187-195

Chapter 187: Operation White Sleeve

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Having left the capital, the diplomatic mission immediately quickened its pace on the road. No longer under the contemptuous and distant gaze of the garrison commanders, the members of the diplomatic mission, including the officials of the Overwatch Council, seemed to be more at ease.

It was March, and as they headed north, the remarkable spring scenery became more and more prominent.

Each county had its own local government office that greeted them. They all knew that the diplomatic mission was headed for Northern Qi, and so no local official dared to slight them. What was more, among the officials of the diplomatic mission was the illustrious Master Fan, so every official who greeted them was particularly attentive. Although they did not dare delay the mission's schedule,, there was always a great banquet and good company at every stop, and endless flattery of Fan Xian at the banquet table.

It was at this point that Fan Xian finally realized just how far his reputation had spread throughout the Kingdom of Qing. He could not help but feel elated, and at the start he could not say no to each banquet. But as they continued on, he inevitably grew tired of them, and each time he had to repeat his oath that he would no longer write poetry. It was quite troublesome.

Wang Qinian quite enjoyed the whole thing; he found the elegant dancing of the singing girls at the banquets was very entertaining. At each stop, the local magistrate would make extravagant arrangements for the company of local escort girls. Every night was ecstasy, and the things they got up to far surpassed anything he could have done with his aging wife back in the capital.

But these sorts of arrangements did not interest Fan Xian, because the diplomatic mission included one woman who even the Emperor of Northern Qi thought of constantly: Si Lili, the most beguiling woman in all the capital.

So Fan Xian gradually lost interest in attending the banquets, only stopping to chat with those high officials who were old friends of his father. More often he stayed at the diplomatic mission's encampment: he could keep a close watch over Xiao En, and also spend more time in Si Lili's carriage.

Counting on his fingers, they had left the capital around half a month ago. In that half month on the road, Fan Xian had spent most of his time in Si Lili's carriage. He was also getting rather tired of spending time with all the men and their jokes; how could it compare to talking with a beautiful woman?

Si Lili carefully peeled the skin and scraped the pith from an orange before placing the flesh into Fan Xian's mouth.

Fan Xian was the most senior in the diplomatic mission, and the officials of the Overwatch Council followed him and him alone; the Tiger Guards were even more devoted. No matter what he did, no one would dare say a word.

But as Fan Xian closed his eyes and slowly chewed the orange, he found himself somehow thinking of his sister. In the capital, Ruoruo had also often fed him oranges. Then he thought of his wife Wan'er, left at home. His eyes opened slightly, and through a gap in his eyelids, he secretly watched Si Lili as she prepared the oranges. He began to feel somewhat uneasy.

In truth, on this journey, he and Si Lili had not done anything; they had simply talked and eaten fruit to while away the boring hours. They rarely even brought up the matter of making arrangements once they had reached Shangjing... Of course, occasionally there was the massaging of tired bodies, the holding of hands, the watching of scenery outside the window.

"What are you thinking?" Seeing Fan Xian's dumbfounded look, Si Lili smiled sweetly. In these days of contact, all she had seen was Fan Xian's gentle and exquisite face. She had faintly forgotten the horrors of being taken advantage of as a feeble woman in the Celestial Prison. The young woman seemed to like the feeling of sitting and chatting in the carriage. Deep in her heart, she secretly wished the trip would never end.

"I was thinking, uh... you've recuperated pretty well over the past few days. Your figure is coming back." Fan Xian teased her. "When I touched you once we'd just left the capital... it made my hands hurt."

Si Lili blushed slightly. "Then don't touch me."

Fan Xian smiled and took her hand, grasping her wrist and pulling her into his embrace. His palms slowly caressed her body. "Don't you like it?" he said quietly.

"I was born under an ill-fated star. After all, I was bullied by you, drugged by you in the pleasure boat, tormented by you in the Celestial Prison, and now in this carriage, I cannot escape your clutches..." Si Lili said all of this while leaning on Fan Xian's chest. The young man's embrace was gentle and warm, and she didn't want to leave. She felt his hand parting her clothing and moving onto her buttocks. Her heart skipped a beat, her crimson lips parted slightly, and she breathed into Fan Xian's ear.

Fan Xian's ear turned warm and tickled, and he unthinkingly put more weight into his palm.

Si Lili spoke gently, her flattering voice soft as silk, quietly gasping in his ear. "Do you want me? In any case, there's no happy ending for me in Shangjing."

Some time later, Fan Xian left the carriage with a strange smile on his face.

There was a poison in Si Lili's body, a slow acting drug. In the past few days of their close contact, Fan Xian had ascertained this early on. It seemed that the Overwatch Council had planted it in advance.

The poison was one that Fan Xian had seen in the book Fei Jie had left him, but he had never seen it in practice. The poison would slowly spread through the woman's body, and then could be spread by contact with a man. All that was needed was for the Emperor of Northern Qi to be intimate with Si Lili, and then he would contract the poison. The symptoms would look just like a sexually transmitted disease.

No wonder Chen Pingping had been so serious about the matter. Operation Red Sleeve was not a copy of Xi Shi's infiltration of the Kingdom of Wu. It was a poisoning plot.

The poison was not untreatable, but it could effectively weaken the target's body and nerves. Just think. If Si Lili was truly a favorite of the Emperor of Northern Qi, after their nights of passion, perhaps he would very quickly fall ill. The factions of the royal court of Northern Qi were gravely opposed to each other. If he were to fall gravely ill, perhaps the political situation of Northern Qi would fall into chaos once more.

Fan Xian sighed. Si Lili knew that there was poison in her body, but she presumed that it was only a way for the Overwatch Council to control her. She didn't know that she could transmit it to the men that she liked.

He felt somewhat uncomfortable about the fact that Chen Pingping had not told him. If he had not felt that something was strange during his close contact with Si Lili, then he would not have discovered it. Of course, even if he had contracted the poison, he could treat it quickly, but this feeling of secrecy was still not good.

"Operation Red Sleeve?" He sat in his own carriage and laughed bitterly. "So it's operation White Sleeve. A conjuring." [1]

He knew that compared to Chen Pingping, Fei Jie, and even Xiao En in the carriage behind him, his methods were not cruel enough and his heart was not cold enough - Si Lili was only a chess piece that could be thrown away at any moment, but he didn't know what Chen Pingping could have promised her that would make her blindly willing to be such a pawn.

But what really surprised Fan Xian was something else. It was the real reason that nothing had happened in all their days of close contact.

Si Lili was still a virgin.

The diplomatic mission had reached the northern region of the Kingdom of Qing, and before them stood the kingdom's northernmost city - Cangzhou. Looking at the vast expanse of city from a distance, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes. The sky had become somewhat darker and the north wind was strong, dispelling the spring air in all directions. The heavens were covered by a canopy of black cloud; it was ominous weather.

Finally, the county guard responsible for escorting them came forward to salute them and began to turn back, leaving behind their own convoy. Although the convoy was long, in the wastelands outside the walls of Cangzhou, it still looked rather tiny and pitiful.

"How long does it take to reach the border after setting out from Cangzhou?" Fan Xian narrowed his eyes, looking at the northern horizon.

"We're going around a big lake, so it's rather longer," replied Wang Qinian respectfully. "At least 20 days."

Fan Xian frowned. "The real danger will be within those 20 days." He turned his head to the side and looked at the still-quiet carriage. "How is Xiao En now?"

"You have injected him with poison every day, and I presume he is taking great efforts to dispel it, so he has been calm. He's been quiet these past few days It seems he is thinking of something."

"Be careful." Fan Xian sniffed the air, seemingly smelling the thickening odor of blood from the carriage.

"Yes sir. The county guard has retreated, and I am not put greatly at ease by the Cangzhou garrison. You know full well, sir, what happened the last time Si Lili was escorted back to the capital."

Fan Xian smiled. "Do not be afraid. Passing through Cangzhou will be the least of our security concerns. What I am worried about is issues from within the diplomatic mission."

As soon as he had said it, a cavalry attachment appeared over a low distant hill in the wastelands. There were around 500 men, all wearing black armor. In the dim sunlight, they conveyed an air of cold menace.

Wang Qinian smiled. "So the Black Knights have arrived. We have nothing to worry about."

The wind whipped past them, and the stones on the ground rolled slowly along. Wang Qinian and Fan Xian prepared to get into their carriages and head toward Cangzhou. Fan Xian suddenly paused and slowly turned around. Si Lili had already left the carriage, and stood by its side, looking at him with a frustrated glare.

"Have someone give Miss Si some more clothes. It gets colder the further north we go. This spring is damned late in arriving." Fan Xian looked calm as he spoke, but his heart was pounding; he had barely entered Si Lili's carriage at all these past few days.

Wang Qinian looked at Fan Xian a little strangely, then waved a hand to set his subordinates to work. There were three handmaids in the diplomatic mission; they were there to wait on Si Lili as a future woman of the Emperor of Northern Qi. But Fan Xian had spent so much time in the carriage over the past few days that those three women could only follow behind the convoy. A little while later, the handmaids came to Si Lili's side, and gave her a purple-red cloak before urging her to return to the carriage to rest.

Si Lili allowed them to fasten the cloak to her, but she did not return to the carriage. She simply stared calmly at Fan Xian, seemingly trying to find something in his face.

The distant black riders approached the feeble woman in the purple-red cloak. The dull sun hung in the sky. It was a beautiful scene that made one feel powerless.

[1] A reference to an internet novel called White Sleeve Contamination, which involves a woman who dies after falling in love and being spurned by a crown prince who gives her poisoned wine, and comes back as a powerful vengeful ghost in her own body.

Chapter 188: Learning from Xiao En

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Having left Cangzhou, the diplomatic mission was escorted for a distance by the Black Knights, slowly and steadily making their way north. Northern Qi was not truly to the north of the Kingdom of Qing, but rather to its northeast. Between the two countries lay a great number of powerless vassal states. On the eastern shore lay the largest city in the land and its most prosperous seaport - the City of Dongyi.

