Chapter 619
“Miss, are you… planning to rescue Fu Ruoxi?” Lu Ping asked.
“Not to rescue, but to make use of,” Bai Qingyan’s gaze shifted toward the direction of the city’s east, her deep eyes revealing no emotion. “There are twenty thousand soldiers from the Anping Camp stationed outside the east city. If someone can rally them with one call, those twenty thousand soldiers would follow to their deaths. Other than Fu Ruoxi… there’s no one else.”
“Miss,” Lu Ping furrowed his brows, vaguely sensing what Bai Qingyan intended to do.
Dadu City was about to fall into chaos. Initially, Bai Qingyan wanted to forcibly stabilize the situation… at least keep Dadu steady for three years. But now, King Xin and King Liang were both striving for the supreme position, preparing to make their move in the coming days with all their might.
Instead of letting these people become potential variables in the future, it was better to seize this opportunity to eliminate these variables once and for all.
Bai Qingyan did worry that if she was too conspicuous this time, the Crown Prince might suspect her.
But Bai Qingyan was not completely without a retreat. Didn’t King Liang want to assassinate her?
Since King Liang already had this idea, wasn’t it possible that without the Ninth Prince of Yan’s assistance… King Liang wouldn’t be able to accomplish it?
Moreover, there was another person who wished for her death, and that was Li Mao… and his son Li Mingrui.
Li Mingrui… was certainly a character!
The Heavenly Master, Jiuxing Tower, these two matters were inseparable from him.
Once this matter was resolved, Princess of Zhen Bai Qingyan would be severely injured and recuperating in Shuoyang, bedridden, which would surely lessen the Crown Prince’s vigilance.
“Uncle Ping, you’ve worked hard today. Go back and rest. The day after tomorrow… I’m afraid there will be no time to rest,” Bai Qingyan said.
Lu Ping had always believed in what Bai Qingyan said. Previously, their family’s young lady had mentioned that a tough battle was coming, and now, it seemed she had already confirmed that the tough battle would unfold the day after tomorrow.
Lu Ping didn’t force himself to stay awake. He left as instructed since he had brought too few elite guards. Only by resting well could he protect their young lady’s safety the day after tomorrow.
·
The hour of the Ox.
As Chun Tao sat in the main courtyard with Bai Qingyan, she suddenly saw flames rising from the south of Dadu City.
“Miss! There’s a fire in the south!” Chun Tao exclaimed.
Bai Qingyan stood up, estimating it to be the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. It seemed the Empress’s people and Lu Jin’s men had already clashed. It depended on how skilled the Imperial Hidden Guard was and whether they could bring Fu Ruoxi out safely.
Close to the hour of the Tiger, the main gate of Qinghui Courtyard was knocked upon.
Chun Tao, who had been sitting with Bai Qingyan in the courtyard, was startled and looked at Bai Qingyan.
“Go open the door!” Bai Qingyan ordered.
It should be the Hidden Guard bringing Fu Ruoxi back.
Chun Tao went forward and pulled open the door. It was the Hidden Guard who had led the mission before. He was still wearing the clothes of a prison guard from the Court of Judicial Review, and he dragged the unconscious and foul-smelling Fu Ruoxi inside. He placed Fu Ruoxi on the ground and knelt to salute, “Reporting to my master, Fu Ruoxi has been brought back. The other guards have already diverted the attention of the prison guards.”
“Are there any casualties at present?” Bai Qingyan asked.
“Replying to my master, we disguised ourselves as prison guards, so the casualties were minor. Only two brothers died,” the Hidden Guard replied.
Bai Qingyan nodded, “Good job. Go rest.”
“Yes!”
The Hidden Guard nodded and had just left when Lu Ping arrived at Qinghui Courtyard. He had been alerted by the news of unusual movements from the Empress’s natal family, the Zhong Mansion, and came to report to Bai Qingyan. Upon entering, he saw Fu Ruoxi, disheveled and missing an arm, lying on the ground.
