One month later, in Yanzhou, Southern Zhao.
Wang Dian crouched by the riverbank to wash his hands. The icy cold river water chilled him to the bone, making his teeth chatter. He lowered his gaze, staring at the reflection in the river. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, realizing he looked about seventy to eighty percent similar to Liang Ye when smiling.
Wang Dian sighed. Someone nearby teasingly said, “This is the first time I’ve seen someone admire their own reflection to the point of sighing.”
“I’m reminiscing about someone through this object,” Wang Dian said. He shook off the water droplets from his hands and took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe his fingers. He looked towards Quan Ning, who was crouching in a tree. “Have all of Liang Ye’s secret guards been shaken off? Are you free now?”
Quan Ning had disappeared for half a month prior. Cong Yingqiu and others had been escorting him. Now that Quan Ning was here, Cong Yingqiu had hurriedly left, as if there was some urgent matter.
Quan Ning sighed even more deeply than Wang Dian. He leaned casually against the tree, hugging his curved saber. “I’ve taken a fancy to a young master from a wealthy family. Alas, he pays me no attention. He’s pouring his heart out to a bald monk who’s clearly been using him all along. Yet he remains deeply in love. Tsk.”
Quan Ning, seemingly at his wit’s end, asked dejectedly, “Tell me, how am I not better than that bald monk? At least I wouldn’t deceive him.”
“Love is a thing that blinds the eyes and dulls the mind once you’re caught up in it,” Wang Dian said. “No matter how earnestly others try to persuade you, you won’t listen to a word. You insist on hitting the wall repeatedly, stubbornly following the same path. Even if others are a thousand times better, they’re not worth a fraction of your beloved, even if that person is trash.”
“That makes sense,” Quan Ning said. He jumped down from the tree and approached Wang Dian with a smile. “I see that you’re not indifferent to Liang Ye either. How come your eyes aren’t blinded and your mind isn’t dulled? How can you leave so decisively?”
Wang Dian replied seriously, “In all my years of doing business, this deal with Liang Ye has been a complete loss. Leaving is simply cutting my losses in time.”
Quan Ning said with a mischievous grin, “I heard that the Emperor Liang even canceled his grand wedding for you. You’re heartless and unfaithful.”
Wang Dian tilted his head, avoiding Quan Ning’s face that kept drawing closer. “Your beloved could take your life at any moment. Why don’t you run?”
Quan Ning clicked his tongue. “I would kill him first.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t kill him,” Wang Dian said. “I can only choose to run when our feelings are at their peak. Once I’ve run away, he’ll resent it and be unable to forget. He’ll only think about capturing me alive one day to demand an explanation before taking revenge, rather than having me die outright.”
Quan Ning straightened up and was silent for a moment. Recognizing the situation, he took half a step back and sobered up. He said sheepishly, “Never mind, we’re indeed not very compatible.”
Even though Wang Dian’s face and demeanor were very attractive to him, his personality and mind were truly dangerous. Even if Wang Dian couldn’t fight and was powerless, he could still get Quan Ning killed without batting an eye. Quan Ning thought his naive Seventh Young Master was better to pursue.
Wang Dian smiled slightly and untied the reins from the tree. He patted the head of the fine stallion, which tilted its head docilely and nuzzled his palm. “Is this horse for sale?”
Quan Ning looked up at him, chin slightly raised. “Why, do you want to buy it?”
“It’s rare to see such a gentle and docile horse,” Wang Dian said, feeding it some beans.
Quan Ning’s mouth twitched. “I bought three horses. This one had the worst temper. It nearly broke my ribs with a kick at first. It only behaves well around you.”
Wang Dian stroked the horse’s smooth mane. “Will you sell it?”
Quan Ning hesitated for a moment. “Yes.”
He hadn’t really managed to tame this horse anyway. It would still kick up a fuss from time to time, and he didn’t have the energy to train it lately.
After agreeing on the price for the horse, the two men entered the city at a leisurely pace. Quan Ning said, “Your face is quite eye-catching without a mask. Yanzhou isn’t that far from Northern Liang. The Emperor Liang’s secret guards might discover you at any time.”
“I need to let my face breathe occasionally,” Wang Dian said with a smile. “I can’t be deprived of using it just because I look identical to Liang Ye.”
This man often came up with peculiar phrases. Quan Ning had grown accustomed to it by now and simply said, “If you think the mask I prepared for you is ugly, you can wear the one Liang Ye gave you before. I’ll modify it slightly to change its appearance, but it’ll still be as exquisite and comfortable as before.”
“Thank you,” Wang Dian said politely.
“No need to thank me. You’re an esteemed guest of the Feixian Tower. Taking on your case is enough to feed us for a year,” Quan Ning said dismissively. “Never mind altering a mask, I’d even play the fool for you if needed.”
Wang Dian chuckled, and Quan Ning also laughed at his own words. “I’m used to treading dangerous waters and generally don’t like dealing with scholars and merchants. But you’re truly a good person.”
“Thank you,” Wang Dian accepted his compliment graciously, teasing, “Otherwise, why would Pavilion Master Quan be willing to act as a merchant with me?”
Quan Ning laughed heartily and pointed to a residence ahead. “This is it. This house used to belong to a wealthy landlord. Later, the whole family fled back to their hometown and sold it cheaply. We saved quite a bit of money. I’ve had everything recorded, so you can check the accounts when the time comes.”
“Good,” Wang Dian said. He liked Quan Ning’s straightforward way of doing business. He looked at the ordinary-looking residence before him with satisfaction. Although it was worlds apart from the mansion in great Yingsu Square, not having someone constantly monitoring his every move made even the simplest dwelling feel relaxing.
