Chapter 775: Unforeseen [Grateful Thanks! Again, My Apologies! 37k Chapters Owed]

Listening to the conversation between Xu Zaijing and the others, Liang Han bowed and walked out of the private chamber.

Qi Heng said hesitantly, “Jing-ge, Bianjing is the most virtuous city under heaven, with many patrol posts on the streets, and it’s not far from the imperial palace—surely there’s no danger here?”

“The young duke speaks wisely—very wisely!” Gao Jing glanced at Xu Zaijing with an unfriendly tone. “Someone must be spreading fear to frighten His Highness.”

“Besides, my Gao family are founding military generals—our household guards may not be exceptional in other ways, but protecting people is certainly within their capability. If anything happens, we can just summon the patrol troops for protection!”

Xu Zaijing frowned. “Summon patrol troops for protection? Do you, Brother Gao, know every soldier in the patrol posts? What if enemies have infiltrated them—could you identify them?”

Gao Jing: “I—”

Xu Zaijing turned to Qi Heng and said gravely, “Yuanruo, yes, Bianjing is the most virtuous city—but do you still remember what happened to my elder sister?”

Upon hearing this, Qi Heng’s face darkened.

Years ago, when Pingmei was betrothed to Gu Tingyu, on the Lantern Festival, bandits had tried to take advantage of the crowd to commit evil deeds.

Had Xu Zaijing not been right beside Pingmei then, who knows what might have happened.

Zhao Fang smiled at Xu Zaijing. “Jing-ge, just now I didn’t think much of it, but now that you’ve spoken, I suddenly feel danger lurking all around us.”

As he spoke, Zhao Fang glanced around the private chamber.

Xu Zaijing reassured him, “Your Highness, don’t worry too much! The Hou Fu is only fifteen minutes away—if we send word, the Imperial Guard will arrive swiftly.”

As he spoke, Liang Han returned to the chamber, expression stern.

He looked around.

Xu Zaijing hurried toward the open windows surrounding the chamber.

“Yuanruo, Liu Lang, come help close all the windows,” Xu Zaijing said.

“Oh, oh!”

Qi Heng and Liang Han quickly responded, rose, and moved to the windows, helping Xu Zaijing shut the shutters; Buwei, standing nearby, followed them.

“Your Highness, please remain seated—don’t show yourself near the windows,” Xu Zaijing added.

Zhao Fang, who had just risen from his seat, obediently sat back down.

Gao Jing sneered and muttered, “Putting on a show.”

Suddenly,

Gao Jing sensed Zhao Fang’s gaze upon him; his mind raced, and he bowed deeply. “Your Highness, I shall assist as well.”

Saying this, Gao Jing stood and walked toward the windows.

At the window, he gripped the shutters and casually glanced outside.

Pan Lou consists of five large, luxurious wooden buildings—east, west, south, north, and center—connected by covered walkways.

The building we occupy is the western one, bathed in sunlight from noon until dusk.

Moreover, the Gao family’s private chamber has an excellent position: both the central and northern buildings can see this spot.

Gao Jing had originally felt nothing, thinking Xu Zaijing was merely exaggerating.

But after glancing outside a few times, whether due to Xu Zaijing’s words or actual danger, Gao Jing noticed several figures on the third and second floors of the two nearby buildings watching this way.

This discovery sent a cold jolt through him, a hollow, trembling unease spreading from his soles to his heart.

In that moment of unease, as if to prove himself right, Gao Jing stared intently at those figures.

Those whom Gao Jing saw,

some looked bewildered, shook their heads, and closed their windows;

some, aware how hard it was to secure a spot in the Gao family’s chamber, bowed respectfully from afar;

others met his gaze with blank expressions, then turned away.

Gao Jing was about to keep watching, to confirm the situation, when Xu Zaijing arrived beside him.

Gao Jing’s eyes darted nervously; he opened his mouth but fell silent. “Xu Wu Lang—”

Xu Zaijing stood beside Gao Jing, glanced outside, then said, “Let go.”

“Oh, oh!”

“Click.”

The two shutters were closed, leaving only a narrow slit.

Through the slit, Xu Zaijing peered outside, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Wu Lang, is everything alright?” Gao Jing asked, switching to a more familiar address.

Seeing Xu Zaijing’s glance, Gao Jing sheepishly lowered his head.

“Tap. Tap.”

A knock came at the door; Buwei, standing beside Qi Heng, hurried over.

After opening the door, Buwei said, “Qingyun-ge, what is it?”

Zhao Fang, having torn his gaze from Xu Zaijing’s watchful figure, said, “Let Jing-ge’s personal guard enter and speak.”

“Yes.”

After Buwei’s reply, Qingyun entered.

Seeing Zhao Fang seated at the head, Qingyun suppressed his surprise and quickly bowed. “Your servant greets Your Highness.”

“No need for formalities—what’s the matter?” Zhao Fang asked.

