Finest Servant

Chapter 458 Asking for Your Help

Xu Wei had arrived? Lin Wanrong nodded without surprise. Judging from Prince Cheng's reactions yesterday, there had likely been some unusual happenings in the capital these past few days. Xu Wei must have come specifically for this matter.

Watching Eldest Miss gracefully walk away, he pondered for a moment before taking large strides toward the front hall. As he reached the doorway, he saw Xu Wei pacing back and forth in the hall, his face lined with worry and eyes bloodshot. The teacup placed beside him hadn't been touched and had long since gone cold.

"Ah, Little brother Lin, you're finally out," Xu Wei hurried over as soon as he saw him, visibly relieved.

"Good morning, Master Xu," Lin Wanrong greeted with a fist-clasp and a smile. "On such a fine spring day, why didn’t you get some extra sleep instead of coming over here?"

With a wry smile, Xu Wei shook his head. "I've been unlucky. From yesterday to this morning, I've been in constant discussions with His Majesty. Haven't even had a moment to rest my eyes. Unlike you, who seems to have all the leisure in the world." He paused, looked around to ensure that no one else was around, and lowered his voice. "Enough small talk. His Majesty already knows about the assassination attempt on you last night. He’s also read the confession from the assassin. You really are audacious, aren't you? Do you have any idea what the consequences could be if this document were to leak?"

"Consequences?" Lin Wanrong gave a faint smile. "I only report what I see and hear. As for the consequences, that's something for His Majesty and people like you, the pillars of the state, to consider. It's not within my jurisdiction."

Hearing how Lin Wanrong had deflected responsibility with just a few words, Xu Wei chuckled. "Little brother Lin, you're being too modest. Even if you want to stay out of this, I'm afraid it's not possible anymore. With Li Tai's army soon to mobilize and the political situation in the capital growing increasingly volatile, not to mention your unique standing as the favored husband to two princesses, you can't possibly extricate yourself. As far as I can see, the document you submitted last night is like adding fuel to an already raging fire."

Lin Wanrong chuckled a few times, quite pleased with himself. "From the way you put it, do I look like someone who thrives on chaos?"

‘Thrive on chaos? That's hardly an association with you, Lin San,’ Xu Wei thought, a touch of disdain in his heart. The two were old acquaintances, and Xu Wei knew all too well the tricks Lin Wanrong played. Still, he maintained a friendly smile on his face. "Of course not, of course not. If the world falls into chaos, it benefits neither of us and only harms the common people. It gives opportunists an opening." He glanced outside before whispering, "Little brother Lin, the reason I sought you out today is to inform you about something—"

Lin Wanrong nodded, unperturbed. "Is it related to the palace?"

Xu Wei looked him up and down in surprise. "How did you know? Don't tell me you've learned to tell fortunes?"

‘Fortune-telling my ass,’ Lin Wanrong laughed. "Eldest Miss told me. I suppose you, Brother Xu must have deliberately leaked this news, huh? Your tactic to confuse the enemy has already fooled us, your own allies."

Xu Wei chuckled awkwardly, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby before whispering, "Little brother Lin, there has been a mishap in the palace recently—someone is plotting against the Emperor!"

Plotting against the Emperor? Lin Wanrong softly exclaimed, feeling a vague sense of unease. At this moment, Li Tai's army was still in the capital, and the city was heavily guarded. Who would be foolish enough to target the Emperor now? In a few days, when Li Tai's forces moved north and the capital was vulnerable, that would be the opportune moment. Glimpsing some understanding, he looked at Xu Wei with a mysterious smile, "Mr. Xu, who is plotting against the Emperor? Is His Majesty unharmed?"

"A palace eunuch on duty took advantage of the Emperor reading reports late at night in the Imperial Study and lit candles there!" Xu Wei huffed, grinding his teeth. "Fortunately, heaven protects our sovereign. A palace maid on duty discovered his plot, shouted loudly, and palace guards rushed in. They apprehended the eunuch on the spot, but half of the Imperial Study was already burned. Although the Emperor was uninjured, the shock he suffered was not insignificant. Enraged, he immediately replaced the head of the palace guards, the manager of internal affairs, and dismissed several city defense generals—"

Xu Wei's words abruptly stopped there. Lin Wanrong uttered an 'Ah', piecing it together, and smiled, "Mr. Xu, you haven't finished your sentence, have there been changes within the court as well?"

