AYM Chapter 66

Having Ming Zhang accompany him was truly a last resort. Yan Yihuan knew that the Emperor would never have agreed to let him leave the palace alone.

 

He glanced sideways at Ming Zhang’s impassive face, guilt welling up inside him. He knew how busy Ming Zhang had been lately, yet Ming Zhang was still assigned to escort him out of the palace for something so trivial. Yan Yihuan could not help but feel apologetic.

 

“I’m sorry, Ming Zhang ge. You’re already so busy, yet you still have to come out with me. I’d honestly be fine on my own. Why don’t you go take care of your own matters?”

 

He did not hold out much hope, but Yan Yihuan tried anyway. As expected, Ming Zhang clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly, his expression calm, with no hint of reluctance,

 

“How could your affairs not count as proper duties?”

 

Something about the answer felt a little strange to Yan Yihuan, but before he could dwell on it, Ming Zhang continued,

 

“Are you planning to go to the Protector General’s residence?”

 

“N-not yet!” Yan Yihuan denied it at once. Ming Zhang did not know that something had happened to Xu Xinyao, and Yan Yihuan would never dare go straight to Du Yunsong without a pretext. He had already thought things through and had a plan for how to bring the matter up naturally.

 

“Ah, look. Isn’t that the inn where Big Brother Xu is staying? I don’t know if he’s already left. Why don’t we stop by and see?”

 

Ming Zhang raised an eyebrow slightly. So this was what he had been waiting for.

 

Yan Yihuan probably did not realize that the more casually he tried to act, the more unnatural he seemed. Ming Zhang deliberately frowned, and sure enough, he saw Yan Yihuan’s eyes immediately fill with tension.

 

“Are you really planning to return with him to get married?” Ming Zhang did not respond to Yan Yihuan’s suggestion at all. Instead, he asked this question, leaving Yan Yihuan blushing bright red.

 

“So you know about it too. Whether the marriage goes through or not, I still need to make things clear with him. I can’t just keep avoiding it forever.”

 

“That’s responsible of you.” Ming Zhang had already been instructed by Li Xuanming to not interfere with whatever Yan Yihuan chose to do during his outing. With that, he(MZ) took the lead and walked toward the inn. “Let’s go take a look.”

 

What happened next unfolded almost exactly as Yan Yihuan had expected. He pretended to casually ask the innkeeper whether Xu Xinyao was still staying there. When the man hesitated, Yan Yihuan slipped him a silver ingot. The innkeeper immediately pulled them aside into a corner, lowering his voice to a whisper.

 

“Something has likely happened to Young Master Xu.”

 

So Gao Yu had been telling the truth after all. Yan Yihuan felt his heart sink, but he put on a suitably shocked expression, sneaking a glance at Ming Zhang. Just as he had anticipated, Ming Zhang looked equally taken aback. Steeling himself, Yan Yihuan pressed on,

 

“Could you explain in more detail?”

 

“A few nights ago, Young Master Xu returned to the inn late at night. After that, he stayed inside for two entire days, barely even touching his meals.” The silver was worth several days’ earnings for the inn, so the innkeeper spared no detail, “I haven’t told anyone about this. That day, I happened to be seeing a guest off at the gate when I saw someone stop Young Master Xu’s servant and slip a letter into his hand.”

 

“The servant went upstairs with the letter. About a quarter of an hour later, Young Master Xu came out himself. After that, there’s been no sign of him.”

 

“Then why are you so certain something went wrong?” Ming Zhang asked at once.

 

“At first, I didn’t think much of it either,” the innkeeper said, shaking his head. “But when Young Master Xu didn’t return for two days, his servant grew frantic and even asked me where the magistrate’s office was, planning to report it. Then that servant disappeared as well.” The innkeeper shook his head, “When the guests failed to return one after another, we began to feel uneasy. We were just about to report it to the authorities when a stranger I had never seen before came and settled the room charges. I casually asked where Young Master Xu was, and the man said he had gone home.”

 

The innkeeper leaned in closer, his expression conspiratorial. “But all of Young Master Xu’s luggage was still in the room. I thought the man would return to collect it after paying, but he left without a word. With no other choice, I inventoried the belongings. There was quite a bit of money among them. I’ve kept everything here for the time being. If no one comes to claim it soon, I intend to turn it over to the authorities.”

 

“Master and servant disappearing one after the other. If it wasn’t for money, then it must have been for the person himself. That’s why this humble one says something has likely gone wrong.”

 

As he spoke, Ming Zhang watched Yan Yihuan closely, as if gauging his reaction. By coincidence, Yan Yihuan turned to look at him at the same moment, and their gazes met, giving rise to an inexplicable moment of awkwardness.

