Chapter 873: The Abandoned Place

Tangzi Hutong, on the west bank of Shichahai, is located behind Dingfu Hutong, with the Duke of Ding’s mansion right in front. However, as the powerful figures in the capital began building gardens in the city—such as Yingguo Park and Chengguo Gong’s Shijing Garden—Duke Xu Jingchang’s family moved to Dingyuan near Jishuitan on the west side of Deshengmen Street. As a result, the large mansion became much less crowded, and even visitors flocked to that place. Over time, to prevent theft, even the back door of the Duke’s mansion was closed, leaving Tangzi Hutong deserted. The vendors who used to be there changed their business locations.

Since it was behind the duke’s mansion, Tangzi Hutong never had any other proper official residences. Most of the houses there were owned by servants released from the duke’s household, who built their own yards in the area. Now, even those yards were mostly rented out or sold to outsiders. The yard directly opposite the back door of the mansion was the largest, with three well-organized sections inside and outside. It had originally belonged to a steward of the mansion and was rented to a merchant three years ago. It used to be bustling with people coming in and out, but these days, whether due to heightened security in the capital or a lack of business, its gates remained tightly closed. Only that evening did they open briefly to let in a group of seven or eight people.

By now, the night curfew had been imposed, and the sound of the night watch drums could be heard for hours. In the spacious main room, several people sat on either side, all looking silent. In the room to the east, the food that had been served earlier still lay untouched on the small rosewood inlaid table, having long lost its warmth.

“Should we send someone outside to investigate?”
“Don’t cause trouble. Even if we get some information, what can we do?”

Prince Liang waved his hand impatiently and sat down behind the table, his heart burning with anxiety. After a long while, he suddenly raised his head and asked, “If there’s no movement by the second watch, we must leave the city through Deshengmen immediately. Someone will be waiting outside to take us in. After all, I’ve prepared for so long quietly, and with others watching over there, our escape route will definitely be secure. As long as things go well in the palace… no, things will definitely go well in the palace! I originally thought it would be the Empress Dowager who fell ill after I bribed the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor and added my spices. Who would have thought it would be the Crown Prince? Women are truly unreliable! But with so many eunuchs I sent in, plus the chaos caused by those from the Red Shop, there shouldn’t be any problems in succeeding!”

He spoke with absolute certainty, but the middle-aged man by the table, who used to be the chief steward of the Prince of Jin’s residence, knew that this nobleman from the imperial family didn’t really have that much control after all—indeed, he was already afraid. It made sense; Li Maoqing was essentially a money transfer hub, and the contact person somehow fell into Zhang Yue’s hands and was captured. As for the Tongji Warehouse in Tongzhou and the Dingbian Garrison, they fell into the hands of a minor who reported them, thereby creating the biggest gap. The Prince of Liang mentioned it briefly to the Princes of Xiang and Zheng, who then eagerly rushed to the palace, only to be stopped on their way back. The only benefit was that they could clear their own names.

Yet all of this was orchestrated through those letters. This sixteen-year-old prince was nothing but a puppet—his role was limited to his status and his determination born of hatred; nothing more. But with things having reached this point, waiting for news from the palace seemed hopeless, so they had to consider the final step. The blame was too great for just the Prince of Jin to bear; adding the Prince of Liang should be enough. Given the Prince of Liang’s pride, he surely wouldn’t shift all the blame onto others, as he despised such actions and would never expose the schemes behind them.

Thinking of this, the middle-aged steward smiled slightly and said gently, “Your Highness needn’t worry too much. Even if things fail, it will be because the Prince of Jin committed treason—nothing to do with you. After all, Your Highness never got involved from the start.”

“Stop talking about failure!” The Prince of Liang slammed the table in anger, but remembering that it was his guest he treated as a teacher, his expression softened a bit. “We’ve prepared for so long. If it still fails, I’ll have no choice but to go to my fief in misery, never able to pay respects to my mother again or see my legitimate younger brother… Why should the one who killed my mother live peacefully in the Renshou Palace, revered by all? If only he were here… If only he were here…”

He recalled his time in the Eastern Palace, when his father’s position was unstable, and his mother’s title as Marquis of Wuding seemed lost. As the younger son, he was often excluded from their gatherings. Aside from the Prince of Xiang, who paid him some attention, only Zhu Zhankind, the heir to the Prince of Han, was kind to him, giving him even more gifts than his other brothers. Over time, he naturally grew to trust and respect him—until the day the news of his death arrived.

