Chapter 189: 189. Take the first move to gain the upper hand
Translator: 549690339
The night wind was bleak, clouds covering the moon.
“Father, what if the emperor is only making the second prince the crown prince as a ruse to confuse us, to take away our military power and then appoint
Duanmu Chen as the crown prince. what should we do?” Wan Cong asked
solemnly.
Wan Shan snorted coldly, “If it really comes to that, the emperor is pushing us! If both the eldest and second prince suffer misfortune, the Qian Country won’t belong to the Duanmu Clan anymore!”
“You mean…” Wan Cong’s voice was filled with excitement.
“We don’t have a way out, to endure is to march to death!” Wan Shan uttered coldly.
“Since father said this, I’ve gotten the idea,” Wan Cong replied.
“Let’s look at the current situation in the capital city. While the second prince still holds the position of the crown prince, let him get rid of nuisances like Duanmu Chen and Su Liang!” Wan Shan sneered coldly, “They really create more problems than they solve. If his brothers were more prudent and with our support, how could Duanmu Chen have gained an advantage?”
“Father, cool down. They are, after all, born into royalty. I will go ahead and send our message to the capital city,” Wan Cong said and got up to leave. Suddenly, he turned back and sat down, “Father, what if the emperor has already sent someone here, asking us to hand over power and return to the capital..
Wan Shan’s expression changed, “It’s possible! If someone is coming, they probably would be here in the next few days!”
“We’d better not do anything in public that would attract criticism, otherwise, it will be harder to win people over,” said Wan Cong. They had racked their brains, creating achievements out of thea trics, all to win over the hearts of the army and people.
The matter of Duanmu Yi being deposed as the crown prince was an internal affair of the royal family, and they could not have any objection about it. If the imperial envoy openly enters Xuanbei City and something happens in the city, Wan Shan would be held responsible.
Upon contemplation, Wan Shan’s expression became solemn, “Immediately arrange for spies to go south for investigation, and promptly report if anyone from the capital city is found!”
“We have to stop them!” said Wan Cong dauntingly.
“Exactly, we can’t let them strut into the city to see me and announce the Imperial Decree. If it comes to that, we will be stuck! Choose a place for an ambush, no matter who comes, we have to assassinate them before they enter Xuanbei City! Even if the emperor gets wind that we did it, without any evidence, he can’t do anything.” Wan Shan ordered coldly, “Get my second son to get his act together and handle the situation!”
“I’ll go find my brother right away. He’s skilled in martial arts, so I’ll let him lead the team to assassinate the imperial envoy!” With these words, Wan Cong hurriedly left.
The room fell silent.
Hidden beneath the back window, Su Liang and Ning Jing heard the conversation between the father and son of the Wan family. The information they provided was quite substantial.
Wan Shan’s latest information was that Duanmu Ao had become the crown prince, but he had not made a significant move yet.
Assuming nothing unexpected occurs, news of Duanmu Ao’s death should reach Xuanbei City in one more day.
At that time, the father and son of the Wan family definitely won’t be as calm as they are tonight.
As for getting rid of Duanmu Chen and Su Liang, and assassinating the imperial envoy, these were things that Su Liang had anticipated before her arrival. There is not much unexpected about it.
She had also thought that if the father and son of the Wan family were truly loyal subjects, and simply had blood relations with Duanmu Cheng and Duanmu Ao without any intention of rebellion, then they should naturally be a little more courteous.
But now, the facts are right in front of her.
All three members of the family are up to no good. They might indeed be skilled, but their ambitions are unjust. When dealing with major issues like the peace talks with Liang Country, they should report to the royal family for decision-making, regardless of the their true or false intentions. However, they continuously create the illusion of brave resistance against the invasion of Liang Country to gain merit and fame.
Even in their conversations, their aspiration for power and usurpation is revealed.
In this case, Su Liang felt that there is no time to delay and she had to act now.
Initially, she intended to watch the situation before deciding what to do. But since last evening, she already had a new plan.
Su Liang tugged at Ning Jing’s sleeve. He understood, and the two of them silently left the room.
But they only went to the deserted back garden of the General’s Mansion, and didn’t leave the mansion.
It’s more convenient to talk here.
Su Liang briefly shared her idea with Ning Jing. Ning Jing remained silent but nodded in agreement.
“Did you bring it?” Su Liang asked softly.
Ning Jing nodded again, ‘Wait here.” With these words, he disappeared.
Su Liang climbed a tall tree. From there, she could see the lights in the front yard from afar but couldn’t see anyone.
Wan Cong dragged Wan Lin in front of Wan Shan. After Wan Shan scolded them a few times, the brothers left to attend to their respective tasks.
Setup time is approaching.
A concubine sent him a bowl of chicken soup, but he impatiently drove her away.
Another hour passed before Wan Shan blew out the lamp and went to bed.
A faint fragrance filled the room, and Wan Shan’s snoring was soon silenced.