"You are indeed sharp," Xu Wei gave a thumbs-up, genuinely praising him. "Over the past month, the Emperor has quietly reshuffled the Three Chambers and Six Ministries, recently appointing a new batch of assistant ministers and scholars. Just the night before last, under the pretext of investigating corruption, he dismissed the Minister of Rites and several senior scholars from the Pavilion of the Source of Literature. Altogether, they discovered embezzled money, jewelry, and financial documents totaling more than five hundred thousand taels—"

The Emperor was taking action, Lin Wanrong nodded, "Mr. Xu, with such significant personnel changes in the court, has no one interceded or opposed?"

"Of course there are those who oppose. Prince Cheng has entered the palace three days in a row to plead on behalf of several people," Xu Wei chuckled, a trace of sternness flashing in his eyes. "You have little contact with court affairs and probably don't understand. The dismissed individuals are more or less connected to the Prince, either as his students or people he has promoted. The links between them are intricate!"

Xu Wei was so forthright that it was clear he understood the Emperor's intentions. This was a calculated move to cut off the Prince's branches and limbs, clearly forcing Prince Cheng to make a move. After years of restraint, the old man was finally going to explode.

"Starting from yesterday, fifty thousand imperial guards responsible for defending the capital sealed the city gates, on alert day and night. Until Li Tai's army departs, the capital will only allow entry and no exits. Additionally, the Emperor has transferred thirty thousand troops from Shandong and Hebei for defense—Little brother Lin, we can expect great things!"

Having said all this in one breath, Xu Wei could hardly contain his excitement. He picked up the tea cup beside him, which had long since gone cold, and gulped down the tea until it was empty, then wiped the corner of his mouth with lingering satisfaction.

The situation was clear. The Great Hua Empire was mobilizing its entire strength for a decisive battle against the northern nomads; the old Emperor would not allow a ticking bomb to remain in the court. Removing Prince Cheng was just a matter of time. But why had he chosen to act just a few days before Li Tai's departure? If this triggered a large-scale upheaval, leading to attacks from both inside and outside, wouldn't it be a case of losing more than gaining?

Lin Wanrong's brow was tightly furrowed as he sank deep into thought. Xu Wei seemed to see right through him and said with a faint smile, "Little brother, let me be frank with you. In the past few days, there's been frequent movement of the guards around the capital. His Majesty also suddenly announced an investigation into corruption. Not just me, but everyone in the court was taken aback. At this critical moment when Li Tai's army is about to march, everyone was thinking about maintaining stability. No one expected the Emperor to suddenly reform the court. Think about it, if the hidden puppeteer behind the scenes wanted to make a move, they would never choose a day when Li Tai is still in the capital. Everyone thought the same, but the Emperor acted against expectations, striking when the enemy was unprepared. This audacity, this momentum, is something we, as subjects, wouldn't dare even dream of."

Xu Wei's analysis made sense. An Emperor should indeed possess such thunderous tactics. Lin Wanrong nodded, deeply impressed by the old Emperor's decisiveness and cunning. "Mr. Xu, based on what you're saying, the real mastermind is now trapped in the capital?"

"Of course," Xu Wei laughed triumphantly. "The Emperor acted so suddenly that everyone was caught off guard. How could he possibly escape? Right now, his residence is under close surveillance. Not even a fly could escape."

"Has he shown any abnormalities himself?"

Xu Wei shook his head, "During the early morning court session today, he was chatting and laughing with his colleagues, showing no signs of irregularity. Truly, 'great villains have extraordinary dispositions.' If one could easily read his thoughts, he would not be Prince Cheng."

This made sense. With Prince Cheng's cunning, he would never wear his heart on his sleeve. Seeing Xu Wei's animated expression, Lin Wanrong said seriously, "Mr. Xu, it's not a time to celebrate yet. Prince Cheng has been planning diligently for years. He will not sit and wait for death. Beneath this calm exterior, a storm is surely brewing. Please relay to His Majesty that he must be extremely cautious."

"Don't worry, little brother Lin. We have a full-proof plan. We are just waiting for that scoundrel to make his move," Xu Wei said, nodding slowly. He then took out a small yellow folded note from his robe, "This is a confidential letter from the Emperor. His Majesty specifically instructed me to tell you to handle this matter well. As for Eldest Miss Xiao, consider her an advance reward. After you read this confidential directive, I will immediately destroy it."