The route the diplomatic mission had chosen did not go through the vassal states, because the more cities the route passed through, the harder it was to be on guard. Of course, the implementation of this secret agreement between the two countries could not pass through the City of Dongyi either. If the once-demented Sigu Sword were to descend into madness, then it could provoke a war between all three states; who would want to be responsible for that result?

So the diplomatic mission crossed north of the wastelands, then made its way eastward around a great lake. Although the route was much longer, it was also much quieter. Save for a few horse thieves, there was unlikely to be anyone strong enough to cause them harm.

The journey was quiet. Xiao En was quiet, as was Si Lili. Even Fan Xian, the most important person on the diplomatic mission, kept quiet. Each person had their own reason for their silence.

Fan Xian withdrew the fine needle from Xiao En's hand, carefully looking over the old man's always-weary face. Xiao En suddenly opened his eyes. The cold light in his gaze hit Fan Xian's face as if it had taken physical form. He smiled. "The younger generation are brazen, not caring who sees them."

"I have a question," said Xiao En, slowly closing his eyes. "Why do you bind my elbow with cloth? I can guess that it makes my veins more prominent. But is it really necessary that you go to such trouble to pour this poison into my veins?"

"It is." Fan Xian smiled. An intravenous injection, of course, was a much faster method of administering poison than putting it in food. No one in this world knew methods for intravenous injection, but that didn't mean that Fan Xian didn't. For the fearsome Xiao En, normal poisons had had no effect, and his zhenqi was formidable indeed. Only intravenous injection could have any effect. Xiao En frowned, and after some time, he suddenly spoke. "This method seems somewhat familiar, and I will admit that it is indeed effective... it is a shame that I have gotten so old that I have forgotten who it was."

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat, but his face showed no response. He smiled. "Think back in your own time, Mr. Xiao."

"Those riders in the distance are Chen Pingping's minions, correct?" Xiao En suddenly spoke.

Fan Xian was taken aback. There were no windows in the carriage, and he was separated by a thick layer of steel. For him to be able to know that the distant Black Knights encircled them was truly rather remarkable. "They are the Black Knights," he replied gently. "The descendants of the ones who made that daring dash years ago." He was referring to Chen Pingping's leadership of the Black Knights years before, when they had kidnapped Xiao En from his son's wedding and brought him back to the Kingdom of Qing.

It had been Xiao En's greatest humiliation, and had left him incurably wounded.

"When are you preparing to kill me?" Xiao En spoke casually again, without a hint of emotion in his voice.

It was a sudden change in questioning, suggesting some kind of hypnosis. An ordinary person might perhaps have unthinkingly fallen into the trap - but Fan Xian was no ordinary person. "What?" he said, somewhat astonished.

Xiao En smiled, a faint redness in his narrowed eyes. "I think Chen Pingping does not want me to return to the north."

Fan Xian shook his head. "I am not in the habit of thinking about my superiors' motives. I simply wish to do my job."

"You are a fine young man." Xiao En looked at him calmly and slowly moved his wrist, placing his heavy iron chain onto the table.

"What makes you say so, Mr. Xiao?"

"We have travelled for many days, and although you spend much of your time in that young woman's carriage, you do not allow your fondness for her to blind you to your duty." Xiao En spoke indifferently. "Most importantly, you have not ceased practicing every day, morning and evening. Your willpower is far greater than mine, even in my youth."

Fan Xian smiled. "I work to compensate for my limited skill. I know that my strength is not great and my innate gifts are not enough. Naturally, I must practice."

Xiao En shook his head. "Your innate gifts are very good and your powers are strong. But you have never challenged true strength by yourself, so you have had no way to rouse the true strength of the zhenqi within you."

Fan Xian looked calmly at the old man's withered smile. His eyes were deep as wells. He couldn't help but think - what if the old man was the first truly powerful person that he could challenge alone?

Having left Cangzhou, the diplomatic mission was under the jurisdiction of the northern army. Their camp was 50 kilometers away from this stretch of grassland. Fan Xian did not wish to cross paths with the ninth-level master Yan Xiaoyi. The mission took a roundabout route, and in any case, they were under the escort of the Black Knights, so he presumed that no one would dare try anything. Over the past few days, scouts from bands of mountain outlaws had tried to discreetly spy on them, but the Black Knights, watching from afar and leading from the front, had scared them back into the mountains, from which they did not dare to emerge for months.

Xiao En was still quiet. Si Lili was also quiet, and gradually looked increasingly thin and pallid.

Fan Xian looked coldly at the two escorted prisoners, unsure what he was feeling. Over their days together, for some reason, he had developed pity for Si Lili. Firstly, he pitied her lot in life, and secondly, he pitied her fate. But Fan Xian trusted his own willpower. He would not save a little only to lose a lot. If something really happened between himself and Si Lili, then it would cause great problems for the Overwatch Council's plans in Northern Qi.

He didn't know how the young Emperor of Northern Qi knew that Si Lili was still a virgin. But if he were to discover that Si Lili had already lost her virginity, then Operation Red Sleeve would be of no use at all.

But Fan Xian did not much want to look at Si Lili's somewhat frustrated face. It seemed that the grasp she had on him was not that strong, so he did not go back into her carriage, and instead spent more time in Xiao En's carriage, gaining news and gossip about the past years from the seemingly-silent old man, insider details from around the country. On one hand, he truly learned much from the once-terrifying spymaster; on the other hand, Fan Xian did not want to give Xiao En too much time to arrange things in secret.

As the journey carried on and the air outside got colder, the conversations between the shadowy figures of the old man and the young man gradually turned from the old Kingdom of Northern Wei to current affairs.

"No one can truly unite the land," said Xiao En casually, looking at him. Over the days, he had gradually warmed to Fan Xian's conversations with him. This young official Fan Xian was a fine conversation partner.

"The Emperor of Qing once had two opportunities. One was after the Third Northern Expedition." Fan Xian frowned. "The strength of the Qing army at the time was enough to head north and eliminate Northern Qi."

Xiao En shook his head. "At that time I was already in prison, and had not heard such news. But hearing your explanations over the past few days, I think there could only have been two reasons why the Emperor at the time suddenly halted his advance. One reason is problems in the internal politics of the royal court. The other was that he met with powerful resistance that made him decide that hastily heading northward was a risky idea."

Fan Xian thought for a moment. At that point, the incident with the Ye family had yet to erupt. The royal court was entirely under the control of the Emperor and his mother; by all logic there should not have been any internal strife. As for external enemies... he frowned. Could there really have been anything in the world with the strength to stop the advance of the powerful Kingdom of Qing?

"The temple." Xiao En seemed to have guessed what Fan Xian was thinking, and gave him an answer.

Fan Xian shook his head. "An illusory target would not be enough to stop men's ambitions or lust for power. For an Emperor, the lure of uniting the land and making the four seas as one would be too great."

Xiao En smiled in agreement. "With many years of war between north and south, even if Qing to the south were to defeat Qi, if they wanted to truly stabilize the situation and wipe out all remaining power, it would have taken over a decade. What's more, do not forget the City of Dongyi... the place in the world with the highest concentration of ninth-level masters. Although their power is not enough to defend themselves and expand into new territory, if they make alliances, they can still cause chaos under the leadership of that idiot Sigu Sword."

"A triangle is most stable, and the three nations are like a three-legged vessel. It is truly the most stable infrastructure." Fan Xian nodded. "Even if the three powers have their own strengths and weaknesses, if any wanted to break the equilibrium, then they would be the one to suffer the greatest loss."

"The royal court of the Kingdom of Qing is the same." Xiao En looked at him with a smile that was not a smile. "The Emperor, the officials, and that one you said was mad, but is in fact treacherous: the eldest princess. They form a triangle, as you say. Whoever wishes to break the balance will come to harm."

Over the past few days, Fan Xian had not refrained from discussing matters of the Qing court. There were no secrets. If that old man did not die after reaching Northern Qi, he had plenty of ways to find out.

Fan Xian's temples began to ache. For some reason, he began to remember Si Lili's gentle touch. "If everyone were smart enough, then they would keep the balance as it is."

"Impossible." Fan Xian looked at him. "Because you moved first, your opponent must react. I wager that the capital has already become a complete mess. In bringing me to the north, you were lucky to miss such chaos. It's rather a pity."

Fan Xian was shocked. Then he listened intently as Xiao En began to give a dispassionate analysis of the situation in the capital.

Chapter 189: Silent Killings in the Capital

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The capital was warmer than the northern regions. The signs of spring could be seen awakening the flowers on tree branches. Every night, lights from tens of thousands of households illuminated the bridges and rivers. It was a bustling scene; the perfect time to enjoy the spring.

When the day came, the capital was a bit quiet. Civilians and officials alike felt sleepy and didn't want to move much, so there weren't too many people on the streets.

Past noon, a scholar with a gloomy expression came into the capital from the eastern gate. With him was a married woman. From their expressions and actions, they didn't appear to be mother and son. Instead of settling at an inn, they went straight to an inconspicuous house to the western side of the capital. Only a few people knew the real owner of that house was an Imperial Censor.

One cannot prevent being made sleepy by the spring weather, but one could be awoken from it. One day in the third month, thunder descended suddenly. The spring rain began to fall, drenching all the buildings and all the alleyways.

Once the Forth Bureau returned with the offending officials and salt merchants, the cheating case finally concluded. One proctor was exiled 1,500 kilometers away, while the other seventeen offenders received capital punishment. That was the Emperor's order. With irrefutable evidence, no one dared to object.

Director Guo was to be executed. Since the founding of Qing, he was the highest-ranking official to receive the death penalty. The news shook both the court and the rest of the capital. Even the empress dowager asked His Majesty for mercy. But after some gentle talking, Director Guo's execution was changed from beheading to hanging so that his body would remain in one piece. The empress dowager fell silent and didn't speak further.

Sixteen other officials were to be executed along with Director Guo.

Raindrops fell slowly onto the salt market, the busiest place in the capital during the day. The rain could not disperse the crowd of people who had gathered to watch the executions.

