Chapter 136 - THE ICEBERG MELTING (1/2)

”SO, where should we find this Lin Mo?” Luo Yan asked once they were out of the dungeon.

The guards standing at the entrance didn't stop them.  They didn't ask why the three of them were together.  They didn't even question why the 'girl' brought in by the crown prince's dark guard was brought out again.  These NPCs were probably not programmed to react that much and was just here mostly for decoration.

”My guess is he's probably in his wife's courtyard,” Duan Yu answered.  ”If he wants to meet with the men from Wei lurking around the manor, Xinyi's courtyard is the best choice.”

Luo Yan didn't disagree.  Meeting the people from Wei in any other place in the manor would be dangerous.  The safest way was to meet at a woman's courtyard.  It wouldn't hurt if that woman also turned out to be one's wife – a wife who also happened to be a spy from Wei.  After all, who would suspect that he would meet people from an enemy country at the courtyard of his wife?

”Lead the way,” Shen Ji Yun said to Uriel.

Duan Yu made a sardonic bow.  ”Of course, team leader.” He walked towards the direction of Xinyi's courtyard and the two follow behind.  ”Do you already have a strategy on how we should get information from him?”

”Let's threaten his wife and force him to tell us,” Luo Yan casually said.

”I don't think that would work,” Duan Yu rejected.  ”The guy has four other concubines.  If he really is in love with his wife, as the other servants said, I don't think he would surround himself with that many women.”

”So, their relationship is most likely a business one,” Luo Yan commented.

This Xinyi most probably just chose Lin Mo because of his identity as part of the royal family.  She made a proposal that Lin Mo obviously couldn't refuse.  And because her mission coincided with something that he wanted, he agreed to marry her.  But what was it that Lin Mo wanted?

It's clear that Xinyi, being from Wei, wanted to cause rift in Beitang's royal family.  Their ruin would lead to chaos in the Kingdom, making it easier for Wei to attack them.  Which would ultimately lead to the country's destruction.  So, why would Lin Mo help the people from Wei?  Did he have some kind of grudge against the royal family?

At the end, he still asked, ”Does this Lin Mo hate his family or something?”

”Well, the servants I spoke earlier didn't mention anything about that.  In fact, they all said he gets along well with both his father and older brother.  Despite being concubine born and all,” Duan Yu answered.

”A concubine born son?  Then maybe the 'getting along' part is just on the surface.  No matter how much it seemed like Prince Lin Rong treated both his sons equally, he would still prefer the son born from his official wife.  That's just how things usually were during ancient times.  Children born from official wives always had more advantages than the concubine born ones,” Luo Yan said.

”For power and ambition,” Shen Ji yun suddenly said.  ”That's good enough reason to collaborate with an enemy kingdom.”

An idea flashed in Luo Yan's mind when he heard what Shen Ji Yun last said.  If his guess was right, then it could answer most of their question.  But damn, this NPC would truly be cold-blooded if Luo Yan's guess was right.

But he's still happy coming up with that guess.  So, he turned to Shen Ji Yun.  ”Brother YUN is so smart.”

Shen Ji Yun was a bit surprised by the sudden compliment.  He was used to people giving him one – classmates, professors, his uncle's colleagues.  He didn't feel much hearing words of compliment from those people.  But hearing it from the rabbit actually felt a bit different.  It's like his heart was suddenly soaked in warm liquid, making him feel all giddy inside.