pdf-ebookys Chapter 117 Separate Arrangements
Chapter 117 Separate Arrangements
Fan Qingyin returned to the Jiang family home without stopping, immediately went upstairs to write a letter to Lin Yi, and summoned her secret servant.
"Were you there just now?" His own secret servants were far more powerful than ordinary secret servants, and the royal palace of the Ocean Empire should have been like an empty place for him. But there were too many royals there just now, and the strength of the royal secret servants should not be underestimated, so he asked this question.
“I didn’t dare get too close. This is the Ocean Empire, and we don’t know its true extent.” The servant lowered his head slightly, still wearing a long, jet-black robe.
Unlike the other two empires' secret servants, he was tall and slender with a handsome face. Apart from concealing his aura and attire, he was not low-key at all.
Therefore, he needs even higher stealth skills. It can be said to be one in a million; even a noble family like the Fan family can count the number of secret servants of this caliber on one hand.
“But I roughly know what happened; I overheard most of the adults’ conversation,” the servant continued.
“Well, then I don’t need to elaborate.” Fan Qingyin could barely contain her anxiety. “I’m really worried about Xiaoyu being alone in the palace. She’s kind-hearted and might get hurt. Go to her side now and protect her for me.”
"Are you aware that Madam has a secret servant by her side?" The servant asked coldly and emotionlessly, which surprised Fan Qingyin for a moment.
"When did this happen?" Fan Qingyin asked. As far as he knew, Xiao Yu didn't have any secret servants by her side when she was in Hollandpur. Could it be that it happened during this trip back to the Jiang family...?
"It was General Jiang Ren who sent him to Madam's side," the servant said succinctly.
“I understand. Then his skills are probably not as good as yours. But since he was trained by the general, he should be a force to be reckoned with.” Fan Qingyin hesitated for a moment, but quickly made a decision. “Let’s wait and see. You don’t need to go to the palace for now. You have other things to do these next two days.”
"As you command." The servant, dressed entirely in black, was hidden in the light and shadow, even the curve of his bow perfectly matching the shadow cast by the window frame.
"Go keep an eye on Mrs. Tiny for me. I have a feeling this matter won't end so easily. We must pay attention to everyone she meets or associates with. She might try to create more trouble through other means," Fan Qingyin said.
"Yes." The air trembled slightly, and the figure in the darkness vanished again. Only Fan Qingyin remained, sitting at his desk with a frown. He looked at the soft bed in Jiang Yu's room, his suppressed worry showing in his sigh. He buried his face in his hands, looking lonely and vulnerable.
Downstairs, Jiang Ren wasn't idle either. He wasn't a reserved or repressed person to begin with, and he was extremely unhappy and worried about his daughter's misfortune. After his son-in-law came upstairs, he started pacing back and forth in the hall in a fit of rage.
"Ren, will Xiaoyu be alright?" Jiang Yu's mother clutched her chest and slumped onto the sofa. The etiquette and demeanor she had barely maintained in the palace crumbled the moment she got home.
Several husbands and children who came upon hearing the news also asked with concern what had happened.
"It's alright for now. If the Emperor wants to protect two people, there won't be any mishaps. Besides, I've already given An to her, so she can be protected even in the palace," Jiang Ren said. He then told the other family members what had happened in the palace.
"Ah! How could this be?" Jiang Yu's brother, who worked in the palace, immediately turned to leave, saying as he went, "I'll go into the palace right now and ask around to see if there's any way to help."
"Stop!" Jiang Ren shouted, feeling the veins on his head throbbing. This son always seemed to be out of his mind. If it weren't for the family's support, he would never have had the opportunity to work in the royal palace.
Why would he bother inquiring about things the emperor has decided? What connections could he possibly have to smooth things over? It's utterly absurd. But he couldn't say anything, after all, it was out of concern for his sister, just that his good intentions were misguided.
Jiang Yu's elder brother's father was taciturn and adhered to the principle of never speaking unless he had to resort to violence. This time was no exception. He rushed to his son's side almost the instant his son spoke and moved. At the same time as Jiang Ren shouted, he grabbed his son by the collar and pulled him back to the sofa. He couldn't help but slap his son on the back of the head.
As if they were used to the scene before them, no one else reacted in any particular way. Only Jiang Yu's mother took the time to glare at him: "Can you please stop making things worse?"
"Let's wait a moment," Jiang Ren said. "Since His Majesty has already made a guarantee, it would be inappropriate for us to take any further action now. Although we have some status and power now, we are constantly walking on the edge of a knife."
“Yes.” Jiang Yu’s mother completely trusted her husband. He rose from the son of a minor nobleman to a general wielding great power in the empire, leading his entire family from obscurity to glory. Contrary to his outwardly arrogant and rough demeanor, every decision he made was meticulous and flawless.
Jiang Yu's steady and cautious personality is inherited from the underlying character of her father, Jiang Ren.
“Go and send a message to Lin Yi’s father, General Lin Zhiwei. He’ll probably find out about what happened in the palace soon. Tell him to be patient and not come to the Jiang family for the next couple of days.” Jiang Ren stopped pacing. “Tell him to keep his reckless son in check and stay on the border so he doesn’t provoke the emperor.”
"As for us, we still need to investigate what needs to be investigated."
After the two men in charge arranged a series of things, everything else proceeded naturally.
Fan Qingyin hadn't forgotten Lu Shuang and Lan Yu either; Jiang Yu had specifically instructed him to keep their thoughts in mind. However, Lu Shuang and Lan Yu's family backgrounds were far inferior, and the inner workings of power were beyond their reach.
The matter was still unresolved, and the more people knew, the worse it would be. So Fan Qingyin simply wrote a short letter to express her greetings, inquire about the reason why they did not attend the ball, and casually mentioned that Jiang Yu was tied up with some matters and the trip to the Aurora Empire would have to be postponed again.
The letter to Lin Yi was not so mild. He knew that Lin Yi would be furious if he learned that Xiao Yu was practically under house arrest in the palace, and might even rush back regardless of the consequences. So he half-advised and half-emphasized that Lin Yi must not leave his post without permission.
Especially since he's stationed on the border of the Forest Empire, he can react quickly in case of any trouble. If all three of them were in the royal city, they'd be more vulnerable to being wiped out at once.
Fan Qingyin began to feel a headache coming on, even realizing that her family was too small. Lin Yi was stationed elsewhere, he and Xiao Yu were confined to the royal city, and their territory of Hollandpur was left unattended...
Ugh, he immediately slapped himself mentally. He'd really lost his mind.