Chapter 316: Deceit and Manipulation

With Zhu Zhanji’s approval and support, Zhang Yue finally felt relieved as he left Wuying Hall. While he walked away easily, Zhu Zhanji, who emerged a moment later, had his good mood vanish the moment he heard what Eunuch Huang said. His face was filled with gloom and anger.

It would have been fine if ordinary people died, but those two old palace maids had served him since he was born. Though they were gossipy, they were still close to him—how could they just die like that? Even though many people died under mysterious circumstances in the palace, for someone to silently harm those around him was outright provocation!

“Huang Run!”

At that voice, Eunuch Huang shrank inward. Usually, Zhu Zhanji would call him casually, often just using “you” as a reference. On good days, he might even call him “Old Huang.” How many years had it been since he last heard his full name? At that moment, he quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, realizing that the crown prince was truly angry this time.

“Send someone to bury them properly first. Then lead a team to investigate thoroughly—make sure everything is clarified!”

In the warm pavilion of the northern courtyard of the imperial envoy’s residence on Mafu Street.

At noon, as the young eunuch set out food on the kang table—four dishes and a soup, all steaming hot—Lu Feng had no appetite at all. He sat there, leaning back on the pillow, frowning. Seeing that the food was ready but his superior showed no intention of eating, Cheng Jiu simply signaled for the servants to leave before approaching.

“Is my lord thinking about Lord Zhang going to see the crown prince?”

Glancing at the kang table and seeing more fatty chicken and duck in the bowls, Lu Feng sneered irritably, “A bunch of fools! They’re too busy preparing greasy food in the palace. Even after leaving, they can’t think of something new to change the taste!” Seeing Cheng Jiu bowing slightly beside him, he added resentfully, “What’s there to worry about? Anyway, I’m not interested in the merits here. I planned to give them all to him anyway. But after promising him so many benefits, he still went to the palace on his own!”

At the distance Cheng Jiu was at, he could even see Lu Feng’s raised eyebrows and sense the heavy breathing coming from his nose, clearly realizing how angry he was. Given his status, he should have agreed with something at this point, but instead he turned his eyes and said with a forced smile, “Elder Lord, don’t get angry. Maybe Lord Zhang has other plans. If he doesn’t mention entering the palace today when he returns, then it won’t be too late for you to settle accounts with him…”
“You little brat! Are you his man or mine?”
Already annoyed, Lu Feng flew into a rage and violently pushed the table onto the floor, causing cups, plates, and bowls to scatter everywhere with a loud clatter. Despite the commotion inside, not a sound came from outside the curtain, as if everyone outside was too scared to make a noise. After a long while, a cautious voice came in.
“Elder Lord, Lord Zhang has returned and seems to be coming this way.”
“Tell them we’re taking a nap… Wait!” Lu Feng, who had been furious moments ago, suddenly changed his tone. After pondering for a while, he got up from the bed, carefully stepping over the mess, and went to the door. There, he turned to the stunned Chen Jiu and ordered, “Clean this place thoroughly. I’ll settle accounts with you after I’ve met him, huh!”
Since the warm room had just been in disarray, Lu Feng warned the few eunuchs in the main hall after leaving. As soon as he sat down in the grand armchair, he saw Zhang Yue enter. He immediately stood up with a bright smile, showing no trace of his earlier anger. After chatting amiably for a while, he noticed a bundle in Zhang Yue’s hands and pretended to be curious, asking, “Lord Zhang, what’s in there…”
Zhang Yue sensed a faint smell of food coming from the inner room and heard the sound of things being tidied up, which puzzled him slightly, though he kept a calm expression. When asked, he replied with a smile, “I heard that Elder Lord Lu has had a cold for several days. The Crown Prince ordered me to bring some high-quality Shangdang ginseng. This is last year’s tribute—genuine twenty-year-old mountain ginseng. It’s almost as good as the top-quality varieties, and it’s far superior to the ordinary stuff found in pharmacies. It’s excellent for restoring health and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Lu Feng was both surprised and delighted. His anger from earlier had long vanished. He took the bundle from Zhang Yue’s hands and, as he reached to untie it, suddenly shouted at the eunuchs in the room, “All of you, go outside! I have important matters to discuss with Lord Zhang. Cheng Jiu, clean this place later. Go stand outside and keep watch!”

After those eunuchs quietly left, Cheng Jiu finally came out. He had hurriedly packed things inside, and the hem of his robe was stained with oil. Without time to change, he rushed out, bowed to Zhang Yue, and then awkwardly retreated to stand by the outer door. Seeing this, Zhang Yue realized there must have been some story going on in the warm pavilion earlier.

