46

One night in Nanyue Kingdom, a young man was running desperately, looking around vigilantly. It is evident that someone was chasing him. The young man, exhausted, seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment. In the distance, there was a faint glimmer of fire. The young man seemed to glimpse hope. However, the pursuers behind him were closing in. As he ran, he tore off his sleeve and ignited it with a flint. Soon, the sleeve was ablaze as he vigorously waved it in the air, hoping that people in the distance would notice. Unfortunately, his sleeve quickly burned out and the pursuers were more closer to him. Four hooded figures brandishing swords approached and the young man, wielding a staff but lacking any skills of kung fu, soon found himself struck by their blades. However, another group of people on horseback arrived just in time, outnumbering the attackers. Realizing the unfavorable situation, the four hooded individuals hastily retreated into the night. The young man was carried into a military camp, intermittently muttering:

"Mar…Marshal…Zh…Zhao, pl…please!"

"No problem, you're safe now and the doctor will come soon."

Two days later, a military detachment departed from Nanyue Kingdom towards Duanzhou, while an urgent letter swiftly made its way to Jingdu from Nanyue. 

Yuhong Xun was having a meal when he noticed that his wine cup was empty. Turning to look at Zhou Chuyu, he found Zhou Chuyu lost in thought. Intrigued, Yuhong Xun observed Zhou Chuyu, who seemed unaware of being watched. Yuhong Xun noticed a change in Zhou Chuyu's eyes, no longer lifeless but filled with a hint of joy. There was a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth and even the scars on his face seemed to carry a sense of excitement. Yuhong Xun couldn't help but gaze at him, not wanting to disrupt this moment.

Suddenly a hurried shout from Yuhong Zhen interrupted the scene:

"Xun, Xun, there is the letter from Nanyue, reporting that someone is secretly investigating..."

Startled by the sudden exclamation, Zhou Chuyu snapped back to reality, the smile disappearing from his face and the lifeless gaze returning. Yuhong Xun, annoyed, slammed the table and said:

"Get out!"

Zhou Chuyu quickly put down the wine jug, stood up, bowed and left the room. However, instead of leaving immediately, he stopped within earshot. Yuhong Zhen continued: 

"Xun, Shen Lijin sent an urgent message, revealing that someone is covertly investigating the finances of the auction in Nanyue."

"Is he clean?"

"He's been working in the Ministry of Revenue for many years so there shouldn't be any mishaps."

"Nonsense. That's what you think! How did Xie Guansan discover the traces in Jingdu? Qian Dayou had dedicated over two decades to his work, yet he failed to uncover any clues. However, Xie Guansan, who had just started his position, managed to find the discrepancy within a few days. In a bid to cover up Qian Dayou's mistake, we devised a plan to eliminate Xie Guansan. The money in question was owed by the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of Works. Urgently pressed by the Fourth Prince, Yuhong Lun, for these funds, Qian Dayou, in frustration, tore up the IOU. Unfortunately, Yuhong Lun possessed another copy of the IOU. To settle the debt owed to the Ministry of Works, Qian Dayou resorted to embezzling funds from other sources but lacking an IOU to reconcile the accounts, we intended to frame Xie Guansan for the misappropriation. Our plan hit a snag when Xie Guansan's son dared to assault Chuyu. In the aftermath, Xie Guansan admitted guilt for not disciplining his son properly. His punishment was demotion and relocation from Jingdu. Now, a similar situation is unfolding in Nanyue."

"Can Wang Qing help us? As long as he doesn't confess, it'll be fine."

"Wang Qing is a cunning person. Until now he doesn't stand by us now. Although he informed us that someone was sent to investigate in Nanyue, he never disclosed the identity. This means not only he can control us but also there are more choices for him. Despite his unwavering loyalty to our father, the recent palace closure, with only the eighth uncle being summoned, raised suspicions, this has left him deeply disappointed. Now he assists me in governing the country. While handle official affairs according to established principles, there are instances where he chooses to overlook certain matters, signaling his support for me. Nevertheless, he maintains a certain distance and isn't overly close. It seems he is biding his time to see which side will emerge victorious so our expectations of his allegiance should be tempered."

"So what should we do? It is impossible for us to get any help from other ministries."

"Most officials from other ministries hold lower positions. Those recommended by our maternal grandfather don't have received much attention. Our focus has been on the Ministry of Revenue, given our need for funds. How about the person investigating covert accounts in Nanyue?"

