Chen Qi was reporting about the latest progress of the Divine Physician Meng Hui to Sui Heng.
“The secret spy raised by General Xu has successfully delivered the letter to Meng Hui’s hands, along with a token of Meng Hui’s wife and children. However, Meng Hui is very cautious and refuses to leave Muyun Pass. He said that he must see his wife’s handwritten letter to confirm that she is still alive before considering cooperation with Your Highness.”
Sui Heng said, “Then ask Meng Hui’s wife to write him a letter.”
“Yes, the subordinate has sent someone to handle it. The subordinate came today, and there is another matter that he would like to report to Your Highness.”
Sui Heng let him speak.
Chen Qi first took out a tip-off letter from his pocket and handed it to Sui.
“Your Highness take a look first?”
Sui Heng opened and read it, revealing an incredible, even outrageous expression: “What the Military Advisor meant was that someone went up to the recruitment platform to expose that the current Jiang Rongyu is a fake one?”
“That’s right.”
“According to this person, the real Crown Prince of Jiang died unexpectedly at the age of eleven. Later, Jiang Rongyu, who had been hidden behind the curtain for years, was actually impersonated by someone. It was possible that even the Jiang Empire’s Monarch might not know the truth about this matter.”
Sui Heng sneered, “What is the basis for this bizarre news?”
Chen Qi said it’s not without evidence.
The Crown Prince of Jiang before the age of eleven and the Crown Prince of Jiang after the age of eleven are indeed two different people. One is a young man who amazed everyone and was named a genius, and the other is a mediocre person who is ashamed to see others due to his ugly appearance.
Chen Qi said, “This person was once an official in the inner palace of the Jiang Empire. He was expelled from the palace for committing a crime. He revealed a secret to this subordinate.”
Sui Heng glanced at him.
“What’s the secret?”
“He said that when the Crown Prince of Jiang was eleven years old, he encountered assassination while hunting with Emperor Jiang and was once abducted by the assassins. Emperor Jiang sent people to search for him for a long time but couldn’t find the person, so he publicly claimed that the Crown Prince was sick. It wasn’t until three years later that the Crown Prince returned to the palace.”
Sui Heng calmly pondered the authenticity of this matter but still found it absurd: “Since it was a secret, how could a small internal official know? If he knew, why was he not being silenced and even released from the palace?”
“He said he also overheard it unintentionally from Emperor Jiang’s trusted subordinate. Later, due to being framed by officials from the same residence during a palace banquet, he was dismissed from his position and expelled from the palace. Due to his indignation, he heard that Your Highness had built a recruitment platform and spent a lot of money to collect evidence of Jiang Rongyu forging a virtuous name, so he risked his life to rush to the Chen Capital and report to Your Highness.”
Sui Heng then asked, “Does the Military Advisor believes it?”
Not to mention that Jiang Rongyu was taken by assassins when he was only eleven years old. How did he, as a Crown Prince, survive in the hands of assassins? Even if this is true, three years is ridiculous. How shrewd was Emperor Jiang? How could he not even recognize his own son and casually recognize a similar-looking person as the Crown Prince?
Moreover, ordinary assassins dare not kidnap a country’s Crown Prince so easily. If they boldly do such a thing, it must be to blackmail the Jiang Empire. According to common sense, Emperor Jiang should have received extortion. How could he have taken the initiative to search for someone like a headless fly?
And most importantly, three years is enough for Emperor Jiang to establish a new Crown Prince. Why did Emperor Jiang allow the Crown Prince position to remain vacant for three years and falsely claim that the Crown Prince was sick?
In this moment, he was able to think of so many doubts and omissions, and even if he rashly publicized this matter, he was afraid that not many people would believe it.
Chen Qi cautiously said, “Whether it is true or not, at the moment there is only one witness, and there is not much other evidence either, so the subordinate cannot say. The subordinate just feels that if Jiang Rongyu is really fake, then the virtuous reputation he has piled up in the past can be broken without Your Highness bothering to collect any more evidence.”
