Chen Qing's hand slid down from the edge of the bed and pressed down on the ground.
Why did the Tubo rob Yang Tie?
"Because he has the medicine."
Who told them?
"I don't know."
Batuer picked up his coat and covered him around the waist. "You should focus on healing first. Once you're healed, we'll figure out how to find someone."
Chen Qing stared at the breach in the roof, several secret reports flashing through his mind.
Yang Tie was refining elixirs, Prince An was taking the medicine, Prince An lost his composure in the street, Anyang was in a grain shortage, Yang Tie was taken away by the Tubo, and the crossbowmen of Prince Yi's Residence were present.
" Prince Yi's crossbowmen are present, I understand," he said in a low voice.
Batuer packed his medicine bag. "What are you thinking about now?"
Gu Moran knew long ago that Yang Tie had a problem.
So what?
He neither killed Yang Tie immediately nor sent the prescription to the capital.
Yang Tie escaped.
"You escaped too conveniently."
Batuer squatted down. "You suspect that Prince Yi deliberately let him go?"
Chen Qing did not answer, but tapped his fingers on the wooden board repeatedly.
"I'm sure! Listen to me, this is the truth!"
"Your Prince Yi must think that if the medicine Yang Tie has can embarrass Prince An, it can also drive the Tubo leader mad."
Batuer looked at him. "Your argument seems to have some merit?"
"Of course, believe me, he wants to use the Tubo to deliver the medicine to Chisang."
After those words were spoken, only the sound of the wind remained in the room.
Chen Qing spoke faster and faster, "If anyone in the Tubo army takes it, chaos will inevitably break out during the march through the snowy mountains. Prince Yi doesn't need to send troops; just wait for them to descend into chaos on their own."
Batuer's face tightened upon hearing this. "If that's the case, then our Prince Yi is far superior to your Prince An."
Brother Ba, you are mistaken. We need to take a long-term view.
Chen Qing threw back the felt blanket and pulled out a stack of silver notes from the foot of the bed, amounting to several thousand taels.
Prince An will find a way to get them back.
Batuer looked at the silver notes. "You still want to do things for Prince An?"
" Prince An has already begun the next step."
How did you know?
Chen Qing clutched the silver note, his back injury causing him to sit askew, but the expression on his face grew increasingly resolute.
"He punished me to get out of Anyang's sight and come to Yi Prefecture to find Yang Tie. Yang Tie was kidnapped by the Tubo, which is actually a good opportunity for me to infiltrate Tubo. Prince An too clever!"
He's already figured it out.
He's practically a prophet! This world will be his sooner or later.
Twenty strokes of the cane—that's how Prince An got me a pass to Tubo. Prince An is wise! There's no other way; the greater my power, the heavier the burden!
From now on, I will be an undercover agent for the three prefectures.
Batuer rubbed his temples. "Did Prince An say these things himself?"
"The art of rulership cannot be fully explained in every sentence."
"Come on, Brother Ba, take me to meet Prince Yi first."
The two entered the old royal palace, where Uncle Fu personally came to greet them.
" Strategist Chen, the Prince is in the side hall."
Chen Qing's steps faltered, and Batuer reached out to support him, causing his face to immediately turn red.
" Brother Ba is such a kind person, I can walk by myself."
Uncle Fu glanced at his gait. "Your injury is quite serious."
Chen Qing steadied himself by supporting Batuer's arm, looked up at the side hall, and tried to straighten his crooked back. "Yes, when Prince Yi sees this, he will know how much I suffered in Anyang."
A thick felt curtain hung at the entrance to the side hall, inside which charcoal burned, the aroma of medicine and hot tea mingling together, warming Chen Qing's back wounds until they itched, and making his legs feel weak.
Gu Moran sat by the window, holding a teacup in her hand. On the table were a plate of candied hawthorns and two newly delivered military reports.
" Strategist Chen," he looked up, "How did my brother's beating feel?"
Chen Qing had just stepped over the threshold when his foot slipped. Batuer quickly caught his shoulder, and Chen Qing coughed twice, then steadied himself against the back of a chair beside him. "Your Highness is too kind."
Gu Moran put down his teacup. "Now that your undercover identity has been exposed, what brings you to me?"
"I surrender." Chen Qing hunched over as he sat down, sweat immediately beading on his forehead. "That Prince An is unfathomable. I am willing to assist Prince Yi to avoid being taken advantage of by him."
