Chapter 54 - Listening In
'Young Commander Long?' Nan Hua furrowed her eyebrows. Did Long Qian Xing already gain military achievement before this and earned the right to become a commander? Oh, right, he was a hundred men commander thanks to the war he participated in before this.
"There's no need for formality, General Nan."
Nan Luo poked his head from behind his grandfather. His eyes widened when he saw the two of them. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the palace when it's so cold like this?"
"Unfortunately, it's not possible." Emperor Yang Zhou didn't seem to be surprised by Nan Luo's presence. Despite the boy's small body, he had already detected that the young kid was a great martial artist.
One that might be comparable to many talented others.
Old Master Nan pulled Nan Luo back. "Your Majesty, is there any problem in the palace?"
"Yes." Long Qian Xing was still smiling like how a gentleman should. He tapped the table while looking outside. It was currently snowing heavily, which allowed their track to be erased when they escaped.
"There are assassins and the only escape route is heading outside," Long Qian Xing simplified everything.
Only Nan Hua knew what had exactly happened since it occurred in the novel. In fact, it was part of the opening of the story. The enemies didn't actually intend on letting Emperor Yang Zhou live but there was a secret passage that Long Qian Xing had prepared in advance with Emperor Yang Zhou before the latter's appointment to become the Emperor.
Thanks to that passage, the two of them managed to escape with their lives.
But breaking into the palace to take back what rightfully belong to Emperor Yang Zhou's was not easy.
The palace was heavily guarded and with the second prince assumed authority with Emperor Yang Zhou's disappearance, they would not be able to enter easily. If this continued, all the subordinates within the palace would be replaced soon.
So they had to take it back before the second prince could summon court this morning.
Time was tight.
"Your Majesty plans to take back the palace?" Old Master Nan asked but his tone was filled with certainty.
Emperor Yang Zhou kept his calm as he stared forward. His dark brown eyes showed calm and determination that far surpassed his age. "The seat that rightfully belongs to me will never be taken by others."
"I see." Old Master Nan looked at the other people inside the room. He cupped his fist. "General Lan, you're here."
General Lan, Lan Hong Yi, nodded his head. "I'm the one who had to take care of the palace's security and protect His Majesty."
Old Master Nan nodded. General Lan had long been staying by Emperor Yang Zhou's side. While Long Qian Xing was the Emperor's study partner, General Lan was the person who would be protecting him and supported the Emperor. That way, Emperor Yang Zhou would have trusted aides around him.
However…
It was still not enough.
"What's the plan, General Lan?" Old Master Nan asked as he strode inside. Nan Luo and Hou Liang naturally followed him and took a seat from the scattered chairs there. The private room was thankfully big enough for all of them.
General Lan unfurled a map on the table. "We're going to make a distraction in one side. His Highness the second prince knew that I'm His Majesty's guard, so if I make an appearance outside, the pursuer will be drawn to me.
While I'm attracting their attention and keep on escaping along with the soldiers, I want you to protect His Majesty and Young Commander Long as they entered the palace."
Old Master Nan didn't answer for some time as he looked at the map. "You trust me that much?"
"At the very least, I know that General Nan would not want your granddaughter to lose her future husband, right?" General Lan smiled.
"If that man died, I can just search for better man for Hua'er!" Nan Luo interjected furiously. He didn't like Long Qian Xing at all. That Long Family also has that annoying Long Xu Nian who has been creating trouble for Nan Hua all this time.
He hated that woman!
Long Qian Xing was speechless. "I don't have any plan to die, so don't bother thinking about it."
"That's what you say but you wouldn't know what will happen in the future." Nan Luo was relentless.
Emperor Yang Zhou arched his eyebrows at these two's childish battle. "If your sister really wants it, I can make different edict for your sister when the time comes."
"Deal!"
Thwack!
"Stop spouting nonsense. You don't even know what your sister wants." Old Master Nan was exasperated at his grandson's lack of common sense when it was about Nan Hua. He began to worry that Nan Luo wouldn't be able to think rationally when the one at stake was Nan Hua.
Nan Luo pursed his lips.
General Lan laughed dryly. "I was just joking, but since you come here, I presume that you're willing to help, General Nan."
Old Master Nan simply didn't like the second prince but he couldn't say that out loud. He knew very well that comparing the two princes was like comparing a diamond and a rock with Emperor Yang Zhou as a diamond while the second prince as a rock. If the second prince became the emperor, he would only become a puppet emperor.
The glorious time of Fei Yang Kingdom would become nothing but a pipe dream.
As a general and also someone who wished to see Fei Yang Kingdom's glory, Old Master Nan was not willing to let it go just like that.
"What do you think?" Old Master Nan passed a look back at General Lan.