Those sixteen officials, in their white clothes, were kneeling on a prepared wooden platform. Their white uniforms were already splattered with blood, hinting at all the torture they had gone through while in prison. With their defeated faces and unkempt hair, they were a pitiful sight compared to the former glory they once exuded. A few with tougher spirits opened their dejected eyes and tried to find their loved ones among the crowd. But as they opened their mouths to shout, they couldn't make a sound. No one knew what the Overwatch Council did to them.

Mu Tie was assigned to oversee the execution. As he sat on the observation platform, he expressionlessly watched everything happening in front of him. But the rest of the observing civil officials were obviously disturbed. These sixteen officials had been their colleagues. Together they had all indulged themselves in pleasure boats and over liquor. Today they were about to witness deaths of these sixteen men.

There was a restaurant by the entrance to the salt market. Rain fell onto the roof and gathered into a small stream as it flowed down the rooftiles. Towards the edge, the stream fell, making it look like a tiny waterfall. There were many buildings in the vicinity, so such "waterfalls" numbered in the dozens. They dove straight down into the stone pavement like white dragons with a splash.

A senior official rose to announce something, but the sound of those tiny waterfalls made it hard to hear him; the crowd only saw his lips move. However, towards the end, the official's expression stiffened as he declared loudly: "Begin!"

The people heard that word clearly and became excited. Each one of them tried to squeeze their way to the front in order to get closer to this rarely observed spectacle.

The executioner rubbed his hands with spit and wiped the rain from his face. With his great blade on his back, he went forward to his first victim. After confirming the location of the vertebrates with his left hand, he let out a powerful roar as his blade came down in a flash.

The sound of the impact became muffled as the sharp blade entered flesh; it was like someone chopping pork.

With a swooshing sound, blood came spurting out of the headless neck, spraying far, far away. The head of that official fell onto the platform and rolled, as if still afraid of the blade which just separated it from its body. It kept rolling until it fell off the platform.

Seeing a disembodied head, bloodied and with its eyes still open, the crowd took a large step back out of fright.

The head left a trail of blood, which was then washed away by the rain.

Only now did cheers come from the crowd. But not many cheered, and they weren't doing it at the same time, making it very disorganized. On the platform, Mu Tie showed a displeased expression.

With another swing of the blade, another head fell, another stream of blood gushed, another wave of exclamation shot out from the crowd, and another life was extinguished. There were three executioners in total and soon all sixteen officials had been beheaded, leaving behind their bodies and pools of blood.

With the fall of each head, the crowd became bolder and bolder, and their cheers grew louder. With the final head, the cheers were enough to shake the heavens! The rain clouds began to part, as if startled by the noise.

A few bailiffs of the capital's court tried to find the head of the first executed official, but failed in doing so.

Moments later, a black dog darted out from the crowd. In its mouth, between its sharp teeth was the official's head. As it looked around, its eyes gave out a chilling light.

One of the bailiffs struck the dog's hindquarter with the scabbard of his saber. Barking out in pain, the dog dropped the head and ran off into the rain.

Days later, something else happened. The Director of the Ministry of Justice was found guilty of taking bribes. The Overwatch Council discovered a certain amount of gold, silver and illegal items in the residence of his third aunt. After reporting to the royal court, Han Zhiwei was demoted to a local judge in Yizhou. With this demotion, Director Han fell from first rank to seventh.

Situated far in the south, Yizhou was a sweltering place. Director Han Zhiwei would probably never return to the capital again.

Censor Guo Zheng of the Imperial Censorate didn't seem to be too effected on the surface, but the court still found a reason to send him to Jiangnan. Although it was a beautiful place, Jiangnan was filled with agents from the Overwatch Council. It was only a matter of time before they made their move.

The civil officials did not come together and descend into unrest, however. Partly, this was due to the Prime Minister, and also because the Overwatch Council had solid evidence. Besides all of this, the punishments weren't too severe. This event was a heavy blow to the Council.

All of the officials knew that the Council had done it out of revenge. It was revenge in response to the time Commissioner Fan Xian visited the Ministry of Justice.

Revenge and counter-revenge; control and counter-control; all until a silent equilibrium was achieved. This had been a recurring theme among Qing's political circles for decades. That was why while the revenge of the Council and Prime Minister had tolerantly stopped at a certain limit, no one expected the counterattack from Xinyang and the empress would come so quickly.

The scholar from before was none other than He Zongwei, who did not take part in the civil service examination due to the death of his elderly father. He had always been close to the Guo family. He was back home when the shocking news reached him. In addition to the Director being sentenced to death and having all of his assets seized, He Zongwei's dear friend Guo Baokun was nowhere to be found. What enraged He Zongwei even more was the fact that the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace did nothing to intervene!

The woman who came with He Zongwei had an even stranger background. She was the widow of Wu Bo'an. Wu B'oan was an advisor planted in the Prime Minister's manor by the Eldest Prince. Last year, he urged the second son of the Lin family to conspire with Northern Qi and have Fan Xian killed on Niulan Street, only to suffer a terrible death among the grape vines.

Wu Bo'an had indirectly caused the death of Lin Ruofu's only normal son. So naturally, Lin Ruofu, as the Prime Minister, hated Wu Bo'an. Despite Wu Bo'an's death, the Wu household still had a lot of property in Shandong. The officials there were pupils of the Prime Minister. Under the Prime Minister's wishes, those officials tormented the Wu family. In only half a year, they took away much of their money. And Wu Bo'an's own son was imprisoned for no reason and tortured to death.

This widow, although illiterate, still knew the Prime Minister was too powerful for the Wu household to resist. But her son's unjust death drove her to come to the capital to accuse the Prime Minister before His Majesty.

As she was resting outside the city, this poor Lady Wu "coincidentally" met He Zongwei.

He Zongwei was clever. After hearing Lady Wu's story, he knew those responsible for what had happened to her could not be allowed to escape punishment. He counseled her, saying he would find a way to enact justice.

After entering the capital, He Zongwei used his teacher's name and helped Lady Wu settle momentarily at the manor of an old censor. Recently, mysterious people often stopped by and gently questioned Lady Wu regarding the details of her tragedy.

He Zongwei watched it all with indifference, only smiling when Lady Wu asked him questions out of fright. He assured her that officials in the royal court were taking action; the Prime Minister would fall in no time.

The garden of the old censor was somewhat in ruins. He Zongwei stood behind the garden rocks with just a hint of pride on his face. As he destroyed his secret letter from Xinyang, he thought about what the political circles would be like if the Prime Minister were to be taken down. Inadvertently, he thought about the Prime Minister's relatives by marriage—Minister Fan and the somewhat aloof young madam of the Fan household. He felt a bit of heat in his heart.

Chapter 190: A Blade in an Oil-Paper Umbrella

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Barely a few days later, the Imperial Censor wrote a letter impeaching Prime Minister Lin Ruofu on charges of secretly usurping the property of another and conspiring to commit crimes against the people. This matter shocked all levels of society, but as Wu Bo'an had been labeled a spy for Northern Qi, generally speaking, public opinion had been on the side of the Prime Minister.

But as Lady Wu was on her way to make a statement to the Supreme Court, she somehow came across an assassin. It was unclear whether it was simply Lady Wu's good fortune, or the bad fortune of the Prime Minister, but at that moment the Second Prince and Crown Prince Jing were walking together, and just managed to save her.

From that moment on, things began to change.

It was said that inside the palace, His Majesty had asked the Crown Prince and the Second Prince how he should deal with this matter. After a moment of silence, the Crown Prince said that there was not enough evidence, and that the Prime Minister had worked tirelessly for the state, so rumors were not to be easily believed. Although the Second Prince had saved Lady Wu in the street, he and his elder brother the Crown Prince kept silent.

After all, the Prime Minister was head of the bureaucracy; however the matter was dealt with, it would cause a ruckus.

But hearing this from his own son that night, King Jing was angered. He rarely entered the palace, but he did so and spoke all night with his elder brother, the Emperor. No one knew the specifics of what they had talked about. That night, His Majesty looked at over a decade's worth of official documents, looking at the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue and the hard-won political achievements of the Prime Minister. Silent and dumbfounded, he could only sigh.

"Provincial governor of Shandong Road, Peng Tingsheng... Hm, he passed the provincial exams 11 years ago. At the time, I had just taken my position. I felt that he was an obedient scholar." Prime Minister Lin Ruofu was in his forties, but his face looked old and haggard. "But I didn't think he would be this obedient. You should be aware that I did not order Peng Tingsheng to carry out such matters. Wu Bo'an was already dead. If I really wanted to take my anger out on his family, it wouldn't be so simple."

"Perhaps Master Peng tried to fathom your thoughts, Prime Minister, and that is why he did such a confusing thing." Lin Ruofu's trusted aide, Yuan Hongdao, frowned slightly as he spoke.

"Oh?" Lin Ruofu looked at him with a smile that didn't quite look like a smile. "But Peng Tingsheng is not a confused person. If the order did not come from the Prime Minister's office, then he would not put his own career at stake. Besides, who was it who attempted murder on the street the other day? Why are they investigating my office?"

Yuan Hongdao looked somewhat stupefied. He gently stroked his long whiskers. "He Zongwei is on the side of the Eastern Palace, but he is merely a pawn. He wouldn't have the gall to do such a thing. Someone is certainly supporting him, but I do not know whether it is the Empress or the Eldest Princess."

"It is Yunrui." The Prime Minister smiled. "Her power in the court is mainly with the Imperial Censorate. This is her revenge against me."

"Revenge for what?"

"For... many things." The Prime Minister sighed. "Including matters with Chen'er, with her son-in-law, and matters between her and myself."

"In truth..." Yuan Hongdao started to speak, but stopped.

"Out with it."

Yuan Hongdao smiled. "In truth, we must still look to His Majesty's opinion. If His Majesty does not believe it, then your position as Prime Minister is as stable as Mount Tai."

"His Majesty can certainly see such a clumsy strategy clearly." The Prime Minister smiled. "But the question is whether His Majesty wishes to see things clearly or not."

"Why do you say such a thing, Prime Minister?"

