CH 18

Before dawn Yuan Ci Xian got on the carriage going south.

After Yuan Yu returned home last night, he wanted to drive her to Yaozhou without saying a word. She was confused at first, but he insisted on dragging her into the carriage and escorting her away like a prisoner. After thinking about it, she finally understood.

Her brother’s sudden behavior must be due to what Lu Shi Qing said. Although she didn’t know the details, she could roughly guess a few points.

Chang’an was turbulent, if she stayed here, although she would be able to take care of her brother’s affairs, keep an eye on Emperor Huining and the Sixth Prince, and have the opportunity to gain favorable impression with Lu Shi Qing or the Thirteenth Prince, but there were inevitably risks. If one day, the imperial court tore their faces with Diannan, Emperor Huining would definitely use her to restrain his father. Her Brother had already suffered lose in the capital, and if she joined in, it would make it even more difficult for the Yuan family.

Thinking of this, she no longer struggled. There were pros and cons to staying, it was hard to choose. But since her brother had made the choice, she couldn’t beat him, so she had to go with the flow.

The best way right now was for her to tell her brother the content of her dream and tell him what to do next, then return to Yaozhou, analyze the situation in the court with her father, let him realize His Majesty’s attitude towards the Yuan family, and then discuss the strategies for self-preservation with him.

As for Lu Shi Qing, this backer, she didn’t plan to give up either. For her, Chang’an was a place that was easy to enter and difficult to exit. If she could leave smoothly, she could return again.

She made up her mind, wait until they went out of the city, and when they arrived at a secluded mountain road, she called Yuan Yu who escorting her all the way into the carriage, and drove away the two maids and a group of attendants on both sides.

Seeing that she had stopped making trouble, Yuan Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but when he lifted the curtain, he saw her lowering her voice mysteriously: “Brother, I have something important to tell you, but you have to swear first that no matter what, you will never tell another person.”

He was stunned: “What kind of stuff? What should I swear on? If I leak it, I will be bald the next day?”

She glared at him, not in the mood to joke at the moment: “Just swear on my, father’s and mother’s life.”

Yuan Yu was shocked: “What are you talking about!” After saying that, seeing her solemn expression, for some reason he also felt a little flustered, and murmured, “… fine.”

Hearing his clear promise, Yuan Ci Xian said in a low voice: “Brother, I have received the revelation from heaven and know a few things about the future. First, in two years, our Yuan family will… ”

Speaking until here, she seemed to feel that it was wrong to speak so bluntly, so she dipped her finger in the tea that had not been drink in the tea pot, and wrote a few words on the small sandalwood table: be charge with serious crime of treason and the whole the family was given death.

Yuan Yu’s eyes widened.

She continued: “Secondly, the person who volunteer to arrest us at that time is…”

She dipped in the water again and wrote: Sixth Prince.

Yuan Ci Xian explained the key information one by one, and then explained to Yuan Yu the whole story of the dream and the reason why she came to Chang’an this time.

The successive bad news shocked Yuan Yu so much that he couldn’t speak for a while. After a long time, he touched her forehead: “Ci Xian, you don’t have a fever, are you? You… could it be you were provoked by Lu Zishu? Or… or else brother will capture that kid and send him to Yaozhou to marry our family?”

Yuan Ci Xian had a headache. Every time her elder brother suffered a shock, he would cover it up with a playful joke, as if he could deceive himself and others by doing so.

She said: “What our Yuan family’s situation has been like over these years, brother knows better than anyone else. Otherwise how could you, the person who’s most happy when you’re doing nothing, get involved in those things? The things I just said, whether it’s possible to happen in the future, you know it in your heart.”

Yuan Yu paused for a moment, calmed down, and finally became more serious: “…But this is too strange, it doesn’t make sense! Even if it is true, why should Heaven let you dream of these things?”

Yuan Ci Xian didn’t know either. She tilted her head and thought for a while: “Maybe because there’s people who burned incense and worshiped Buddha for me in my previous life?”

