3: Chapter 3 The Duke of Liang's Mansion is Surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard
Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong struck while the iron was hot: "Start with your confidants, then secretly contact the Huaixi Nobility like General Fu Youde, General Feng Sheng, and General Wang Bi. No need to say too much; just inform them that there is an urgent matter to discuss at General Lan Yu's residence tonight, something that concerns their very lives, and tell them they must come quietly."
"But what if they..." General Lan Yu hesitated, "What if someone informs on us..."
"Informs?" Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong interrupted him, "Would they dare? If you, General Lan Yu, die, which of these military officials will have a good ending? Can't they grasp such a simple truth?"
Upon hearing this, General Lan Yu stood up abruptly and paced the courtyard. The more he thought about it, the more he felt Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong was right. Instead of waiting to be slaughtered, it was better to strike first!
"Good!" General Lan Yu decided firmly, "I will go arrange for someone to contact them right now!"
Just as he was about to turn around, a series of urgent knocks suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.
"Duke! Duke!" The butler's anxious voice came through the gate, trembling noticeably. "Outside... the outside is surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Commander Jiang Wan is leading the team personally, and he says... he says he wants to see you!"
General Lan Yu's body stiffened, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant. The thing he worried about most had happened! The Embroidered Uniform Guard had arrived so quickly; could it be that Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's whereabouts had been exposed? His first reaction was to protect Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong; he could not let this child fall into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"Damn it!" General Lan Yu growled, turning to grab Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, "Yuntong, hurry, go through the secret tunnel! Your great-uncle will hold them off for you!"
Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, however, stood still, not moving an inch. He looked at General Lan Yu, his eyes devoid of any panic; instead, he calmly raised his hand to stop General Lan Yu's movement. "No need. To accomplish anything in the capital, one cannot avoid the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Since they have come, it saves us the trouble of going to find them."
General Lan Yu was stunned. Seeing Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's calm and composed appearance, the growing agitation in his heart actually subsided a little.
"You want to... take down the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" General Lan Yu could hardly believe what he had just said, and quickly shook his head. "This Jiang Wan is the most loyal mad dog of old Zhu Yuanzhang. He is ruthless; even if you kill him, I'm afraid you won't be able to turn him against the Emperor, right?"
"Human effort can achieve anything; we must at least talk." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong smiled, a smile that appeared somewhat cunning in the moonlight. "Great-uncle, I must trouble you to personally invite Jiang Wan in. Remember, only him alone. As for the others, if one enters, one dies."
General Lan Yu looked at Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong and took a deep breath. Never in his life had he staked his life and future on a fifteen-year-old boy like this. But for some reason, he actually felt a trace of inexplicable anticipation. Perhaps this kid could really create a miracle? ... If all else failed, he would just hack Jiang Wan to death; with the Embroidered Uniform Guard leaderless, he could buy himself some time.
General Lan Yu thought to himself, a look of madness appearing in his eyes, and then he nodded heavily.
Outside the courtyard gate, the knocking stopped. General Lan Yu stood in the courtyard, his tall frame somewhat stiff at this moment. He looked back at Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, who was still sitting on the stone stool, even leisurely pouring himself half a cup of wine.
"Go, Great-uncle." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong lifted his chin, "Be polite; don't let them say our Mansion of the Duke of Liang doesn't know the way of hospitality."
The muscles on General Lan Yu's cheeks twitched twice, and he turned and walked away.
The mansion gate was pulled open with a creak, and the light of torches from outside flooded in instantly, stretching General Lan Yu's shadow long across the ground.
Outside the gate, there was a sea of dark flying-fish uniforms. The man in the lead wore a bright red qilin robe and had a golden tablet hanging from his waist; it was none other than the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander, Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan's face was livid and expressionless. Seeing General Lan Yu come out, he merely bowed slightly, his voice flat, revealing neither joy nor anger: "Duke, I apologize for the late-night disturbance."
General Lan Yu rested one hand on the door frame, squinting his eyes as he sneered: "Commander Jiang, not sleeping in the middle of the night and leading people to surround my mansion, what are you trying to do? Are you rebelling?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the Embroidered Uniform Guard changed; that was a harsh accusation to pin on them. Jiang Wan, however, remained expressionless and even wanted to laugh, only perfunctorily cupping his hands toward General Lan Yu: "General Lan Yu, please calm your anger. This official is only acting under orders. There is intelligence reporting that a wanted criminal pursued by the imperial court has been spotted nearby, and fearing it might be detrimental to the Duke, we have come to investigate to ensure safety."
