Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Lu Huaizhi did not sheathe his blade, still warily watching the man lounging on the wall with a lazy, carefree air.

The man wore a dark beige round-collar archery jacket with a silver hair crown—the getup of an ordinary rich kid—but it somehow didn't match his vibe at all.

Lu Huaizhi stared at the man on the wall and asked Shen Lian in a low voice, "He's your friend?"

Shen Lian's mood lightened considerably. Somehow, whenever Dian Xia was around, he never felt any danger. His wariness faded, and he replied casually, "He's a consultant at Prince Xi's mansion! Named Dian Xia—Dian as in 'classic,' Xia as in 'summer.'"

"A consultant?" That made him even more suspicious. This guy was clearly a trained fighter.

Lu Huaizhi suspected this man was a top-notch killer sent by Dehui to get close to Shen Lian. "Where did you meet him? How long have you known him?"

"At Prince Xi's mansion, of course." Shen Lian waved at the young man on the wall. "Come down and meet Brother Lu! He's Lu Huaizhi, the Guard Commander of the Tengxiang Guard."

The young man lazily swung one dangling leg and, in his usual smart-ass way, replied, "Why doesn't he come up here to meet me instead?"

Shen Lian sighed and explained casually, "The wall's too tall—Commander Lu can't climb it. Better you come down."

"No way." Lu Huaizhi sheathed his blade and quickly defended his skills. "It's just a little dirt wall. If that could stop me, I wouldn't even make Squad Leader."

Shen Lian was confused, not getting why Lu Huaizhi was so hung up on this. He pulled out his door key and said, "Well, if you want to climb up and meet Dian Xia, I'll go grab you a stool from inside."

"No need!" Lu Huaizhi quickly stopped him.

Prince Qi on the wall was cracking up—so the young imperial physician wasn't out to get him specifically—he just looked down on everyone equally.

Lu Huaizhi suppressed his embarrassment and explained seriously, "Climbing over someone's wall for no reason isn't what a gentleman does. I'm saying I could do it, but I wouldn't."

Xie Yuan's smile vanished, he jumped down, and walked toward them.

A dangerous instinct made Lu Huaizhi's muscles tense up.

This Dian Xia looked like he was barely eighteen or nineteen, but he had an overwhelming presence—not the vibe of a bookish advisor at all. He seemed way more like a top-tier secret bodyguard from the prince's mansion.

Shen Lian was somewhat surprised, looking up and down at the young man approaching.

It was the first time he'd seen Dian Xia dressed so plain, but changing clothes didn't change the face—his looks were as permanent as semi-permanent makeup, stuck on that pretty boy's face, totally clashing with his commoner-style outfit.

Sensing Dian Xia's barely hidden annoyance, Lu Huaizhi instinctively stepped half a step forward, putting himself next to Shen Lian.

The young man named Dian Xia walked up to Shen Lian with a predatory look, his chest rumbling like a wild animal's. His voice low, Dian Xia spoke: "He called me no gentleman—did Lord Shen not hear that?"

Lu Huaizhi: "..."

Why was he running to tattle to Imperial Physician Shen?

Shen Lian stepped around Lu Huaizhi and reached out to pat the young man's arm, calming down the pettiest, most grudging person in the room: "Commander Lu didn't mean it that way. Military types have their own rules—not like free spirits like you."

Lu Huaizhi's right hand remained on his sword hilt. Up close, this guy's pressure was even more intense—definitely not the vibe of a scholar. He couldn't help asking, "I thought someone from Dehui Medical Hall was hiding on the wall, so I blurted that out. My bad. So how did you climb onto that wall so silently, Master Dian? At that close range, how did you hide your presence from me?"

"Shouldn't you be asking yourself that, Deputy Commander Lu?" Xie Yuan mimicked Lu Huaizhi's accent, pretending to be Deputy Commander Lu interrogating himself: "How did a big guy like me climb onto the wall without me noticing? How did I even get into the Tengxiang Right Guard camp? How many strings did my dad pull?"

Lu Huaizhi: "You—!"

Shen Lian: "Hahahahaha! Dian Xia, you do Brother Lu's accent so well!"

Lu Huaizhi snapped his head around: glare.

Shen Lian's smile dropped instantly: "Sorry, Brother Lu. Dian Xia's a bit lacking in manners."

Lu Huaizhi redirected his target: "Sometimes your own brothers' laughter is even more chilling."

Xie Yuan leaned in close to Shen Lian's ear, pouring fuel on the fire: "It's fine, Lord Shen. He couldn't hear me climb the wall, so he definitely didn't hear your laughter either."

