Chapter 078
Chapter 78: A Big Chess Game
The Huo Family held half of The Court’s troops; Emperor Xuan Ming was suspicious by nature, so how could he feel safe letting the Huo Family rule at Northern Fortress Pass.
Every year the pay at Northern Fortress Pass fell short. Xia Meng Yan did not believe Emperor Xuan Ming had never doubted this.
[She had a bad feeling.]
When Lin Ye Lan heard her, he was not surprised and even looked pleased, he said: “My Yan’er really is clever.”
Goosebumps rose over Xia Meng Yan’s skin, and she glared at him.
Lin Ye Lan seemed to see his son’s future: with Xia Meng Yan and the Lin Family supporting him, the boy would stand higher than his father.
He lifted his chin and explained: “When His Majesty sent Marshal Huo to guard Northern Fortress Pass, he promised that all spoils from suppressing bandits would belong to the Huo Family’s army. So for years, His Majesty and Marshal Huo kept quiet about the pay. Outwardly they spoke with one voice: the Huo troops are self?sufficient.”
Xia Meng Yan asked, then felt silly at once: “And the officials of The Court agreed?”
She thought of those men at The Court who rarely put the country first, [If Northern Fortress Pass does not need a budget, that helps them. Why would anyone bring it up?]
She said in a tight voice: “One last question.” Lin Ye Lan nodded with a proud look.
Xia Meng Yan finally asked: “Is the Huo Family’s army going to rebel?” Only this reason made sense to her. Otherwise the Huo Family’s army would get beheaded sooner or later.
Lin Ye Lan frowned and admitted: “I do not know.”
Her thoughts spun, [Does the Huo Family want to be local emperors at Northern Fortress Pass?]
Lin Ye Lan tried to bargain, his face cracked in the candlelight and the dried blood looked terrifying, he pleaded: “Meng Yan, you can see my sincerity. Please ask the people outside to spare my life.”
Xia Meng Yan gave a cold laugh and stepped back toward the door, she said: “You told me the biggest secret. Wasn’t that because you were ready to die?”
He lowered his voice: “If there is even a sliver of a chance, I want to live.”
She suddenly pressed him: “Who is behind you?”
They had framed her father and ruined her name. On the surface, Lin Ye Lan seemed to benefit most. But [he is not that smart], she thought; someone had to be guiding him.
Lin Ye Lan’s mind went very clear, he said: “Huo Ying Zi. A few days ago she came to me. She wanted to match me with you and said that if Lord Xia were not here, how could you, a divorced woman, be so arrogant.”
At that time, he had just been sneered at by a Xia Family maid and then ran into Huo Ying Zi. Now that he thought about it, her words sounded like she was speaking up for him, but in truth they pushed him to act against the Xia Family.
Xia Meng Yan raised a brow, [So much for deep love. He threw Huo Ying Zi to the wolves this fast.]
She turned, moving quickly toward the door, she said: “Whether you live is not up to me.”
Lin Ye Lan lunged on instinct; just then a cold arrow cut through the air and struck his leg. In the quiet night, his scream burst out. Footsteps thundered as the yamen runners rushed in and held him down.
The Chief Justice of the Dali Court walked to Xia Meng Yan’s side with a hint of admiration, he said: “Good thing you are steady, eldest miss, or I would have no way to answer to Lord Xia.” The saying proved true: a tiger father does not raise a weak daughter.
Xia Meng Yan’s eyes shone like stars fallen into night, she said: “It is we who should thank you, my lord. Without you here, Father might have fallen from His Majesty’s favor.”
The Chief Justice laughed, pleased to speak with a sharp mind, he said: “It is late. I will send people to escort you home. I will put the rest in order and memorialize His Majesty.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Xia Meng Yan said, then she left without looking back.
In the carriage, Nanny Song checked Xia Meng Yan inside and out. When she was sure there was no wound, she let out a breath and grumbled, she said: “That Chief Justice of the Dali Court is really something. He had no ability himself, so he dragged the eldest miss over.”
Xia Meng Yan pressed her lips and smiled, she said: “Nanny, he is clearing Father’s name. Speaking of him like that is not right.” Nanny Song thought it through and agreed, she said they should wait and see whether he could wash the master clean of blame.
