Chapter 71 Chapter 71 "I'm going to be punished!"

The next day, they set out for Jiankang City.

Zhang Jingxian was very grateful for the presence of her uncle Jian. She was able to stay with Yi Yu and the others with peace of mind, and no longer had to be forced to accept Xie Yun's "kind teachings".

Although she could feel a gaze like that of a ferocious mountain beast falling on her when she stopped to rest on the way, she could pretend nothing happened.

Reading, hunting, eating, catching insects for the oriole, everything is perfectly normal.

When Zhang Jingxian hunted a pheasant for everyone's snack, Shu Jian praised her archery skills.

She smiled sheepishly, handed the pheasant to her subordinates to roast, and then relied on her memory and experimentation to make a feather fan using the feathers plucked from the pheasant.

Of course, it is not as exquisite as the feather fan that Gong Chengyue always waves in his hand, and its colors are black, gray and white.

She wanted to use the feather fan she made to apologize to Gong Chengyue, and ask him to introduce her to Prime Minister Xie.

They would soon arrive in Jiankang City, and the letter that had just been written would be of no use. Talking to Prime Minister Xie in person would certainly appear more sincere and genuine than a letter.

Therefore, Zhang Jingxian put the letter in the cloth bag and never touched it again.

It was another night, and a group of people gathered around the fire. When Gong Chengyue stood up and didn't know what to do, Zhang Jingxian followed him openly with a newly made feather fan.

The moment she followed Gong Chengyue's back and left, Xie Yun was talking to Shu Jian. He raised his eyes slightly and his eyes turned fierce, but soon returned to normal. With a faint smile on his lips, he listened to Shu Jian talking about the recent changes in the situation in Jiankang City.

"Your Majesty's repeated promotions of the King of Donghai have caused dissatisfaction among the Grand Marshals within the court. The two sides have been fighting fiercely in recent days, and the Prime Minister is also annoyed."

"When will Your Majesty be able to compete with the Grand Marshal? If it weren't for your uncle's dedication to maintaining orthodoxy, would Your Majesty dare to say no to the Grand Marshal?"

Xie Yun spoke in a cold tone, especially when he heard the three words "King of the East China Sea", his brows lowered, revealing a bit of gloom.

"Qillang, the Prime Minister is also considering the stability of the world." Shu Jian was well aware of his past feud with the King of Donghai. He sighed lightly and said no more.

"You don't have to say more, I understand." Xie Yun stood up and said lightly that they would go for a walk in the deserted place over there.

Shu Jian did not stop him, but just watched him leave. He began to feel a little regretful when mentioning the King of Donghai. Qilang must have not let go of the incident in the past.

Who could let go? The pride of the Xie family, yet suddenly, because of someone else's decision, he became an outcast, not only at the most powerless age, but also with the tacit consent of his own family.

In the end, no one saved him.

...Zhang Jingxian followed Gong Chengyue to the riverside where there was a few cool breezes and dense reeds. He turned around and looked at her with a teasing look.

"Madam Zhang, aren't you afraid of the envoy's blame for following me?" Gongcheng Yue could not help but understand his good friend. He didn't need to think to guess that Envoy Xie must have warned her behind her back to stay away from him.

Xie Yun is an extremely petty person.

Hearing this, Zhang Jingxian couldn't help but nodded, but soon shook her head and presented the feather fan in her hand, "Mr. Gongcheng, I chased you here to compensate you with a feather fan. My husband is talking to Master Shu Jian. How could he blame me if he knew the reason?"

She emphasized that she had legitimate reasons and Xie Yun had known about it for a long time.

Gong Chengyue lowered his eyes to look at the feather fan in her hand and took it naturally. Since it was given to him as compensation, how could he not accept it?

Seeing that he didn't dislike the feather fan she made, Zhang Jingxian quickly spoke up and asked him to recommend her to Prime Minister Xie. Lord Shu Jian only said that Prime Minister Xie might meet her, not that he would definitely meet her.

Gong Chengyue waved his feather fan and did not respond to her, but asked her to go and see the river under the moonlight.

"Madam Zhang, look at this river, it flows so slowly, peaceful and tranquil. But if someone were to block it midway," he gestured casually with his feather fan, his expression cold, "the river would be unable to flow, and would overflow, flooding the surrounding area."

What if there is another heavy rain? Will she be able to withstand the consequences?

There was a deep meaning in his words. Zhang Jingxian understood most of it and nodded calmly.

"The river wasn't supposed to flow in that direction. It's a blessing that it was cut off early."

As for the heavy rain, it may not fall on her, and it may not fall at all.

She said, "I believe in Prime Minister Xie, and I also believe that Mr. Gongcheng can stop the rainstorm."

Gong Chengyue looked up at the bright moon in the sky and smiled, "Okay, I'll help Madam Zhang. I just hope that as you said, the rainstorm won't fall."

Falling is actually a good thing. She is just a woman with some special qualities. Once you get her, it won't be long before her unique qualities become ordinary.

At that time, whether she accepts her fate or not, it is her own choice and she cannot blame others.

He walked slowly towards another place, waving a feather fan, and soon his figure became blurred in the night.

A huge weight lifted off Zhang Jingxian's heart, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Gong Chengyue had agreed, and now she only had to wait to meet Prime Minister Xie...

There were inaudible footsteps behind her, and Zhang Jingxian's breathing suddenly tightened. Before she could turn around to look, she was pushed into the reeds by a strong force.