What kind of reputation can a swindler have if he dares to impersonate the royal bloodline? Moreover, it is well known that Emperor Jiang dotes on King Chu. If this matter were to be exposed to Emperor Jiang, he might seize this opportunity and replace the Crown Prince right away.
“What Military Advisor said is not wrong, but this is a risky move. If Gu remembers correctly, Jiang Rongyu and the Jiangnan countries established the Golden Orchid Alliance, which also just happened in recent years. If he is really a swindler, he is also a swindler with a brain, courage, and foresight. Such a powerful swindler is not common. If you are not fully confident, do not act rashly for now. Gu wants you to use all possible methods to verify the authenticity of this matter as soon as possible.”
“Yes.”
Chen Qi took the order with integrity.
Sui Heng suddenly smiled and said, “The Military Advisor ‘s spies in Jiangnan seems to be very powerful.”
Chen Qi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly knelt down and said, “The subordinate just had some old friends before. If Your Highness needs their service, the subordinate is willing to recruit all of them to be loyal to Your Highness.”
Sui Heng stood up and personally helped him up, saying, “There’s no need for the Military Advisor to be nervous. Gu was just praising the efficiency of the Military Advisor’s work. You could find Meng Hui’s family whereabouts in just half a month and even provide such valuable information. Gu should reward the Military Advisor heavily.”
Chen Qi quickly said that it was all his responsibility.
The two of them left Weirui Hall, one in front and one behind. Jiang Yun accompanied by Ji An, stood at the foot of the stairs.
Sui Heng was surprised and asked, “Why are you standing here?”
Ji An replied on behalf of him, “Young Master Chu said he had something to talk to Your Highness. He was afraid of disturbing Your Highness’s business and insisted on waiting outside.”
Sui Heng knew he was trying to avert suspicion, so he said, “Don’t be so foolish next time. If there’s anything, just let Ji An go in and report it.”
Jiang Yun nodded, and his gaze collided with Chen Qi, who was behind him, and he took the initiative to salute him.
Chen Qi bowed his head in response.
Their eyes met instantly. Jiang Yun looked at Sui Heng and said, “I want to go hunting with you.”
His little lover’s eyes were bright with anticipation, which made Sui Heng feel that it was rare.
“What’s going on with you these past few days?”
He leaned over and said very lowly, “Always clinging and seducing Gu.”
Jiang Yun said, “There’s no point in staying in the mansion by myself, so I might as well go out and have a look around.”
Sui Heng was naturally happy. The last time he went to Mount Li for military training, he couldn’t come back home for two days, and he wished he could send someone to pick him up overnight.
He really wanted to keep him by his side all the time. He didn’t mention about the hunting trip this time because he was worried that his body was weak and he couldn’t bear it. Now that Jiang Yun took the initiative to mention it, Sui Heng didn’t have any concerns and immediately ordered Ji An to prepare the carriage and supplies for the trip.
After Tian Meng caused a commotion last night, Tian Que refused to stay in the Sui capital for a long time. Today, after hunting, they will return to the Qi capital early tomorrow. Therefore, after hunting, Emperor Sui will directly hold a banquet in the hunting garden, practicing for the Qi envoys.
The Hunting Garden is located in the north of the city, surrounded by a whole mountain. The mountain are lush with grass and trees, and there is also a luxurious palace, which is very suitable for outdoor activities.
For hunting, regardless of the officials or generals, except for those who are particularly old and have injuries, most of them ride horses and wear military uniforms. Sui Heng also changed into his black armor, towering on a horse, handsome and agile like a heavenly god.
Jiang Yun just doesn’t need it.
Jiang Yun neither arched with a bow nor participated in hunting activities. He simply came to relax and play, so he still wore a green wide-sleeved robe and sat in the carriage to read.
