Chapter 447: The Trap

Mr. Su Mingzhe and the Princess did not discuss poetry for very long.

Young Mr. Su was a modest gentleman who strictly observed ritual propriety.

He left the pavilion early.

Afterward, Eunuch Zhao arranged a room for him inside the inner courtyard, and he went to sleep.

Hero Chen stayed in the room next door to Count Zheng.

That night—

Zheng Fan did not go find Hero Chen to chat.

Hero Chen did not come looking for Zheng Fan either.

Both men understood one thing very clearly.

Talking beneath the Swordsmith’s nose was simply too dangerous.

And although only one Swordsmith was visible on the surface there were almost certainly other experts hidden in the dark.

Possibly even experts no weaker than the Swordsmith.

At the end of the day the ruler of a state had left the capital incognito.

There was no chance his security arrangements would be shabby.

Count Zheng fell asleep quickly.

He also woke quickly.

The sky was still dark.

It was probably around three in the morning when he opened his eyes.

Whether in his previous life or this one, Zheng Fan had never possessed the habit of lying in bed after waking.

So once he was awake he simply got up.

The sky outside was still black.

Zheng Fan lit a candle and sat at the writing desk.

Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone had all been prepared there.

Count Zheng picked up the brush and began trying to “recall” a poem from memory:

Clouds bring her robes to mind; flowers, her face.

Count Zheng’s handwriting was actually decent.

He had possessed some foundation in his previous life and had practiced calligraphy.

In this life, whenever he had free time, he occasionally practiced as well.

Compared with genuine scholars, there was naturally a large gap.

His calligraphy could not be called especially good.

But in the eyes of ordinary people it was perfectly respectable.

“Clouds think of her robes; flowers think of her face.

“Clouds think of her robes; flowers think of her face...”

Count Zheng licked his lips.

What came next?

He could not remember.

And the Blind Man was not beside him.

So this poem ended after one line.

He rose.

Washed his face.

Inside the inner courtyard, apart from Eunuch Zhao, there were no idle servants.

So even water had to be fetched personally.

After washing—

Count Zheng sat down in the chair.

And fell into thought.

...

After daybreak, the Regent left together with the Swordsmith.

Count Zheng, accompanied by Eunuch Zhao, left the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard itself was quiet.

Outside, however the imperial villa was astonishingly busy.

Preparations for the wedding had already entered their final stage.

The scale of the decorations was enormous.

Little Sixth’s wedding had raised the market price.

Everyone here was marrying princes and princesses.

There was no need to imitate Little Sixth’s extravagance exactly but at the very least, the surface could not look too shabby.

And the Qu Clan had families like the Fan Clan constantly feeding it wealth from behind.

Naturally, silver could be burned without restraint.

This was merely an imperial villa.

In truth, it was only being used as a temporary “maiden household” for the Princess before she entered marriage.

The arrangements at the Qu Clan’s main residence in Ju’an City could only be grander.

Count Zheng walked while looking around.

He cracked sunflower seeds he had grabbed from Zhao Cheng and shook his head.

Alas.

The people’s blood and sweat.

At Snow Sea Pass, they had only barely managed to ensure everyone could survive this winter in decent shape.

Here they were burning wealth on a wedding like this.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to rob all of it and bring it home?

As he walked, Zheng Fan saw an acrobat troupe rehearsing ahead.

When he drew closer, he noticed a dwarf wearing colorful stage makeup, jumping and bouncing to the rhythm of gongs and drums.

Ever since meeting Xue San, Count Zheng had developed a peculiar affection for dwarfs.

And very quickly he discovered exactly where that affection came from this time.

Because the dwarf was running straight toward him.

It was Xue San.

Many times, Count Zheng could not help admiring himself.

Long ago, in order to ensure his subordinates could someday command separate fronts on their own, he had deliberately delegated authority so they would receive sufficient opportunities to train and grow.

So even though their Master was currently bouncing between the Fan Residence, the imperial villa, Zhou County, and then back to the imperial villa his subordinates could still arrange everything neatly and methodically.

Count Zheng and Xue San found a more secluded place and began conferring.

Zheng Fan told Xue San that the Regent had also appeared here.

Xue San replied that he already knew.

After all, the sudden appearance of the Imperial Clan Guards was politically sensitive enough that anyone with even a little awareness could guess something.

Immediately afterward—

Xue San took out three detailed plans for the day they would abduct the bride.

He let Count Zheng choose.

Wonderful.

A problem that had originally been extremely complicated became a simple multiple-choice question:

A.

B.

Or C.

Count Zheng chose **Plan A**.

Xue San immediately departed.

As Master—

Count Zheng could continue living leisurely.

But the Demon Kings had to shoulder the real burden.

Put differently—

Count Zheng **had** to remain leisurely.

Otherwise, all the Demon Kings’ frantic work would lose its meaning.

Xue San said he would notify Siniang, A’Ming, and the others.

As for Zheng Fan, what he needed to do was find another opportunity to meet the Princess and explain several details to her.

Of course, whether the plan succeeded or failed was inseparably tied to whether the Princess was willing to leave publicly with Count Zheng in full view of everyone.

Looked at from that angle—

Count Zheng’s task was actually the hardest.

And his responsibility the heaviest.

If he wanted to meet the Princess again, the best method was still to use poetry as the key.

“So what came after ‘Clouds bring her robes to mind; flowers, her face’?”

...

