“I am your hidden guard, I can help you do anything, but I definitely cannot leave your side for an extended period of time, you cannot give me to someone else.” Ban Zou looked obstinate and was very resistant against Feng Yuheng’s suggestion.
Feng Yuheng advised with much effort: “That is not someone else, that is my Imperial Concubine Mother, the birth mother of His Highness the Ninth Prince. Moreover, I am not giving you to someone else, I am only having you stay here temporarily to provide protection, it is temporary, understand?”
But Ban Zou still shook his head, “I am not blind, Her Highness Imperial Concubine Yun has decided to stay here and not leave, this temporary will be a few months on the short side and a few years on the long side, no way, no way, I can’t do this temporarily.”
“Aren’t hidden guards supposed to listen to their Masters?” Feng Yuheng tapped her forehead, it must be because she pampered these people too much on a usual basis such that each of them dared to bargain with her. “Do not worry, it is impossible for Imperial Concubine Yun to stay in Ji An Prefecture for too long, she is sulking because of Xiangrong and Old Fourth, when her anger dissipates, she will return.”
“But what if she does not return?”
“Then I will send specialised hidden guards over and switch you out, how is that?” She stared at Ban Zou, “If you do not agree again, I will have His Highness the Ninth Prince come over personally and talk to you.”
Ban Zou shuddered and a drop of cold sweat dripped down, “Forget it, forget it, I will just follow the orders, there is no need to bother His Highness.” He looked at Feng Yuheng, his mouth moving, and finally still said: “You have to listen to His Highness, he did not allow you to go to the eastern border, then you shall not go, just wait obediently in the capital, waiting for news of his victory and return, understand? Once a woman marries, she needs to respect her husband. Listen to the man and do not decide everything on your own. In addition, His Highness cannot always bring his wife along for every battle, people will criticise him later on like this. And, you……”
“Ban Zou!” Feng Yuheng did not want to listen anymore, “Why are you so naggy?”
“I…… it’s nothing, I won’t say it anymore.” Ban Zou looked a little lonely, he shook his head, asking again: “Does Master have other instructions?”
“Probably not!” Feng Yuheng was not that sure as well, she originally had many things to say. Imperial Concubine Yun refused to leave, they could not continue staying here. Xuan Tianming was correct, war was rising up in the eastern border, the capital was not peaceful as well, she did not feel secure if she did not return. Therefore, she quickly decided at the last minute to leave together with Xuan Tianming, leaving Ban Zou in Ji An Prefecure to take care of Imperial Concubine Yun. She should have given a few more instructions, but thinking about it again, Ban Zou had never made any mistakes when carrying out his work, anything else she said was unnecessary. “Anyway, you just need to ensure Imperial Concubine Mother’s safety.”
“Then This Subordinate will leave.” Only saying this sentence, Ban Zou flashed and disappeared from where he stood. Feng Yuheng wanted to tell him to say something to Huang Quan, but that person left too quickly, she could not even see his shadow. And she did not know as well, when Ban Zou was hidden in the shadows, he was saying silently within his heart: “I will ensure Imperial Concubine Yun’s safety, you should also take care of yourself.” But he also did not need to worry too much about her safety, his Master’s abilities were extraordinary, even a deity descended from the Heavens might not be a match for one ten thousandth of Feng Yuheng! Ban Zou showed a troubled smile, quietly concealing himself as a hidden guard, carrying out his last shift properly.
The next day, Feng Yuheng and Xuan Tianming made their way back to the capital, only bringing Bai Ze, Wang Chuan and Huang Quan. They did not bring anyone else along, leaving all of them at Ji An Prefecture. The first reason was the protect and take care of Imperial Concubine Yun, the second was that their itinerary was too rushed, so it would get delayed if they brought too many people.
When they were leaving the prefecture, Huang Quan was not in a good mood, she asked Wang Chuan softly: “Say, Young Miss left Ban Zou behind to protect Imperial Concubine Yun, could it be that she would give Ban Zou to Her Highness? Could it be that he will not be taken back anymore?”
Wang Chuan naturally knew about Huang Quan’s feelings, but she always thought about things a bit more than Huang Quan. She told Huang Quan: “Whether it is you or me, or hidden guards like Ban Zou, we are people who suffered alone with no one to depend on. If not for His Highness taking us in, we will have to starve to death in the streets. Until now, I still remember the famine that year, my parents died from starvation, everyone’s eyes were red from hunger and it was to the point where people were eating other people. That year, I was a little older than three years old, I can still remember things. Some people buried the ones who died, but I saw that in the middle of the night, there will be people who would dig up those new graves, digging up those just buried people to…… eat them. The eyes of those people were green, they are not monsters, they were only hungry until they reached their limits, so hungry that they lost their reason. Because I saw these, I did not dare to allow anyone to bury my father and mother, standing guard next to my parents’ bodies all day. If not for the fact that I met His Highness later, I might have starved to death sooner or later, and the bodies of us three family members would have ended up in the mouths of others sooner or later, used to satisfy their hunger.”
Wang Chuan talked about her beginnings and her body was trembling, the terrifying memories from when she was young was so many years ago, but they stayed in her brain. Her not speaking about it did not mean she had forgotten, they were just buried deep in her heart, remembering them occasionally, it was all fear.
Huang Quan’s childhood was not much better, but she was still too young when she was taken in by Xuan Tianming and did not remember things. It was just that she heard later on that her parents died from a foul disease, the people in village treated her who was born not long ago as a unlucky star, wanting to burn her to death. At that time, Xuan Tianming was actually not that old, he was still a child then, but the children in the imperial palace would always mature too early, and start cultivating their own faction too early as well. Moreover, he had the Seventh Prince above him to help him out, with the two of them working together, they sent out large numbers of subordinates to find orphans younger than four years old all over Da Shun, then brought them to a secret location to be trained in martial arts.
