Chapter 49 Putting on a Show

Chapter 49: The Performance

It was a dark and windy night. Though it wasn't raining, there was a stillness like the calm before a storm.

Two men stood facing each other in the courtyard, as if negotiating, yet it looked more like a confrontation.

From their builds alone, the slimmer man was clearly no match for the other, more robust man, whose frame was nearly twice as broad.

Yet at this moment, the tall, lean man was the first to strike, wielding his dagger with deadly precision, each thrust aimed at the larger man's vital points.

The burly man seemed unprepared for the kill-shot, dodging in a dazed panic. His movements were always half a beat too slow, putting him at a disadvantage from the start.

Finally, the robust man was backed against a wall, cornered.

The tall, lean man pressed his dagger against the burly man's neck once more, leaving a fresh, vivid cut.

Zhong He gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice, "I told you to send someone to retrieve it. Why didn't you send someone?!"

The robust man seemed unwilling to answer, but with the blade at his throat, he had no choice but to respond.

"That was the master's decision. I couldn't disobey."

"So loyal to him? Then why did you secretly embezzle your master's money? Aren't you afraid I'll tell him and see whether he lets you live!"

Zhong He controlled his strength, yet the dagger sank another fraction into the burly man's neck.

Suddenly, Zhong He noticed the white cloth strip on the man's shoulder—a sign he was mourning a family member.

He sneered coldly. "Your own dear brother was pushed out by him as a scapegoat. He died with his face mutilated. You couldn't even erect a tombstone for him. Do you dare swear to heaven that you hold no resentment toward him?"

This time, the burly man fell silent.

He and his brother had grown up in the master's residence. Because of their strong builds, they had been trained since childhood to become the most loyal guards.

He knew the master was ruthless, but he thought that after so many years of companionship, the master would at least spare them some consideration.

Yet who could have imagined that when he returned that night, all he saw was his brother's disfigured corpse.

Even their father hadn't spoken a word in his brother's defense, simply obeying the master's decision unconditionally.

He couldn't take it anymore. With the remaining money, he bought a small courtyard and moved out.

He couldn't retrieve his brother's body or hold a funeral for him. All he could do was tie a white cloth strip to mourn his brother.

As for embezzling the master's money, it was only to treat his own injuries. He had planned to return it in a few days, but then all this happened...

After a long silence, the man finally spoke.

"I... Even so, I still won't do anything to harm the master..."

"I'm not asking you to go against your will. I just need you to find out Jiang Wang's whereabouts. Where exactly is he being held?"

On the day he received the news, he had invited Jiang Wang out for dinner in the evening precisely to lure him away from the Biwu Pavilion, creating an opportunity for someone else to enter and retrieve the doll.

But the burly man hadn't acted, wasting the chance he had created and plunging Jiang Wang into disaster for nothing.

And in the past two days, he had heard that Jiang Wang's state of mind wasn't good. He... wanted to see him.

This burly man knew some minor figures on the streets and could naturally catch wind of things he himself couldn't.

Zhong He's initial approach to Jiang Wang had indeed been with ulterior motives, but...

*

In just a few days, the heads of the court officials grew heavy once more.

Who could tell them why, just as the emperor's condition had improved enough for normal activities, Jiang Wang had ended up in the Imperial Medical Bureau again!

While the officials were anxiously speculating, Jiang Wang was currently lying comfortably on a small couch in the courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau, soaking up the sun.

The rumor that he had entered the Imperial Medical Bureau was nothing more than a deliberately leaked message, agreed upon between him and Xiao Yan.

Speaking of Xiao Yan, Jiang Wang's thoughts drifted back to that night when Xiao Yan had come to see him.

Had he heard Xiao Yan say "I'm sorry" to him?!

He had been stunned on the spot. He had never imagined that Xiao Yan would apologize to him.

Who was Xiao Yan? He was the emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty, the one who stands above ten thousand. Would he apologize to him?

Moreover, Xiao Yan was a reckless and incompetent playboy who could decide a person's fate with just a flick of his finger.

He could have easily said something else to gloss over the matter, preserving both his own dignity and the royal family's honor, instead of earnestly uttering the three words "I'm sorry."

At that moment, his mind was in complete chaos. He could only mumble vague agreements, completely missing whatever Xiao Yan said afterward. He didn't even notice when Xiao Yan left.

When he finally regained some clarity, a masked person using qinggong had taken him from the prison to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Jiang Wang felt this person looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen him before.

However, his attention was quickly diverted from this person by the environment of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

The surroundings here were much better than the prison—there were flowers, trees, pavilions, and flowing water. Though it still fell short compared to the Biwu Pavilion, it was quite pleasant.

It was only while lying in the sun in the courtyard earlier that he fully came to his senses and gradually recalled what Xiao Yan had said the previous night.

Xiao Yan said they needed to set a trap to catch the person who had framed him, and the rumor of him falling ill and staying in the Imperial Medical Bureau was part of the plan.

Good, Jiang Wang nodded in satisfaction. Xiao Yan didn't seem foolish at all.

Speaking of not being foolish, Jiang Wang remembered something else.

He thought there was something off about Xiao Yan.