Lin Wanrong couldn't help but smile wryly. This old man was not losing out on anything. Eldest Miss Xiao was captured by him in the first place; the reward he promised him was essentially meaningless. Shaking his head, he opened the letter. It was a simple piece of white paper with a single line of small characters: "Traitor or brother? Only my father's entrustment is something I cannot and dare not forget. Handle it! Do not disappoint me."

These few words, lacking both a heading and a signature, were like a hot potato that Lin Wanrong couldn't push away or accept. The old man really trusted him, giving him such a difficult task, he sighed, his face full of helplessness.

"Little brother, have you finished reading?" Xu Wei cautiously asked.

Lin Wanrong chuckled bitterly, "Brother Xu, I won't hide it from you. What the Emperor has assigned me is an almost impossible task. I'd rather not have read this letter."

"What's there to be modest about? Your talents are known to the world, little brother Lin. If it were a simple task, would the Emperor even come to you?" Xu Wei laughed, lit a taper, and burned the letter to ashes.

After discussing with Xu Wei, Lin Wanrong was deeply convinced that as long as Prince Cheng was trapped in the capital, even if he didn't initiate any trouble, the Emperor would surely have other plans to corner him. Given the cunning and shrewd nature of the old man, Lin Wanrong had no doubt about it. At the moment, both sides were in a tug-of-war, unsure who would make the first move. However, one thing was certain: a significant event was bound to happen in the next few days.

"Little Brother Lin, do you have any other instructions? The Emperor has decreed that in this important matter, I should listen to you completely." Despite the tense atmosphere in the capital, both sides understood each other well. The Emperor had not yet issued a royal edict announcing this to the world. Xu Wei felt somewhat awkward confronting Prince Cheng without formal authority.

"Well, I guess we're in a bit of a predicament then," Lin Wanrong sighed. "There's nothing else for it but to grit our teeth and proceed. Luckily, Prince Cheng and his son are old adversaries of mine. I even narrowly escaped an assassination attempt yesterday. So, I have no psychological barriers in dealing with them. My instruction is simple: keep a close eye on them. If they make a move, strike them down mercilessly. Additionally, have our brothers guarding the city outskirts push the perimeter ten li outward and intensify patrols. Not even a mosquito should be allowed to leave the city."

Xu Wei nodded in agreement. He had personally witnessed Lin Wanrong's strategic brilliance. None who had opposed him had met with a good end.

"Little brother Lin, there is a personal matter I am unsure whether to discuss," Xu Wei hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, his expression full of anticipation.

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Why be so formal, Mr. Xu? You know I don't separate personal matters from official ones."

Xu Wei nodded, "Little brother Lin, what exactly happened between you and Zhiqing? Today at the court, I met with the general. He told me that Zhiqing was quite rude to you yesterday. Didn't you two get along well back in Shandong? I even heard that—well, Hu Bugui already told me. Why has the situation deteriorated like this?"

Love was such—quarrels and break-ups were normal. Lin Wanrong sighed, "Miss Xu's emotional fluctuations have indeed been somewhat erratic lately. It's hard to grasp, and as you know, I've never really understood the minds of young ladies."

Hearing this, Old Xu nearly spat blood. Not understand the minds of young ladies? The audacity of Lin San to say that, when each of his wives was lured by his sweet words.

"Little brother Lin," Xu Wei sighed deeply, his eyes moistening, "Zhiqing's future happiness was ruined by me, her foolish father. I'm getting old and don't have many aspirations left. All I wish for in my remaining years is to see Zhiqing laugh happily once, and I would be content. Could you please help me?"

Moved by Xu Wei's sincerity, Lin Wanrong responded, "Helping others is the foundation of happiness. Even if it sacrifices my own dignity, I will do it without regret. Mr. Xu, when shall we act?"

This young man certainly had thick skin. Xu Wei sighed again, feeling like he was throwing his daughter to the wolves. After hesitating for a while, he finally said, "Today is Zhiqing's birthday. Could you go and see her on my behalf? Don't worry about the gifts—cakes, rouge, and cosmetics, I'll cover all the expenses."

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