Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Seventy-Five: Overnight (Part I)

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Meng Chuyao lay half-reclining on the bed, his face deathly pale as the Embroidered Uniform Guards bandaged his wounds.

Every so often, his body would convulse and tremble. It was impossible to tell whether it was from fear or pain.

At the table nearby, Liu Botao sat with his legs spread wide, his expression grave, though he could not stop rambling:

“It seems someone already knows everything. Even the secret of our hiding Imperial Physician Meng here has been exposed.

“Once there has been one assassination attempt, there will certainly be a second. This place is no longer safe. At present, the only choice is to send you to our Commandery Office. At least it will be more secure than here.

“However… the leak may well have come from inside our own Commandery Office. There is no guarantee that no one there will try to harm you, so you must prepare yourself. It may be that…”

As he spoke, he cast a sidelong glance at Meng Chuyao, only to see the latter grow even paler. The terror on his face could no longer be concealed.

That should do it…

The moment this thought arose, Imperial Physician Meng spoke as well.

“Commander Liu, if I reveal the whole truth and help you… help you establish the case, can you guarantee the safety of my family and me?”

Liu Botao was overjoyed, but not the slightest trace of a smile appeared on his face.

“Of course. So long as you are willing to cooperate with us and testify that Emperor Wuzong was murdered, we will do everything in our power to protect you.

“And once that happens, we will no longer need to hide in secret. Even if there are people within the Embroidered Uniform Guard who wish you harm, we will have plenty of ways to deal with them!”

As he spoke, he fixed the other man with a deep gaze.

“However, Imperial Physician Meng, you must have something of real value. If all you have is a bare accusation, it will be difficult to convince anyone, and I will have no way to act.”

“I have evidence!” Meng Chuyao blurted out.

Liu Botao immediately brightened. As expected, the man was no fool; he had kept hold of the key to saving his life.

“What evidence?”

“My teacher gave it to me. He said that if anything ever happened, it might preserve my life and property. It contains not only my teacher’s own written account, but also every detail concerning the murder of the late emperor, as well as… a personal token belonging to Lord Yang!”

Liu Botao drew another sharp breath. He had guessed that the other man was still holding something back, but he had not expected the evidence to be so substantial.

If they could truly obtain it and make it public, it would be proof as solid as a mountain of iron. Even Yang Tinghe would have no way to deny it.

Thus he asked urgently, “Where have you hidden this evidence? It should not be in your home, should it?”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had already searched every corner of the Meng residence. Unless the evidence had truly been buried deep beneath the earth, it could not possibly be there.

“At Spring Preservation Hall in the eastern city,” Meng Chuyao replied slowly. “The physician who practices there once had some friendship with me. I asked him to hide the things inside the wall of the dispensary behind the clinic… and almost no one knows of my connection with him.”

Liu Botao blinked, unable to keep from admiring Imperial Physician Meng’s foresight. The man had actually thought to entrust something so important to someone who appeared to have no connection with him at all.

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It had to be said that even after the Embroidered Uniform Guard had spent the past several days investigating Meng Chuyao’s relationships, they had never discovered that such a person existed.

There were more than a hundred clinics and apothecaries in the capital. It was naturally impossible for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate every one of them.

“Exactly where are the things?” Commander Liu pressed.

“I will tell you only after my safety has been secured!” At this point, Meng Chuyao began playing coy again.

Liu Botao immediately nodded. “Very well. We will send you back to the capital at once and settle you in the Commandery Office!”

As they spoke, the wounds on Meng Chuyao’s body had already been bandaged. Though his movements were somewhat impaired, getting him out of the house and into the carriage was not difficult with several Embroidered Uniform Guards watching over him.

Then, escorted by a number of capable guards, the carriage quietly rolled out of the courtyard in the middle of the night and headed toward the capital.

Liu Botao, seemingly occupied with matters that still needed to be dealt with, did not follow at once.

Only after the carriage had vanished into the distance did the solemnity leave his face. He suddenly relaxed and broke into a triumphant smile.

“Young Master Huang, you may come out now. They are far enough away!”

The door of a room nearby opened, and Huang Ming emerged, followed by Huang Bingkun and Qi Changfeng, both dressed in black for the night.

The moment the three men saw Commander Liu’s smile, they understood and smiled as well.

“Has it worked?”

“It is all thanks to your plan, Young Master Huang. It frightened him badly. He confessed everything just now. As it turns out, he really does possess crucial evidence, and it is hidden in a clinic in the capital called Spring Preservation Hall.”

Huang Ming smiled. “I merely guessed that he valued his life. As the saying goes, the faithless are often scholars!”

His words drew knowing laughter from the martial men nearby. Everything was already under their control.

The first of the two strategies Huang Ming had proposed was to seize two highly suspicious men in the capital as quickly as possible: the successful examinee Wang Mao and Zhu Yuntong, the third president of the Splendid Brocade Society.

So long as they captured the two first, they would surely be able to force something out of them.

The second plan, meanwhile, depended on Meng Chuyao.

His attitude appeared firm, but in truth he had been wavering. All he needed was an opportunity, and his defenses would collapse.

If he were given reason to believe that the Yang family had betrayed him first, he would have no further reservations.

And now, everything had indeed unfolded exactly as Huang Ming had predicted.

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The two so-called assassins who had infiltrated the compound moments ago were actually Huang Bingkun and Qi Changfeng. They had caught the guards completely off guard.

Commander Liu was still deeply dissatisfied with this, but it was not a suitable time to give vent to his anger. In his heart, however, he had already made up his mind: from now on, he would certainly impose a thorough reorganization on his subordinates.

If real assassins had come this time—especially two of them—they might already have succeeded.

“That should be enough. Let us follow them as well.” Huang Ming looked up at the night sky and smiled. “By the time we reach the city gates, it will not be long before they open.”

It was deep in the night, and midnight had not yet passed…

…

Beneath that same stretch of night sky, dozens of miles away, at the canal wharf of Nantong Prefecture—

Yang Dun, guarded there by several loyal servants, yawned again. His face showed nothing but fatigue and impatience.

“Why has the boat still not arrived?”

“Please be patient, Second Young Master. The boat is probably scheduled to come during the fourth watch. The time has not yet come,” a steward said with an ingratiating smile.

Yang Dun could only answer with a cold snort. From childhood until now, he had never suffered such hardship.

Whether at home or traveling, when had he ever failed to enjoy every comfort?

This time, he had left the capital as though fleeing for his life, then waited until the middle of the night to depart by boat like a thief.

Fortunately, his discontent did not last long. In the distance, a point of light came drifting downstream, instantly lifting everyone’s spirits.

“It is here! Second Young Master, we can leave safely now and return to our ancestral home in Sichuan.”

The moment he finished speaking, a sudden clatter of hooves came from behind them. When they turned, they saw a long line of torches racing toward them at full speed. In the blink of an eye, it had reached the wharf.

Illuminated by the torchlight, the riders’ clothing could be seen clearly by everyone.

They were the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

At once, the expressions of every person present—including Yang Dun—changed dramatically.

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