Chapter 55

With Wen Biesang's ears fully healed, Chen Yun finally enjoyed a sound sleep.

The dark circles under his eyes visibly faded, and his youthful skin gradually regained its plumpness.

Spring had chased away all the severe cold, and the floating ice on the artificial lake in the Crown Prince's backyard had vanished. As Chen Yun's health improved day by day, Shen Yuerong in the dungeon was also learning to better control herself with the help of the imperial physicians.

In March, with grass growing and orioles flying, people shed their heavy cloaks and began to welcome the warm spring sun.

Chang Xingzhu suddenly rushed into the Crown Prince's mansion in great excitement, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Have you heard? My brother chopped off the arm of the Sixth Prince of Qi State!!!"

His elder brother referred to Chang Xingbai. Wen Biesang raised his head from his intricate mechanical contraptions, his face full of astonishment.

"I heard that the Sixth Prince of Qi has always had a strange hobby—he likes to disguise himself as a horse bandit to harass the border people. Several small villages had to migrate south because of him previously. But this time, he was terribly unlucky to run into my eldest brother! The spear-fighting skills my brother uses were personally taught by our paternal aunt! It has finally vented this pent-up anger for the common people!"

Approaching closer, he noticed that Chen Yun was not nearly as surprised as he had imagined, and could not help stopping in his tracks. "What, have you received the news already?"

The splint had been removed from Chen Yun's arm. Although he still felt a slight ache when occasionally exerting too much force, he was practically fully healed.

After that sudden ambush by Shen Yuerong, he hadn't learned much else, but now, even in a state of extreme anger, he would no longer show any ferocious expressions or emit any terrifying sounds.

His emotions were remarkably stable. How could one not call this a form of growth?

At that moment, he was at the desk handling affairs for the Ministry of Pacification, which shared space with Wen Biesang's table cluttered with various odds and ends. To Chang Xingzhu's question, he did not answer directly, but instead countered, "At a time so universally gratifying, shouldn't we drink until we are thoroughly drunk?"

"Hahaha," Chang Xingzhu laughed. "Naturally. I've already invited Song Qianfan and Qi Ping'an to the Drunken Immortal Tower tonight. Will you and the little dream-sprite be coming?"

Chen Yun said, "Stop always calling him a little dream-sprite. He's not a real spirit."

"So what? Isn't this name adorable? Right, little dream-sprite?"

Chen Yun frowned, but Wen Biesang answered cleanly, "It's fine. That truly was an unforgettable experience."

Chang Xingzhu said, "Look at that, how understanding he is. The two of you met through dreams, isn't calling him this just a fitting commemoration?"

Who would want to commemorate that kind of thing?

Chen Yun smiled and said, "Regarding my eldest brother's affair, I don't think we should rush to celebrate."

Chang Xingzhu: " ?"

"Shen Rufang is suspicious, tyrannical, and petty. This time, Shen Qiwen losing an arm is both a provocation and a heavy blow to him. How could he let it go so easily?"

"That was Shen Qiwen running to our borders of his own accord!"

"So what?" Chen Yun said. "He grew up in the mire, yet now he has become the ruler of the world. Any provocative act makes him feel extremely passive. I firmly believe that in no more than a year, the northern frontier will inevitably see blades and weapons clash. Instead of being busy celebrating, you'd do better to worry about my eldest brother's safety."

Chang Xingzhu: "You just said..."

"Did I say anything?"

"Then what should I do now..."

"Drink until you're dead drunk." Chen Yun calmly lifted his brush, focused on his official duties, and said, "It's better to forget."

Chang Xingzhu left in a state of agitation.

Wen Biesang watched everything unfold and asked, "Why did you frighten him?"

"I am telling the truth. Shen Rufang is naturally suspicious and holds grudges. Why do you think Shen Yuerong was reduced to this state?"

Wen Biesang thought for a moment and said, "Because he thinks Aunt Rong is too formidable and difficult to control."