 

However, it lasted only an instant. The calm reassurance in Ming Zhang’s eyes made Yan Yihuan wonder if that discomfort had been nothing more than his imagination. Without realizing, he edged a little closer, instinctively seeking reassurance.

 

No matter how vividly the innkeeper spoke, his knowledge was limited. Still, Yan Yihuan finally understood one thing clearly. Xu Xinyao had been lured out. As for who had done it, a faint suspicion had already taken root in his heart, even as he desperately hoped it was not the person he was thinking of.

 

Stepping out of the inn, it was a bustling street. Although people streamed past them in a noisy flow, the two of them were unusually silent. Seeing that Mingzhang did not speak, Yan Yihuan could not help but probe,

 

“Ming Zhang ge, what do you think really happened?”

 

“An enemy, I suppose,” Ming Zhang replied without hesitation. “The scheming and backstabbing in the commerce world is no less than in the officialdom.”

 

“But the Xu family has never done business in the capital. And Big Brother Xu didn’t come this time for business either, he came because of…” Yan Yihuan finally could not keep up the pretense. He grabbed Ming Zhang’s sleeve, his eyes reddening. “You know that too. Big Brother Xu only came to the capital because of me. If something really happened to him because of me, how am I supposed to explain myself?”

 

“The innkeeper said Young Master Xu returned to the inn late at night. Wasn’t that the day I met him?” Ming Zhang said gravely, “He clearly went with you to the residence, so why did he return to the inn in the middle of the night?”

 

Yan Yihuan knew there was no hiding it any longer. He recounted what had happened that night, skipping the minor details and keeping only what mattered. After listening, Ming Zhang looked surprised and cast a glance in the direction of the imperial palace, “So you think it was the one inside?”

 

“I never said that!” Yan Yihuan blurted out, startled, his expression growing even more flustered, “That’s your guess.”

 

How could the Emperor have the time to concern himself with something like this. He wouldn’t even spare Xu Xinyao a glance!

 

Ming Zhang parted his lips, but he stopped the words that were almost about to spill out. Instead, he said,

 

“What you suspect… isn’t entirely unreasonable.”

 

As his words fell, Yan Yihuan’s breath hitched. The hand gripping Ming Zhang’s sleeve tightened unconsciously, trembling slightly.

 

Before Ming Zhang spoke, Yan Yihuan had still harbored a faint hope that he would dismiss the idea outright. But now that hope was utterly shattered, and his heart sank straight to the depths.

 

After all, if it had been anyone else that said such a thing, Yan Yihuan would at most have harbored doubts. But Ming Zhang was different. He had grown up alongside the Emperor and was one of the people the Emperor trusted most. In Yan Yihuan’s eyes, even Shen Zhaoquan could not compare to Ming Zhang when it came to understanding the Emperor’s mind.

 

“So…” Yan Yihuan felt dazed, looking at Ming Zhang with unmistakable confusion and helplessness, “Ming Zhang ge, can you help me?”

 

“Then tell me, why did you suddenly want to find General Du?”

 

Ming Zhang was always this composed. His gentle tone carried no sense of pressure, and Yan Yihuan felt his heart settle slightly. Still, he remembered that he had only just learned of Xu Xinyao’s situation himself, so he answered, “I just wanted to pay a visit to Uncle Du.”

 

“Very well.” Ming Zhang did not question him and agreed readily, “General Du is busy. If you go without informing, you may not even see him. Return to the residence today. I will inform the General’s residence on your behalf.”

 

Only then did Yan Yihuan realize how rash he had been. He looked at Ming Zhang with gratitude and nodded, “I’ll listen to you in everything, Brother Ming Zhang.”

 

Ming Zhang smiled reassuringly and, as he always did, lightly pinched Yan Yihuan’s cheek. The familiar teasing gesture finally steadied Yan Yihuan’s frayed nerves. When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with gratitude.

 

“Ming Zhang ge, thank goodness I still have you.”

 

“All right, don’t be afraid.” His naturally clear voice softened deliberately, like a hand gently pressing down the buzzing strings of a zither. Yan Yihuan even thought he caught a trace of pity in Ming Zhang’s eyes.

 

“Don’t overthink it. I’ll make the arrangements. Go back to the residence for tonight.”

 

With that, Ming Zhang patted Yan Yihuan’s shoulder and turned to leave. His destination was neither the Ming Residence nor the Imperial Palace, but a somewhat dim and secluded alley.

 

As he was gradually enveloped by the shadows, Ming Zhang’s footsteps grew increasingly steady. The slight upturn of his lips added an enigmatic smile to his otherwise extremely calm face.