Chapter 751: The Strong Yun Weilan
The next morning, when Zhao Zhuang Chen was getting read, his Eunuch told him that Yun Weilan wanted to see him.
Zhao Zhuang Chen frowned in irritation but then thought that it could be urgent so he asked Eunuch Zhuang to let Yun Weilan inside the room.
"This wangfei greets Your Highness."
Yun Weilan said as soon as she entered.
Zhao Zhuang Chen would not have even acknowledged her greeting if circumstances were something else but now he knew that he needed Yun Weilan's help so he even smiled at her ..quite gently.
Yun Weilan also forced a smile on her lips though she very well knew that the man in front of her was merely pretending.
"Is there something you need, Weilan?"
Yun Weilan stopped herself fromc cringing at the nickname. Her mother used to called her with the same name. She didn't like at all that Zhao Zhuang Chen called her the same way but she didn't have any option other than enduring silently.
In response to his question, Yun Weilan looked at the young Eunuch who was helping Zhao Zhuang Chen wearing the robe and then back at Zhao Zhuang Chen.
Zhao Zhuang Chen understood what she was trying to imply and said to the Eunuch.
"Leave."
The Eunuch left immediately.
"Is everything alright?"
Zhao Zhuang Chen asked immediately.
These days he had been afraid that Yun Weilan's father Minister Yun would suddenly withdraw his support…esepcially after seeing how the man was ignoring every attempt to see him.
Zhao Zhuang Chen despised Minister Yun for his cowardice. He thought that even Li Qiang was better than Minister Yun because the former had the courage to come to see him.
"Your Highness, this wangefis' father recently sent her a letter. According to him, there is something wrong with Your Highness' plan."
The words made Zhao Zhuang Chen frown instantly and he said
"What is wrong with the plan?"
Yun Weilan swallowed before she took out the map sent by Xi Ying from her sleeve. She didn't open it immediately and said
"Father said that the secret tunnel to get inside His Majesty's chambers had been closed by His Majesty after His Majesty ascended the throne."
Zhao Zhuang Chen's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief when he heard this.
"This can't be true!"
He said immediately and continued
"Mother had herself told me about these secret ways to get inside …and it was he …"
Zhao Zhuang Chen suddenly paused amidst his words.
It was Zhao Wang Lei who had told his mother about those secret tunnels.
Zhao Zhuang Chen suddenly had a bitter smile on his lips.
How could he think that Zhao Wang Lei would tell such a thing to his mother! He should have understood everything since he knew that all his life, Zhao Wang Lei had seen his mother as a threat to his power.
Contrary to what she had thought, It didn't take long for Zhao Zhuang Chen to believe Yun Weilan.
Yun Weilan was surprised when she heard Zhao Zhuang Chen.
"Then we need to devise a plan."
She was surprised that Zhao Zhuang Chen believed her but soon felt relieved.
"The plan…Your Highness. This wangfei's father had sent a plan."
Yun Weilan said after a few moments of silence.
Zhao Zhuang Chen frowned again as he looked at the paper forwarded by Yun Weilan. He didn't believe that Minister Yun would send a plan that he could admire and implement.
He was very disappointed because to him it suddenly felt that he would have to wait for some more time to come up with something else and hence he will miss this great opportunity of getting everything in his hands.
Zhao Zhuang Chen feared that by the time he would come up with his new plan, his father would gave given the throne to Zhao Zhang Wei.
He couldn't waste much time.
Perhaps it was this thought that made him take the paper from Yun Weilan and he opened it.
Yun Weilan looked at his each and every expression as he looked at the map. Though Xi Ying had written in the letter that she could give the same map to Zhao Zhuang Chen as the person who had made this, Zhao Zhuang Chen could never recognize his handwriting, Yun Weilan was still a little sacred.
She was afraid that Zhao Zhuang Chen would find out that the plan was not given by her father.
She also felt afraid thinking sometimes that Zhao Zhuang Chen would try to talk to her father during Imperial Assembly and he would find everything.
It was a very dangerous plan to go against him and hence she was always on her toes.
On the other hand, Zhao Zhuang Chen who had finished looking at the plan raised his head and looked at Yun Weilan.
"How does your father knows about this secret way?"
This secret way of getting inside Zhao Wang Lei's chambers was not there on the map that his mother had.
Yun Weilan swallowed. This was the question she had feared.
"Father didn't tell this wangfei, Your Highness."
Yun Weilan lowered her head and told Zhao Zhuang Chen.
Zhao Zhuang Chen was first surprised and then scoffed.
He didn't know if he should feel disgusted with Minister Yun's carefulness or if he should admire him for being so wary of everyone.
He didn't even tell everything to his own daughter.
The man wanted everything he could get however he was afraid to come out and openly support him.
