CH 31

Chapter 31: You And I Have Different Status, So Don’t Go Beyond The Rules Again.

Seven days later, a man came out of the prison inside the Secret Servant Residence. That man was dressed in ragged clothes stained with dark red blood. He was staggering a little, as if his wounds hadn’t healed yet. Although he looked slightly embarrassed, the corners of his mouth were raised with an unrestrained smile, as if he hadn’t experienced any kind of punishment at all.

Outside, the warm sun was blinding, and Bian Zhonghua raised his hand to cover up his eyes. After his eyes got used to the brightness, Bian Zhonghua put down his hand, only to see a person standing in front of him.

“Tsk tsk tsk.” Qin Yicang fanned himself with the ink-painted fan in his hand as he circled around Bian Zhonghua: “You look miserable. Really, if you wanted to kill him, why did you do it in the open? You should have told your Xiongdi, and I would’ve helped you. You just needed to direct the knife to that dead man from a distance, and State Master Li wouldn’t know who did it.”

State Master Li, who was standing behind the two of them, coughed quietly.

Qin Yicang slapped Bian Zhonghua on the shoulder and raised his voice: “Xiongdi! Repent of your mistakes! Don’t do it again! You can’t kill people at random, do you hear me?!”

Bian Zhonghua’s chest hurt after being slapped and coughed for a while. Bian Zhonghua then stretched out his hand to catch Qin Yicang’s mischievous hands, dirtying Qin Yicang’s sleeves in the process.

After the two of them quarreled for a while, they reacted in hindsight and bowed to State Master Li, who simply waved his hand magnanimously without the intention of blaming them: “Bian Zhonghua, come with me.”

Qin Yicang bid his farewell, and Bian Zhonghua followed behind State Master Li.

State Master Li put his hands behind his back and walked towards the main hall of the Secret Servant Residence. As he looked at the injuries hidden under Bian Zhonghua’s tattered clothes, he said: “You should rest for a few days, until your wounds are healed, don’t take any missions for the time being.”

Bian Zhonghua nodded: “Thank you, State Master. By the way, State Master, what happened to the friend I asked you to keep an eye on before?”

State Master Li stopped walking and turned sideways to look at Bian Zhonghua. His gaze was deep and stern.

At a single glance, Bian Zhonghua could tell something was wrong. As expected, State Master Li added: “Were you aware that your friend is the real Prince Chongfeng?”

Bian Zhonghua was stunned at first, but then he laughed frankly and said: “I was aware.”

When State Master Li saw Bian Zhonghua’s wanton and fearless appearance, he couldn’t even blame him for not telling him about the Prince’s identity sooner. State Master Li then laughed along with him, feeling as if this was what should’ve happened.

No, not should, this is how it was supposed to be. If so, how would he dare blame the man in front of him? Maybe it was because he had been acting as a State Master for so long, that he almost took this job seriously.

State Master Li breathed out and said: “A lot has happened during the days you’ve been punished.”

Bian Zhonghua looked at State Master Li with a solemn expression.

“The false Prince has been assassinated, and the real Prince has revealed his identity. When Empress Dowager Xianyi, who was originally offering sacrifices to Heaven, heard the news, she immediately came back to the Palace.”

“Assassinated….” Bian Zhonghua frowned.

“Yes. Go back and rest for a while until you recover.” State Master Li waved his sleeve, not wanting to discuss this matter with Bian Zhonghua anymore.

On the other side, after bidding his farewell, Qin Yicang leisurely waved the fan in his hand as he walked all the way to Lin Baihu’s courtyard, which was isolated and quiet, without a single maid or servant in sight.

Qin Yicang walked to a pavilion with cornices that looked like wings and saw a man standing in the middle of it, like the frost on a cold winter morning. When Lin Baihu heard the sound of footsteps, he turned around to look at Qin Yicang with cold eyes: “Is he out? How are his injuries?”

“If you’re so worried about him, why don’t you go see him yourself?” Qin Yicang sat down on the stone bench in the pavilion and patted his clothes carelessly.

Lin Baihu wasn’t pleased, but he wasn’t angry either. He simply remained silent.

“He’s fine, and in good spirits.” On the contrary, Qin Yicang couldn’t hold back as he said: “By the way, since Bian Zhonghua will have to rest to recuperate from his injuries for several weeks, between you and me, who will go serve Prince Chongfeng?”

“Me,” Lin Baihu replied.

“Hmm? Why so decisive?”

“I had a discussion with State Master Li. Both State Master Li and I agreed that Lord Bian should no longer get close with Prince Chongfeng.”