If that was the first time he felt grief, then the successive deaths of his father and mother were the second, and the death of his elder brother, Prince Teng, was the third. He didn’t want to watch his frail younger brother, Prince Wei, follow in the footsteps of his parents and brother, so he decided to take a risk. Even if he succeeded, it wouldn’t be him who would rule; but if he didn’t try, he would regret it for life!
He was jealous of Zhu Zhanji, but he also respected him as his elder brother, so naturally he wouldn’t target him. However, the hatred toward his mother was unforgivable—he wouldn’t spare his heartless biological mother. Moreover, after further investigation, he found that Prince Teng’s death might be suspicious. Prince Teng wasn’t the frail Prince Wei; even if he was overwhelmed with grief, how could a common cold kill him so quickly?
Seeing the changing expressions on Prince Liang’s face, the middle-aged manager quietly withdrew. Those outside were all loyal men bribed by Prince Liang with plenty of money. After eating, they were full of energy and showed no reaction at all when they saw him. Without saying a word, he pulled back the curtain and went outside.
This was the place he had arranged—naturally, it was registered under the name of the Prince of Jin, as he was the manager of the Prince of Jin’s residence and had nothing to do with Prince Liang. After all, he had been alone in the capital for many years. Relying on that Prince of Jin, who only knew how to indulge in pleasure yet was extremely cruel and harsh, would mean he wouldn’t have enough lives to survive. So, he walked slowly to the entrance of the courtyard, glanced back at the motionless curtain, then stepped down the stairs. He hurried along the path to the back door, opened it, and looked around—seeing no one, he finally felt relieved.
After walking a short distance outside, he took off his fine fur coat, put it on backwards, removed his hat and placed it in his arms, then rubbed his head and face. In no time, he looked completely different. Even so, he kept looking back as he walked, ensuring no one was following, before turning into a dark alley. After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped in front of a house and knocked gently and regularly for a while.
The two large doors opened silently. A head poked out to take a look, then pulled the middle-aged manager inside quickly before closing the courtyard door. Standing in the courtyard, the manager asked anxiously, “Can we really leave through Desheng Gate tomorrow?”

“Don’t worry. The dung carts leaving the city gate every day follow a set schedule. If they were to inspect, it wouldn’t be this one. Even if something serious happened, the city gates couldn’t all be closed.” The man who answered smiled confidently. Seeing the manager relax, he rubbed his face vigorously before cautiously asking, “Brother Li, is this matter really over now?”
“Of course it is! After years of planning, it was ruined by one after another coincidence. We even had to sacrifice two princes. As for the Prince of Jin, he’s just tyrannical and actually foolish. He causes trouble on his own without even needing to be incited. But the Prince of Liang… if he’s gone, where can we find someone as good again?”
“If he’s gone, isn’t there still the Prince of Wei?”
“The Prince of Wei? What use is that sickly prince? If only he could walk normally, others would be happy! Besides, we’ve already sacrificed the Wu Ding Marquis’s family. Without their support, what can he do? Even if the Wu Ding Marquis survives, his title will be given to someone else. Who will help him?” After saying all this, seeing the other man look at him with admiration, the manager sighed again. “Don’t look at me. These are all the master’s plans. I’m just a messenger, repeating what’s told. You’d better get ready and leave the city soon. Wait until the storm passes.”
The man naturally knew the manager was just being humble. Though he served as a manager in the Prince of Jin’s mansion, he was actually a strategist, just not by the master’s side. So, after sending the man back to his room, he prepared hot food and drinks, ate with him, and waited until he fell asleep before leaving. Then he looked up at the gloomy sky.
No matter how important someone used to be, they were worthless that night. Even the Prince of Liang was a pawn, let alone a strategist. The master had given him a chance—provided that guy had kept quiet and not shown off in front of him. But sadly, he failed to seize this last chance. Then he couldn’t blame others for being heartless. Of course, he wouldn’t tamper with the food, but what about other things?
Just as he reached into his pocket for a lighter, he suddenly heard noise in the distance. Soon after, he noticed that area lighting up dramatically. Worrying, he hurried to the courtyard gate, about to press his ear against it, when the two gates, which had seemed firmly closed, were suddenly pushed open. Caught off guard, he was knocked back by the sudden opening and staggered several steps before regaining his balance.

