It was in Wang's Mansion.

Mrs. Wang closed her oil-paper umbrella and crossed the threshold with a wet skirt's hemline in her hand.

Seeing her husband sitting in front of the desk in the study and getting drunk, she inevitably complained.

"Master, it's time for sleep. Why do you drink so much wine? The door is open and the water vapor outside is not good for your health..."

Wang Can raised his confused drunken eyes with the wine jug in his hand and smiled at the woman.

"You... You're a woman. Don't be officious...Well... Go to serve mother..."

"Oh, look at yourself..."

Hearing his vague voice, Mrs. Wang knew that he had drunk a lot. She was complaining but felt distressed.

Turning to Wang Can, the woman leaned over his ear and raised her voice.

"Rest assured. Mother has fallen asleep. Doctor Jiang does have excellent medical skills. Mother only takes a few of his medicines and her bone pain doesn't relapse on such a wet rainy day. She sleeps more peacefully than before!"

His hands with the wine jug stopping in mid-air for an instant, Wang Can was silent and his nose twitched unceasingly.

Mrs. Wang suddenly found that her husband's eyes were shining with tears, and she was suddenly shocked.

Thinking of the recent turmoil of the court, the woman was uneasy. After only a moment's hesitation, she gently approached and asked.

"Master, you've been in a trance in the past two days. Do you have any worries? Just tell me and I'm willing to share it with you."

Wang Can produced a forced smile and shook his head mechanically and slowly.

"No… No... Sometimes, the less you know, the better you will be. Dear, go to sleep first."

The woman straightened up and stared at him for a moment. Then she left with a helpless sigh.

The sound of the wind in the courtyard gradually became stronger. The rain fell heavily on the eaves with a deafening sound.

For a long time, Wang Can stood up with the wine jug unsteadily. He took a stiff step to the door and pushed the door leaf open hard.

Suddenly, the strong wind with cold raindrops slapped on his face and body. The whipping pain drove him almost sober.

Wang Can did not dodge the rain. Standing in the courtyard in the face of the torrential rain, he watched the rank grass being in a mass under the fierce wind and rain and the dust and mud splashing between the corridors.

Seeing the scene, Wang Can thought of himself.

He thought that he, like the grass in this courtyard that had been torn down by the headwinds and heavy rains, was trapped by the huge misty water and had no future in the court.

He thought of the Ninth Prince, Huanan He, and the secret he had overheard outside Qinming Hall.

He groaned inwardly and found no way to vent.

Angrily lifting the lid of the jug, Wang Can looked up and guzzled a few sips of wine. Then he pointed to the sky and scolded.

"Oh God, why are you so blind? I, Wang Xingzhi, have been engaging in politics for twenty years. I never seek a high post with matched salary. I just want to have a clear conscience and live up to the country and people."

"However, you want to tease me fiercely. Why do you want me to know the things that I shouldn't know and put me in a dilemma?"

After drinking the wine in the jug, Wang Can threw the porcelain jug and continued to scream.

"The Ninth Prince has saved my life. Now I know that my benefactor is faced with imminent disaster, but I can only stand by. What have I learned from reading the books of sages? I, Wang Xingzhi, am not qualified to face my country and people!"

Silver lightning tore through the vault of heaven, and the thunder reverberated, mercilessly engulfing Wang Can's cry of grief.

After a long time, Wang Can staggered out of his mansion, dejected.

Like a lone ghost, he moved slowly in the rain of the night, stepping on the water that crossed his ankles. He groped through the darkness towards the Ninth Prince's Mansion.

The manservant was shocked when he opened the door.

"Are you Lord Wang?"

Letting Wang Can in, the manservant led the way in front.

"His Highness hasn't slept. Come in, please."

Wang Can was tightly wrapped in soaked clothes and shivering. When he breathed, thin cold air came out of his mouth. He was like an extremely drowned mouse.

His eyes were blank, and he shook his head in confusion.

"No, don't bother. I just wait here for His Highness... After seeing him, I'll immediately leave."

The manservant frowned slightly but did not refute him. After thinking about it, he replied.

"Then you sit in the gatehouse and wait. I will invite His Highness and serve you ginger soup."

When Gu Di heard the news and arrived, he was also startled by Wang Can.

His twin brother Huanan He was accompanying Gu Yunxi in Fu Danqing's teahouse. During this time, Gu Di replaced Huanan He and stayed in the mansion as "the Ninth Prince".

Gu Di naturally knew the importance of Wang Can for them and quickly walked to support him.