He had felt earlier that Xiao Yan was different from his usual appearance, and after this incident, he was now one hundred percent certain.

Xiao Yan's seemingly unreliable demeanor was most likely an act.

What about Fang Fengshi, then? Xiao Yan's closest "partner in crime"—was he in on it, or was he also one of the "deceived"?

Moreover, Xiao Yan possessed supreme authority. One could say there was nothing in this world he couldn't obtain. So why would he pretend to be incompetent and reckless?

His mind, which had just begun to clear up, became tangled once again. Jiang Wang propped his head on his hand, pondering various possibilities.

Just as he was lost in his hypotheses, a series of orderly footsteps interrupted his thoughts.

Jiang Wang looked up and saw—it was Fang Fengshi!

*Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.*

Instead of just speculating about Xiao Yan here, why not test Fang Fengshi? After all, Fang Fengshi seemed rather simple-minded.

If Fang Fengshi's "stupidity" is an act, wouldn't that prove he's in the know and is working with Xiao Yan?

If Fang Fengshi is genuinely foolish, he could team up with him to sound out Xiao Yan.

Fang Fengshi was just as before, striding with that couldn't-care-less swagger as he slowly made his way into the courtyard.

He knew his brother would eventually bring Jiang Wang out, and he was also aware of the plan Xiao Yan and Jiang Wang had devised.

Sure enough, Xiao Yan now had him send people to protect Jiang Wang.

However, he never expected that Jiang Wang inside had already "metamorphosed," blinking his cunning little fox-like eyes, waiting for him to enter.

"Commander Fang, what a coincidence!"

Jiang Wang enthusiastically greeted Fang Fengshi first, seizing the initiative.

Fang Fengshi stayed just as cocky, replying, "Not a coincidence."

"Lord Jiang, seems you don't know, but I was specifically sent by His Majesty to find you."

"To find me?"

"Yes, His Majesty told me to post extra soldiers to protect this courtyard. As for why..." Fang Fengshi scratched his head, "His Majesty didn't tell me."

Xiao Yan told Fang Fengshi to protect him but didn't explain the reason?

Reasonable, yet somewhat strange.

It seemed Xiao Yan trusted Fang Fengshi, but only to a limited extent.

He would have to test him further.

"Commander Fang, what has His Majesty been busy with lately?"

"His Majesty... hasn't been busy with much. After recovering from his illness, he's been hunting for curios and treasures, and when he's in the palace, he watches the dancers perform."

Speaking of dancers, Fang Fengshi suddenly grew excited, raising his voice and talking with his hands.

"That new dancer, with her willow-leaf eyebrows and cherry-like lips, the way she dances, every look and smile she gives is a real heartbreaker..."

He then let out a couple of dumb chuckles, looking utterly enchanted by the dancer.

While smiling on the surface, Fang Fengshi's mind was racing, pondering Jiang Wang's unusual behavior today.

Generally speaking, although Jiang Wang hadn't shown the same disdainful expressions toward him and Xiao Yan as other officials, he had always maintained a polite distance, preferring to stay out of trouble and avoid too much interaction with them.

Why today... so many questions?

Had he discovered something?

As for what Xiao Yan had been busy with lately, of course he knew. Xiao Yan had been sending people to quietly check whether there were any footprints, shoe prints, or unfamiliar figures around Biwu Pavilion, gathering more evidence.

But he couldn't say a word.

Moreover, he'd been the one to sneak Xiao Yan out of the palace that night. He suspected that this private meeting between the two had made Jiang Wang pick up on something, leading him to doubt their true identities.

Even though he knew Jiang Wang wasn't on Chang Wenji's side, he couldn't voluntarily reveal his own identity.

First, if he took the initiative to expose himself, he might drag Jiang Wang into another whirlpool—one that could be even more dangerous than Chang Wenji.

Second, although both he and Xiao Yan had hidden their identities, Xiao Yan was still the one leading the way. If Xiao Yan's identity remained well-concealed while he exposed his own first, wouldn't that be screwing over his brother?

So, for either reason, Fang Fengshi couldn't speak up and could only play dumb.

And Fang Fengshi, being someone accustomed to acting, performed his natural and seamless act of feigning ignorance so flawlessly that Jiang Wang couldn't detect a single flaw.

Just his earlier foolish chuckles, paired with that infatuated smile, instantly crafted the image of a simple-minded, all brawn no brains playboy who had obtained his commander position solely through connections.

Jiang Wang sized up Fang Fengshi and concluded that he didn't seem like someone in the know. After all, after not seeing him for a while, Commander Fang appeared even more foolish—perhaps too indulged in beauty and wine, which had pickled his brains.

In that case, he'd better not bother Fang Fengshi further. As long as Fang Fengshi could ensure his safety, that was enough.

As for the rest, he would test Xiao Yan directly.

Completely unaware that his image had taken a significant hit, Fang Fengshi happily returned, thinking he had successfully muddled through.

What they hadn't anticipated was that on the very first night after spreading the news that "Jiang Wang is staying at the Imperial Medical Bureau for treatment," they had a visitor.

Author's Note:

Zhong He's true nature is gradually being revealed!