Yan Qianli never traveled in a carriage. Furthermore, the fact that he dressed and traveled in the same way as the other members of the Yan Cloud Cavalry was an open secret.
However, even though he did not seem any different from the others, his reputation was enough to cause everyone to retreat subconsciously.
Even Crown Prince Lin Tianrong shuffled his feet.
There was no domineering aura or killing intent. His name alone was enough to send shivers down everyone’s spine.
This was Yan Qianli.
“Your Highness, I see that you are here too.” A raspy voice echoed through the air. Yet, despite its raspiness, it still sounded rather grand and powerful.
There was no need for an explanation.
To Yan Qianli, some things did not require an explanation. People could infer what he meant.
He did not see Crown Prince Lin Tianrong.
Even though hundreds of soldiers from the Yan Cloud Cavalry stood in front of the Crown Prince… even though they were less than five meters apart… no one dared to question the validity of that claim.
This was how powerful Yan Qianli was.
Yan Qianli wasn’t disrespectful or arrogant. Ever since he took over leadership of Western Liang, he had always paid the taxes on time. He never sent out any less than he was supposed to, even during times of crisis.
Furthermore, he had never levied soldiers from elsewhere. The strength of his guards and Yan Cloud Cavalry had remained constant and he maintained them at the numbers agreed upon with the Great Xia.
This was what made him famous through the lands.
He was almost untouchable, yet he remained fiercely loyal to the empire. He was given complete autonomy, yet he never flexed his muscles and always kept his word.
As such…
He was given quite a bit of leeway.
“Prince Yan, I was unable to greet you at the gates, I’m…”
“Your Highness, you need not apologize for that. I am aware of the hierarchy. Your Highness, are you here to plead on Shen Ming’s behalf?” Yan Qianli interrupted the Crown Prince.
It was a very simple question.
However, Crown Prince Lin Tianrong felt a chill down his spine. His mouth opened and closed but he couldn’t find any words to express himself.
“Your Highness, if you don’t have anything to say, I will take him with me.” Yan Qianli had no intention of staying any longer.
“Okay.” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong grit his teeth. He had no idea what Yan Qianli would do to Shen Ming or where he would take him.
He had already decided to give up on this Minister of War. Shen Ming’s fate was now irrelevant.
“Your Highness…” Minister of War Shen Ming instinctively looked to Crown Prince Lin Tianrong. He had thought that the Crown Prince had stepped forward to save him.
But…
The Crown Prince had decided to leave him in the lurch.
Shen Ming finally understood what was going on. The choice between him or Yan Qianli was not difficult to make.
“Kaboom!”
The lightning flashed across the sky and thunder boomed.
A red flag was raised and the Yan Cloud Cavalry merged together.
They went back to their initial formation.
However, this time, no one questioned the army that was in front of them. No one even thought of stopping them.
“Arrest him!” The leader bellowed.
Four members of the Yan Cloud Cavalry stepped forward and surrounded Shen Ming.
Shen Ming didn’t resist it anymore. He knew that his fate had been sealed the moment Crown Prince Lin Tianrong replied with ‘okay’.
Politics was constantly evolving. One could be at the top now but no one knew when the fall would come.
He didn’t blame anyone.
He knew the rules. Only the victorious survive.
The four Yan Cloud Cavalry soldiers worked efficiently and chained Shen Ming up. Then, they hoisted him on the back of a horse.
They proceeded to rejoin the formation.
The rain continued to pummel the bodies of everyone present. The stallions whinnied as they stepped on puddles of rainwater.
A black flag was raised.
The Yan Cloud Cavalry turned in unison and trotted to the gates of the Ministry of War. They were gone in an instant.
No one dared to stop them. The officials, guards, and soldiers merely watched on, rooted to their positions.
They only recovered after the Yan Cloud Cavalry disappeared from sight.
“Was that Prince Yan?” One of the officials heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the Yan Cloud Cavalry disappear.
He felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
That being said, no one could believe what had just happened.
When they thought about it, Yan Qianli had not done anything. He didn’t dismount and his face was completely covered by his cloak.
He barged into the city, surrounded the Ministry of Law, arrested a rank two official, and did all of this in front of the Crown Prince. That was unbelievable!
But the fact was that Shen Ming had been taken away.
No one knew where he was being brought to.
Crown Prince Lin Tianrong looked into the distance. He simply stared at the horizon. No one knew if he was waiting for the rain to stop or the sun to rise.
…
The gate to King Duan’s residence.
Old Wen watched thoughtfully as a figure sprinted towards him in the rain.
“Old Wen, Shen Ming has been arrested!” The figure reported.
“Where has he been brought to?”
“Prince Yan didn’t say and the Crown Prince didn’t ask. However, the Yan Cloud Cavalry were headed to the Ten Mile Lake.” The figure replied.
“Ten Mile Lake? Okay, I got it, you may leave now!” Old Wen nodded as he looked up into the sky. “The Left Prime Minister and two of the Assistant Ministers of Law have been arrested. Now, Shen Ming has been taken away too. This plan is even bigger than I expected. If there is more to this plan… I can’t imagine the consequences!”