Yuan Yu frowned: “Anyway, I don’t think it’s credible.”

“At first I was also skeptical, so I didn’t blindly tell you and father. But these days, I interacted with Emperor Huining, Sixth Prince, and Assistant Minister Lu one after another, and I feel more and more that there are traces of the dream.” She sighed, “Brother, I know you can’t accept it for a while, and I won’t force you. I tell you this because I want you to be alert. Once I leave, I won’t be able to see you again until the end of the year. You must be careful in everything.”

Yuan Yu’s eyes softened, and he rubbed his rough fingertips on her face: “Brother knows.”

“Judging from our family’s current involvement with Sixth Prince, it is impossible to just freed ourselves. Before I discuss the countermeasures with Father, you must first stabilize him and that Mr. Xu, but remember to leave enough room for retreat, and don’t do things that spill bloods for others. As for Assistant Minister Lu and Thirteenth Prince… I am not in Chang’an, so I have to rely on you to pull down your face to please them.”

Yuan Yu said “tsk”, feeling unhappy, but in the end he wanted her to leave with peace of mind, so he reluctantly complied.

Seeing this, Yuan Ci Xian laughed: “Okay, even if we have to die, it will be two years later. Brother, just send it here, you go back.”

“Bah, what ominous thing to say!” Yuan Yu lifted the curtain then turned back to instruct, “Remember to send a letter to report your safety every time you arrive at a post station!”

Yuan Ci Xian nodded and watched him mount the horse, then lowered the curtain.

…

After returning home, Yuan Yu went to the study to ponder these things over. Not long after, he heard that Xu Shan came to visit.

He felt strange, welcomed the person in, then asked after taking a seat, “Mr. Xu is in a hurry, is there something urgent?”

Lu Shi Qing nodded slightly, and said in a fake voice like the previous few times: “Xu would take the liberty to ask General, did County Princess leave the capital?”

Yuan Yu tried to act as calm and natural as possible, but Yuan Ci Xian’s words casted waves in his heart, making him unable to fully trust the advisor in front of him. Because of this, he was a little suspicious, and asked: “How did you know, sir?”

“It was the news from the palace through the eyes and ears of His Sixth Highness. Xu came to the door today to tell General that County Princess may not be able to leave for the time being.”

He froze for a moment, and his face changed drastically: “What do you mean by that?”

Lu Shi Qing borrowed Zheng Zhuo’s name, claiming that he came here at his order, and roughly explained Emperor Huining’s plan, and before he could continue, he saw Yuan Yu suddenly stand up: “It’s ridiculous!” After speaking, he seemed to want to go out.

Lu Shi Qing guessed where he was going and got up to stop him: “County Princess is smart, she certainly can handle this. Besides, His Majesty has no intention of harming County Princess. It will be risky if you go, so you might as well wait here.”

Yuan Yu turned around and said: “I can’t even deal with it! As a brother, can I still helplessly watch my sister being tricked and frightened? Swords have no eyes, what if there’s something wrong? Sir maybe willing, but I am not!”

Lu Shi Qing choked, froze on the spot, and his mouth that had always been able to speak could not speak.

Yuan Yu moved to open the door, paused in his steps, and softened his tone: “Thank you sir for coming to tell this matter. Yuan has a sense of propriety and will not make a big fuss and implicate the eyes and ears arranged by Sixth Highness in the palace. I will ask someone to send you back.”

After finished speaking, he left, but before he stepped out of the courtyard, he saw a servant rushing towards him, saying, “Master, young lady is back!”

As soon as the servant finished speaking, Yuan Ci Xian appeared covered in dirt. Her skirt was torn in several places, her cuffs were stained with a few weeds, and she walked with a limp. Shi Cui and Jian Zhi supported her on the left and right.

Yuan Yu was startled, and hurriedly stepped forward to support her: “Where are you hurt? His Majesty really sent someone to block you?”

