Finest Servant

Chapter 480 Breaking into the Royal Mansion

The origin of the fire was the royal mansion’s firewood storage. Gao Qiu had even added some gunpowder to fuel the flames. Once ignited, the fire blazed fiercely, lighting up half of the sky with its intense glow. Chaos reigned within the royal mansion, as countless maids and servants frantically rushed towards the source of the fire with buckets and basins of water in hand.

Xu Zhen led thousands of soldiers, smashing open the mansion's grand gates. Brandishing their weapons and radiating an aura of violence, they burst inside. The maids and servants of the mansion, who had never witnessed such a spectacle, were immediately stricken with fear. Dropping their buckets and basins, they scattered in all directions.

"Attention, men! The situation is critical. First, rescue the prince and his consorts, and then put out the fire!" Xu Zhen shouted. His troops responded in unison, discarding the wooden buckets they were carrying on the ground. Like a torrential river, they surged towards the inner quarters of the mansion.

"What do you think you're doing?" A portly steward, dressed in fine silk, hastily blocked the entrance to the inner quarters. His ample flesh quivered as he shrieked, "How dare you! Are you staging a rebellion? Do you know what this place is? This is the residence of the prince, his sons, and his consorts, a home granted by the late Emperor. Commoners like you have no business wreaking havoc here. Leave immediately, and I may plead for mercy on your behalf before the prince. Otherwise, the prince will report you to the Emperor and you will be executed!"

The corpulent steward was in the midst of his heated speech when Xu Zhen’s blade flashed, and he bellowed, "Audacious! I am here to assist the prince and to prevent any harm that might befall him. You dare obstruct us? Are you in league with the arsonists? Soldiers, follow my command: advance into the residence and protect the prince and his consorts. Anyone who disobeys will be punished by military law!"

"Protect the prince, protect the prince!" Over a thousand soldiers echoed the chant as they stormed into the inner residence. Someone extended a foot, connecting squarely with the portly steward’s behind.

The rotund steward yelped and stumbled forward, taking a nosedive. Quickly turning his head, he saw the cold steel of swords and shining armor. The atmosphere was deadly serious. No longer daring to utter a word, he hurriedly covered his mouth, where a tooth had been knocked out, and retreated.

Inside the royal mansion, amidst the twin calamities of fire and military invasion, the scene had descended into utter chaos. The servants and maids had no heart left to fight the fire. A few bold ones grabbed valuables and tried to escape, only to be forced back at the gate. Surrounding the mansion were banners fluttering and war horses neighing; countless soldiers had effectively sealed off the area like an iron bucket, to the point where not even a basin of water could be thrown out.

Fanned by the wind, the fire continued to rage, gradually spreading to the inner courtyard. Beams and pillars began to collapse amidst the cracking sounds, triggering a cacophony of screams and cries for help.

"Boldness—!" Just as Xu Zhen and his men broke into the inner courtyard, a stern shout rang out, revealing hundreds of burly men ahead. Dressed uniformly in blue short shirts, they appeared as household guards. Their hands grasped shiny swords and their eyes emitted a fierce light. They locked eyes with Xu Zhen and his men, their expressions markedly ferocious.

"Who are you all, daring to intrude into the inner quarters of the royal residence at night? Do you intend to rebel?" Standing at the forefront of several hundred strong men was a scholar in his forties. Clean-shaven with a white face, he wore flowing traditional robes and looked haughtily at Xu Zhen and his companions.

"I am General Xu Zhen, commander of the city's defensive force. We've heard reports of arson in the royal residence that jeopardizes the lives of the prince and his consorts. We have come to apprehend the culprits. Who are you to obstruct my official duties? You even brandish weapons against us, the city's defense force. Are you the ones endangering the royal residence? Seize these rebels!" With a derisive laugh, Xu Zhen waved his hand, and the well-prepared formation of the government troops shifted. Hundreds of archers lined up, awaiting his command to shoot at the men before them.

"General Xu Zhen of the city defense?" The scholar sneered. "You are audacious to impersonate the city's defensive commander. The real commander, Lord Yu Hang, is a disciple of the Prince. I know him well. When did a wet-behind-the-ears boy like you replace him?"

