Chapter 35: Return to the Marquis’s Residence (1) 

Two flowers bloom, each representing a branch. On one side, Xu Jingchen returned to the marquis’s residence in a huff after being humiliated by the imperial grandson at the temple.  

Back in his study, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Hmph, they all dare to look down on me. Once I help the third prince ascend the throne, I will trample all of you underfoot.  

Thinking of this, he immediately went to the third prince’s residence to report in detail to Ling Haoxuan about what he had seen on the mountain earlier that day. Xu Jingchen proposed to directly set fire to the main hall of the temple. Burning the side rooms would easily cause chaos but wouldn’t attract the imperial grandson’s attention. However, the main hall was filled with worshippers, and if a big fire broke out, there would surely be heavy casualties. At that time, when the imperial grandson came to rescue people, they could use the chaos to assassinate him. In the end, he would dramatically kneel and say, “For the greatness of my lord, I am willing to sacrifice my wife and children.” After that, he would break down in tears.  

Ling Haoxuan helped Xu Jingchen to his feet: “I know you are the most loyal. What does a man have to fear without a wife? Once I achieve my great feat, highborn girls will be at your disposal. What does that old wife of yours count for?”  

The two refined their plan, feeling it was foolproof, and then ordered to set it into action.  

After returning to the residence, Xu Jingchen was quite pleased, convinced that today’s plan would surely succeed. Soon, he would be the true master of the Xiping Marquis’s residence, and no one would dare look down on him as a bastard son.  

However, they waited all night until the curfew, but there was still no news from the third prince’s residence. It shouldn’t be like this! The plan was supposed to take place at the beginning of the hour of the goat, which was when the worshippers had finished lunch and returned to the hall. Even if it were delayed, news should have come back by the hour of the rooster. Xu Jingchen paced restlessly in his study.  

Ling Haoxuan was in the same situation. When he saw that the hour of the rooster had passed with no movement, he hurriedly sent someone to the mountain to check. Finally, late at night, the secret guard he sent out returned with a report.  

“How is the situation on the mountain?”  

“Reporting to my lord, as soon as I reached the foot of the mountain, I saw several prisoner transports escorted by the Yulin Army coming down. Inside the carts lay many men in black, motionless and unaware of their fate.”  

“How could this happen?” This was a batch he had secretly raised, a part of his elite forces. Although some were lost during the assassination of Cang Qiyuan, he had managed to escape, and he heard that the second prince had also sent people to attempt an abduction, who were now unaccounted for.  

“What about Ling Xiaoyu? Is he dead or injured?”  

“I do not know, my lord. There are many masters in the temple, and I did not dare to get too close.”  

“Go and investigate again.” Ling Haoxuan’s fingers turned white from gripping the corner of the table too tightly. “Father, how many skilled fighters have you secretly placed around that little brat?”  

The next morning, Ling Haoxuan unexpectedly saw Ling Xiaoyu during the morning court session. He stood to the right of the old emperor, overlooking the officials below.  

He was actually unharmed.  

During the morning court, an official reported on the fire that had occurred at the Chongfu Temple’s main hall the previous day.  

“I am already aware of this,” replied the old emperor. “The imperial grandson was also in the temple yesterday. It has been confirmed to be arson, and dozens of men in black have been captured and are currently being interrogated.” As he spoke these words, his eyes swept over his sons.  

Ling Haoxuan quickly lowered his head to hide his shock. They had all been captured alive and had poison hidden in their mouths, yet they had not committed suicide. With so many people, it was only a matter of time before someone broke down and confessed. It seemed that the situation was becoming quite complicated.  

After the morning court, Ling Haoxuan summoned his trusted aides to discuss countermeasures.  

“Lord, we must find a way to rescue these elite men; otherwise, we will suffer great losses,” said Chu Jiaming, the younger brother of the third prince’s consort.  

“How can you rescue those taken by the Yulin Army? If you ask me, we should quickly think of a way to silence them!” proposed one strategist.  

“Do you know how much silver we spent training these elites? And now is the time we need them most. If we kill them, it would be such a waste.” Chu Jiaming continued to argue. These men were under his care—four elite teams, each consisting of fifty carefully selected individuals. They had already lost many during the assassination of Cang Qiyuan, and if these dozens were to be lost as well, he would have little power left. Now that Xu Jingchen was gaining favor with the third prince, having reportedly raised a force for him in the western suburbs of the capital, if things continued this way, he would be outshone by that bastard son.  

“What is the situation on the mountain now? Haven’t we discovered anything about our people?”  

“According to the worshippers who came down from the mountain, no one died in the fire; it only caused injuries due to stampedes. The lightly injured have already descended, and only the seriously wounded remain on the mountain. Moreover, there is a divine doctor up there who is stitching up the wounded, and those who are healed are recovering quickly. She even performed a C-section on a pregnant woman and stitched her up afterward, and the woman is still alive.”  

“How miraculous! We definitely need to get to know her better, ideally to put her to use for the lord.”  

“But right now, the mountain is heavily guarded, and we can’t get up there!”  

At this moment, Xu Jingchen stepped forward, bowed, and said, “My lord, I can attempt to go up the mountain.”  

Ling Haoxuan nodded and said, “Yes, your wife and children are up there; you should retrieve them. After all, the mountain is not safe right now.”  

Xu Jingchen accepted the order and left.  

Returning to the residence, Xu Jingchen went to the courtyard of Concubine Zhao. This Zhao was the same one who had given birth to Xu Jingchen’s eldest son, as mentioned earlier. She was a former courtesan and had been bought by Xu Jingchen shortly after Xia Qingfeng was found to be pregnant, placed outside the residence.

Now, with Xu Jingchen in the good graces of the third prince, even the main wife and legitimate son had to regard him with favor. Although Concubine Zhao was a secondary wife, in Xia Qingfeng’s absence, she had become the highest-ranking woman in the back courtyard and had grown increasingly domineering in her actions.

Upon hearing Xu Jingchen say that he intended to bring the concubines from the back courtyard to the temple to pick up Xia Qingfeng, she immediately objected.  

“Why hasn’t that wretched woman died? Why must you go to the temple to fetch her, on what grounds?” Seeing Xu Jingchen’s expression darken, she quickly softened her tone. “Husband, she is a woman who has been wandering outside for over half a year. She must be unclean. Why bring her back? She should be drowned in a pond instead.”  

“Do you think I’m doing this willingly?” Xu Jingchen bit his teeth and replied. “I don’t know what kind of fortune that wretched woman has stumbled upon, but she has the support of the old matriarch of the Wuting Marquis’s residence, and even Master Kongzhi at the temple holds her in high regard. Moreover…” Xu Jingchen’s tone grew colder at this point, “the imperial grandson is also constantly fussing over my daughter. Sending you all to the mountain to pick her up was that little brat’s idea.”  

As Concubine Zhao listened to Xu Jingchen’s words, her heart sank further. When did Xia Qingfeng have so much backing? Once she returned to the residence, how could she expect to have a good life? But this was the order of the imperial grandson; who dared to defy it?  

The next day, three carriages left the Xiping Marquis’s residence, with Xu Jingchen and a group of concubines heading toward Biyun Mountain.  

When they arrived at Chongfu Temple, it was already noon. About a mile away from the temple, Xu Jingchen ordered the women to disembark from the carriages. Even though he felt resentment, he dared not disobey the order of the imperial grandson.  

They walked the rest of the way to the temple on foot, with Xu Jingchen in the front followed by the women behind him. A little novice monk led the group to the courtyard where Xia Qingfeng was staying.