Zhou Cheng merely chuckled, utterly unconcerned by the threat.
Li Yunrui hurried away, while Zhou Cheng remained in the hall as though it were perfectly natural.
He summoned Li Yunrui's personal lady-in-waiting and had her pour him some tea.
Zhou Cheng sipped leisurely. He had to admit that, with this woman in charge of the Imperial Treasury, everything supplied to Guangxin Palace was of the finest quality.
The tea alone, with its clear, refreshing liquor and rich fragrance, was far superior to what he had at Prince Cheng's residence.
Before he had finished a pot, Li Yunrui returned.
Yet where she had left bristling with anger, she came back looking dejected.
She looked at Zhou Cheng with a trace of hurt in her eyes. He blinked, almost convinced he was seeing things.
"Cheng'er... I was wrong. Fortunately, you stopped those palace maids. Otherwise..."
Remembering how Emperor Qing had pointed at her and mercilessly reprimanded her, she felt bitter and miserable, with nowhere to vent her frustration.
"Father must have said something during your visit. Have you figured it out, Aunt? Do you still need me to explain?"
"Only part of it. I still don't entirely understand."
Li Yunrui sounded listless.
Zhou Cheng nodded without explaining anything. He pointed at himself and said only, "Come here."
Li Yunrui pressed her lips together and understood at once. But with resentment weighing on her heart, she did not resist.
Half an hour later, Li Yunrui exhaled sweetly and asked:
"Can you tell me plainly now? What exactly is going on? Why did His Majesty react so strongly?"
Zhou Cheng played with her loose hair and said slowly:
"Fan Xian came to the Capital on Father's orders. How many eyes do you think were watching him the moment he reached the gates?
You sent palace maids to stop his carriage. That crude, unseemly trick would only have disgraced the imperial family for nothing.
I imagine Father must have reprimanded you, saying that although we Lis are the imperial family, we are no different from ordinary people, with only power and influence to lend us a halo.
Once that halo fades and people lose their reverence, disaster won't be far behind."
Li Yunrui's eyes widened.
"You even guessed that!"
Zhou Cheng merely chuckled.
The plot had barely deviated from its original course. It would have been strange if he could not guess.
Li Yunrui knew nothing of this. Suppressing her shock, she said:
"His Majesty did indeed say that, and I thought it made sense after hearing it. I'm just resentful. You already stopped everyone I arranged. Since the imperial family's dignity wasn't damaged, why summon me to the palace for a scolding?"
That was what upset Li Yunrui most.
She was the exalted Eldest Princess, and no longer young. Yet Emperor Qing had pointed at her nose and berated her in the palace over some trivial matter that had not even happened. Did she not deserve some dignity?
Zhou Cheng patted her waist lightly.
"You're confused because you don't know the full story, Aunt. As for Father's words, just listen and leave it at that."
He continued:
"The moment Fan Xian entered the city, he was led to the Divine Temple. And early this morning, His Majesty specifically took Wan'er there to worship.
Tell me, Aunt... by trying to ruin someone's reputation on the way, were you making trouble for Fan Xian, or for Father?"
Li Yunrui was startled. "His Majesty took Wan'er to the Divine Temple?"
All her questions suddenly became clear!
No wonder Emperor Qing had reacted so strongly!
Emperor Qing had arranged a matchmaking encounter for Fan Xian as soon as he arrived in the Capital. Her schemes had almost disrupted his plans.
Moreover, Emperor Qing had arranged for Fan Xian to meet Lin Wan'er immediately upon entering the Capital.
That made Li Yunrui keenly aware of how determined Emperor Qing was to bestow this marriage.
An immense pressure rose within her.
She could use any means she pleased against Fan Xian, but she truly did not dare openly defy Emperor Qing's will.
"Then what should I... what should we do now?"
Li Yunrui clutched Zhou Cheng's arm, her nails almost digging into his flesh.
Of course, almost was as far as they could get.
"Why the rush, Aunt?" Zhou Cheng let her grip him, his tone calm.
"You're not the only one who doesn't want the Imperial Treasury to fall into Fan Xian's hands. Just wait for someone else to act, then fan the flames from the sidelines.
If you lose your patience, someone else will be fanning the flames, and you'll be the one used as a weapon."
Zhou Cheng left it at that.
Li Yunrui's grip gradually loosened. In a daze, she smoothed the hair at her temples, her expression thoughtful.
By the time Zhou Cheng quietly left Guangxin Palace, darkness had fully fallen.
Meanwhile, Fan Xian, who had fallen in love at first sight with the "chicken drumstick girl" in the Divine Temple, had long since returned to Count Sinan's Residence.
He paid his respects to Madam Liu, the second wife, met his nominal younger brother Fan Sizhe, and joyfully reunited with Fan Ruoruo after many years apart.
Just as Fan Xian and Fan Ruoruo were catching up, a servant came to report that his father in name, Lord Fan Jian, had returned and wanted Fan Xian to see him in the study.
Fan Xian put his "token of love" into a wooden box and asked Ruoruo to keep it safe, then went to the study alone.
His feelings were complicated all the way there.
