After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 25

With Tianquan missing, the Autumn Mountain Villa was currently managed by Vice General Qiu, who had returned to the capital with Ji Lin.

Vice General Qiu did not know Ji Lin’s true identity; he assumed the General had taken on a secret mission after returning to Xijing and thus could not appear in public. His only job was to guard the villa and ensure no one discovered the secret that “General Ji” was not actually there.

However, while ordinary people were easy to deflect, the Prince of Huai was another matter entirely.

Hearing the report from the front gate, Vice General Qiu sent someone to find Tianquan while he braced himself to open the villa doors. “I did not know Your Highness was visiting. Please forgive my lack of hospitality.”

The Prince’s steward looked past the burly Vice General and saw no one else. He frowned. “Where is your General? Why does he not come out to meet us?”

Qiu lowered his head even further, glancing at the motionless, luxurious carriage. “My General caught a cold a few days ago. He is too ill to rise. I hope Your Highness will understand.”

“Heh.”

A cold laugh echoed from inside the carriage. The Prince of Huai lifted the curtain and stepped out, his purple royal robes dazzling in the sunlight. “Is he unable to meet, or does he not dare to meet? My son lies unconscious in my manor after an assassination attempt, yet a guard from this villa was seen behaving suspiciously at the scene. Does General Ji not owe this Prince an explanation?!”

The news hit Vice General Qiu like a thunderclap. Tianquan was missing because he was involved in the assassination of the Prince’s heir! He dropped to one knee, sweat pouring down his face. “There must be a misunderstanding! My General has not left this villa since entering the capital. Everyone at Autumn Mountain can testify! He cannot be involved!”

“Misunderstanding or not, that guard is only being spared from torture out of respect for the General. But if the young General refuses to show his face…” The steward’s voice was shrill and laced with threat. They were not leaving today without seeing Ji Lin.

Qiu was in a panic. He understood the Prince’s anger—his son was hurt—but the problem was that General Ji simply wasn’t here!

The Prince of Huai watched Qiu’s panic, rubbing his jade thumb ring. He had originally come to strike a deal, but now he suspected the villa was hiding something scandalous. Why else would Ji Lin remain hidden?

The Prince signaled his steward, who shouted, “Men! Go and ‘invite’ General Ji out!”

The Prince’s guards rushed inside. Qiu and the villa guards tried to block them but feared hurting the Prince, causing a chaotic scuffle that allowed the Prince’s men to reach the main courtyard!

Qiu’s heart leaped into his throat. They’re going to find out the General is gone—

Just as he prepared to draw his sword for a desperate gamble, the door to the main hall creaked open.

“Cough… cough… His Majesty was merciful enough to grant me leave to recover in peace, away from outsiders—”

A pale, handsome youth leaning against the doorframe coughed into his hand. His face was flushed with fever, but his eyes were as sharp as daggers as they landed on the Prince.

“The Prince breaks into my villa… does he no longer respect the Emperor’s wishes?”

The Prince of Huai remained silent, studying the boy. This was his first time seeing Ji Lin. He was surprised; he had imagined a man who could charge solo into an enemy camp would look like Vice General Qiu. Instead, Ji Lin looked like a refined, noble scholar.

The Prince chuckled. “I shall apologize to my Imperial Brother later. But seeing that General Ji is well enough to leave his bed is a relief.”

Gu Wanlan pretended not to catch the hidden probe in his words. She wrapped her cloak tighter, coughing solemnly. “Cough… I am deeply saddened by the news of your heir’s attack.” Whoever that hero was, they did a great job.

“However, this has nothing to do with my guard. Please move to the front hall, Your Highness… cough… it is difficult for me to receive guests like this…”

As she spoke, her foot nudged something inside the room. The Prince’s eyes narrowed. It was a piece of women’s clothing! The gold embroidery shimmered in the light.

Hiding from guests to indulge in… this? The Prince smiled meaningfully. “Since the young General is ill, do not overexert yourself. You wouldn’t want to damage your… foundation.”

“Haha, quite so,” Gu Wanlan squeezed out a dry laugh.

As soon as the Prince’s back was turned, her smile vanished. She slammed the door and leaned against it, panting heavily. That was close…

“General! Is everything alright?” Qiu knocked frantically.