In just that instant, two figures rushed at him from outside the door. In panic, he instinctively tried to shout for help, but remembering the noises not far away, he quickly swallowed back the sound and forced himself to face the threat. However, since he was unprepared and didn’t have a weapon at hand, while his attackers were well-equipped with sharp blades, he suffered several wounds after just a few exchanges. Gritting his teeth in silence, he managed to retreat to the entrance of the main house with great effort.

Before he could slip inside, there was a sharp sound, and he felt intense pain in his foot, causing him to fall heavily. Immediately afterward, a sharp blade was pressed against his neck. Letting out a low groan, he endured the pain and looked at his wound on his thigh. He clenched his teeth desperately, but someone suddenly grabbed his jaw, followed by the sound of it dislocating.

As he was swiftly tied up and saw several people dragging the manager, whose fate was unknown, out from the side room, he felt even more anger and resentment. Such weak people had no backbone—upon hearing the noise outside, they still didn’t know to end their own lives!

Yet, as the men searched each room methodically, some cleaning up traces of the fight, others bandaging his wounds, and even washing the blood off the ground several times before sprinkling some unknown powder on it, he suddenly became alert, filled with regret and hatred.

These weren’t the Jinyiwei or the Eastern Depot’s foreigners! Although their methods were similar, if they were officials from the government, why would they operate under masks? If he had known this, he would have screamed at all costs. Falling into the hands of the imperial court, he could get by by naming Prince Liang, but if captured by these people, he didn’t know how many layers of skin he would lose!

After completing their task, the leader gave a slight wave, and the men led the two captives outside. After walking a short distance, they entered another courtyard in the same alley. Inside, they stuffed the tied-up man’s mouth and threw him into a room, leaving four guards. The leader and the rest left the room and went straight to the main house to talk, while two men remained in the courtyard to keep watch.

At that moment, the noises in the distance grew louder.

Inside the main hall, several people who had removed their face coverings wiped their faces with towels. Hu Qi, standing in the center, said with a smile, “We did an excellent job on this mission. Once we return, I’ll report it, and the lord will surely reward us. We’ll receive better compensation than before, and of course, we won’t be treated poorly in this position. For now, stay here temporarily; tomorrow we’ll take them back to Yangzhou Hutong. Take good care of those two and prevent them from committing suicide. Don’t ask anything—talk about it when we return tomorrow. This isn’t the right place, and the supplies here aren’t convenient either.”

Seeing everyone nod, Hu Qi glanced at the copper kettle clock beside him. Calculating the time, the troops from the Military Affairs Bureau should have blocked Tangzi Hutong by now. Given that, the Jinyiwei and Dongchang, who received the information through their spies, must also have rushed to Prince Liang’s residence in the Prince’s District. They certainly wouldn’t dare arrest anyone, but as long as they found the people missing, that would be enough.

At the third watch of the night, the sounds of horses and soldiers passing by grew louder. On the second floor of a small tea house on the street, which already had its doors boarded up, two figures stood by a window left slightly ajar, watching the rows of people on the street. After standing there for a while, one of them asked in a low voice, “Third Sister, will the message we sent to the palace be effective?”

“I don’t want to be a ‘Buddha Mother’ anymore, but I also don’t want some random person to claim to be a Buddhist disciple! What does the imperial struggle have to do with the White Lotus Sect? It’s better if a few fewer people die—after all, there will always be some who recognize that token!” As she spoke, a delicate jade hand gently lowered the window latch. She then added calmly, “These past few years, the world has finally been at peace. He hasn’t deceived me after all. If I hadn’t happened to come back and check, I wouldn’t have known that someone still wanted to revive the long-defunct White Lotus Sect and use its name to incite those fools into chaos. If I find out who it is… he better prepare to clean his neck!”