"A great number of city officials have died these past few days. I am head of the bureaucracy, and as such it is my responsibility." The Prime Minister closed his eyes as he made his analysis. "The most important part is whether His Majesty wishes to allow me to continue as Prime Minister."

"Prime Minister, there is still a chance to turn things around," replied Yuan Hongdao respectfully. "I ask that you speak with Minister Fan. Fan Manor has close relations with the Overwatch Council. If Chen Pingping wishes to stand by you, then no matter what the Imperial Censorate tries to do to you, His Majesty will also stand resolutely by your side."

Lin Ruofu shook his head. "His Majesty simply wants me to get out of the way."

"To get out of the way of whom?"

"The Crown Prince. Or perhaps the future Prime Minister." Lin Ruofu thought for a moment. "Fan Xian has great power. If I am still in the court, and he has control of the Overwatch Council and the palace treasury as well as still having me behind him, then perhaps even the Princes cannot touch him. Some days ago I told him that a tree that stands out in the forest will be broken by the winds..."

"His Majesty's opinion is clear. He wants Fan Xian to become a great minister, who can assist the next Prince who sits upon the Dragon Throne... Since Fan Xian wants the top spot, I will naturally have to resign." Lin Ruofu smiled. "While I remain in place, Fan Xian is dangerous."

Yuan Hongdao was somewhat alarmed, but in the corner of his eye he saw the faint smile on the Prime Minister's face. It seemed that he was mocking something.

The sound of Dabao playing in the water could be heard from outside. The Prime Minister's face seemed to soften. He stood up, walked to the window and looked out, watching his simple-minded son. He frowned. "Tomorrow I shall have Wan'er take Dabao to Fan Manor."

Yuan Hongdao waited for what the Prime Minister was going to say next.

"I will enter the palace and seek an audience. I believe that in light of my years of service, His Majesty will allow me to have a relatively peaceful retirement."

Yuan Hongdao was about to speak when the Prime Minister coldly waved his hand to silence him. He turned his head and gazed at him quietly.

After a long period of silence, Lin Ruofu spoke, a twinge of sadness in his voice. "You wrote the letter to Peng Tingsheng."

There was a sudden silence in the study. Some time later, Yuan Hongdao finally spoke in a low voice. "That is correct. Even this assassination attempt was arranged by me, to be carried out by your guards, Prime Minister."

"Why?" The Prime Minister frowned, seemingly pained. "Ever since I entered the court as an official, you have been my only friend. I have had great respect for you. Why have you waited all these years to finally move against me and leave me with no way out?"

Yuan Hongdao and the Prime Minister had been friends for half a lifetime; indeed, they could be called lifelong friends. To his surprise, Yuan Hongdao had made many arrangements that had left the Prime Minister in such an awkward situation. He knew too many of the Prime Minister's secrets, and this entrapment had left Lin Ruofu with no choice but to concede!

He looked at the Prime Minister's withered face and spoke with a hint of regret. "Everyone has their own goals and intentions. Old friend, I have hidden myself in your study all these years precisely for such a day as this. I promised someone that when they needed you to step down, I would lend a helping hand."

Lin Ruofu looked at his old friend, the corners of his mouth slightly curled. "Yunrui must have promised you a great many things to sell out your friend for glory."

Yuan Hongdao shook his head. "I am neither selling out a friend, nor do I seek glory... It is simply that His Majesty needs you to retire, as does the Eldest Princess. The royal court needs you out of the capital. As for glory..." he laughed bitterly. "I always assumed... if you had never discovered what I have done, I would accompany you to the countryside, and we could spend our retirements together."

Lin Ruofu was rather surprised. He felt less and less sure of the true feelings of this advisor who had followed him all these years.

Night shrouded the capital, and accompanied by a pageboy, Yuan Hongdao prepared his luggage. Somewhat disappointed and frustrated, he turned around to look at the tightly closed gate of the Prime Minister's manor. He sighed quietly and climbed into a carriage.

Inside the carriage, an imperial censor looked at him coldly. "Mr Yuan, when will you give your statement to the Supreme Court?"

Yuan Hongdao did not look the middle-aged man in the eye. He softly stroked his long whiskers with his left hand, and after a long time, he spoke dispassionately. "There's no point. The Prime Minister will seek an audience at the palace tomorrow. His Majesty will put a stop to the investigation."

Hearing this, the imperial censor became suddenly angry. "The evidence is there. His Majesty will have that corrupt Prime Minister sent to prison! If you will not dare to testify, then you will be held responsible. You have followed him for so many years. Do you really think that you are clean?"

Yuan Hongdao looked at him coldly. He was widely known as a refined master manipulator, and now his gaze was frigid and severe, like a pair of sharp blades. It struck fear into the imperial censor.

"I only take orders from Xinyang." Yuan Hongdao looked at the pitiful censor and spoke with a voice like ice. "When have you ever arranged my affairs?"

The censor was shocked. He finally understood how the Prime Minister's most trusted advisor could turn traitor at the most crucial moment... He was on the side of the Eldest Princess!

At dawn, a carriage hurried out of the west gate of the city, its horses galloping unceasingly along the official road toward Xinyang.

Yuan Hongdao fingered the sharp blade hidden in his umbrella and frowned. He calculated that after he arrived at Xinyang, that madwoman the Eldest Princess would have orders for the pawn she had kept hidden for so many years.

Deep in his heart, he could not help but feel some remorse for Lin Ruofu. After all, they had been friends for decades, and he had spent more time together with him than he had with his own family. He had been hidden in the Prime Minister's manor for so many years, and had finally fulfilled the promise he made long ago. In the process of the Prime Minister's resignation, Yuan Hongdao had played the most dishonorable and yet most important role. Lin Ruofu had not killed him; Yuan Hongdao was grateful for that.

He had already dismissed the pageboy who was following him. Other than Yuan Hongbao himself, the only other person in the carriage was the coachman. Yuan Hongdao coldly watched him crack his whip. He had a nimble hand and was clearly quite skilled.

Some time later, the carriage passed a courier station 40 kilometers away and came unto a desolate and uninhabited mountain road. At that moment, the carriage slowly came to a halt. The coachman turned his head and fixed Yuan Hongdao with an unusually sharp glare.

There was a moment of silence before the coachman suddenly spoke. "The Director has asked me to express his gratitude." He was quiet for a moment. "Allow me to show my admiration personally, sir."

Yuan Hongdao felt somewhat hurt. "I do not admire myself... When it comes to the plan in Xinyang, I believe that having done this, the Eldest Princess will believe me now."

He was a saboteur; one who had been planted by the Prime Minister's side many years ago by Chen Pingping.

Chapter 191: White Birds on the Lake, People on His Mind

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"All for the Kingdom of Qing."

"All for the Kingdom of Qing?"

Yuan Hongdao sat in the carriage headed for Xinyang, the fiefdom of Eldest Princess. The phrase that he had kept deep in his heart for so many years felt absurd.

Many years before, when the Eldest Princess had first taken a liking to the man who was now Prime Minister, Yuan Hongdao had been a secret officer of the Second Bureau of the Overwatch Council. Chen Pingping had arranged everything for Yuan Hongdao: he was to have a new identity and a new life, and would gradually ingratiate himself with Lin Ruofu, who at the time had yet to reveal his talent.

At the time, they were simply two scholars who happened to cross paths.

Lin Ruofu was high-spirited. Yuan Hongdao was steady and straightforward. After a serious of coincidences arranged by the Council, they finally became close friends. As the years went by, Lin Ruofu rose through the ranks of the bureaucracy supported by the Eldest Princess, and Yuan Hongdao was happy to stay by Lin Ruofu's side as his confidant. Even on the many occasions that Lin Ruofu hinted or even explicitly stated that he could make Yuan Hongdao a county magistrate, he simply smiled and refused.

And it was for this reason that Lin Ruofu saw him as his truest friend. But the Prime Minister never expected that this friend had an ulterior motive from the very beginning.

Yuan Hongdao gradually got used to his life, because the Council never gave him any other task, and those who knew his identity were always kept at a distance. Over the years, the only thing that Yuan Hongdao had helped the Council do was frame the City of Dongyi, telling a lie on behalf of the Council in the aftermath of Lin Ruofu's son's death at a villa in the Cang Mountains.

Because he was the one who said it, Lin Ruofu believed him.

Yuan Hongdao had only betrayed Lin Ruofu once in his life, and it was enough to have him sadly withdraw from the royal court. This was the Emperor's wish, and through the Overwatch Council, he had been tasked with carrying it out.

Perhaps it was this betrayal by an old friend that forced the Prime Minister to see things as they really were. The next day, there was no way to stop him from entering the palace—not even Fan Jian's repeated suggestions that he could turn a blind eye. As for the future of the Lin family, the Prime Minister had placed all his hopes on his son-in-law Fan Xian; he did not want to have the father of his son-in-law dragged into this mess.

In mid-March, Guo You, Director of the Board of Rites, died, and Minister of Justice Han Zhiwei was demoted. The Prime Minister humbly begged forgiveness. The Emperor urged him to stay, but to no effect. He claimed his pension and returned to his hometown.

The Imperial Censorate's investigation into the Wu Bo'an case disappeared; Lady Wu left for parts unknown. His Majesty decreed that He Zongwei was a talented and virtuous scholar. He entered the palace and was bestowed the title of Imperial Censor.

"Why?" Fan Xian sat in his carriage, softly fingering the piece of paper in his hand. It was a report from the Overwatch Council on developments in the royal court. As commissioner, although he was far away in the north, he received the news from the capital only a few days later than those in other places had.

His father-in-law was not a good official in the purest sense. The accusation of corruption was not without basis. But Fan Xian still felt that it was absurd for the Prime Minister of such a magnificent nation to be unexpectedly deposed by a silent power struggle within the nation's bureaucracy.

Fan Xian had to think about what came next. Although his father-in-law the Prime Minister seemed not to have helped him much in the past year, he knew that the reason the court officials had been so tolerant of everything that had happened during the exam scandal was because they had taken their lead from his father-in-law. Other than the two ministers who had already been deposed, he had never encountered real conflict in the bureaucracy of the Kingdom of Qing.

