Chapter 387: Storm Clouds over the Qi Capital

Morning by the lakeside. Dew beaded the grass. The tent flap opened, and Hao Zhen stepped out to bathe in the morning light. He drew a deep breath, breathing in the fresh fragrance of grass.

Mu Jiu, the eunuch waiting outside the tent, bowed slightly. "Your Highness, please restrain your grief."

Che Buchi of Daqiu Sect, Xie Longfei of Xuanbing Sect, and Gao Jianhou of Tianhuo Sect all stood nearby in silence with cupped hands.

Restrain his grief? Hao Zhen, who had just spread his arms to loosen his chest, froze. Slowly, he turned to look at Mu Jiu and waited for him to continue.

"Your Highness, a letter has arrived from home. The Princess Consort was assassinated at the prince's residence..." Mu Jiu's expression was grave as he carefully related the terrible news.

When he finished, the normally mild, deferential Hao Zhen seemed to become another man. His eyelids flew open, his eyes turning cold and murderous. A palpable killing intent seemed to radiate from his body, his bearing suddenly oppressive.

The Prince Ying before them now was utterly unlike the Prince Ying they saw in ordinary times.

His cheeks taut, Hao Zhen asked only one thing: "Who did it?"

Mu Jiu said, "We don't know yet. His Majesty is furious and has already unleashed a bloody purge throughout the capital to investigate the matter!"

Hao Zhen gave a cold, mirthless laugh. Then he suddenly barked, "Prepare the horses. We return to the capital!"

"Wait!" Che Buchi abruptly raised a hand to stop him. "Your Highness, you left the capital under imperial orders to carry out official duties. Returning without authorization would be inappropriate. The Princess Consort's death is indeed grievous, but Your Highness has endured patiently for so many years. How can you let all that effort fail now? This is not what the Princess Consort would have wished to see either. I ask Your Highness to consider the larger situation!"

Mu Jiu waved a hand. "Mr. Che, what do you mean by endurance? There is lesser endurance and greater endurance. Lesser endurance is something anyone can notice. True endurance is when no one even knows you are enduring. If something like this happens and His Highness still doesn't lose his head even once, then from His Majesty above to the court officials below, everyone may begin to see that His Highness is a man skilled at enduring."

"His Highness's decision is correct. He should go back. Making a small mistake doesn't matter. It may invite criticism, but at a time like this His Majesty will be forgiving. A prince who sometimes makes mistakes is precisely the kind of prince certain people can feel at ease around!"

Hearing this, Che Buchi fell briefly silent.

Xie Longfei nodded. "The Chief Steward speaks reasonably. I also support returning."

Gao Jianhou nodded as well. "The matter Niu Youdao entrusted to His Highness has already been completed. The territory of the State of Qi is vast, and this inventory of imperial estates cannot be finished in a year or even eighteen months. Staying away from the capital too long may not be a good thing. This is an excellent opportunity to return."

Mu Jiu cupped his hands toward Hao Zhen, then quickly turned and left to order the horses prepared.

Before long, the encampment was being struck. The advance party led by Hao Zhen was already thundering away at full gallop... Qingshan Commandery, Maolu Villa.

Niu Youdao's villa had never had a name before. "Maolu" was a name Guan Fangyi had come up with, carrying more than a little contempt for this poor, out-of-the-way backwater.

Contempt or not, she still had to live here obediently. And truth be told, life here was far freer and more comfortable than it had been in the Qi capital. There was no longer any need to play along with people for appearances. She could live as she pleased.

Later, Niu Youdao decided the name "Maolu" was rather good, so he kept it. A plaque was hung as well, bearing the two characters Maolu in his own hand.

Among the pavilions, Duan Hu returned from outside carrying a birdcage that held a Goldenwing. Niu Youdao and Guan Fangyi circled it, examining the bird.

This Goldenwing had been delivered by Xiaoyue Pavilion. The other side had accepted Niu Youdao's proposal and established a direct channel of communication with him. If anything important arose, they could use this Goldenwing to contact him. Naturally, this side had given Xiaoyue Pavilion a corresponding bird in return.

"There's no need to send this one to Wuliang Mountain. Keep it here," Niu Youdao said, rejecting Duan Hu's suggestion.

