WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 19: Espionage

Hui Gai looks serious.

"What did you both find?" Wei Ying jumps to attention, but he grabs Lan Zhan's hand just to feel better.

"This. Is the room private?" Hui Gai asks, giving Wei Ying a pile of papers, all with the Emperor's Seal at the bottom next to his signature.

"Yeah, it is," Wei Ying replies distractedly. He goes over to the sitting area, pulling Lan Zhan along with him, and spreads out the papers over the little table. "These are official documents," he notes. "This one is a report on the flooding down south, dated four months ago. Accounts of officials who witnessed the destruction and plans for aid to be sent. Standard response and procedures."

"Yeah. And this?" Hui Gai pushes another paper in front of Wei Ying.

Lan Zhan has also sat down next to him and is leaning into his side to better read what Wei Ying is looking at.

"Increased activity by bandits to the East?" He reads out a lengthy report detailing the increase in violent crimes in that area.

"These are normal problems that any ruler would face," Wei Ying says, looking at his friend.

Hui Gai jumps down to sit next to him. "That's what I'm saying! These reports are official, right?"

"Yes, they look authentic."

"Then why are they all written by the same hand? If they're official documents, what are they doing in the house of a friend? One who occasionally had dinner with the Emperor? Shouldn't they have been seen by the Emperor already, or at the very least, shouldn't these reports be in a secure place within the Palace? What are they doing here, in the home of a family friend, one who died three months ago under suspicious circumstances? The dates on these documents are unusual, too. They're all well before Huaisang's grandfather's death. So it stands to reason that-"

"He wasn't just a family friend." Wei Ying interrupts as everything clicks into place in his head.

"Right. And if he's the one who's written these reports, then number one, why didn't he give them to the Emperor, his friend? And two, I think he might have-"

"Discovered something suspicious, and that's the reason why he was killed? You're absolutely right, Hui Gai. That makes a whole lot of sense." Wei Ying looks up into Hui Gai's red eyes, seeing the warmth and love for him sparkling in their depths.

"I'm so glad I do not have to spell everything out," he chuckles now.

"You guys are weird," Zago says, planting herself down opposite Wei Ying. She pulls out a new lollipop and begins sucking on it noisily.

"How do you know about the suspicious circumstances of Cheng Maoji's death? Were you looking for me?" Wei Ying pats Hui Gai's hand comfortingly.

"Mn. When we found these, I knew you would want to see them immediately, so we came looking for you. We stayed invisible and snuck inside that room, and no one noticed. But PengYou, it's not a huge leap, the conclusions we're making. And the Nie Sect Leader's grandmother is definitely hiding something. Will you confront her with this?"

Wei Ying stifles another yawn. "Yeah, probably tomorrow, now. I don't know why she's hiding stuff, but it could be because she doesn't know us at all, and it's natural to keep some things secret. At least we can tell where Huaisang got his tendencies from," he snickers.

"Okay then, we'll do some more snooping." Hui Gai rubs his palms together in glee.

"Where did you find this, anyway?" Wei Ying asks him.

"We went exploring. This is a big house, and I wanted to look around. It was just by chance that we found Cheng Maoji's office. There might be something else we can find, so see you in the morning, PengYou." Hui Gai stands up.

Wei Ying does as well, and both him and Lan Zhan are pulled into an enthusiastic hug.

Zago and Hui Gai both vanish at the same time.

"Does Wei Ying want a bath?" Lan Zhan asks him, pointing at the silk screen decorated and painted with the twelve zodiac animals. "There must be a bathtub behind it." He tugs Wei Ying along, and sure enough, they see a copper bathtub filled with water waiting for them.

Lan Zhan attaches heating talismans to it on two sides so it's faster and quickly removes Wei Ying's waist sash for all the good it does. No matter how many times Lan Zhan ties it around Wei Ying's slim waist, his robes always seem to part most ridiculously, showing off all that perfect golden skin and skewering whatever plans Lan Zhan might have had for that particular day.

This is his favourite part; undressing Wei Ying. It's like unwrapping a beloved gift, the anticipation of which has been brewing all day.

He's sleepy now, so this is going to be just a bath, but regardless of his state, Lan Zhan likes removing his robes. Wei Ying is just so perfect, his lovely warm skin glowing by the light of the many candles surrounding them. The talismans they've used for silencing are very effective, cutting out the sound from outside so that it feels as if they are the only two in the whole world.

Wei Ying holds onto Lan Zhan's forearms as he steps out of his trousers, and then Lan Zhan helps him into the tub. He divests himself of his clothes and follows suit, enjoying the hot water soothing their tired muscles.

Wei Ying leans back against his chest as Lan Zhan moves the wash cloth over their bodies.

"What do you think about this family?" He murmurs, already half asleep.

Lan Zhan ponders his question. His hands do not stop moving though, and the meditative actions help guide him through his thoughts to form the right words.

"Hao Bai is a shrewd woman, but that doesn't mean she's a bad person. Just sharp and protective about her family, but then, given this environment and the situation regarding the Emperor and her husband, it would make anyone closed off. She is still grieving."

"I thought Cheng Fan was like that too, closed off. Maybe they'll loosen up the more they get to know us, so we should probably hold off judging them. Huaisang's cousin is funny, though." Wei Ying laughs softly.

His opinion on Cheng Daiyu surprises Lan Zhan. "I thought Wei Ying was irritated by her."

"Well, kind of? At the beginning, when I thought she was the one with the not-exactly flattering opinion of the Yiling Laozu, but I guess I am also a die-hard fan of Hanguang-Jun, no pun intended," he chortles anyway.

"Mn?"

"You know, because I did, die hard," Wei Ying giggles.

Lan Zhan is not amused and bites his shoulder. It's golden, soft, and right next to his mouth, so really, that's on Wei Ying.

"Um, ow! Okay, no death jokes! Mercy!"

They finish bathing, and Lan Zhan helps Wei Ying rise, drying them both off efficiently. He always carries a change of clothes, so they'll be alright tomorrow, and he packed a set of sleeping robes because they had been guessing at how long this was going to take.

Snuggled up in bed, Wei Ying nuzzles closer, murmuring these same thoughts.

"I guess this isn't going to be as easy as we first thought. Can't just walk into the Palace and give the Emperor his coin back and leave now. Huaisang wants answers, and so does his family. But if that's the case, we can easily teleport back and forth, right? Otherwise, I'm going to miss the kids and the Jingshi."

Lan Zhan looks down at the silky hair on Wei Ying's head, cradled under his big palm, and he smiles. Wei Ying is just a marvellous person, and he loves him so much.

Tomorrow is going to be an uncertain, busy day, especially if they are to have difficult conversations with their hosts. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but for now, they have each other and the whole night stretching before them.