Chapter 319: The Couple's Secret Rendezvous
Chapter 319: The Couple's Secret Rendezvous
The study fell into an eerie silence.
No one spoke, but everyone felt a palpable pressure as if it had a physical form.
Even Ling Shangguan couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Luo San.
What kind of mind-altering soup did the Grand Commander feed this guy? He's courting death...
Lu Yuan maintained the stubbornness and coldness he should have, but he couldn't overdo it. After all, he was only acting under Lu Yuan's influence and hadn't become a second Lu Yuan.
Today, he not only had to convince Chancellor Xiangguo that he was Luo San, but more importantly, he wanted the chancellor to see a different son.
A son who obediently followed his every command was not what he desired.
But once this son grew flesh and bone, developed a proud spirit, and started to break free from his control, the chancellor would finally look at him with respect.
Luo San, oh Luo San, you used the wrong approach before.
Trying to please him is useless.
You need to become a wild and untamed beast.
This transformation required a catalyst.
And the Autumn Hunt was the perfect opportunity.
His words weren't a lie because the real Luo San had indeed undergone a transformation.
He had lost the inner desire for his birth father's approval and was now showing his true self.
The chancellor would surely investigate the events of the Autumn Hunt and discover what had transpired between Luo San and Lu Yuan. The more he investigated, the more convinced he would become of Luo San's transformation.
Naturally, all of this was based on the premise that the chancellor wouldn't kill him tonight.
So, it was a high-stakes gamble.
"Let him go."
The chancellor spoke.
Xun Qi called out in disbelief, "Adoptive Father!"
Lu Yuan clenched his fists.
The first step, and he had won the bet! The shadow guard sheathed his sword.
Lu Yuan stood up, let out a cold laugh, turned around, and left with a flick of his sleeves.
Ling Shangguan clicked his tongue, "Is he that arrogant?"
Xun Qi watched Lu Yuan's departing figure, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
He always felt that Luo San's identity was not as simple as it seemed. Not only had the adoptive father given him the heavy task of framing the Chu family, but he was also so tolerant of him.
The adoptive father was willing to kill even Lu Yuan, his most favored adoptive son.
It was known that Lu Yuan was the adoptive father's most prized adoptive son.
Could it be that Luo San held a higher position in the adoptive father's heart than any of his other adoptive sons?
Lu Yuan must have discovered something, which was why he was provoking the relationship between Luo San and the adoptive father.
Lu Yuan, have you seized the initiative once again?
Why... am I always one step behind you?
Chancellor Xiangguo instructed the shadow guard, "Go and investigate what happened to Luo San during those days of the Autumn Hunt."
"Yes!"
The shadow guard accepted the order.
The chancellor rose and left the study.
Xun Qi and Ling Shangguan respectfully saw him off.
"Was Luo San always this arrogant?"
Ling Shangguan asked Xun Qi.
Xun Qi shook his head, "I haven't had much interaction with Luo San."
Upon careful thought, Luo San had always been mysterious. He was skilled in disguise, frequently changing his identity among the advisors and guests, making it difficult for anyone to recognize him.
But based on Xun Qi's observations of all the chancellor's trusted aides, aside from Celestial Dragon, who dared to be dismissive of the chancellor, even Lu Yuan, before their falling out, had always been respectful to the adoptive father.
Ling Shangguan stroked his chin, "This Luo San, he's got a story to tell!"
Luo San currently resided in a small courtyard on the west side of the Chancellor's Mansion.
Lu Yuan had lived in the mansion for many years, and during the chancellor's absence from the capital, it was Lu Yuan who had managed the estate. So, when Luo San mentioned his courtyard, Lu Yuan immediately understood.
He made his way to the courtyard with ease.
Unexpectedly, Ling Shangguan followed after him.
"Luo San!"
Ling Shangguan called out to him.
Lu Yuan stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked nonchalantly, "Commander of the Imperial Guard, what do you want with me?"
