"Opportunity? But you have to have the ability to be noticed by him. What can you do?"
Xiao Zhihong found it somewhat amusing. Even if he gave Su Fan an opportunity, could Su Fan grasp it?
"That depends on what the Second Prince likes. Catering to his preferences is the best approach," Su Fan said softly.
"Preferences? He likes listening to opera. Can you?" Xiao Zhihong scoffed.
"No." Su Fan shook his head. If you asked him to sing, he was fine, but opera? He had hardly ever listened to it.
"Besides that, he also appreciates poetry and prose and greatly admires literati," Xiao Zhihong continued.
"Then that's fine. As long as I get a chance to display my talent in poetry and prose," Su Fan said casually.
"You know poetry and prose?" Xiao Zhihong looked at Su Fan with surprise. A mere martial artist who also knew poetry and prose?
Su Fan sneered inwardly. He hadn't memorized three hundred Tang poems for nothing back in the day.
"I have a slight understanding," Su Fan said humbly.
"Recite one?" Xiao Zhihong said with a smile. He simply didn't believe Su Fan. He thought Su Fan might be spouting some nonsensical drivel and claiming to know poetry, which would be an insult to the word 'poetry'.
Su Fan smiled slightly and immediately recited "Grass" by Bai Juyi for him.
Xiao Zhihong listened and looked at Su Fan in astonishment. "A good poem!" Although he wasn't deeply versed in poetry, he could still discern the exquisite nature of Su Fan's poem.
"Did you compose it yourself?" Xiao Zhihong asked curiously.
Su Fan shook his head. "It was composed by a great poet named Bai Juyi."
"Bai Juyi?" Xiao Zhihong paused and then shook his head slightly. He had never heard of such a poet.
"Since you didn't compose it, how can you guarantee you won't be exposed?" Xiao Zhihong asked, though he had already begun to believe Su Fan. He still wanted to know how Su Fan planned to ensure the Second Prince would value him because of a poem.
"I have hundreds of poems like this. They will absolutely astound the Second Prince," Su Fan said with confidence. If nothing else, Su Fan was confident in his knowledge of Tang and Song dynasty poetry.
"Good! In two days, there will be a poetry gathering. It's a place for young masters and ladies from noble families to meet and exchange ideas. The Second Prince will be there, and I will be there too. You can come with me, and you can seize the opportunity to impress him then." Xiao Zhihong said with a smile.
"Yes." Su Fan nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's head back to the manor." Xiao Zhihong felt he had talked enough with Su Fan and immediately got up to leave.
After Xiao Zhihong left, the pavilion was violently dismantled by guards.
"Your coachman is quite unusual," Xiao Zhihong said, glancing at Su Fan's coachman before he left.
Su Fan was startled. "He's just a regular coachman. How is he unusual?" Su Fan said nervously. Could it be that he knew about Qi Ling all along? Su Fan felt a pang of anxiety.
"Having a friend act as your coachman, you really are something," Xiao Zhihong said with a light chuckle and a shake of his head.
Su Fan was taken aback. He immediately felt relieved. It turned out Xiao Zhihong hadn't discovered Qi Ling, but rather recognized Long Die. Xiao Zhihong had investigated Su Fan before and knew that Long Die was Su Fan's friend. He was just curious about Su Fan having his friend act as a coachman.
Su Fan gave a dry laugh to cover his embarrassment.
Upon returning, Su Fan felt much more at ease. Now that Qi Ling had left, he no longer had to worry about her. It would be even better if Long Die could also leave, but Su Fan felt that the Third Prince and the Second Prince would not let Long Die leave so easily. It was likely that as soon as Long Die left, they would send people to recapture her. They needed a bargaining chip to control Su Fan, and Long Die was that chip.
Su Fan glanced at the guards secretly watching him. He was certain that the Second Prince would summon him soon.
Indeed, not long after Su Fan returned, someone from the Second Prince's manor arrived.
"Let's go," Su Fan immediately said to the servant who had come with the message.
To the servant's bewildered look, Su Fan followed him to the Prince's manor.
"You're here. What did my third brother say to you?" Xiao Zhiyi asked Su Fan, who was sitting opposite him, while sipping his tea.
"You're too hasty. He only asked me some questions about meeting you. If you rush to see me like this, it will arouse his suspicion," Su Fan explained to Xiao Zhiyi. Su Fan was frequently shuttling between the two princes, and he feared his double-agent identity might be exposed. Therefore, he tried to avoid meeting them too often.
"You're right, I shouldn't meet you so frequently. But you should have informed me about my third brother inviting you outside the city. If you don't tell me such important news, are you truly devoted to me?" Xiao Zhiyi said to Su Fan with a blank expression.
Su Fan's emotions remained unfazed. He knew Xiao Zhiyi wasn't truly angry with him; he was merely issuing a warning.
"I don't think this minor matter was worth the risk of sending you a message, and there wasn't enough time. If there's important news next time, I'll inform you immediately," Su Fan said calmly. Yes, what Su Fan meant was, "Next time for sure."
"Alright, You Jing, you will follow Su Fan from now on and protect his safety," Xiao Zhiyi said to a guard standing beside him.
"Yes, Your Highness." The guard bowed and received the order.
Su Fan frowned slightly. Was this a way to openly monitor him? However, he didn't care. Secret surveillance and overt surveillance were the same to him, so he was unconcerned.
"Does Your Highness wish to kill the Third Prince?" Su Fan suddenly asked.
Everyone present was shocked. If these words were to get out, the Second Prince would be accused of regicide. Indeed, Xiao Zhiyi's expression changed drastically.
"For these words alone, I could have you killed right now!" Xiao Zhiyi said, looking at Su Fan with icy eyes.
"All of you, withdraw," Xiao Zhiyi waved his hand, signaling the guards to leave.
Once no one else was present, Xiao Zhiyi's expression softened. "What do you want to say?" Xiao Zhiyi asked Su Fan again. Su Fan dared to risk his life to say this, so he must have something to tell him that couldn't be overheard by others.
"The Third Prince plans to assassinate you at the next poetry gathering, but I don't know who the assassin is or the specific plan," Su Fan said calmly to Xiao Zhiyi.
Xiao Zhiyi was slightly taken aback. He had no doubt about Su Fan's words. After all, Su Fan was sent by the Third Prince to approach him and assassinate him. The Third Prince had always harbored the intention of killing him.
"How do you know?" If this were true, the Third Prince would not let any unrelated person know, unless Su Fan himself was the assassin.
"When I went to Qingquan Pond today, I had a stomachache on the way and had to relieve myself. I fell behind for a while. When I caught up, I accidentally overheard a conversation between the Third Prince and a stranger. However, they stopped talking when they discovered me, so I didn't learn much," Su Fan explained. Su Fan's explanation was a mixture of truth and falsehood, designed to make his words more believable.