Chapter 42

Just at this moment, clear and crisp horse hooves sounded from next door.

Lin Yue looked up and only then realized he had actually arrived at the small alley next to the rented house. Next door? Could it be the landlord's courtyard?

Lin Yue lightened his steps, taking advantage of the night, came to the back of the courtyard, and pried open the back door. The landlord had tied another dog at the back door; luckily, it was a small dog. He had fed it before, so it recognized him. Wagging its tail, it squeezed out from the door crack, about to bark to express its joy.

Lin Yue picked up the scruff of its neck, pinched its mouth shut, and looked into the courtyard through the door crack.

Inside the courtyard stood four horses, four people. The other tenants either didn't dare come out or had gone to watch the fire scene. The landlord stood to the side.

The four clearly regarded the man in blue as their leader. This person carried an air of officialdom. The man in yellow, who had just descended from horseback, appeared hurried. He was saying something to the man in blue. The latter listened, frowning.

Lin Yue coldly assessed the few people, deducing their identities.

People sent by Prime Minister Meng to escort him to the capital.

Lin Yue tossed the dog back into the doghouse and pushed the door open to enter.

The man in yellow was currently reporting the situation at the county office to the man in blue: "...That place is on fire. The fire is very fierce. Also, a large group of unidentified people have surrounded the county office. Outsiders are not allowed in, nor are those inside allowed out. Anyone who resists is shot on the spot.

"We waited outside for a moment and found that a band of thugs had charged into the county office and are slaughtering the people inside.

"As of now, we have not seen county soldiers conducting any rescue. Just as you expected, Sir, the county's defense has collapsed. The nearby people, intimidated by those people, do not dare to carry out rescue..."

Ning Fu listened to his subordinate's report, his brow furrowing even tighter: "What about the local gentry?"

The man standing right next to the man in yellow said: "The two gentry households of considerable fame are also, like the county office, under attack by villains. Seeing this situation, the other gentry members do not dare to step forward; they are all waiting and watching."

Ning Fu listened no more. Decisively, he said: "Go, find those gentry members, assemble a force. No matter what method is used, we must enter the county office. Alive, I want to see the young gentleman; dead, I want to see his corpse!"

His ear twitched. He suddenly looked sharply behind him: "Who goes there?!"

His subordinate pressed a hand to the sword hilt at his waist.

There were lanterns in the courtyard. The firelight came from a storm lantern hanging in front of the landlord's house and a paper lantern held by the landlord's subordinate.

A person walked from the dimness into the brightness. The person was very tall and upright, with long hands and long legs. The soft lamplight falling on him seemed to drape a layer of golden gauze over him.

Ning Fu recognized the person at a glance. His face lit up with joy. He hurriedly performed a salute and said: "Young gentleman!"

Lin Yue cupped his hands in return salute, saying: "Your Excellency."

Ning Fu looked at him with shock and horror.

Lin Yue's gaze was calm as he looked at him.

The joy that had rushed to his head instantly dissipated completely. Ning Fu noticed the wounds on Lin Yue. While ordering someone to fetch a doctor, he probed: "Young gentleman, do you know who you are?"

Lin Yue looked towards the landlord. The landlord understood that the following conversation was not for his ears and tactfully walked away.

Lin Yue said: "To make a long story short, I hit my head. I've forgotten many things from the past; I don't remember who I am. The top priority is to save people. I must trouble Your Excellency to send someone to find the gentry and assemble a force. Also, lend me a horse. If possible, I want to borrow Your Excellency's men. I apologize for overhearing your conversation when I got closer."

Ning Fu exhaled a breath and said: "Regarding the gentry matter, I can immediately send someone to handle it." He instructed one man to set out at once. "For other matters... shall we find a safe place to talk?"

Lin Yue suppressed his emotions and said: "Follow me." He opened the door and the two entered. They shut the door and windows. Lin Yue said: "Whatever Your Excellency has to say, please speak directly."

This is the north. For houses with slightly thicker walls, as long as doors and windows are closed and loud voices avoided, those outside or next door cannot hear clearly.

Ning Fu observed the furnishings inside the room, secretly hating in his heart: If not for that fool Bai Cheng, how would His Highness have to endure such days! He stepped back one pace and knelt on one knee.

"Your Highness!"

A deathly silence filled the air.

Ning Fu received no reply. He looked at the other party from the corner of his eye, only to see them looking at him expressionlessly. Those dark, deep eyes made one's heart turn cold.

