The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night

At this thought, his eyes turned vicious. "Lu Zhan," he snarled, "don’t blame me for this. Only with your death can I save my own skin! Men! Gather our forces and head to Pan Yun Mountain Villa! And send another team to the Lu Family Villa to capture Zhi Wan for me!"

Fortunately, he’d had men secretly tailing Lu Zhan.

He knew that today, Lu Zhan had taken those slender beauties he’d sent him to the remote Pan Yun Mountain Villa for some amusement.

The place was secluded, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike.

’Some high-ranking official from the Capital City? An Imperial Envoy appointed by the Emperor? On my turf, even a dragon has to lie down and grovel!’

Liang Qixian was brimming with confidence.

...

In the dead of night, a tremendous crash at Pan Yun Mountain Villa jolted Zhi Wan from her sleep.

She thought she had misheard, but the next moment, she heard the clamor of intense fighting.

Startled, she quickly shook Ouyang Zhenzhu awake.

"Zhenzhu, it sounds like there’s fighting out front. Intruders might have broken in."

"Fighting?" Ouyang Zhenzhu’s eyes were still heavy with sleep. "Are you sure you didn’t mishear?"

"I’m sure. It’s real." Anxious, Zhi Wan got out of bed, dressed, and tossed Ouyang Zhenzhu’s clothes to her. "Hurry up and get dressed!"

Zhi Wan’s urgency instantly chased away Ouyang Zhenzhu’s drowsiness, and she scrambled out of bed to put on her clothes.

"Don’t scare me. Even if there are intruders, isn’t Mr. Lu and his men out front? Didn’t Mr. Lu and the others capture those vicious pirates last time?"

"These might not be ordinary intruders," Zhi Wan said, her fists clenching.

’The people breaking into the villa now... it might be Liang Qixian and his men.’

’They must know my cousin has the ledger, so they’ve decided to go all in and kill him to destroy the evidence!’

’No matter how capable my cousin is, Yangzhou is still Liang Qixian’s territory. Even a mighty dragon is no match for a local snake. Besides, if Liang Qixian gets desperate and really brings men here to kill him, my cousin might not be able to handle it.’

The more Zhi Wan thought about it, the more panicked she became.

"Do you know something?" Ouyang Zhenzhu asked quickly.

Zhi Wan shook her head. "I’m not entirely sure about the details."

"Then what should we do? You don’t think Mr. Lu and his men will be overwhelmed, do you?" As she spoke, Ouyang Zhenzhu grabbed the small paring knife from the table. "Should we go out and see?"

Zhi Wan was worried about her cousin, so upon hearing this, she nodded without hesitation. "Alright."

Just as the two were about to open the door, a familiar voice suddenly called from outside, "Miss, the Princely Heir requests your presence!"

Recognizing the voice, Zhi Wan asked joyfully, "Chen Jiu?"

"It is I," Chen Jiu replied respectfully from beyond the door.

Zhi Wan’s anxious heart finally settled. She immediately opened the door. "Chen Jiu, what’s the situation out front? Was it Liang Qixian who broke in?"

Chen Jiu nodded. "It was Liang Qixian. He gathered his men to kill the Princely Heir, but the Princely Heir had already anticipated this. He secretly mobilized troops from the Garrison and has now captured Liang Qixian."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan breathed a complete sigh of relief and asked, "Liang Qixian acted so desperately... was it because of the ledger?"

"Precisely." Chen Jiu nodded and explained further, "The Princely Heir had me escort Jiang Shi, who was disguised as you, to Jurong to retrieve the ledger. When Liang Qixian found out, he sent men to tail them and seize it, but his men were no match for us and failed.

Liang Qixian was terrified that if the ledger fell into the Princely Heir’s hands, he would have no escape. So he gathered his forces for a desperate gamble: kill the Princely Heir and take the ledger.

Little did he know, this was all a trap deliberately set by the Princely Heir.

They stormed the villa with weapons, intending to assassinate a Court official. Combined with his previous crimes, he’s more than earned his death sentence this time."

