The Concubine of the Main Wife - Chapter 28

Suppressing her fury, Zhen Yao returned to her room, her icy eyes unable to conceal her indignation. Thus, the lingering amorous thoughts in her heart dissipated in an instant.

 

She pushed the door open with her slender hand, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight.

 

At that moment, A’Lian was reclining lazily, her rosy cheeks flushed like peach blossoms, her lips curling into a seductive smile as soon as she saw the newcomer. “Why did you take so long? You’ve kept me waiting.”

 

Her coquettish complaint was enchanting and alluring.

 

Unfortunately, Zhen Yao was no longer in the mood. Her mind was now filled with nothing but the frustration of failing to rid the people of a scourge.

 

“It’s late. Hot water is hard to come by on such a rainy day. Let’s just retire for the night.”

 

“Wait a moment. You’re rarely this disheartened. What exactly troubled you downstairs?” A’Lian’s flirtatious demeanor vanished as she frowned and pressed for an answer.

 

Zhen Yao forced a smile, her chest burning with stifled emotions as she reassured her, “It’s nothing, just some trivial matter!”

 

It wasn’t that she refused to confide fully, but knowing that she was powerless would only add to the distress. She truly didn’t want A’Lian to sink deeper into worry.

 

However, A’Lian was no ordinary person; sharp and perceptive by nature, she quickly pieced together the gist of it.

 

“Someone must have provoked you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so furious.”

 

Hearing this, Zhen Yao couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. “What makes you say that? You’re overthinking it.”

 

A’Lian pursed her lips, then lightly lifted her skirt and walked to Zhen Yao’s side. Gazing up with a sigh, she said, “Do we still need to keep secrets between us?”

 

Their eyes met for a brief moment before Zhen Yao bent down, wrapped an arm around that slender waist, and led A’Lian to the lamplight. There, she recounted everything she had heard in detail.

 

To her surprise, A’Lian, being fiercely genuine in temperament, couldn’t contain herself upon hearing the countless atrocities committed by “Zhang the King of Hell.” She clenched her fists and cursed, “What a vile scoundrel, daring to call himself the King of Hell! In my opinion, today’s downpour is heaven’s way of delivering justice. Sending two real Kings of Hell to claim his wretched life!”

 

“That’s my A’Lian!” Zhen Yao’s brief remark carried boundless admiration.

 

Pleased, A’Lian raised an eyebrow, wrapped her arms around Zhen Yao’s fair neck, and murmured, “If you already have a plan, why hesitate? This time, we must make Zhang the King of Hell turn into Zhang the Turtle!”

 

“I knew I couldn’t hide anything from you.”

 

In truth, while climbing the stairs, Zhen Yao had been actively strategizing, but her heart was burdened with other concerns.

 

A’Lian, of course, noticed. Softly, she reassured her, “If you’re worried about the mission, don’t be. Mo County isn’t far from Jiangnan. We can wrap things up and leave within three days.”

 

“Time is tight, and success may be difficult. Moreover, Zhang has extensive connections here. He’s practically untouchable, operating in plain sight. From what I’ve heard, the county magistrate of Mo County is frequently rotated. The current one has been in office for less than a hundred days. Zhang wouldn’t dare openly challenge his superiors. He must maintain a humble facade while secretly wielding power like a tyrant.”

 

Though Zhen Yao’s reasoning was sound, A’Lian had her own perspective. Resting her chin on her hand, she mused, “The world is driven by profit, no one acts without gain. I won’t speculate about the current magistrate, but the previous one must have received generous bribes from him. For Zhang to operate so freely, his family background must be formidable, or perhaps he has powerful backing. Killing him is easy, but what we want is to utterly destroy this villain!”

 

“I understand what you mean. But many things in this world are far harder to execute than they seem.”

 

Before Zhen Yao could finish speaking, A’Lian suddenly placed her palm over her mouth, then whispered warmly into her ear, “Leave this matter to me. You’re not as skilled as I am at gathering information. Besides, I have my own ways of handling such lecherous men.”

 

“No, absolutely not!”

 

In an instant, Zhen Yao’s eyes flashed with vigilance, her refusal resolute.

 

“You can’t catch a wolf without risking the lamb. Don’t worry, I won’t let myself fall into danger,” A’Lian tried to reassure her.

