Chapter 24: 24

After returning home, Zhao Yelan did not spare a glance for Yan Mingting.

Yan Mingting was self-aware of his guilt. While the other was taking a bath, he conscientiously stood outside the door and apologized: “Sorry, I was wrong, I will never pretend to be drunk again. I was just playing around for a while, disregard this villain, my lord. Forgive me this time?”

“General, what are you doing?” Housekeeper Qin passed by with a broom.

“Cough.” Yan Mingting immediately stood up straight, put his hands on his hips, and looked up and around. “Nothing, I just came out to look at the stars.”

Housekeeper Qin raised his head: “It’s so dark, how can there be stars?”

Yan Mingting: “Then I’m looking at the moon.”

“Then you continue to appreciate it, ba. I’ll deliver some food for the Furen. Before going out today, he said that he wanted to eat jujube cake.”

“What are you waiting for, go get it quickly,” Yan Mingting urged, and when Housekeeper Qin returned, he directly took the snack from his hands. “Just leave it to me, Uncle Qin, you can go rest.”

He stood at the door with the snack for a while before the door opened.

Zhao Yelan refused to look at him, standing at the door and calling Xiao Gao, who brought someone to take the basin away.

Only then did Yan Mingting enter the room cautiously and wave the snacks in front of his eyes for a special purpose: “You’re tired, ba. Have something to eat.”

“Won’t eat.” Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance, lay down on the bed, and prepared to go to sleep.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat it?” Yan Mingting picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and said with gusto: “Mmm~ It’s delicious~”

“……”

Yan Mingting ate several in a row, and there was a faint sweet smell in the air.

Zhao Yelan couldn’t endure anymore and sat up, glaring at him.

Yan Mingting offered the plate forward: “No matter how angry you are, you need to eat, ah. Who’s to blame if you get hungry?”

Zhao Yelan’s stomach rumbled, and he really wanted to block his damn mouth.

Yan Mingting was truly capable. Every time his mood improved slightly, he could anger him again in the next moment.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He furiously picked up a piece of jujube cake and stuffed it into his mouth, but accidentally choked on it and coughed uncontrollably.

“Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you. These are all yours.” Yan Mingting patted him on the back.

After finally slowing down, Zhao Yelan began to eat quietly, and then said: “Stay away from me, you smell like alcohol. It stinks to death.”

Yan Mingting obediently put the plate beside the bed and stood a little farther away, then spoke about proper business: “I’ve already found the men that you wanted. When will you start to help me find out the truth?”

“What is the hurry? Can an old case be solved in such a short time?” Zhao Yelan calmly picked up a second jujube cake. “What does that boy named Bao Lun have to do with the matter?”

Yan Mingting couldn’t help leaning forward again, and was glared at by Zhao Yelan. He explained: “Careful, the walls have ears. It’s safer to speak closer. This Bao Lun was a servant who used to take care of my father, and he had always been loyal. After my father was injured, he was the one who oversaw his medicine. He put poison in the medicine, which eventually caused my father to fall on the battlefield and be killed by the enemy. Afterwards, this boy returned to Beijing with the team that transported my father’s body, and then disappeared. After being caught some time ago, he admitted that an overwhelmingly powerful person had instructed him to do it, but because the lives of his family were in the hands of that person, he refused to reveal anything and committed suicide.”

“Overwhelmingly powerful……so you suspected me?” Zhao Yelan asked.

Yan Mingting smiled and offered him a cup of hot water: “Come, eating too many pastries will make your mouth dry. Did you think you would not be suspected in this matter?”

Zhao Yelan took a sip of water and said, “Perhaps he was talking about someone who was powerful when your father died.”

Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment, then gave him more water: “You’re so clever! So is there anyone you suspect?”

“Hm……take it away.” Zhao Yelan, who was forcibly poured more water, said in disdain, “That’s too much. The late emperor was cruel by nature, and many officials tried their best to gain his favor by cruel means, but there were also people who offended him, and there were often big changes in personnel.”

“So what can be done?”

“We’ll go to Bao Lun’s house first to check the situation,” Zhao Yelan said. “Perhaps there is another person who can be of help to us.”

“Who?”

“The Prime Minister.”

“Li Jinyu? Isn’t he only good at reciting poems and doesn’t care about the affairs of the court at all?” Yan Mingting said. “Even though you were demoted, he didn’t take the opportunity to take over your operations, and still recited poems and wrote essays. The Emperor has not appointed a Deputy Prime Minister after a long time, and almost everything is taken care of by the Emperor himself.”

“The position of Deputy Prime Minister will temporarily not exist,” Zhao Yelan said.