The person he posed the question to was a formidable talent, bound up in chains and unable to move - Xiao En.

"Why?" Xiao En gave his cold analysis. "Because you made your move. The Emperor of Qing seized the opportunity to weaken the power of the bureaucracy, but how could a mere two ministers be enough to satisfy the appetite of an Emperor? You are the son-in-law of the Prime Minister, and your reputation now precedes you. If the Emperor truly wishes to hand the Overwatch Council over to you one day, then for the sake of safety, the Prime Minister must quickly step down."

"As for how he steps down..." Xiao En laughed mockingly. "If an Emperor wants an official to resign, he has countless methods. Moreover, your Emperor has always been fond of using the Overwatch Council."

The reason he had said that the Emperor of Qing was fond of using the Overwatch Council was because the Council's power was far too great, and yet the Emperor still had complete trust in Chen Pingping. This was unusual.

Fan Xian shook his head. "There is something strange about this. Even if my father-in-law was pained by the death of his son, and wanted to wipe out Wu Bo'an's entire lineage, there are other ways to do it. As for the ambush on Lady Wu, it is still rather fortuitous that the Second Prince and Li Hongcheng just happened to pass by. Such an idiotic approach is unbecoming of my father-in-law's power."

"There is a turncoat by the Prime Minister's side," said Xiao En casually. "As for whether it was one of the Eldest Princess's men, or one of your Emperor's own men... in truth, there is no difference."

Fan Xian did not dare to confirm it. "If they can make my father-in-law resign, then there must be solid evidence. My father-in-law is a prudent man. How could he let a spy from a hostile power get so close to such important business?"

He could never have imagined that the person who sold out his father-in-law was Yuan Hongdao. And for the time being, he had no idea that the Overwatch Council was behind it.

Xiao En smiled, seemingly somewhat delighted. "What can a young man such as you know of such things hidden in the dead of night?" He was entitled to say such things. The turmoil that had once enveloped the Qing court was all singlehandely plotted by the old man. If it had not been for the sudden deaths of those two princes, perhaps there would be no Kingdom of Qing today.

Fan Xian's eyelid twitched. In his days of conversation with Xiao En, he discovered that although he had been imprisoned for many years, and was not completely sure of the distribution of power in the Kingdom of Qing, once Fan Xian had explained things somewhat, Xiao En had clearly discovered where the problem lay. He had even guessed exactly what punishments were to befall those officials involved in the exam scandal.

Xiao En had once said that the Prime Minister would resign for exactly this reason. But this matter had not been foreshadowed in the slightest; the exam scandal had not involved the Prime Minister's office, and the Eldest Princess - with whom the Prime Minister had such a ruptured, resentful relationship - was far away in her fiefdom in Xinyang, so Fan Xian was not particularly convinced... He hadn't expected him to be so accurate. Fan Xian couldn't help but feel astonished by his sinister gaze. Finally, he knew for sure that his reputation was warranted.

Fan Xian sighed as he looked at the old man. "I am becoming more and more curious as to why the Overwatch Council didn't just kill you the moment they captured you."

"Because there are many things inside my head that they can use."

"Then they could at least be a little rougher with you," said Fan Xian. "Like cutting off your fifth limb."

"What's 'fifth limb' mean?" Xiao En was curious. "Everything has its limits. If things ever got more than I could bear, then I think I would at least still have the ability to kill myself, and you... wouldn't want to pay that price."

Fan Xian wrinkled his brow in thought. The old mad had a point. He bowed to him and left the carriage.

He stood by the side of the carriage, looking at the reeds that fluttered slowly in the wind by the side of the distant lake. He vaguely understood the Emperor's true desire. The royal court needed fresh blood - flowing water does not rot, they said - and the Prime Minister had already been in his position for too long. His own sudden rise in the capital had made the Prime Minister's resignation a matter of vital importance.

No bigwig in the imperial palace would allow the Prime Minister, as head of the bureaucracy, to have a son-in-law who commanded the Overwatch Council. If His Majesty truly planned to make use of Fan Xian in the coming years, then he had to get rid of the Prime Minister... Otherwise, he had to beat down Fan Xian. But Fan Xian knew that the distant Emperor could not truly suppress him.

The new constantly replaces the old, like how the rear waves of the Yangtze River drive on those before them. If Fan Xian was a wave at the rear, then the Prime Minister was undoubtedly the spray beating powerlessly against the riverbank in front. He had to depart the stage of history to make space.

This was normal in the bureaucracy; for the new generation to replace the old. He was still confident about the Prime Minister's departure. He presumed that he had anticipated the end to this story. But Fan Xian thought of Wan'er, staying in the capital, and he thought about the simple-minded Dabao with whom he inexplicably got along well with. His worry formed faint lines on his brow.

"I hope that my father and Chen Pingping can look after the rest of the Lin family." He frowned and looked at the golden reeds. Why hadn't they changed to green? His heart was still pounding as he began to think of the role the Overwatch Council had played in all this.

For some reason, Fan Xian felt a hint of anger. He was a Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, and he did not believe for a second that the Council could not know the Emperor's intentions. He thought of the poison coursing through Si Lili's body, and he suddenly felt a shiver.

Chen Pingping was simply removing the obstacles in Fan Xian's way. Even if the obstacle was someone Fan Xian held dear. The methods of removal were particularly indifferent and ruthless, taking absolutely no account of Fan Xian's own feelings.

That afternoon, after many days of travel, the diplomatic mission finally approached the great lake that bordered the two nations. The great lake had no name, but was simply called the great lake, because it was particularly big. Fan Xian watched the endless blue-green ripples before him and felt the strong breeze from the lake push past him. He felt completely refreshed, and a handsome smile floated across his face.

Although the diplomatic mission convoy had already reached the great lake, they had to go eastwards around it. It would be a number of days before they actually entered the Northern Qi border. Fan Xian knew that if Xiao En was going to act, it would be in the next few days.

In the distance, water birds cautiously circled above the lake, their long beaks sliding into the water, nimbly scooping up fish and flying back to the bank where they trampled the spasming fish with their slender claws. With the fish in their beaks, they faced up toward the sky, swallowing them in one gulp, looking completely at ease.

Fan Xian's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He made his way toward the carriage that he had not visited for many days, lifted the curtain, and entered. Seeing Si Lili's somewhat startled and then confused face, he smiled.

Chapter 192: Si Lili's Secret

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Do you wish to keep on living?"

Si Lili didn't know what to think as she stared at Fan Xian, whom she had not seen in many days. Hearing his sudden question, she felt it was a strange thing to ask. "Even the ants value their lives. I, your servant, am no exception."

Fan Xian did not like how she referred to herself as his "servant", but that was her temperament. After all, she wasn't a true, veteran spy who would be much more vicious.

The carriage once again began to move forward. Taking advantage of the shaking, Fan Xian sat next to Si Lili, who inconspicuously moved away from him, as if trying to keep some distance. Fan Xian frowned and said directly, "You have poison in your body. I believe you are not aware that."

Si Lili's sparkling eyes gazed into Fan Xian's own. After a period of silence, she asked, "Really?"

"I see you don't seem surprised."

"I got out of prison alive. What could surprise me anymore?" Si Lili mocked herself as she sighed. "Sir Fan, you're adept at using poison. Since you say there's poison in my body, it must be true. I had guessed the Overwatch Council must have ways to keep me in check."

Fan Xian looked at the woman's beautiful face and didn't speak for a while. Since coming to the capital, Si Lili was the most charming and beautiful woman Fan Xian had seen.

"It's not to keep you in check," Fan Xian explained with a smile. "It's to deal with the emperor of Northern Qi."

At this point, Si Lili could no longer pretend to remain calm. She covered her mouth in shock. After a while, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Seeing her reaction, Fan Xian somehow felt a bit of discomfort in his heart. While he had guessed what her reaction would be, after discovering that young emperor held a special place in Si Lili's heart… He smiled and replied calmly, "This poison will be passed onto the emperor through your body."

Si Lili, looking into Fan Xian's eyes, suddenly bit at her lip and asked hatefully, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know you want to change it before you accomplished your goal." Fan Xian smiled warmly, "So I hope you'll tell me what method Chen Pingping used to keep you under control."

Si Lili fell silent and didn't answer him. She took on a bright smile and said, "Well, since you've told me that I'm going to Shangjing, there would surely be ways to cleanse the poison. Thank you."

Fan Xian mocked her. "True, it is not a potent poison. But other than me, probably only those Imperial doctors in the palace can cleanse the poison in you. Are you going to let them know you're poisoned? If you really tell them, I'm afraid you'll be barred from the palace for your entire life, no matter how much feeling the emperor of Northern Qi has for you."

Si Lili said stubbornly, "So what? At worst, the council's Operation Red Sleeve will fail. That has nothing to do with me, your humble servant."

Fan Xian finally got angry. "I said I dislike you using that term."

For some reason, Si Lili was on the verge of crying. Looking at Fan Xian, she clenched her teeth. "In your heart, am I lower than a servant?"

Staring at her beautiful face, Fan Xian frowned harder as he tried to deduce exactly what she was thinking. After a moment, he said quietly, "Miss Si, I believe you understand your current situation. Your life, at least for now, is not in your control… As for what will happen in the future, that's another matter. I also think that you never thought about those very… nonsensical things."

"Nonsensical things?" Si Lili looked at him in cold mockery. "Very nonsensical indeed. You and I are merely a pair that met one another by chance. We're using each other, which is realer and more reliable than warming up to each other."

"Miss, I'm very glad you understand that," Fan Xian responded calmly.

"Why are you so curious about my agreement with Chen Pingping?" Si Lili sneakily turned around to wipe her eyes. She then calmed herself and smiled sweetly like a blossom in spring. "You are the Commissioner of the Council. You should know all the details of Operation Red Sleeve."

Fan Xian replied in self-mockery, "I know about the plan, I just don't understand how Director Chen persuaded you." He paused, and then asked, "Miss, since you knew Chen Pingping is using you as pawn to deliver poison, why didn't you tell me the whole story?"