Glancing at Xu Zaijing, still watching outside by the window, Qingyun bowed. “Your Highness, the Hou Fu’s Captain Xunshu just came to the second floor and told me he saw several men with hostile expressions on the road to the Gao residence.”

“He and Captain Lan both felt uneasy, discussed it, and Xunshu rushed back to warn us.”

“They accompanied Jing-ge to the northwest, didn’t they?” Zhao Fang asked.

“Your Highness is correct,” Qingyun bowed.

Xu Zaijing, still watching outside, shut the window tightly and turned. “Your Highness, please move—sit near the chamber door.”

Zhao Fang rose and nodded. “Fine! I’ll follow Jing-ge’s lead.”

Qingyun bowed. “Your Highness, I take my leave.”

“Mm, go.”

Qingyun met Xu Zaijing’s gaze, nodded firmly, then turned and left the chamber.

After the door closed, the chamber fell silent again, save for Xu Zaijing’s occasional footsteps near the window.

Liang Han glanced at Zhao Fang, then stepped beside Xu Zaijing. “Jing-ge, what are you looking at?”

As he spoke, Liang Han pressed his eye to the slit, peering outside. “Those rooms with open windows?”

Xu Zaijing didn’t turn. “Open windows are less concerning—it’s the closed ones you must watch. Liu Lang, step back.”

“Oh, oh.”

In another Pan Lou building,

third floor,

in a room with a view of the Gao family’s chamber, someone stood in the same posture as Xu Zaijing, gazing outward.

Seeing the Gao family’s shut windows, the man growled, “It’s Xu Zaijing again!”

The door opened,

someone entered and bowed. “Young Master, our men have arrived nearby, and our best fighters have come with the cart carrying the goods.”

The man by the window was about to speak when suddenly, the Gao family’s window swung open—Xu Zaijing’s gaze, sharp as a blade, swept toward them.

The man quickly stepped aside, hiding from the window slit.

After a moment, he peered outside again.

“Young Master, can our men go upstairs now?”

The man by the window clenched his fists, restraining his impulse.

After a long pause, he stared longingly at the Gao family’s chamber, muttering, “Such a perfect, heaven-sent opportunity…”

Then he added, “Xu Zaijing, you truly are my nemesis!”

“Young Master?”

With reluctant eyes fixed on the Gao family’s shut window, the man took a deep breath, unclenched his fists, and said, “Call off our men. We’ll try again later.”

“Yes!”

The man stood by the window a moment longer, sighed, then walked out.

The door opened and closed again; the room fell silent.

After a long while,

“Crash!”

The door was kicked open,

soldiers clad in Imperial Palace Guard armor stormed in.

The lead squad leader scanned the room warily; seeing nothing amiss, he walked to the window.

“Squeak.”

The squad leader pushed open the shutter.

Seeing his comrade waving from the distant Gao family’s chamber, he measured the distance, then shook his head, still shaken.

After leaving the room, the squad leader stood at the door, barring others from entering.

After waiting a while longer,

a group of sharp-eyed Imperial Secretariat officers arrived, conducting another inspection.

Inside the inner city,

Anyuan Gate,

the palace guards on duty, apparently receiving orders, were checking every cart and ox-drawn vehicle leaving the city.

A squad leader of the Imperial Guard scrutinized the middle-aged man before him, glanced at the man’s timid demeanor, then looked at the ox cart behind him piled with wormwood, and frowned: “What’s your business entering the city?”

“I—I came to deliver wormwood, but when I got there, they refused it,” the man said.

“Which household in the city?”

“A wealthy family on Jingming Street.”

“Hmm.”

Nodding, the squad leader walked toward the ox cart.

Drawing a finely crafted hand knife from his waist, he poked at the wormwood inside the cart.

“Gaa.”

The blade struck something hard.

Then he stirred the blade within, revealing a smooth wooden rod beneath the wormwood.

Seeing the wormwood bundled into a human shape, the squad leader knew without asking—it was the pole supporting the “wormwood man.”

After another glance at the cart and finding nothing amiss, he sheathed his knife and waved his hand: “Go on.”

“Yes, thank you for your trouble.”

Saying this, the man bowed deeply and shuffled toward the outer city.

At noon,

beneath the blazing sun,

before the palace,

a dozen long wooden benches stood in two rows,

upon which the punished Imperial Guards, eunuchs, and palace ladies lay prone.

“Smack! Smack!”

“Smack! Smack!”

The sound of the cane striking flesh echoed endlessly.

“Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!”

Though the punished guards, eunuchs, and ladies bit down on wooden sticks or cloth to stifle their cries, the executioners were skilled—the victims still writhed in unbearable pain.

Directly before them, Zhao Fang lay prone on another long bench.

Beside Zhao Fang, the Empress stood with one hand on her hip, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling.

Clutching the thick bamboo paddle in her hand, she raised it high, then brought it down with furious force.

“Smack!”

“Ow! Mother, I’m sorry!”

“Smack!”

“Ow! It hurts!”

“Smack!”

“Mother, it hurts! I’m sorry!”