By evening, Count Zheng still had not remembered the next line.

But by then it no longer mattered.

Because that night, the Regent and the Swordsmith who had left during the day did not return.

Without them—

Count Zheng’s freedom increased enormously.

Qu Peiluo did not come either.

After all, the wedding was only three days away.

He could not possibly keep visiting every single day.

And once all those people were absent the inner courtyard the Princess’s sleeping hall might as well have been Count Zheng’s own home.

...

“The Imperial Clan Guards are still here.

“My imperial brother probably hasn’t left,” the Princess said.

Zheng Fan replied:

“Couldn’t he have left them behind to protect you?”

The Princess shook her head.

“No.

“If my brother were leaving, he would definitely tell me first.

“No matter how busy he was.”

“Then he probably went out to handle something and will return later.

“Maybe he intends to stay for your wedding.”

“No.

“My brother cannot afford to delay here for so many days because of me.

“For him to personally come see me before I marry was already extremely difficult.

“He would never deliberately stay several extra days just to wait until after my wedding before leaving.

“He is, after all, the Regent of Great Chu.”

“Mm.

“I understand.”

Zheng Fan’s gaze fell once again upon the Green Python.

From the first moment they met, this python had made its disdain for Zheng Fan perfectly obvious.

So Count Zheng genuinely wanted to see what expression this Green Python would have after the Princess brought it back to Count Pingye Residence as part of her dowry and introduced it to the Demon Kings.

He hoped it could continue maintaining that arrogance.

At that moment, Eunuch Zhao entered to deliver tea.

While pouring he spoke:

“My two masters.

“That great master— has returned.”

...

The Regent and the Swordsmith had returned.

At this moment, the Regent was sitting there drinking tea.

The Swordsmith held a small carving knife and was carving a wooden sword.

The Regent asked:

“Everything has been arranged properly?”

Without lifting his head, the Swordsmith continued carving and answered:

“Everything has been arranged.”

“If it is arranged too perfectly, that may not be good either.

“The fish might refuse to bite.”

“Your Highness can rest easy.

“If they miss this opportunity, they will never have another.

“They are more desperate than we are.”

“Heh.

“I truly did not expect them to dare make a move on the very day of Liqing’s wedding.

“Truthfully—

I had not originally intended to come.”

Because he knew his younger sister’s true feelings, after she grew older the Regent had deliberately begun keeping his distance from her.

For him to come see her now was actually an even greater cruelty to her.

The Swordsmith blew gently across the carved lines of the wooden sword.

“But Your Highness still came.”

“I came because they intend to create trouble here.”

“For most people, only the final result matters.

“They are not particularly interested in the cause or the process.

“In the end, Your Highness is physically here now.

“So their arrangements and calculations were not wrong.

“They can continue exactly as planned.”

“Even I find it absurd.

“How do they dare?”

“When a dog is cornered, even it jumps over a wall.

“Much less that person.

“Still— this style fits him perfectly.

“He likes walking the edge of the blade.

“Taking unorthodox routes.

“Striking where nobody expects.”

“That is true.”

“Your Highness can rest assured.

“This time— they will not escape.

“Everything lies within Your Highness’s grasp.”

“No.”

The Regent placed his teacup down.

“I still think we should not wait until Liqing’s wedding day to close the net.

“I do not want her wedding disturbed.”

Hearing this, the Swordsmith nodded.

“So Your Highness wishes to move early?”

“One day early.

“Resolve everything beforehand.

“Then Liqing can marry magnificently, smoothly, and without disturbance.

“As her elder brother— this is about the only thing I can still do for her.

“But I fear that if Liqing learns the truth— she may hate me even more.”

“Her Highness the Princess is exceptionally intelligent.

“She will understand Your Highness.

“And regardless of everything else—

Her Highness will only ever stand on Your Highness’s side.

“After all, all of this is being done for Great Chu’s stability and future.”

“These are words I can say only to you.

“Ever since Father Emperor died, I have understood the feelings of that Emperor of Yan more and more.

“Fortunately— he has Tian Wujing and Li Liangting.

“And I have you.”

The Swordsmith set the wooden sword aside.

He looked at the Regent.

“Your Highness—

I cannot imitate Tian Wujing.”

The Regent pointed at him.

“You.

“Still the same as ever.”

The Swordsmith brushed one hand through his long hair and shook his head.

“I still prefer staying inside the sword-forging workshop.

“The kind where I do not need to come out even once for an entire year.”

The Regent sighed.

“But who in this world can truly put down everything and become a wandering crane among idle clouds?”

The Swordsmith exhaled.

“Then I will go rearrange matters now.

“We move tomorrow.”

The Regent nodded.

His voice sank.

“Once this matter is settled, and after Tian Wujing withdraws from Zhennan Pass—

I can ascend the throne.”

The title of Regent could finally be removed.

He could formally reign over Great Chu.

“Truthfully, calling you ‘Your Highness’ feels smoother than calling you ‘Your Majesty.’”

“You can call me Elder Brother the way you did when we were children.”

“And you say you do not want me imitating Tian Wujing.

“No.

“It is better if we remain ruler and subject.

“I handle matters for you.

“You preserve wealth and honor for me and my clan.

“Clear.

“Straightforward.

“That is better.”

The Regent slowly clenched one fist.

“In any case— this time, we cannot give Old Fifth and the person beside him even the slightest chance again.”

————

[End of Chapter 447]