Eternal Night - Chapter 20
"Understood. If the eldest prince can get the support of the Duan Prince's Mansion, he will definitely be able to defeat the second prince, who is born of the legitimate wife. However, he needs someone to help him so that the second prince will not bully him."
Li Yannian smiled with satisfaction. "With you by the Crown Prince's side and on good terms with him, we can rest assured."
Is it really that simple? Yongye felt it was far too easy. Being a powerful prince and becoming good friends with the eldest prince, who was most likely to become the future emperor, meant a bright future.
Although the Valley of Wanderings trains assassins, how can it do anything good for the country and its people? Yongye will never forget the bloodshed of a thousand seven- or eight-year-old children fighting each other in the wooden building.
He remembered his identity and had a bad feeling. The Prince Duan and his wife were already a problem for him, but the princes in the palace were an even bigger problem.
The man in blue said, "If there's danger, we'll run away. The world is vast; Anguo isn't the only place we can find refuge."
This is Eternal Night's final move.
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Li Yannian stood in the courtyard and smiled at Yongye, saying, "We're going back to the capital today. Your Highness and Princess must be getting impatient."
The eternal night smiles.
A dozen or so servants stood in the courtyard. Yongye had memorized everyone's names over the past few days, but still couldn't identify Shadow, which left him somewhat disappointed.
"Do you remember the scene when you walked out of the building three years ago?" Li Yannian suddenly asked.
Yongye was startled, looking at the people standing in the courtyard. This scene was so similar to when he and the other children stood before Li Yannian. Back then, the power of life and death was in Li Yannian's hands; if he wanted to kill him, he would have been powerless to resist. Now… only now did he realize this, and he couldn't help but be shocked.
"Leave no one alive!" Li Yannian smiled.
Yongye saw the look of terror in the eyes of the two women disguised as Yihong and Lancui. Suddenly, countless men wielding crossbows appeared on the wall, raining down arrows on them without hesitation. It was too late to stop them.
The snow was instantly stained blood red, and after several screams, silence returned.
These crossbowmen… his memory and eyesight were always good; he recognized them as the dozens of cavalrymen at the front and rear of the convoy. It turned out they were also Li Yannian's confidants.
“Remember what I taught you. Never overlook any possibility of leaking secrets.” Li Yan whispered in his ear, “Young Master, let’s go.” He walked toward the courtyard gate as if nothing had happened, with Li Er following closely behind, bowing.
Yongye was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed.
The carriage that had brought them was parked at the gate, with forty cavalrymen standing in front and behind, seemingly oblivious to the sounds coming from inside the courtyard. Once inside the carriage, Li Yannian chuckled, "Thinking about those forty men?!"
"Yes." Yongye smiled softly.
“You are very calm, just as you were three years ago, and you are still the same now. The Valley Master has not chosen the wrong person.” Li Yannian did not answer Yongye’s question, but gave him a deep look. “Given time, the Crown Prince will achieve extraordinary things.”
“Actually, you should call me Young Master!” Yongye’s smile became even brighter. All the servants in the inner courtyard of the royal palace called him Young Master, while only those in the outer courtyard called him Crown Prince or Little Prince.
Li Yannian was merely one of the inner court stewards; calling him "Young Master" was an overestimation of his status. While in the outer courtyard he was addressed as "Master," now that they were outside, he was simply his servant.
After finishing speaking, Yongye didn't look at Li Yannian's expression. He reached out and lifted the sedan curtain to look back, where thick smoke was billowing from the villa. "Steward Li acted decisively; Yongye has learned a lot."
Li Yannian's ambiguous smile made Yongye feel that there were still things he didn't know about to happen.
Ten days later, the carriage entered the first place that could be called a city. Yongye smiled as he looked at the tall city gate tower. Finally, they had entered a place where there were normal people.
The group booked the entire west courtyard of the Xianghe Inn, the largest inn in town. Yongye, seeing the inn for the first time, was reminded of visiting ancient towns. Seeing the waiter with a towel draped over his shoulder, he remembered him and knew he would immediately come over to wipe the table and ask, "Sir, what would you like to eat?" He couldn't help but smile.
Li Yannian stepped forward and gestured for him to eat: "Young Master, please have your meal in the room. It's too crowded and chaotic outside, and it's beneath your dignity."
Yongye was a little disappointed, nodded, and went into the courtyard.
After dinner, undisturbed, he lay in bed, feeling restless. He closed his eyes and quietly sensed the atmosphere around him. He had a strange feeling that something was going to happen tonight.
At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), he smelled a strong odor of smoke. The door was kicked open, and Li Yannian appeared before him, sword in hand, smiling at him: "Someone's robbing us, young master! Let's run!"
Yongye could only jump off the bed and say cooperatively, "Deacon Li, you must protect me!"
"Don't worry, young master!" Li Yannian's smile looked eerie in the firelight outside.
Yongye sighed inwardly, those forty cavalrymen were finished.
Li Yannian grabbed his hand and darted out of the courtyard. Li Er waited with two horses. So the three of them, on two horses, began their escape towards the capital. "If you're going to put on an act, you have to go all the way."
"Why not kill him at the other residence?"
"There has to be someone who sees them protecting you as you descend the mountain."
"They stayed at the villa for ten days without arousing suspicion?"
Li Yannian laughed: "They were all originally my men. I just wanted to let you know that you can kill your own people too."
Firstly, it would avert the prince's suspicion; secondly, I've always believed that the most likely betrayers are my own people, especially since so many have entered the valley.
"Why don't you kill Li Er? He knows the most!" Yongye pointed at Li Er on horseback beside him.
"Young master, stop trying to sow discord. Li Er is my retainer. It's one thing to kill one's own people, but killing a loyal person will chill people's hearts, and no one will be loyal to you anymore."
Yongye pursed his lips, noticing the gratitude and loyalty in Li Er's eyes towards Li Yannian. He even glared at Li Er with resentment. He really wanted to burst out laughing.
Prince Duan is very powerful
The Crown Prince was attacked on his way back to the capital. This news reached the Prince Duan's residence immediately.
"Where are Li Yannian and the Crown Prince now?" Prince Duan, Li Gu, had a face as dark as the sky before a thunderstorm, and a voice as cold and hard as ice in the dead of winter.
Legend has it that the emperor's younger brother was only seventeen when he led troops into battle. On his first return from the battlefield, his mount was nearly crushed by the heads he had chopped off. From then on, no matter how charming or composed he appeared, no one believed that Prince Duan was a kind and good person.
The only person who could soften Prince Duan's heart was his wife, the only beloved daughter of Prime Minister Zhang Qiling.
I heard that during the Lantern Festival in the capital that year, Prince Duan met the Prime Minister's daughter, who was also there to admire the lanterns. Prince Duan shamelessly invited Miss Zhang to join him for the lantern viewing, only to be slapped hard across the face by her.