Chapter Seventeen: Master Lu’s Rash Impulse

Sometimes, many things that appear complicated can often be resolved with the most straightforward approach.

It's not that Zhao Yu's line of thinking was wrong, but on closer inspection, it didn't quite stand up to scrutiny. His plan lacked completeness—for example, after Lin Chong faked his death, how would he be smuggled out of the prison? Even if there was commotion at Gao Qiu’s residence, would the Imperial Guards just abandon their posts at the prison? There were simply too many uncertainties. So, although Zhao Yu’s idea wasn’t flawed, it lacked a follow-up plan. By the time he had worked out all the details, he could no longer reach Lu Zhishen.

One must never be too self-assured! Just because he's a time traveler, does Zhao Yu think he’s necessarily smarter than the people of this world? How amusing...

Fortunately, the one actually carrying out the plan was Lu Zhishen—a monk both brawny and shrewd, who disliked crafty schemes and preferred direct action.

Gao Qiu was in a good mood today. Although he hadn’t taken revenge on Zhao Yu directly, he knew that Zhao Yu would be powerless against such shameless tactics. If you think you’re so capable, come and bite me! Gao Qiu dared not offend Li Yan openly, but Li Yan couldn’t do much to him either. If Zhao Yu truly dared to send someone to break Lin Chong out of prison, Gao Qiu was determined to ensure none of them returned alive.

Zhao Yu’s suspicions were accurate—Gao Qiu had already laid a net around the prison, inside and out. Once the rescuers were caught, they and Lin Chong would all be executed together.

Gao Qiu didn’t need to deal with these matters personally; he could simply await good news in the comfort of his residence.

No matter whether Zhao Yu sent men or not, Gao Qiu was certain he would win this round.

Gao Qiu was not yet fifty—the perfect age for shamelessness. Not long ago, he’d married a sixteen-year-old concubine, but had been too occupied with his son’s affairs to visit her. With his spirits lifted today, he finally remembered to seek some relaxation.

At dinner, he enjoyed two taels of imperial wine gifted by Emperor Huizong. Buoyed by the alcohol, he wandered, tipsy, toward the rear quarters.

He’d already sent word to his concubine that her lord was coming. Normally, she should have been prepared to welcome him. But as Gao Qiu arrived at her chamber, he found the room shrouded in darkness.

This made Gao Qiu chuckle. The little beauty was quite shy—but he liked that.

Wanting to display his vigor, Gao Qiu waved off his attendants and entered alone. He closed the door behind him and, guided by the pale moonlight, walked slowly to the bed, reaching out to touch what lay upon it.

“My beauty, I’m here! Hmm? What’s this? Ah!”

Gao Qiu’s hand encountered something smooth; at first, he thought it was the soft flesh of a beauty. But he soon realized something was amiss—it was smooth, yes, but shaped like a large round ball. There shouldn’t be anything like that on a woman’s body...

While he stood there, stunned, a burly figure suddenly leapt from the bed, seized Gao Qiu by the throat, and lifted him as easily as a chick.

“Grand Marshal Gao, if you value your life, you’d best behave. Otherwise, I’ll snap your neck,” came the gruff voice.

It turned out Lu Zhishen had been hiding in the bed all along. The smooth object Gao Qiu had touched was none other than Lu Zhishen’s bald head. The young concubine had already been stashed in a wardrobe.

Now, with Lu Zhishen gripping him firmly, Gao Qiu was utterly powerless.

“Good hero, let’s talk this over—just put me down first...” Gao Qiu croaked, face flushed and eyes rolling back as he struggled to breathe.

“I’ll let you go—after you release my brother Lin Chong.”

Gao Qiu cursed his luck. He’d planned for everything except the possibility that Lin Chong’s rescuers would come straight to his own home!

Compared to his own life, why should he care about Lin Chong?

“Release him, release him! Let me go, and I’ll send for Lin Chong at once,” Gao Qiu stammered.

“Ha! Don’t play games with me. You’ll personally escort us, Marshal Gao,” Lu Zhishen said coldly.

Lu Zhishen knew that if he was surrounded by troops, he and Lin Chong would never escape. To avoid implicating Zhao Yu, he couldn’t take Lin Chong directly to Prince Yi’s mansion. The best plan was to use Gao Qiu as a hostage—once he and Lin Chong were safe, Gao Qiu would be released.

Gao Qiu’s calculations were not far off from what Lu Zhishen had guessed. Having been seen through, he had no choice but to obey.

Since Lin Chong hadn’t yet been released, Li Yan also felt too embarrassed to share a drink with Zhao Yu, so tonight’s banquet was postponed once more.

Zhao Yu himself was in no mood for wine. After night fell, he instructed Duan Feihe to send out several teams to keep watch on Gao Qiu’s residence and the Imperial Guard’s office.

The moon hung bright in a sparse sky, but Zhao Yu’s thoughts were heavy. He had long felt understaffed, and Lin Chong’s predicament only made this clearer. Once this affair was settled, recruiting talented men must become a priority—otherwise, he would remain at a disadvantage...

While his mind wandered, there was a faint sound at the window lattice. A slim, agile figure slipped inside.

The room was brightly lit, and the newcomer made no attempt to hide himself. He gave Zhao Yu an appraising look. “So you’re the ‘Little Yu’ the monk spoke of?” he said.

Short in stature, with a sharp face and eyes like lightning—just from his appearance, Zhao Yu immediately guessed his identity.

He cupped his hands in greeting. “You must be Brother Shi Qian. Little Yu pays his respects.”

When Lu Zhishen had introduced Zhao Yu to Shi Qian, he had revealed Zhao Yu’s true identity. But Shi Qian didn’t believe that a prince of the realm would extend courtesy to men of the underworld like themselves.

As a master thief, he was adept at reading people, having dealt with all sorts. He could instantly discern who was genuine and who was not.

Zhao Yu made no show of princely airs, and Shi Qian was happy to play along and pretend to forget his rank, but his attitude became much more respectful and warm.

“I just came from the Imperial Guard’s prison. It’s a tiger’s den—no way in. Brother Yu, do you have any good ideas?” Shi Qian asked.

Zhao Yu smiled bitterly. “In fact, I’d already thought of a way before you came, but I couldn’t get word to you all. Honestly, I’m too young and didn’t expect Gao Qiu would try such a move. If anything happened to you, I could never forgive myself.”

“All we can do now is wait—for word from Brother Lu. If he can cause a stir, Gao Qiu will have to think twice before harming Brother Lin. What we lack most right now is time; as long as we have enough time, we’ll find a way to save him.”

There was one thing Zhao Yu did not say: if all else failed, he would go to Gao Qiu himself and demand Lin Chong’s release, settling matters openly. He didn’t believe Gao Qiu would dare do anything to him.

In truth, everyone harbors some hint of self-interest; it’s only a question of whether they show it strongly or not.

If a common youth had spoken these words, Shi Qian would have offered little more than a look of admiration. But hearing them from a young prince was a different matter entirely. After Zhao Yu finished, the image of this youthful prince rose in Shi Qian’s mind—radiant and tall.

Before Shi Qian could respond, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and Duan Feihe rushed in.

“Your Highness, Grand Marshal Gao has been kidnapped!”