Chapter 18: 18

Zhao Yelan examined the corpses on the spot. There was gold thread on the collars, so there was no doubt that they were Gold Collar Guards.

There were twelve people in total, exactly one team, and all of them were cut down by Yan Mingting. As for the group of people that Gao Tan went after, they should be others creating difficulties. 

He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked to the sedan chair. Looking at the group of trembling bearers, he asked: “Are you certain it was the men in black who escaped?”

“Yes, yes,” one of the more courageous ones replied: “Then your servant chased after them, my lord. They are all, all very powerful…..”

Zhao Yelan said: “Go home.”

Some of the bearers were so frightened that they had collapsed on the ground. When they heard the order, they got up unsteadily and hurried back, carrying the sedan chair with pale faces.

The mansion was preparing dinner. Housekeeper Qin saw him return and asked cautiously: “Is there anything that you want to eat tonight?”

“I won’t eat.”

“One must eat to live, how can you not eat?” Housekeeper Qin followed behind him, earnestly explaining the importance of sustenance.

“Yan Mingting went to rescue Gao Tan,” Zhao Yelan said suddenly.

“Ha?”

“Still want me to eat?” Zhao Yelan turned around and asked.

Housekeeper Qin sucked in a deep breath and immediately went to summon the people in the mansion, rushing out of the gate in a grandiose manner and a short while later turning back again: “My lord, may I ask where our General is now?”

“How would I know?” Zhao Yelan went to the study room and picked up a book to read. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the trembling servants at the door. “What are you doing here, don’t you have work that needs to be done?”

Housekeeper Qin waved his hand to drive the others back, and asked: “My lord, are you not worried about the General at all?”

“There is nothing to worry about, isn’t he a master of martial arts?” Zhao Yelan said calmly.

Housekeeper Qin had no choice but to go back to the front courtyard, standing at the gate and looking around from time to time.

It wasn’t until late at night, when the moon and stars were scarce, that Housekeeper Qin sat on the threshold and dozed off. Hearing the sound of hoofbeats, he stood up in a panic and saw Yan Mingting returning with Gao Tan.

“Aiya, General, you’re back. Nothing happened, did it?” 

“It’s fine.” Yan Mingting handed his horse over to the servants. “Where is Zhao Yelan?”

“Furen has been worrying about you, he didn’t even eat dinner.” Housekeeper Qin thought for a moment and added, “But Furen has confidence in you, he firmly believes that you are strong in martial arts and will bring Xiao Gao back, so he has been reading in the study. Perhaps he has fallen asleep.”

“I see, you go get a doctor.” Yan Mingting took Gao Tan to the bedroom, but Zhao Yelan was already asleep.

“My lord always goes to bed early,” Gao Tan whispered.

“Okay, you go back to your room to rest first, and let the doctor check on you later,” Yan Mingting said.

“Many thanks, General, for saving my life.” Gao Tan stepped back obediently.

Yan Mingting stood in the room for a long time, staring at the figure’s back, and quietly prepared to go to bed.

After everything returned to silence and darkness, Yan Mingting called softly: “Zhao Yelan, I have something to tell you.”

No response.

“Are you really asleep?”

The person on the bed remained motionless.

Yan Mingting sighed lightly, thinking of all that had happened today, and fell asleep with complicated emotions.

After hearing the sound of even breathing, Zhao Yelan opened his eyes, stared into the dark for a while, and then fell asleep peacefully.

The sky was slightly bright the next day, and when Zhao Yelan woke up, Yan Mingting had already gone to court.

Hearing a brief knock on the door, he responded, “Come in.”

“My lord, I’m back.” Gao Tan pushed the door open and entered. Seeing him sitting up, he stepped forward to gather clothes for him to change into.

“Hmm.” Zhao Yelan looked sideways at him. “Are you injured?’

“A little flesh wound.” Gao Tan patted his chest. “The group of people whipped me, then took out money to tempt me, and I recruited.”

“What did you recruit for?”

“According to your orders, if one is kidnapped and questioned, one should just pretend to confess, mixing the true with the false,” Gao Tan said. “It’s just that this group of people was a bit strange.”

Yesterday Gao Tan was guarding beside the sedan chair, and saw Yan Mingting suddenly rush into the bamboo forest and start fighting with the men in black. Just when he was debating whether to reveal his skills and help, another group of men in black slowly appeared, clearly running towards him, and he couldn’t avoid it even if he tried. 

After chasing him out of the bamboo forest, these men tied him up, blindfolded him, and took him to a woodshed.

The group covered their faces and threatened him to tell the truth. He refused, so they lashed him with a whip. He refused again, and these people looked at each other, but after a long time, didn’t give him a second lash.

It made him a little depressed. It was written in books that there would be many kinds of torture and he would be beaten to confess. He was ready to beg for mercy, but the group of people stopped beating him.

“A man came from behind and stood outside the door. He threw a large bag of silver ingots through it and told me to be obedient, and that I could get more treasures in the future, so I at once seized the opportunity to be recruited.” After Gao Tan finished speaking he asked with a smile, “My lord, am I not clever?”

Zhao Yelan shook his head helplessly and smiled. It was only because he met these particular kidnappers that he didn’t suffer. He got dressed, sat down at the table, and asked, “Tell me carefully, what did they ask you?’

“They asked me how long I’ve been with you.”

“How did you answer?”

“I told the truth, that I’ve followed you since I was twelve. Then they asked me who your enemies were. I told them all the officials I knew the names of, some true and some false, making them confused,” Gao Tan said proudly.

Zhao Yelan nodded.

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“They also asked me if I knew a boy named Bao Lun.”

“Bao Lun?” Zhao Yelan frowned slightly.