"Xingzhi, why do you come late at night in the rain? What happened in the Palace?"

Wang Can looked directly at the big and tall man with grey hair. With tears, he hesitated to deliberately avoid the topic.

"Her Grace, Concubine Yun, is dead, and the morning ritual will stop for some time."

Gu Di looked aside and blinked doubtfully.

"I know this..."

The expression of the person on the other side indicated that he seemed to hide secrets in his heart. With several efforts, he wished to speak but stopped on second thought. It was really awkward.

"Xingzhi, we have worked together many times in and out of the court. If you have something to say, just tell me directly."

With a gentle smile, Gu Di took the white glazed bowl from the manservant. He personally served the steaming ginger soup to Wang Can.

"Take a sip of the hot soup first. Then I'll ask the servant to bring you a set of clothes."

Wang Can was flattered, holding the porcelain bowl for a moment. He suddenly fell to his knees.

Gu Di was confused and surprised but soon calmed down. He walked forward and held Wang Can up.

"What are you doing? Get up and tell me!"

Wang Can disagreed and drank a few mouthfuls of ginger soup. Then he put the porcelain bowl aside and kowtowed to Gu Di.

Looking up again, he cried his eyes out. Looking at Gu Di with determination, he said firmly.

"Your Highness, if it hadn't been for you on that day, I would have been humiliated by people from Ying State. I remember the kindness you gave to me and the kindness Doctor Jiang gave to the Wang Family. However, I'm suffering for not repaying you..."

"Ha-ha, is it the reason for your struggle? Xingzhi, you're petty!"

With laughter, Gu Di held him up. He raised his eyebrows to look at Wang Can and said.

"I really cherish your talent. Since you have entered the cabinet, just repay my favor by serving the imperial court in the future. Is that right?"

Wang Can lowered his head in shame and said vaguely.

"In one day, Your Highness will set off to the Ying State..."

Gu Di frowned and did not understand Wang Can's intentions. He turned around, sat down on a wooden chair, and replied.

"Yes, in half a month, I will return to Jing City."

"Your Highness, it's thousands of miles away from here. Be careful across the sea... Bring more people and take care."

Wang Can suddenly raised his head. His eyes, like flames that had been provoked by the wind suddenly jumped up from the bottom of the dark and empty abyss, which were bright and eye-catching.

Pushing aside the clean clothes that the manservant had brought, Wang Can looked at Gu Di and raised a fist salute again.

Gu Di looked at him silently, with light in his eyes.

He fully understood Wang Can's obscure words. Then he nodded his head and returned the salute.

"Xingzhi, we will adopt each other as sworn brothers when I return to Jing City, okay?"

Wang Can was extremely shocked and had mixed emotions with radiance trembling in his wide eyes.

"I'm only a humble person of a low class. I can only do some negligible efforts to Your Highness. How dare I put myself under the patronage of a higher-up?"

Deeply touched, Gu Di held his hands and sincerely said.

"I value your true disposition. Xingzhi, we must be sworn brothers."

…

Asking someone to send away Wang Can, Gu Di returned to his bedroom with his arms folded behind his back.

"Does he leave?"

Yu Xuanji slowly got up from the old-fashioned square chair and sensed Gu Di's sullenness.

"What's wrong with you? What did Wang Can say to you in the rain?"

Gu Di sat down with a serious expression and said bluntly.

"Wang Xingzhi treated me as my Ninth Brother and warned me that something will happen on the way to Ying State."

"Huanan Xin forgets pain when the scar was cicatrized. He wants to do something to his Ninth Uncle on the road!"

Yu Xuanji said resentfully. With his fingertips slightly pinching, the teacup in his hand immediately shattered into pieces.

"Huanan Xian, don't worry. This time I will accompany Brother He to Ying State."

Gu Di shook his head.

"It's not proper. Tianyan Faction is located in Ying State. I am more familiar with it than you and Ninth Brother. I think that this time I will replace him."

Yu Xuanji then replied.

"Take me and I'll accompany you."

Gu Di shook his head and still disagreed.

"Yunxi has just escaped from the Palace. Qianji poison has not been detoxified. You should stay by her side to protect her. You should be reunited."

Yu Xuanji pondered for a moment and was really in a dilemma. Therefore, he stopped insisting and reminded Gu Di.

"If Brother He knows it, he will never agree to let you take risks for him."

Gu Di looked at Yu Xuanji and smiled firmly. His words meant more than they said.

"So we should find a way to keep the truth from him..."