Arriving at a small courtyard in the Internal Affairs Bureau, Li Xuan met Chen Tan there.
When Chen Tan learned that Bamboo Five Peaks had died, he was overjoyed.
Without a word, he immediately wrote a personal letter to Yang Wanli, as Li Xuan had instructed, informing him of the operation's outcome and also reporting his own safety.
After finishing the letter, Chen Tan didn't forget to ask, "Chief Steward Shang, now that Bamboo Five Peaks is dead, Prince Zhengs Mansion will likely not let this go. Can the Money Gang withstand this wrath?"
Li Xuan knew that Chen Tan was worried about his brother taking the blame.
Chief Steward Shang saw him proactively ask about this matter, smiled slightly, and exchanged a look with Li Xuan.
Then, he said, "Gang Leader Chen, your concerns are not unfounded."
"Therefore, we plan to let you, this 'dead man,' take the blame for this?"
"Ah?" Chen Tan immediately looked bewildered.
He knew that if the Imperial family had ill intentions towards him, he would not have lived to this day.
It was just that Chief Steward Shang's words truly confused him.
Seeing Chen Tan's expression, Chief Steward Shang didn't play coy and spoke clearly: "We plan to attribute Bamboo Five Peaks's death to you."
As soon as these words came out, Chen Tan's face immediately turned ugly.
"Of course, Gang Leader Chen, you don't need to worry too much; we naturally won't harm you."
"For Bamboo Five Peaks's death, we can have two explanations."
"One is that you didn't die in the Ministry of Justice Prison, but hired a master with a hefty sum to seek revenge and kill Bamboo Five Peaks."
"The second is that you are indeed dead, but the arrangements you made during your lifetime still allowed you to complete your revenge."
"No matter which one you choose, we will arrange a new identity for you, allowing Gang Leader Chen to start a new life."
Chief Steward Shang's words made Chen Tan breathe a sigh of relief; it was good that they weren't using him up and then throwing him to his death.
He often dealt with important figures in the capital before and knew best their cold-heartedness.
Especially now, he was caught between the two most powerful figures in the Great Xing Dynasty.
Even if he was used up and then casually discarded, Chen Tan wouldn't be too surprised.
This was also why he had tried so hard to reclaim the initiative of the Money Gang before, rather than actively siding with either party.
If he hadn't been forced into a corner, he wouldn't be obediently staying in the Internal Affairs Bureau now, cooperating with them as much as possible.
Chen Tan considered Chief Steward Shang's proposal, unsure how to choose.
From Li Xuan and their perspective, they naturally wanted Chen Tan to continue to be 'alive,' so that many things in the future could be done in Chen Tan's name, absolving other related forces.
But from Chen Tan's perspective, directly 'dying' was undoubtedly the best choice, as it would allow him to live a more peaceful life in his later years, at least with more possibilities for peace.
Chen Tan didn't think for too long, finally sighing and saying, "I'll still choose the first option."
Chen Tan knew very well that for a person to live, they must have value to be utilized.
If he chose the second option, the difference between true death and suspended animation (feigned death) was actually not significant. If something were to happen one day, Chen Tan might have no choice but to turn the feigned death into a real one.
Chief Steward Shang seemingly gave him two choices, but in reality, there was only one true choice.
Chief Steward Shang nodded, not surprised by Chen Tan's choice.
"Alright, Gang Leader Chen, we will do as you wish."
"Don't worry, once the commotion outside dies down a bit, you can leave here and assume an identity within the Red Scarf Squad to operate outside."
"Once the factors threatening your safety are completely resolved, the world is vast, and you can live as freely as you wish."
Chen Tan smiled bitterly, naturally understanding the meaning behind Chief Steward Shang's words, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Chief Steward Shang, I also look forward to that day."
After clarifying these matters, Li Xuan and Chief Steward Shang left the small courtyard where Chen Tan was temporarily staying.
On the way back, Li Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Was he too harsh on him, meow?"
Li Xuan felt that they were clearly helping Chen Tan, making the most suitable decision for him from his perspective, but Chief Steward Shang's communication style just now was actually somewhat heartless.
Li Xuan naturally also saw that the choice presented earlier was actually a dangerous situation.
It wasn't a multiple-choice question, but a true or false judgment question.
"Li Xuan, be the villain first, then the gentleman."
"If we are truly sincere, time will reveal our hearts."
"Chen Tan is a smart man, and an old fox who has been messing around in the martial arts world for many years."
"The people in this world are like you cats. Some cats are well-behaved and sensible, just like Li Xuan, knowing the principle that if you are good to me, I will be good to you."
Chief Steward Shang said, stroking Li Xuan's head.
"But more cats need to be tamed, otherwise, if you are good to them, they will think you are afraid of them and act like kings."
"Stray cats need to be tamed even more, because they are accustomed to the law of the jungle."
