Chapter 38: Fish in Troubled Waters

Xiao Anzi stood firmly in front of Ning Chen, shielding him as if facing a formidable enemy. He knew all too well that if this group of people appearing outside had truly been sent by the Empress Dowager, it likely meant that Fan Dayou had failed to hold out and had confessed everything. The consequences would be unimaginable!

"Your Majesty, let's fight our way out..."

Just as Xiao Anzi spoke, Ning Chen interrupted him with a smile: "Rest assured, it will be fine!"

Xiao Anzi asked in confusion: "But Your Majesty..."

Ning Chen patted Xiao Anzi on the shoulder and said: "If they were sent by the Empress Dowager to deal with me, your men from the Eastern Depot would have reported it long ago!"

Xiao Anzi suddenly realized the truth. It was true; ever since the young Emperor had tasked him with covertly developing the Eastern Depot, it had grown to a considerable scale over this time. If the Empress Dowager had sent men to brazenly storm in, he surely would have received word in advance.

And as expected, a familiar voice drifted in from outside: "By order of the Empress Dowager, all guards are to be rotated!"

After a burst of commotion, the voice sounded again: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has instructed me to inform you that it is time for the morning court!"

Xiao Anzi was startled and immediately looked at Ning Chen: "Your Majesty, it is Cao Dahai!"

Ning Chen nodded, straightened his clothes, and fiddled with something at his desk for a moment before striding out of the hall. Pushing open the door, he saw Cao Dahai waiting outside with his back hunched. In an instant, Ning Chen’s complex expression shifted into one of naive ignorance. Opening his clear, vacant eyes, he asked innocently: "Deputy Commander Cao, why the sudden rotation?"

Cao Dahai glanced up at Ning Chen, his tone laced with a hint of disdain: "This is the Empress Dowager's order. Please forgive this subordinate for being unable to disclose more!"

Ning Chen frowned, walked straight up to Cao Dahai, tilted his head, and cupped a hand behind his ear: "What did you say?"

Seeing this, Cao Dahai stepped forward half a pace: "Please forgive this subordinate for being unable to disclose..."

Before he could finish, Ning Chen suddenly slapped Cao Dahai across the face. This scene stunned everyone present! Even Cao Dahai was bewildered, immediately clutching his face.

Ning Chen scanned the crowd and said coldly: "Mind your attitude!" With that, he flicked his sleeves and shouted: "To court!"

Cao Dahai, still clutching his face with a look of rage, turned and barked at his subordinates: "What are you looking at? Get on with the rotation! I have other places to be!"

Once the crowd had dispersed, he turned and walked into an empty corner. He lowered his hand from his face, revealing a small note concealed in his palm. He unfolded it to read: "Fan Dayou must not die!"

Cao Dahai touched his face again, looking in the direction Ning Chen had departed, and a faint smirk curled his lips. He muttered to himself: "Not big in age, but quite strong in spirit. Truly impressive..."

No one heard his whispered words, and no one knew what he meant by "truly impressive." Little did they know, this note had been slipped to him by Ning Chen during that very slap. Cao Dahai, sharp and alert, had sensed the object in the young Emperor’s hand the moment it struck, and had immediately covered his face to press the note firmly against his skin.

***

Once Ning Chen boarded the imperial carriage, his gaze fixed on the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the corners of his mouth lifted in an imperceptible smile. His seemingly vacant eyes now held a glimmer of strictly suppressed excitement, and his hands, hidden within his sleeves, trembled slightly.

It worked! It finally worked!

Cao Dahai was the very man recommended to him by Old Master Kong. He knew that by having Cao Dahai lead the guard rotation early in the morning, it signified that Cao had gained the Empress Dowager’s absolute trust and was on the verge of becoming the commander of the thirty-thousand-strong Imperial Guard. His entire plan had finally come to fruition.

In fact, back when Ning Chen and Old Master Kong had each written the name "Pan Yu" on their palms, Cao Dahai’s name had already been woven into their scheme. Although Cao was Pan Yu’s hand-picked protégé and confidant, Old Master Kong had vouched for him, insisting he was absolutely trustworthy. The Old Master hadn't explained why, only vaguely mentioning that Cao owed him a favor and had struggled immensely to rise from a street thug to his current position. Ning Chen did not pry; in this world, Old Master Kong was one of the few people he trusted most. Without him, Ning Chen would not have survived this long—he likely would have been deposed the day after the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.

