Chapter 76: Sudden Change

Xu You was not unfamiliar with the Prince of Hengyang. Back in Jinling, Yuan Qingqi had sought his advice after being forced into marriage. As for the Crown Prince, that figure was etched into his very bones; even all the waters of the rivers could never wash away the memory.

But none of that mattered. What mattered was that Ten Books, a woman so ordinary that she hardly seemed like a clan retainer’s maid, could actually enter the Eastern Palace and appear on a stage of such importance.

Xu You possessed a resolute nature and was rarely moved by external events, yet at this moment he was genuinely stunned.

“You’re certain?”

Zhan Wenjun asked the question instinctively.

“During the Lantern Festival that year, I accompanied… His Highness”—Ten Books glanced at Xu You, but decided to reveal everything after all. The matter was of grave importance, and having an intelligent man as an adviser could only help—“from Jiangxia to Jinling to pay our respects to His Majesty. The Crown Prince hosted a banquet on His Majesty’s behalf, inviting all the princes staying in the capital to gather in the Eastern Palace and reminisce over their long separation as brothers. I remember clearly that this man was named Li Ji, one of the Prince of Hengyang’s guards. Of course, he was dressed in finery then, full of confidence and vigor, nothing like the wretched figure he is today. But his appearance has not changed, and the moment he entered just now, I recognized him.”

Something stirred in Xu You’s heart. At last, he understood why Ten Books dared to behave so insolently before Zhan Wenjun, and why Guo Mian, while vigorously supporting Zhan Wenjun, had still retained such a troublesome thorn in her side. The reason was that Ten Books was a trusted confidante of the Prince of Jiangxia!

The mere fact that she had been allowed to accompany the Prince of Jiangxia to the Crown Prince’s banquet showed that her status was far from ordinary. Even if she was not his absolute confidante, her position was probably comparable to Guo Mian’s.

Or, taking a darker view, did the Prince of Jiangxia send her to Qiantang to take charge of the Springs Well because, on another level, he did not entirely trust Guo Mian? Was she secretly there to keep watch?

Whatever the truth, given Ten Books’ origins and background, it was no wonder that Zhan Wenjun turned a blind eye to her repeated acts of presumption. She had no other choice.

“Li Ji…”

Zhan Wenjun repeated the name twice, then frowned. “We have never had much contact with the Prince of Hengyang. Why would he send someone to spy on the secrets of this estate?”

“We had no contact before, but…” Ten Books gave a bitter smile. “We can no longer say that now.”

Zhan Wenjun was no ordinary woman. She immediately understood the implication in Ten Books’ words. After pondering for a long while, she said, “Ten Books, my uncle is in mortal danger, and we are besieged on every side. We have reached a crisis that may determine whether we live or perish. Young Lord Xu is no outsider; our fortunes are bound together, and there is no need to hide anything from him. If you truly know the whole story, then speak plainly. Otherwise, ignorant of both ourselves and our enemies, we have no chance of winning this battle.”

Ten Books had already made up her mind. As Zhan Wenjun had said, the secret had ceased to be a secret the moment Li Ji appeared. If she continued to conceal anything, the consequences would be impossible to predict.

“There is actually someone imprisoned inside the waterfall…”

“Who?”

Zhan Wenjun knew that someone was being held there, but for reasons of his own Guo Mian had refused to let her involve herself in the matter. She had never learned who it was.

“His Majesty’s seventeenth daughter, Princess Anyuyi of Haiyan!”

Crash!

Zhan Wenjun’s body swayed, and she accidentally knocked the teacup from the small table. The costly jade cup, brought all the way from overseas, shattered across the floor.

Xu You, seated nearby, felt his breath catch as well. For a long moment, he could not utter a word.

Princess Anyuyi of Haiyan was the most notorious princess in the Kingdom of Chu. Eccentric and absurd in her conduct, uninhibited and unrestrained by nature, she was the subject of countless strange tales and colorful anecdotes. She was one of the favorite figures for commoners to gossip about over tea. In a later age, she would have been perfect material for sensational publicity.

