Chapter 23: Mother Won’t Come Back
Returning to the residence in the north city, Lan Qin immediately prepared the meal as instructed by Yue Tang and handed it to Xiao Huo who hurried back.
Subsequently, the news of Liu Shi’s death was brought back casually by Hua Lin when he returned to the residence after twists and turns.
After washing off the blood from her body, Yue Tang was writing the eulogy for A Li.
Xiao Huo, who had been keeping an eye on the Zhang Family, returned at this time.
“The Du Family just quietly brought He Hui out and also called Zhang Shaode to the mansion, arranging for him to go to Fei Yun Temple tonight to preside over the ritual they organized for the He Family to donate lineage.
“A quarter of an hour ago, Zhang Shaode had already set off with his entire family.”
Yue Tang stopped writing: “Did He Hui go with them?”
“He Hui never showed up.”
Yue Tang gazed at the darkening sky outside the window: “They bailed He Hui out and arranged a ritual for the He Family, but He Hui doesn’t show up and lets Zhang Shaode go instead. The Du Family is probably using He Hui to achieve some unspeakable purpose.
“Worst case, it might be a plan to kill two birds with one stone.
“But that’s fine too; it saves me the trouble.
“I originally thought it would take a day and night, but now one night is enough.”
She hung the brush back on the rack: “We’re going to Fei Yun Temple.
“Bring all those strainers, ropes, and such that you usually use for climbing over walls.”
Huo Yun followed: “The Du Family fell into the trap so easily; could it be a trick?”
Yue Tang stepped over the threshold without stopping: “Of course that’s possible.
“However, they miscalculated. Just Zhang Shaode alone isn’t qualified to pin me down.”
……
At dusk, several horse carriages that had set out from the Zhang Mansion were heading to Fei Yun Temple in the north of the city.
In the leading horse carriage, Zhang Shaode and his wife both had serious expressions.
When night fell, they were still uneasy, wondering if suddenly sending their daughter-in-law out of the city would arouse suspicion from the Du Family, when an attendant of the Marquis of Guangling came to invite Zhang Shaode to the mansion.
What a strong sense of a Hongmen Banquet.
Before leaving, Zhang Shaode even hid a weapon in his sleeve, preparing himself not to sit idly by if things went badly.
But unexpectedly, the Marquis of Guangling only asked him over for a dinner, with the meal set in the small garden. The wine was fine, the dishes were fine, and the servants around were fine.
Throughout the half hour, the Marquis of Guangling didn’t mention a word about sending his daughter-in-law out of the city.
He first cursed He Jianzhong a few times, expressing his frustration at an underling who didn’t live up to expectations, then became sentimental about losing a loyal subordinate.
Finally, he mentioned that he had donated a ritual at Fei Yun Temple to chant scriptures for deliverance for the wrongful deaths in the He Family and pray for blessings and disaster relief for the living.
“Now the disturbance is growing bigger, and it’s not suitable for me to show up personally, or it would definitely attract a lot of attention.
“If any leverage falls into their hands, neither you nor I will have a good end.
“So you go in my place, handle it with all your heart to fulfill the friendship between me and Jianzhong. How about it?”
With such a reasonable explanation, how could Zhang Shaode refuse?
Refusing would mean not giving face, rebelling, disobeying.
For a subordinate unwilling to obey, the Marquis’s Mansion had plenty of reasons to suppress and eliminate him.
So even knowing there might be a trap, Zhang Shaode had no choice but to jump into this pit.
After receiving the task and returning to the mansion, he arranged for his entire family to head to Fei Yun Temple.
The Zhang Family members currently in the mansion were only Zhang Shaode and his wife, Zhang Shaode’s second daughter, and two concubines.
Madam Zhang’s fingernails dug blood into her palm. After taking a deep breath for the umpteenth time, she looked at Zhang Shaode: “There must be a conspiracy here. Why didn’t you bring more people? Just sixteen—how is that enough?”