“En, I didn’t know who that was, so I just said I didn’t know. Then they asked me if twelve years ago, you had ever been in a military camp or were proficient with poisons.” Gao Tan said, “I told them I was not your servant at the time, so I didn’t know.”

“Twelve years ago……” Zhao Yelan’s eyes narrowed. Recalling the major events that had happened twelve years ago, he took out a brush and paper and started to record everything that had left an impression.

In the end, there were only two points that could be connected with the General’s Mansion.

One was that General Yan died for his country, and his body was sent back to the capital for a state funeral. 

The second was the death of Yan Mingting’s first fiance, and the rumors that began to spread in the capital.

It seemed that what Yan Mingting wanted to investigate was related to these two matters. Zhao Yelan poured a cup of tea, moistened his throat, and continued to inquire: “Did they ask you anything else?”

“Oh yes, they asked another question,” Gao Tan said. “The leader asked me through the door, ‘what is your lord’s attitude toward General Yan?’”

“Childish.” The corner of Zhao Yelan’s mouth twitched. He picked up the teacup as if nothing had happened, sneered, and drank tea leisurely. “So what did you say?”

“Of course I said that my lord likes General Yan the most!”

“Pfft –”

“My lord, what’s wrong!” Gao Tan took the teacup in a panic. “It’s not even hot.”

Zhao Yelan stiffly took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the liquid from the corners of his mouth, looking at him coldly: “Who told you to say that?”

“Was it not my lord who wanted me to give a half-true answer?” Gao Tan looked innocent. “I was worried that it was someone seeking revenge, so I spoke about your good relationship with the General. That should make them a little apprehensive, right? The General is very good, and I like him very much.”

Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows: “Do you know that the person who kidnapped you is……never mind. When you said that, did he believe it?”

“He didn’t believe it at first, but the man asked me what evidence I had that you like General Yan.”

Zhao Yelan gazed at him, motionless.

Gao Tan said honestly: “I lied to him and said that although you have a sharp mouth, my lord, you have a tofu heart. Every time the General goes to morning court, you can’t sleep. The General likes to wield swords and spears, and you are worried and tense. The General loves to raise chickens and fish, and you happen to like to eat the chicken and fish that he butchers with his own hands. Such a good man as the General, so handsome, isn’t it natural for you to like such a man?”

“……………..” Zhao Yelan clenched his fists slowly. “Did he believe it?”

“He believed it, he said I was right.” Gao Tan glanced at him and asked curiously, “My lord, is the mastermind truly looking for revenge?”

Zhao Yelan slapped the table and looked at him with a complicated expression. While he was thinking about how to educate this kid, he heard the servants say that the General had returned to the mansion.

Yan Mingting headed straight toward the bedroom in high spirits, walking with ease and humming a little tune. As soon as he walked to the door, he saw Zhao Yelan sitting at the table, only having time to change his clothes but not put up his hair. He smiled and blurted out: “You couldn’t sleep, so you got up and waited for me?”

“…….”

Zhao Yelan had nothing to say, so with a straight face, he ordered a maid to come over and tie up his hair.

“Gao Tan is back, did you know?” Yan Mingting asked.

Zhao Yelan nodded: “He just came back and went to his room to apply medicine. His back is injured, and it is inconvenient for him to apply medicine himself. Why don’t you go help him?”

I’m afraid I can’t help but sprinkle salt on the wound,  Zhao Yelan silently condemned.

“I’ll ask Uncle Qin to go over and help.” Yan Mingting went out for a while, and when he returned, Zhao Yelan had already tied up his hair and was bending over to pick up a sachet in front of the bronze mirror. His waist was slender, as if Yan Mingting could wrap his hands around it.

Yan Mingting stepped forward curiously, raised his hands, and measured his waist in the air.

As soon as Zhao Yelan turned around, he saw that he seemed to be trying to grasp him, and asked angrily: “What are you doing?”

Yan Mingting smiled guiltily and put his hands behind his back. Pretending to be coquettish, he walked to the table, opened the collar of his robes dashingly, and sat down confidently with his back straight: “So, I have something to tell you……I know that I am handsome and humble, as well as meticulous and thoughtful, which naturally causes people to admire me. You don’t have to be shy, let alone pretend to be strong……”

“You’re not awake yet, ba.” Zhao Yelan grabbed a sachet and threw it at his forehead.

After Yan Mingting took the sachet, the corners of his mouth turned up and he said meaningfully: “Do you know what it means to give a sachet?”

“……” Zhao Yelan’s expression froze. He walked over and snatched the sachet back.

Yan Mingting was all smiles, and couldn’t help but turn his head to look into the bronze mirror not far away.

Zhao Yelan sat opposite him, and said slowly: “What did you mean just now? Are you saying I have feelings toward you? Why do you have this illusion?”

Yan Mingting paused, then said with a guilty conscience: “I just guessed.”

“Then stop guessing, I don’t like you,” Zhao Yelan said.

Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows with an expression of, “you continue to pretend.”

Zhao Yelan: “……”

He truly couldn’t wash himself clean even if he jumped into the Yellow River.[1] At this time, he couldn’t directly say that Gao Tan was the person he deliberately sent to be kidnapped in order to gather information.

After thinking for a moment, he asked lightly: “By the way, how did your first fiance die? Did you have a close relationship with her? Were there feelings involved?”

“Vinegar, isn’t this just vinegar!”[2] Yan Mingting had a sudden realization and couldn’t help smiling. “You say you don’t like me and then start to drink old vinegar, ba.”

Zhao Yelan: “……”

 

[1] This idiom means that he has already been labeled and is unable to remove the stigma from his name. ⮐

[2] Drinking vinegar means “being jealous.” ⮐

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