Chapter 681.2: Taking sides in turmoil

In the meantime, in another room.

Yun Ruofeng clenched his fists as he sat in his seat, clutching a secret weapon in his hand.

“Yunling, have you found out who that woman in blue is?”

Yunling answered, “Prince Yun, the information doesn’t seem to match, but I’ve gotten it from a reliable source. According to what I know, that woman should be almost fifty years old, but…”

What he meant to convey was clear enough, even though he did not finish his sentence.

Yun Ruofeng smirked and said, “Hmm. What else is there?”

“She goes by the name of Lanshan, and she’s an adoptee of the late emperor. She was supposed to be an imperial princess, but she went missing for three years because of the past war in the Western Region. She was given the title of Great Ancestor when she returned, and decided to become a nun before retreating into a monastery. There isn’t any information about the three years she was missing for.” Yunling explained.

Yun Ruofeng smirked upon hearing this. “Try to get information on what happened in those three years. There must have been something that happened.”

Yunling nodded. “Her appearance threw a wrench in our plans. What shall we do next, Prince Yun?”

“Let’s just observe for now. We’ll need to look at her relationship with Hua Ziqing and Hua Zirong. Once we pinpoint their weak spot, we’ll pit them against one another; the more intense their fight, the better.” Yun Ruofeng smirked as he imagined his ideal scenario.

“Prince Yun, does our agreement with Prince Qing still stand in this case?” Yunling asked without emotion.

Yun Ruofeng nodded. “Not only does it have to continue, we’ll have to make it so that everyone knows we are on Hua Ziqing’s side.” 

Yunling did not understand Yun Ruofeng’s intentions. “Why do we need to do that, Prince Yun?”

“No one will be able to get out of this easily.” Yun Ruofeng’s smirk enlightened Yunling, and he quickly nodded before retreating back into the darkness.

Liang Yong entered shortly after.

He spoke respectfully, “Prince Yun, there’s someone who’s requesting an audience with you.”

A tiny hint of emotion flashed across Yun Ruofeng’s face as he answered, “Let her in.”

It was Lanshan. Having expected her to show up, Yun Ruofeng wasn’t surprised as he watched the plainly dressed woman enter.

“You don’t look surprised at my arrival, Prince Yun. I guess your subordinates have already looked into my background.” Lanshan took a seat and helped herself to a sip of tea as she spoke.

Yun Ruofeng said, “So you’re here to answer the questions I have in my head?”

“You’re probably curious about what happened in those three years,” Lanshan said with a smile.

“The information states that you’ve been in the monastery all this while, but I guess not,” Yun Ruofeng said coldly.

“Go ahead and ask me your questions, Prince Yun. I’ll answer them wherever possible.” Lanshan spoke in a tepid tone.

Yun Ruofeng smirked inwardly, thinking to himself, What a cunning fox. She looks sincere on the outside but everything she says can be a trap.

“You seem to be implying something. This Prince doesn’t think that you’re being sincere at all.” Yun Ruofeng was unwilling to back down.

“Prince Yun, there are some things that someone at your level shouldn’t be involved in.” There was no change in Lanshan’s expression as she answered.

“Get to the point, please. Stop beating around the bush,” Yun Ruofeng said simply.

Lanshan gripped the teacup in her hand as she asked, “Prince Yun needs a strong partner, while Qing’er needs someone with power on the outside. However, aren’t you being too ambitious, Prince Yun?”

Yun Ruofeng scoffed. “This Prince is of the view that you’ve been stuck in your monastery for far too long. Xiliu is no longer what it was.”

A cold glint flashed across Lanshan’s eyes. “Prince Yun, even though I’ve been in the monastery for a while now, I know that what you want is definitely too much.”

Yun Ruofeng smirked and said, “Since we can’t come to an agreement, there’s no need to continue the discussion, is there?”

Yun Ruofeng knew very well that Lanshan was here to rile him up. I’ll play along with her for now.