Chapter 487 — An Outcry
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Dou Yan thought for a moment, then said to Chen Yanzhou, "The heir is not the sort to shoot at nothing. He recalled Lu Ming in secret, so he must mean to guard against the Prince of Liao and the Duke of Ying. Please go brief Master Duan and the others once more."
"Rest easy, my lady. I will go and caution Duan Bing and the rest at once," Chen Yanzhou said. "Apart from Lu Ming, Duan Bing and his men have spotted Guard Chang as well. He has a band of men hidden in the shadows too. Duan Bing says several among them are consummate masters, faces he does not know, and he suspects they belong to the Prince of Liao..."
Dou Yan knew it could not be so simple!
Her brows arched faintly, and she gave a cold laugh. "That fellow Chang is tired of living! We held off before because he seemed a man of no great ability, and the Duke of Ying leaned on him like his own right arm. We reckoned that if we disposed of him, the Duke would only find someone more formidable, and that would make trouble for us. So we never touched him. And now look at him—a faithful dog to the Duke of Ying, bold enough even to bite the heir!" Her expression gradually turned grave. "Chen sou, with several consummate masters appearing out of nowhere, if Master Duan and Lu Ming join forces, are they sure they can hold those men?"
"Lu Ming has spotted them too," Chen Yanzhou said. "Before I came, Lu Ming, Duan Bing, and I put our heads together. Holding them will be somewhat difficult, but if we do not scruple to kill, we can risk an all-out strike."
Song Yan was in the light, Lu Ming in the dark. Lu Ming was leaving the decision to Dou Yan.
Dou Yan said, "Then let us risk an all-out strike! Even if we cannot take those unknown masters, use the confusion to finish off that fellow Chang!"
Chen Yanzhou assented with a smile and withdrew.
Yet Dou Yan still felt uneasy at heart.
It was like swinging a fist at a foe while knowing nothing of where his fatal weakness lay—mere brute force, nothing more.
She paced slowly back and forth in the room.
If she were the Prince of Liao, and met with someone like Song Yan, who blocked her grand design—what would she do?
Kill him?
No!
Song Yan came of a distinguished house and held office under the court; the consequences would be too grave.
Then it could only be a frame-up!
Corruption?
For one, Song Yan had never been corrupt. For another, planting false evidence is a fine craft, entangling too many people. Even if it succeeded, given Song Yan's rank and standing, the Emperor might privately laugh it off, summon Song Yan for a stern dressing-down, and let the matter rest. And should the scheme be exposed, the Prince of Liao's ambitions would stand revealed—too great a risk.
Treason?
A thief dare not cry "stop thief!"
What means was there to bring Song Yan down from the post of Commander of the Imperial Guards, and at the same time make the Emperor loathe him—so that he would never be employed again?
Dou Yan sat on the heated kang by the window, sipping her tea slowly and carefully.
Character!
Only if Song Yan's character were compromised, so that he could never again win the Emperor's trust, would the Prince of Liao and the Empress have a way to move Song Yan aside!
Yes, that was the only way!
In her former life, Song Cen had framed Song Yan for adultery with Lady Jiang's maid during the mourning for his mother—had that not been the very trick he used?
How had she not thought of it!
Was it because she had already defeated that trick before?
With a cry of "Ai yo," Dou Yan rose to her feet. She had no time to think further; she called loudly for Ruozhu, then instructed Ruotong, "Go and fetch Chen sou here."
The two flew off.
Liu Zhang, being in the inner courtyard, arrived first.
Dou Yan asked him, "Song Han came to keep the guests company. What people did he bring with him?"