WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 68: Observations

Wei Ying grabs Lan Zhan's free hand and points down into the crowd. There's a particular figure wearing a weimo and standing at the back of the hall, their body tense and alert as they watch the proceedings. The person is behaving suspiciously and yet there's something familiar about them.

"Please!" The First Prince does not shout, but his voice is commanding enough to draw the obedience of everyone present. "I am sure you want answers! Well, so do I. And I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to ask the right questions. To the right person." The First Prince claps his hands. "Bring out the prisoner."

Wei Ying has a bad feeling about this. His eyes haven't left the mysterious stranger at the back of the hall, and his ears are trained on the First Prince because he thinks he knows who the prisoner is going to be.

A man is brought in, no, dragged in, held up by two stern-faced guards. His face is covered and he looks beaten. His clothes are stained and crumpled, but recognizable.

Hui Gai breathes in sharply and Wei Ying can feel Lan Zhan stiffen next to him.

"Tang Pei."

Wei Ying doesn't dare look away from the stranger now. "I think that's Porta Daven," he murmurs.

When he says that, Lan Zhan takes another look at the person carefully hiding themselves under multiple robes and obscuring their face, and now that Wei Ying has mentioned it, he can see the resemblance in their posture.

"Mn."

"So how did they get separated?" Hui Gai whispers. "Or do you think this is a trap?"

"I hadn't considered that, thank you, Hui Gai," Wei Ying replies, as tense as a hunting hawk. "Let's see how this plays out. But be on your guard. If we get the chance to extract our people, then let's take it."

"For weeks now, His Royal Highness had been suffering from a terrible malady, an illness for which the healers were at a loss to find a cure. Imagine our surprise and shock to discover THIS MAN, His Highness' most trusted advisor, has been slowly poisoning him, all along!"

Tang Pei looks horrified at the accusation and is already shaking his head in denial, but the crowd has been seduced by the pretty face of the First Prince. They gasp, horrified at this revelation.

He is strutting in front of Tang Pei now, adding theatrical gestures and keeping his audience riveted to his every word.

"They're eating that bullshit out of his hands," Hui Gai says, disgusted by the show.

"It's his word against Tang Pei." Wei Ying says bitterly. "And by him doing this, he's about to get a hundred percent support from the people of Chang'An. And be lauded a hero for "saving" the Emperor."

"TREASON!"

"PUNISH HIM!"

"WHERE'S THE EMPEROR NOW?"

The First Prince holds up his hand for quiet, and it's a miracle how he has managed to turn the whole situation around to his favour. Only minutes ago, these same people were braying for his blood, but now they've switched sides like a flag waving in the wind.

"That's a great question. I last saw my father a few nights ago, and he was in a poor condition, barely breathing. I left HIM there alone with my father, just in case my father was thirsty or needed help with anything. But this SNAKE somehow managed to abduct his Royal Highness somewhere, and now he's refusing to talk!" The First Prince whirls around to face Tang Pei, who is staring back at him with open hatred.

But Wei Ying can see what his audience is seeing.

To any outward observer, without any prior knowledge of either of these two people, human nature would propel them into supporting the Prince. Not just because of the words coming out of his mouth, but because of the contrast in how each of them appear to the outside world.

On the one hand, there's the First Prince, dressed in all of his finery with his high quality rich robes, his natural beauty, and the charm he employs to project a certain image. A glamour disguising his blackest of hearts.

On the other hand, the person opposing him is a man who looks worse for wear, beaten and rough, with his eyepatch and the scar that divides his face, and it's easy to see how Tang Pei will be made to look like the villain in whatever half-truths the First Prince is determined to share with the loyal supporters of the Emperor.

This is a game that they've lost even before it has begun.

The First Prince points at Tang Pei.

"Tell us, you venomous snake, what have you done with my father? Where is he?" And then, without giving him a chance to reply, the First Prince backhands him, hard.

The crowd jeers supportively, cheering him on and surging forward. There are around twenty soldiers waiting at the front, a human shield between them and the Prince and his show.

Wei Ying is incredibly angry. His fists clench at his sides, and he tries not to give in to it. He makes himself feel Lan Zhan's hand gripping his waist tighter in a move to remind him that there's more at stake here than this stupid but dangerous game the First Prince is playing with them.

"Hui Gai, I've got a plan," Wei Ying says suddenly, feeling two pairs of eyes on him.

"I'm listening, PengYou."

"Can you please make yourself invisible and pass a message onto Porta Daven?" Wei Ying turns to him, knowing that Lan Zhan is listening intently to him, and that he has his support to do whatever he needs to.

"What am I telling them?"

"We've got no choice now. The First Prince has made his move. The only thing we can counteract this is by limiting the damage to the Emperor, and the only way we can do that is by removing the problem from here entirely. The four of us can easily take four people, right?"

"Yeah?" Hui Gai replies but it sounds like a question.

"Then tell them, count to ten and then teleport onto the stage." Wei Ying grimaces at the thought of what's to come.

"Hug for good luck," Hui Gai pulls both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying into his arms, all of them doing their best to ignore the lies being spread down below.

And then he vanishes.