Among those rumors, some true and some false, there was one matter unknown to the world at large but half an open secret within the highest circles.

She was said to have an illicit affair with the Prince of Hengyang.

The public had always loved gossip about what went on beneath the bedcovers. How could they not whisper when the two were siblings who had cast aside all human decency, and members of the imperial family besides? Yet precisely because the matter involved the royal house, most members of the great clans understood it without speaking and rarely dared discuss it openly. When Xu You had cautiously tested the waters at the Yuan estate, Yuan Jie had cited chapter and verse before berating him until he was thoroughly cowed.

But why would the lofty Princess of Haiyan not be in Jinling, the imperial capital, but instead hidden in a waterfall cavern in the mountains of Qiantang?

Xu You recovered from his shock, his thoughts racing.

It seemed that both he and He Ru had judged the matter incorrectly. The mysterious person who had appeared beside the waterfall that day had not been living there to escape enemies or cultivate in seclusion. He had been guarding or protecting Princess Anyuyi at close quarters. Only someone of such exalted birth could make a Grandmaster abandon fame and fortune and willingly shut himself away in a place like this.

“This matter was originally handled with the utmost secrecy. From Jinling to Qiantang, we traveled by night and hid by day, without allowing the slightest rumor to escape. Once we reached Qiantang, we sent her directly into the waterfall at the sheer cliff. Apart from the mute servant who delivers three meals each day, no one else is permitted to approach. Even Madam knows nothing of the details, let alone anyone else. But Li Ji’s appearance proves that the news has already leaked. With the Lord absent and His Highness far away, I truly cannot shoulder such a grave responsibility alone. I therefore hope Madam will help decide what we should do…”

Xu You watched coldly from the sidelines. Now that he knew Ten Books’ origins were anything but simple, Li Ji’s appearance might indeed have left her momentarily panicked and helpless. But to claim that she could not make up her mind and needed Zhan Wenjun’s help was plainly ill intentioned. She was digging a pit and asking Zhan Wenjun to jump into it.

Anyone with half a brain could see that Princess Anyuyi’s concealment here necessarily involved matters of enormous consequence. Guo Mian had kept Zhan Wenjun in the dark precisely because he did not want her drawn into it. Now that there was no one to take command, Ten Books wanted to drag Zhan Wenjun into the same whirlpool. If anything went wrong later, they could share the blame and punishment imposed from above.

Yet even knowing this, Zhan Wenjun had no way to retreat. She could only grit her teeth and see the matter through.

Li Ji had come directly to their door. That meant the Prince of Hengyang had very likely learned of the secret already. By tomorrow, forces would come pouring in from every direction. At that point, with the Guo clan already driven nearly to the end of its resources, how could it possibly resist?

On one side stood the Regional Governor’s Office; on the other, the Celestial Masters’ Way; and now there was the Prince of Hengyang as well. Any one of them carried crushing weight. Trapped between them, avoiding annihilation was easier said than done.

Xu You suddenly felt an urge to thrash He Ru within an inch of his life. If not for him, how would they have fallen into such a perilous situation?

Zhan Wenjun certainly possessed the spirit to endure hardship without surrendering her will. But after struggling to preserve the family these past days and exhausting every ounce of her strength and wit, she had nearly reached her limit. Had Xu You not offered a plan that gave them hope of breaking the Celestial Masters’ Way, she might already have collapsed. Just as matters had begun to improve, she had been struck by this devastating secret. In her dazed state, where could she possibly find another solution?

“Our immediate priority is to interrogate Li Ji. We must strip him bare of everything he knows, everything he intends, and everything he has thought. We must dig it all out, piece by piece, and leave nothing behind!”

Xu You made his decision at once and rose to his feet.

“Ten Books, whether your Springs Well can continue to exist will depend on what lies beneath the Cold Spring.”

Ten Books rose as well. For the first time, a trace of ruthlessness appeared on her otherwise ordinary face.

“Rest assured, Young Lord. The Cold Spring cuts to the marrow.”