His voice was rough and hoarse.
Gu Moran took out the half of the old Liu Clan copper plaque from his sleeve and placed it on the threshold.
When the old man saw the bronze plaque, the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
The short knife was pressed down even more firmly.
He braced himself against the edge of the well and forced himself to stand up.
" The Liu Clan?"
Gu Moran then stepped inside.
Liu Ruyan followed. "I am Liu Huaijin's daughter."
The old man first looked at the bronze plaque, then at Liu Ruyan, and finally at Gu Moran.
He stared at their faces, a forced laugh escaping his throat.
"Good."
"OK."
He was laughing when he coughed up blood.
Blood froth landed on the edge of the raincoat.
He wiped it with his sleeve, acting as if nothing had happened.
" The Liu Clan has an heir; Heaven isn't blind after all."
Liu Ruyan spoke.
"Who are you?"
The old man looked at her, his wrinkles deepening.
Han Che.
Liu Ruyan was taken aback.
Uncle Fu's expression changed when he heard the name.
He leaned close to Gu Moran's ear.
Your Highness.
"The gunpowder maker of the Liu Clan Army's rear camp."
"The year the Liu Clan had their incident, I remember they went missing."
Han Che grinned.
"Good riddance."
Gu Moran looked at him.
Where did you go after the Liu Clan's incident?
Han Che looked down at his broken leg.
Where else can we go?
He hid for three years, then went to work in the alchemy furnace room as a fire starter.
Liu Ruyan's fingers tightened.
Han Che said, "They think this useless person like me is useful."
"A gunpowder maker understands the control of fire and the temperature of the furnace."
Even with a broken leg, one can still add charcoal, test the furnace, and collect waste slag.
Gu Moran asked directly.
Where is Tao Wujiu?
Han Che looked up at him.
" Prince Yi knows quite a lot."
Gu Moran said, "If I knew less, I wouldn't be standing here."
Han Che placed the short sword across his lap.
The hilt of the knife was blackened by the blood and sweat from his palms.
Tao Wujiu is not missing.
That year, he hid in an abandoned well next to the alchemy furnace.
"I dragged him out."
Liu Ruyan took half a step forward.
Why did you save him?
Han Che looked at her.
"He knows the old elixir formula."
"I also know that the wax seal on the old Liu Clan warehouse was taken to cover up the smell of cinnabar."
Gu Moran tightened his grip on his hand hidden in his sleeve.
Han Che continued speaking.
"I've kept this hidden for so many years."
"I just want to see when the Gu Clan's emperor will want to take the longevity elixir again."
"I've finally waited for this."
Liu Ruyan stared at him.
"Did you hand over the pills to the Second Prince?"
"It's me."
"You were the one who leaked the formula for calming the mind and nourishing vital energy?"
"It's me."
Gu Moran continued.
"You even deliberately left traces of old wax."
"If the Second Prince felt that this had the old flavor of the palace, he would be more willing to send it to the Emperor."
Han Che glanced at him.
"Your brain is much better than what people say."
Liu Ruyan's throat tightened.
"You want to kill the emperor."
Han Che looked at her.
I've thought about this for many years.
More than two hundred members of the Liu Clan died.
"I can't swallow this insult."
Liu Ruyan stared at him.
"But by doing this, you've dragged Flower-Between Pavilion into it."
"They dragged him in too."
As she finished speaking, she glanced at Gu Moran.
Han Che followed her gaze.
"So when the head of the household found me last night, I didn't go back to the Flower-Between Pavilion."
Liu Ruyan pressed for more information.
"So what do you want from us?"
Han Che coughed twice.
"It's the old building's responsibility to extend the road out from there."
"What I'm waiting for is the Imperial City Bureau."
Liu Ruyan asked even more directly.
"Do you want to die here?"
Han Che smiled.
"My life should have been buried in that fire at the Liu Clan's door long ago."
Gu Moran didn't try to reason with him anymore.
The Eye of Monitoring is activated immediately.
[ Han Che ]
[Loyalty: 100]
[Object of loyalty: Liu Clan ]
[Physical condition: Exhausted and near death]
[Potential risk: Using death to silence dissent, dragging the Second Prince's Residence into the mess]
Gu Moran's gaze darkened.
Han Che did not come begging to save his life.
He wanted to nail himself to the edge of that well.
Footsteps could already be heard at the alley entrance.
It's very light.
