Chapter 49: Chapter Forty-Nine What Should He Do If Wei San Falls Seriously Ill…

Chapter 49: Forty-Nine

What would he do if Wei San were to suffer some misfortune?

Five days had passed since Wei San’s departure, and not a single letter had arrived. Though Wei Zheng remained outwardly composed, anyone with eyes could discern his profound displeasure.

Feigning illness was tedious enough, but having to constantly perform for the envoys from the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Fifth Prince only added to his vexation. Last time, he had Wei San to tease and amuse himself with, but now he was utterly alone.

After seeing off yet another group of officials—who feigned concern while subtly probing—Wei Zheng grew increasingly restless. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he summoned Duan Lin.

Following the usual pleasantries, Wei Zheng casually inquired, "Where is Wei San? How fares he?"

Duan Lin replied, "At a fast horse’s pace, he should have just passed Suizhou."

Suizhou was approximately thirteen hundred *li* from the capital and merely four hundred *li* from Yangzhou. At the latest, Wei San and his companion would reach Yangzhou by tomorrow.

Wei Zheng mentally calculated, his brow furrowing instinctively. "It takes this long just to reach Yangzhou?"

Did that mean he would have to wait at least another ten days before Wei San returned to the estate?

He grumbled resentfully, "He left, fine, but he promised to send letters, and I haven’t seen a single one."

Unbeknownst to him, his expression at that moment was akin to a resentful husband abandoned by his wife—dark and distorted.

Duan Lin, an unwilling witness, pressed his lips together in dismay, feeling as though his eyes were about to be seared.

He had previously worried that Wei San might become too entangled, but now it seemed the one hopelessly ensnared was clearly the Prince himself.

He hesitated, holding back his words, but in the end, he couldn’t resist offering a reminder: "Yangzhou is a long journey. Even with a fast horse, a letter would take at least three days to return, and a carrier pigeon two. Moreover, Wei San and his companion traveled secretly this time, which makes communication less convenient."

Wei Zheng pursed his lips, remaining silent, giving no indication whether he had absorbed the explanation.

For the next two days, Wei Zheng did not mention the matter again. Duan Lin assumed he had temporarily set it aside, only to be startled when Wei Zheng roused him from bed in the dead of night.

Wei Zheng stood by the bed, clad in a dark robe, his long hair falling loosely, clutching a small note.

Startled awake, Duan Lin instinctively reached for the knife beneath his pillow, only to realize the "intruder" was his own Prince. "..."

Duan Lin silently slid the knife back under the pillow and asked, utterly bewildered, "Master, why have you sought me out in the middle of the night?"

Wei Zheng narrowed his eyes, saying nothing, and handed him the note. Duan Lin’s sleepiness vanished the moment he read it.

"That Yangzhou Prefect has audacious nerve! He’s committed one capital offense after another, each more egregious than the last, and he’s even secretly colluding with the Prince of Huainan."

He quickly sat upright, adjusting his robes, and asked solemnly, "How does the Prince intend to proceed? Shall I personally gather evidence of the Yangzhou Prefect’s collusion with the Prince of Huainan?"

The Yangzhou Prefect was a distant relative of the Fifth Prince’s mother. Given his position and lineage, he was far from being favored by the Prince of Huainan. His ability to collude with the Prince of Huainan undoubtedly implicated the Fifth Prince and his mother. If they could secure the secret correspondence and solidify the charge of the Fifth Prince colluding with the Prince of Huainan in treason, the Fifth Prince would never again pose a threat.

Duan Lin assumed this was why Wei Zheng had sought him out, but to his surprise, Wei Zheng shot him an annoyed glare.

Duan Lin was at a loss. Had he said something wrong to displease his master?

He meticulously replayed his words and actions but couldn’t pinpoint the error, until Wei Zheng asked gloomily, "Why did he send a letter back without mentioning me at all?"

Had Wei San’s heart grown wild the moment he left? Did he no longer consider Wei Zheng his master?

The more Wei Zheng pondered, the angrier he became. He suddenly regretted it—regretted his soft-heartedness in allowing Wei San to go to Yangzhou, letting him roam freely, making it impossible for Wei Zheng to see him now.

He didn’t know what ailment Wei San had, why he insisted on hiding it and seeking treatment secretly without letting Wei Zheng know.

Could it be some rare, incurable disease?

Wei Zheng’s heart pounded with sudden fear. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if Wei San were to suffer some misfortune.

Having lived for nearly twenty-five years, this was the first time he had experienced such profound anxiety. Previously, he hadn’t been certain of the depth of his feelings for Wei San, but now, the mere thought of Wei San critically ill and unconscious, with Wei Zheng too far away to do anything, filled him with desperate urgency.

Without a second thought, he commanded, "No, send someone to bring Wei San back. Wei Er alone is more than capable of handling the matter of the secret correspondence."

Duan Lin: "..."

Well, this fear of his "wife" running away and never returning—it seemed he was truly deeply entangled.

Duan Lin couldn’t help but marvel at Wei San’s cunning. He appeared to be a dull, inflexible blockhead, yet he had the Prince completely wrapped around his finger.

***

At the Yangzhou Prefect’s residence, Wei San was unaware that Wei Zheng, after reading the letter, had stubbornly insisted Duan Lin bring him back to the Prince’s estate. At that moment, he was crouched silently on the eaves near a corridor pillar.

The young boy, too weak to pose a threat, had been bound and thrown into an abandoned woodshed by the guards. After leaving one person to stand guard, the rest returned to report.

Wei San remained still. Only when the guard began to doze off did he quietly approach and use a silver needle to hit the guard’s sleep acupoint. Watching the guard slump to the ground, he calmly pushed open the woodshed door and entered.

The young boy, though brave enough to sneak into the prefect’s residence to avenge his sister, was still just a child. Bound hand and foot, with his mouth gagged, he widened his eyes like a fierce yet terrified puppy when he saw Wei San push the door open.

Wei San walked over, knelt down, and asked, "Do you want to leave?"

The boy’s fierce glare softened, and he blinked in confusion, clearly unsure of Wei San’s intentions.

Wei San continued, "I need you to answer a few questions. If your answers satisfy me, I’ll rescue you. Do you agree?"

The boy eyed him suspiciously several times before lowering his gaze in thought.

Wei San was patient. He knew the boy would agree. The boy had cursed the Yangzhou Prefect fiercely, fearless of death, but everyone values their life. Given the choice in a dangerous situation, why would anyone choose to crash headlong into a wall? After all, only by staying alive could one accomplish more, right?

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for the boy to nod in agreement.

Wei San gave a slight, satisfied smile and reached out to untie the cloth gagging the boy’s mouth.

"What do you want to know? I’ll tell you everything I can."

Freed to speak, the boy got straight to the point without any hesitation.

Wei San appreciated such straightforwardness and directly asked the question on his mind.

"How did your sister die?"

The boy froze, clearly not expecting the question to be about his sister’s death.

Thinking of his poor sister, who had passed away at the tender age of sixteen in the prime of her youth, the boy’s eyes reddened with hatred.

Clenching his jaw, every word he spat out was filled with force. "My sister was given to the Prince of Huainan by that beast and toyed with until she died."