LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 139: She’s A Spy?
At dusk, Yang Hanlun found his way to Linhai Hospital. Lin Haihai and Li Junyue were discussing matters about his trip back to the modern day when Qing Feng took Yang Hanlun to the inner hall to rest. Yang Hanlun was conflicted. He had promised Imperial Elder Brother that he would give up on Lin Haihai after a month. Would he be able to let go then? Was there any point if he couldn’t?
Her heart wasn’t with him. He had been the one to cast her aside, to stubbornly divorce her. What right did he have to demand her reciprocation? God had given him a chance, but he pushed her to his brother. It was fortunate that Imperial Elder Brother loved her dearly, and he didn’t have to feel too guilty!
Lin Haihai walked into the inner hall to see Yang Hanlun bearing a grave expression. She felt a pang in her heart and stood rooted to the spot, at a loss of words.
Yang Hanlun smiled immediately when he saw her. “I’m here to take you home!”
The words were so simple, but so full of love. Lin Haihai’s chest tightened at that smile. Her heart sank when she remembered Prince Pingnan’s threat.
“I’m done with work. Let’s go!”
No sooner had they walked out of the hospital than Wangchen showed up in an unkempt state, followed by Zheng Feng. Wangchen guilty walked up to Lin Haihai and said, “I’m sorry for letting you down, Master!”
Lin Haihai gave Wangchen a meaningful look. “Let’s talk after we return!”
“What happened?” Yang Hanlun asked in confusion.
“Nothing.” Lin Haihai looked at the people roaming the street. “Let’s get home first. Come on!”
With a subtle flick of her wrist, she sent a torrent of air at the two suspicious men some distance away. They covered their chests with their hands and lost the ability to move. They could only stare at Lin Haihai and her companions as they walked away.
Back in the Prince Residence, Lin Haihai hurriedly asked, “Are you injured, Wangchen?”
Wangchen had interpreted Lin Haihai’s silence on their way home as her blaming Wangchen for failing the mission, which weighed her down like a physical weight. It was replaced by blooming warmth when she heard Lin Haihai asking after her with concern.
“I’m fine,” said Wangchen. “They didn’t hurt me!”
“How did you run into Wangchen, Zheng Feng?” Lin Haihai asked the man who had been silent.
Zheng Feng glanced at Wangchen and said, “I was sent by His Majesty to look into something, and I found her in a patch of bushes.”
“Look into what?” asked Lin Haihai.
Zheng Feng stuttered and looked away. “It’s confidential. I can’t tell you!”
Lin Haihai looked at him suspiciously. Confidential? Brother Yang had ordered him to stay by her side at all times. Why would he then be sent to conduct an investigation? Someone must be lying!
Yang Hanlun peered at the three of them. “What exactly is going on?”
Lin Haihai turned to Zheng Feng and said, “Go grab some food with Wangchen and get cleaned up! I have matters to discuss with His Highness!”
Zheng Feng nodded and helped Wangchen in.
Lin Haihai sat down on the chair and said, “I ordered Wangchen to follow Zhou Junpeng, Consort Zhen’s cousin and the young master of Tai Yu Money Exchange. He used to be the head of the palace guards!”
Yang Hanlun raised an eyebrow. “Follow him?”
“He’s Prince Pingnan’s man!” Lin Haihai said.
Yang Hanlun looked at her calm face. His subordinates had told him that she met up with Prince Pingnan in private, and they seemed close, like they had known each other a long time ago. Tentatively, he asked, “Do you know Prince Pingnan?”
Lin Haihai didn’t want him to know she had met Prince Pingnan to avoid unwanted trouble. “I don’t, but I know who he is. Isn’t he the one you’ve been guarding against?”
Yang Hanlun’s heart sank. Why would she lie? They had seen each other!
“Don’t concern yourself with the matter,” Yang Hanlun said faintly. “Go and take a bath. I have matters to attend to!”
Lin Haihai nodded. “Go then. Be careful. I’ll wait for you for dinner!”
Yang Hanlun nodded with suppressed pain in his eyes. She must not be a spy, or Imperial Elder Brother wouldn’t be able to take it!