Shen Lian held his breath, trying not to laugh, and turned to look at the young man: "Please, Dian Xia, don't say another word. I'm talking serious business with Commander Lu—I'll talk to you later."

Lu Huaizhi took a deep breath and shook his head, not getting why he'd been dragged into this by the kinda childish Dian Xia. He resumed a serious tone: "Enough. This is no time for games. Imperial Physician Shen, I'm certain someone was following you on the street earlier. You'd better take shelter at the prince's mansion tonight."

"Prince Xi and I aren't exactly close. I've already bothered him once with the Dehui thing—how can I ask again?" Shen Lian looked helplessly, instinctively turning to Dian Xia.

Xie Yuan let out a scoffing laugh, tilting his head to gaze at the caught-in-the-act young physician: "When it's time for food and fun, you have other brothers. Only when trouble comes do you remember me?"

Shen Lian said urgently, "I wasn't planning to ask for your help anyway!"

Xie Yuan stated flatly: "Prince Xi isn't at the mansion. You can only beg me."

"..." Shen Lian: "No need. I won't trouble you. I'll just stay home with the doors and windows locked. I refuse to believe Dehui would dare break into a residence in broad daylight!"

Lu Huaizhi said in a low voice, "If the prince isn't at the mansion, why not come stay at my camp for a few days? I'll send men to investigate which local bully Dehui has hired. Perhaps we can mediate. With the Tengxiang Guard backing you, no one should dare take Dehui's job."

Shen Lian looked at Lu Huaizhi with surprise and gratitude: "This... this is too much trouble for Brother Lu. I haven't even repaid the last favor—how could I—"

Xie Yuan narrowed his eyes dangerously at the young physician.

"Say no more." Lu Huaizhi patted his money pouch. "I've accepted the two bottles of White Immortal Powder you gave me. This medicine can save lives, so you're my future lifesaver. I'm merely repaying in advance—what merit is there in that?"

Xie Yuan turned to glare dangerously at the garrison errand boy.

Shen Lian's eyes instantly welled up.

"You're such a good person, Brother Lu! Whenever you need it in the future, I'll give you White Immortal Powder anytime!" Shen Lian patted his chest excitedly, making the vow, then thought of something and said quietly, "But I'm a little worried about my father and my eldest brother. What if Dehui's people can't find me and take it out on my family instead? Could I bring my father and brother to the military camp too?"

"Of course, no problem." Lu Huaizhi replied. "But the Right Camp is quite far from here. Your family has to report for duty at the palace every morning—you'd have to rise before dawn. I'll arrange for men to escort you in shifts."

"Oh my!" Shen Lian was astonished. "You've thought of everything! No wonder you became a Guard Commander so young."

Xie Yuan: "Deputy."

Lu Huaizhi: "If I lacked even this much foresight, wouldn't Great Wei's military officer selection be in chaos?"

Xie Yuan: "He should reflect on that."

Shen Lian turned toward the door: "My father and brother won't be back until evening. Come inside and have some tea first to rest."

Lu Huaizhi was about to step forward when he saw Dian Xia beat him to it, following Shen Lian.

"Hold on, Master Dian." Lu Huaizhi stepped up to warn him. "The killers Dehui hired may be lurking nearby. You'd best stay away from this trouble. If something happens, I can't protect both you and Imperial Physician Shen at once."

"There's no ambush." Xie Yuan shot him a sidelong glance. "When you turned into the alley, six Tengxiang Guards were covering you with drawn blades. Those three retreated immediately."

Lu Huaizhi was startled: "Someone was lying in wait here?"

Xie Yuan scoffed. "Why else would I have climbed into his courtyard? Are you the only gentleman in the world who doesn't climb walls?"

Lu Huaizhi was stunned: "Why didn't you call us to chase them down?"

Xie Yuan: "You didn't catch them making a move against Shen Lian. If you took them to court, wouldn't they countersue?"

"Lu Huaizhi frowned, displeased: 'You're a scholar, naturally unaware of the Tengxiang Guard's methods. Once we've got them in custody, I'll find a way to make them talk.'

Xie Yuan shot back: 'We haven't even identified who they are yet, and Deputy Commander Lu's already so sure of victory? If they're people the Tengxiang Guard can't afford to offend, and you go and use unauthorized torture, are you planning to get yourself taken out by Lord Shen's enemies before he even makes his move?'

Shen Lian quickly stepped between them and whispered to Dian Xia: 'Don't be so harsh! Be a little nicer.'