Gu Moran smiled and said, "Then, strategist, I heard that Prince An sent you back to Yi Prefecture to find Yang Tie?"
Chen Qing's fingers rested on his knees, repeatedly rubbing against the seams of his trousers. His injuries were excruciating, but his mind was racing.
Prince Yi already knows that Yang Tie was taken away by the Tubo, and it's highly likely that Prince An's sending people to steal the medicine can't be kept secret either. If he continues to try to cover it up with lies, he'll only make himself look foolish.
He raised his head. "Your Highness, let me tell you about this."
" Yang Tie originally concocted a so-called miraculous medicine. After Prince An took it, he lost his composure on South Street, so he ordered me to take silver notes to Cypress Village to retrieve the second batch of medicine."
"A miracle drug?"
"The medicine is indeed very effective." Chen Qing's eyes brightened as he said this. "After taking the medicine, Prince An's blood and energy were greatly enhanced. Everyone knows that he has always been afraid of his wife, but after taking the medicine, he wanted to get close to any girl he saw on the street. This shows how skillful Yang Tie is."
His tone became even more certain. " Prince An deliberately made himself appear absurd to mislead the court, making everyone think he was ill, insane, or had lost face. Once the people in the capital lowered their guard, he would then reorganize the Anyang Grain Bureau and take down the powerful grain hoarders in one fell swoop."
Gu Moran picked up a hawthorn berry. "Grain prices in Anyang have doubled, soup kitchens have been vandalized by the people, and the grain store in the west of the city was almost burned down."
"Your Highness, this is truly a grand gesture from Prince An."
Gu Moran looked at him for a while, then picked up a hawthorn and took a bite, the sour taste spreading on her tongue.
"Go on."
"The fact that Prince An ordered me to fetch the medicine shows that he still trusts me. The five thousand taels of silver have already been handed to me, Batuer can testify to that."
Batuer nodded. "The silver note was indeed in his sleeve."
"But now, Yang Tie has been taken away by a Tubo." Chen Qing leaned forward, his back straightening up, but the pain from his wound made him grit his teeth. "Your Highness, you knew Yang Tie was suspicious all along, didn't you?"
Gu Moran pushed the teacup aside. "What do you think?"
I knew it.
Chen Qing leaned back in his chair, his vision blurring from the pain, but a smug look slowly spread across his face. " Yang Tie has been hiding in Yi Prefecture for so long, the Prince has already found out his background. He deliberately let him escape to Tubo with the prescription, and then used him to deliver the medicine to Chisang. Once the Tubo army takes the medicine, the 10,000 troops on the snow mountain will fall into disarray."
Gu Moran picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, " Strategist Chen is truly an outstanding individual; he's incredibly intelligent and his guesses were spot on."
Chen Qing sat up straight, gasping as the movement aggravated his wound, but his smugness only deepened. "Your Highness actually admitted it."
I value talent.
Chen Qing pondered those words, still feeling that Prince Yi was implying something to him, so he reached out and grabbed the edge of the table. "Your Highness, rest assured, although I once served Prince An, my heart has always been in Yi Prefecture, and with Your Highness."
The side hall quieted down; the charcoal in the brazier cracked, the soft crackling sound falling onto the floor tiles.
Gu Moran leaned back in his chair. "Let's get down to business."
"I used to be a servant of Prince An."
After finishing his Chen Qing, his chest heaved violently, and the wound on his back went numb. He endured the pain and looked at Gu Moran, "It was Prince An who transferred me from the capital to Yi Prefecture, ordering me to keep an eye on the prince's every move—the canal construction, grain collection, soldier recruitment, shop openings, and even the prince's wives. I investigated everything that could be investigated."
Batuer turned around. "You also investigated the lady?"
Chen Qing avoided his gaze. "Of course, a strategist must be thorough in his actions."
Gu Moran picked up a hawthorn berry and slowly chewed it. "So what did you find out?"
[Thanks to: Doujiao's Inspiration Capsule, Radish's Love Letter x5, Sweet Talk's Milk Tea x2, 4022's Love Letter x2, Zhidao, Zhangshou's Update Urging Charm, Fangcheng, Shanhai, Gengxin's Likes, Xiangshui, 5675's Flowers, and everyone else for their love and support.]