After arriving on the mountain, Jiang Yun also directly found a cool and scenic pavilion. Then he asked Ji An to lay down a seat, set up fruit wine and pastries, sit on the seat, and watch the hunting scene below.
Many other civil service officials and noble children who are not good at horseback riding and archery also rest here, and some even set up tents on the spot and hide to sleep. As soon as Jiang Yun sat down, he attracted many aristocratic children to come and chat and make friends.
Jiang Yun asked Ji An to take out wine cups and pour wine for them.
Zhao Yan leaned over and asked, “Young Master Chu, can you pour me one too?”
Jiang Yun nodded, poured another cup of wine, picked it up with both hands, and handed it to him.
“Thanks so much.”
Zhao Yan didn’t drink it himself, but he picked up the wine cup and ran a few meters away to the location where Jimo Qingyu was. He said, “Master, this is the wine that Chu Yan asked this disciple to give you.”
Jimo Qingyu gave him a cold glance, then turned his head and glanced at Jiang Yun, who was chatting and laughing with several noble children in the pavilion.
Hmph: “Why did he send this old man wine?”
“Naturally, it is the junior’s respect to his elders.”
Zhao Yan originally wanted to bring wine over as well, but his master’s rules were too strict, so he dares not bring it and only brought a jug of plain water. Just as soon as he sat down, he smelled a wisp of wine and realized that Jiang Yun had also come over.
Ever since he came back from the Crown Prince’s private residence that day, master has been like a firecracker, picking on his disciples like crazy. With him, the senior brother, as the head of the group, all of them were scolded and skeptical of their lives, whether in their daily studies or impromptu writing.
Zhao Yan knew that all of this was because their master had not received the personal disciple of his choice.
Master has no place to vent his frustration, so he can only find ways to make things difficult for them. If he wanted to make his master feel better, the root cause was still in his little junior brother, who has not even became his junior brother yet.
Zhao Yan decided to work hard to repair the relationship between his master and his future junior brother.
Jimo Qingyu didn’t understand his mind. He snorted coldly, put the wine cup down, and said, “Bring me plain water. This old man can’t afford the wine from the Crown Prince’s Mansion.”
Zhao Yan: “……”
Zhao Yan thinks that his master is a bit too proud, how can plain water be as good as fruit wine? But he dares not say so and could only obediently go and pour him plain water.
“Young Master Yan!”
A joyful voice came.
Qi Ziqi, dressed in bright purple and gauze robes, led his attendants towards Jiang Yun.
Behind him, the old man was still following closely.
Qi Ziqi actually didn’t want to participate in the hunting. He was not interested in hunting, and he even wanted to visit Jiang Yun. But this is an important event involving diplomatic relations between the two countries. As Marquis Duan’s son, he couldn’t help but attend, so he had to ride over in a gloomy mood. Unexpectedly, he could see Jiang Yun on the hunting grounds.
“If I had known you were also here, I wouldn’t have been procrastinating for so long.”
Qi Ziqi naturally sat opposite Jiang Yun, and the old man was afraid that he would catch a cold, so he quickly asked someone to add an extra seat.
Jiang Yun greeted him with a smile and personally poured him a cup of fruit wine, just like last night.
“Thanks so much.”
Qi Ziqi rarely leaves the Qi capital, and he feels fresh and curious about everything outside. The young master has red lips and white teeth, is agile and lively, and speaks like a free and cheerful bird, making people unable to resist and be happy along with him.
Qi Ziqi shared a lot of his experiences after coming with the Sui capital to Jiang Yun, saying, “Previously, my father always said, ‘It’s dangerous outside.’ He told me not to act recklessly and run around so as not to be bullied. I believe it is true. I didn’t expect that this Sui capital would be as prosperous and lively as the Qi capital, and people are also very enthusiastic. It is evident that those words of Father’s in the past were all lies.”
The old man couldn’t help but do the Marquis justice. “How could Young Master say that? The Marquis is also doing it for Young Master’s sake.”