Yuan Ci Xian wiped the dust and mud on her face and said with a smile: “Even brother’s eyes can’t really tell, it seems I have done a good job in this play. I’m not injured, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to leave for the time being.” After finished speaking, she brushed off her skirt and asked strangely, “How brother know that it was His Majesty who blocked me?”

Yuan Yu didn’t answer, kept squeezing her shoulders to check her injuries: “Is it really not hurt?”

She raised her arms and kicked her legs: “I’m fine, I just acted for those hairy thieves!”

After Yuan Ci Xian finished speaking, she raised her eyes and saw a person standing in the corridor in the distance, wearing a black robe with long sleeves and a silver mask covering her face. She was stunned for a moment, and said in a low voice: “Brother, why didn’t you say that Mr. Xu is in the house?”

Yuan Yu looked back, rubbed his nose and replied, “I was so scared for you, I forgot…” He coughed embarrassingly, “The news that His Majesty send people to block you is sent by him on behalf of Sixth Highness. But just now brother was so worried, and talked recklessly, and seems to have offended him a little…”

Yuan Ci Xian was helpless. Tell him to stabilize, how could he provoke people as soon as he turned his head!

The two brother and sister were whispering together, and Lu Shi Qing waited for them to finish before stepping forward and said, “Since County Princess is fine, Xu will leave.”

Yuan Yu calmed down a little now, and apologized with a smile: “Sir come and go in a hurry, why don’t you use some refreshments before leaving.”

“Thank you General for your good intentions, Xu won’t be troubling you. His Highness ordered me to come, first to confirm whether County Princess is safe, and second, to remind General how to deal with the aftermath of this matter. Now it seems that County Princess is fine, and she has already a way to deal with it, so there is no need for Xu to say more.”

Yuan Ci Xian’s whole body was dirty, and quite embarrassed to talk to an outside man, but in the end she had doubts in her heart, so she didn’t hold back, and asked: “What’s the method of dealing with this that Sir talked about?”

Lu Shi Qing nodded and said: “Arresting the villain, revealing the truth, and confronting His Majesty—this is the worst strategy. Sparing the villain, pretending to be deaf and dumb, and swallowing this breath—this is the good strategy. Above the good strategy, pretending to be injured and making His Majesty feel ashamed is the best strategy. County Princess has made the best choice.”

Yuan Ci Xian smiled at him: “Sir understand me. I will send you off.”

Lu Shi Qing still lowered his head: “Don’t bother, County Princess should rest at ease.”

“Sir working up strategy for my Yuan family, I send you off is a must. Besides, I’m not really hurt.”

She insisted on sending him off. Lu Shi Qing could not refuse, lest the words reveal too many flaws, so he walked silently with her all the way to the side gate in the backyard. Before leaving, he heard her say: “Please sir, thank His Highness on my behalf.”

He nodded.

Yuan Ci Xian asked again: “I don’t know if you are busy on weekdays?”

Lu Shi Qing seemed to have completely changed when he played Xu Shan, his demeanor, even his eyes, did not show any sharpness, and when he heard this, he said politely: “Xu is just a commoner, how can be busy.”

“That’s good!” Yuan Ci Xian laughed, “I have a presumptuous request.”

Lu Shi Qing had an intuition that it was not a good thing, but his face was polite and humble: “Please say.”

“I have admired Sir’s chess skills for a long time. If Sir has a free day, I would like to ask you to play a game of chess for me, so that I can feast my eyes.”

Lu Shi Qing was silent, and lowered his eyes slightly.

Yuan Ci Xian smiled very understandingly: “Sir can refuse.”

He shook his head, indicating that he was not unwilling: “When County Princess wants to watch chess someday, then send someone to deliver a message to Xu.”

She smiled slyly: “Then it’s settled.”

Lu Shi Qing nodded and withdrew, and after getting on the carriage, he suddenly became irritable for no reason.

Which one this Yuan Ci Xian want to fix on? It’s not enough for her to be chasing him, and now she’s still clinging to Xu Shan?