At the mention of Wuliang Mountain, Gongsun Bu happened to arrive. He brought news that the Princess Consort of Prince Ying had been assassinated, along with word of the turmoil the incident had unleashed in the Qi capital.

"The Princess Consort of Prince Ying was assassinated..." Niu Youdao murmured, somewhat puzzled.

Prince Ying Hao Zhen was not in the capital. The assassination had plainly been aimed at his wife herself.

What use was there in killing the Princess Consort? Who wanted her dead? The question lingered heavily in Niu Youdao's mind...

In Wu Calendar, Year 525, the Princess Consort of Prince Ying of the State of Qi was assassinated inside the prince's residence. Emperor Hao Yuntu flew into a rage and drenched the Qi capital in blood. Officials, merchants, commoners, and cultivators were all dragged into the affair. Hundreds of households were confiscated, thousands were slaughtered, and more than ten thousand people were sentenced to hard labor with the frontier armies.

Some truths could not be uncovered, but anyone who fell under suspicion suffered for it.

Xiaoyue Pavilion also sustained devastating losses. Hao Yuntu struck with the speed of thunder. Wherever the sovereign's command reached, cultivation sects large and small throughout Qi cooperated. Many Xiaoyue Pavilion strongholds inside Qi were uprooted, and numerous lower-level contact points were washed in blood.

Only then did Xiaoyue Pavilion realize, with a chill, that many of its people had already been under the court's surveillance. Blessing is where misfortune hides; misfortune is where blessing rests.

Shaken as they were, the people of Xiaoyue Pavilion could only console themselves this way. The blow had been painful, but hidden dangers had also been exposed. Perhaps that was not entirely a bad thing. Perhaps it would spare them worse trouble later. By the time the storm gradually subsided, several months had passed.

A carriage emerged from a side gate of the imperial palace. From time to time, coughing could be heard inside.

It wound through the streets of the capital, turning this way and that, before finally entering a courtyard.

A man in a black cloak descended from the carriage. When he pushed back his hood, the face revealed was Shao Pingbo's.

Shao Sansheng came out to receive him and accompanied him into the inner courtyard.

Once they were inside and Shao Sansheng had helped remove his cloak, he asked, "Eldest Young Master, did you manage to see the Qi Emperor?"

Shao Pingbo nodded. "It's settled. There will be no problem taking thirty thousand warhorses through the border. Arrange for people to begin purchasing them immediately."

"Wonderful!" Shao Sansheng was overjoyed. His admiration for the Eldest Young Master was heartfelt and complete.

Earlier, in the Zhao capital, Shao Pingbo had already secured Emperor Hai Wuji's agreement. Now he had persuaded Hao Yuntu as well. Thirty thousand warhorses could be driven openly through the State of Zhao and straight to Beizhou, eliminating the risks of sea transport. And purchasing the horses inside the State of Qi itself would not cost all that much.

Shao Sansheng cupped his hands deeply. "Eldest Young Master's ability truly leaves this old servant in admiration."

Shao Pingbo, however, showed little happiness. He replied calmly, "You praise me too much. Water without a source cannot flow for long. In the end, they agreed because Beizhou still has value to them. They don't want it to collapse so soon. I merely followed the course of events. There's nothing remarkable about that. Compared with Niu Youdao's business without any capital of his own, I'm far behind."

Had he known that Niu Youdao had not only done business without investing his own capital but had actually made a profit from it—had he known Niu Youdao had charged Shang Chaozong money while helping him—he might have coughed blood again.

Shao Sansheng hurriedly said, "It isn't the same. Someone else might not have succeeded at all, much less so smoothly. Otherwise, why would Eldest Young Master have traveled thousands upon thousands of li to come personally?"

"Cough, cough!" Shao Pingbo coughed twice and waved a hand, signaling there was no need for flattery. "There is another matter you should prepare for in advance. I proposed a marriage to Hao Yuntu, and Hao Yuntu agreed."

"Uh..." Shao Sansheng froze. His face filled with confusion. "A marriage? For whom?"

Shao Pingbo walked to a map. As he studied it, he answered calmly, "Prince Ying Hao Zhen has lost his wife. He cannot remain alone forever. Sooner or later, he will remarry. I proposed Liuer for the match."

"Ah!" Shao Sansheng was stunned.

Only now did he truly understand the purpose behind arranging the death of Prince Ying's wife. It had all been preparation for the Young Mistress.

