"You see, I told you Steward Wang is a sensible man!"
After exchanging a look with the coachman, Yuan Xingchi turned to Wang Chao'an with a smile.
"Don't worry, sir. Our master is benevolent and cannot bear to see others suffer. He has already sent people to bring Steward Wang's family outside the city! Once you have completed your task, someone will naturally reunite you with your family!"
The coachman spoke as he stepped forward and helped Wang Chao'an up.
Wang Chao'an naturally filtered out all the nonsense the coachman had just said, his attention solely focused on the last sentence.
"May I ask how the master wishes for me to deal with Wang Fu?"
With his family now in their hands, Wang Chao'an had no choice but to go through with it, whether he wanted to or not.
"Don't worry, after all, he is a high-ranking official. I wouldn't let you act recklessly. How about this, Steward Wang, why don't you personally go and beat the Dengwen Drum?"
As Yuan Xingchi spoke, he picked up a piece of almond shortbread, sniffed it approvingly, and then popped it into his mouth.
"The, the Dengwen Drum..."
Hearing this, Wang Chao'an nearly burst into tears.
To accuse one's master, and the current Prime Minister at that, was he tired of living?
Not to mention that the streets were crawling with people looking for him, and he might not even survive to see tomorrow's sun if he left this courtyard.
Even if he could somehow reach the palace gates alive and beat the Dengwen Drum, he doubted he would escape unscathed!
Considering that out of all the deeds Wang Fu had committed, he was an accomplice in at least five of them.
Wang Fu, after all, was a legitimate Jinshi graduate and the current Prime Minister. Even if he committed grave crimes, the Emperor wouldn't simply execute him with a single stroke. But for Wang Chao'an, it was a different story.
If he were to beat the Dengwen Drum, even if Wang Fu suffered, he himself would not fare any better!
"That's right. Besides this, do you have any other good ideas? Or perhaps you'd prefer to lodge a complaint with the Kaifeng Prefecture?"
Seeing his sweat-drenched appearance, Yuan Xingchi said dismissively.
Wang Chao'an wasn't a fool. If he went to beat the Dengwen Drum, he might have a one-in-ten chance of survival.
But if he went to Kaifeng Prefecture, his chances of survival would be less than one in a thousand!
The astute officials of Kaifeng Prefecture would probably apprehend him the moment they saw him and send him directly to Wang Fu's mansion.
"In fact, this matter is not as dangerous as you think. While Wang Fu is indeed powerful, his influence in the court is far from absolute. At the very least, Prime Minister Cai is certainly unwilling to see him continue to act with impunity, and Grand Commandant Liang is also watching from the sidelines. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Glancing at the ashen-faced Wang Chao'an once more, Yuan Xingchi softly said again.
"If I were to die this time, would Master be able to ensure my son's safety? I ask for nothing else, only that his mother and son have enough to eat! I am willing to offer all my assets to Master, and I can also go and sue on Master's behalf. I only beg for their survival!"
After taking several deep breaths, Wang Chao'an gritted his teeth and kowtowed heavily to Yuan Xingchi.
"Although we haven't interacted many times, I don't recall ever lying to you, do I?"
Hearing this, Yuan Xingchi asked with a smile.
"Master has always kept his word. Although the final outcome is often unpredictable, Master has indeed never broken a promise!"
With his intelligence, Wang Chao'an naturally understood that at this moment, he had no other options.
Besides trusting Yuan Xingchi, who else could he possibly trust at this juncture?
"In that case, I guarantee you here: as long as you help me complete this task, regardless of whether you live or die, I will hand over your remaining estate intact to your son, and I will also send people to protect him until he comes of age!"
"Thank you, Master!"
Finally hearing what he most wanted to hear, Wang Chao'an, as if relieved of a great burden, kowtowed to Yuan Xingchi once more.
"Since that is the case, Steward Wang, if you have anything you wish to say to your wife and son, feel free to write it down. Once you are finished, have them escort you to the palace gates!"
As the saying goes, "A person facing death speaks with sincerity." Yuan Xingchi understood that Wang Chao'an was likely heading towards a perilous fate. After draining his cup of remaining tea, he slowly stood up and walked towards the door...
"Have you found him?"
In the rear quarters of Wang Fu's mansion, Wang Fu was in a furious rage.
This was, after all, the residence of the Prime Minister. A living person had been spirited away so silently, and this person knew so many of his secrets. How could he possibly remain calm?
Moreover, if the other party could rescue someone who was severely injured so discreetly, couldn't they also have slit his throat in his sleep with a single stroke?
For whatever reason, Wang Fu was utterly disappointed with the guards in his mansion.
"I have already dispatched people to search for him, my lord. Please rest assured, this old servant will definitely find him..."
Having already endured twenty heavy planks, Lü Jinzhong could only kneel on the ground with a distressed expression.
"If you cannot find him, all of you will have to accompany him in death!"
After casting them a fierce glare, Wang Fu huffed and stormed out of the study.
Lately, he had already been extremely troubled, and now with this incident, his head was spinning even more.
"Dong—dong—dong—"
However, just as Wang Fu was about to leave, he suddenly heard the rumbling sound of a drum from the direction of the palace.
"What is that drumming?"
For some reason, the moment Wang Fu heard the drum sound, an ominous premonition struck him.
"Replying to my lord, the sound seems to be coming from the palace. Could it be the Dengwen Drum..."
The attendant's words made Wang Fu shudder. Damn it, could it be that scoundrel?
"Prepare the carriage, go to the Dengwen Drum Court!"
After taking several deep breaths, Wang Fu managed to calm himself. It was only now that he realized he might have made a grave mistake. From the moment that scoundrel had disappeared, he should have sent people to wait at the entrance of the Dengwen Drum Court!