Chapter 343: Shh

After Yan Song finished speaking, he locked eyes with Zhu Zai and said no more.

Zhu Zai lifted his teacup to drink, but his heart was a churning sea.

"He is trying to... force the Emperor's hand!"

"This man is the Emperor's confidant, always following the Emperor's lead. If he hadn't learned something, he would never dare to do this! Therefore, he has already colluded with the Eastern Depot!"

"I wondered why so many officials were willing to stake their reputations to allow the Eastern Depot to mobilize the Right Brave Cavalry Guard and the Flag-Hand Guard in Nanjing. So, it was because the leader is the Senior Grand Secretary!"

"Does he only want to interrupt the Emperor's progress in restoring his Wu Gong, or does he intend to use the public eye to conspire with the Eastern Depot to do something else?"

With thoughts flashing like lightning, Zhu Zai smiled, stood up, walked quickly to Yan Song, and grasped his hands.

"Lord Yan, what you said today is exactly what I have been thinking!"

"Is that true, Commander Zhu? Would you be willing to submit a joint memorial with me tomorrow?"

"It is my heart's desire; I would not dare to ask otherwise!"

"Ah ha ha ha ha—"

The two laughed at each other and walked hand in hand to the door.

Yan Song bowed to Zhu Zai.

"In that case, see you tomorrow at the Donghuamen!"

"Certainly, certainly!"

The door closed slowly, and the moment their gazes were cut off—

The smile vanished from Zhu Zai's face, replaced by deep, murderous intent.

"This man cannot be left alive! No matter what he intends to do tomorrow, I cannot let him succeed!"

"This is no longer the time to worry about court stability. Tonight, I will have Da Li go and take this man's head! I must ensure a single strike succeeds!"

Outside the door, Yan Song walked downstairs with a calm expression and entered the inner room.

A moment later, Zhu Zai went downstairs and headed toward the Qianqing Palace. Behind him, a clerk glanced at his retreating back, turned, and walked quickly to the inner room, arriving at Yan Song's side, and whispered.

"Lord Yan, he has gone."

"Mm."

Yan Song waved his hand, and the clerk turned and left.

He made a mark on the memorial before him, set it aside, and then, as if intentionally or unintentionally, lifted his gaze to look toward the Qianqing Palace.

Just one glance.

He lowered his head again and picked up another memorial to review.

————————

That night.

Outside the Donghuamen, Xiaoshiyong Ward.

The Yan Residence.

If one were to ask whose house in the capital is the easiest to find, it would undoubtedly be that of the current Senior Grand Secretary, Yan Song.

The vermilion-lacquered gate tower stands over thirty feet high, with copper bells hanging from the eaves that chime like jade pendants when the wind blows. Inside, blue stone paves the paths, flanked by Taihu stones. It is a five-courtyard complex; the nanmu beams and pillars in the main hall are painted with gold, the floor is covered with Persian carpets, and twelve sandalwood screens stand in a row.

The back garden draws living water from the Jade Spring to form a winding pond, with a nine-turn corridor bridge adorned with glazed pavilions. Whale-oil lamps are hung on all sides along the walkways, walls, and pillars, and the yellow-white light passes through the branches and leaves, leaving streaks of shadows.

Footsteps approached from afar. Two lanterns illuminated two figures with straight backs and vigorous strides; one carried a long saber, the other a long sword, walking slowly along the veranda.

Although dressed as ordinary guards, anyone who had spent a few years drifting through the Wu Lin could tell that these two were experts.

Second-rate experts, capable of making a name for themselves in any prefecture.

The one carrying the saber was named "Frost on Snow."

The one carrying the sword was named "Iron Autumn Garment."

Both were figures who had made a name for themselves in the Wu Lin, but in the middle of last year, they attended a banquet held by the capital's underworld leader, "Iron Palm Maitreya" Yan Xiaosheng, only to be caught by the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had come to make arrests.

Fortunately, although they weren't exactly good people, they were generally law-abiding. After spending several months in the Embroidered Uniform Guard's imperial prison, they finally managed to escape with their lives.