"You are talking about my imperial father," Chen Yun said. "As I recuperated recently, I read through all the intelligence regarding Shen Rufang. His path to seizing the heir's throne was filled with the pure, beast-like slaughter and contention. Today, all the officials in Mingdu are newcomers; many old officials were either exiled far away or have already died. As for his brothers, those who died are dead and those who were crippled remain crippled. There are virtually no old faces left in Mingdu now."

Wen Biesang asked, "And then?"

"He abandoned Shen Yuerong because Shen Yuerong had seen him in the mire." Chen Yun looked at him and said, "When Shen Yuerong met him, he was just a child. At that time, Shen Yuerong was the shadow guard of another prince, and must have seen the scenes of him being humiliated and bullied much more clearly than anyone else. Born humble, yet possessing an extremely conceited personality, he naturally prefers that such evidence of his bruised self-esteem vanish forever."

"But the thing has already happened, how could it vanish?" Wen Biesang said. "Aunt Rong is the one who provided charcoal in the snow for him."

"When he was in the mud, that was charcoal to warm his body. When he was in the heavens, that same charcoal became a searing iron brand. Shen Yuerong's presence would constantly remind him of how lowly he once was."

Wen Biesang withdrew his gaze, lowered his head to look at his contraption, and murmured, "Is pride really that important?"

Chen Yun did not answer. Wen Biesang fiddled with his mechanism and casually remarked, "Actually, this matter was done with your consent, wasn't it?"

Chen Yun: " ?"

"That day you told the Empress that although Zhou Cangshu is currently inactive, you could force Shen Rufang to make a move." Wen Biesang looked at him and asked, "Was it about this?"

Chen Yun smiled slightly and said, "Precisely."

"Why only cut off his arm?"

"He disguised himself as a horse bandit to raid the border people—this was Shen Qiwen's fault. But given his noble status, if he were truly killed, the conflict between the two countries would instantly intensify, making war inevitable. However, merely severing his arm is like burying a needle in Shen Rufang's heart. It is not immediately fatal, but it will certainly keep him sitting on pins and needles. Only in this way can we force him to act covertly and employ Zhou Cangshu as a hidden chess piece."

"Will your eldest brother be in danger?"

"I sent trusted men to discuss this matter with him; he will certainly take precautions in advance... But nothing can be guaranteed 100 percent foolproof, we can only try our best to avoid disaster."

That night, the Zhou Mansion.

Zhou Cangshu was about to leave his study when he saw a figure step out from the shadows behind a pillar.

Recognizing the visitor, a trace of gloom crossed his expression, and he said coldly, "Xie Lingshu has entered the Crown Prince's mansion; it is inconvenient for me to act."

"I know. You don't care whether Xie Lingshu joins forces with Chen Yun or not, since this poses no threat to you anyway," the other person said. "But I came today to deliver something to you."

Zhou Cangshu frowned, and then saw another man step forward from the rear, wearing a hooded cloak just like him, holding a golden robe embroidered with nine-clawed wandering dragons. The style was almost identical to the court attire of the Emperor of Liang.

His breath hitched.

He still retained a shred of rationality: "Taishu Zhen, have you gone mad?"

Taishu Zhen's tone was gentle as he said, "This is a gift presented to you by our monarch, hoping our cooperation goes smoothly this time."

"..." Zhou Cangshu stared unblinkingly at that dragon robe.

The conversation outside the Zen temple at the beginning of the year was still vivid in his mind.

"This time, what are you planning to do again?"

"Great Qi has been sealed by heavy snow this year, and the common people in the city lack food. We hope to take a city to serve as supplies and reorganization."

He took a map out of his sleeve, slowly unfolded it on the table, and pointed his finger at four towns above: "Prime Minister, which of these do you think is more suitable?"

Zhou Cangshu glanced at it and was so angry he laughed: "All three of these are guarded by members of the Chang family! Do you want me to fight to the death with Chang Hezhu?!"