After Chief Steward Shang finished speaking, he waved to Li Xuan and then turned and left.
"Go deliver the letter quickly. If anything comes up, come find me at the Internal Affairs Bureau again."
Li Xuan watched Chief Steward Shang's leisurely departing back and sighed.
If he had to live constantly speculating about people's hearts like Chief Steward Shang, it would be too difficult for him.
But Li Xuan also knew that this was Chief Steward Shang's duty.
Li Xuan couldn't say he was very familiar with Chen Tan and Yang Wanli; he had only met them a few times, and they had come together because of the current situation.
Speaking of which, Li Xuan initially disliked Yang Wanli quite a bit because he was close to the Fourth Prince at the time, and the Money Gang was domineering in the West Market, so he had even less goodwill towards him.
Who would have thought they could now become teammates on the same front?
Li Xuan's thoughts were relatively simple; he only hoped that there would be many friends in the world, and ideally no enemies at all.
So, although he was wary of people, he secretly hoped that everyone could become friends, approaching them with goodwill first.
Perhaps Chief Steward Shang also saw Li Xuan's thoughts and thus reminded him.
"Alas."
Li Xuan shook his head, no longer thinking too much, and quickly left the palace to deliver the letter.
When he arrived at the Money Gang's main headquarters, he happened to find Yang Wanli idly strolling in the courtyard.
This fellow seemed a bit anxious today.
Li Xuan did not immediately reveal himself but first investigated the surroundings. Only after confirming that no spies were watching Yang Wanli did he jump into the courtyard.
Yang Wanli discovered a silent black shadow appearing before him and immediately shuddered in fright.
This kid had done many bad things recently, so he naturally feared a ghost knocking on his door.
But when Yang Wanli saw clearly that it was Li Xuan, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He still had a deep impression of Princess Ankang's cat.
Li Xuan didn't dally; he flicked his tail, slipped a letter into Yang Wanli's hand, and then disappeared from his sight.
His speed was so fast that Yang Wanli only felt a blur before his eyes.
If it weren't for the letter in his hand, he would have thought it was an illusion.
Yang Wanli secretly put away the letter, then hurried back to his room, closed the doors and windows tightly, and began to read the contents of the letter.
Seeing the handwriting on the letter, Yang Wanli couldn't help but feel excited.
He had seen Chen Tan's handwriting for decades, so he could naturally recognize it at a glance.
When he saw the letter stating that Bamboo Five Peaks was dead, Yang Wanli was so excited he almost cheered aloud.
He had failed to persuade Bamboo Five Peaks two days ago and had been extremely anxious ever since.
Such opportunities were rare, and if this one was wasted, who knew when the next one would come.
Yang Wanli had originally thought Bamboo Five Peaks hadn't fallen for it, but he never expected that the old man would act one way to his face and another behind his back, saying he wouldn't go, but still acting privately and losing his life.
"Old man, you have your day too!"
After Yang Wanli finished reading the letter and confirmed there was no other hidden information in it, he immediately burned the letter.
Seeing the letter's ashes merge with the charcoal ashes in the brazier, Yang Wanli's heart also settled down.
He didn't care about anything else and went straight to bed for a good night's sleep... But as the saying goes, some rejoice while others grieve.
While Yang Wanli was sleeping soundly, Prince Zhengs Mansion was in chaos.
"Your Highness, Old Zhu and the five hidden guards assisting him are missing."
Prince Zheng listened to his subordinate hidden guard's report and frowned.
"Where were their last whereabouts?"
"Yesterday, Old Zhu left his temporary courtyard to head out of the city, presumably to deal with the two Fourth-Rank experts of the Red Scarf Squad. The five hidden guards, according to Your Highness's orders, were secretly assisting Old Zhu."
"But after they left the city, they quickly lost all trace, and there were no more witnesses."
"Near the Cross Slope, someone heard a tiger's roar from the mountains. We went in to search but found no useful clues."
"Someone at the Shi Zi Po Inn claimed that members of the Red Scarf Squad went into the mountains to gather herbs, encountered a fierce tiger blocking their way, and after eliminating the tiger, brought the herbs back to save lives."
"However, according to information from within the Red Scarf Squad, the Fourth-Rank expert who went to gather herbs said he did not encounter a fierce tiger, and the herb-gathering process was very smooth, so they returned to the capital early."
"Old Zhu and the five hidden guards who were supposed to kill them have thus disappeared without a trace."
The hidden guard's report was quite detailed, but these were all messages deliberately released by Li Xuan and the Two Chief Eunuchs, so they couldn't piece together the real truth from them.
"Did you confirm that there were no signs of the Five Elements Reincarnation in the vicinity?"
Prince Zheng confirmed.
"Your Highness, we have searched within a fifty-li radius of the Cross Slope, and still found no relevant anomalies."