There was also the faint sound of nail plates rubbing against clothes.
Uncle Fu leaned against the wall and whispered a reminder.
"Your Highness, they've arrived."
Han Che raised his foot and kicked.
The manhole cover is crooked.
The fishy, damp smell from the well rose to the surface.
The musty, waxy smell mixed with an earthy odor made one's throat feel dry and astringent.
He bent down, reached under the well, and pulled out an oilcloth bag.
The oilcloth bundle fell to the ground.
They scattered out half a packet of old wax molds and a packet of pills.
Two pages of old accounts from the alchemy furnace.
There was also a roll of yellowed paper.
Han Che pushed the things toward Gu Moran.
"Take the paper, keep the rest as evidence."
Gu Moran at him.
Come with me.
Han Che shook his head.
"We can't leave."
I can carry you on my back.
Han Che glanced at him and suddenly smiled.
"Your Highness, please don't say that."
"This old servant is unworthy."
Uncle Fu added from outside the wall.
"I can carry it."
Han Che turned his head away.
You're getting old too.
Uncle Fu returned quickly.
"It's better than having only half a body like you."
Han Che coughed up a mouthful of blood.
This time, blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.
Liu Ruyan stared at the roll of yellow paper.
What is that?
Han Che looked down.
" Tao Wujiu's own written testimony."
Gu Moran bent down to take it.
Han Che, however, pressed down on the roll of paper.
He looked up at Gu Moran.
Your Highness.
"If you can't protect her, then don't take it."
Gu Moran didn't speak immediately.
Liu Ruyan was also looking at him.
The footsteps outside the courtyard drew closer.
People have already started swearing.
Why is the door blocked?
Someone on the other side was also keeping their voice down.
"Don't shout, take the live ones first."
Gu Moran did not make a vow to Han Che.
At times like this, saying more is useless.
He bent down, pulled out the scroll of testimony, and tucked it into his sleeve.
He left the old wax model and half a page of old account book in the brightest spot by the well.
Only after he finished doing all that did he look up.
I took it.
"I will protect her too."
Han Che stared at him.
"You really dare to take it?"
Gu Moran said, "I'm already standing right here, why are you still asking?"
Liu Ruyan's fingers trembled slightly.
Han Che turned to her.
"Young Miss."
"You believe him?"
Liu Ruyan looked at Gu Moran's profile and spoke.
I believe you.
Han Che's eyelids twitched.
I took a breath.
"Good."
Gu Moran had already sensed something was wrong and reached out to grab his shoulder.
"Enough talk, let's go."
Han Che raised his hand and grabbed his wrist.
That hand was trembling, but the strength didn't wane.
Your Highness.
" The Liu Clan owes you a debt of gratitude for your visit."
"But I must save my life today."
Gu Moran's face darkened.
What good will it do you to stay?
"You're only useful if you're alive."
Han Che stared at him, his eyes bloodshot.
"My life is a burden to you."
"My death here would be the proof. I can't live much longer either; I've been eroded by elixirs for years. I can only live for three months at most."
Footsteps were already approaching outside the courtyard gate.
Gu Moran thought for three seconds.
If you stay and try to persuade him, both the Imperial City Bureau and the Second Prince's Residence will block the gate.
The testimony is in my sleeve.
Liu Ruyan was by my side.
It's time to go.
Gu Moran grabbed Liu Ruyan's wrist.
"Go through the back door."
Liu Ruyan did not move.
She looked at Han Che.
" Uncle Han."
The moment those two words were uttered, Han Che's eyes lit up.
He responded with a smile.
"Why."
"You still recognize me."
Gu Moran a lump in his throat, but he didn't loosen his grip.
" Uncle Fu, clear the way."
Uncle Fu climbed over the back wall and went to explore the back alley first.
Han Che raised his knife and cut the old rope beside the well.
The rope broke.
The wooden fence that had been wedged onto the well beam crashed down.
The backyard entrance was blocked off horizontally.
Someone outside slammed into the wooden fence, and curses immediately erupted.
"Old man!"
"Open the door!"
Han Che his hand and threw a packet of medicine ash into the brazier.
A fire was being suppressed in the brazier.
As soon as the ash fell, white smoke billowed up.
It's both pungent and spicy.
Outside the door, a chaotic cacophony of curses erupted.
"There's medicinal smoke!"
"Retreat!"
"Don't rush in!"