Zhang Song panicked for a moment and quickly turned to Emperor Wu. "Your old servant has been utterly loyal to Your Majesty, heaven and earth as my witness, I..."
"Nobody is talking about you." Ning Yuanzhou's voice cut Zhang Song off.
Though full of anger, Zhang Song had nowhere to vent it; the frustration choked his chest.
"Why did our army fail back then in the Anwu War? Aside from you condoning Zhao Ji's destruction of Liudao Hall's eyes and ears, and aside from Your Majesty's faulty decisions..."
"Lord Ning, you are too audacious!" Zhang Song was already sweating profusely. He cautiously glanced sideways at Emperor Wu, though he saw no trace of anger on the emperor's face.
"That was all because eunuchs usurped state power and leaked military secrets!" Zhang Song was still trying to salvage the situation.
"Right, you are entirely correct. But how can you be sure that there is only one power-usurping eunuch in the imperial court today? Eunuch Li, Eunuch Wang, Eunuch Zhao, or perhaps Lord Li, Lord Zhang?"
At Ning Yuanzhou's words, all the fight went out of Zhang Song.
Dawu had been plagued by deep-seated problems for years, riddled with leaks both inside and out. This was precisely why the diplomatic mission had faced crises at every step of their journey, with factions both in and out of court plotting their own agendas.
After crossing into the borders of Wu Kingdom, Qian Zhao and his companions disguised themselves as a merchant caravan, concealing their tracks and traveling slowly all the way, finally allowing Ning Yuanzhou to catch up with them.
During the months they had been away, Liudao Hall had not been idle either. Under Ning Yuanzhou's instructions, the remaining members led by Ding Hui had quietly carried out a silent internal audit.
They repeatedly leaked information directed toward different branches, followed by sudden, tight blockades, and finally used two pieces of false news to catch two insiders who had slipped away in the dead of night—one heading to Prince Danyang's residence, and the other into the palace.
Ning Yuanzhou's years of managing Liudao Hall finally proved reliable in this moment of crisis. The group had thus slipped quietly into Liudao Hall's Wu Capital headquarters without a sound.
At this moment, the expressions of Emperor Wu and Zhang Song were indescribably unsightly. Who could have imagined that the two most powerful figures in Wu Kingdom would be lectured by Ning Yuanzhou to the point of not daring to raise their heads?
"Then, Lord Ning, what should be done now? If I suddenly reveal myself, then he..." Emperor Wu asked, seeking Ning Yuanzhou's counsel.
In truth, everyone could guess that once Prince Danyang resolved to ascend the throne, the moment Emperor Wu dared to show his face, the prince would dare to...
"In that case, we should use the influence of Liudao Hall to further investigate the Six Ministries. His Majesty's return to the throne must be absolutely foolproof!" Zhang Song said.
"No, there's no time. Prince Danyang will not leave us time; he will likely make a move within these few days." Ning Yuanzhou pondered for a moment. "Since he wants to ascend the throne as emperor, why shouldn't we go along with his wishes?"
"Lord Ning, you are insolent!" Zhang Song was about to flare up again when Emperor Wu waved a hand to halt Zhang Song's shouting. "What does Lord Ning mean?"
"The moment the prey is gripped tightly in the jaws is the best time to kill the tiger."
***
That night, before everyone retired to rest, Qian Zhao went to Emperor Wu's chambers to check his pulse as usual, only to find that Ning Yuanzhou was still inside the room.
Ning Yuanzhou had originally had no intention of avoiding him, but unexpectedly Emperor Wu spoke up first. "Lord Ning, you should go rest first. Qian Zhao is here, and that's enough."
Surprised, Ning Yuanzhou exchanged a glance with Qian Zhao before heading out the door. Qian Zhao still wore his usual sour expression, and Ning Yuanzhou could not read anything from it.
Ning Yuanzhou stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind him. Qian Zhao took the pulse in silence, said nothing, and then prepared some restorative herbs which Emperor Wu consumed without the slightest hesitation.
Without a single superfluous word, Qian Zhao packed up his medical box and walked out, not even offering a formal farewell. Yet Emperor Wu seemed accustomed to this demeanor.