“I naturally know, but I’m not even a girl. What can I do by staying in the mansion all day? I really want to be like those knight errands, travel everywhere, and draw a sword to help others when they encounter difficulties.”
The old man didn’t expect that the young master’s heart would become so wild after just one trip, he suddenly regretted it. He shouldn’t have helped him speak and let him out this time.
“Young Master Chu, you have a wide range of knowledge and skills. You should have been to many places, right? I have heard them talking about you at the Spring Banquet, and I hope to have the opportunity to come and attend such a grand banquet in the future.”
Qi Ziqi was full of curiosity and had an inexplicable admiration for Jiang Yun.
Jiang Yun smiled faintly and said, “I’m afraid I’ll disappoint Young Master. I haven’t been to many places, except for the Sui capital, which used to be in the state of Wei.”
Seeing Qi Ziqi’s disappointed expression, Jiang Yun said, “Most parents love their children and plan far ahead. Marquis Duan has his own reasons for not letting the Young Master go out. Young Master should also try to understand Marquis Duan’s bitterness.”
After hearing these words, the old man was slightly stunned and looked into Jiang Yun’s eyes. He couldn’t help but ask again, “How did the Young Master come to the Sui Empire?”
Jiang Yun looked up and calmly said, “It was just an accident.”
The other party clearly refused to delve deeper into the conversation, so the old man shut up and stopped asking.
Qi Ziqi was still regretful and said, “Unfortunately, I will be returning to the Qi capital tomorrow. If not, I really want to stay in the Sui capital for more days and have a good conversation with you for three days and three nights.”
Jiang Yun said, “If there’s a chance we will meet, Young Master doesn’t need to be too concerned.”
Qi Ziqi has lived a smooth life since he was a child, and all he has heard and seen are good and joyful things. He has never experienced parting sorrows, he was reluctant to part and said, “I heard that you love to read, do you have any good travelogues there? Lend me a look.”
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yun got up and took a travelogue that he often flipped through from the carriage.
He said, “It’s a bit old, Young Master don’t despise it.”
Qi Ziqi couldn’t put it down and flipped through many places, including notes written by Jiang Yun himself. He became even happier and said, “After I go back, I will definitely read them every day.”
Not long after, an attendant of the Qi Kingdom came over and said, “Young Master, Tian daren has invited Young Master to come over.”
Although Qi Ziqi was unwilling, he could only bid farewell to Jiang Yun first and follow the attendant.
Jiang Yun picked up the wine cup, looked up, and surveyed the people and environment around him. Quickly, he saw a familiar figure sitting in a corner, covered in black gauze, with a zither beside him. It was the musician from Chen Qi’s mansion.
Jiang Yun pondered for a moment, then put his wine cup down and said he wanted to go to the creek to clean his hands and let Ji An wait in place.
Jiang Yun walked directly into a secluded forest, turned around, and indeed saw the musician standing nearby.
The two looked at each other for a moment.
Jiang Yun looked at his hand pressed against his waist, his eyes fixed, and asked, “Did Chen Qi send you to kill me?”
The musician’s expression changed.
Jiang Yun said, “From the Qi capital, Qingque specializes in assassination and information and is good with a fine sword, but has been under the control of drugs for many years. So you need to take special tranquilizers that can restrain the drug from being taken regularly, so every once in a while you have to go to a pharmacy called Chunhe to buy medicine. But you didn’t want anyone to find out about the secret, so you purposely wandered among the other pharmacies to create a false impression. Chen Qi was able to find Meng Hui’s family in such a short time because of your help. You fled here privately, and to avoid being pursued, you dare not show your true face, so you always cover your face with a black veil. Am I right?”
The musician’s body stiffened and he looked at Jiang Yun like he was a demon.
“Who the hell are you?”
“It doesn’t matter who I am, what’s important is that we can make a deal.”
