Each to His Own Plans 3

"We can set things up so that our enemies would believe what we wish them to believe. At least for the moment. But you will still need to work on your skills, and train up your own Personal Guard, if you wish to be safer than you are now."

The Duchess had said that after Butler Jin had made his excuses and fled from her personal courtyard. Or, to be more exact, she had waited a few moments, until she was certain that the Butler was well and truly away, before she spoke.

Li Changhai thought that was a little overdoing it, but he did not dare to give voice to that opinion, when his mother turned her stony stare on him. She had her reasons for taking such precautions, he was certain. But he didn't really want to know what they were.

Then she had sighed, and made a simple gesture at his chest. It took him a moment, and her next words, to realize that she was pointing at his heart:

"You are a little too soft, when it comes to such matters. Not that I blame you. I had hoped that you would become a little more ... callous, with regards to this sort of thing. That was why I kept sending you to mother - your grandmother, I mean. She has a way of dredging out the hard-hearted side to people.

"But it seems you have only just begun to see the darker side of human nature. At twenty something, that seems a little late, in my opinion. But you have taken your first steps, so I suppose I should be pleased."

The Duchess smiled at him then. A sad smile that he had not seen cross her face for a long, long time. One that told him that she was a little - only a little unsatisfied! But it was all the same to him; it bothered him to have his mother disappointed in him. Or what he had done.

Or, in this particular case, what he didn't do.

He had been dismissed shortly after Butler Jin left, with his mother giving the excuse that she needed her sleep. And that she was tired after interrogating Zhou Jinhu the whole night before. And reminded him that he had not had breakfast, and that he should eat.

But Li Changhai knew better; she wanted him to think about what he had just been told - and shown! She wanted him to figure it out for himself, just what he wanted.

The Second Ducal Prince was a little upset when he thought about it though. It was clearer now. How was he to know that his maternal grandmother was teaching him to look out for the petty machinations that took place within his own household? He recognized all of her warnings, and her lessons now, after the episode with his mother earlier. That was enough to show what she had been doing, all these years.

But he certainly didn't have any idea, when he was younger, did he? He had only thought that he was being accepted into the family, and that she was sharing everything, so that he would not miss out. It was only after that attack on the camp, the one that almost killed him, that he started to see things a little differently.

And it was only when his mother pulled him aside earlier this morning, and told him what was going on, that he understood that things were not as pleasant, not as comfortable as he thought it was! Nor was his life as safe as it should be!

Li Changhai almost laughed out loud when he remembered what he had been worried about earlier, when he had been summoned to her courtyard. What did it matter, the marriage of the Yue'an City Marquis's daughter? What was that, compared to the life and death situation that he was likely to face?

He would have to take steps, just as his mother had said, and get his Personal Guard together. He had that now, at least, even though he didn't manage to get a proper army unit from his father. Since most of the group that had come up with him from the South were vetted by his maternal grandmother, he should be able to trust them to his back!

And then there was his three companions ...

Li Sanlang groaned then, as he remembered what he had been intending to do since morning. Between his mother's summons, and the whole issue of Zhou Jinhu's escape, he had all but forgotten it!

Honestly, it wasn't really that pressing, to tell the truth. And he was certain that Du Yan and Lin Liushui would have taken care of matters when they realized that he was occupied. The servants would know to serve the trio breakfast, if they asked for it. Especially when it looked like Li Sanlang wasn't going to show himself.

But it has already been so long, and if they caught word of Fatty Zhou's escape from the Gatehouse as well, they can probably guess what he had been up to.

However, that did not excuse him from missing that particular appointment. Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to checking up on someone who had saved his life! And his mother had warned him that no one else should know the truth of the matter. It would give rise to too many questions, and the current story on the streets, about how his three brave companions had fought so hard to protect him was already hot news in Yanyun City.

And only Heaven would know what those three would be up to, once they heard about Fatty Zhou's escape. He would have to let them know - or at least hint to the three of them, that it had all be part of the plan. Otherwise, Li Changhai would not feel comfortable about the whole incident. The trio were the ones who were responsible for Fatty Zhou's capture in the first place, after all.

So despite the ache in his belly, the Second Ducal Prince hurried to the guest quarters, to pay a visit to the young man who had supposedly gotten hurt saving his life.

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