Scheme: The Prince Regent's Beloved Part 2

Chu Jin gazed in the direction the carriage had gone, then looked at the deserted alley, and slowly narrowed his eyes. "There's one other explanation that makes sense."

Tingxia looked over, confused, only to see the other man give him a slight smile before leaning in and whispering something in his ear.

Tingxia's expression went from confusion to shock. "Are you crazy?!"

Chu Jin said, "Regrettably, not yet."

Tingxia shook his head frantically. "I can't! I can't do it!"

"If you can't, then it's a dead end." Chu Jin's smile was elegant and languid, but in Tingxia's eyes, he looked like a demon wearing the skin of a beautiful man. "As long as there's the slightest chance, Li Sheng will not let me live. He has wanted to kill me for a long time. He won't miss a golden opportunity like tomorrow."

He spoke of life and death with such a calm tone. But Tingxia knew that tomorrow's ritual would be anything but peaceful.

"..." He licked his dry lips and nodded with difficulty. "Fine, I'll go."

He reached out for the Pearl-Silk Garment, opened it cautiously for a look, then looked up and asked, "Then what are your plans?"

"A trap set by the Lord Censor is bound to be a death trap," Chu Jin said. "This is all I can prepare in advance. As for the rest, I'll take it one step at a time. If worse comes to worst, we'll just perish together."

Tingxia's eyes widened in terror.

"You believed me?" The Prince Regent smiled lazily. "I was lying. A mere Li Sheng isn't enough to reduce me to such a state."

"..." Tingxia said angrily, "You'd better come back in one piece!"

It wasn't that he was worried for no reason. Now that the two of them were splitting up, Chu Jin would be alone to face Li Sheng and the others with ill intentions, not to mention any other factions that might want to interfere.

In the end, it was because he had too many enemies.

Chu Jin chuckled. "I should be the one saying that to you."

After a pause, his smile vanished, and he said softly, "Go on now. It'll be fine."

Sending Tingxia away was partly to let him gain experience, and partly because he would be in less danger if he wasn't with him.

Tingxia glared at him, gritted his teeth, and turned to walk away in the direction the carriage had gone. Chu Jin watched until he was out of sight before slowly turning and walking in the opposite direction.

The crowd on the street was as dense as ever. Walking alone among them, he was suddenly reminded of his youth, when he would travel with his friends from the academy. This same crowd, this same time of day, this same street.

Memories came flooding back, and the dream felt real once more.

In those peaceful years, when he looked back, he would see everyone with their arms around each other's shoulders, smiling and waving at him; when he reached out his hand, someone would always naturally take it, their fingers intertwining with his.

The Flower Boats of the Ji River parted the waves, the boatmen sang their shanties, passing under bridges and along the banks. Scented sachets and handkerchiefs fell like flowers, showering the boats in the Flower Boat Game. But while the vast Ji River carried the boats away, the people on them were not the same as before.

There were no more lights and laughter in the Red Sleeve Pavilion, and Heshan Academy saw no more springs and autumns.

Only he was left.

To face this capricious world.

Chu Jin spoke softly, both a question and an answer, "Do I regret it?"

It was impossible to sort out, impossible to speak of.

It was just a pity. Wishing to buy sweet osmanthus and share a boat of wine is, in the end, nothing like the journeys of youth.

In the evening, Liu Chengyin finished his last storytelling session of the day, collected his silver, and headed home, humming a little tune.

A generous noble had come to the teahouse today. Though he was mysterious and never showed his face, his tip was fifty taels of silver, even more than that Vice Minister Fan usually gave.

Liu Chengyin delightedly took out the wrapped silver from his robes and, with great care, counted it one more time before he felt at ease.

When he was done and looked up again, he suddenly saw a figure standing before him. The sky had darkened quickly, and the daylight was gone. The person's face was indistinct in the darkness; he could only vaguely make out a tall figure and a refined air. He didn't seem like a bad person.

Even so, Liu Chengyin took a step back and asked warily, "Who are you?"

The person didn't move, nor did he seem worried that Liu Chengyin would turn and flee. He spoke, "You don't recognize me? I was the one who gave you that fifty-tael tip."

It was the noble from the teahouse who had never shown his face!

Liu Chengyin thought for a moment. He reasoned that the man likely wouldn't chase him down just to ask for the money back, so he put on a fawning smile. "So it is you, Young Master. May I ask what business you have with this old man?"

The Young Master smiled faintly and said, "I enjoyed your storytelling very much today, so I wanted to meet you in private."

Hearing this, Liu Chengyin's face lit up with a smile. "You flatter me, you flatter me. In my younger days, people called me 'Famous Mouth.' Those were my glory days. Now I'm old, not what I used to be."

"Oh? Is that so?" the Young Master said with a smile. "Then if you have been in retirement for so many years, why have you suddenly returned to the scene?"

At these words, alarm bells rang in Liu Chengyin's mind. He had returned to the storytelling stage under someone else's orders and had promised that person he would not tell a soul. From the Young Master's tone, it seemed he had already guessed that someone was behind him.

He stared intently at the person opposite him. "Just who are you?!"

To his surprise, the Young Master gently extended a hand and said slowly, "One who wishes to pledge allegiance."

Liu Chengyin looked at his palm and saw a slip of paper lying there.

"This is my sincerity," the man said. "I must trouble you, sir, to deliver it to the person above you."

He paused, then added, "This matter is of the utmost importance. It concerns the Autumn River Ritual. If that lord finds out, he will not sit idly by."

Liu Chengyin took the note in a daze. He glanced down at it, and the hair on his arms instantly stood on end from shock.

"You..." His eyes widened. "How do you know this! Are... are you mad?"

Under his terrified gaze, the person smiled faintly, reached out, and gently closed Liu Chengyin's trembling hand, enclosing the note in his palm.

"Sir, you need only deliver the message."

He said in a low voice, "As for the rest, I have my own arrangements."

Chuchu: Observing the virtues of a proper man.

A note on the setting: seniority at Heshan Academy is based on experience, not age. Zhizhi enrolled first, so he is the Senior Brother, though he is actually one year younger than Chuchu.

This was only half the memory; the rest of the past events will be concluded in this volume.