After all, according to what the Ghost-Faced Man had told him, his birth mother, Ye Qingmei, whom he had never met, had very likely been murdered through the machinations of the birth father he was about to meet in that study...
Chapter 11: The Banned Book, Red Chamber
Night had just fallen, and candlelight flickered inside the study at Count Sinan's Residence.
Fan Xian pushed open the redwood doors and stood respectfully before Fan Jian's desk. The candlelight stretched his shadow across the blue stone floor.
He carefully studied this father of his, countless thoughts turning through his mind. Fan Jian merely bent over his official documents, absorbed in his work, and ignored him.
Time passed in silence. Only when the darkness outside the window deepened did Fan Jian finally set down his brush and rub his brow.
He raised his eyes to Fan Xian, his gaze profound.
Just as events had unfolded in the screen adaptation, Fan Jian showed no affection and began by asking about Fan Xian's ambitions.
Fan Xian frankly said that he only wanted to live as a wealthy man of leisure. He even brought out a transmigrator's three standard money-making tricks-glass, soap, and white sugar-hoping to establish himself in the Capital with them.
Yet no sooner had he mentioned them than Fan Jian told him Ye Qingmei had already created all those things.
Fan Xian was helpless.
Besides lamenting, Why bring the son into this world when his mother already exists? he also confirmed Ye Qingmei's identity as a transmigrator.
Following that subject, Fan Jian explained that Ye Qingmei's many businesses had all been incorporated into the present Imperial Treasury.
He also mentioned the Eldest Princess and told him of his engagement to Lin Wan'er.
He wanted Fan Xian to use this opportunity to reclaim Ye Qingmei's legacy.
Having just fallen in love at first sight with the "chicken drumstick girl," Fan Xian naturally found the engagement utterly objectionable.
Moreover, he remained wary of Fan Jian and did not wish to linger on the subject. Neither refusing nor agreeing, he instead asked:
"Father, I've faced several assassination attempts in Danzhou this year. Were you aware of them?"
Fan Jian nodded, his expression grave.
Seeing this, Fan Xian directly voiced his suspicions about Madam Liu, Liu Ruyu.
After listening, Fan Jian slowly shook his head, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk.
"It couldn't have been your second mother. At most, she's worried that you'll compete with Fan Sizhe for the family property.
She might put obstacles in your way or embarrass you, but she would never have the nerve to arrange an assassination!"
Hearing Fan Jian's certainty, Fan Xian could not help suspecting that he was shielding Liu Ruyu.
Then Fan Jian continued:
"You said yourself that the first attempt involved a sixth-rank assassin, and later there was even a seventh-rank one.
You must understand that seventh-rank martial artists aren't common as cabbages, even in the Capital, let alone Danzhou.
An expert like that could serve as a deputy general in the army. Even the strongest of my own guards is only seventh rank."
His gaze sharpened. "Madam Liu is a woman confined to the inner household. She doesn't have the influence to command a seventh-rank expert. If she had that kind of power, she wouldn't have married me as merely my second wife."
At those words, Fan Xian understood.
His horizons had been limited in Danzhou. He rarely encountered experts, and those he did see were supreme masters like Wu Zhu. It was indeed easy for his understanding of martial artists at different ranks to become skewed.
With Fan Jian's explanation, Madam Liu could indeed be ruled out.
"Then who exactly wants me dead? Surely there's a suspect?" Fan Xian pressed.
Fan Jian considered for a moment, then took a wanted notice from beside him-the very one issued for Teng Zijing.
"I'm not certain about the attempts before His Majesty bestowed the marriage. But with the Overwatch Council's involvement this time, I can roughly narrow it down." Fan Jian handed the notice to Fan Xian. "Anyone who can mobilize the Overwatch Council for an assassination must be a force within the palace."
"The Imperial Treasury is in the Eldest Princess's hands, and many imperial relatives profit from it. If you take charge, she naturally stands to be affected first. Besides her, the other princes might also act. The imperial family's financial power involves too much; pull one thread and everything moves. Someone who dislikes change and wants stability might also develop the desire to kill you."
Fan Xian rolled his eyes. "Father, are you saying... I was a thousand miles away, living peacefully in obscurity, and with just one sentence, His Majesty made me offend every princess and prince in the Capital?"
"If not all of them, then close enough." Fan Jian nodded and explained, "His Majesty has five sons. The Eldest Prince commands troops away from the Capital, and the Fourth Prince is still young. The only ones in their prime are Crown Prince Li Chengqian, the Second Prince Li Chengze, and the third prince, Li Chengcheng."
"Any of those three could be a suspect." He explained in detail, "As heir apparent, the Crown Prince has the legitimacy of rites and law orthodoxy. The Ministry of Rites, the Censorate, and the Eldest Princess all support him. He's the most likely to move against you.
The Second Prince has the support of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. His influence is no weaker than the Crown Prince's. A change in control of the Imperial Treasury could benefit him as well as harm him, so he might also act. As for the third prince..."
Fan Jian paused briefly. "The third prince, Li Chengcheng, is now Prince Cheng. Of the three princes, he is the least likely to move against you."
Before you continue