“Why?”

When Lin Baihu looked at Qin Yicang, he couldn’t believe that he didn’t understand the reason. Still, he explained: “You should know that if Lord Bian gets in between us and Prince Chongfeng, there will be trouble.”

“Indeed.” Qin Yicang nodded as he wrapped his arms around himself and leaned against the stone table in a trance: “But, in the end….. it will all be the same…. Ah, by the way, little white bird~”

When Lin Baihu heard the familiar nickname, he raised his head to look at Qin Yicang.

Qin Yicang unfolded his fan and smiled at him: “It’s been a long time since I last heard your ‘chirp’. I want to listen to it.”

“…..” Lin Baihu was expressionless: “When have I ever ‘chirped’?”

Qin Yicang said: “See, see? Wasn’t that just now a ‘chirp’?”

Lin Baihu: “…..”

Qin Yicang observed his expression carefully for a while, but in the end, he was disappointed: “It’s strange, I’ve been teasing you like this, but you’re not even annoyed or ashamed. Little white bird, you really don’t have the seven emotions and six desires? At least, you’ve been alive for thousands of years, have you ever felt sad for anyone else?”

“Yes.” Lin Baihu nodded his head.

“What? You have? When?” Qin Yicang was so shocked that he slapped the stone table and stood up.

Lin Baihu turned around indifferently and left, without the intention of telling Qin Yicang.

Qin Yicang froze in place for a moment, but then he stretched out his hand as he shouted and chased after Lin Baihu: “Little white bird! Are you teasing me? Hey, don’t go! Have you really been sad before? For who? I’m not teasing you anymore, so just tell me. Little white bird, walk slower!”

As he heard the man following behind him as he asked him things over and over again, the corners of Lin Baihu’s mouth raised slightly.

…

When Bian Zhonghua arrived at his courtyard, he asked for a bucket of hot water. After taking off his dirty clothes, he began to wash himself. With a towel, he slowly wiped the wounds on his body, produced by days of heavy punishment. However, his thoughts were wandering.

‘The fake Prince was assassinated?’

According to State Master Li’s cautious nature, it was impossible for him to not look deeper into such matters. If he was purposely avoiding talking about it, then there was only one possibility…..

Either State Master Li knew who stabbed the false Prince, or it was him who ordered it….

‘But why…..?’

‘Could it be because he already knew Qi Ci’s identity and forced him to reveal himself as the Prince?’

When he thought about it, over the years, the Princes in the Imperial Palace had died or injured themselves one after the other. Even though His Highness the Crown Prince had managed to secure the position of the Crown Prince, Empress Dowager Xianyi had suddenly ordered to find the exiled children of the former Emperor a few years ago. Even ordinary people could understand what was at stake.

As Bian Zhonghua got up from the bathtub, the crystal drops of water rolled down his tall and straight body. When he casually threw the towel in the bucket, he suddenly regretted taking revenge that day.

If he hadn’t been punished for 7 days, he might have been able to detect State Master Li’s plans and let Qi Ci know beforehand.

After taking a bath, Bian Zhonghua neatly put medicine on his wounds, tied his long hair, and changed into clean clothes. Then he got up, ready to go to the Prince’s Residence.

After all, he had promised Qi Ci that they would go drink together after his punishment. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten.

However, Bian Zhonghua didn’t expect that he would be stopped at the gates of the residence.

The two Secret Servants clasped their fists and saluted: “Lord Bian, you need to notify your visit to the Prince’s Residence beforehand, only that way you can enter.”

Bian Zhonghua looked puzzled: “Even I need to do that?”

“Yes, now the Prince’s Residence is under the care of Lord Lin, so…..”

Bian Zhonghua wasn’t in a hurry, so he nodded: “Then please help me report my presence.”

The two Secret Servants glanced at each other, until one of them hurried inside the residence.

In the end, Bian Zhonghua waited for a while.

When the Secret Servant, who went to report his presence, finally returned, another man was following behind him. When Bian Zhonghua, who stood at the steps of the gates of the Prince’s Residence, raised his head, his gaze met with Lin Baihu.

Lin Baihu didn’t dare to look down, and when he walked down the few steps, he handed Bian Zhonghua a letter and an object: “The Prince asked me to give this to you.”

After taking the object and the letter, Bian Zhonghua froze.

Because the object was actually his own token.

Bian Zhonghua felt a bit strange as he opened the letter and read what was written inside: “Thank you for helping me over the past few days. I will definitely put a few good words for you in front of State Master Li and Empress Dowager in the future. But, you and I have different status, so don’t go beyond the rules again.”