"Chang Xingbai injured the Sixth Highness, and the monarch is furious. The Chang family must pay a blood price for this."

"That's impossible!" Zhou Cangshu said. "The Chang family are the uncrowned kings of the northern frontier. If we truly clash with them, it will be a fight to the death! Choose from these others, we will do as before, letting your men slip inside while ensuring the safety of the Great Liang people..."

"There is no other possibility." Taishu Zhen's tone was calm. Coming this time without a shred of smile on his face, he cut straight to the point: "Just these three: Chang Xingbai, Chang Heyu, and... Chang Zhenglong."

At this point, he finally revealed a slight smile, yet it was laden with murderous intent: "That old man's temper seems to grow with his age. Why not use his blood to compensate the Sixth Highness..."

"Are you afraid the mad dogs of the Chang family won't slaughter their way to Mingdu?" Zhou Cangshu said in a deep voice. "If Chang Zhenglong dies at your hands..."

"Who said he has to die at our hands?" Taishu Zhen showed a look of astonishment. "We want you to do it! If the uncrowned king of the northern frontier dies, the northern army will inevitably fall into utter chaos, and we can take the opportunity to advance then... Once the northern frontier is in chaos, the Prime Minister can also do whatever he wishes to do in Shengjing."

Zhou Cangshu turned around, but a moment later, he suddenly looked back and asked, "You said you would help me kill that little bastard, why haven't you acted yet?"

Taishu Zhen's expression shifted. "Bai Wan might be the daughter of Taishu Wendao."

Zhou Cangshu immediately grew alert. Taishu Zhen's tone carried a hint of mockery: "Taishu Wendao betrayed Great Qi and plunged my entire clan into a passive state; he has already been hunted down and killed by my kinsmen. Why would I care about his daughter's death?"

"You want to take him away?"

"Since he is a descendant of the Taishu family, naturally he must return to the clan to serve Qi State."

Zhou Cangshu looked at him for a few moments, a trace of quiet contempt and schadenfreude faintly showing in his eyes. He averted his gaze and said, "No wonder he has been so proficient in thunder-fire arts since childhood. I thought it was the awakening of my Zhou family's bloodline, but it turns out he is of the Taishu family... If he can return to Great Qi, of course that couldn't be better."

"I will definitely take him away and ensure he never bothers the Prime Minister again."

In the Crown Prince's mansion, when Wen Biesang opened his eyes, Chen Yun had already rolled over and sat up.

The room was quiet and the light dim. Wen Biesang propped himself up, looked at his silent back, and asked, "What is it?"

Chen Yun turned his head slightly. His forehead was faintly damp, but his expression was very calm. "Nothing."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"No." He lay back down and reached out to hug Wen Biesang.

Wen Biesang rested his head on Chen Yun's arm.

His body was folded into the other's embrace, his nostrils filled with a familiar scent of aloeswood.

He felt that Chen Yun had changed a lot recently. Whether he had genuinely been frightened straight by Shen Yuerong's palm strike or not, lately he seemed somewhat emotionally unreadable. For Wen Biesang, this could be considered a good thing, because he had never heard Chen Yun lose his temper since.

Yet sometimes, he understood the other person even less.

For instance, right now, he felt the other must have something on his mind, yet all his outward signs were completely indistinguishable from usual. Hesitating for a moment, Wen Biesang asked, "Did you dream of something again?"

"No." Chen Yun gently patted him and said, "I was just thinking, judging by Shen Yuerong's condition, they will probably arrange to leave in these next few days. Will you feel reluctant?"

"Everyone has their own matters to attend to," Wen Biesang said. "This is quite normal."

He always seemed accustomed to drawing very normal conclusions about many things. Chen Yun asked, "Won't you feel reluctant at all... about Xie Lingshu?"

"He and I are good friends, of course I will feel reluctant." Having said this, Wen Biesang tilted his head up from Chen Yun's embrace: "Why did you stop patting me?"