Lu Ping was stunned, his eyes wide open, “Miss?”
“Chun Tao, go summon Doctor Hong. Uncle Ping, you first help move Fu Ruoxi to the side room,” Bai Qingyan commanded.
Chun Tao and Lu Ping responded in unison and got busy.
Lu Ping lifted Fu Ruoxi and placed him on the bed in the side room. After settling him, he reported to Bai Qingyan, “Miss, there’s unusual activity at the Zhong Mansion! The Hidden Guards stationed to monitor Zhong Mansion and Zhong Shaozhong reported that an hour and a half ago… Zhong Shaozhong left the Zhong Mansion through the side door disguised as a servant and went to a brothel in the city. Our men kept watch outside, and within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn… several former imperial guard commanders who once served under Zhong Shaozhong arrived one after another. However, our men didn’t dare to startle them, as the Crown Prince’s men were also guarding outside the brothel.”
Bai Qingyan looked down at the flickering candle flame on the table. This was all within her expectations.
Since the Crown Prince’s men already knew that Zhong Shaozhong was secretly meeting with former imperial guard subordinates, if the Crown Prince was smart enough and heeded Qin Shangzhi’s advice, he shouldn’t let Zhong Shaozhong and his party leave the brothel safely.
Lu Ping saw Bai Qingyan’s calm expression and continued, “There’s also King Liang’s residence. It’s said that before the incident at the Court of Judicial Review’s prison, someone from King Liang’s residence went to King Xin’s residence…”
As expected, with Liang’s engagement on the fifteenth day, if the Empress didn’t make a move, Liang would certainly instigate Xin.
Bai Qingyan nodded, “Report any news immediately. Let the Crown Prince, King Xin, and King Liang handle their own affairs!”
Soon, Chun Tao brought Doctor Hong, who was carrying his medicine box, to Qinghui Courtyard in a hurry.
Doctor Hong, who had been woken up in the middle of the night, didn’t mind the strong stench on Fu Ruoxi. He sat under the lamp and took Fu Ruoxi’s pulse, then said, “It’s nothing serious. He was probably knocked unconscious.”
As he spoke, Doctor Hong took out a leather pouch containing gold needles from his medicine box. He pulled out a gold needle and heated it over the small candle beside the bed, then gently applied it to a specific acupuncture point on Fu Ruoxi.
Fu Ruoxi suddenly opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. The first thing in his sight was not the dark high ceiling of the Court of Judicial Review’s prison but Bai Qingyan standing at the bedside with her hands behind her back.
Fu Ruoxi supported himself with one hand on the bed, his gaze swept over Lu Ping and the maid beside Bai Qingyan. Then his eyes fell on the old doctor tidying up the gold needles, “Princess of Zhen…”
In the prison of the Court of Judicial Review, the people sent by the Empress clearly intended to take his life. Wasn’t it? Was it the Princess of Zhen?
Under the flickering candlelight in the side room, Bai Qingyan looked cold and indifferent, her deep and serene eyes fixed on Fu Ruoxi as she spoke slowly, “You don’t need to guess. The Empress’s people indeed went to the prison of the Court of Judicial Review to take your life, giving my people the chance… to rescue you from the prison.”
Fu Ruoxi was shocked, “But… if the Princess of Zhen rescues me, the entire Fu Family… would be beyond pardon!”
Fu Ruoxi tried to get up from the bed but stumbled and fell to the bedside. He knelt and kowtowed to Bai Qingyan, “I beg the Princess of Zhen to send me back!”
“Not bad, you still think of your entire Fu Family, so Madam Dong’s death was not in vain,” Bai Qingyan walked forward, bent down, and helped Fu Ruoxi up. “Since General Fu is concerned about the entire Fu Family, I’ll give General Fu a chance to atone for your crimes. Maybe… this time, not only can you save the entire Fu Family, you might also save yourself.”
Fu Ruoxi’s pupils trembled. He clenched his remaining hand by his side, gritted his teeth, and without hesitation said, “Princess of Zhen, please instruct me!”