Lan Zhan wakes up instinctively and sees silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight staring back at him.
"It's time," Wei Ying says.
Quietly, they get out of bed and freshen up. Working together in a seamless cooperation, they wipe their faces and get dressed quickly.
"Isn't it strange that city life, while being modern and fast-paced, seems to have forgotten all about cultivation?" Wei Ying muses, as Lan Zhan ties his waist sash for him. "Do you think there will ever be a time when cultivation won't exist in the world?"
Lan Zhan lifts his hair into a high ponytail and then turns around so Wei Ying can do his hair for him, all the while pondering his answer.
"Perhaps. It is hard to say. People will always be thinking about self-improvement, so I think the gap between those that cultivate and laymen will widen. Maybe even to the point that those who understand about the world and its fluctuations will hide away to cultivate in peace."
"That makes more sense. A gradual shifting."
When they're ready, Wei Ying calls for Hui Gai.
"PengYou!"
Wei Ying pulls him into a hard hug as Lan Zhan flattens out the map he had made for them.
"Everyone in the palace should be asleep now," Wei Ying says, surprisingly wide awake himself. "Where do you guys think we should start our search?"
"This garden, right here. If we make any noise, it won't be out of place with being outside, easily attributed to small mammals or birds," Lan Zhan replies fast.
He's evidently been thinking about this for a while. He's pointing to the garden that is home to the three friends of winter. The tall, wide trees will provide cover just in case a patrol happens to be walking past when they get there. This garden is the largest of many, with a plethora of paths leading away from its centre. One will inevitably lead to the East Wing, where they suspect the Emperor lives.
"Okay, are we ready?" Wei Ying asks them, as both of the others put their arms around his waist, overlapping at his back. With Lan Zhan on one side and Hui Gai on the other, Wei Ying feels invincible.
"Mn."
"Let's gooo!"
In a split second, they're surrounded by trees and foliage. Lamps have been lit along the pathways leading from the garden, so they can see two guards at opposite posts having fallen asleep leaning against the wall and door frame respectively.
"I forgot to ask, PengYou," Hui Gai says urgently, "do you want to be invisible?"
Wei Ying doesn't even have to think about it; he nods and Hui Gai snaps his fingers.
"Safer this way." Hui Gai agrees, leading them towards the Eastern path.
It feels strange to be in a place that was a hive of activity only a few hours ago, bustling with guards and servants, and now it's so quiet that their breathing feels loud, echoing between the walls of the corridor they're walking through. They tread lightly in haste, wondering whether or not the Emperor is alright. They're going so fast and because they're not expecting anyone else to be around at such an early hour of the morning, they turn a corner and literally run into Tang Pei.
He makes a painful grunt, reeling from having banged into apparently thin air, when Wei Ying takes immediate charge of the situation. Tang Pei is a little dazed when he's pushed into the first door that opens by Lan Zhan's hand, with Hui Gai effortlessly restraining him from behind, and clamping a hand over his mouth to secure his silence. His terrified eyes, the scarred one not working properly, roam dizzily around, trying to understand what has happened to him, when Wei Ying figures it out.
"Hui Gai, please make us visible and we might be able to avoid him having a seizure." Wei Ying lights a lamp as well, to aid them.
Hui Gai chuckles, not a shred of embarrassment there as he makes it so.
Tang Pei falls down in shock, eyes wide with trepidation. Hui Gai hauls him up again, without batting an eye.
"We just want to talk," Wei Ying warns Tang Pei quickly, before he does something to give them away and jeopardise their lives. "So I'm going to ask my friend to let go of you. We're going to be quiet, do you understand?"
Tang Pei nods slowly. His confusion is woefully clear in his brown eyes.
Wei Ying expertly flings silencing talismans in five directions. Then he looks around the room. It appears to be a guest room for visitors attending to the Palace for short visits. There's a bed with a silk brocade blanket thrown over it, a small table for serving tea or writing, and a privacy screen that Wei Ying checks behind to make sure they don't have unwanted company.
Hui Gai drags him to the bed and makes him sit down before letting go of him. But he sits down right next to him, fixing him with a cold stare.
"Try anything and you're dead."
Tang Pei nods faster, too scared to speak.
Wei Ying bites his bottom lip trying not to laugh, because to him, Hui Gai has never represented a threat but he can imagine the way he looks at the moment isn't exactly supporting that theory.
He happens to glance at Lan Zhan, and he's staring back with an undisguised hunger, his eyes trained on Wei Ying's lips. Wei Ying quickly stops biting down on it, not putting it past his husband to derail their plans in favour of a quickie.
And even if it's far more preferable to what they've come here to do, Wei Ying forces himself to focus on the task at hand. They cannot afford to become distracted right now, even if Lan Zhan doesn't agree.
"You know who we are, correct?" Wei Ying turns his attention onto their guest.
"Y-yes."
"If you cooperate, you have nothing to fear from us," Wei Ying encourages him. "But we're here to get answers."
"As long as you are here to help our Gracious Emperor, I am your friend. If not, then I make no promises." Tang Pei suddenly sounds fierce.
"That all depends on your answers. First off, why has the Emperor denied the Cheng family visiting rights to their family member's last resting place? Why is he stopping Hao Bai from visiting her husband?"
"He's not! Cheng Maoji was a trusted friend and confidante of His Highness. Our Gracious Emperor was devastated when he heard the news." Tang Pei insists. "He would never stop any member of his friend's family from visiting, and that's the truth!"
"Then what's going on? When I asked the First Prince, he said the same thing!"
"Well, he would, wouldn't he?" Tang Pei sneers, and the action intensifies his scars making them more pronounced. "He's the one who murdered Cheng Maoji in the first place!"
*************
A/N
Dear Lovely Readers,
Congratulations to those of you who guessed that the first Prince was a bad nut, well done for guessing correctly.
Today's a bit of a mad one for me, work wise. Hell of a lot of stuff to get through by the evening, and I already know it's going to fry my brain by tonight, so no more updates today. Back on track tomorrow for sure!
Love you all, 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫
Charlie
YOU ARE READING
WangXian Forever Book 10
RomanceWei Ying and Lan Zhan must step up to the new challenge that awaits them when they find something that was given to them in secret. What is it, and why is it so dangerous? They embark on a new adventure to find out.
