After several more days of rushing about, they finally returned to the capital. However, Dai Qing and a few soldiers left early, parting ways before they even reached the city. Yan Guan noticed this, feeling a vague sense of unease, but he didn’t dare ask further.
When Chao Lun found out that Yan Guan had returned by himself, he was displeased. "Why did you come back alone? Is my elder brother alright?"
"The master is fine. He ordered me to return and reassure Your Highness that there is nothing to worry about. He is safe and sound," Yan Guan added, mentioning the outbreak of the epidemic, which caused Chao Lun’s face to pale.
"So dangerous... Thank goodness my elder brother had the foresight. Otherwise, who knows how many would have died if the epidemic spread. Do you think this trip to Sang Ta has something to do with Jue Mu’s prophecy? But now that the disaster has been resolved, why hasn’t he come back yet?"
Yan Guan’s heart skipped a beat, but he merely shook his head and said, "The person who brought me back to the capital was Dai Qing. He specifically asked me to inform Your Highness. There are also some official documents." As he spoke, he handed over the letters.
"Dai Qing?" Chao Lun was taken aback, then quickly grew serious. He hurriedly took the letters and started reading. The content was all about the current situation in Sang Ta, written in a neat and formal manner, clearly in Chao Ge's handwriting.
After quickly reading through the letters, Chao Lun threw the papers onto the table, pretending to cry, "I’ve been working non-stop at court for over two months, and yet he still wants to stay in Sang Ta!"
"The master has important matters to attend to. Your Highness has worked hard."
"Yan Guan, how could you speak on his behalf?"
Yan Guan laughed apologetically. Chao Lun sighed, "Dai Qing is my elder brother’s shadow guard. He rarely makes an appearance. For him to escort you back, it means my brother values you greatly. Don't leave the palace for the next few days."
Yan Guan agreed, but his thoughts drifted away.
The next morning at court, Chao Lun presented the letters and official documents, putting the ministers' worries to rest. He clearly understood the situation in the court: the only faction with hostile intentions was the Ba-Yun clan, who might not let this opportunity slip by. But if something were to happen to Chao Ge, he would be the one to ascend the throne, and the first group he'd punish would be the Ba-Yun clan—they wouldn’t gain anything. Or... did they also want him dead?
Chao Lun returned to Yongning Palace, feeling troubled. The more he thought about these complicated political matters, the more his head hurt.
"Go, summon Yan Guan," Chao Lun ordered. Yan Guan entered empty-handed, and heard the Second Prince’s sarcastic tone. "Hmph, you used to massage my head and hands, and bring me fruits and pastries. Now, it seems you're truly my brother's man."
Yan Guan blushed, "Whose man? I just came in a hurry, that’s all."
"Oh~ fine, I’ll let it go for now," Chao Lun said, dropping his sarcastic tone. "I want to ask you something."
"Your Highness, please ask. I will tell you everything I know."
"When you were with my brother, did you notice anything? Or did you suspect anything?" Chao Lun guessed his elder brother was using himself as bait to lure someone into action. This was too dangerous a move, and Chao Lun couldn’t figure out what the other party’s intentions were, so he brought in Yan Guan, hoping he might offer some insight.
"The master doesn't show his emotions, so I couldn’t tell."
"Then why did he send Dai Qing to bring you back?" Chao Lun was surprised. He had assumed Yan Guan was at least a trusted confidant, but he didn’t know anything?
Your brother likes me was something Yan Guan couldn’t bring himself to say.
Who would've thought, Chao Lun was just as sharp as Daxi and the others.
"Hah, I knew it. I said from the start that he had his eye on you, but he refused to admit it," Chao Lun muttered, now uncomfortable with the idea that he might have a male sister-in-law. Being around Yan Guan suddenly felt awkward. "Uh, you can go now. And don’t leave the palace, understand? If you think of anything, come tell me right away."
Yan Guan was just as uneasy. Although nothing had happened between him and Chao Ge, this ambiguous situation hanging in the air left him unsure of how to explain it.
Within a couple of days, the court descended into chaos. Many officials submitted petitions, pleading for Chao Ge to return to the capital. Despite Chao Lun’s multiple attempts to reassure them, it was to no avail. Truth be told, Chao Ge had been away for far too long.
Late at night, back at Yongning Palace, Chao Lun sighed at the pile of memorials stacked high in front of him. He thought to himself, 'If they really want to train me, my brother doesn’t have to stay away this long. I kind of miss him.'
Three days later, Yan Guan, having learned his lesson after being lectured by Chao Lun last time, brought in a large plate of noodles. Chao Lun didn’t notice the confusion in Yan Guan’s eyes.
Seeing the food, Chao Lun’s eyes lit up. He quickly pushed aside the memorials, making room for the meal. He devoured the food like a starved ghost reborn, and between mouthfuls, he vaguely asked, "Have you thought of anything lately?"
"Second Prince, today Dai Qing came by."
Chao Lun paused mid-bite, "Has the Ba-Yun clan made a move?"
"No, Dai Qing said that Master has fallen ill..." Yan Guan’s voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Chao Lun was shocked, "How could that be? He was fine when you came back!"
"Illnesses like this have incubation periods. Perhaps Master was already... and I failed to notice." Guilt overwhelmed Yan Guan. If he had known, he would never have agreed to return.
