The Imperial Capital of Li Yang Empire included thirteen main cities among which, the City of Lincheng was one ideal spot where various kinds of folk gathered.
Shen Nuo sat forth a desk in the third floor of a restaurant with Jinyu, having some Lotus Tea. Both were clad in casual dresses and looked no different than two siblings from a middle class rich family. Shen Nuo was in a very good mood. The night before, though Li Yan threatened him with a long and a scary night, at last, he didn't come at all. So Shen Nuo snuggled the fluffy cabbage and went into a peaceful sleep.
But this morning, Shen Nuo suddenly came across a problem. While Jinyu had snacks, Shen Nuo was thoughtfully pondering over the little letter he received some few hours ago. If the letter was sent by Zhanhua, Zhanhua would definitely leave a secret mark for him to identify. But this letter had no sign or did not mention the sender. That nameless letter only had few messy characters asking him to come to Lincheng...
Shen Nuo furrowed his brows. Who could have sent this letter to him? And why? He did not know.
While he was blankly staring down the window at the bustling streets, he caught a pair of familiar faces. One was definitely the Prime Minister. He was dressed in a casual silken robe while the other person looked like a poor farmer. That handsome face looked familiar too but Shen Nuo was too far to identify that profile clearly.
Shen Nuo was confused. Why was the Prime Minister hanging around with such people? When did he become that decent to keep a low profile and to wander around in the public, nameless? What was he doing?
Shen Nuo watched carefully and saw the couple enter the Jingyan Brothel at the other side of the street. Shen Nuo raised his brows. Once he heard this old otter had seven concubines and thirteen bed maids at his service besides his lawful mistress. And here he enters a brothel! What a rat!
Then suddenly Shen Nuo choked in his breath. Wait! Did he just see the otter enter with another man? Huh? Oh right! Perhaps the old otter was not satisfied with women and had now started with men...
But... That seems not alright. Lincheng was very big. There were a numerous places at Lincheng where males served at brothels. Why would the old otter bring a man into a brothel?
"Jinyu." Shen Nuo asked seriously. "Why don't I see your sword with you today? Don't tell me you forgot it. Where is it?"
Jinyu scratched his head for a while before he suddenly remembered he had left it there hanging on the branch of the chestnut tree where he had been resting the night before. Jinyu choked in his noodles. "I..."
Shen Nuo was speechless. "Don't you have a single weapon with you?"
Jinyu quickly nodded. "Have. I have my whip hidden inside the waist belt. And two daggers inside my boots. And poison needles and - "
"Good. That's better than nothing. Jinyu, follow me!" Shen Nuo paid the meals with a silver teal and hurried down the stairs. Jinyu followed, wiping his mouth. "Master?"
However, the moment Jinyu realized Shen Nuo had taken him into a brothel by the next moment, he was flabbergasted. His eyes were wide as saucers. "Master!" He said in a furious whisper. "You can't really do this!" In his voice was incredulous disbelief.
Shen Nuo raised a brow. "Do what?" He asked testily. "Jinyu, I brought you here to help me spy on Prime Minister. He just came inside."
Jinyu nodded at once. "Ok."
"Hear all the things out as much as possible but make sure not to get caught, ok?"
Jinyu nodded obediently and disappeared into the crowd of the brothel.
Meanwhile from the foremost brim of the railing in the highest storey of the brothel, Prime Minister watched the two sneaky guests with burning eyes. A sarcastic smile spread across his lips. "How dare he enter the lair of us? Does not he want his life anymore?"
Zhanhua looked worried. "Consort Shen does not know this brothel belongs to you." He whispered in a low voice.
Prime Minister looked at Zhanhua. "No one knows. Only you and me know of this matter. What's happening? I thought you came alone."
Zhanhua furrowed his brows. "I didn't lure him."
The old man sneered with his eyes glinting in a malevolent light. He still remembered how his daughter, the Empress explained to him how Shen Nuo had offended her and her family infront of everyone in the harem. His eyes narrowed darker. Why don't he get rid of this obstacle once and for all?
"Qishan" He said in a soft voice. A heavily masked man who stood behind bowed stiffly. "Yes, master!"
The old man curled his beard smiling with the corners of his lips. "He is a ger." He said meaningfully. "End him, once and for all!"
Zhanhua's eyes widened in shock. "Wait!" He said flabbergasted. "Prime Minister, what are you doing!!?"