Ling Shangguan carefully examined him, "You really look like him!"
Lu Yuan said, "It's fine, I'll go in first."
"Hey, don't leave!" Ling Shangguan reached out and grabbed his arm.
Lu Yuan almost slapped him, but remembering that he was now Luo San, he managed to suppress his anger with great restraint.
Ling Shangguan looked around and whispered, "So the Grand Commander is really dead?"
Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "Yes, he's dead."
Ling Shangguan clenched her teeth, "Damn it! My Spring Breeze Map is still hidden in his possession! Who do I ask for it now that he's dead?"
Lu Yuan: "..."
Lu Yuan suppressed the urge to kill Ling Shangguan, feeling that his cultivation had reached a new height.
After sending Ling Shangguan away, Lu Yuan finally "returned" to his own courtyard.
His first task was to have the servants change the mattress and bedding on the bed.
In the servants' minds, Luo San was somewhat formidable, and they efficiently made the changes and asked if he wanted a late-night snack. There was also a new batch of Burning Blade Wine in the manor today.
Unexpectedly, Luo San was a drunkard.
Lu Yuan ordered a jar for himself.
He didn't drink it but poured some onto his clothes instead.
Then, he laid down on the newly changed bed and began pondering his next steps.
He had managed to enter the Chancellor's Mansion as Luo San without any mishaps and successfully caught the Chancellor's attention, prompting him to reevaluate "himself." This meant that as long as he didn't expose himself, he wouldn't have to worry about his life being in danger for the time being.
However, the Chancellor was not someone who could be easily fooled. The longer Lu Yuan stayed by his side, the greater the risk of being exposed.
He had to find the Chancellor's incriminating evidence before that happened.
Luo San had told him that the Chancellor had a secret room, and he had accidentally entered it once when the Chancellor first brought him back to the mansion.
At that time, he was still young and naive, and it wasn't intentional.
If it had been intentional, he would have likely lost his life.
Unfortunately, it was late at night, and he was sick, so he genuinely couldn't remember where the secret room was.
The only thing he could confirm was that the secret room contained sufficient evidence to bring down the Chancellor.
Luo San could testify against the Chancellor, but with only witness testimony, it wouldn't be enough to bring about the Chancellor's downfall.
Only with both witness and physical evidence could the Chancellor's crimes be truly established.
Lu Yuan had infiltrated the Chancellor's Mansion with a second objective: to find out the whereabouts of the Shang Clan's bloodline.
Creak—
As his thoughts raced, the window lattice was pushed open.
A shadowy figure stealthily climbed in and tiptoed to the bedside.
Lu Yuan closed his eyes.
The intruder used a Xiu Chun Saber to lift the curtain and squinted at the "sleeping" Lu Yuan, slowly extending a claw-like hand to grab the blanket covering Lu Yuan.
The intruder tucked the blanket corner around Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan opened his eyes.
Meng Qianqian, dressed in night travel garments, was startled, "Husband, you're not asleep?"
Lu Yuan: "I was asleep, but you woke me up."
"Oh..." Meng Qianqian blinked, "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to see how you were doing and if you encountered any danger."
Lu Yuan sat up, "You know this is the Chancellor's Mansion, and you're breaking in in the middle of the night. Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"
Meng Qianqian replied nonchalantly, "If I'm discovered, I'll just escape. Anyway, we have Celestial Dragon as our inside man..."
Lu Yuan's eyes turned sharp as knives.
Meng Qianqian quickly changed her words, "And you, husband!"
Lu Yuan asked coldly, "Have you met with Celestial Dragon?"
Meng Qianqian swore to heaven, "No, no. I came to look for you first."
Lu Yuan gave a cold hum.
Meng Qianqian sniffed his clothes, "Husband, have you been drinking?"
Just as Lu Yuan was about to speak, a coquettish voice sounded from outside the door, "Third Young Master, the side dishes for the wine are here."
Qianqian: It's so thrilling in the middle of the night!
(End of Chapter)
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