AUBTN -Chapter 26 Prince Ning’s Persuasion

News quickly reached the Prince Ning Mansion.

“Smash!”

Prince Ning violently smashed the teacup in his hand, his face so dark it seemed water could drip from it.

“Good, Shen Jue, good, Lu Yan! Since when did these two mad dogs start wearing the same pair of pants?”

Meanwhile, inside the inner courtyard of the Eastern Depot…

The real Shen Jue leaned against the soft couch, listening to the reports from outside, his gaze fixed on Su Hewan, who was tending to his wounds.

Shen Jue lowered his eyes, hiding the complex emotion flickering in them.

Tonight, she had pulled off a masterstroke—stealing the sky and changing fate—to save him from disaster.

And that Lu Yan…

“It seems the skies over the capital are truly about to change,” he murmured softly.

Su Hewan looked up, feigning ignorance: “What did the Commander say?”

Shen Jue studied her pretending-to-be-innocent expression, the corner of his mouth twitching into the faintest of smiles.

“Nothing. Just that this little fox of yours… is even craftier than that old fox, Prince Ning.”

Back in Prince Ning’s study, Prince Ning stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp and predatory toward the Eastern Depot.

Shen Jue had made an appearance—strong, unharmed.

This meant all of his previous tests had failed.

Even worse, among the populace, a rumor had spread portraying him as “lenient in governance, letting the water incident slide,” while the Eastern Depot and the Jinyiwei had inexplicably shown a strange, tacit cooperation in putting out the fire.

“Tacit cooperation?” Prince Ning sneered, his fingers lightly caressing the jade thumb ring on his hand.

“Lu Yan’s blade… if it cannot serve me, then it shall be broken.”

He didn’t believe Lu Yan would truly share pants with that eunuch Shen Jue.

The Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot were natural mortal enemies—unless the sun rose in the west.

“Someone.” Prince Ning turned, a glint of sharpness in his eyes.

“Tomorrow, go to the Northern Town Guard Office. Invite Commander Lu to the mansion for a chat. Just say… I have a flask of aged fine wine to thank him for his efforts in protecting the city from last night’s fire.”

The next day.

Northern Town Guard Office, back hall.

Lu Yan stared at the gilded invitation in his hand, brow furrowed, his fingertips tapping the table sporadically.

“This old fox… hasn’t given up yet.”

Beside him, Yu Qing sat cross-legged on the Grand Master’s chair, holding a bowl of rock sugar pear soup, enjoying it thoroughly.

Hearing this, she immediately tossed the spoon aside, ignoring her mouth, and eagerly leaned in.

“I told you! I told you!” Yu Qing nearly spat her excitement all over Lu Yan.

“Last night I said it—this old fox is definitely trying to win you over! You’re clearly just a backup!”

Lu Yan leaned back disdainfully, avoiding the spray: “A proper young lady—could you speak with some decorum? What do you mean, ‘backup’?”

“Oh, don’t get hung up on details!” Yu Qing slapped the table, her gesture even more commanding than Lu Yan’s.

“The point is, you have to go act for this old fox! Your time to test your acting skills has come!”

Lu Yan glanced at her coldly and snorted: “This officer only knows how to kill, not act.”

“Wrong! Absolutely wrong!” Yu Qing wagged her index finger in front of him and suddenly lowered her voice.

“Lord Lu, life is like a play—it all depends on your acting skills. Think about it: why would Prince Ning come looking for you? It must be because he found out about what you did for Shen Jue last night. But that actually works in our favor! Everyone knows you and Shen Jue are enemies, so you can use that persona to infiltrate the enemy!”

She cleared her throat and began an impromptu lesson: “When you meet him later, remember three key points. First: pretend to hesitate. Don’t agree right away—that would make you look cheap. You need to show that you want to act with him, but you’re afraid, and you have principles—show that internal struggle.”

Lu Yan watched her perform expressionlessly.

“Second: show loyalty mixed with hatred. Most importantly, curse Shen Jue as harshly as you can! The nastier and more creative, the better!”

“Third, and most crucial: draw him out! But this old fox is naturally suspicious. You need to give him a little treat first, then casually probe for information.”

Yu Qing was practically flying with excitement as she spoke, even grabbing Lu Yan’s sleeve to emphasize her point: “Lord Lu, the survival of our team depends on you. You must stay composed. Whether you can trick him into revealing his… ah, his secret hand… er, cards, depends entirely on your performance!”

Lu Yan suppressed a twitch at the thought she seemed to have in her head: If all else fails, just treat him like an NPC who drops loot when you appease him.

What kind of nonsense is this woman storing in her brain?

“Who taught you all this?” Lu Yan said incredulously. There was no way someone who only knew how to throw tantrums could analyze things so logically!

“Wanwan!” she blurted out, then instinctively covered her mouth.

Lu Yan’s expression said: I knew it!

Yu Qing recalled what Su Hewan had told her last night: if Prince Ning came after Lu Yan later, just say it like this…

She had to admit—Wanwan really was authoritative, even able to predict that old fox’s moves!

“Ah, don’t worry about who said it. Just remember what I told you! Got it?” Yu Qing said seriously.

“Impudent! How I conduct official business is no concern of yours!” Lu Yan said, words at odds with his feelings.

But he had to admit—their analysis, crude as it was, hit the nail on the head.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and straightened his Feiyu robe.

“Stay put!”

Yu Qing: “……”

At the hour of You, three quarters, Prince Ning’s mansion.

Silken music filled the hall, but this seemingly luxurious banquet had only two attendees.

Prince Ning sat at the head of the table, a feast of delicacies in front of him, flanked by dancers with flowing sleeves and graceful movements. But Lu Yan sat unmoving, back straight like a pine, hands resting on his embroidered spring knife, not touching a drop of wine.

“Lord Lu, why be so reserved?” Prince Ning waved his hand. The music abruptly stopped, and the dancers receded like a tide, leaving the grand floral hall in dead silence.

“Today I invited you merely to catch up, and also… to discuss the future of this capital.”

Prince Ning personally lifted the wine jug and descended the steps, intending to pour wine for Lu Yan.

Lu Yan immediately rose, offering a polite yet distant support: “Your Grace is too kind to a humble subordinate.”

“Ah, Lord Lu, young and accomplished, the pillar of our nation—you deserve this cup,” Prince Ning said, pushing the wine toward him, eyes locked on Lu Yan’s.

“Last night, the fire at Zui Xian Pavilion—what a show. It revealed the truth about some people, and also a concern of mine.”

Lu Yan lowered his gaze, masking the emotions in his eyes, voice steady: “I was only following orders, maintaining the capital’s security. I dare not claim credit.”

“Following orders? Whose orders?” Prince Ning smiled meaningfully.

“Orders from the Emperor? Or… from that eunuch?”

Lu Yan’s hand gripping the knife tightened sharply, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

He slowly lifted his head, eyes flashing with a perfectly measured mix of controlled anger and restraint.