In the year since Zhao Xuan ascended the throne, he had been stabilizing his court and had gradually won the trust of the courtiers. Now that he had finally transferred the power to himself, he would not delegate power easily.

Yan Mingting gave him a meaningful look: “You suspected this early on. That’s why you agreed so quickly when you were dismissed, so as to hide your strength and bide your time?”

Zhao Yelan smiled faintly.

He knew Zhao Xuan too well. Once the throne was firmly established, Zhao Xuan would start to carry out drastic reforms, starting with the courtiers, and establish his own center of power. This was necessary in order to both restrain and strengthen each other.

This art of checks and balances was exactly what he had taught Zhao Xuan in the past.

Yan Mingting only felt that the water inside was very deep. Although he knew that Zhao Yelan didn’t care about his dismissal, when he saw that he knew everything like the back of his hand, he admired him from the bottom of his heart. He was sitting here plainly weak and lacking in strength, but had clear insight into the court.

“Then according to what you’ve said, Li Jinyu’s power exists in name only, so how can he help us? Shall he compose a poem for us?”

“Stupid.” Zhao Yelan knocked on his forehead. “He has been an official for three generations, don’t you think he could know more?”

“That’s true.” Yan Mingting nodded.

“And don’t think that he is only capable of writing a few poems. In terms of great wisdom, there are truly few people in the entire court who can match him. He is the one who knows best how to hold the middle ground. He has been an official for three generations, promoted step by step, and has also protected the prosperity of his Li family.”

Yan Mingting suddenly realized that when he was in court, he usually only saw Li Jinyu’s various excuses and felt that this person was pedantic and incompetent. But if he was really incompetent, how could he have gotten all the way to the position of Prime Minister?

Even Zhao Yelan, who had been working for Zhao Xuan since he was a child, was demoted one year after Zhao Xuan ascended the throne.

It was truly admirable that Li Jinyu could survive three generations and was able to be promoted safely when the previous five princes competed for the throne so fiercely.

“But how can he help us? We just beat up his son,” Yan Mingting said.

“Why be anxious, it was his son’s fault that we beat him. Just wait, he will take the initiative to come to our door.” Zhao Yelan ate and drank enough, and then lay down again.

“Could it be that you planned to beat Li Yucheng just now?”

“That’s right, but I have wanted to beat him for a while. Sooner or later, he would have to suffer.” Zhao Yelan yawned.

Yan Mingting looked at his back for a while, then suddenly said: “Zhao Yelan, it’s really good to have been able to marry you.”

Zhao Yelan stiffened slightly, then turned his head to look at him doubtfully.

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“If this marriage didn’t work out, I don’t know if I would be plotted against by you to die someday.” Yan Mingting laughed.

“……” Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. “If you dare to disturb my sleep again, I will kill you tonight.”

Yan Mingting immediately lay down on the ground: “Sleeping. See you tomorrow.”

The next day, Gao Tan went to buy fruit and came back, happily telling Zhao Yelan about the excitement outside: “Last night, Li Yucheng’s servant went back to the mansion to inform the Prime Minister, and he quickly led people to rescue Li Yucheng back. The common people were laughing at Li Yucheng, saying that his face was swollen like a pig’s head.”

“That was a light punishment.”

If Yan Mingting hadn’t shown mercy, he would have been killed with one punch.

A few days later, it was the day of the Imperial examinations. There were officers and soldiers guarding the examination hall, and common people were waiting outside.

Zhao Yelan didn’t take Gao Tan with him when he went out, and followed Yan Mingting and his group to the house where Bao Lun lived. It was said to be a house, but it was actually a wing room rented from a family. It was a bit dilapidated and the building was full of firewood, with little room to live.

These days, Yan Mingting had sent people to patrol the area covertly, but no suspicious person had been seen.

Zhao Yelan picked up a wooden stick and looked around carefully, saying: “These should be his tools to guard against thieves. There are many traces of friction on them, indicating that they were used often.”

“But public security in this area is very strict, so why use it so often?” Zhong Yuehong asked.

“That means he had a guilty conscience. He was afraid of enemies knocking on the door in the middle of the night, so he made many preparations,” Zhao Yelan said. “Since his family members aren’t here, there must be some correspondence or traces left behind. Search carefully.”

The seven or eight people searched all over the room, and when Yan Mingting passed by a window, he abruptly paused: “Does this count?”

Zhao Yelan walked over and saw a small groove on the window sill, like a wire had been embedded in it. He walked out the door, observed the wall for a while, and said: “His family is likely already gone.”

Everyone was stunned.

“Why do you say that?” Yan Mingting asked.

“This groove should be the evidence they left behind when they sent messages. But looking around here, it is worn and decayed, which shows that it has been a long time since anyone has passed a message.”