 

Yet Zhen Yao remained cold-faced, waving her hand in refusal. “I’ll go!”

 

“What?”

 

Now it was A’Lian’s turn to flare up. She pressed a hand to her chest to steady her breathing, then lashed out furiously, “Hmph! Then go ahead, right this instant!”

 

“A’Lian, I have martial skills to protect myself.”

 

“Pah! You may be stunningly beautiful, but do you know how to deceive or scheme? Do you think brute strength and a pretty face alone will fool him? That he’s some bumbling idiot?”

 

Her words were both a rebuttal and a self-deprecating jab.

 

Zhen Yao’s face flushed crimson, her mind buzzing. “Why must you belittle yourself like this? It pains me to hear it!”

 

Hearing the ache in her voice, A’Lian suddenly lost all her fire and replied just as pitifully, “Then don’t make me worry like this again, Zhen Yao. You are my everything, my reason for living in this world. If anything were to happen to you, how could I go on alone?”

 

Though A’Lian had never been short of sweet words since they fell in love, even in their most intimate moments, she had never spoken like this. Seeing her now, stubbornly turning away to hide her tears, Zhen Yao was left with only one thought:

 

She never wanted A’Lian to suffer. She would cherish her until her dying breath.

 

“It’s not as dire as you make it sound!”

 

A’Lian stepped closer, tears glistening on her delicate face. “You’ve always been noble and upright. You don’t know the ugliness and cruelty of vile men like Zhang Yanwang. We can’t afford to deal with such scum with gentlemanly courtesy. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go out in the rain to gather information. You can’t match me in this, so don’t argue anymore. You stay at the inn and observe his movements. How many attendants he has, his dining preferences, and gather whatever details you can from the innkeeper and waiters…”

 

A’Lian laid out her plan meticulously, covering every angle. Zhen Yao truly couldn’t compete with her in this regard, so she reluctantly accepted the arrangement. Still, she proposed some reasonable additions, and after further discussion, the plan grew even more feasible.

 

The rain drizzled outside, the candlelight flickering as if heaven and earth had merged into one.

 

Dark eyes serene, seductive gaze bewitching now entwined in a dream of love.

 

The next morning, the rain had ceased, and the wind stilled.

 

A’Lian dressed herself in dazzling finery, deliberately making a grand exit through the main hall, instantly drawing countless gazes.

 

Meanwhile, Zhen Yao wasn’t idle either. Seizing the chance to treat the innkeeper’s ailment, she took the opportunity to gather information from two waiters.

 

Unnoticed, dusk had already fallen.

 

The day had been so busy that Zhen Yao hadn’t even had a sip of water. But the moment she had a spare second, she fixed her gaze on the inn’s entrance, frowning as she waited for her beloved to return.

 

Her behavior was so unusual that it drew frequent glances from the waiters and other guests.

 

“What a strikingly handsome gentleman!”

 

“Such noble grace—but why has he been sitting here all day?”

 

“Perhaps this fine gentleman is waiting for someone.”

 

…

 

At some point, murmurs began circulating through the hall. A waiter carrying a tray of pastries chimed in as he passed, “Ah, Master Zhen is waiting for his wife!”

 

Thus, in a short span of time, many remembered this devoted husband from out of town who cherished his wife above all else.

 

As night fell, lanterns were lit in the hall.

 

A waiter, finally free, returned the kindness by fetching a bowl of hot porridge from the kitchen and respectfully presenting it to Zhen Yao: “Master Zhen, you should eat something. Or perhaps I can assist your wife upstairs. You should go up early, lest that tyrant suddenly returns.”

 

Zhen Yao feigned shock, raising her eyes with an exaggerated tone: “Didn’t he get what he wanted last night? Why would he come back?”

 

“Shh! Don’t speak recklessly!”

 

The waiter glanced around nervously, quickly gesturing for caution, his face filled with fear. “From what his men said, things didn’t go as planned. That woman vanished without a trace, and Tyrant Zhang is furious. Who knows how many will suffer for it this time?”

 

Zhen Yao’s eyelids twitched involuntarily. Her thoughts immediately turned to A’Lian, and she closed her eyes in silent prayer.

