The Yandere Came During The Night

Chapter 9

The Crown Prince refused to wait comfortably in the carriage alone but rather stayed in a tent with Yu Pin Yan. They took out some dry rations wrapped in oil paper and slowly ate.

"When Fang Wei returns, we must continue with our journey in haste. I'm sure many would blame me should they have to lie in the rain water for a night." The Crown Prince squinted his eyes and jested.

Yu Pin Yan nodded his head, "Caution is the parent of safety. As we are guarding eight million silvers, one would have to sleep with one eye open; let alone having to transport such a consignment. As this is your first time handling such a crucial assignment, there must not be the least bit of carelessness."

"At the end of the month, second younger brother, third younger brother and fourth younger brother will proceed to attend the royal court and participate in political affairs. I do not know how many people are waiting to dwell on my mistake this time. Do rest assured, I will avoid any." The Crown Prince patted Yu Pin Yan's shoulder. They shared a glance and smiled.

An hour had unexpectedly passed while they nibbled on the rations and chatted. They heard a burst of rapidly advancing hoof beats. Before the Crown Prince could draw back the tent's curtain, he heard Fang Wei shout loudly, "Crown Prince, it's not good. There was a landslide up front!"

The Crown Prince was startled and promptly walked out to ask about the details.

The ration Yu Wen Tao was holding dropped into the turbid muddy water.

Everyone was frightened, their faces pallid and were drenched in cold sweat. Yu Pin Yan, however, felt incredibly relieved.

"Landslide? What is the situation?" The Crown Prince ducked through the rain and quickly strode forward to face them.

"After travelling for a quarter hour, this subordinate heard a loud rumbling sound from the mountain top. Rainwater, mud and rocks were gushing down violently. The pathway was shattered and swept into the river. Luckily, this subordinate was alert and retreated swiftly, or else this subordinate wouldn't have been able to make it back." Fang Wei's heart was still thundering with fear. He patted his chest to calm himself down.

As he was explaining, a loud noise thundered out ahead. Everyone had thought it was just the rumbling of the thunderstorm, but now, they finally realized it was actually the landslide. If the Crown Prince had not stopped but rather rushed ahead, they definitely would have barged into the landslide and been smothered to death with no remains found. Losing the disaster relief of eight million silver liang would not only compromise the lives of millions victims, but their reputation would have also been badly reflected upon their death.

The more Yu Wen Tao pondered over this, the more perturbed he felt. He cupped his hands and bowed repeatedly, then spoke in a trembling voice, "Crown Prince is indeed of the Emperor's true lineage who carries heaven's blessings. The Crown Prince is truly wise. The Crown Prince is truly wise!"

Everyone immediately recovered from the shock and echoed the proclamation. Their eyes were now filled with reverence.

The Crown Prince's heart still thrummed with fears, but none was shown on his face. He calmly declared, "This place is not safe. Move the camp to an open and spacious field. We will wait till the rain stops and then make a long detour to Sanmen Gorge. Start moving quickly."

No one dared to dispute this time.

Finally, the crafty old fox Yu Wen Tao was subdued, the Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief. After the lingering fear dispersed, he could not contain his excitement and vigorously patted Yu Pin Yan's shoulder. "Pin Yan, thank you for your timely obstruction; otherwise, not even my complete remains could be salvaged!" Not only that; who knows how many people were waiting to tarnish his reputation if he was to lose the disaster relief? He felt bitterly disappointed when he thought of those circumstances.