"There are so many physicians there, nothing will happen," Chao Lun tried to comfort himself.
The two fell silent for a long time. Chao Lun lost his appetite and stood up, throwing on his cloak, preparing to rush out, "This is serious. I need to see Dai Qing."
Yan Guan stopped him, "Dai Qing is under orders to secretly monitor the Ba-Yun clan. If you rush over now, it might arouse suspicion."
Chao Lun calmed down. Yes, he had forgotten there was still a member of the Ba-Yun clan in this very palace—his dear mother, who had thoughtfully placed so many attendants around him. And yet, when something truly happened, there were only a few people he could trust.
"My brother has always been resilient. If things are dire enough that Dai Qing had to deliver a message, then the situation must be very bad. We need to summon Cai Dan."
Yan Guan obeyed and went to fetch the man.
Chao Lun knew that summoning someone into the palace so late at night would draw attention, but he had no other choice. Sitting alone in the vast, empty hall, he suddenly felt he could understand his elder brother a little more.
Cai Dan hurried over, his heart filled with unease after hearing the news on the way.
"Teacher," Chao Lun stood up and saluted. Cai Dan had once been an imperial tutor in the inner court, having taught Chao Lun for several years. It had been a long time since he’d called him 'teacher.'
"Second Prince, I am unworthy of such a title. The Sovereign faces difficulties in Sang Ta, we must make preparations early."
"Teacher, please advise."
"I'm afraid this matter cannot be kept hidden. If the situation truly deteriorates, I beg the Second Prince to ascend the throne," said Cai Dan, his voice trembling as his elderly body tried to kneel.
Yan Guan, standing behind the door, couldn't help but shrink back when he overheard this. He felt as if his face had gone numb with cold, but this time, no one was there to warm him up.
Chao Lun didn’t know how to respond. Cai Dan was a loyal minister, and in his eyes, Chao Lun was the rightful heir. Back when Chao Ge was brought back to the court, it had seemed like it was merely to ensure that Chao Lun, who was still a fledgling, had some support. Now, hearing Cai Dan speak of immediately ascending the throne in the event of Chao Ge’s misfortune, it wasn’t unexpected.
"No," Chao Lun muttered, feeling lost, "My brother will be fine. It must be the Ba-Yun clan’s doing. How is it that Dai Qing has no news?" he murmured.
Cai Dan hastily said, "Now is not the time to hunt down the culprits behind the scenes. The Master is in critical condition, and someone is definitely spreading the news. It will be impossible to keep it hidden. When the time comes, Your Highness must ascend the throne to stabilize the situation."
"And then what?" Chao Lun suddenly burst out in anger, "My brother has endured the Ba-Yun clan for so long. If I ascend the throne, how could I possibly let them stay? In that case, shouldn’t they have already killed me? Don’t I... still have a younger sister?"
In Wugan Kingdom’s history, there had been female rulers before, and according to their beliefs, the status of women was not low. His younger sister was only nine years old, just the right age to control.
"Teacher, there’s no need to say more. I know my own weight. I’m not fit to be the ruler now, and even if I ascend, I’ll be obstructed at every turn, unable to defend myself against both open and hidden attacks."
Cai Dan sighed, "We, your ministers, will protect you, Your Highness."
"Enough. I will speak about this at tomorrow’s court. There’s no hiding it anyway. Please, Teacher, quickly come up with a plan. No matter what, I must expose the ones behind all this, which will at least allow me to deal with them openly."
Cai Dan didn’t agree but had no choice but to nod in acknowledgment.
After Cai Dan was sent off, Yan Guan walked into the hall and saw Chao Lun with a somber expression. Usually, Chao Lun was somewhat unsteady, but now, he bore a slight resemblance to Chao Ge. Yan Guan felt a sense of unease. "Your Highness, why don’t you let me return to Sang Ta?"
Chao Lun’s eyes lit up for a moment but then dimmed again, "No, you hold a special place in my brother’s heart. He sent you back on purpose. If something were to happen to you, it would pierce him right in the heart."
"How can we worry about that now? I know Doctor Wu’s skills. If Dai Qing sent a message, it must mean that even he finds the illness difficult to treat. Perhaps I could go and try. Besides, if the Master deliberately spread a false message, why would he send Dai Qing to tell me? Even Your Highness knows that my relationship with him is not ordinary. How could he bear to make me worry...?" Yan Guan’s voice choked up as he spoke.
Chao Lun fell silent. It was true. If this was just a ruse to lure out the enemy, Chao Ge could have simply told him or Cai Dan. After all, the court needed people to respond to the situation. Moreover, Yan Guan was keenly perceptive, and the way Chao Ge had hastily sent him away showed the care and love that were not faked. How could he bear to tell him about his serious illness and make him worry? Chao Ge knew that Yan Guan was an excellent doctor, and Yan Guan would certainly insist on coming to Sang Ta. It was likely that Dai Qing had made the decision on his own to inform Yan Guan, though the reasons behind it were something Yan Guan dared not think about. Perhaps the illness was severe and difficult to treat, and he was called to provide medical help. Or maybe... Dai Qing couldn’t bear to let his master be unable to see his sweetheart one last time.
Chao Lun turned his head away, "I’ll have someone make the arrangements."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Yan Guan bowed deeply to him.
The next day, the court was thrown into an uproar, with everyone having their own hidden agendas and conspiracy theories.
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