Chapter 11 Spare Me, Hero

Chapter 11: Have Mercy, Hero!

It was dark out, but still early in the evening. Street vendors outside the palace gates had all lit their lanterns, lighting up the area.

They only knew that whoever could linger before the palace gates must be some high-ranking official or noble, but they didn't know exactly who it was.

Suddenly, a sound was heard. A handsome young master stepped down from the carriage and hurried off in the opposite direction of the palace city.

Fang Fengshi had been riding his horse at a leisurely pace behind the carriage. Seeing Jiang Wang leave, he urged his horse into a trot to catch up.

He pulled aside the carriage window's curtain and teased Xiao Yan, "What did you say this time to make Jiang Wang so angry?"

Xiao Yan shot him an indifferent glance and ignored him.

"Enter the palace."

The carriage began moving again slowly, continuing steadily into the palace, leaving only a puzzled Fang Fengshi behind.

Xiao Yan leaned back on the soft cushion, closing his eyes in thought.

Was Jiang Wang truly without money?

Was today's performance all an act by Jiang Wang to deceive him?

These two questions wrestled in Xiao Yan's mind.

Since that was the case, it would be better to test him further.

The moment Jiang Wang stepped down from the carriage, Ling Hai had already received the order to follow discreetly. He'd have the results by tomorrow at the latest.

They encountered no delays. A short while later, the carriage arrived at Cangwu Hall.

Charcoal fires were lit inside the hall, making it very warm. Xiao Yan took off his heavy outer robe and changed into a comfortable inner garment.

He sat down at his desk and read the letter given to him by Master Huikong several more times.

The key to everything lay in Beixiang.

Both the Soul-Sand and its antidote were unique to Beixiang, meaning the person who poisoned his elder brother must have some connection to Beixiang.

However, three years ago, in that war, Old General Fang Zhenbo struck down the enemy commander from his horse, earning the title of General Who Guards the North. Beixiang's morale plummeted, leading to their defeat.

For these three years, Beixiang had kept to itself and caused no further trouble. It seemed all of that was merely a facade.

Beixiang was not as calm and peaceful as it appeared on the surface.

Xiao Yan vowed to himself that he would definitely root out the person who killed his brother.

Night had deepened. Ling Shan entered as usual to light the calming incense.

Perhaps because his brother's issue had been weighing heavily on his mind, Xiao Yan's sleep had been poor for nearly a year. He relied on calming incense every night to get any sleep at all.

But today, he felt much better than yesterday. He even felt the scent of the calming incense was somewhat too strong.

If he had to guess why today was different, it was probably because he usually pretended to sleep, whereas today in the carriage, he had actually slept.

He had actually fallen asleep without the calming incense.

On the way there, he had feigned sleep. But on the return journey, especially when Jiang Wang was sleeping soundly, a heavy drowsiness had also washed over him.

He too had fallen asleep. It wasn't for long, but it was enough to nourish and relax the constantly taut string within him.

He had used this carriage many times, and everything inside was familiar and well-used.

Only Jiang Wang was the variable.

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Jiang Wang was furious.

So he took a nap, big deal! Why the fine?!

And a whole month's salary at that! He had just donated money to the disaster victims. This was simply adding frost to snow on his already tight budget!

He used to be a young master from a wealthy family. Although his biological father didn't dote on him, he never shortchanged him on money.

Who would have thought that coming here, he'd face freezing cold, poor food, restless sleep, and now even his meager funds were being docked by Xiao Yan.

Who could be more miserable than him!

Fuming, Jiang Wang walked briskly. He didn't expect that at a street corner, a strong figure would dart out and, with lightning speed, snatch him away.

The man was taller than him. Jiang Wang's feet couldn't reach the ground, so he could only desperately cling to the man's thick arm to keep his balance.

Moreover, his mouth and nose were covered with a ragged cloth, preventing him from making any sound.

In this life-threatening moment, Jiang Wang instead grasped a truth.

There was always someone worse off.

Just moments ago, he was thinking about the miserable experiences of the day, believing that once he endured the punishment and got home, it would be over.

He never imagined he would be abducted on his way home...

Truly, misery upon misery.

Fortunately, it didn't last too long. After passing about two small streets, the big man placed Jiang Wang in a dimly lit corner.

As soon as Jiang Wang's feet touched the ground, his legs went weak, and he sat down on the spot.

But his mouth didn't idle. Instinctively, for the sake of survival, he pleaded, "Spare my life, hero, spare my life! I don't have a single coin on me, my clothes are dirty, and there's nothing of value."

Jiang Wang stole a glance. The big man stood by the wall, arms crossed over his chest, seemingly without any intention of robbing him of money.

Could the big man be after his virtue?!

That was even worse!

Although he was good-looking, he couldn't just lose his innocence in such an unclear manner.

Jiang Wang couldn't see the big man's expression clearly. He could only rub his hand against the wall and then smear the dirt haphazardly on his face.

"Hero, look at me, I'm so filthy and not good-looking at all. Please let me go."

But the big man still didn't speak. Jiang Wang was on the verge of tears.

His heart sank to the depths of the ocean, thinking he might meet his end here.

Just as Jiang Wang was in utter despair, the big man suddenly took a step forward.

"Why are you so scared, Young Master Jiang?"

The faint moonlight illuminated the man's face, and Jiang Wang felt he looked familiar—his voice seemed familiar too.

So it was him!

He was one of the two thugs who had once threatened to throw him into the pond.

Back then, they had left a message saying they would contact him again. Was this them coming to get information from him now?

Jiang Wang's heart, which had just sunk, jumped to his throat.