 

The reason Tyrant Zhang had stayed at the inn last night, it was said, was because he had abducted a beautiful woman only for her to drug him and escape later.

 

After waiting anxiously, with the night watch drum sounding repeatedly and still no sign of A’Lian, Zhen Yao could sit still no longer. Pale with panic, she was about to rush out to search when A’Lian suddenly returned, now dressed in different attire.

 

The moment their eyes met, Zhen Yao gazed at the fair-skinned, handsome young man before her with overwhelming emotion.

 

“A’Lian!”

 

Just as she entered the hall, A’Lian halted at the urgent call.

 

“The night is cold. Why are you still waiting for me?”

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go upstairs.”

 

With that, Zhen Yao wrapped an arm around A’Lian and led her back to their room. Unbeknownst to them, from a shadowed corner of the hall, someone watched with gleaming eyes.

 

After a quick wash, the two settled onto the bed, with Zhen Yao leaning over to massage A’Lian’s shoulders.

 

“You’ve worked hard today, running around like that.”

 

“Likewise!”

 

A’Lian lowered her voice excitedly and began chattering away. “Do you know, the current governor isn’t aligned with the First Prince nor is he with Lord Han.”

 

“Such a secret! Where did you learn it?” Zhen Yao was astonished, but even more impressed.

 

“By sheer luck, really. I sent out a signal as a last resort, never expecting to find a few of my old sisters. One of them happens to be a scout in the governor’s mansion and has gathered quite a bit of information. Thankfully, she doesn’t know the Dark Oriole faction has changed hands. With no way to contact Chen Rong, she spilled everything to me.”

 

Zhen Yao caught on quickly, grasping the implications. “If the First Prince went to such lengths to win him over, this official must be the Emperor’s man.”

 

At this moment, the Emperor’s men counted as neutral.

 

“Exactly! But this one has a strong sense of justice. His ancestors were all remonstrance officials, and he doesn’t want to tarnish the family name. He intends to make sweeping reforms in Mo County, aiming to leave his mark in history.”

 

“That’s excellent. But do you know who Tyrant Zhang answers to?”

 

A’Lian turned to meet Zhen Yao’s gaze, her eyes soft and affectionate. “This humble one wouldn’t know.”

 

“He relies on the second-in-command at the prefectural office. And the power behind him? None other than the First Prince himself!”

 

Now it was A’Lian’s turn to be stunned. A chill ran down her spine. “Is the information reliable? What if these two?”

 

“Since ancient times, a single office divided into two factions has been a key focus of the Emperor’s past reforms. I suspect this might be the Emperor’s way of warning them. Pity the First Prince is too deep in the game to see the bigger picture.”

 

“Never mind, let’s just play along with their scheme and turn it to our advantage!”

 

A’Lian had a sudden flash of inspiration, but before she could voice her clever plan, Zhen Yao sighed in admiration. “After this incident, I can’t help but admire Lady Han even more. Before she left, she deliberately gave me a handwritten letter, claiming it was for us to use if we encountered obstacles along the way. But in truth, wasn’t she just preparing for the unexpected?”

 

“In that case, with official backing, why not stage a honey trap and take them down openly, leaving no survivors?”

 

“But what if it backfires?”

 

“Just trust me this time. To uproot the problem entirely, half-measures won’t suffice. Your writing is impeccable. When the time comes, use your words to pave the way. Kill three birds with one stone and win some public favor for Sister Han while we’re at it.”

 

The two of them schemed enthusiastically, their discussion lively and spirited.

 

As midnight stretched on, a yawning A’Lian bent down to trim the candlewick, only to be suddenly seized by two arms wrapping tightly around her.

 

In an instant, their bodies pressed close, the faint scent of perfume mingling with tender affection.

 

“Stop fooling around. We have things to do tomorrow,” A’Lian protested halfheartedly, pretending to struggle.

 

Zhen Yao murmured something indistinct, and the next moment, the candlelight flickered out.

 

Deep in the night, as the two slept, a pair of furtive figures slipped into the hallway outside their second-floor guest room. Glancing around nervously, they deftly blew a cloud of knockout smoke through the door’s crevice. The smoke, imported from Jiangnan, was potent. Once inhaled, it would be nearly impossible to regain full consciousness for quite some time.