Xu Zhen spoke gravely, "His Majesty issued a decree this afternoon directing Lord Yu Hang to move to Shandong for another appointment. I have been temporarily appointed to his position. Do you wish to see this imperial decree? And who are you?"

"Who am I?" The scholar burst into laughter, snapping open his folding fan with a flick. With insufferable arrogance, he said, "I am but a humble scholar, known as Gu Bingyan, graced by the affection of His Majesty and the prince. I occasionally visit the inner palace, and even the Emperor calls me younger brother Bingyan."

Gu Bingyan? Xu Zhen, having grown up under the guidance of Hu Bugui, was clever but not well-read. He did not recognize the name. One of his staff officers whispered into his ear, and Xu Zhen exclaimed, "You're the son of Master Gu Shunzhang?"

Gu Bingyan replied haughtily, "Even His Majesty dares not casually speak my father's name. Who are you brats to be so presumptuous?"

"What's the story with this Gu fellow?" Seeing Xu Zhen's face filled with concern and apparent hesitation, Lin Wanrong consulted with Miss Qin who was sitting beside him. They were both outside in a sedan, tucked into a corner of the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.

Qin Xian'er giggled, "My Lord, are you not a true citizen of our Great Hua? How could you not know about the Gu family?"

He chuckled softly, lowering his voice, "I met this Gu Bingyan once while I was out enjoying the springtime. He was accompanying Zhao Kangning then, but I didn't know who he was—"

"Enjoying the spring?" Qin Xian'er's lips pouted slightly, and she huffed, "With whom did you go without telling me?"

Realizing he had misspoken, Lin Wanrong quickly corrected, "It was not for leisure; I was on a secret mission ordained by your father. Truly, it was a top-secret task crucial to the honor of our Great Hua—something I absolutely couldn't talk about!"

"What kind of secret mission? What top-secret task?" Annoyed, Qin Xian'er snorted, "Was it just another assignment to seduce women—"

Lin Wanrong looked at her in shock. "How did you find out?!"

"If you don't want people to know, you shouldn't have done it in the first place," Miss Qin said, lightly punching him on the arm. "When Qiaoqiao was washing your clothes, she found the imperial decree. We've both seen it. Sent to seduce women under imperial orders—how could father issue such an edict!"

Unbelievable! Lin Wanrong sighed, thinking he still had some secrets left. Now, it had become public knowledge.

Xian'er grabbed his hand and said irritably, "Just what did you do with that Goryeo palace girl? You can't—"

"Can't what?" Lin Wanrong noticed that Xian'er's face was flushed and she was hesitant.

Miss Qin's face turned rosy, and she snorted, her mouth looking exceedingly cute. "—you can't bestow your 'rain and dew' upon her!"

Good heavens, this girl really dared to say anything. Lin Wanrong burst into laughter, patted her pert behind, and teased, "I have plenty of 'rain and dew,' if I don't bestow it on her, then who should I give it to?"

"Give it to—stop it!" Miss Qin's cheeks were flushed, her laughter infectious, and she didn't dare ask about the seduction matter any further.

Lin Wanrong was reminded of the real issue. "Tell me quickly, what sort of person is this Gu? He looks so pompous; he's even more arrogant than me!"

Miss Qin smiled and said, "Even if he's not as arrogant as you, he's not far behind. His father is among the most famous scholars in our Empire—"

‘A scholar?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled. ‘I'm known as the bane of scholars; I've knocked down quite a few of them.’

Seeming to read his mind, Miss Qin added, "If it were any ordinary scholar, that would be one thing. But Gu Shunzhang is no ordinary man. He is the Teacher of the Emperor, respected by all in our empire!"

The Emperor's teacher? Lin Wanrong stuck out his tongue. That was a big deal indeed. Xian'er continued, "Gu Shunzhang is a master of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and he has a great reputation for his noble character. He was a close friend of my imperial grandfather, who deeply respected him and entrusted him with the education of the imperial sons. Both my father and Prince Cheng were his students. He is known to be a strict educator; even my father was once beaten by him when he was young. Every time he visits, my father personally goes to meet him, first offering the salute between sovereign and subject, then that of student and teacher. It's a well-known story among the people."