Huang Quan and Wang Chuan were one of the orphans found during that time, with the orphans grown up now, with a healthy mental state, they were filled with gratitude towards their Master.
Seeing that Wang Chuan was also thinking about the past, she sighed softly, saying again: “Regardless of whether Ban Zou can be taken back or not, Huang Quan, you should remember what His Highness said when he trained us. Hidden guards cannot have any feelings, this includes you and me. Our feelings can only be focused on the masters we serve, we use our own lives to protect our masters. Therefore…… about Ban Zou, do not mention it again!”
Huang Quan was dazed for a long time, when she came back to her senses, she showed a troubled smile: “Following Young Miss for a long time, the events of the past were almost forgotten. That’s right! We cannot have feelings, my heart used to be really firm, why did it become unstable in the recent years? Wang Chuan, what do you think, is it because our Young Miss treats us too well? Young Miss even said before that she would make the decision for me and Ban Zou, but master’s words are master’s words, how can I dare to accept such favour, and how can I want it?”
The two girls were weighed down with matters within their heart, in addition Bai Furong came to see Bai Ze off, the two also tearing up as they separated, such that the atmosphere of them setting off was very oppressive.
Xuan Tianming was not used to seeing such a scene, walking very far ahead in front, Feng Yuheng did not want to be a light bulb for Bai Ze and Bai Furong, so she followed closely behind Xuan Tianming. When Bai Ze finally caught up, he even shouted from faraway: “Master! This Subordinate is going to marry a wife after the Zong Sui battle, how much money reward is Master planning to give?”
Xuan Tianming turned around and rolled his eyes at Bai Ze: “You are marrying a wife, why should I give you reward money?”
Bai Ze boasted without shame: “This Subordinate followed Master for so many years, even if there were no achievements, there was a lot of hard work done, Master naturally has to give some reward money!”
“For rewards, your Princess has already given enough!” Do not think that he did not know that Feng Yuheng even helped Bai Ze buy a house, “Do not ask for a foot after gaining an inch.”
“The Princess is the Princess, the Master is the Master! This Subordinate had served since young, now that I am going to get married, if you do not give up some blood, it isn’t reasonable at all.” Bai Ze had decided to ask Xuan Tianming for a reward. It was easier to negotiate with him ever since there was a Princess in this household anyway, this journey was long a boring, having such a topic is rather good as well! He might just obtain a huge reward, then when he married Furong in the future, he would have more stability.
At this moment in the capital, the deaths of Yu Qianyin and the group of Zong Sui people did not fully dissolve the Zong Sui faction which had infiltrated into Da Shun’s capital, at least Bu Cong and his wife was still there. And for Bu Cong, who was originally a Da Shun citizen from the capital, he used his understanding of the capital to hide seamlessly in it.
Feng Yuheng had already seen Bu Cong on the gate tower that day, but it was just that her gaze was attracted to the woman next to him after. The shock that the woman gave her was extremely huge, she should have searched carefully, but she did not get any leads in the search, even if she spread out a bigger net, she did not achieve any results. With no other choice, she could only put it aside first and deal with it again after returning from Ji An Prefecture.
But she did not know, during the days when they were at Ji An Prefecture, Bu Cong in the capital welcomed another Zong Sui prince, it was the Third Prince who was skilled in the art of mask making just like Yu Qianyin, Li Guang.
The arrival of Li Guang caused the skin torn off the Eight Prince’s Xuan Tianmo’s face when he was alive to be hugely useful, he told Bu Cong: “Do not worry about the news of the death of the Eighth Prince being known by everyone. Da Shun did not conduct a public funeral, right? This is our best chance. Just watch! This Prince will quickly make use of this face to the fullest, cultivating a puppet Emperor in Da Shun, our Zong Sui will then be the strongest nation in this side of the land.”
With regards to Zong Sui’s ambition described by the Third Prince, Bu Cong knew it very well, he was also happy to see that kind of result. Even though he was a Da Shun citizen, he did not harbour any feelings for Da Shun, and after the Bu family was dissolved, he hated this country bitterly to the extreme. Of course, Zong Sui was also not anything good, the reason why he sought backing from Zong Sui was because he saw that amongst the four countries around Da Shun, only Zong Sui had the aptitude to fight with Da Shun. He only felt satisfied if he could see the Xuan family imperial court collapse when he was alive, the hate from the Bu family, the resent from the Bu family, while he was still alive, he should be able to witness the day when that revenge was taken. And Zong Sui, he could abandon it once he finished using them, the world was huge and there will always be a place for him to take shelter. At that time, the skies were high, and the roads were long, he only wished to be free and unrestrained.
The place Bu Cong stayed was a secret place which belonged to the Bu family in the past. It was hidden underground and very safe. This underground mansion was also built very grandly, it was not exactly the same as the past Bu manor above ground and it did not differ that much. If not for the fact that sunlight could not be seen and only oil lamps could be used for illumination, it was difficult for others to discern any differences.
“Madam is always going out these days. The General said, since we’re at Da Shun’s capital now, we need to act carefully in everything we do. In This Servant’s opinion, if there is nothing urgent, Madam should minimise going out!” In one of the bedrooms, a maid was advising her Madam, “The General said that Da Shun added a lot of manpower to patrol the city, the defences of the city are much stricter compared to the past few days!”
“Oh.” The young Madam responded flippantly, but she was frowning deeply. Half a beat later, she was heard mumbling a question: “I heard Feng Yuheng left the capital, I wonder when she will return?”