The reeds by the river were so tall and dense that she couldn't see anything when she fell in. Her natural fear instinct made her tightly grasp the arms around her waist.

"Who are you? What are you going to do!" Zhang Jingxian couldn't help but regret that she was only concerned with holding the feather fan and dropped the bow and arrow. Otherwise, she would have been able to touch the bow and arrow and fight back at this time.

No, that's not right. The man's arm was just blocking where she usually placed the bow and arrow, blocking her retreat.

Zhang Jingxian trembled continuously, but at the same time, the man pulled her chin and made her turn around, allowing her to see a pair of dark eyes clearly.

"...My dear."

As soon as she finished her stammering words, the expressionless man pulled out a few reeds, tied her hands together, and pressed them behind her back.

He was angry, or more accurately, really angry.

Zhang Jingxian didn't dare to say anything else. She had been with him for so long that she knew too well what was good for her. Her eyelashes trembled, and she looked confused and aggrieved.

"Ah Xian, have you forgotten what I told you before?" Xie Yun bit her earlobe with a cold face. He told her to stay away from the bus, but what did she do? She chased after someone in front of him!

"My dear, you know that I only want to compensate Mr. Gongcheng with a feather fan."

She hurriedly bit her lip, feeling his teeth grinding behind her ear, trying not to make any strange noises.

Gong Chengyue had just left not long ago, and she was completely embarrassed when he heard what she said.

"That also requires punishment." Xie Yun pursed his lips and teeth against the soft skin and sneered.

Ever since Uncle Jian arrived, she had been like a little fish in the water, swimming in front of him but after arousing his desire, she would flick her tail and go out of his reach.

Xie Yun's heart was filled with crazy restlessness and a trace of anger at her hypocrisy. He buried his head in the area of ​​her collarbone under her clothes, leaving a purple tooth mark.

In fact, this was far from enough, but fortunately, she looked so well-behaved as she bit her lip and endured it.

Finally, he sucked on the red earlobe again.

Move gently.

-

Three days later, Xie Yun and his companions, along with Shu Jian and his party, arrived outside Jiankang City.

Zhang Jingxian rode on the colt's horse and looked up at the towering city wall built with huge bluestones. Although it was not the first time she saw it, the shock in her heart was still strong.

This is Jiankang, the capital of the dynasty. She had only been there once in her previous life, but that did not prevent her from being deeply impressed by it.

There are three city gates several meters high, standing side by side. In front of the gates, all kinds of carriages and horses are mixed with colorful clothes, bringing an image of prosperity and luxury.

The Wuling County City I visited before was far inferior to it.

Zhang Jingxian increasingly understood why Xie Yun said that Xishan Village was a small, closed cage. The bluestone road under the hooves of the colt was a hundred steps wide, and all the villagers in Xishan Village could not even fill the road if they stood side by side.

"I haven't been back for some time. Jiankang City has become more magnificent than before." As she stared at it intently, Gong Chengyue was the first to speak out and break the silence.

"The boy from Gongcheng's family is talking nonsense that no one can understand. Jiankang City is located here. It has never changed year after year." Upon hearing this, Shu Jian smiled heartily and raised his hand slightly to let the guards guarding the city know.

Gongcheng Yue bowed and ordered everyone to follow Shu Jian in two lines and enter the city gate in an orderly manner.

At this time, Envoy Xie, whose "legs were injured", was sitting in a carriage pulled by two black horses and did not show up.

Zhang Jingxian gently touched the colt's ears, and together with Yi Yu and others, they stood guard at the front and rear of the carriage, acting diligently as a guest.

The guards guarding the city had sharp eyes and took a second look when they found out that she was a woman, but that was all. Not only did they not check their handbags like they checked others, they also bowed their heads and leaned forward to show respect when Xie Yun's carriage passed by.

Entering Jiankang City, rows of buildings came into view, including pavilions, towers, and flying eaves and brackets. Zhang Jingxian suddenly felt that she had accidentally entered a world that did not belong to her, and silently grabbed the reins.

But this was just the most insignificant beginning. As they walked towards Wuyi Lane beside Zhuque Bridge, the increasingly quiet sounds and fewer and fewer people allowed her to slowly see what the most top-notch aristocratic family was.

The houses and courtyards stretching for miles, comparable to the vastness of the Yangshan Mountains, are just one of the Xie family's in Jiankang City. Across the street, the equally crowded Wang family is opposite.

Zhang Jingxian rode on horseback, unable to see the end of the place, feeling breathless. She had no doubt how insignificant she, an ordinary commoner, would feel once she entered this place.

When they reached an ancient and elegant gate, all the carriages and horses stopped.

Shu Jian was the first to dismount, followed by the others including Gong Chengyue. Zhang Jingxian also followed suit and dismounted from the colt's back, hiding in the crowd.

"Welcome home, Mr. Seventh Young Master." The servants of the Xie family had been waiting at the door for a long time after receiving the news. They all saluted as Xie Yun walked out of the carriage.

The voice was low and respectful, but there were too many people, and to Zhang Jingxian's ears it sounded like thunder.

She pursed her lips, glanced at the people with identical postures, and took a deep breath.

It turns out that this is what the Xie family is like.

Perhaps, it was a blessing for her that she had never been here in her previous life.

Zhang Jingxian inexplicably recalled her past life, and the feelings in her heart were so complicated that they were hard to describe.

However, a more intuitive idea emerged in her mind: in this life, she would enter with dignity as a guest.

Then, leave with dignity.

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The author has something to say: Muah, here I come~