This county town was called Qingcang County, under the jurisdiction of Yanzhou in Southern Zhao. It was conveniently located in the southeastern corner of Yanzhou, with the capital of Zhao to the west. It was quiet yet not lacking in prosperity. A few hundred miles to the south was Xiangzhou, the most prosperous commercial area in Southern Zhao. The transportation, both by water and land, was well-connected in all directions. It would be convenient for future business or for escaping if discovered.
Quan Ning was also very busy. Wang Dian heard him mumbling something about a plan and the Seventh Young Master, but he wasn’t interested in prying. He only asked Quan Ning to hire two bodyguards from the Feixian Tower before they parted ways in Qingcang County.
These two “bodyguards” were actually top-tier assassins from the Feixian Tower. Although protecting someone wasn’t particularly challenging, no one disliked a job with high pay and little work. According to Quan Ning, the terms Wang Dian offered were highly sought after within the tower, and the two people finally selected had skills no less than his own.
The two were of similar stature, about half a head shorter than Wang Dian. Their appearances were unremarkable, though it was possible they had disguised themselves. These “Jianghu people” often had various strange and mysterious methods.
“This subordinate is Chang Hen.”
“This subordinate is Chang Li.”
The two knelt before Wang Dian with clasped hands, presenting two tokens. They said in unison, “These are our life-and-death tokens. With these in hand, Master can command us to do anything.”
Wang Dian took the tokens and casually tucked them into his sleeve. He raised his hand slightly, saying, “Stand up. There’s no need to call me Master.”
Chang Hen and Chang Li stood up, looking at him somewhat bewildered.
Wang Dian pondered for a moment, thinking that asking them to call him Wang Dian might be too challenging. He compromised, saying, “From now on, just call me Young Master.”
“Yes, Young Master!” the two responded in unison.
Wang Dian felt that the names Chang Hen and Chang Li were quite inauspicious. After asking if they were willing to change their names and receiving affirmative answers, he thought for a moment and said, “How about from now on, you two be called Chang Ying and Chang Li?”
“Chang Ying and Chang Li thank Young Master for bestowing new names.”
Seeing that they were about to kneel again, Wang Dian made a gesture to stop them. “In the future, there’s no need to kneel to me within the residence.”
“Understood.” Although Chang Ying and Chang Li found this strange, they instinctively complied.
Wang Dian said, “You two will disguise yourselves as servants and accompany me daily, alternating day and night shifts. You’ll have two days off every ten days. Just inform me when you go out. Besides the price agreed with your tower master, you’ll receive monthly wages like the other servants in my household, with additional pay for extra tasks…”
Wang Dian explained their terms of employment in detail with a pleasant demeanor. Chang Ying and Chang Li were secretly delighted, though they didn’t show it on their faces. They just thought they had encountered an exceptionally kind employer.
“However, we must also be frank upfront.” Wang Dian picked up his tea and took a sip. “I didn’t spend a fortune to truly have you come here as servants. The Northern Liang Emperor’s secret guards are no less skilled than you. If I were to be caught by the Emperor Liang during this period, not only would you lose your silver, but even your Tower Master would have to compensate me tenfold the hiring fee. You know what needs to be done.”
Chang Ying and Chang Li’s expressions immediately became solemn.
Wang Dian put down his cup. “Alright, you may go now.”
“Yes.” Chang Ying and Chang Li respectfully took their leave.
There were still a multitude of tasks to be done in the new residence. Wang Dian had too many things to consider. Although he had made many preparations on his journey south, there were still numerous oversights. The most important point was that he did not want to tie himself too closely to the Feixian Tower.
Although the Feixian Tower and Quan Ning had been of great help in his escape from Northern Liang, it was only driven by profit. If someone offered more silver, they would not hesitate to take his life.
In comparison, the Jiuxing Pavilion, whose interests were tightly bound with his own, was much more reliable. However, the Jiuxing Pavilion was after all an organization in the Jianghu. If he wanted to establish a firm foothold in Southern Zhao, he would inevitably have to deal with the government. Under this feudal bureaucratic system, the difficulty was even greater.
He unconsciously tapped the table. Perhaps he could seek out the Emperor of Southern Zhao, Zhao Qi.
But this was an extremely risky endeavor. After all, having left Liang Ye and the Liang country, he had no bargaining chips to negotiate with Zhao Qi. Moreover, there was no guarantee that Zhao Qi wouldn’t bind him and send him back to the capital to curry favor with Liang Ye. That would truly be a loss not worth the gain.
However, if he could persuade Zhao Qi to stand on his side, it would be a great help whether he wanted to engage in business or deal with Liang Ye’s future moves.
He needed to find a way to align his interests with those of Zhao Qi and Southern Zhao, ensuring that Zhao Qi wouldn’t abandon him for Liang Ye at a critical moment.
Countless complex thoughts flashed through Wang Dian’s mind. The impoverished and weak Northern Liang, the internally troubled Southern Zhao, the rising Eastern Chen, and the covetous Loufan. Every emperor’s dignity was inviolable. Beneath the dragon throne, the web of interests spawned by imperial power spread and entangled, constructing an unshakeable feudal system. Like towering mountains pressing down on countless people’s heads, everyone was tightly entwined, becoming part of this web, this mountain, before they could even struggle.
He feared most that one day he would convince himself and become like everyone else.
And Liang Ye was the greatest threat.
He couldn’t fight against this era, nor was there any need to fight a losing battle. He only needed to… thoroughly tame Liang Ye.
Wang Dian recalled the scene of Liang Ye riding on horseback by the river, a fleeting dark light flashing in his eyes.
He would use any means necessary to forcibly separate Liang Ye from the emperor and imperial power, turning him into a Liang Ye that belonged solely to himself.
Who told Liang Ye to come after him?
He brought this upon himself.