"How would I benefit from that?"

Si Lili forced herself to remain calm. Looking at the bright and handsome face before her, hatred made her heart itch. Somehow, during this short journey, she was gradually falling for that face, which occasionally flashed an innocent smile. But as soon as she remembered those cold words Fan Xian had spoken, her hatred returned. She asked coldly, "Can you give what Chen Pingping promised me?"

"Chen Pingping is getting old. I'm still young."

As soon as he said that, both he and Si Lili felt it wasn't proper. This serious negotiation suddenly took on an ambiguous, flirtatious air.

Can you give what Chen Pingping promised me?

Chen Pingping is getting old. I'm still young.

The faint fragrance of cape jasmine began to spread. Fan Xian cleared his throat, while Si Lili's blush stayed on her face for only an instant. The pair's hearts weren't in the right places, or else they wouldn't feel so awkward after two very ordinary sentences. Si Lili rolled her eyes. She seemed to know that Fan Xian still fancied her. She couldn't help but show a shy but haughty smile.

Fan Xian cleared his throat again and explained. "I can guess. Whatever was planned must be big. But Chen Pingping, as old as he is now, may or may not live another year or two. If you wish to cooperate with me, I believe the chance of success will be greater."

Si Lili was slightly angry, but she forcefully kept it down. After some consideration, she said, "Sir Fan, you still haven't told me how I stand to benefit."

"I can cleanse the poison from your body. Should I take control of the Overwatch Council, I swear to mobilize the Qing forces in the north, and, with all my power, help you climb to the top in the palace of Northern Qi."

Si Lili laughed coldly and shook her head, "The borders touch. As strong as Qing is, and as impressive as the Overwatch Council's spies are, you cannot touch the inside of Northern Qi's royal palace. And who told you I want a position in their palace?"

Fan Xian couldn't say anything in response.

Suddenly, a light shone in Si Lili's eyes. With her hand, she beckoned him to come close, like she was calling a pet. She giggled flirtatiously. "Sir Fan, come closer. This must not be heard by others."

In his helpless situation, Fan Xian smiled bitterly. He knew this woman was trying to vent her anger over being ignored for several days. He did as he was told. Before hearing anything, however, he felt her body heat on his earlobe. Si Lili's body heat and fragrance made Fan Xian's heart skip a beat, but what he heard from her shocked him back to normal.

A long time later, this youthful pair parted from each other. Si Lili said, "I risked danger and told you the agreement. If I dare ask, can you help me?"

Presently, Fan Xian was frowning deeply, as he was still in shock. He shook his head. "I don't believe you. What kind of person do you take Chen Pingping for? Even if he thought of this, he wouldn't have told you."

"Even you don't believe it, so of course he's not afraid of me telling others. No one in the world would believe that old cripple would think of something like that."

Fan Xian pondered for a while and understood what was going on. He smiled. "I see." He then suddenly said, "A long time ago, a rumor persisted that you were a descendant of someone from the royal family back when Qing was founded. The people always thought it was only a way for you to raise your price, but now… it appears to have been true."

Si Lili closed her eyes slowly. After some time, she said lightly, "My real name is Li Lisi."

Fan Xian looked at her smooth lower jaw and couldn't help but gently twirl his fingers. He sighed. "No wonder Northern Qi's emperor doesn't care about your identity, no wonder you willingly let Chen Pingping use you. But allow me to advise you: you're just a young woman. You're far too innocent compared to those old snakes. It's better to be careful. If you can settle in Northern Qi's palace, let go of Chen Pingping's plan, and pay him no mind."

Si Lili looked into his eyes. She felt surprised, but also a bit of warmth. She smiled sweetly. "Than you for your concern. Now that I told you what you wanted to know, when are you going to detoxify this poison?"

Fan Xian replied, "Starting tomorrow, I must prepare some ingredients. Another thing… If this diplomatic mission goes smoothly, I will try to take over the issue regarding… your younger brother's, or more precisely, the prince's, safety. Please rest assured, under my hand, the prince sneaking into Qing shall never happen again."

Si Lili was silent. She stood up in the cramped carriage. With great difficulty, she saluted Fan Xian in gratitude.

In the carriage in front of theirs sat Xiao En , his white hair tied back tight. His hands were in a strange posture, like a lotus flower about to bloom. His left pinkie finger was raised slightly, resting on the edge of the chamber pot.

Xiao En's zhenqi began to slowly circulate. A faint, musky smell covered up the strange scent of the carriage. A drop of black, thick, sticky liquid was forced out along his gradually recovering meridians. That drop of liquid flowed along his pinkie nail and into the chamber pot.

Chapter 193: Eldest Princess's Vision

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After the drop of concentrated poison went into the chamber pot, the glow in Xiao En's eyes became livelier. He made another hand gesture and calmed his zhenqi. In the Overwatch Council, he was constantly subjected to torture and poison. The former head of the Seventh Bureau was very familiar with the state of his body, and so his methods were extremely meticulous. They made Xiao En hover right on the line which separated life from death.

Once outside the capital, Fan Xian's methods were even more overbearing—injecting poison directly into the veins in order to greatly harm Xiao En's bodily functions. As Fei Jie told Fan Xian long ago, the most important aspect of using poison was how you use it; more potent did not necessarily mean better results.

But after all, Fan Xian had little experience dealing with special people like Xiao En. He didn't expect that Xiao En, after twenty years of suffering, had accumulated hundreds of types of poison inside his body. All those poisons seemed to have reached equilibrium; while Xiao En wouldn't die from them, they also prevented him from cleansing himself using zhenqi.

The poison Fan Xian used this time was like a mountain-splitting axe, chopping directly into that complex equilibrium. It brought Xiao En intense pain, but it also gave him a chance to break free.

Xiao En faintly smiled. With his dried-up lips and his snow-white hair, he looked exceptionally terrifying.

Suddenly, he focused the cold gleaming in his eyes as his entire body seemed to wither, appearing much older. The smell of an old person began to emit from his body.

The envoy slowly came to a stop next to a lake and people began to search for a suitable camping spot. The Black Knights in the distance passed by on the right like a gust of cold wind. They patrolled the front before returning. Wang Qinian took out his keys and opened the tightly sealed iron door from the outside. With a respectful expression, he walked in and gave Xiao En some food and water. He then carefully wiped Xiao En's face with a damp towel. Finally, he asked, "Would you like your hair combed today?"

Xiao En shook his head, his eyes gleaming. But then the cold gleaming died down. Xiao En asked in a slightly coarse voice, "When will Sir Fan come today?"

Xiao En was asking about when Fan Xian would come to inject the poison. Wang Qinian answered with a smile, "We're getting close to the border, Mister Xiao. Sir Fan said there's no more need for you to go through that every day."

Xiao En's face did not show any signs of joy. He closed his eyes and said, "I heard this Sir Fan will take control of Qing's palace treasury next year?"

Wang Qinian thought Fan Xian told him, so he didn't really mind. "Yes. That's where all the money is."

"More money than the Ye household?" Xiao En showed some scorn.

Wang Qinian was startled, then he recalled that strange name. He replied, "The Ye household broke apart a long time ago."

"What?" For some reason, there was shock in Xiao En's eyes, but he hurriedly hid his surprise. Seeing he didn't want to talk any more, Wang Qinian let out a sigh of relief. He took the chamber pot and got off the carriage.

Pinching his nose, Wang Qinian took the chamber pot to another camping spot. Arriving at the center tent, he put down the chamber pot and complained, "So old, but still crapping so much every day." He frowned slightly. "What a stink."

"That move was a real stink."

In the beautiful palace in Xinyang City, white mesh curtains were gently swaying in the spring wind. Although it was early spring, it was chilly inside the palace due to all the plums planted there, just like in Guangxin Palace back in the capital. Behind the white mesh curtains, a delicate and beautiful woman was half-reclined on a short couch, watching her trusted aide making a move on the checkerboard.

The aide's name was Huang Yi. Though he possessed an ordinary name, he was adept at coming up with strategies. Hearing the Eldest Prince, he smiled and said, "In front of the princess, even a master can only make stinky moves."

"Not necessarily." Eldest Princess Li Yunrui took on a bright expression. For seemingly no reason, she began laughing. "That child is a smart one. Don't think he got by so smoothly because of Fan Xian and my brother. Although I am still puzzled, why does Chen Pingping like that good son-in-law of mine so much?"

Huang Yi shook his head and lightly slapped his leg. "There is no explanation. If I were to force one, I could only guess that His Majesty likes Fan Xian."

"It's possible that my brother, the Emperor, likes Chen'er, and therefore likes Fan Xian by association. Besides, that child excels in both literature and martial arts, which can give the Emperor some pride." The Eldest Princess smiled meekly. "But it's too bad he fancies himself smart, and ultimately ended up making a stinky move. While the envoy seems to be taking a safe route, in reality they are crossing vast plains and lakes that are good places for escaping."

"According to reports, the Black Knights are with them."

"I know that." The Eldest Princess smiled. "So it's up to Xiao En now."

"Why would he escape?" Huang Yi asked, frowning, "In the agreement between you and Shang Shanhu, as long as Xiao En returns, there's always another day. With the Imperial court conspiring with the master and disciple, there's a reasonable chance of overthrowing the current royal family of Northern Qi."

"Xiao En is not easy to control… just like Chen Pingping. If he returns to the North as agreed, he will be under the complete control of Northern Qi's royal family; he may even be imprisoned again until he dies of old age. As for Shang Shanhu, there's no help… I casted away my reputation, and casted away that poor official Yan Bingyun, for Xiao En's freedom. Only then did Shang Shanhu commit… I shall not allow anyone to meddle with this."

"What if Shang Shanhu turns back on his words? He is a great general in Northern Qi."

"Would Xiao En willingly give his life for Northern Qi? Also, once I make a move, even if Shang Shanhu doesn't go back, those stupid military people will force him to."

Huang Yi smiled, "Eldest Princess, you are so resourceful. No one can match you."

