Chapter 365: Really came to hide from danger

In Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin stared at the Chen Yan before him, dragging his whole family with large and small bundles, and fell into a prolonged silence.

After a while, he slowly spoke, "Arrived?"

"Ah, I'm here." Chen Yan replied.

"What are you here for?"

"It's too dangerous outside, so I'm staying for two days."

Li Shimin: "......"

He laughed in exasperation, "What do you think this place of mine is?"

"It's too dangerous outside, staying two days, and you actually say that!"

"Then I should leave?" Chen Yan pretended to leave, but his turning motion was so slow that, if you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even notice.

The eyes kept darting, almost saying, "I'm about to leave, why aren't you holding me back?"

Li Shimin rubbed his temples, "Alright, alright, the harem definitely can't house you; go to the Eastern Palace, there are plenty of rooms."

"Got it, thank you, His Majesty!" Chen Yan beamed, lifted the bundles on the ground, turned to Li Lizhi and Gao Yang and said, "Let's go, we'll find the Crown Prince."

"Wait, I was going to let you…" Li Shimin began to keep him to explain something, but then glanced at the pregnant Gao Yang and, with a disdainful face, waved his hand.

"Fine, scram; tonight summon Cheng Qian to Lizheng Hall for a meal."

"So I'm really leaving then!" Chen Yan asked tentatively, while his foot already stepped backward.

Li Shimin, expressionless, "What, do you need His Majesty to see you off?"

"Hehe, I wouldn't dare."

Chen Yan didn't hesitate; he hurried away from Ganlu Hall with the two bewildered sisters.

After a period of carriage jolting and a not‑short walk, Gao Yang was already very tired and whispered a complaint upon exiting.

"Why can't we stay in the harem? Can't Chen Yan stay with me?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Chen Yan, feeling sorry, helped her up, "A man living in the harem—what does that even mean? Being allowed in would already be a favor."

Gao Yang also knew that logic, but being tired she complained a few lines; seeing Chen Yan carefully supporting her, her mood instantly improved a lot.

Li Lizhi interjected at this moment, "How about you, husband, and Gao Yang wait here a while; I'll find someone to carry a sedan chair to take Gao Yang over."

"The month is already this big, indeed quite tiring."

"Hm?" Chen Yan was startled, "Can we ride a sedan chair inside the palace?"

"Yes." Li Lizhi explained, "In fact, not only can we ride, we must, since the child in Gao Yang's womb also carries a royal bloodline."

Hearing that, Gao Yang instantly stopped moving, staring eagerly at the two.

Who would want to walk when they can ride a sedan chair?

Isn't that stupid?

However, before Chen Yan and Li Lizhi could reply, Wushe had already arrived with guards and a sedan chair.

"Princesses, Marquis of Weinan, this is His Majesty's order; please have Princess Gao Yang board the sedan chair."

Chen Yan muttered, "Your Father Emperor thought that out quite thoroughly."

Hearing that, Gao Yang felt a bit smug, tugged Chen Yan, indicating him to help her onto it.

Having solved Gao Yang's mobility issue, Chen Yan and Li Lizhi no longer cared; after Wushe left, the group headed to the Eastern Palace.

When they arrived at the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian was processing the memorials Li Shimin had assigned to him; after reviewing, he still needed to present them to Li Shimin for a final look.

Seeing Chen Yan's whole family entourage, he was momentarily bewildered.

"Zi Anxiong, what's this..."

"Oh~ nothing." Chen Yan said cheerfully, "I'm just here to stay two days; you know, I did something big, and I'm afraid people will jump the wall in desperation and try to take my life."

Li Chengqian: "......"

These words, no matter who hears them, are probably unbelievable.

Let alone Li Chengqian, who possesses the power to mobilize the imperial troops.

Just as he was about to arrange housing for Chen Yan's family, Chen Yan grabbed his shoulder from behind and pushed him aside.

"Brother Cheng Qian, we're brothers, aren't we?"

"... ah?" Cheng Qian was stunned, then immediately became wary, "Zi Anxiong, tell me what it is first; I'm considering whether we are brothers."

Chen Yan's face turned pale, "No, that's too much. A brother pours his heart out to you, and you guard yourself against a brother—how can you act like that?"

"On serious matters, I absolutely trust you." Cheng Qian glanced at his hand that Chen Yan was holding, "But this way, I'm genuinely scared; back when we roamed Pingkang Alley, you always tricked me into paying, and it always looked like this."

"A single 'are we brothers' makes my purse weep."

Chen Yan: "......"

"Alright, it's like this......"

He stopped the idle talk, leaned close to Cheng Qian's ear, and whispered.

Cheng Qian's expression grew stranger the more he listened.

"Your request… is this?"

"Yes, just tell me whether you accept or not."

"...... Fine, I accept!"

In the end, Cheng Qian reluctantly agreed, both laughing and crying.

Chen Yan returned with a beaming smile alongside Cheng Qian, and thereafter Cheng Qian arranged for the three of them to reside in the Chongwen Hall.

Upon learning that Li Lizhi and Gao Yang had arrived, the Crown Princess was delighted; the three women chattered away.

Cheng Qian continued reviewing the memorials, occasionally asking Chen Yan a question.

When Cheng Qian finished his work, everyone sat together to enjoy tea, and he finally asked, "Zi Anxiong, you entered the palace… probably not to hide from something, right?"

"I don't believe you'd be afraid that the Wei family would jump the wall in desperation and strike you."

Chen Yan clicked his tongue, "I knew you'd ask that, but there are several reasons I brought Li Zhi and Gao Yang into the palace. Why don't you guess which ones?"

When he finished, the other three people, aside from Li Chengqian, fell into thought.

After a while, Li Chengqian hesitated, "Is it because of those widely spread messages?"

"Yes!" Chen Yan affirmed.

"In such a short time, it generated massive public opinion and sparked great popular anger; I must give your Father Emperor an explanation. After all, although it looks simple, you have seen the effect. This method is so terrifying that we can't leave it without an explanation."

"What about the second reason?" Gao Yang asked eagerly.

Chen Yan gave her a glance; this one really knows him well.

He paused, then said, "Secondly… *cough* *cough*, I indeed came to avoid danger, but I'm not only evading the Wei family, also other families."

"Again, that method is too terrifying; everyone fears it, yet for a moment no one can think of a way to prevent me from spreading rumors."

"Since you can't prevent me from spreading rumors, the best solution is obviously to send me to hell."

When those words were spoken, several people present grew solemn; after careful thought, Li Chengqian said uncertainly, "No way, they wouldn't have such nerve."

"How do you know they don't?" Chen Yan retorted, "Do you expect me to gamble my life on whether they have that nerve?"

"Brother Cheng Qian, you underestimate the families. Small skirmishes are fine, but once something that can shake their foundation appears, they will be even crazier than you imagine."

As he said this, he gave Li Chengqian a gaze full of hidden meaning, its implication inexplicable.