"He's injured, quite severely. However, Zhao Hai's garrison in Nanyue reportedly rescued him"

Yuhong Xun slammed the table angrily and exclaimed:

"Useless! It would make the big problem if he fell into Zhao Hai's hands. Can you find a way to intercept the correspondence between Duanzhou and Jingdu?"

"I'll hire some ronins to kill the postman. Don't worry and I don't think it is possible to find us who also are involved."

Unbeknownst to them, Zhou Chuyu, standing outside, overheard their conversation. As he heard footsteps approaching, he swiftly dodged around a corner, jumped down the corridor and entered a secluded path leading to his yard. Ouyang Liang only caught a glimpse of a shadow making a turn and disappearing. He called out, entered the room, discussing the current situation with the Yuhong brothers and sharing what had just witnessed with Yuhong Xun. 

Yuhong Xun strolled into Zhou Chuyu's room and entered the room, where he found Zhou Chuyu as usual, writing the sutra. This time it isn't <Diamond Sutra>, instead of <Avatamsaka Sutra> . Yuhong Xun commanded:

"Fetch me some comfortable clothes. I'll be sleeping here tonight."

Zhou Chuyu halted his writing, seeming frozen in the chair. Impatient, Yuhong Xun raised his voice:

"Do it!"

Setting down his quill, Zhou Chuyu approached him and began helping him change the clothes. Yuhong Xun observed that Zhou Chuyu's expression remained stoic, his eyes devoid of the vibrancy they had shown at the dinner table. Yuhong Xun inquired:

"<Avatamsaka Sutra>? Why does it have changed to write this now?"

Zhou Chuyu continued adjusting Yuhong Xun's clothes without uttering a word. Yuhong Xun shouted:

"Speak!"

He said expressionlessly:

"Requested by Monk Huici."

"What were you daydreaming about at the dinner table? You seemed so absent-minded." Yuhong Xun pressed on. Once again, Zhou Chuyu chose silence. Yuhong Xun continued, "Thinking about your old lover? Don't worry. I'm not jealous. You never show me a good face to me anyway. I've grown used to it. If you need to go out recently, just inform my eunuch through your servant. I've been quite busy lately."

Having said that, Yuhong Xun pulled Zhou Chuyu into an embrace, kissing his neck while removing his clothes rudely.

Yuhong Xun noticed that Zhou Chuyu didn't have left his yard. He remained as schedule as before, dispelling any suspicions Yuhong Xun had about him gathering information. Since the death of his little mom, Zhou Chuyu had become notably more obedient, refraining from provoking him with words or actions. Although still uncommunicative, expressionless and emotionally detached, Yuhong Xun felt satisfied. Surprisingly, when Zhou Xiang expressed a desire to see his parents and Zhou Chuyu concurred, Yuhong Xun agreed without hesitation. 

Within a few days, he brought Zhou Huai'an and his wife into the mansion, sharing a meal together. Because of his presence, the conversation remained minimal, with Mrs. Zhou offering pregnancy advice to Zhou Xiang. Zhou Huai'an sighed as he watched Zhou Chuyu, who remained silent throughout the gathering. 

At this moment, Yuhong Xun suddenly received an invitation from his aunt, Princess Yun. The invitation stated that the princess had found her long-lost son and was hosting a special banquet to invite family members for a reunion. This left Yuhong Xun somewhat puzzled, unsure of the situation. Nevertheless, since that was the case, he decided to go and see what it was all about.

Regarding this aunt, Princess Yun, Yuhong Xun couldn't claim to be close but he was aware that his mother and this princess had never gotten along. His maternal grandfather had suggested the proposal to send this younger princess away for a political marriage in Huichun. As for whether the princess knew about this proposition, Yuhong Xun couldn't be certain but his intuition told him she probably knew what his mother did to her. This make it difficult for him to have good relationship with Zhao Hai and his sons. Additionally, he knew that Yuhong Xuan had always close to the Zhaofamily. Although it was widely known that his eldest brother had no interest in the throne, given his voluntary posting to the border without involvement in the central government but Yuhong Xun harbored suspicions. Now, with Princess Yun having a new son, the question arose: how could this son have been lost for many years? What role would be play in the future? Was he here for family reunion or seeking wealth and prosperity? If it was the latter, then Yuhong Xun had an opportunity to gain influence, repair his relationship with the princess's family, especially with Zhao Hai and his sons. It seemed that this banquet was quite significant for him, providing an opportunity to listen, observe and determine how to navigate through it to achieve his goal of ascending to the throne.