Feng Lai said, “Rest assured, Governor Xiao, I’ve come under His Majesty’s orders.”
“His Majesty’s orders?” Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. “What are His Majesty’s instructions?”
Feng Lai smiled. “His Majesty wishes for Governor Xiao to assist Consort Yu and Noble Consort Zhao in preparing for the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet in two days. Additionally, by verbal decree, His Majesty commands you to immediately dispatch men to the south to apprehend Lu Jiu’an and investigate the truth behind Prince Pingshan’s alleged treason.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The palace banquet, though unexpected, wasn’t surprising given the tight timeline and the consorts’ struggles to manage it. Emperor An asking him to step in made sense. But sending him to capture Lu Jiu’an and investigate Prince Pingshan…
“Wasn’t this matter entrusted to Commander Liu?”
Feng Lai snorted. “It was, initially.”
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow.
Feng Lai didn’t beat around the bush. “Before you left the palace, didn’t you make a trip to the Imperial Garden? After you took Doctor Jiang away, Commander Liu went to see His Majesty.”
When Emperor An learned that Xiao Yan had beaten Liu Tong’en, he heard no lives were lost and chose to feign ignorance. When Liu Tong’en met with the Emperor, claiming Xiao Yan had “stolen” Doctor Jiang, he dismissed it as Xiao Yan’s fiery temper flaring up and told Liu not to pursue the Lu family matter further. But Liu Tong’en was stubborn, insisting there was more to it and that Xiao Yan was suspicious.
Feng Lai wasn’t in the hall at the time and didn’t know exactly what Liu Tong’en said to Emperor An. But when the Emperor summoned him to deliver the daily elixir and instructed Liu Tong’en to leave, Liu still wouldn’t let it go. He kept repeating that “Xiao Yan is suspicious,” that “the Lu family matter could be dug deeper,” and that “keeping a scheming traitor in the palace could endanger His Majesty’s safety.”
His words implied that Emperor An was being deceived, subtly suggesting the Emperor was foolish. This infuriated Emperor An, who prided himself on his intelligence and had personally “verified” Xiao Yan’s loyalty. His face darkened with anger.
At the time, Emperor An’s expression was already grim. He stated that Xiao Yan’s injuries couldn’t be faked, that he had interrogated Doctor Jiang himself, and that with Lu Chongyuan dead and the rest of the Lu family dealt with, the matter should be dropped. Yet Liu Tong’en clung to Lu Chongyuan’s dying words.
Feng Lai’s eyes seemed to carry a hint of amusement, as if offering a subtle reminder. “Commander Liu said that before Lu Chongyuan died, he insisted you had left the capital. He also mentioned that Zhao Yuanlang had said something similar, that though he colluded with the Lu family, he never poisoned Lady Zhao or sent men to chase her down in the streets.”
“Liu Tong’en claimed that Lady Zhao and Princess Xiangning’s appearance before His Majesty that day was a coordinated deception. He let slip that he had sent men to investigate Lady Zhao’s family and would soon uncover the truth.”
Xiao Yan’s gaze turned icy, and behind the screen, Tang Ning couldn’t help but clench her fingertips.
That day, circumstances had forced their hand. The Zhao family had struck suddenly, and Lu Chongyuan was watching closely. To break the siege, they had to take a risky move, but it inevitably left flaws.
After the Zhao family’s downfall, Lady Zhao, supposedly “poisoned” and weakened, was permitted by Emperor An to sever ties with Zhao Yuanlang and return to her family with her dowry. But they hadn’t expected Liu Tong’en to investigate her.
Lady Zhao’s poisoning was fabricated. Though she had promised to feign frailty before leaving, a lie was a lie. With Liu Tong’en’s suspicious nature, she might not withstand scrutiny. If he discovered her health wasn’t as damaged as the imperial physicians claimed, the charade before the Emperor that day would be exposed.
Xiao Yan’s killing intent toward Liu Tong’en flared. “What did His Majesty say about this?”
Feng Lai replied calmly, “He didn’t explicitly state anything, nor did he stop Commander Liu from investigating Lady Zhao.”
Xiao Yan’s heart sank. This Emperor An,on the surface, he appeared to trust Xiao Yan, letting him act freely, but inwardly, he was unpredictable and wavering.