"Save your flattery." The Eldest Princess hid her smile. "I don't hold a candle to my brother."

She suddenly sighed, staring through the mesh curtain to an unknown place. Her pensive appearance was as beautiful as a painting. Huang Yi stood no chance. He was stunned by her beauty.

"The propaganda incident hurt your reputation." A long time later, Huang Yi freed himself from this beautiful scenery. In a low voice, he said, "Unfortunately, investigations never found anything, but according to information from Commander Ye, the Overwatch Council should be involved in the Guangxin Palace assassin case.

The Eldest Princess continued to stare at the sky, as though she did not hear. Moments later, she said, "Don't worry about those trivial matters. What we need to do right now is win Shang Shanhu completely over to our side."

There was silence from Huang Yi. Suddenly, with an angry expression, he said, "In my humble opinion, they are not trivial matters. Regarding the Niulan Street incident from last year, the obtuse civilians and officials with ill-intent only thought you tried to kill Sir Fan in order to regain the palace treasury. How would they know you were trying to find His Majesty a reason to march the army up north…? From this, Qing obtained much land, but who would remember your involvement in this?"

The Eldest Princess waved her hand in irritation. "There's no need to say any more."

"Then, regarding Yan Bingyun, that was planned out in secret, but now it's been exposed by those despicable ones and every single civilian of Qing believes you are conspiring with a foreign nation. Those stupid people—do they not understand there is no benefit to you in doing so? People only see things on the surface. They could not understand how your brilliant plan would benefit Qing."

The Eldest Princess looked at him coldly. Suddenly, she said, "Inform me when Yuan Hong arrives."

Huang Yi stopped there.

A while later, the Eldest Princess chuckled. "Everyone laughs at me for being insane. I laugh at them for not being able to see through me. As long as my brother and Qing are well, I don't really care."

Huang Yi felt a chill. He vaguely sensed something, but dared not speak.

"Chen Pingping must have his own schemes." The Eldest Princess smiled. "As does that child Fan Xian. Now that I mention it, everyone's goals on the outside are more or less the same; they only differ on the inside… If Xiao En can't escape this time, then after he goes to Shangjing and lets our people contact the diplomatic mission, we can make Fan Xian cooperate with us."

Huang Yi was greatly shocked. How could Eldest Princess collude with the enemy?

As if guessed what he was thinking, the Eldest Princess said weakly but mockingly, "There are certain things you don't need to think about. Did you say everything you did today to move me? Being persuaded by commoners like you is what I despise the most."

"I wouldn't dare." Huang Yi began to sweat profusely. He raised his head and asked, "Then what about Yan Xiaoyi's plan regarding Sir Fan? Does it need to be suspended for the moment?"

"Why?" The Eldest Princess looked at him with a smile, causing him to lower his head again. "I like that Fan Xian. My son-in-law did not let me down, so I really don't want him too far away from me… Alive or dead, he's still a very pretty boy."

The most puzzling beauty of Qing slowly raised her head, her alluring face full of determination. Who said a woman can't shine in the world? Since there had been one who shone, there was no reason she couldn't be the second.

Chapter 194: Uncaged

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Before, Fan Xian had never looked at Si Lili carefully. He'd never even paid attention to her beautiful face, because Fan Xian's face was much that way too. Yet since they had left the capital on this long journey, for some reason, little by little, she had left her mark on his mind.

Perhaps it was her pitiful past. Perhaps it was the cruelty of the Overwatch Council's methods. Perhaps it was what that former head of the Seventh Bureau had said the first time he entered the prison of the Overwatch Council - Fan Xian's methods might have been cruel, but his heart was soft. Every part of him could still easily weaken.

He kept on reminding himself that he couldn't have feelings for her, but more and more he felt a certain exquisite pity for Si Lili. It wasn't a false pity, but a feeling that came as a natural result of encountering someone with such a transient life, completely different from the beautiful and seemingly extraordinary Eldest Princess.

In the past few days, Fan Xian had taken the pills he always carried on his person, and searched the lakeside wilderness for several different kinds of suitable plants. Somewhat stupefied, he had blended them with the pills. This was his promise to Si Lili, and since Si Lili had told him about Chen Pingping's thoughts, although he didn't know whether or not they were true, he agreed to treat Si Lili.

As for Operation Red Sleeve, Fan Xian didn't really pay any mind to it. The things he thought about were simpler and more direct.

After a few days of treatment, Si Lili's face had not changed, but she was going to the toilet more. Fan Xian waited calmly to one side, making the young woman feel rather embarrassed. The convoy gradually made its way eastward around the great lake. Two days later, they were able to cross over the lake, where the Northern Qi army would be there to receive and protect them.

"People in Northern Qi call this lake the 'Northern Sea'." Si Lili sat by the lake side, idly fingering a coarse reed stalk.

Fan Xian looked at her. "When did you go to Northern Qi?" he asked.

"When I was very small. My parents took me and my elder brother and we fled for our lives. The Overwatch Council was hunting us. Many of my grandfather's trusted aides died, and no one would dare take us in." Si Lili laughed bitterly. "To be honest, I have no memory of my grandfather, but I know that at the time he was the prince most likely to take the throne."

Fan Xian made some calculations. It had been a number of years since the assassinations of the princes of the Kingdom of Qing. He couldn't help but be silent for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Si Lili's clothes flutter in the breeze. He smiled. His own mother had killed this woman's grandmother. He couldn't let her know that.

Si Lili sighed, smoothing the hair on her temples that had been blown out of place by the wind from the lake. "Because the Council was following us so closely," she said with a worried frown, "my father died by the blade of a palace guard. My mother was lucky enough to escape with my older brother and me. We were in such a big country, and yet there was nowhere we could go. After some thought, we had no choice but to flee to a foreign country, and we finally settled down in Northern Qi."

Fan Xian frowned. A family torn apart, their father killed, forced to flee a foreign country. Dark times indeed.

Si Lili looked out at the slowly shifting mists of the lake and sighed. "It's a shame that times of stability can't last forever. Somehow, the royal family of Northern Qi learned of our identity, so we were taken to Shangjing."

Fan Xian frowned again. "They must not have had good intentions."

Si Lili turned her head and smiled at him. "And you do? The Emperor of Qing, and the royal court – did they have good intentions for us?"

Fan Xian was at a loss for words for a moment. He gave a self-deprecating smile. "They're still an enemy nation."

"Before my father died... that's what we said, too." Si Lili seemed to have recalled something. She slowly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering. "Then my mother fell sick and died, and it was only my brother and me left, on our own. As the royal family of Northern Qi wanted to make use of our background, they took us in. So we grew up in the royal palace of Northern Qi."

"Is that when you met the Emperor of Northern Qi?" Fan Xian came closer to her, tightening her cloak. "I guess you and the young Emperor were childhood sweethearts."

Si Lili smiled. "His surname was Zhan. At the time, he didn't seem like a monarch in the slightest. He was the same age as me. But he was like my brother. The two of them used to get up to trouble in the palace all the time."

"So how did you end up agreeing to become a spy for Northern Qi, and return to the Qing capital for them?" Fan Xian was very interested in the matter.

"The Emperor of Northern Qi wanted to marry me." Si Lili turned around, fixing Fan Xian with a smile that didn't look much like a smile. "And I hated that enemy nation. I had irreconcilable differences with the royal family of Qing. So I wanted to return home. That was reason enough for me."

Fan Xian shook his head. "That's not reason enough."

Si Lili smiled. "Mainly, the Empress Dowager would not allow me to marry the Emperor, so I was allowed to return, allowing secret agents from Northern Qi to coordinate with me. On Liujing River in the capital, I set up a base of operations."

Fan Xian thought of something, and wanted to speak, but said nothing.

Si Lili guessed what he was thinking, and fixed him with a gaze revealing a hint of charm. "Si Ling and my other associates were all experts from Northern Qi, all skilled in the use of sleeping drugs. Those guests of mine who crossed behind my curtains had no way of touching me. Other people took my place."

Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, a strange expression on his face. He laughed. "Did you really have to explain it to me?"

"Did you not want to hear?" After all, Si Lili was a woman, with a bright heart and a quick wit. She had seen what Fan Xian was thinking, and was not angry. She instead asked gently.

Fan Xian laughed. "At least that night, you didn't fool me."

"If I had known you were a student of Fei Jie, then I would have hidden far away, and avoided... those knockout drops and the other lowlife drugs." Si Lili's gaze pierced him, charming him, shaking him.

Fan Xian looked a little uncomfortable. He chuckled, then met the young woman's gaze. "Since that day when you discovered you had been knocked out, did it scare you? Did you feel that your body had been recklessly defiled? Did you feel worthless?"

The breeze from the lake had little of the warmth of early spring. It was cold and raw. The reed stalks, not showing the slightest hint of green, wavered back and forth. The wind reached Si Lili's face, and she felt as if all the warmth had left it, unaware that there were two patches of red showing her shyness.

Some time later, Si Lili finally softly bit her bottom lip and spoke. "After I woke that day, I felt a certain secret bitterness, but I thought..." She bravely raised her head, looked Fan Xian right in his handsome face, and smiled. "I thought that losing my virginity to such a handsome young man as you was still worth it."

Fan Xian had not expected Si Lili to say something so brazen and so shocking. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. "That's... that's..." he could only mumble.

"That's... what?" Si Lili's smile didn't look like a smile as she fixed Fan Xian with her soft gaze.

"I feel that since you were a princess of the Qing royal family, and you always hung around the pleasure boats, you were in some danger. If the person you'd slept with hadn't been me, but instead had been some other pervert who used knockout drops, then what would you do?" Fan Xian cleared his throat. For some reason, he suddenly felt worried about Si Lili's difficult and dangerous situation.

Si Lili's face was somewhat sluggish. "I never considered myself any kind of princess. Just a pitiful woman from a hated bloodline who didn't know how to exact her revenge. Don't misunderstand me, Master Fan."