After finishing her blows, the Empress crossed her arms and caught her breath, then turned to look at Princess Yue, who cowered in the Emperor’s arms with fear in her eyes, and said: “Yue, if you ever dare act like your brother, I’ll beat you just the same!”

“Mother, I understand,” Princess Yue replied, nodding with a trembling voice.

“Someone!” the Empress called again.

Hearing this, Zhao Fang, still prone, secretly exhaled—he assumed the punishment was over.

The Empress’s personal lady-in-waiting stepped forward, glancing at Zhao Fang with pity, and said: “Your Majesty?”

The Empress said: “Go, find some fine cloth and stuff his mouth. I can’t stand the noise!”

Zhao Fang, lying on the bench, froze, still processing the order.

“Smack!” The Empress swung the long bamboo paddle again.

“Aaah!”

At the palace gate,

a palace lady hurried over, bowed to the Emperor and Empress, and said: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Lady Gao Taotao has arrived.”

“Have her come forward.”

“Yes.”

As she spoke, the Empress glanced with pity at the red marks on Zhao Fang’s buttocks.

Zhao Fang turned his head toward the palace gate, then looked up at the Empress and smiled: “Mother, you’re tired—”

“Smack!”

The Empress struck Zhao Fang again, cutting off his words.

After a few deep breaths, the Empress turned to the Emperor and said: “Your Majesty, I’m exhausted from beating him. Why don’t you take over?”

“What?” Zhao Fang lifted his head in disbelief, staring at his own mother.

The Emperor waved his hand: “My strength is too great—I might injure Fang’er. Then both you, the Empress, and Yue would be heartbroken.”

As the Emperor and Empress spoke,

Lady Gao Taotao arrived with her maidservant.

The smacks of the cane before the hall continued without pause.

Approaching close, Lady Gao Taotao knelt and kowtowed: “Your humble servant greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty.”

The Empress took a deep breath, then smiled faintly: “Taotao, rise.”

Lady Gao Taotao, without lifting her head, said: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, my two elder brothers have committed grave offenses. I humbly beg Your Majesties to punish them.”

“Rise first,” the Empress said.

“Yes.”

Lady Gao Taotao stood, ignoring the dust on her skirt, and stood quietly with her head bowed.

The Emperor looked at Zhao Fang and said sternly: “Taotao, your brother Gao Jing—who enjoys wandering about—shall be sent to the northern military garrison.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Gao Lin—assign him to guard the city gates for three months. No one is to substitute or take his post!”

“Yes. I thank Your Majesties on behalf of my two brothers for this great mercy,” Lady Gao Taotao said.

Saying this, she knelt and kowtowed again.

“Hmm.”

The Emperor nodded.

Zhao Fang lifted his head, glanced at Lady Gao with concern, then looked back at the others still being punished, and said: “Father, Mother, nothing serious happened. I beg you to spare them.”

As he spoke, Zhao Fang looked puzzled at Lady Gao Taotao, who was signaling to him urgently.

“Fang’er, you say nothing serious happened?” the Emperor said sternly.

Zhao Fang, weary from lifting his head, looked down at his mother’s shadow beside him and nodded several times.

Watching the movement of the Empress’s shadow on the ground, Zhao Fang’s eyes widened—he realized she had raised the paddle again. He hurriedly added: “I—I returned to the palace with Jing-ge and the others. The road was perfectly calm. Nothing happened!”

Watching the shadow’s motion, Zhao Fang shut his eyes in advance.

A moment later,

“Smack.”

Zhao Fang’s buttocks took another blow.

“Fang’er, when the Imperial Secretariat sent men to Fan Tower, a monk was spotted near Mei Feng’s attendants.”

Startled by the pain, Zhao Fang looked up at the Emperor: “What? Father, what monk?”

The Emperor frowned: “A monk who was discovered to be suspicious, chased into an alley, and, seeing escape impossible, took his own life.”

Zhao Fang, lying on the bench, stared at his own shadow in the sunlight and whispered: “Father… was he a death assassin?”

The Emperor nodded. When he noticed his son’s head was still lowered, he spoke: “Yes. Correct.”

The Empress scolded Zhao Fang: “You wretched child! When have I ever refused you when you begged to leave the palace? Today, you went to such lengths just to visit Fan Tower! Clearly, I’ve spoiled you too much!”

After pausing for breath, the Empress continued: “Fortunately, you remembered to send a formal invitation to Xu Wu—the Fifth Young Master! Otherwise, if their plot had succeeded another hour or two, do you know what would have happened?”

“If you were harmed, how could I live? Tell me!”

The Empress’s voice cracked with tears.

Overcome with rage, she struck Zhao Fang’s buttocks again, hard.

This time, Zhao Fang tensed his body but did not cry out as before—only gritted his teeth and endured.

Zhao Fang lifted his head, looked at the Empress and Emperor, and said solemnly: “Father, Mother, I was wrong.”

“Clang.”

The Empress hurled the bamboo paddle to the ground.

(End of Chapter)