Ning Jing approached the bed, lifted the bed curtain, pulled Wan Shan up from the bed, but he did not respond.
A silver needle shimmering in the dimly lit room was plunged into a certain point on Wan Shan’s body.
After a moment, Ning Jing let go of Wan Shan, who lay back flat on the bed. Then, Ning Jing pulled his arm from the inside and pulled it outward. As soon as he let go, Wan Shan rolled off the bed, his head facing down and hitting the ground!
Ning Jing opened a half window. The chilly night wind blew in, and the room was once again quiet.
Su Liang leaned against the tree and feigned slumber. After an unknown amount of time passed, she felt the tree shake. She looked down and leaped off the tree, touched the black cloth on her face to make sure it was secure.
“Is everything settled?” Su Liang asked.
“Yes, let’s go.” Ning Jing led Su Liang away along the same path they had come.
Out of caution, the two of them waited for a long time, and it was only during the next changing of the guards that they left the General’s Mansion and went straight back to the inn.
By the time they sat down to drink a glass of water, it was already dawn.
They had a nap the night before, stayed up all night but Su Liang didn’t feel tired at all. She sat in Ning Jing’s room brainstorming about the next move.
“Wan Shan asked Wan Lin to lead the team to intercept the Imperial Envoy. It seems that womanizer possesses some skills. Should we go back and help?” Su Liang asked, “If nothing happens to Uncle Xing and Second Brother Lin on the way, they should arrive soon.”
Wan Shan and his son plan to meet the envoy appointed by Duanmu Yi before they can enter Xuanbei City and send them to meet the Yama King. They will pretend that the Imperial Decree never reached them.
The idea that Su Liang came up with last night is to strike first.
She arranged for Ning Jing to acupuncture Wan Shan, which would lead to symptoms of stroke. He would be conscious but unable to speak or move.
No imperial envoy has arrived yet, and the royal family has not done anything openly, so it is “Wan Shan had a stroke and became paralyzed when he got up in the middle of the night”. When Xing Ji arrives, all he needs to do is express remorse and concern.
Anyhow, they plan on taking a covert approach, and Su Liang painstakingly rushed to seize the initiative.
With Wan Shan gone, his two sons, due to lack of promotion by Duanmu Yi to a higher position, do not hold much sway within the Xuanbei City military compared to Wan Shan, and won’t stir much chaos.
Therefore, now Su Liang has to guarantee that Xing Ji and Lin Bojun arrive safely in Xuanbei City.
Ning Jing nodded, “I’ll go, you stay.”
Su Liang smiled slightly, “That’s exactly what I had in mind. You’re more skilled, so it will be safer. I still need to watch this place to prevent any mishaps. It’s best not to let Uncle Xing and Uncle Qi see you. Just take care of the problem secretly and come back.”
“I’m hungry,” Ning Jing said.
Su Liang cleared her throat slightly, “There’s no way to cook here, let’s go out to eat. After eating, you go on with your business, I’ll roam around the city.”
After washing up and changing their clothes, they left the inn and chose a roadside breakfast stall to eat.
The surface of Xuanbei City seemed no different from usual, but Su Liang noticed two guards from the City Lord’s Mansion dragging a white-bearded old man with a medicine box away in a hurry.
Wan Shan suddenly fell ill, Wan Cong should have suppressed the news.
This was normal, even if they didn’t harbor malicious intentions, news of Wan Shan’s condition couldn’t be disclosed to Liang Country, or else it might trigger a war.
These were things Su Liang had considered in advance.
Xing Ji, maybe arriving in a day or two, should have no problem stabilizing the situation with his capabilities.
After having breakfast, they returned to the inn, where Ning Jing secretly left alone, exiting the city then returning on the road to meet Xing Ji and Lin Bojun.
Su Liang went to the pub again after a while.
There weren’t many people at this time, so Su Liang asked the pub waiter about doing business in Liang Country.
Before she could finish, a man drinking at a nearby table with a wine pot in hand approached.
“Young fellow, you’re alone and want to do business in Liang Country? I advise you to go home as soon as possible!” The man had a beard but appeared to be in his twenties and acted extravagantly.
Su Liang kept a straight face, shook her head and said, “It’s not just me, my brother is with me too. I heard that fur in Liang Country is very cheap, if we bring it back and sell it, we can make a fortune.”
At these words, the bearded man burst out laughing, “Sure, the fur business can make money, who doesn’t know? But if it were so easy to make big money, all businessmen would be rich! And that’s not to mention the terrible climate in Liang Country. You, with your frail figure, might not even be able to endure the hardship. As for doing business, there’s no easy way in and out. Once you’re there, people may loot everything you have. Then, you’ll have nowhere to cry!”
“Is it really that dangerous?” Su Liang frowned, “But we’ve made it to Xuanbei City. We can’t go home empty-handed…”
“Are you afraid of losing face? It’s always better than losing one’s life! Listen to your elder brother, you better go home to your mother!” With that, the bearded man raised his wine pot, clinked glasses with Su Liang and gulped down several mouthfuls of wine.