"Bullshit!" General Lan Yu sprayed the smell of alcohol onto Jiang Wan's face, "What kind of wanted criminal could possibly be in my mansion? I think you lot in the Embroidered Uniform Guard are just bored out of your minds!"
Jiang Wan did not change his expression, stepping forward and saying: "Duke, it is my duty; I ask that you make it convenient for us."
The hundred or so Embroidered Uniform Guard members behind him immediately pressed their hands onto their sword hilts, their gazes icy, looking ready to fight at the slightest disagreement.
Seeing this, General Lan Yu's heart turned cold; how could he not understand? Old Zhu was truly planning to take action against him, otherwise, how would Jiang Wan dare to be so tough?
It really was, when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked! He snorted coldly, the more he thought, the angrier he became, pointing at Jiang Wan's nose and roaring: "Fine! I'll let you search today! But my Mansion of the Duke of Liang is not a kennel for your Embroidered Uniform Guard! You want to come in? Fine, you come in alone! As for these bastards under your command, whoever dares to step inside, I will chop off their heads on the spot!"
Upon hearing this, the officers behind Jiang Wan all showed expressions of anger.
Jiang Wan, however, raised his hand to stop them.
He looked at the furious General Lan Yu, his eyes flickering slightly.
The case against General Lan Yu was about to be closed; he originally had no need to alert the enemy at this time, but this matter involved the imperial family, so he had to come and see. Thus, he had to bite the bullet and say: "Fine. Since the Duke of Liang says so, then this official will disturb you."
He turned his head and whispered a few instructions to his deputy, signaling his men to stand by, and then walked into the Mansion of the Duke of Liang alone.
The night wind blew through the courtyard, swirling up a few withered leaves and making a rustling sound.
Jiang Wan followed behind General Lan Yu, walking on the bluestone path leading to the backyard. His footsteps were very light, but his sharp eyes were quietly scanning everything around him.
It was too quiet.
The entire Mansion of the Duke of Liang was excessively quiet. Other than the heavy breathing of General Lan Yu leading the way, one could not even hear the sounds of servants working. This was not normal.
Jiang Wan instantly became alert, subconsciously gripping the xiuchun blade at his waist.
Passing through the moon gate, they arrived at the backyard.
In the courtyard, the stone table was a mess of cups and plates, a half-eaten roasted lamb leg was thrown on a plate, and a few wine cups were toppled over.
It looked like a scene where someone had just finished drinking in low spirits, but Jiang Wan's gaze instantly froze.
He saw a person standing beside the stone table.
That person had his back to him, wearing a set of black training clothes. His figure still seemed somewhat slight, yet he stood straight. The moonlight spilled onto his shoulders, outlining a lonely and cold, hard silhouette.
Jiang Wan's pupils constricted sharply.
This back...
Alarm bells rang in his heart; almost instinctively, his peripheral vision glanced at General Lan Yu beside him.
He saw that General Lan Yu had stopped walking at some point, standing just a step away to his left, and was now firmly gripping the hilt of the Yanling saber at his waist.
A cold killing intent, faint yet present, locked onto him.
Jiang Wan's heart instantly sank to the bottom. The possibility he least wanted to think about had happened: the Imperial Grandson was colluding with the Duke of Liang!
Countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Wan's mind like lightning. Call for help? His men outside wouldn't hear him. Fight back? While he was certainly skilled, facing the Great Ming's number one fierce general, General Lan Yu, and on the latter's home turf, his chances of winning were zero.
He could even feel that as long as he made the slightest unusual movement, General Lan Yu's blade would be faster than his thoughts, and could instantly take his head off his neck.
Cold sweat slid down his temples.
In this deathly silence, that figure with his back to him slowly opened his mouth, his voice clear and bright, carrying the tone of a youth: "Commander Jiang, I wonder if the person you are looking for is in this Mansion of the Duke of Liang."
Boom!
This voice completely shattered Jiang Wan's last shred of hope.
But he could not figure out how an impoverished Imperial Grandson, who was confined to the Eastern Palace and treated like a useless person, would appear in the middle of the night at the Mansion of the Duke of Liang, which was about to be purged?
Despite the many doubts in his heart, Jiang Wan still took a deep breath, forcibly steadying his mind, and bowed in salute: "Your servant, Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Jiang Wan, pays respects to Your Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson."