195 The Key (1/2)
When they were far from earshot of the guest palace, Li Wenmin halted again. ”Did you see what I did there, Xiao Yue?” he asked, making sure she would learn from his methods.
Li Xueyue nodded her head. ”Yes, you made it look like you were conversing with them. In reality, it was a tactic to lower their guards and wait for information to slip out.”
”And it did.” Li Wenmin chuckled. ”Intimidation will only shut a person's mouth. We have to be pleasant so they're open to share.”
”We can safely conclude one thing,” Li Wenmin added on. ”Yu Zhen was not heading to Hanjian.”
Li Xueyue nodded in agreement, relief instantly flooded her. However, it was suddenly replaced by uncertainty. If he wasn't heading to Hanjian, then where did he go? It wasn't like he had any other business to deal with.
Wuyi was still foreign territory to Yu Zhen. Unless, he had a friend here? She ruled out that possibility. It simply doesn't make sense.
Li Xueyue spoke up, ”If he truly was heading to Hanjian, the soldiers would've been aware of the weather conditions and made preparations ahead of time. Since they were uncertain about the weather enroute to Hanjian, it meant their final location was somewhere else.”
”Yes, they didn't study the weather because they didn't have to. The routes to Hanjian weren't their destination in the first place.” Li Wenmin nodded. ”There was a reason I pretended to be nice and offered them a hand.”
He looked around his environment and realized there were a few palace servants who were beginning to curiously look their way.
”There's too many people here. Let us head home now.”
Li Xueyue didn't respond. She, too, had seen the stares. She waited for Li Wenmin to take the first step before accompanying him, mindful of his shadow. It was a rule that the servants should never step in their master's shadow for it was one of the larger forms of disrespect.
- - - - -
”What do you mean he left?” Li Chenyang scowled, crossing his arms irritably. What a waste of time for them to head to the Palace.
”He didn't leave for Hanjian, that's for sure.” Li Wenmin sighed. ”But supposedly, he departed from the Capital. His servants were moving things around.”
”Hmm,” Li Chenyang hummed, scratching his chin while he attempted to come up with a plan. ”Well, there is not much that we can do. It's not like we can force his men to obey us and answer our questions. They're under a different jurisdiction.”
Li Xueyue nodded as she took a sip of tea.
”Unless, we have leverage over them?”
Li Xueyue spat out her tea.
The twins both turned to look at her.
”Is there a problem, Xiao Yue?”
”Yeah, what happened, Yueyue?”
”Ew, stop using that nickname!” Li Wenmin shuddered in disgust. ”It's so cringeworthy!”
”Shut up, you're just jealous that I have a better nickname.”
”Oh yeah, Yueyue is a good nickname? Says who?! Everyone in this household and even the servants know Xiao Yue is more adorable.”
”Bah, they only tell you that because they know how weak-hearted and sensitive you are.”
”Pft, is that how you comfort yourself?” Li Wenmin loudly cackled, purposely shaking his shoulders. ”Poor you! All you do is read books, but none of them make you creative.”
”Oh, I'll show you creative.” Li Chenyang scowled, shooting out of his chair.
”Come at me, Brother!” Li Wenmin pounded his chest, getting ready to defend himself from a beating.
”You better not cry to Mom when you run out of here in tears,” Li Chenyang provoked. He took a dangerous step closer to his overly confident twin.
”And you better not complain to Dad about what I'm about to do to you.”
”Oh please, not everyone is crybaby Wenmin. Ow! You brat how dare you yank my hair?!” Li Chenyang growled as he rudely kicked Li Wenmin's shin.