TFSRITA Chapter 26

An imperial decree was issued, perfectly placing Yan Qing under the spotlight for all to see.

Both the court and the harem reacted as if water had been dropped into hot oil, causing a furious uproar.

When Prime Minister Yan heard the decree and saw his colleagues coming to congratulate him, he felt no joy—only deep unease.

He knew his daughter well. What exactly was the emperor planning?

After sending off the well-wishers, Prime Minister Yan’s expression darkened.

Zhou Shu, his long-time servant, hesitated before saying, “It doesn’t seem like the emperor has any fondness for her. After all, given the emperor’s usual methods, he could control the harem easily. There’s no reason to cause such a stir.”

Prime Minister Yan nodded, his face stern as he held a teacup for a long time without drinking. Suddenly, a flash of realization crossed his eyes. “Isn’t the selection for new consorts coming up soon? Summon Yan Jing back. With her help, Qing’er’s life in the palace might be a little easier.”

Yan Jing was his illegitimate daughter, but there wasn’t much affection between them. Prime Minister Yan’s heart belonged to his eldest daughter, born to his legal wife. The younger girls, he cared for in name only, providing them with fine clothing and food, and when necessary, sacrificing their marriages for the greater good. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to marry any of them off as concubines to some old official.

Being the emperor’s concubine, though, was a highly respectable fate.

Zhou Shu nodded and left to carry out the order.

Not long after, Ziyun entered from outside, carrying a tray. She respectfully said, “Master, this servant has specially prepared some ginseng soup for you. Please try it.”

The young mistress had instructed her to take good care of her father, as he was her only concern. Ziyun took this responsibility seriously.

Prime Minister Yan looked at Ziyun and thought of his daughter. His expression softened a little, and he nodded, “Leave it there.”

“Yes, sir.” Ziyun placed the soup down and left, but as she stepped out of the hall, her eyes reddened. She had heard the rumors: people were already starting to call her mistress an enchantress, accusing her of bewitching the emperor.

She felt deeply wronged on her mistress’s behalf. Her mistress had done nothing wrong, and besides, Emperor Chen didn’t even seem to like her. It was obvious he was using her as a shield.

Thinking of this, a chill ran through Ziyun’s body. She hugged herself tightly and was about to return to her room when she remembered something. In her last letter from the Young Master of the Song family, her mistress had mentioned that his term was almost over and he would be back soon. Now that she calculated the time, he should return in a few months. When he did, she would ask him for help. The Song family was powerful—they could surely rescue their mistress from the palace!

The route to Chang’an passed through a place called Wen County.

A group of soldiers, fierce and menacing, appeared, brandishing their blades. The leader held a command token and barked, “Everyone gathers around! Have you seen this person?”

The local villagers, already terrified by the sight of the soldiers, were pale and trembling, too afraid to move.

The once bustling marketplace seemed to have been frozen in time, with no one daring to make a run for it.

The soldiers didn’t plan on harming anyone, though. When the villagers didn’t move, the soldiers themselves went around showing a portrait, asking each person one by one.

As soon as they were questioned, the villagers all shook their heads frantically, some without even taking a proper look at the portrait.

After questioning everyone, the soldiers regrouped. A young officer whispered to the leader, “Big brother, the guy’s probably long gone. He wouldn’t dare linger in a small place like this. Let’s hurry on to Huai County.”

“Alright, let’s move.”

“Yes, sir.”

The twenty or so soldiers swiftly mounted their horses and rode off, having only made a quick sweep of the area.

In a small teahouse in the marketplace, a plainly dressed young man sat sipping tea. As the soldiers left, he downed his cup in one gulp and was about to stand up.

That’s when the locals, now recovering from their fright, began chatting again.

A burly, bearded man with a loud voice, holding a bowl of wine, boasted to a crowd, “Now, where was I? Oh yeah, my nephew’s doing business in Chang’an, and let me tell you, there’s this Concubine Yan—she’s something else! Got our emperor so smitten, he’s gone and issued a decree! She doesn’t even have to bow to anyone because she’s not feeling well!”

The young man stood still, his head lowered, face unreadable.

“Wow!” the crowd gasped in unison.

“Is that even allowed? Don’t the ministers say anything?” someone asked, puzzled.

The burly man shook his head. “This Concubine Yan isn’t just any ordinary woman. You know who her father is?”

“Who?”

“Prime Minister Yan Que!”

Crack!

The wooden table in front of the young man splintered into pieces.

The teahouse wasn’t close to where the conversation was happening, but the noise was still audible. The teahouse owner, who had been listening with great interest, was suddenly jolted by the sound. He was about to lose his temper when the young man bent down and apologized with a smile, “I’m sorry about that. Here, this silver should cover it.”

With that, he tossed a small piece of silver over.

The teahouse owner’s anger quickly disappeared, replaced with a bright smile. “Thank you, thank you! Have a safe journey!”

The young man smiled, nodded, and left. His face, though covered in dust, was ice-cold, and his steps grew more hurried.

Emperor Chen was unpredictable, his moods changing in the blink of an eye. Qing’er was timid by nature; she must be terrified. What could have happened in Chang’an for Emperor Chen to deliberately expose her like this? It was infuriating.

He needed to get back to Chang’an as soon as possible and present his evidence—his token of allegiance.

With this, he could bargain for Yan Qing’s release from the palace.

After purchasing a horse, Song Yu galloped away at full speed.

But he hadn’t gone far when he saw a group of soldiers waiting up ahead.

His eyes flickered with surprise. To avoid getting caught, he had taken a bold and open approach, traveling along both official and back roads. He had seen those soldiers heading down the main road earlier, so he had deliberately chosen a smaller route. Yet, here they were, lying in wait. How many men had been sent after him?