sjar Chapter 751 Fake Military Report, Real Acting
Chapter 751 Fake Military Report, Real Acting
The air in the flower hall seemed to freeze for a moment because of the name "Lin Jiayou".
Qian Zhenyun looked at her without urging her, but gently moved the white jade ruyi slightly to make it look more stable.
The dull ache of being deceived ultimately couldn't overcome the more pressing crisis before him. Gu Qingchen slowly exhaled, the breath carrying away the last trace of hesitation in his eyes.
“Alright, it’s him.” She raised her eyes, her gaze sharpening again as she looked directly at Qian Zhenyun. “I’m going to set a trap. The bait for this trap must simultaneously strike at the Fifth Prince’s ‘merit’ and the Seventh Prince’s ‘profit’.”
She walked to the desk, spread out a sheet of fine Xuan paper, and personally ground the ink.
The ink stick spun in the inkstone, making a rustling sound, as if a scheme was quietly taking shape.
“The Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion still carries some weight in the military.” Gu Qingchen’s voice was steady and clear. “I will use this to forge a ‘military report’ that the northern frontier urgently needs a batch of special medicinal materials.”
Qian Zhenyun understood immediately. He walked slowly to her side and added, "There must be something wrong with this batch of medicinal herbs. Moreover, we need to make the Fifth Prince believe that the Seventh Prince deliberately colluded with his maternal relatives to frame him in order to monopolize the credit and money."
“That’s right.” Gu Qingchen’s lips curled into a cold smile. She picked up her pen, the tip of which was full of ink. “Don’t they like opera? I’ll set up a stage for them and let them perform to their heart’s content.”
She and Qian Zhenyun exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.
Gu Qingchen said no more, his wrist slightly lowered, and the tip of his brush moved quickly across the rice paper.
She no longer indulged in daydreams, but instead transformed the intricate web in her mind into concrete steps and clear words, stroke by stroke.
Qian Zhenyun stood quietly to the side, watching her methodically arrange the plan, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a familiar light, even more dazzling than before.
He knew that the stagnant waters of the capital city would soon be stirred up by her, creating a stormy sea.
Two days later, in the study of the Fifth Prince's residence.
The Fifth Prince, Zhao Zhang, was intently staring at a sand table. He was tall and imposing, with a soldier-like aura in his eyes.
The seventh prince, Zhao Rui, was lounging on a soft couch, idly fiddling with a string of pearls in his hand, his expression languid, but his eyes held a hidden glint of shrewdness.
A servant announced that Lin Jiayou was requesting an audience.
Zhao Zhang frowned, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes. Zhao Rui, however, became interested and sat up straight: "Let him in. I want to see what this dog without its master is trying to sniff out this time."
Lin Jiayou walked in, still with that humble and respectful demeanor, but his face was paler than usual.
He bowed and cut to the chase: "Your Highness, I have come to offer you a great fortune."
He took a sheet from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
Zhao Rui became interested and gestured for a servant to take it. He glanced at it, and his eyes lit up.
"Northern subway line grass and snowfield ice silkworm flower are both rare medicinal herbs that are priceless and unavailable. Lin Jiayou, you have quite the ability; where did you get this list?"
Lin Jiayou lowered his head, but his tone was firm: "Your Highness, this is a procurement order urgently needed by the Northern Frontier Army. Because it is a confidential matter, it was leaked through special channels. If we can accomplish this, we will not only make a great contribution to the army, but the profits will also be immeasurable."
"Military merits?" Zhao Zhang, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. He slowly turned around, his sharp gaze locking onto Lin Jiayou like a hawk's. "Lin Jiayou, do you think I'm as stupid as Lao San?"
Lin Jiayou's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
Zhao Zhang walked up to him step by step, looking down at him with an icy tone: "Don't forget how Third Brother fell from grace. It was all because he trusted a backstabber like you!"
This reprimand instantly turned the atmosphere in the study to freezing point.
Zhao Rui's smile faded, and he looked at Lin Jiayou, slowly saying, "Fifth Brother is right. Young Master Lin, we're afraid we can't handle this kind of 'wealth.' Is your current backer the Prince Yong's Mansion or the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion...?"
"My brother and I don't want to become someone else's tools without even realizing it."
Lin Jiayou suddenly raised his head, his face drained of all color.
He knew that this first step was already a perilous one.
Lin Jiayou steadied himself. Gu Qingchen was the real big fish. Whether it was the Prince Yong's Mansion or the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, they could only serve as stepping stones for him...
Lin Jiayou's knees buckled, and he knelt down, his forehead hitting the cold, hard bluestone floor with a dull thud.
"Your Highness, please understand!" His voice trembled slightly with fear, yet remained unusually clear. "I am now nothing more than a stray dog."
"With the Third Prince fallen, the Yong Prince's Mansion treats me like trash. Besides my worthless life, what else do I have that others can use as a tool?"
He raised his head, his usually gentle face now filled with the despair of someone who had made a desperate gamble.
"This fortune was earned through my own life. I know that I alone could not have swallowed it all. Looking across the entire capital, only the combined prestige of the Fifth Prince and the financial resources of the Seventh Prince could have accomplished this great feat!"
His words were a mix of self-deprecation and self-praise, and they also threw a difficult problem back at him.
Zhao Rui leaned back lazily on the soft couch, squinting his eyes like a fox scrutinizing its prey: "Oh? That sounds nice. You stray dog, from which nook and cranny did you dig out such a fortune?"
Lin Jiayou lowered his eyes, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze, and lowered his voice even further: "Your Highness, it is the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. To be precise, it is Gu Qingchen."
Upon hearing this name, both Zhao Zhang and Zhao Rui's expressions simultaneously turned serious.
Zhao Zhang snorted coldly: "You dare mention her? Lin Jiayou, did she dump you and come here to spout nonsense?"
“It is precisely because it is her that I dare to present her to Your Highnesses!” Lin Jiayou suddenly raised his voice, his eyes flashing with resentment and unwillingness. “She thought she could deceive everyone, but little did she know that there are always one or two people in the manor who cannot bear to see her doing well.”
"This military report was secretly copied by the steward of the manor. He wanted to sell it for a good price, but he was too timid to do so, so he came to me."
He got up from the ground, took two more humble steps forward, and spoke in a seductive tone.
"Your Highnesses, think about it, how rare are the medicinal herbs on this list? If it weren't for an extremely urgent military matter, why would such things be used?"
"Gu Qingchen wanted to take all the military credit and pave the way for the Crown Prince. But she was a young woman and she was bound to make mistakes."
Zhao Rui stopped fiddling with the pearl, and finally sat up straight, his eyes gleaming: "Where is the oversight?"