The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 175 - First Meeting

Zhou Weizhao watched coldly as Ye Jingchuan toyed with Shi Tongzhou like a cat with a mouse. Finally, he called out, "Jingchuan, enough!" Shi Tongzhou, dizzy and nauseated from Ye Jingchuan's antics, looked towards Zhou Weizhao and froze. He had never heard of such a figure in King Zhennan's household—he had seen Ye Jingkuan, much younger than this youth, and knew Ye Jingchuan had no elder brother. Yet, this young man seemed to be orchestrating the entire scene.

Ye Jingchuan gave him a hard kick, watching with malicious satisfaction as he tumbled from the horse and landed heavily on the ground. Only then did he turn to Zhou Weizhao, asking, "Now that we've got him, when will we bring him before His Majesty?"

Though this man had once been a comrade with Yuan Hong, he had disgustingly conspired with Xing Fu to betray the country. If it weren't for clearing his uncle's name, Ye Jingchuan would have had half a mind to kill him outright rather than go to all this trouble to rescue him.

Thinking about the rescue brought a smirk to his lips, brightening his mood. "By the way, how is it that you and that little girl think exactly alike? How are your minds wired to come up with such convoluted plans? You really managed to outmaneuver Chen Xiang..."

Zhou Weizhao slowed his pace, a faint smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

It had been two or three months since he'd returned from Tongzhou, and he hadn't seen that little girl once. He wondered how she was doing. With such a troublesome Noble Consort for an elder sister in the palace, she was probably stressed out too.

She wasn't one to curry favor without reason, and the fact that she not only passed him news about Shi Tongzhou but also suggested a way to catch him and make him talk...there were probably a lot of headaches she wanted him to help solve.

That little fox who could fall into a den of chickens and walk out spotless, looking as innocent as ever, was truly a handful.

Seeing Zhou Weizhao remain silent, Ye Jingchuan frowned with mild irritation. "She went to all that trouble to help you, and you're just going to stand there with no reaction?"

Ignoring him, Zhou Weizhao turned to instruct the young Daoist accompanying them. "Qingzhuo, go settle Shi Tongzhou in. You're to watch over him yourself tonight—make sure there isn't a single mishap."

The young Daoist, Qingzhuo, immediately nodded and left without delay.

Only then did Zhou Weizhao turn back to the fuming Young Master Ye, smoothing his ruffled feathers in an unhurried tone. "You've dealt with her before—when have you ever known her to do something without expecting a return? If she didn't have a favor to ask, do you think she'd be so kind-hearted?"

Ye Jingchuan felt like his mind was crawling with bugs, trailing after Zhou Weizhao and pressing, "What kind of favor? Tell me, maybe I can help."

It seemed odd. The last time he'd visited the Marquis residence with his mother, that little girl hadn't mentioned any request for help, so why had she gone to Zhou Weizhao?

After all, all the information Zhou Weizhao had was what Song Chuyi had shared with him, which he had then passed on—she'd never asked for any favor...

"This is a matter you can't help with, even if you knew," Zhou Weizhao replied, stopping to look at him. "If you're so free, why don't you go guard Shi Tongzhou's sister and brother-in-law with Hanfeng, and make sure Chen Xiang's Jinyiwei don't take advantage of the situation."

Ye Jingchuan snorted—he had already arranged for Lu Yu, the guard commander of Anzhen Gate who had ties with his uncle, to serve as a decoy. By now, the Jinyiwei were likely scrambling over there in a confused mess, far from tracking them down here. And if Lu Yu's smokescreen didn't hold, then there was still the gleefully meddling Elder Minister Chen to keep the Jinyiwei running in circles.

"What are you snorting about? It's not over yet, so don't think you can relax just yet." Zhou Weizhao glanced at him and warned, "Only once we successfully hand him over to Cen Biliang tomorrow can we consider this matter resolved."

They couldn't deliver the man directly to His Majesty, or the Emperor would surely grow suspicious of them. The position of Crown Prince had always been perilous—act too capable, and you invite the Emperor's jealousy; act incompetent, and you're seen as useless. Striking the balance between these extremes was the eternal dilemma. Cen Biliang, the Minister of War—known for his incorruptible reputation and now unjustly implicated—was undoubtedly the ideal candidate to break open this case.

Though Ye Jingchuan liked to put up a fuss, he understood the reasoning and lowered his voice thoughtfully. "By dawn, the city gates will definitely be under strict lockdown, with Jinyiwei stationed at every checkpoint. Getting into the city will be no small feat. And as slippery as Shi Tongzhou is, like a live eel, he'll definitely try to stir up trouble and escape in the chaos..."

"That's why we detained his sister and brother-in-law. His only real concern is for his family. You'll go later and let him meet with them. Just a meeting—don't let them say anything beyond that. Then, have Shi Tongzhou sign his confession; he'll know what to do."

Without much hesitation, Zhou Weizhao made his decision. "As for getting into the city, there'll be a way when the time comes. Once Shi Tongzhou is persuaded, the soldiers at the Ministry of War won't be pushovers. But it'll still require you to make a trip—you'll need to go to Cen's residence late at night and explain everything to him honestly."

Cen Biliang, having suffered a major setback this time, wouldn't refuse such a gift from heaven and would certainly resist the Jinyiwei. Once Shi Tongzhou was in his hands within the city walls, things would go smoothly.

And since Cen Biliang was famously unyielding and independent, Zhou Weizhao, as the direct heir of the Crown Prince, couldn't approach him personally without risking exposure or creating an opportunity for political accusations of factionalism or collusion with influential ministers. In contrast, having the legitimate second son of the Zhen'nan Wang family, who had suffered a similar injustice due to the incident at Zijing Pass, would gain Cen's trust and be more convincing.

"I'll go interrogate Shi Tongzhou right away." Ye Jingchuan made up his mind. "Then I'll enter the city at midnight to find Lord Cen. Don't worry, I'll be at Desheng Gate with Lord Cen by morning to meet you."

Zhou Weizhao smiled, patting him on the shoulder with approval. "Once this is all settled, your father will definitely look at you with new regard, and your goal to abandon the pen for the sword will be much easier to achieve. But my men can only accompany you as far as Ten Mile Slope outside the city gate—after all, Qingzhuo and Hanfeng are Daoists and often enter and leave with me, so there's a risk they might be recognized. For other matters, remember to discuss them more with your father and elder brother."