Ning Fu lowered his head. He felt inside his robes and took out the letter that Prime Minister Meng had given to Meng Zhao, which Meng Zhao, after parting ways with him, had then dispatched someone to pass to him. He said: "This humble official dares not deceive Your Highness. This is a personal letter from Prime Minister Meng. Please read it."

Lin Yue took the letter, broke the seal. Inside was only a single thin sheet of paper. He spread it open with two fingers. Written neatly on the paper was—

"The Crown Prince, Chao Yan, was established as Crown Prince by His Majesty in the fourth month of last year. Ten years ago, there was an assassination attempt. On his back, over his heart, there is a not-too-obvious dark red arrow scar.

"In late autumn, the Crown Prince received an imperial decree to go to Fengyun Mountain and exterminate the White Python Army. During the final phase of the extermination, the accompanying general, Bai Cheng, greedy for glory and achievements, disobeyed orders. This caused the small unit led by the Crown Prince to encounter the main remnant force of the White Python Army, who, consumed by despair and burning with fury, recklessly attacked without considering the consequences.

"The Crown Prince fell into the upper reaches of the Yun River. His life or death is unknown.

"After investigation, the upper reaches are exceptionally treacherous. Starting from the tail end of the upper reaches, there is a branch. In the middle section of the main river, there is another branch.

"The main river flows through Tan Prefecture and one county under its jurisdiction.

"The branch in the upper reaches of the main river flows through... counties (Zhuyang, Yanlin). The branch in the middle section of the main river flows through one county under the jurisdiction of Tiancheng Prefecture.

"...Ben.

"To prevent people's hearts from growing anxious and uneasy, giving rise to incidents, His Majesty and the prime ministers, after private discussion, decided that before the Crown Prince's current condition is confirmed, to publicly announce that the Crown Prince sustained some injuries while exterminating the White Python Army and is now peacefully recuperating in the Crown Prince's residence, not receiving outside guests, while secretly dispatching people to search for the Crown Prince."

The single thin sheet of paper was filled with black characters.

Prime Minister Meng's message ended here.

He believed that writing to this point, if "Lin Yue" truly was Crown Prince Chao Yan, then the other party should believe that he himself was Crown Prince Chao Yan.

Lin Yue indeed believed he was Crown Prince Chao Yan.

He looked at the handwriting on the letter, carefully recalling those scenes. Recalling to the end, the dream from before, much of whose content he had forgotten, swelled and expanded.

He recalled the complete content.

[By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:]

[We have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, governing all under the realm. Day and night we are reverent and cautious, thinking only of the stability of the ancestral temple and the firmness of the nation's foundation; we dare not forget this even for a moment. Lately, the position of Crown Prince has not been established, causing anxiety within and without the court. We desire a virtuous eldest son to anchor the hearts under heaven.]

[Our ninth son, Chao Yan, is of exceptional appearance and talent, his nature pure and beautiful. Filial piety and fraternity are rooted in his nature; benevolence and virtue accord with the hopes of the people. In serving Us, he inquires about meals from dawn to dusk, fully fulfilling a son's duty. In governing the people, he is lenient and measured, repeatedly manifesting virtuous governance. Civil and military officials all praise his worthiness; the common people all extol his beneficence. This is truly Heaven's favor upon the ancestral temple, bestowing a pillar-like talent...]

[...]

[Proclaimed to all within and without, let all hear and know.]

[So it is decreed.]

[Anqing Tenth Year, Sixteenth Day of the Fourth Month]

At that time, he had knelt upon the golden bricks of the great hall. Prince Yan stood before him, holding the imperial edict in hand, using a sharp, almost eunuch-like voice, reading out his appointment as Crown Prince.

When the full content of the dream was remembered, vast swaths of images surged into his mind.

The images linked into segments of past events.

Lin Yue remembered: the reason Prince Yan's voice was unlike a normal man's was that when he was young, he had been wounded in his vital part. He also remembered the scene when he fell into the Yun River...

"Your Highness!" Ning Fu saw the Crown Prince as if struck by illness, his body trembling, veins bulging on his temples, his whole head covered in sweat, breathing heavily. For a moment, he panicked, at a complete loss, and quickly went to check on him.

The Crown Prince pushed him away, both hands clutching his head. The letter paper crumpled between his fingers. He clenched his teeth audibly, extremely frightening.

"Your Highness!" Ning Fu called out again, but the other party still did not respond.