With Dali Court runners escorting them, the carriage slipped into the Capital without a sound and finally stopped at the Xia Family’s back gate. Xia Meng Yan looked at Nanny Song. The nanny understood and drew a pouch from her sleeve to hand to the runner, she said: “Thank you for your trouble. The eldest miss invites you to have tea.” The runner felt the weight and was delighted. He had long heard the Xia Family’s eldest miss was generous; today it was his turn to profit, he said: “No need to be polite, eldest miss. I will watch you enter the manor and then go back to report.”
Xia Meng Yan nodded and entered with Nanny Song.
By then it was deep night. Chun Yue stood guard at the door. Hearing footsteps, she craned her neck, and when it was indeed her own miss, she hurried over, she asked: “Eldest miss, you are finally back. Are you hurt?” The moment Xia Meng Yan heard this, she felt pain all over. She let Chun Yue help her into the room, she said: “Heat water so I can wash, then bring some food.” Chun Yue answered and turned for the small kitchen. Since Xia Meng Yan became pregnant, the small kitchen’s stove had always kept food warm.
While the maid boiled water, Xia Meng Yan wrote a letter and handed it to Song Mo, she said: “Send a reliable person to deliver this to Wang Mang.” Song Mo nodded and disappeared into the dark.
Xia Meng Yan stared up at the black sky. She did not know how Wang Mang was doing at Northern Fortress Pass, [I hope he can stand firm.] Thinking of the Huo Family’s army made her palms sweat. The Huo Family had set their eyes on the Lin Family. In other words, Northern Fortress Pass had already been stripped bare by them, so now they were turning to the Lin Family. Was it only the Lin Family, or not only the Lin Family?
Xia Meng Yan felt the Huo Family was playing a big game. Her fingertip wrote the word “rebellion” on the table, then she added a question mark.
While she worried, news that Marquis Ping An had been seized spread through the Capital. This small section is not finished yet. Please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content.
The common people were either angry or thought Marquis Ping An had gone mad.
Only Huo Ying Zi, hearing the news, smashed the teacup in her hand, she snapped: “Useless. They could not even do this little thing.”
Nanny Cheng pulled out a kerchief and, nervous, dabbed at her sleeve, she said: “Lin Ye Lan is useless. But the eldest miss must not hurt herself.”
Huo Ying Zi yanked the kerchief and wiped herself roughly, she said: “Xia Meng Yan is Duan Yi Chen’s darling. The Eldest Princess will not hold him long. If I do not use this chance to deal with Xia Meng Yan, then when Duan Yi Chen can leave his manor, how will I strike?”
Her father had called her back to the Capital so she could climb into a noble house. Those princes who fought openly and secretly were all so stupid she did not want to look at them.
Of the rest, only Duan Yi Chen matched her.
Yet right now Duan Yi Chen ignored someone as noble as her and liked a divorced woman. She could not swallow that.
Nanny Cheng remembered how Xia Meng Yan had shamed her at Northern Fortress Pass and spoke with spite, she said: “Do not worry, eldest miss. With Xia Meng Yan’s status, we do not need to act. If you show yourself often before the Eldest Princess and now and then bring up matters between Xia Meng Yan and Heir Apparent Duan, you will not need to lift a finger. The Eldest Princess will send people to clean her up.”
Huo Ying Zi rubbed her brow, a bit discouraged, she said: “I know Xia Meng Yan’s status cannot enter the Marquis Xuan Ping Manor as a wife. But what if she becomes a secondary consort?”
Nanny Cheng was startled, she blurted: “Heir Apparent Duan wants to marry Xia Meng Yan as a secondary consort?” In her heart, Duan Yi Chen had to be under a spell, or why would he be so fixed on Xia Meng Yan.
Huo Ying Zi clenched her palm. [If I could snatch Lin Ye Lan, I can hold Duan Yi Chen in my hand as well.] She would crush Xia Meng Yan underfoot.
She ordered in a cold voice: “Watch Lin Ye Lan. Do not let him say what he should not.”
Nanny Cheng looked troubled, she said: “It is not that I do not want to. It is that every branch of the Huo Family has been driven from the Capital. The hidden posts that remain are hard to move.”
The more Huo Ying Zi listened, the more annoyed she felt. At Northern Fortress Pass, so many people rushed to serve her. Why did her beauty stop working in the Capital, she said: “Try to bribe the jailers at the Dali Court. If anyone asks, just say we fear Lin Ye Lan will suffer in there and that we want to take some care of him.”
Nanny Cheng had just agreed when the steward matron hurried in, she cried: “Eldest miss, bad news, people from the Dali Court are here.”