Upon receiving this reply, Prince Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Continue to expand the search area. Old Zhu would not leave the capital without reason, especially those five hidden guards would never violate the rules."
The hidden guards of Prince Zhengs Mansion all had clear guidelines; they had to report all missions, and even if temporary situations arose, they would find a way to leave a mark, never breaking contact without reason like this.
It was clear that Old Zhu and the five hidden guards must have encountered trouble.
It was just that even Prince Zheng found it hard to imagine who in the capital would dare to attack a retainer of Prince Zhengs Mansion.
With Bamboo Five Peaks's strength, he would never have surrendered meekly, but no traces were left at the scene, which was truly too strange.
"You must find them for me!"
Prince Zheng rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
He didn't know why things had been so unlucky recently, as if he had offended the Grand Duke. Even with Prince Zheng's composure, he couldn't help but wonder if he had offended some deity.
The hidden guard knew they were partly to blame for this matter, so they naturally didn't dare to be careless and wanted to atone for their sins immediately.
"Yes, Your Highness."
After receiving the order, the hidden guard disappeared from Prince Zheng's sight.
But the next moment, a new hidden guard appeared before Prince Zheng.
"Your Highness, Chengzhe of Fuhu Temple has recently been frequently visiting Master Shanle of Chongfu Temple with Master Chenghai."
"Master Shanle seems intent on intervening in the affairs of the two temples."
Prince Zheng was still rubbing his temples, not even opening his eyes, and asked, "How long have these monks from Fuhu Temple been in the capital?"
"Your Highness, it has been forty-three days."
"It seems they want to celebrate the New Year in the capital," Prince Zheng sneered upon receiving the answer.
Then, Prince Zheng's voice became incredibly cold: "Inform the people of Jiangnan Province to destroy Fuhu Temple."
"As for those in the capital, let them live a few more days, then kill them on their way back."
"Yes, Your Highness." The hidden guard accepted the order without any emotional fluctuation.
It was as if Prince Zheng's command was merely to have them kill chickens and slaughter cattle, rather than a temple with a considerable reputation in Buddhism.
But after this hidden guard received the order, he did not immediately leave, but continued to speak:
"Your Highness, Old Zhu is not here, and the Money Gang..."
"Currently, we are short-handed, so let's ignore them for now. Anyway, Bamboo Five Peaks had already given orders for the Money Gang's branch offices to start accumulating wealth. These useless people at the main headquarters can surely hold out a bit longer, as long as they aren't wiped out by the Red Scarf Squad."
"Let's see what other tricks my imperial nephew has."
When Prince Zheng mentioned Emperor Yongyuan, he couldn't help but smile, though it was mostly filled with disdain and contempt.
"Keep a close watch on the Fuhu Temple monks in the capital recently. If they dare to speak nonsense, make them permanently shut their mouths immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After reporting all matters, this hidden guard also disappeared from Prince Zheng's sight.
Prince Zheng's daily affairs were no less than Emperor Yongyuan's.
After all, as a rebel, he always had to do more preparatory work.
After Prince Zheng felt his headache alleviate somewhat, he slowly opened his eyes again.
He saw White Snow falling outside the door again and couldn't help but sigh, "I only wish for a smooth year next year."
...After delivering the letter, Li Xuan was rarely idle. He returned to Jingyang Palace to accompany the two maids and see if the little ones in the backyard were getting along harmoniously.
He had just been promoted to Fourth-Rank recently, and the qualitative change in his True Qi had not completely settled. Spending a few days at home cultivating himself was also a way to stabilize his new realm.
Once his realm was stable, Li Xuan would go to Thousand Stars Pavilion to ask Old Ye for a few Fourth-Rank cultivation techniques to practice.
Although these techniques had little effect on increasing his Yin Yang True Qi, they could help Li Xuan deepen his understanding of the Five Elements and provide him with more ways to kill enemies and protect himself, which was killing two birds with one stone.
But just as Li Xuan was accompanying Princess Ankang in the backyard, arranging the formations she had learned from books, Yu'er hurriedly came to find them.
"Your Highness, Li Xuan."
"Chief Zhao is here, and he brought delicious food!"
Upon hearing about delicious food, Li Xuan and Princess Ankang immediately stretched their necks, both with a flake of White Snow on their heads, and asked in unison, "What delicious food (meow)?"
Yu'er saw the appearance of the person and the cat, couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile, then stepped forward to brush the accumulated snow from their heads, and replied, "It's that Arctic surf clam from last time."
"It's just that this time, Chief Zhao brought that annoying Imperial Chef again."
Li Xuan and Princess Ankang immediately understood that Yu'er was referring to Zhuge Fang, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Kitchen.
This person had previously wanted to taste Li Xuan's flavor, and Yu'er had always disliked him.
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