He had barely taken a few steps outside when Ning Yuanzhou, arms crossed over his chest, was waiting for him at the corner.
The two of them, one after the other, vaulted onto the roof using lightness skills—undoubtedly an ideal spot for a conversation.
"Speak, what is going on?" Ning Yuanzhou asked.
"What do you mean, what is going on?" Qian Zhao asked in return instead of answering.
"I am asking about His Majesty's health. You have been the one taking care of him all this time."
"His Majesty has suffered from heavy anxiety over these past few months, and when he escaped, he also sustained severe internal injuries. The arduous journey on the road gave him no chance to rest properly, and now he has to tax his mind day and night..."
"Get to the point. I have no time to play word games with you." Ning Yuanzhou's tone turned stern.
"His foundation has been damaged; he is unlikely to live out his natural span," Qian Zhao said flatly, his tone seemingly devoid of emotional fluctuation.
Ning Yuanzhou was so shocked he was momentarily speechless, not knowing what to say.
"He asked me to keep it secret and not mention it to anyone else."
Ning Yuanzhou was momentarily dazed. "Then why did you just tell me?"
"I didn't mention it to you. You asked me, so I answered," Qian Zhao replied with a completely straight face.
The moonlight was lovely at that moment. Ning Yuanzhou and Qian Zhao sat side by side on the ridge of the roof, remaining silent for a long time.
In truth, Ning Yuanzhou could understand why Emperor Wu was unwilling to reveal his physical condition. After all, this was the crucial juncture of returning to court, and exposing one's weaknesses was undoubtedly courting death.
Yet, now that he knew, Ning Yuanzhou found it hard not to worry—to worry about the future of Dawu...
***
"Don't you think it's a bit strange for two grown men to be sitting up here?" Qian Zhao said.
"Is it?"
"It is." With that, Qian Zhao rose, leaped down from the roof, and left Ning Yuanzhou sitting alone up there to brave the cold wind.
Left by himself in the bright moonlight, Ning Yuanzhou cast aside thoughts of state affairs, and Ren Ruyi's figure instantly sprang into his mind.
I wonder if Ruyi, far away in An Kingdom, is also looking at this moon, and whether she might think of me.
Under the moonlight, Ruyi leaned against the window, raised her wine flask, and let a sip of warm wine slide into her mouth.
Ruyi looked down at the wine flask in her hand with some confusion just as Yang Ying happened to walk over.
"Marquis Changqing said that since your internal injuries have not fully healed, drinking a little wine can help relieve the pain, but cold wine harms the body. That's why every single flask in this room has been filled with warm wine."
As she spoke, Yang Ying casually picked up a wine flask from the table and took a gulp straight from it. The bitter taste of the wine made Yang Ying instantly furrow her brows; truly, she still couldn't get used to drinking it.
"Drink slowly," Ruyi said, looking at A-ying and shaking her head with a helpless smile.
"When did Wuer come?"
"He came this evening. You were resting at the time, so I didn't come to disturb you. He brought news, saying the Emperor of An has already made a public announcement that he has released His Imperial Brother and is only temporarily keeping me in An to play the guest."
"So, he hasn't made your identity as princess public yet?" Ruyi mused. That Emperor of An was truly an old and cunning fox. When A-ying claimed she wanted to be his queen in An, he hadn't refused, yet he also deliberately maintained her status as the Prince Li of Dawu.
"That's right. He hasn't issued any imperial decree either, just leaving me stranded here."
"If Yang Xingyuan returns smoothly to Dawu, the political situation there will likely undergo another upheaval. He is waiting—waiting for the situation in Dawu to clear up so he can truly see the value of you, a princess of Dawu," Ruyi said.
"Then, Sister Ruyi, doesn't this mean that before His Imperial Brother successfully returns to court, I am still safe?" Yang Ying blinked her eyes.
Ruyi nodded with a comforting smile. "Yes, that's right."
However, what Ren Ruyi did not say was this: once the Emperor of An concluded that Yang Ying held no value for the future monarch of Dawu, would her value as a princess still be enough to support her position as the Empress of An?