As night fell, the diplomatic mission convoy set up camp on a stretch of high terrain on the lake's edge. The carriages formed a protective semicircle, and in the middle were a handful of tents and some long, burnt-out lights. Si Lili and Fan Xian's dwellings faced each other. Perhaps because the day's earlier conversation between the two of them had been too emotionally draining, they did not leave their tents, and nothing occurred between them that night.

Everything was silent. In the distance, the faint outline of the Black Knights formed an outline on the slope, surrounding the encampment. The Tiger Guards and the Overwatch Council's agents organized together into teams, patrolling the camp.

The moon's bright light shined down onto every corner of the terrain. There were no clouds, no wind, and no stars. The silvery moonlight, like the gentle caress of a fairy's hands, touched each person in the camp, ushering them into a quick sleep in anticipation of tomorrow's difficult journey. Xiao En sat inside the heavily-sealed carriage. Fan Xian would not allow him to leave. The moonlight shined on the black carriage, reflecting strange beams of light.

Deep in the night, the whole camp seemed to have fallen into a sweet, dark sleep. A shadow, like a gust of wind, floated alongside Xiao En's carriage. It pulled out a key, wiped it with an oiled cloth, then slid it into the lock of the carriage door. The keyhole made no sound. The utmost care was being taken.

The carriage door opened. Xiao En slowly lifted his head and stared at the midnight visitor at the door. The iron chains that should have bound his hands had already been loosened and were placed steadily on the floor of the carriage.

Xiao En left the carriage, his long white hair draped over his shoulders. In the bright silver moonlight, he looked around coldly and frowned, knowing that something was very wrong. But he had little time to think. The old man looked at Fan Xian's tent. His whole body was like a shadow, disappearing into the night by the lakeside.

Fan Xian, who should have been sleeping, had his eyes open as he sat on a chair in his tent. His fingers softly grasped a teacup. Inside the teacup was a small amount of knockout drops and hibiscus seeds. Mixed together as a tea, they were very hard to detect.

He felt a slight change in the air outside, and began to count.

"One, two, three, four..."

Chapter 195: Open the Door; Release the Dogs

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After counting to thirty, Fan Xian parted the curtain and walked out. He watched that black carriage with a cold gaze. There was nothing unusual about the carriage; even the trap Wang Qinian had set in front of the carriage door remained untouched. Fan Xian was dealing with a veteran here.

At that moment, a trembling noise sounded throughout the camp. Except for the envoy members who had been drugged into an unconscious stupor, Wang Qinian's group, which Fan Xian had notified, was now standing behind him. Also behind him came heavy breathing and the sound of something scratching the dirt—that came from three black dogs. They all had muzzles on and couldn't make any noise.

Fan Xian scratched his head. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Open the door and release the dogs."

Wang Qinian signaled with his hand and his subordinates let go of the leashes. Those three black dogs, which had been locked away for an entire month, could not contain their beastly instincts. Picking up faint scents, they went off on a silent rampage as they rushed out like three black shadows.

Suddenly, many chilling flashes appeared! A barrage of projectiles, each laced with poison, flew toward the dogs!

There was a clattering noise as the projectiles were met by a whirlwind of flashing blades, which deflected them far away. Immediately following that, those flashing blades went after two attacking assassins.

Then came the sound of flesh being torn and ripped apart. A few screams later, the two assassins were cut in three. Their heads flew into the air, spraying blood in all directions!

A long blade cut into the armpit of the last assassin. In one fell swoop, that assassin's arms parted from his body and bounced against the ground a few times.

Gao Da, leader of the Tiger Guards, withdrew his long saber behind his back, his movement natural and unrestrained. The six other Tiger Guards also sheathed their blades. Standing in formation in the night, they looked exceptionally cool.

But it wasn't the time to make cool poses. In one great leap that could only be described as superhuman, Wang Qinian pounced next to the armless assassin. Being able to cover that many meters in a single leap showed why Wang Qinian was known as one of the "Wings" of the Overwatch Council.

Acting quickly, he jabbed an iron rod into the assassin's mouth. After some very ugly noises, Wang Qinian reached into the assassin's bloodied mouth and took out a single tooth which was filled with poison. Carefully, he wrapped that tooth in a cloth. He then took out a wooden ball-gag and stuffed it into the assassin's mouth in order to prevent him from biting off his tongue.

With blood pouring out from where his arms used to be, the pain was already making the assassin long for death. Now gagged and unable to end his own life, tears, snot, and saliva flowed together into his mouth. It was a most wretched sight to behold.

"To think the enemy managed to sneak in." Wang Qinian frowned as he discovered the assassin was not a stranger. "Fortunately, he used the Council's old method of hiding poison."

Wang Qinian turned to his subordinate and ordered: "Treat his wounds. He must not die. And treat him well; we have to get a confession out of him."

Wang Qinian's subordinate answered to the order, but asked curiously, "Sir Wang, you broke all his teeth. Won't the poison enter his body?"

That startled Wang Qinian. Being a civil official for many years had made him rusty. He hurried to take out the ball-gag and washed the assassin's mouth with clean water. Only after giving the assassin some poison-cleansing pills, which were granted by Commissioner Fan, did Wang Qinian become somewhat relieved.

Seeing that Wang Qinian was about to gag the assassin again, the subordinate couldn't help but ask, "How can he still bite his tongue with all his teeth broken?"

Wang Qinian became angry and lashed out. "I like stuffing his mouth with this wooden ball. Is that a problem?"

During the ruckus, Fan Xian tightened his pant legs and sleeves and hid his face by putting on his hood. Camouflaged in this dark outfit, he slipped away into the night. Those seven Tiger Guards with astounding swordsmanship followed Fan Xian's silhouette. In complete silence, they went in the direction that the three tracking dogs had gone. Only the slight shaking of reeds showed their movements.

The camp was watched over by Council men. Outside the camp there was a group of Black Knights. Fan Xian was confident in them.

The poison he had injected into Xiao En was potent, but most importantly, it left behind its faint scent in the pores of Xiao En's skin even after he forced it out of his body using zhenqi.

Xiao En could not smell it, but the dogs could. When it came smell, men are inferior to dogs.

A dark cloud passed overhead and the moonlight dimmed. There were only the sounds of the night wind blowing across the great lake and the rustling of reeds.

Fan Xian was wrapped entirely in black. Only his bright eyes showed.

After discovering Xiao En succeeded in eliminating the poisons from his body, Fan Xian planned out this operation on his own. After all, no one in the envoy would dare to oppose him. As for the members of the Council who knew the details, they were even more willing to follow his lead. But it was a dangerous mission. If Xiao En really managed to escape, they wouldn't be able to bring back Yan Bingyun, and a venomous serpent would lurk forever in the dark, waiting to deal them a lethal strike. Fan Xian absolutely could not afford such great setbacks.

From the dense reeds in front of him came several strange noises. Fan Xian sniffed the air and picked up the scent of blood. Those three extremely ferocious black dogs seemed to have been killed. Being able to kill those dogs in such a short amount of time without exposing himself, Xiao En must have recovered drastically.

Fan Xian stood silently on the damp soil and squinted. He was gauging his distance from Xiao En.

He then raised his right fist. The seven Tiger Guards understood what Fan Xian meant. They made eye contact with each other before dispersing into the dense reeds. They couldn't afford to get too close to Xiao En.

Xiao En must have noticed he was being pursued. Twenty years in prison hadn't made him forget all of his survival skills. Under the cover of the night, the reeds, and the wind, he silently made his way northeast, towards Northern Qi's border.

Fan Xian knew someone must be waiting there to receive him.

Calmly, Fan Xian started to run. His tremendous zhenqi began to circulate. His feet parted from the muddy ground as soon as they made contact with it, carrying his entire body forward at great speeds. Darting like an arrow, Fan Xian forcefully parted the reeds in front of him. Occasionally he stopped and carefully investigated his surroundings, running his fingers over the freshly-broken reeds, casting his eyes over the footprints in the mud.

Xiao En was going in circles.

Fan Xian was following him in circles.

In the night, the hunter followed his prey, not knowing when their roles would be reversed. Xiao En had to free himself from the envoy and meet up with that person. Fan Xian had to grasp this opportunity he had created for himself.

Fan Xian's gaze became brighter as Xiao En's trail became more and more obvious. It seemed that the poison and Xiao En's own old age had taken their toll.

Piercing through the dense reeds, Fan Xian arrived at the edge of a forest of short fir trees. He frowned. With his sharp eyes, he could see the footprints getting messy, even in the dark. Fan Xian dared not act carelessly, so he withdrew a distance and took a detour, entering the forest from the side.

A shrill cry suddenly rang out in the dark. A black rope pounced out from the grass on the forest floor and snared someone's ankle—it was a Tiger Guard who had followed Fan Xian into the forest! Still dangling in the air, he bounced his body upwards with great strength. Twisting his right hand, he drew the long saber from his back and cut the rope.

The Tiger Guard fell towards what appeared to be solid ground.

A crossbow bolt came flying out, forcing the Tiger Guard to use his saber to deflect it. He then twisted his body backwards, landing about half a step behind his planned landing spot. As the tip of his foot came down, the Tiger Guard discovered a pit in front of him. It was a simple pit trap with sharpened stakes on the bottom.

Fan Xian stood close to a tree and let go of the trigger. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Tiger Guard disappearing into the darkness once again.

From the forest came the harsh calls of an owl. Somewhere, a branch moved slightly. Flashes of blades suddenly burst out of the silence; seven beautiful white trails cutting into that space.

Splatters of blood dyed the forest floor. Gao Da lit a special paper torch and took a look at the body. He shook his head. It was not Xiao En.

Putting out the torch, the seven Tiger Guards showed themselves and went deeper into the forest in a semicircle formation.

Fan Xian disappeared into the darkness, moving along the trees. He didn't think Xiao En would take the one who opened the carriage door with him. Knowing that gave him a strange feeling. But he knew Xiao En was still in this forest, because the poison was still emitting its faint scent.

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, bathing the forest in its silver light. Fan Xian pressed his palm against a tree, feeling the faint vibrations of his surroundings. He was fully confident that he would kill Xiao En.

Xiao En was in this forest.