Even so, Ning Chen, well aware that one must always be on guard, had remained vigilant, even having Xiao Anzi secretly monitor Cao Dahai’s family. If things turned sour, they would all go to hell together. Fortunately, Cao Dahai had not disappointed him, nor had he betrayed the trust of Old Master Kong.

This gamble, which could have plunged him into the abyss at the slightest misstep, had been won. Back when the Empress Dowager had publicly asked the ministers whether Cao Dahai or Yang Fei was better suited to lead the Imperial Guard, Ning Chen had realized she preferred Yang Fei. The Minister of Revenue, Zhao Siwen, was her absolute lackey and the best at reading her intentions; the way he and his faction had clamored for Yang Fei made her preference clear. After all, Cao Dahai had been Pan Yu’s man, and since Pan Yu had been discarded and silenced for knowing too much, the Empress Dowager found it hard to fully trust Cao. Her "test" had merely been a way to use the two men to purge the court.

That was the hardest part of pushing Cao Dahai to power. Thus, to ensure Cao earned her absolute trust, Ning Chen had to orchestrate a chaotic diversion. He had anticipated the Empress Dowager would move against Fan Dayou, and Cao Dahai had relayed this through Old Master Kong. Ning Chen played along, having Fan Dayou wait at home to be captured, while setting an ambush. When Yang Fei appeared at Fan Dayou’s home, he walked straight into the trap. Where Yang Fei had buried Fan Dayou, or where he was now, was unknown, but Cao Dahai reported to the Empress Dowager that Yang Fei had released Fan Dayou.

At this point, the Empress Dowager was bound to be suspicious of both men. Yang Fei’s sudden "betrayal" was hard to believe, and because Cao Dahai was not her favorite, she would suspect him of framing Yang Fei. This uncertainty was exactly what Ning Chen wanted. The more she doubted Cao, the easier it would be for him to win her trust later. Per the plan, Fan Dayou would pretend to be captured halfway, claiming he had separated from Yang Fei out of concern for his family. Once the Empress Dowager learned of the capture, she would reason that if Cao were framing Yang Fei, he would never have brought back a living witness. After all, if Fan Dayou spilled the truth, Cao would be digging his own grave.

Fan Dayou, under "torture," would confess that Yang Fei had indeed let him go and that they were in league. With Old Master Kong’s help, Ning Chen had already concocted a narrative for who the mastermind behind them was. Once the Empress Dowager believed Fan Dayou, she would realize she had misunderstood Cao Dahai. Even for someone as arrogant and haughty as the Empress Dowager, once the witness "confessed," she would no longer doubt Cao. Every detail had been meticulously considered by Ning Chen and Old Master Kong; as long as Fan Dayou’s acting held up, she would find no flaws.

Fan Dayou was the biggest risk. If he failed to act or broke under torture and revealed the truth, everything would be lost. Fortunately, the guard rotation proved he had succeeded. More importantly, Ning Chen knew the Empress Dowager was a deeply suspicious person—and such people only believe what they hear, see, and think for themselves. To her, Fan Dayou was the key to solving the mystery. Compared to the vanished "loyal subject" Yang Fei, she trusted the "testimony" of this witness.

Now, Ning Chen’s only worry was Fan Dayou. He wasn't sure if the Empress Dowager would keep him alive after he "honestly" confessed.

***

Meanwhile, at the Phoenix Pavilion.

Looking at the Empress Dowager, who was dressed in her ceremonial robes and about to depart, the old matron asked softly: "Your Majesty, is it not a bit hasty to have Cao Dahai rotate the guards and purge Yang Fei’s remnants so quickly?"

The Empress Dowager frowned: "What? You were the one who personally broke Fan Dayou’s spirit; do you now doubt his testimony?"

The matron hesitated: "Not at all, it’s just that I find it hard to accept that Yang Fei was hiding so deep."

The Empress Dowager sneered: "There is nothing to find hard to accept. I never trust anyone; I only believe in evidence. Fan Dayou’s testimony is flawless."

The matron asked again: "Then... what of Fan Dayou? Should he be executed or kept alive..."

The Empress Dowager smirked: "How could I kill such an important witness? Move him to a secure location. I will still need him when I deal with Prince Qi..."