He never planned to work with them, so he certainly wouldn't tell them whatever he might have found out.

Of course, that assumed Jiang Wang actually knew anything unusual about Xiao Yan.

The problem was, today he could barely look after himself—how could he have found time to notice any oddities about Xiao Yan?

"Boss, the Emperor was acting completely normal today, nothing strange at all."

"Really?"

Jiang Wang nodded earnestly.

From his perspective, Xiao Yan had indeed been perfectly ordinary today: visiting Longquan Temple for purification rituals and sutra chanting, having a midday vegetarian meal, then returning—a tight schedule that fit perfectly with the purpose of the trip.

The thug thoughtfully stroked his chin and nodded, saying nothing more as he turned to leave.

"Hey, wait!"

A weak voice came from the foot of the wall. Jiang Wang had recovered from his earlier fright and was now leaning against the wall, standing up.

"At least tell me your name? If I learn anything, where should I go to find you?"

He had no intention of actually looking for him. Jiang Wang only wanted a name to confirm exactly who he was dealing with.

He'd been dropped into this mess halfway through, and now the enemy had the advantage of secrecy. If he didn't even know who the enemy was, how could he ensure his own safety in the end?

"You don't know who I am?"

The thug paused and looked at Jiang Wang, his voice suspicious.

After all, they had met two or three times already—how could Jiang Wang not know who he was?

Jiang Wang hadn't expected the man to ask this. His heart, barely calm, started hammering again. Seeing the man slowly clench his fist, Jiang Wang's breath nearly stopped.

But in that split second, Jiang Wang reacted. He took a step forward and grabbed the man's hand, trying to be friendly.

"Of course I know! You're from the Chang residence, right? It's just that each time we've met, it's been too dark to see your face clearly, so I thought I'd ask."

Then he quickly added, "If this offends you, then forget I asked."

The thug looked at Jiang Wang, whose expression remained as sincere as before.

Slowly, his fist relaxed, and he threw out two words before leaving.

"Chang Da."

Jiang Wang stood there, watching the man's retreating back. Only when he was sure the man was gone did he let out a long sigh of relief.

He repeated the name to himself: Chang Da.

He had just recalled that the secret letter was signed with the character "Chang," which was why he had said, "You're from the Chang residence."

And it was precisely this statement that dispelled the thug's suspicions. The name the man left behind further confirmed it.

The Chang residence was the shadowy organization behind the plot to control him and gather intelligence on Xiao Yan.

And the master of this organization was naturally the mastermind behind it all.

Although there were many people in Zhaojing with the surname Chang, only one dared to call themselves the "Chang residence"—the current Prime Minister, Chang Wenji.

All of Jiang Wang's earlier suspicions were now confirmed: it was indeed Chang Wenji pulling the strings.

Suddenly, the strange behavior at that banquet made sense.

Why had Chang Wenji refused others' wine but accepted his? Why had Chang Wenji smiled kindly and said those words to him?

"Young talent, the future holds great promise."

He had originally thought it was an elder's concern for a junior. Now he understood—it was a superior's "earnest expectations" for a subordinate.

It was said that Chang Wenji was a Three-Dynasty Veteran who had assisted one emperor after another, devoting his heart and soul to the Great Jing Dynasty—a minister truly worthy of his renowned reputation.

Jiang Wang agreed with that; probably no one in the Great Jing Dynasty was unaware of Chang Wenji's name.

But was a "renowned minister" necessarily a "loyal minister"?

If he were truly loyal, why would he arrange for someone to spy on the Emperor?

Even if Xiao Yan were depraved and incompetent, there were other ways to guide him back to the right path.

Chang Wenji was likely not so simple.

Beneath that benevolent mask lay deeper shadows.

_The living are as good as dead._

That was the truest reflection of Jiang Wang's current state of mind.

It seemed that ever since he crossed over, nothing had gone smoothly.

An unreliable system, a capricious Emperor, and a scheming Prime Minister.

Why did everything keep piling more debuffs onto his already difficult life? Couldn't he, like other transmigrators in novels, have a "golden finger" and enjoy a cheat-powered path to success?

Perhaps influenced by his negative emotions, Jiang Wang's head began to swim.

Just as he was feeling completely hopeless, a figure suddenly popped into his head.

Changle.

The young man he'd first seen upon waking in this world.

The one who was a little stubborn but wholeheartedly cared for him.

Right, he had to get home. If he didn't return soon, Changle would be worried.

He had left very early that morning, intending to slip out quietly without waking Changle, but Changle had woken up anyway and insisted on seeing him off.

Jiang Wang couldn't help but quicken his pace.

He wound his way out of the dim, winding alley and back onto the main road, but paused when passing a stall selling noodles and steamed buns.

He'd had a vegetarian meal at noon and wasn't hungry yet, but he wondered if Changle had eaten.

Jiang Wang fumbled around his waist, only to remember he had donated his money pouch to the disaster victims at Longquan Temple.

Reluctant to give up, he frisked himself again and finally found a few copper coins in a small inner pocket. He handed them to the vendor in exchange for two meat buns.

The warmth from the buns seeped through the oiled paper into Jiang Wang's hands. His exposed fingers didn't feel too cold.

By the time Jiang Wang reached his small courtyard, he happened to see Changle peering out from the doorway.

Their eyes met, and Changle happily ran over.

Yet, despite his love of food, Changle didn't first take the meat buns from Jiang Wang's hands. Instead, he stared at Jiang Wang's face.

"Young master, why is your face so red? And your forehead is so hot!"

Author's Note:

Xiao Yan: I just can't figure Jiang Wang out. No, I must test him again.