"Go summon Lord Shen and Prince Changping." Han Xichen's joy was overflowing.
When Prince Changping and Shen Yunxuan arrived, Han Xichen's elated expression cast a slight unease in Shen Yunxuan's heart. "Does Your Highness require me for something?"
Han Xichen stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "You no longer have any worries for the future. Second Young Master Shen and Madam Shen are gone."
"Go... gone?" Shen Yunxuan looked at Han Xichen in disbelief, his face full of confusion.
Han Xichen laughed heartily, "My subordinates have dealt with them."
Shen Yunxuan's body stiffened. He looked at Han Xichen. "Your Highness, what do you mean?"
"Lord Shen still doesn't understand? They are dead." Prince Changping stepped forward and said sarcastically.
Shen Yunxuan raised his eyes to look at Han Xichen, calming himself. "Your Highness, you promised me. In that case, can I assume that Your Highness has unilaterally broken our agreement?"
"Lord Shen, you are too straightforward. Sometimes, one cannot be so loyal."
Shen Yunxuan sneered at this. "In that case, can I be disloyal to Your Highness now?"
Han Xichen's expression immediately darkened, his tone turning cold. "Lord Shen, you are pushing your luck."
"I am pushing my luck? I have always acted according to the plan, but it is Your Highness who disregards the plan and does not fulfill your promises to me. Your Highness, tell me, who is truly pushing their luck?"
Han Xichen's face turned grim. "Shen Yunxuan, you are blaming me?"
"I dare not, but I feel that if Your Highness speaks without keeping your word, I cannot guarantee that you won't betray me for your own benefit in the future. If that happens, I will suffer a great loss. I do not wish to continue this transaction." With that, Shen Yunxuan turned to leave.
Han Xichen waved his hand, and the door closed. He turned and said coldly, "Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?"
"Lord Shen, why make things so stiff? They are just two unrelated people. Why would Lord Shen be so angry?" Han Xichen said with a smile.
Shen Yunxuan slowly replied, "Your Highness, it is not that I am willing to be this angry. It is through Shen Yunxiu that I seem to see my own outcome. When I am no longer useful, will Your Highness treat me the same way you treated Shen Yunxiu?"
"Lord Shen, you are overthinking. You are you, and Shen Yunxiu is Shen Yunxiu. Moreover, Shen Yunxiu has already been disowned by you. He is no longer a member of the Shen family."
Shen Yunxuan was silent for a moment, and Han Xichen continued, "Lord Shen, you must believe in yourself. You and Shen Yunxiu are not the same kind of people. You are much nobler than him."
"Your Highness, even with you saying that, I still don't feel any sense of security."
"Then what kind of security does Lord Shen desire?" Han Xichen asked.
"I want a written promise from Your Highness, a promise that you will never move against me." Shen Yunxuan said slowly.
Han Xichen smiled upon hearing this. "This is simple. Someone fetch paper and brush."
Soon, a servant brought paper and brush.
With his back bent, the servant held the paper open on Han Xichen's back. Han Xichen then picked up the brush and wrote a letter of promise, finally stamping it with his seal.
After finishing, he handed it to Shen Yunxuan. "Lord Shen, do you have any questions?"
Shen Yunxuan took it and glanced at it. "There are no questions."
"Lord Shen, you can tell me anything you need in the future. I will not be stingy with what I can do."
"Thank you, Your Highness. Then I shall take my leave!" With that, Shen Yunxuan departed.
"Are you not afraid that Shen Yunxuan will betray you?" An Ping suddenly asked.
"If I were afraid, I wouldn't have let him join us," Han Xichen said confidently.
"It seems you have a backup plan," An Ping said slowly, looking at Han Xichen.
"Heh, not really. It's just that the letter of promise won't have much effect. My seal is not so easily placed on paper. If he wants to use my seal to make trouble, it will be too difficult."
An Ping narrowed his eyes and said nothing more.
Shen Yunxuan returned to his room and looked at the writing from Han Xichen. His heart sank. He had seen Han Xichen's handwriting before, and it didn't seem like this. As for the seal, it was naturally not real either. He guessed that Han Xichen was already guarding against him.
"Shen Fei," he said in a low voice.
A figure landed before him. "Third Young Master, your subordinate is here."
"Go investigate Shen Yunxiu," Shen Yunxuan said.
Shen Fei nodded and left.
Soon, Shen Fei sent back news that the dead body was not that of Second Young Master Shen.
Shen Yunxuan breathed a sigh of relief. If Shen Yunxiu was safe, then the Empress would also be safe.
With Shen Yunxiu gone, large quantities of gold from Mo City were transported out, using the Shen family's routes.
They were slowly transported towards Han Hall.
At this moment, Xue Zining and Xue Jingyun, along with Shen Yunxiu, were outside Han Hall. Xue Zining was the first to push open the door of Han Hall, and the dazzling golden light inside blinded them.
"So much gold?" Shen Yunxiu couldn't help but exclaim.
It was also Xue Zining's first time seeing so much gold. Honestly, she didn't think the national treasury had this much.
She walked inside. Everywhere was gold. For some reason, her heart began to race.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her. The cold touch of the fingers brought her a moment of clarity.
"A Ning, don't let these worldly possessions cloud your mind."
A deep voice came, and Xue Zining was startled, understanding why she had been so excited just now – it was because she saw so much gold.
She found it somewhat unbelievable. She had seen gold before, so why was she acting like someone who had never seen the world?
"There must be an illusionary formation here. Those who enter it will lose their minds."
Xue Zining's body stiffened. "Illusionary formation? Who set it up? Han Xichen?"
Soon, she dismissed this thought. Han Xichen hadn't left Mo City for so long, how could he have set up a formation?
"No, it is Han Hall itself."
"Yan Zhao, are you saying Han Hall is acting strangely?"
Xue Jingyun nodded. "Yes, I felt something was strange as soon as we entered."
"Where is Shen Yunxiu?" Xue Zining suddenly remembered there was another person.
"Over there," Xue Jingyun said.
Xue Zining turned and saw Shen Yunxiu walking towards the depths of the hall. His expression seemed agitated, as if he had seen something extraordinary.
Suddenly, he knelt on the ground, weeping as he clutched the gold.
She frowned, suddenly remembering something. "Yan Zhao, didn't we say earlier that King Han and King Hua had disappeared? Could they also be here?"
Xue Jingyun heard this and said faintly, "It's possible."
"Then what should we do?" Xue Zining was a little troubled.
Before her words had even fallen, the Han Hall door that had been opened was closed.
"Yan Zhao..." she couldn't help but call out softly.
In the darkness, a warm hand tightly enveloped hers, and a voice sounded at that moment, "A Ning, don't be afraid. I am here."
Just these simple words made her forget her fear and overcome her trepidation.
She felt as if she were in a void. Soon, images appeared before her eyes.
In an instant, she was pulled into them.
"Yan Zhao..."