"Minister of Revenue." The old man said in a venomous voice. "No one shall hinder our doings. Forgot what I told you before you joined my forces?"
"But Consort Shen did nothing wrong!" Zhanhua said in a hard voice.
Prime Minister's eyes darkened. "Why would the Emperor's consort enter a brothel? Unless he felt something suspicious..."
"That's his way, Prime Minister, he's curious by nature. That's not his fault!"
"Really?" The old man said derisively. "You seems to know a lot about Consort Shen it seems..."
Zhanhua went pale. How can he not understand the meaning behind those softly spoken words? He pursed his thin lips. "Prime Minister, don't get me wrong. We were once students from the same academy. He's like a brother to me."
"I understand..." The old man smirked. "But hadn't we both cooperated for several years to reach where we are? We cannot risk this matter merely because of a worthless consort. If you get my meaning, Minister Yue, if it wasn't you, then this consort was lured here by someone. Of course I have to take measures for my own safety."
Zhanhua felt a freezing shudder run down his back. Why did it sound so traitorous? "Minister Qing... Now that you said so, it's not like we were planning to do something illegal, is it?" He said suddenly, and that voice sounded a bit shaky. Now he had a terrible guess in his heart. His face was very even white. "I agreed to help you only because you said you were raising a private army to gift the Emperor on his thirtieth birthday. Did I understand it wrong?"
Prime Minister looked at him coldly. "So what? Minister Yue, you're already involved in this. It's too late for you to regret even if you want to." With that, he flicked his sleeves and left grimly.
Zhanhua's scalp went numb. He only guessed it and had a doubt lately but did not expect even in the least for it to be actually true. What was happening? Prime Minister was actually trying to rebel! And unknowingly, he was involved too!
Zhanhua realized he will meet his end this way sooner. Another black mark on him beside the matter of Shen Nuo... Rebelling was a capital crime that deserved death punishment.
Zhanhua gritted his teeth and looked at the Prime Minister's disappearing figure darkly. And his long eyes suddenly had a rare gleam of a malicious light that was seldom seen in his eyes. "Let's see!" He said hatefully and quickly disappeared into the crowds.
Meanwhile Qishan who hurried down the stairs in search of the Emperor's consort was confronted by a tall slender maiden with her face half veiled with a soft linen cloth that revealed only her beautiful long eyes. Her red clothes and jewelries revealed her identity as a whore in the brothel. She who happened to run into him in the stairs looked at him with an enchanting smile.
"Master!" She immediately threw herself onto his chest, drawing her face close to him in an instant. "Where are you running? What you want is already infront of you. Haha!" That voice was soft and mellow.
Qishan tried to break free uncomfortably. He had a mission to complete. "I did not come here to sleep!" He said through gritted teeth, trying to push her away. But she coiled her slender arms around his neck, unwilling to let go. She pouted her lips sexily and looked at him with longing in her eyes.
"Master! What are you saying? Huh? If you didn't come here for these things then why did you come here?"
Qishan was suffocating with that strong wrap around his neck. For a split second, there was a certain move that he did not clearly see. But when he realized what was happening, it was already too late. His throat was pierced mercilessly with a sharp poison needle that the slender woman had pulled out of her sleeve.
Qishan felt his body weakening at once. The poison was strong and was quickly spreading. Amid the torture, he struggled to identify who she was and suddenly thought her eyes looked familiar. With what last strength that was left in him, he grasped from her veil and pulled it away. His eyes widened in shock. "You-!"
Consort Lian narrowed her eyes darkly, veiling her face again. "You better behave if you want the antidote now!" She whispered in his ear threateningly before she switched back into the usual casual self of a brothel girl. She smiled to him brightly, leaning his lifeless body onto her slender but strong body.
"Aiyaaa, master, why are you so impatient?" She said sweetly as she gently pulled him down the long stairway. "Look! You're even sweating! Hahaha!" She laughed brightly at a group of whores who passed by her looking enviously at the handsome customer she had caught.
But her smile disappeared the moment she entered into a chamber with him. Qishan was immediately thrown into a heavy big sack by Chen Gu.
Consort Lian nodded to him. "Take him and question him in whatever way you have. You must get out what on earth is going on between the Prime Minister and Minister Zhanhua, understood? I'm afraid father is the person above all these. I must try to stop it before it's too late."
"Should I shut him after I get what I we want?" Chen Gu asked in a hideous voice.