As she listened, Zhi Wan finally understood her cousin’s entire plan.

’So when he first said he wanted me to be the bait, he was just teasing. He never intended for me to put myself in harm’s way. The real bait was him all along! No wonder he suddenly decided to go on an outing despite being so busy, and even chose such a remote place—it was all to give Liang Qixian the perfect chance to assassinate him. If my cousin hadn’t set this trap, how would a cunning old fox like Liang Qixian have lost his nerve and fallen for it? Now that Liang Qixian has been caught in the act, and with my cousin holding the ledger, there’s no chance for him to escape.’

Zhi Wan secretly marveled. ’My cousin’s mind is so meticulous. His shrewdness is truly beyond compare.’

She turned to Ouyang Zhenzhu and said, "It’s alright now. You can go back to sleep. I’m going to the front to have a look."

"No, I’m going with you," Ouyang Zhenzhu said, still worried.

Zhi Wan thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay."

The front courtyard was now brightly lit. Guards holding torches illuminated the yard as if it were daytime, casting a horrifying light upon the bloodstains on the ground.

Liang Qixian and all his subordinates were trussed up and forced to kneel on the ground.

Full of regret and fury, Liang Qixian glared at the young man standing on the steps, hands clasped behind his back. He finally understood: he had fallen right into the man’s trap.

’I didn’t have to take such a desperate risk. It was Lu Zhan who laid the trap and made me lose my composure. But it’s too late for regrets now.’

He forced himself to calm down, his voice softening. "Mr. Lu, this is all a misunderstanding. I beg you, be merciful and let me go!"

"A misunderstanding?" Lu Zhan tossed the ledger in his hand down in front of him. "This book contains detailed proof of your crimes of embezzling public funds. What’s more, your hands are stained with the blood of so many innocent people. And you want me to let you go? The Jurong County Magistrate and his wife... they died a tragic death at your hands!"

Liang Qixian’s expression changed. "The Jurong County Magistrate died at the hands of bandits. It had nothing to do with me. Mr. Lu, you mustn’t sling mud at me! The Government Office still has the case files from back then."

"You’re at death’s door and you still dare to make excuses?" Lu Zhan’s voice was ice-cold. "First, you embezzled funds for the river project. Second, you attempted to assassinate me. These two crimes alone are enough to have your head roll and your entire family implicated. Further arguments are useless!"

Terrified beyond belief, Liang Qixian slumped limply to the ground.

But he quickly remembered something and rallied. "Mr. Lu, I will give you all the gold and silver I have accumulated over the years in exchange for the lives of my family!"

"I will turn over all of your ill-gotten gains to the Court. As for the crimes you’ve committed, don’t even think about escaping!" Lu Zhan was unmoved, his expression chillingly cold.

Seeing this, Liang Qixian was filled with regret. Lu Zhan’s previous display of being a muddle-headed lecher was clearly all an act.

He had been completely deceived by the facade Lu Zhan had created, causing him to carelessly underestimate the man and end up in this state.

He said resentfully, "So you look down on gold and silver, but what about your little cousin? If anything happens to me, that charming little cousin of yours will be buried with me!"

Lu Zhan’s expression changed. He suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Liang Qixian hard, sending him sprawling. His voice was bone-chillingly cold. "You? You think you’re worthy?"

Liang Qixian’s jaw hit the ground, and a front tooth, mixed with blood, rolled onto the dirt.

At this, he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. "It seems the aloof Mr. Lu’s weakness is that Zhi Wan! Luckily, I made thorough preparations before coming here. By now, your beloved is probably already in my men’s hands..."

His triumphant, wild voice came to an abrupt halt. His eyes stared, fixated on Zhi Wan, who had just walked up to Lu Zhan’s side. His face was a mask of disbelief. "You... how can you be here?"

Lu Zhan’s gaze fell directly on the girl beside him.

Sensing his stare, Zhi Wan’s eyelashes fluttered, and her fists clenched. She had heard what Liang Qixian said as she approached.

’How could he spout such nonsense?’

’How did I become my cousin’s weakness and his beloved?’