Meng Qing said with a smile, “Since Yi is in the Second Brother’s mansion, I won’t hope for a strategist like Yi Ya. But if I can have someone like Master Pan, I would warmly welcome him.”
Pan Xian said, “Isn’t there Master Yu Wen by the Third Prince’s side?”
Meng Qing replied, “Talents are always welcome in abundance. Having more helpers is always better than having fewer.”
Pan Xian smiled faintly and said nothing.
Soon, Luo Ye returned to the mansion. He knew Luo Zhan was waiting for him inside, and before entering the inner hall, he smiled and said, “Third Brother, I’ve kept you waiting.”
Meng Qing stood up and said, “I haven’t been waiting long. Second Brother, how is Fifth Brother’s injury?”
Luo Ye shook his head slightly, “Fortunately, it did not affect the tendons and bones. Otherwise, I would feel guilty for life.”
Meng Qing smiled lightly, “In that case, Zhan’s poisoning was also fortunate.”
Luo Ye’s expression froze for a moment. He looked at Meng Qing and changed the subject, “It’s already so late. Since you came directly from the Grand Tutor’s mansion, you naturally haven’t eaten. Stay and have a casual meal here.”
Meng Qing said, “I don’t need to eat. I came to see Yi.”
Luo Ye’s face changed slightly, “Which Yi?”
Meng Qing curved his mouth, “Isn’t it the ‘Yi’ who came with you when you visited Zhan’s mansion the other day?”
Luo Ye remembered, “Oh, that Yi. What does the Third Prince want with her?”
“Yi wrote a message that was hard to understand last time. Zhan wants to know how to decipher it.”
Luo Ye thought to himself that the message was just something Yi wrote to fool Luo Zhan. How could it be deciphered?
He had sent Pan Xian away today, originally planning to drug Yi for an hour and take advantage of her, making it a fait accompli. But his plan was interrupted by the news of Bao Grand Tutor’s death.
Before leaving the mansion, he had ordered the servant to continue giving Yi medicine to keep her unconscious, but an unconscious person cannot drink much medicine.
He regretted killing the wandering doctor too early to silence him and was uncertain about Yi’s current condition.
To prevent complications, Luo Ye decided to make Luo Zhan completely give up on seeing Yi. He pretended to look regretful and said, “Yi has left the capital and will not return.”
Meng Qing smiled in surprise, “But Master Pan just said Yi was only out and would return soon.”
Luo Ye was stunned and looked at Pan Xian, his eyes already showing blame.
Pan Xian felt a suppressed anger. The Second Prince had taken action against Yi without consulting him, and his authority was now being questioned. As a subordinate, he had to endure this grievance. If the ruler and minister were harmonious, he would not mind suffering a little. But now, it seemed Luo Ye wanted to distance himself and shift the blame onto Pan Xian.
Although angry in his heart, Pan Xian still explained to Meng Qing with a calm face: “I was not in the mansion all day today. When the Third Prince came, I had just returned home, so I did not know if Miss Yi had returned to her own home. I have caused a misunderstanding for the Third Prince. Please forgive me.”
Meng Qing pretended not to believe him: “Second Brother, you must be saying this because you don’t want Zhan to see Miss Yi. I really don’t understand why you insist on not letting him see her. Could something have happened to Miss Yi?”
Luo Ye said sarcastically: “Third Brother, when did you become so suspicious? If Miss Yi were truly in the mansion, what reason would I have for not letting you see her?”
Meng Qing said: “Yes, why exactly, Second Brother?”
Luo Ye paused for a moment, then smiled and said: “If Third Brother still doesn’t believe me, stay and have a meal here. We’ll see if Miss Yi returns.” After saying this, he ordered servants to bring food and wine.
Meng Qing looked at his affected manner and agreed to stay. Luo Ye continuously urged him to drink, wanting to get Luo Zhan drunk. Meng Qing played along and pretended to pass out on the table. Luo Ye lightly pushed his shoulder, calling: “Third Brother? Third Brother?”
Meng Qing mumbled a few incoherent words and did not get up. Luo Ye then told Pan Xian: “Please help escort the Third Prince home.”
Luo Ye left the dining hall and hurriedly walked toward the inner courtyard. He had not gone far when he heard Pan Xian calling behind him: “Third Prince, Third Prince, where are you going?”
Luo Ye frowned, turning to face Meng Qing, who was staggering after him, and looked at Pan Xian with displeasure.
Pan Xian explained awkwardly: “I had just helped the Third Prince up, but he pushed me away and ran in. I truly could not…”
At this moment, Meng Qing, with heavy alcohol breath, asked: “Is the washroom in Second Brother’s mansion actually located so deep inside?”
Luo Ye denied: “I’m not going to the washroom, but returning to my room to change and rest.”
Meng Qing shook his head, hiccupping: “Second Brother, you clearly were drinking with Zhan, and then left Zhan behind and returned to your room. This is not the way to treat a guest.”
Luo Ye said: “Third Brother, you’re drunk. You should go home and rest.”
Meng Qing grabbed Luo Ye’s arm, slurring: “Zhan, not drunk. Zhan is very clear-headed now. Zhan knows you’ve hidden Miss Yi.”
Luo Ye’s expression changed. He didn’t know if Luo Zhan was speaking drunkenly or truly knew about this. Had he planted a spy among his close confidants? Or did Pan Xian deliberately let Luo Zhan know? Luo Ye thought this and couldn’t help looking at Pan Xian.
Pan Xian understood Luo Ye’s look and felt his heart sink. However, he could not directly explain to Luo Ye and could only turn to Meng Qing, repeatedly urging him to go back and insisting that Miss Yi was not in the mansion.
Meng Qing, however, put on a drunken act, insisting that Miss Yi was inside.
Luo Ye also tried to persuade him for a while.
Seeing that Luo Zhan was unreasonable and just causing a drunken scene, he was anxious about whether Yi Yao would wake up from the drug’s effects. His anxiety turned to anger: “Does Third Brother want to personally search inside before believing my words?!”
Meng Qing immediately said: “Since Second Brother says so, uh, Zhan will go inside and look.” And he began walking inside.
Luo Ye was speechless, and his face immediately darkened.
Chapter 134 Struggle for the Throne (14)
Seeing Meng Qing walking directly into the inner courtyard, Luo Ye’s face immediately turned gloomy. His inner courtyard was not a place Luo Zhan could enter, which is why he had said those words earlier. His intention was to stop Luo Zhan, but unexpectedly, Luo Zhan took the opportunity to climb up and really wanted to go inside and search.
Meng Qing didn’t care about his embarrassment and walked straight in. His large steps mixed with small steps looked unsteady, but he never actually fell.
Luo Ye followed with an iron-blue face, his heart already harboring murderous intent. If Luo Zhan couldn’t find Yi Yao today, he would just treat it as his third brother’s drunken nonsense. But if he actually found her, he could not let him leave.
Using the tracking device in Yu Yi’s bracelet, Meng Qing had already roughly determined which courtyard she was in and went directly there.
Luo Ye was even more convinced that Luo Zhan had a spy in his mansion, and this spy was someone very close to him.
Pan Xian, not knowing exactly where Yi Yao was, did not have such thoughts and was unaware that Luo Ye had already suspected him.
