Chapter 285: Illness And Suspicion (1/2)

In the study, Nan Xun flipped through a scroll. It was a rare day where he had no official business to attend to. He decided to spend some time working on affairs of the House of Heavenly Fiends. He worried that Jun Huang would overwork herself when she returned. He'd do anything to lessen her burden.

He quickly browsed through the organization's accounting book with an impa.s.sive expression. Suddenly, he felt a pang in his heart. He grimaced and the book dropped from his hand. He took a deep breath with a hand covering his chest, trying to suppress his anxiety.

Something bad had happened.

Jun Huang mentioned that she was going to start drawing blood for the lotus in her last letter. Her description was intentionally vague, but he'd done his research. He knew it wasn't as simple as she made it out to be. The knowledge filled him with a sense of dread.

“Has something happened to Jun Huang?” He walked up to the window and opened it to look outside. The sun hung high in the sky and the world seemed bright and peaceful, but the shadow of doubt lingered in his heart.

Someone knocked. Nan Xun schooled his expression and opened the door. He frowned when he saw that it was his housekeeper. “What is it?”

“Your Highness, news got out from the palace that His Majesty has collapsed again,” said the housekeeper.

Nan Xun started and narrowed his eyes. This could have serious ramifications. He led the housekeeper outside and listed out everything the housekeeper should pay attention to, who nodded agreeably and promised to keep the manor safe.

Nan Xun mounted the brown horse the housekeeper had prepared. Things had happened to suddenly, leaving him little time to think. He rode to the palace and ran into an anxious-looking Qi Yun at the entrance.

“I just came from the Court of Judicial Review after getting the news,” Qi Yun said bluntly after dragging Nan Xun to a hidden corner. “I didn't expect Royal Father's condition to deteriorate so suddenly. He's been recovering! Something is wrong.”

Nan Xun didn't immediately respond. He shook his head. “It's not that sudden. His Majesty was poisoned. It wasn't that surprising that the poison would act up and wreak havoc. He's been careless a.s.sumes he's cured. I worry that Prince Duan will use the opportunity to stir up trouble.”

“Agreed. I'll need your help this time. Don't give Prince Duan a chance to strike at us.” Qi Yun spoke seriously. He was no longer the young man obsessed with literature and art, but a wise man who could be a good leader. Nan Xun looked at him appreciatively. Jun Huang had picked the right person to take the throne.

“Things aren't as simple as we thought, but we don't have time to hesitate,” Nan Xun said calmly. “I'll have my men guard the palace and replace the imperial army with our people.”

Qi Yun nodded. “We aren't sure what Prince Duan is trying to do, though. It's best to be on our guard. You should keep what you do a secret and don't let Royal Father know.”

Nan Xun nodded. He leaned to take a look at their surroundings and said after some deliberation, “I'll get on with that. You should stay with His Majesty.”

Qi Yun waved a hand in the air. “There's no telling if he'll get suspicious of me if I show up immediately. Maybe I should return to the court and wait for him to notify me.”

The emperor is a mistrustful and guarded man. What Qi Yun said made sense. However, Nan Xun thought that'd be too obvious. He proposed a more neutral alternative, suggesting Qi Yun to stay outside the emperor's palace. The emperor shouldn't get too suspicious of Qi Yun then.

They parted. Qi Yun went straight to the emperor's palace, while Nan Xun rode to the training ground. Their actions were noted by Prince Duan's network of informants and were soon brought to the man's attention.

Prince Duan could tell what they were planning. He scoffed. He had intended to seize control over the palace while the emperor was weak, but now he had another idea. If things went according to his plan, he might be able to destroy Nan Xun and Qi Yun both.

He dismissed the troop he'd gathered in his manor, which befuddled Qi Chen. When he asked, Prince Duan only told him to be patient and wait for events to unfold.

Nan Xun quickly gathered his people and planted them around the palace. Only then did he allow himself to relax. Still, he kept his eyes sharp. A good general should always take the path with the least risk. He couldn't rest easy without keeping watch over his soldiers in person.

Prince Duan had his men keep an eye on Nan Xun. He smiled when he heard Nan Xun had deployed his soldiers. His thoughts s.h.i.+fted to the young prince. “Where is Qi Yun?”