Another trail was blocked, and everyone was inevitably discouraged. Yan Mingting sighed, then cheered up and said: “Let’s go to eat first, and we will have the strength to continue searching after we’re full.”

The group of people walked in the direction of Huichun Tower just as the Imperial examination ended. A large group of people poured out, and the streets instantly became crowded.

As Zhao Yelan walked, he was inadvertently separated by the crowd. Yan Mingting was surrounded by his subordinates, talking about the matter just now, and didn’t notice that he had fallen behind.

Zhao Yelan was hit at the waist by a child who wasn’t paying attention to the road. He took a few steps back, pressed his stomach, and heard someone behind him ask: “Are you all right?”

Zhao Yelan turned his head and saw that it was Wang Guisheng, whom he had only met a few days ago. He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

“Let’s go to the side first, there are many people here.” Wang Guisheng squeezed a path for him and brought him under the big tree by the side of the road. Only then did he have a chance to breathe.

“Many thanks.”

Wang Guisheng was still surprised, seeing that his form was thin and weak as he took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and cough into. He didn’t seem to be as scary as the rumors said.

“How was the written test?” Zhao Yelan met his eyes and smiled lightly, like a spring breeze blowing over a green branch, glowing with vitality.

Wang Guisheng was stunned for a moment, then replied: “It was fine, but I don’t know if the examiner will approve it.”

“Why? Were you really so bold as to remonstrate and criticize again?” Zhao Yelan smiled.

Compared with the last time, Wang Guisheng was more courageous now and nodded calmly: “Yes.”

“No matter, the head examiner is not better than you. Don’t worry.”

Having been encouraged by him, Wang Guisheng had mixed feelings, and seeing that he was coughing badly, he couldn’t help but step forward. He didn’t know what to do, and while he was lost in thought, a figure suddenly appeared beside him and rushed towards Zhao Yelan, patting him on the back: “Why are you over here? I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Wang Guisheng took a closer look and saw that the man had a tall figure and an extraordinary and dignified appearance. His hair was half-tied, and the tail of his hair blew in the wind, brushing Zhao Yelan’s fair cheeks. Zhao Yelan’s expression suddenly became more lively as he glanced at him and said meanly: “Do you still have me in your eyes?”

“How could I not, didn’t I come around to look for you as soon as I found out you were gone? I didn’t expect you to be with this……” Yan Mingting was immersed in his own emotions just now. When he had realized that there were many people around, he subconsciously went to look at Zhao Yelan, but found that he had disappeared. Quickly looking around, he saw him standing under a tree with a strange man, talking and smiling.

The smile was so gentle. He had never been smiled at for that long!

Yan Mingting looked at Wang Guisheng with a fake smile on his face and continued: “……this plain-looking young man.”

Wang Guisheng: “……”

Zhao Yelan gave him a strange look, and said in his heart: This plain-looking young man will impeach you in court in the future.

“General, my lord, I finally found you.” Zhong Yuehong and several others rushed over one after another.

Zhao Yelan nodded: “Okay, let’s go eat. I won’t pay for the meal today.”

Yan Mingting: “I’ll pay, I’ll pay, you can get whatever you want.”

Zhao Yelan: “I want to buy Huichun Tower.”

Yan Mingting: “Ah? What did you just say? The wind here is so strong, the road is so wide……”

Zhao Yelan: “Get lost.”

Wang Guisheng watched the group of them leaving noisily, only then realizing that the other person was the famous General Yan Mingting.

But he felt that General Yan was a little bit more unpleasant than Zhao Yelan.

On the other side, Yan Mingting approached Zhao Yelan and asked in a low voice: “Who was that person just now?”

“Wang Guisheng.”

“Oh, him……I don’t know him.” Yan Mingting turned his head and asked his subordinates, “Do you know him?”

Everyone shook their heads together: “Never heard of him, never seen him.”

“You may know each other later.” Zhao Yelan didn’t say any more.

Yan Mingting’s lips twitched: “Why are you pretending to be mysterious, it isn’t rare for me not to know him……how did you meet?”

“Oh, I remember! I’ve seen that kid!” He Cuizhang suddenly said, “A few days ago when we were drinking in Huichun Tower, I saw that kid enter my lord’s private room, and the two of them stayed there for a long time!”

As soon as these words fell, everyone looked at Zhao Yelan one after another. They wore varied expressions, but were all undoubtedly looking at him with strange eyes, as if they were saying –

“You have someone else in your heart?! You’ve found a lover?! You’re standing with each foot in a different boat?!”[1] Yan Mingting said in horror.

Zhao Yelan: “……”

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