Old Wen turned and walked into the residence, ignoring the rain that pummeled his body.
…
Emperor Lin Mubai returned to the capital in the afternoon despite the rain.
Yan Qianli didn’t follow him back. The Yan Cloud Cavalry continued to stay at the Ten Mile Lake. However, there was one man kneeling on the banks.
Minister of Law Shen Ming.
There was a fiery red stone tablet in front of Shen Ming. There were many words inscribed in red on the tablet.
This was the tablet that marked the battle here.
It seemed rather plain and unassuming. Every name was carved on the tablet and adorned with red clouds.
It was difficult to imagine…
But that was how things were. The person who had made this decision was Yan Qianli. He didn’t want this place to be renovated.
The reason he gave was simple.
“The Ten Mile Lake should not be touched. The blood there is still red and the fire is still burning!”
“Prince Yan, are you here to partake in the battle for the throne?” Shen Ming didn’t turn to look at the figure behind him. He knelt in front of the tablet and examined each name as the rain continued to assault him.
“I am if you think I am. I am not if you think I am not.” A raspy voice rang out behind him.
“I am extremely bitter. I did send people to the Seven Star Lane. However, the target was Fang Zhengzhi, not Yan Xiu!” Shen Ming shuddered and replied when he heard this voice.
“Mm, I know.” The raspy voice rang out again.
“You know about this?! Haha… I understand now. However, I never expected that you would allow yourself to be used like that!”
“You might think that I am being used, but I prefer to think of it as a win-win situation. Since I am here, I will bring the Yan Cloud Cavalry into the capital. It is just a matter of time. Since you gave me such a great opportunity, I decided to take it.”
“It is no wonder you are Prince Yan. However, I am still the Minister of War. Even if I am guilty, I should be sentenced by the Emperor and tried by the Ministry of Law. Aren’t you… overreaching a little here?”
“I am not, and I do not plan to try or sentence you. After you kneel for three days, I will hand you over to the proper authorities!”
“Three days? Hahaha… three days! Yes, after three days, there is no way I could still be the Minister of War.”
“I don’t care about such trivial matters.”
“…”
…
Inside Ping Yang’s residence.
Fang Zhengzhi lay down on a chair inside an exquisitely designed room. Ping Yang grabbed his arm and refused to let go.
Fang Zhengzhi smiled bitterly.
They were alone in the room and Ping Yang was tugging at his limbs. This was highly inappropriate and could cause misunderstandings easily.
“Why don’t you let go and give me some space? You are a princess, can you show some class and elegance?” Fang Zhengzhi tried to be assertive.
“No, I will not! Not unless you tell me what you have planned after this!” Ping Yang pouted and grabbed Fang Zhengzhi’s arm. She didn’t seem to notice that she had pressed her chest against his arm.
“What do you want to know?” Fang Zhengzhi was rather exasperated. He didn’t mind Ping Yang grabbing his arm, but Ping Yang had already matured.
It was rather inappropriate now.
“Ministry of Law! Yes… the Ministry of Law! What are your plans there? And the Ministry of War! What do you have in mind?” Ping Yang replied.
“I am not the Emperor. Does my opinion even matter?” Fang Zhengzhi’s lips twitched.
“Erm… that’s true as well! But I don’t care! Just guess! Guess who the next Minister of Law and Minister of War would be!” Ping Yang added.
“I don’t have to guess. They will decide on the next Minister of Law tomorrow morning.” Fang Zhengzhi wanted to push Ping Yang away but her grip was too tight.
“Tomorrow morning?”
“Yes.”
“But the Emperor hasn’t attended court for many days now. Are you sure he will be there tomorrow morning?”
“Of course. There are so many things to settle. He would have no other choice.”
“That’s true, but you haven’t answered my question!”
“Haha… I am not stupid. If I really told you, you are likely to run to the palace and tell the Emperor that this was my plan all along!”
“How do you know? Okay then… I promise not to rat you out!”
“Then let’s talk about money. 100,000 silvers per question.”
“100,000? That’s daylight robbery!”
“You can choose not to ask!”
“Okay then, I’ll ask. Who is your choice for Minister of Law?”
“Are you sure that’s your question?”
“Yes!”
“That is such a silly question. There are only three assistant ministers there. Now that two of them have been disposed of, there is only one person left to take the position.”
“Wen Chuan! Right Assistant Minister Wen Chuan! Is it really him? Hang on, Wen Chuan is Wen Dabao’s father! You… no, no… your plan last night… you couldn’t be sure that the Left Prime Minister would be there. You had no intention of taking down the Left Prime Minister and the Minister of War. They simply wandered into the fray. You merely wanted… to target the two assistant ministers. You did all of that so Wen Chuan could be the Minister of Law?” Ping Yang’s eyes brightened.
“Oh? You suddenly became smarter?”
“Hmph! I am extremely smart! I… I have another question.”
“200,000 silvers.”
“Okay, since you have no interest of participating in the battle for the throne, why would you go to such lengths to have Wen Chuan become the Minister of Law?”
“To overturn my case.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.
“Overturn your case?! You want to?! When??” Ping Yang released her grip on Fang Zhengzhi’s hand in shock.
“Probably in 2-3 days.”