"This... Eldest Young Master, will Young Mistress agree?"

Shao Pingbo said, "An elder brother is like a father. A daughter's marriage is naturally decided by her family."

Shao Sansheng grimaced. "Eldest Young Master, I'm afraid this is inappropriate. Young Mistress still hasn't forgotten Tan Yaoxian. You know her temper. If she truly marries into Prince Ying's residence and causes a scene, even a good thing may turn bad."

Shao Pingbo said, "I understand Liuer's temper better than you do, and I understand even better what needs to be done. Don't worry. I have my own way to make her marry here willingly and happily, then follow her husband's lead and live in harmony with Prince Ying."

Shao Sansheng hesitated. "Still, this concerns a daughter's marriage. Shouldn't we discuss it with Master?"

Shao Pingbo slowly turned to look at him. "Discuss it? Will he only be satisfied when the entire Shao family is dead? I've already secured Dachan Mountain's support. He will agree whether he wants to or not!"

"Tens of thousands of warhorses will be openly transported to Beizhou. Do you take the State of Han and the State of Yan for blind and deaf? Once a movement of that scale begins, how could the State of Yan and the State of Han possibly sit and watch us grow stronger? The two states may very well lose patience and attack Beizhou ahead of schedule."

"If Hao Yuntu announces the marriage at precisely that time, then attacking Beizhou would be a slap in the face of the State of Qi. Only with Hao Yuntu's support can Hai Wuji openly support Beizhou without worries behind him. Do you understand how important this marriage alliance is to Beizhou?"

Shao Sansheng lowered his head gloomily. He understood the reasoning, but even so, this was still...

Shao Pingbo saw what he was thinking. After coughing twice, he softened his tone. "Liuer is my own younger sister. She is the only sister I have. Before Mother died, she entrusted Liuer to me. I will not harm her. Everything I do is also for her good."

"Enough. I will give every side a satisfactory explanation for this matter. You don't need to worry. Help me change my appearance. It's time I went to see Sister Zhao."

With that, he walked to the dressing table and sat down. The bloody storm had passed. With the Prince of the Western Court backing it, Among the White Clouds remained as lively as ever. A carriage stopped outside, and several people emerged.

At their head was a young man whose hair had turned half white. He paused beneath the signboard of Among the White Clouds, looked up at it, then walked inside. It was Shao Pingbo, though a false mask concealed his face.

Qin Mian was moving through the front hall. The moment she saw Shao Pingbo and the others enter, her gaze shifted. She immediately stepped forward to greet them warmly and personally led them upstairs.

After making separate arrangements for the others, Qin Mian escorted Shao Pingbo alone into a private room. She swiftly shut the door, then pushed aside a cabinet, revealing a hidden door behind it. She extended a hand in invitation.

The two entered the secret passage one after the other. From inside, they pulled the cabinet back into place to conceal the entrance... Su Zhao, however, was flustered.

Shao Pingbo had come to the Qi capital without her knowing. The sudden message that he was coming to Among the White Clouds had startled her badly. No wonder she had heard that no one in Beizhou had seen Shao Pingbo appear for quite some time. So he had come to the Qi capital. What truly made her panic, though, was Yuan Gang beside her.

When he heard she had a guest coming, Yuan Gang simply refused to leave.

She had exhausted every gentle word and coaxing argument she could think of, but nothing worked. Yuan Gang would not go. What was she supposed to do? She could not bring herself to fall out with him either. Yuan Gang sat quietly to one side, drinking tea. Of course he would not leave so easily.

He had let his relationship with Su Zhao develop this far precisely because he wanted to uncover things. Now an opportunity had landed in front of him, and from Su Zhao's unease he immediately realized the visitor might be someone important. Naturally, he refused to go. With one question, he blocked every excuse she had.

"Are you going to meet the Prince of the Western Court in private?"

If not, then let him see who it was.

"Proprietress, Young Master Shao is here..." Qin Mian entered with Shao Pingbo and had barely announced him when she saw Yuan Gang still sitting there. She too was startled.

She could not help looking at Su Zhao with accusation and bewilderment in her eyes.

What was the woman doing? Why had she not sent Yuan Gang away? Why was she letting him sit here so calmly drinking tea? Was she unafraid of making trouble, or was she deliberately trying to provoke Shao Pingbo?

Had she gone mad?

[End of Chapter 387]