Consort Lian shook her head furiously. "No. Just force him to have some leath water and throw him out into the roads. He won't remember what happened to him."
Chen Gu lowered his head grimly. "This subordinate understands." He said grimly before he shouldered the heavy sack and disappeared out of the window of the chamber.
Consort Lian gulped. Today's happenings were completely different from what she expected to happen. Why was everything getting even messier? Shen Nuo was normally careful.
How can he be this defenceless to walk into an enemy's lair so casually? At least he should have disguised his face! Her beating heart slowly drew back to normal with time. She disappeared out of the room again. There were more for her yet to do.
Meanwhile, Shen Nuo found himself ended up in an enormous chamber in red. That was a very close shave. What was Zhangsun doing here!!? It was no more than a few seconds he barely escaped being caught by Zhangsun who was running up the stairs in a hurry.
And Shen Nuo who happened to pass by him felt as if struck by lightning. Luckily Zhangsun did not notice him and flashed past him in a second. And Shen Nuo who was shocked, immediately covered his face with his sleeve and slipped into a nearby room quite quietly. That was how Shen Nuo ended here.
What was the personal bodyguard of the Emperor doing here? Shen Nuo felt suddenly lost. Did someone want to trap him into some kind of a trick to get punished by the Emperor? He did not know. He looked down the window and saw another shockingly familiar face in a casual dress, passing hastily by the brothel. He felt thunderstruck.
LI YAN!!? And what the hell was Li Yan doing here!!? Suddenly Shen Nuo realized why Zhangsun was here... Did something happen? Then it must be serious. Otherwise the Emperor wouldn't have arrived himself.
Shen Nuo smiled bitterly. Very nice! What a pleasant meeting? Prime Minister, Zhangsun, Jinyu, Emperor, and a consort inside a brothel. Just wow! Shen Nuo did not know what kind of a result he should expect from the dog if he is caught. This time he knew he would be successfully castrated by the dog...
While he was staring dumbstruck at the dog on the road, for a split second, guided by fate, the dog raised his dog head and happened to meet Shen Nuo's eyes.
"!!!" Shen Nuo's heart jumped to his mouth. He immediately hid his face and drew away from the window. Li Yan saw him! Outside the brothel, Li Yan stood by the roadside, stunned as if he hadn't expected this for a lifetime. Did he just see Shen Nuo out there? At least he looked like Shen Nuo... Then almost at once, Li Yan came back to his senses and entered into the brothel. His face was steaming in anger.
He only came here because his spies reported Consort Lian sneaked in here. He knew the time to Minghe's assassination was drawing closer. Did this thing have something to do with this matter?
But he was shocked to find Consort Shen here. At least he looked like him. No matter what, he must make sure of this matter first. He ran up the stairs, pushing away a load of slender girls who immediately threw themselves towards him. They fled, screaming in horror.
Meanwhile, Shen Nuo looked horror-stricken. He looked around to find a mean of escape. The room had only one window. But he did not wish to jump down from a height of thirteen storeys even if he knew Martial Arts. This was too risky to try out for the first time. He was afraid. Shen Nuo had once heard that the most dangerous place is also the most safest place to hide.
With Li Yan's knowledge, Shen Nuo was sure Li Yan would think he would flee. Besides, for Shen Nuo, he knew he did not have any chance of escape if he flee now. Zhangsun was already inside the brothel and had sharp eyes. It was easy to get caught.
So he looked around inside the room. In his haste he only saw an enormous bed in a corner. Beside it was a wardrobe. Ok. Under the bed or inside the wardrobe? While he was in a turmoil unable to choose between the two, he heard the light but hurried footsteps from the stairway outside the door. And it was drawing closer...
And Shen Nuo who stood in the mid of the big room unable to move, felt his heart stop beating...
Just before a moment before the door was thrown open, a shadow swung swiftly past the enormous window.
A cold shudder ran down Shen Nuo. He subconsciously opened his mouth to scream but a firm hand pressed onto his mouth stopping him from even letting a breath out. With that, he was forcefully pulled behind the enormous red curtains and was pressed hard against the wall.
Shen Nuo did not understand what was happening or who it was. His eyes widened in horror. But before he could think anything else his face met with an extremely handsome face that looked seventy percent familiar.
Their noses almost knocked against each other in the pressure.
"Shhhhhhhhhhh!" An extremely familiar voice whispered in his ear. "Don't move! It's me!"
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Ok, here the real battle starts...