Su Liang sighed deeply, “I’ll go back and discuss it with my brother. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll go home. Where are you from, elder brother?”
“Me? I’m a local of Xuanbei City!” The bearded man showed a big grin, revealing a row of neat white teeth. “Where are you from, young fellow?” “Pingbei City,” Su Liang casually said.
The bearded man shook his head, “It’s so comfortable there, why come here?” “I wanted to try my luck,” Su Liang said.
The bearded man laughed again, “Young fellow, I admire your courage, but don’t come again next time! This is not a good place. It might look peaceful now, but who knows when a war will break out!”
“Really?” Su Liang was surprised, “I just arrived yesterday and heard that the two sons of the Wan Family are very brave. Every time the soldiers from Liang Country approached, they were driven back to their base.”
The bearded man scoffed, and in a low voice said, “The soldiers from Liang
Country never even came, it’s been three months! The two sons of the Wan Family have supposedly repelled them more than a dozen times in these three months. What a joke!”
Su Liang looked shocked, “This…”
A soldier from outside shouted to the bearded man, “Boss, the Eldest Prince wants to see you!”
The bearded man lifted his head and emptied the wine pot, leaving not a single drop. He placed a chunk of broken silver on the table, “I have also paid for the young fellow’s drink! Let’s drink together next time!”
Upon saying this, he picked up the waist sword from the table next to him and walked out briskly.
At the doorway, the bearded man turned back and asked Su Liang, “What’s your name, young fellow?”
“Wen Liang,” Su Liang casually replied. Her real name was too cold, she chose a warmer alias.
The bearded man laughed as he exited, “You do look quite kind and gentle!”
When Su Liang saw the waiter come over to collect the money, she asked him, “Is that big brother from the military camp?”
The waiter nodded and seemed to recognize him, “That’s General Shen, one of the Eldest Prince’s subordinates in the Wan Family. He comes to drink whenever he has time!”
Su Liang was truly surprised this time. He wasn’t just a man from the military, but also Wan Cong’s subordinate. He was clearly aware of the shady dealings of the Wan brothers, but why would he tell all this to Su Liang, a stranger he had just met? Or maybe he disapproved of their actions, deliberately spreading the news, and just happened to run into Su Liang today?
No matter the reason, Su Liang felt that this General Shen could serve as a witness later, accusing Wan Shan and his sons of false reporting and fraudulent practices.
Moreover, it could be seen that the bearded man was not really loyal to Wan Cong.
This was good news for Su Liang.
With a plate of peanuts, Su Liang ate them one by one, until the pub started to get crowded as noon approached.
Then she heard that all the doctors in the city had been taken to the City Lord Mansion that day, and none of them had emerged even after half a day.
However, no one knew the truth yet; they all thought that Wan Shan had a relapse of his old illness.
Su Liang didn’t leave the pub until the afternoon. She strolled around the city, covertly observing Qian Country’s northern border city.
From her perspective, it seemed that some of the defenses were not well placed. Later, if Xing Ji took charge of Xuanbei City, Su Liang could offer him some suggestions on improvements.
She didn’t return to the inn until evening, carrying some food she had bought.
That night, Su Liang did not make another attempt to infiltrate the City Lord’s mansion. She read some books she had bought from a roadside stall during the day before falling asleep.
Wan Lin had set off with his party in the middle of the night.
Ning Jing only started to chase them in the morning, and by evening she had found them, setting up an ambush in a mountain valley on the inevitable route to Xuanbei City.
It wasn’t the valley where Ning Jing and Su Liang had temporarily stayed, but one further away from Xuanbei City.
As the sky began to darken…
Ning Jing hid at a safe distance, listening to Wan Lin complaining and scolding his subordinates with obvious irritation; he obviously didn’t like this assignment.
The scout, whom they had sent, returned with news that a group of people from the capital city was on the way, led by Xing Ji, the former Bei Jingwang, now the Marquis Zhong Xin.
“That Xing was actually commissioned to come here? He’s courting death!” Wan Lin, who had brought trusted men from the Wan Family, had no inhibitions in his speech.
The scout reported that Xing Ji’s party was expected to pass through their location before dawn.
“Everyone, perk up! If anything goes wrong, none of you will survive!” Wan Lin coldly commanded, then scolded his subordinates, “Where’s the water?”
A subordinate went to fetch water from a nearby spring and ran back, handing a delicate water sac to Wan Lin.
Ning Jing quietly watched as Wan Lin took a few sips of water, and not long later, fell flat on the ground.
Others who had also drunk water from the nearby spring also fell unconscious. Only three men remained awake, looking panicked and ready to take Wan Lin and hide away.
But not long after, all three felt a shadow flash before their eyes. They couldn’t make out who it was before they were knocked unconscious..