Feng Lai looked at Xiao Yan. “However, Commander Liu, having been wronged by you, held a grudge against me for speaking out of turn this morning. He gave me the cold shoulder, and when I apologized, he ignored me and stormed off in front of everyone.”
“He’s the Commander of the Imperial Guard, and I can’t afford to offend him. Feeling uneasy, I begged His Majesty to let me make amends with Commander Liu. But His Majesty, in his benevolence, remembered my years of loyal service. Not only did he dismiss the matter, but he also considered that Commander Liu is injured and may be unfit to act. So, he sent me to Jiyun Lane to ask you, Governor Xiao, to assist Commander Liu in investigating Prince Pingshan and apprehending Lu Jiu’an as soon as possible.”
Behind the screen, Tang Ning’s expression shifted as she listened to Feng Lai’s words.
Xiao Yan met Feng Lai’s courteous, humble face, his own gaze deepening.
Feng Lai was no ordinary figure. As Emperor An’s close attendant and the chief eunuch of the inner palace, he had served the Emperor for years. No matter how humble he was inwardly, outwardly he represented the Emperor’s dignity.
His status set him apart from other palace officials. The Emperor could scold or punish him at will, but others dared not. As the saying goes, even the dog at the Emperor’s gate is noble. For Liu Tong’en to publicly disrespect him, ignore his apologies, and make the Emperor’s trusted servant feel fearful enough to bow and apologize, what would Emperor An think?
He wouldn’t see Liu Tong’en’s actions as mere dissatisfaction with Feng Lai. He’d see them as arrogance, a disregard for imperial authority, and an overstepping of the favor and trust bestowed upon him.
Emperor An favored obedient subordinates. Entrusting Liu Tong’en with his most critical asset was meant to secure a loyal, compliant pawn, not a cunning figure with his own agenda.
Liu Tong’en’s earlier “defiance” had already sparked Emperor An’s displeasure, and now Feng Lai’s subtle undermining added fuel to the fire.
No wonder Emperor An had suddenly assigned the tasks of capturing Lu Jiu’an and investigating Prince Pingshan to Xiao Yan, it was a warning to Liu Tong’en.
Xiao Yan, grasping the crux of the matter, couldn’t help but say, “Eunuch Feng, your skill in sowing discord is masterful.”
Feng Lai replied modestly, “Not as masterful as you, Governor Xiao. When I left the palace, I ran into Deputy Commander Yu, who, I heard, had a falling out with Commander Liu.”
“You made one trip to the Imperial Garden and nearly caused a rift between two men His Majesty relies on. I merely spoke a few words before His Majesty.”
Xiao Yan lowered his gaze. Those “few words” could sometimes turn the tide. Looking at Feng Lai, he said seriously, “You didn’t come all this way just to tell me this. Speak plainly.”
They were both clever men who understood each other’s depths.
Feng Lai’s expression remained calm. “I only want to ask you one thing, Governor Xiao.”
“You once said your actions in court were to secure a fallback for yourself. I, knowing the hardships of being a eunuch, went along with you. But you’ve been secretly dealing with the Empress and her son, and later propped up the Second Prince to sow discord among the noble families.”
“The Fourth Prince is dead, the Second Prince is ruined, the Empress perished in the Cold Palace, and even the Lu family fell by your hand.”
“You’ve thrown the court into chaos, yet you’ve gained no tangible benefits. Your so-called ‘fallback’ is likely just an excuse.”
Initially, Feng Lai thought Xiao Yan was power-hungry, targeting the Lu family and other noble clans to curry favor with Emperor An, acting in line with imperial will to gain trust and authority.
But later, Feng Lai realized the court’s dynamics were entirely orchestrated by Xiao Yan.
Emperor An had deep ties with the noble families. Before Xiao Yan entered the court, there was a tacit balance between imperial power and the aristocracy. Emperor An disliked the noble families but only sought to suppress them.
It was Xiao Yan who shattered that balance, forcing a life-or-death struggle between the Emperor and the aristocracy, compelling Emperor An to eliminate the Lu family, his closest allies.
Feng Lai’s expression was unreadable. “I don’t care where you went when you left the capital, Governor Xiao. I only want an honest answer: what exactly are you trying to do?”
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T/N: They did say he's a smart Eunuch
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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