Lin Wanrong nodded, "And what about this Gu Bingyan? He can't be the Emperor's teacher!"

Miss Qin said, "Although Gu Bingyan is not the Emperor's teacher, his status is by no means ordinary. He is the only son of Gu Shunzhang and has grown up studying with my father and Prince Cheng. Although he has no official title, he is practically half a prince. Even my father calls him 'younger brother Bingyan'!"

So that was how things stood. Lin Wanrong's head throbbed as he listened. Everything had been so well arranged, but out of nowhere came this Gu Bingyan. Though the man held no official position, he was unmistakably a power player, shielded by his influential father. Even the Emperor could not touch him easily, let alone Xu Zhen.

On the other side, Xu Zhen seemed to have realized Gu Bingyan's true identity as well—an untouchable bone that could neither be struck nor touched. This left him in a difficult position.

Seeing the young general's face cloud over with concern, Gu Bingyan arrogantly sneered, "A mere city defense commander dares to act recklessly in the royal mansion? Wouldn't that be a laughingstock if word got out? Today, I'll discipline you on behalf of His Majesty and the Prince. Strip him of his armor and take him to the Ministry of War for—"

Before he could finish, a jolly voice came from outside, "Is anyone home? Anyone there?"

Gu Bingyan was momentarily stunned. Who could be so audacious as to shout like that within the walls of Prince Cheng’s Residence? The pudgy steward, finding that Gu Bingyan had taken control of the situation, scrambled up from the ground and chanted, "Who dares to make such a racket—do you value your life so—"

A sharp slap interrupted him, leaving the steward's cheek swollen and several of his teeth scattered about. A fierce guard stood before him, "You blind fool! How dare you disrespect the Princess and Mr. Lin!"

A striking young woman, dressed in yellow, slowly entered, pushing a wheelchair. Seated in the wheelchair was a man covered in bandages, grinning from ear to ear.

"Young Lin San here to pay my respects to the Prince!" Lin Wanrong greeted, raising his fist in a traditional salute and smiling.

Gu Bingyan's face paled. He stared at Lin Wanrong, "You... you are Lin San? You're not dead—"

"You're the one who's dead!" Qin Xian'er, the princess, snapped coldly. Even if Gu Bingyan was the son of an imperial tutor, he was no match for this royal princess of pure lineage. He promptly closed his mouth.

"Ah, who is this gentleman? He seems familiar. Oh, I remember now, Mr. Gu, we met outside the city," Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Thank you for your concern. I initially thought I was done for. But when I got to the underworld, the King of Hell told me I still had years to live—eighty years of good fortune, in fact. So he sent me back. How embarrassing, truly embarrassing."

Gu Bingyan couldn't help but scoff at Lin Wanrong's pretense. He forced a smile, "Mr. Lin, you're truly lucky. I wish you a long, prosperous life."

"Much obliged, much obliged," Lin Wanrong chuckled. "After returning from the dead, I've had much to reflect upon. Particularly, I remember the Prince's kindness to me. That's why I've come, hoping to repay his grace. Oh, where is the Prince? Is he at home?"

Gu Bingyan laughed, "The Prince is at the Grand Prime Minister Temple, praying and offering incense for the late Emperor. Surely you're aware?"

Lin Wanrong elongated his response, "Is that so? I've just come back to life, so naturally, I wouldn't know. You say the Prince is at the Grand Prime Minister Temple, Mr. Gu, are you certain?"

Faced with Lin Wanrong's scrutinizing, half-smiling gaze, as if he had grasped some hidden leverage, Gu Bingyan hesitated and didn't dare to reply.

Lin San nodded absentmindedly, muttering to himself, "No wonder Mr. Gu wants to use the royal residence for a bonfire. Turns out the Prince isn't home!"

"What did you say?" Though Lin San's voice was low, it was perfectly audible. Gu Bingyan felt his blood boil when he realized that Mr. Lin was accusing him.

"Am I wrong?" Lin Wanrong gave a sly smile, "The royal residence is engulfed in a roaring blaze. Mr. Gu, not only are you unconcerned, but you're also preventing others from putting it out. Isn't that akin to wanting a bonfire?"

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