"Thank the Third Prince for me." Gu Shen's voice held no hint of emotion. "I'm just wondering, is this umbrella big enough? Can it shelter two people?"
Chief Steward Fu's smile deepened. "Lord Gu, you jest. My prince's umbrella is naturally an excellent oil-paper umbrella. It could shelter not just two people—even a strong gust wouldn't turn it over."
"A gust?"
"Yes." Chief Steward Fu sighed as the lantern light swayed gently. "When rain is coming, the wind always rises first. Isn't it strange? This gust happens to be blowing from the north, from the direction of the First Prince's Mansion."
Those words exploded in Gu Shen's mind like a bolt of thunder.
The one who had tipped off the Second Prince and alerted him to Zhang Gong's... situation was someone from the First Prince's camp?!
In an instant, all the clues fell into place.
First Prince Xia Wu and Second Prince Xia Yuan were bitter enemies.
He was trying to kill with a borrowed knife!
No, it was killing three birds with one stone!
He'd leaked the news to provoke the Second Prince into going after him. If the Second Prince succeeded, he would eliminate a potential threat—Gu Shen—and get his hands on evidence against the Divine Machine Workshop. If the Second Prince failed, Gu Shen would surely retaliate with everything he had. Then, with both sides badly hurt, the First Prince could reap the benefits.
What a vicious scheme!
This game was more complicated than he'd imagined. The Crown Prince's position was still undecided, yet the princes beneath him were already fighting tooth and nail, each resorting to every trick in the book.
"Thank you for clearing things up, Chief Steward." Gu Shen cupped his hands.
By passing this message through Chief Steward Fu, Xia Jing had made