Yang Hanlun rushed straight to the army camp outside the capital. The officers were eating in the tent. They hurriedly got up to bow to Yang Hanlun and said, “Greetings, Your Highness!”
“Rise!” Yang Hanlun said gravely. “Did you see anything suspicious while you followed Prince Pingnan?”
“Nothing worthy of attention or suspicion for the moment!” answered one of the officers.
Yang Hanlun fell silent, his expression wary as he looked around. Two of his men were missing. “Where are Feihu and Feiying?”
An officer cupped his fists at him. “Ah, they were on the tailing mission today, and they haven’t returned!”
Their conversation was interrupted when two men rushed into the tent. They came to a surprised stop when they saw Yang Hanlun. “Here you are, Your Highness. These lowly officers went to your residence to look for you, but it turns out you’ve come here!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Hanlun asked, his expression carefully blank.
“We were following Prince Pingnan today when we found that he had close contact with the young master of Tai Yu Money Exchange. At noon, they met up with Sixth Princess Consort at the River View Tavern. Sixth Princess Consort glared at Young Master Zhou, seemingly having a feud with him. Then Prince PIngnan said, ‘We’ll have nothing to worry about with Physician Lin helping us!’”
Feiying briefed Yang Hanlun carefully, leaving nothing unexplained. Yang Hanlun’s heart froze over. She’s a spy! How is Imperial Elder Brother going to take it? He almost gave up on the throne for her, but she was sent by Prince Pingnan to seduce him! That’s right, she made me marry her before seducing Imperial Elder Brother to drive a wedge between us. How maliciously shrewd she is!
Yang Hanlun thought about the possible explanations before telling his officers, “Keep this a secret for now and continue to follow Prince Pingnan!”
I must tell Imperial Elder Brother at once, or he’ll sink deeper and deeper until he cannot get out!
“Understood!” The officers accepted the order.
----
Tai Yu Money Exchange
Prince Pingnan looked at Zhou Junpeng darkly. “Feeling sorry for her?”
Zhou Junpeng froze. “This subordinate wouldn’t!”
“You must know that we have to make them doubt each other for us to have a chance of winning!” Yang Hanlun’s men hadn’t escaped his notice. Although they had mastered the art of stealth, his keen eyes had caught them.
“That was a masterful plan, Your Highness! Given the circumstances, Physician Lin wouldn’t dare tell Yang Hanlun about meeting you today, lest he become suspicious of her. So by allowing the ones tailing her to tell Yang Hanlun about this meeting, she would be caught lying to Yang Hanlun. The sixth prince is smart, but his feelings for Physician Lin will stop him from analyzing the situation calmly. He’ll suspect her immediately!”
Zhou Junpeng felt bitterness spread in his heart as he talked through the situation.
“Keep a close contact with her for the next few days!” Prince Pingnan smiled. “I want Yang Hanlun to kick her out!”
“What’s the meaning of that, Your Highness?” Zhou Junpeng had been wondering that.
Prince Pingnan rotated the jade ring on his thumb and said icily, “Linhai Hospital has won the people over. She’s known as a living Bodhisattva in the capital and other parts of the nation. Making an enemy out of her would be making an enemy out of the general public. Xuanjizi read my fortune for me before I came to the capital, and he said that there would be an obstacle stopping me from achieving my goal!”
“Obstacle?” Zhou Junpeng pressed.
“He didn’t say anything concrete, but he said I would be falling into an abyss forward and stepping into a forest backward. That’s referring to Lin Haihai!”
Zhou Junpeng muttered, “The abyss may be a bottomless body of water - the ocean. The forest refers to her surname lin. Lin Haihai[1], he was indeed talking about her!”
“She has to be dealt with, or my plan wouldn’t succeed!” Prince Pingnan’s eyes flashed, the light seemingly splitting the air to reach the Emperor Star[2] in the sky.
1. Lin means forest. Hai means ocean.
2. The Star Ziwei represents the supreme power, the emperor. It’s also Earth’s current North Star.