'No worries.' Lu Huaizhi stared at Dian Xia with a blank face and said in a low voice: 'I'd love to hear the wise counsel of the prince's advisor. A medical hall hiring hitmen—can they really afford to offend people the Tengxiang Guard can't touch? This medical hall sounds like it's bold enough to start a rebellion. Who exactly are these people? Please, enlighten me.'

Xie Yuan shot back: 'When you noticed you were being tailed, how many guards did you have on you?'

Lu Huaizhi admitted: 'None. It was just me and Imperial Physician Shen walking on East Street.'

Xie Yuan: 'How many were they, roughly?'

Lu Huaizhi: 'At least five.'

Xie Yuan: 'How long until your men arrived?'

Lu Huaizhi: 'Almost half an hour.'

Xie Yuan: 'Then why didn't those five make a move?'

Lu Huaizhi: 'I was carrying the garrison's saber. They probably recognized who I was.'

Xie Yuan: 'You, alone with one sword, scared off a bunch of elite assassins? Since you've already tipped them off, why not take advantage of you being alone and grab Shen Lian?'

Lu Huaizhi: 'They've got their own reasons. How am I supposed to read their minds?'

Xie Yuan squinted, studying him: 'Could it be they were scared you'd recognize them?'

Lu Huaizhi's eyes narrowed sharply. After a long silence, he said in a low voice: 'Are you saying... they're moles?'

'Depends on how you look at it.' Xie Yuan said: 'To you, they might be your own people.'

Lu Huaizhi frowned, thinking hard, then muttered: '...How is that possible?'

Finally, when the cryptic back-and-forth paused, Shen Lian looked bewildered and whispered: 'Brother Lu, Brother Dian, what are you guys talking about?'

Is this even Chinese? I understand every word, but put together, it makes no sense at all!

Xie Yuan told the young imperial physician: 'Deputy Commander Lu realized he can't protect you and is asking me for advice.'

Before Shen Lian could respond, Lu Huaizhi asked: 'Do you have a plan?'

Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow matter-of-factly.

Lu Huaizhi frowned: 'Imperial Physician Shen is in serious danger. Since you're his friend too, why drag it out?'

Xie Yuan warned: 'I'm not here to satisfy your curiosity. Some things, if you can't see through them, are better left alone if you want to stay alive. Handle what you can. The hidden enemies are out of your league—but can't you deal with the open threat of Dehui?'

Lu Huaizhi: 'You want me to go after Dehui Medical Hall directly? But they haven't made a move, and without evidence, grabbing the boss won't get us anywhere. Unless... you intend to use Imperial Physician Shen as bait?'

Xie Yuan turned to the young physician: 'Use Lord Shen as bait? Did you hear what your Brother Lu just said? In all my life, I've never seen such cruelty toward a sworn brother.'

Shen Lian blinked, thought for a long moment, then gasped and looked at Lu Huaizhi: 'You want to use me as bait, Brother Lu?!'

Lu Huaizhi was at a loss for words: 'Of course I'll have men protecting you in secret.'

Shen Lian breathed a sigh of relief.

But the young male concubine continued whispering in his ear: 'A fisherman says the same thing to the innocent bait before casting his net.'

Shen Lian's eyes widened!

'Stop joking around.' Lu Huaizhi's thoughts were completely thrown off.

This Dian Xia was truly unfathomable. If he were merely bluffing, why did his reasoning seem so airtight?

And if the situation were truly that dire, why did this young man still have the mood to tease Imperial Physician Shen?

Lu Huaizhi asked patiently: 'If we don't use Shen Lian to lure the snake out, how else can we find leverage against Dehui Medical Hall?'

'We can dig up old cases,' Xie Yuan said. 'Find a previously suppressed case and pin the crime on Dehui's boss. With the prince backing the prefect, Dehui's patrons will likely abandon Zhou Fuqing, and Lord Shen will be safe. But you want to bypass Dehui and follow the assassins to force out Dehui's backer? You seem more like a spy sent by Zhou Fuqing to me.'

Lu Huaizhi suddenly understood. After a moment of silence, he clasped his fists: 'I was shortsighted. You are truly a man of great talent.'

'Of course.' Xie Yuan turned smugly to the young physician and continued his whispers: 'We earn our keep at the prince's estate through skill—unlike Deputy Commander Lu, who has a powerful father.'

Shen Lian looked curiously at the impressive young male concubine: 'You're impressive too, Dian Xia. What does your father do?'

Xie Yuan: 'Why so many questions?'"