“I am but a humble eunuch. With such generous rewards from His Highness the Crown Prince, I ought to go to the palace to express my gratitude. But since I have caught a cold, I dare not go. I couldn’t bear the consequences if anything went wrong in the palace.” As he spoke, Lu Feng wore a meaningful expression.

“I think the same. Otherwise, I would have asked Lord Lu to accompany me to the palace today.” Zhang Yue paused briefly before lowering his voice. “I’m truly sorry for troubling you to feign illness these past few days. The ginseng given to us by His Highness the Crown Prince actually has another reason behind it. Please listen to what I have to say…”

Having been in the palace for many years, Lu Feng knew well that ginseng came in different grades. Ginseng from Shangdang and Liaodong was the best, followed by Qinghe ginseng, and then Goryeo ginseng. Shangdang ginseng had always been a regular tribute, reserved solely for the imperial family, and even nobles rarely received it as a gift. No matter how arrogant he was, after his initial excitement, he felt this reward was too generous. Moreover, Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji must know he was feigning illness. So after hearing Zhang Yue’s explanation, he felt much more at ease. After listening to all the arrangements, his small eyes widened, and he even took a deep breath.

Leave all the guards in the capital and go to Songjiang and Ningbo just the two of them? What a joke! Last time when returning to the capital from Qingzhou, with so many escorts, he had almost lost his life. How could he possibly go incognito like this? He opened his mouth to object but suddenly saw Zhang Yue’s confident expression and realized the latter had already met the Crown Prince.

Since Zhu Zhanji had even brought out Shangdang ginseng, it was undoubtedly to let him go under the pretext of feigning illness. If he backed out now, he would be seen as a cowardly third-rate person in the eyes of that lord, and all his efforts would be in vain.

Gritting his teeth, he raised his head and asked, “Lord Zhang, are we really going to leave everyone here?”

“As the saying goes, a white dragon disguised as a fish is mocked by shrimps. How could I ever put you in such danger?”

Zhang Yue smiled slightly and delivered the prepared explanation. Hearing this, Lu Feng suddenly understood. He rested his chin in his hand and thought carefully, finding that everything fit together seamlessly. There seemed to be no safety issues, and he could even get a bunch of extra hands to work for him. His tense expression gradually relaxed, and he even thanked Zhang Yue for his thoughtful planning.

“Ahem, Lord Zhang, I’m just a simple man who can’t read and lacks insight. Earlier in the room, I thought you had abandoned me, which is why I got angry and smashed things. Now I realize you had no ill intentions but only good ones—I completely misjudged you. I won’t say anything else; this bow is my apology to you!”

Seeing Lu Feng suddenly bow to the ground, Zhang Yue quickly helped him up with both hands and said a few polite words. Although Lu Feng admitted his previous suspicions and anger, Zhang Yue still wouldn’t assume that this future head of the Eastern Depot had completely lost his wariness. After all, he wasn’t that foolish as to rely on the character of an eunuch.

With power in hand, who wouldn’t want to eliminate rivals?

Ying Tianfu was in charge of criminal affairs, finances, and taxation in the capital and its surrounding areas. Although its officials were recruited from the common people, many of the constables and messengers needed for these tasks had to be selected from the populace. Though their monthly salaries were meager, and they risked punishment if they failed in their duties, plus being barred from taking the imperial exams for three generations, many who refused to farm or work hard still saw it as a shortcut. After all, there was plenty of profit in government offices, and the little money left over by the powerful enough to control them was enough for them to live comfortably.

So early that morning, many people gathered on Ning Dong Street near Ying Tianfu’s training ground. In such favorable times, small business owners naturally wouldn’t miss out. They set up a dozen tables and dozens of stools along the walls, erected tarps, prepared tea, and started cooking noodles and wontons. In the cold weather, aside from the poorest who had no money, no one wanted to stand in the wind. So many people paid to sit inside and drink hot tea, while those with more money bought bowls of wontons and ate heartily. In no time, almost all the tables were filled.

“This time, the government wants ten constables and ten quick responders, but there are well over seventy or eighty people here!”

“What can be done? I’ve mastered martial arts, but unless I join the army, should I go farming? If I can join the imperial troops, at least I have the hope of fighting enemies and earning merits. But these days, joining the army just means farming locally or guarding the borders. It’s better to find a job in the government office—though it’s hard work, there’s at least some profit, which is better than being exploited in the army!”
“That’s… Huh, aren’t those the Three Tigers of West City? They’ve come too! Now they’ll surely take three of the spots.”
While the people at the tables were discussing among themselves, the three new, burly men also walked under the tarp-covered shelter. Seeing that every table was occupied, the leader among them immediately frowned. With a quick glance, he saw two young men with fair complexions sitting at the innermost table, clearly unskilled in martial arts. He immediately stepped forward with a fierce expression.
“You two, give up your seats!”