Zhang Shaode gloomily stared ahead: “If heaven wants me dead, even if I bring a hundred and sixty, I’ll still die.”
Madam Zhang exclaimed in shock: “Even knowing it’s a pit, do we still have to jump in?”
“What are you afraid of?” Zhang Shaode glanced at her. “On the surface, it’s sixteen people, but I’ve also arranged a few to hide in the shadows.
“I want to see just what the Du Family plans to do to me and how confident they are in putting me to death in one fell swoop.
“I’ve been in the military for years and am not someone to be easily pinned down. If they behave today, fine; if not, so what if I go all out?”
At this point, he suddenly pulled a shiny bronze token from his waist—it was exactly the Imperial City Commander Token found under He Jianzhong’s corpse.
Madam Zhang’s hands clenched to this point, and she let out a long breath, turning her face toward outside the car window.
Once the Zhang Family group entered the temple, several people quietly leaped down from the treetops outside the wall and swiftly blended into the crowd.
A Li had just recovered from his illness. Yan Bei took him to eat at noon and then to nap for a while.
When the sun slanted westward, the little one woke up first, sitting cross-legged on the bed alone, playing with Yan Bei’s loose hair. Tired of that, he poked at Yan Bei’s ears and nostrils.
Yan Bei simply got up. He fed him a meal and then took him to play with sand in the Chang Xuan to aid digestion.
A Li held up a chrysanthemum flower and poked it at his face.
“Father (Prince), flower, for Mother.”
Yan Bei took the flower in hand: “Where does Mother come from?”
“A Wang has Mother, Ru Yi has Mother, Mimi has Mother too. A Li wants Mother too.”
A Wang and Ru Yi were both children of guards in the Prince’s Mansion. Mimi was a cat.
Yan Bei turned his head to look at the wet nurse nearby.
The wet nurse came over at a loss: “Your Highness sees clearly; this servant absolutely did not teach the young heir apparent such words.”
Yan Bei withdrew his gaze: “Gao An.”
Gao An happened to arrive, and the wet nurse quickly carried A Li away.
“Did you teach him that?”
Gao An turned to look at A Li, who was still picking flowers nearby, and sighed inwardly: “How would this subordinate dare? It’s just that the young heir apparent is gradually becoming aware and wants a mother to dote on him; that’s human nature.”
Yan Bei snorted.
Turning to A Li: “Mother won’t come back. Later, we’ll burn some paper for her, and she’ll be very happy.”
A Li looked confused.
Yan Bei rubbed the flower with his finger and turned to ask: “What is it?”
Gao An hurriedly said: “The Marquis of Guangling summoned Zhang Shaode because he wanted him to go to Fei Yun Temple in place of the Du Family to preside over the ritual they organized for the He Family.
“However, there’s an ambush at Fei Yun Temple.
“After Zhang Shaode entered the temple, over a dozen black-clothed men ambushed around the temple.
“In addition, He Hui just slipped out of the Marquis’s Mansion under cover of night. He returned to the He Family, and soon after, a group of troops arrived at the He Family in three waves to rendezvous with him.
“We know it was a rendezvous because shortly after, they split into several groups heading toward Fei Yun Temple.
“He Hui came last, putting on his face covering only after leaving. He’s clearly the leader.”
Yan Bei’s hand pinching the flower stopped.
He tilted his head to look at Gao An.
After a long moment, he straightened his head and stared fixedly at the lake surface ahead: “The Du Family is targeting Zhang Shaode?”
Gao An nodded: “Obviously.”
Yan Bei walked a few steps and looked back at A Li: “Men.”
Two wet nurses came over.
“Take the young heir apparent to feed the ducks.”
The wet nurses coaxed A Li away.
Yan Bei shook off all the crushed chrysanthemum petals from his hand and glanced at Gao An: “Let’s go.”
Dear readers, the author has been traveling these past few days and is on the return trip today. Changing flights makes it inconvenient to write, so the update for the 19th will be moved to the afternoon or evening. Please forgive me.
