings and desires. I’m no different."

He tilted his head down, taking a sip of wine, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

Compared to him, Zhou Yan was still inexperienced. At least at Zhou Yan's age, he had already learned to conceal his emotions.

Who else could Zhou Yan be subtly probing about if not A Yuan?

Behind the wine cup, Wei Xun’s lips curved into a cold, sharp smile. Wasn’t it him who stopped A Yuan's carriage that day?

He wondered where Zhou Yan got the nerve to try and take what was his.

Wei Xun drank quietly, brushing off Zhou Yan’s every attempt to dig for info with a few words. Eventually, Zhou Yan realized how tough he was to crack and gave up trying to pry, instead focusing on urging him to drink.

Wei Xun didn’t refuse a single drink. He was curious to see what Zhou Yan was planning.