The door opened a crack, and a bundle of fabric was shoved out. Qiu caught it, only to realize it was a woman’s outer robe. He held it like a hot coal. “General, this is—?”

“Take it out and burn it. Fast!” Her voice was cold and commanding. Qiu dared not ask more and hurried away.

Once she had fully changed back into male attire and tightened her chest binding, Gu Wanlan breathed a sigh of relief. She had scaled the wall just as the Prince arrived; she only had time to change her hair and discard the outer robe. She hadn’t expected the “scandalous” evidence to actually distract the Prince from his suspicions.

She straightened her cap in the bronze mirror and walked out to the main hall.

The Prince of Huai wasted no time. “Has General Ji heard of the Rouran hostage coming to the capital?”

“Cough… I have. But what does that have to do with your son’s assassination?”

“Does General Ji not wish to achieve more glory? To take another step up?”

“I… cough… currently lack the strength,” Gu Wanlan replied, looking like a ghost.

The Prince felt a flash of disgust. This boy looks half-dead, yet he was dallying with women in broad daylight? He moved his chair further away, starting to think he had picked the wrong person to recruit. But since he was here…

“The day my son was stabbed, your guard was seen meeting a mysterious man in a restaurant. When the guards arrived, that man fled. I managed to land an arrow in his shoulder—”

Gu Wanlan felt a wave of relief. Tianxuan always disguised herself as a man when she went out. The Prince hadn’t realized she was a woman.

“Oh? I thought it was something serious,” Gu Wanlan leaned on her hand and laughed arrogantly. “Does my guard’s private love life require an explanation to the Prince as well?”

The Prince’s face darkened. He had no evidence. If Ji Lin insisted the runaway was just a secret lover, he couldn’t do anything. He was losing patience. He stood up. “In that case, I shall go back and ‘interrogate’ your guard properly to see if your words are true.”

“I say… going in circles is tiring for a sick man,” Gu Wanlan yawned and stretched. “Since my man is in your hands, state your conditions.”

The Prince was stunned by her bluntness, then laughed. “General Ji is an interesting person.”

“If I weren’t, you wouldn’t be at my door. Cough.”

The Prince stopped playing games. “I need your man to investigate the background of one person.”

Gu Wanlan was intrigued. If he needed her, it meant he didn’t want his own people involved. “Who?”

“The Emperor has appointed a Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to monitor the hostage. His background is a mystery; we only know his codename—’Flying Kite.'”

Gu Wanlan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Such a powerful person in the capital? I’m interested.”

Hanshan Temple.

The temple was built atop a mountain, reachable only by a staircase of 108 stone steps. They were designed to test the sincerity of the pilgrims.

Gu Lehuan stood at the bottom, looking apologetically at Cui Jue. “Master Cui, I am so sorry. The mountain view I wanted you to paint is inside the temple, and to get there, one must climb these steps.”

Qi Rong tugged at Lehuan’s sleeve, but the girl ignored her. “Master Cui looks a bit frail. Perhaps this is too much for you? Shall we forget it for today?”

Cui Jue stood amidst the mountain air, looking up at the high stone stairs. He offered a faint smile. “It is no matter.” He began to climb.

Qi Rong pulled Lehuan aside, frowning. “Lehuan, is this enough? I was worried he was a fortune hunter, but he has been perfectly polite and patient with your demands all day. I think he is a good match for Wanlan.”

Lehuan watched his back. “Mother, when life is beautiful, no one wants to show their ugly side. He can afford to be polite now. But Sister must stand alone to lead this manor in the future. Father is sick, and our relatives are already showing their claws. What happens when Father is gone?”

Qi Rong froze. She hadn’t expected her “soft and cute” adopted daughter to say something so sharp.

“I must push him until he is angry,” Lehuan said, her eyes flashing with a hidden obsession. “I must see his true heart.”

Ever since she learned of Gu Wanlan’s existence, Lehuan had felt guilty for “stealing” someone else’s life. But Gu Wanlan had returned and saved her like a hero. She would not allow anyone to hurt her sister or break the happiness of their family.

She followed Cui Jue up the steps in silence.