If they had previously possessed the typical temper of Wu Lin people—disdaining power and influence—after that experience with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they had seen through the underlying rules of the Great Shuo: the imperial court is the biggest fist, and power is the sharpest blade.

Thus, they took the opportunity of the Yan Residence recruiting guards to mix in, relying on their solid Wu Gong, hoping to use Yan Song's power to secure an official position.

As they spoke, they arrived at their current location. Having shared adversity, they were now on the same path, and their relationship was naturally extremely close. With no one around, they chatted about gossip that was inconvenient to mention during the day.

"Does Grand Secretary Yan have some big event today?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Usually, after he finishes his meal, he extinguishes the lights and goes to sleep by the hour of the Dog (7-9 PM), but it is now the hour of the Ox (1-3 AM), and when we passed his door just now, the lights were still on."

"Bah, your hearing is poor, but I heard it clearly—Grand Secretary Yan is entertaining guests."

Iron Autumn Garment stopped in his tracks.

"Entertaining guests? It's the hour of the Ox, and he has to handle state affairs tomorrow. What kind of guest is he entertaining?"

Frost on Snow spread his hands.

"How would I know? Maybe a high official, maybe an old friend. Even if I could hear what they were saying, I wouldn't dare to listen, would I?"

"True."

The two continued walking forward.

"By the way, have you felt that in the last few days, things have been a bit... chilling?"

"... ow so?"

"I can't quite say. You know I like to drink, and sometimes I use money to trade with the kitchen maid for some of Grand Secretary Yan's good wine, but yesterday when I went to trade for wine... she acted as if she didn't know about it at all."

Iron Autumn Garment shivered as he spoke.

"You don't know, but at that moment, she looked at me—just one look—and I felt a chill all over. That look, I'm afraid only that fierce person we met last year could compare!"

"That fierce!"

Frost on Snow was also struck dumb.

He knew who Iron Autumn Garment was comparing her to.

It was the Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander of that day, now the Commander of the Northern Internal Security Bureau, the peerless demon known in the Wu Lin as the "Death-Dealing Commander"!

Come to think of it, the fact that the two of them could escape from his hands with their lives was a stroke of heaven-defying luck! If not for the fear of him coming to their door, the story of "fighting the Death-Dealing Commander and luckily not dying" would be enough for them to build a fortune in the Wu Lin!

Thinking of this, the two sighed in unison and continued the previous topic.

"Come to think of it, I have that feeling too."

Frost on Snow whispered.

"A few days ago, I was patrolling the courtyard with someone else, and on the way, I ran into the maid who delivers wine to Grand Secretary Yan... You know I like to flirt a bit, and I happened to know her, so I went up to tease her."

"But she looked at me, and I didn't dare to go any further."

Hearing this, Iron Autumn Garment asked in a low voice.

"Did you also feel that her gaze was cold?"

Frost on Snow shook his head.

"Not exactly, it was just a feeling that I couldn't go forward... just like when we faced that person last year, the Qi in my body congealed, it didn't flow smoothly, and my whole body went stiff."

"Sigh..."

The two sighed in unison again.

"Why do we keep mentioning that person today?"

"Which person?"

"Who else could it be? The Corpse-Tearing Battalion Commander, the Death-Dealing Commander, Li Miao."

Frost on Snow turned his head and looked at Iron Autumn Garment strangely. It was clearly the other person who mentioned him first, so why ask now?

At this look, he froze.

A chill shot straight from the soles of his feet to his crown.

Iron Autumn Garment was frozen in place, his face deathly pale, trembling uncontrollably. A hand wearing black-gold gloves rested on his shoulder, and above that was a face with a playful smile.

A familiar face, a face that had appeared in their nightmares countless times.

Li Miao raised his hand and rested it on Frost on Snow's shoulder, his Qi drilling into the meridians, suppressing the scream that was about to escape.

He smiled and held up an index finger in front of his lips.

"Shh."

"I find you two look a bit familiar?"