Did he really think seeing his so-called 'sincerity' he would really give him anything?
Zhao Zhuang Chen was very angry at Minister Yun so he said to Yun Weilan sharply.
"Does Your Father think that Benwang can trust anyone so easily in such matters?"
Yun Weilan's face went pale when she heard Zhao Zhuang Chen. She only thought that Zhao Zhuang Chen would try to find out from her father if she didn't tell him something.
But what could she say!
"Your Highness…Father…also doesn't know."
"What?"
Zhao Zhuang Chen suddenly looked at Yun Weilan suspiciously. How was it possible that his father didn't know?
"Your Highness…It was grandfather who gave the map to Father and never told Father about the map's origin. Father copied the map and sent it for Your Highness."
Zhao Zhuang Chen's eyes narrowed as he looked at the map again.
If it was so then he couldn't really say anything else.
However, …was the way really there? How would he know about this?
He looked at Yun Weilan and said
"Ask your Father to make sure that this way is really here now and had not been closed by Zhao Wang Lei."
Zhao Zhuang Chen said in an authoritative tone.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Yun Weilan said immediately.
For this, she didn't really need to do anything.
Zhao Zhuang Chen was internally relieved. It would be better if Minister Yun did this work on his own.
Zhao Zhuang Chen was actually afraid on seeing that the path of the secret tunnel started from the forest. It was possible that Zhao Wang Lei had implanted his people there to make sure that no one entered from there if the tunnel was still open.
It might be left so that he could exit the Imperial Palace through the secret way in case of any attack or crisis.
However, he couldn't take the risk to send his people there and check if the way was really there.
It would be better if Minister Yun sent his people on the other hand because Zhao Wang Lei's shadow guards would not recognize Minster Yun's shadow guards.
Yun Weilan exited Zhao Zhuang Chen's chambers a few moments later and exhaled sharply.
Her heart was still pounding inside her chest because of the fear she had felt inside.
However, she was relieved that nothing went wrong.
She was on her way back to her chambers when Yun Weilan's eyes caught the Eunuch who was beating a servant.
Yun Weilan halted because she recognized the servant. Her eyes went blank for a moment before they were filled with utter coldness.
The servant was the same who had helped her take the letter to Prime Minister Xi.
"Stop!"
Yun Weilan said sharply and the Eunuch immediately stopped hitting the servant. He looked at Yun Weilan and frowned. He had actually wanted to ignore Yun Weilan. In the past few months, her status had reduced to a great extent in Delan Palace.
However, when he remembered that these days Yun Weilan was suddenly favored by Zhao Zhuang Chen, he didn't dare to disobey her.
"This servant greets Wangfei."
The Eunuch greeted Yun Weilan who didn't even acknowledge him. Instead, she looked at the servant sitting on the floor.
His clothes were completely torn now and she could also see the bruises on his arms and legs.
Yun Weilan moved her eyes away soon as she didn't want anyone to catch her looking at the servant, however, her fist was clenched tightly.
"Why are you beating him?"
She asked the Eunuch coldly.
"Wangfei doesn't need to worry about such matters. This servant…
Interrupting the Eunuch, Yun Weilan asked in a colder voice this time.
"Did you just try to disobey this wangfei's order?"
Eunuch was shocked when he heard Yun Weilan talking like this. It was because Yun Weilan had never behaved like this before.
However, what he didn't know was that for her people. Yun Weilan was very much capable of doing anything.
Zhao Zhuang Chen scared her but if it came to saving Zhao Bo Jin, she could even go against him.
The Eunuch no longer tried to ignore Yun Weilan's question and said
"Wangfei, the servant was not doing his work properly. I gave him clothes to wash. It has been a shichen but he had not finished yet."
Yun Weilan frowned.
Her eyes suddenly went to a corner where the pile of clothes was laid down.
So many clothes! How could he wash them in just a shichen! Her heart suddenly trembled in anger as she looked at the Eunuch.
Yun Weilan looked at the servant again.
This man…she wondered why he was still there despite her persistent efforts of trying to send him away.
She had ignored him for so many months heartlessly, however, he still had the heart to stay here.
If her father got to know about this, he would kill him!
Yun Weilan blinked the tears that were forming in her eyes and said to the Eunuch.
"He will not do any such work from now."
"Wangfei…"
The Eunuch asked in confusion and Yun Weilan continued.
"He will be guarding this wangfei's courtyard from now on."
Finishing her words, Yun Weilan left without saying anything else.
She could feel the gaze on her back but she never turned around and calmly walked back to her courtyard.
The servant who was beaten badly looked at her back with his head still lowered.
On his emotionless face, there was a very small smile if one could see carefully.
'So her heart had finally started to melt.'