Shuangyuan

The thick fog, like ink that couldn't be dissolved, enveloped the entire mountain valley completely.

Before Yang Hui could react to what was happening, the earth suddenly trembled slightly, and the silence of the mountains and fields was shattered by the hoofbeats of horses, which quickly approached.

The wind tore through the sky, and countless sharp arrows pierced through the thick fog, their arrowheads gleaming coldly, swiftly and accurately piercing the chests of the remaining men in black.

In an instant, the blood mist exploded.

As the sound of hooves grew clearer, a dark mass of cavalry emerged from the thick fog and galloped toward them.

The leading monsoon waved its hand, releasing a majestic eagle with a wingspan of half a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters). Wu Gou Lang drew a beautiful arc in the air, its clear cry resounding through the sky.

Yang Hui's heart trembled violently as he stared intently at the eagle circling in the sky.

Jizhou Guards.

And there's that iconic eagle...

He whirled around, drew a short blade from his sleeve, and almost instinctively thrust it straight at the long sword that Zhou Yanzhi had suddenly thrust at him from behind, exclaiming in surprise, "You're Zhou Yanzhi?!"

The blades clashed with a crisp sound. Zhou Yanzhi raised his sword with a backhand motion, flicking the long sword upwards along the short blade.

With a "clang," the short blade in Yang Hui's hand flew out and plunged heavily into the snow on the ground.

With a flick of his wrist, the next second, Zhou Yanzhi's blood-stained sword was firmly resting against Yang Hui's neck, the icy touch sending chills down his spine.

Looking up at him, Zhou Yanzhi smiled and teased, "Fool, you only just figured it out now."

At the same time, the eagle swooped down and landed steadily on Zhou Yanzhi's raised forearm.

The sudden gust of wind tousled Yang Hui's carefully combed hair, and the sharp eagle wing grazed his cheek, instantly leaving two bloody marks. The burning pain made him gasp.

Ji Feng had already dismounted first and quickly ran to Zhou Yanzhi's side. When he saw the bloodstains on Zhou Yanzhi's body, his eyes reddened, and he knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with lingering fear: "Your subordinate is late, please forgive me, young master!"

Wu Goulang suddenly flapped its wings and landed heavily on Ji Feng's head, nuzzling him gently. Zhou Yanzhi's calm voice came, carrying a hint of gentleness: "Get up, it's not my blood."

The eagle overhead let out two low coos, seemingly mocking the monsoon.

Ji Feng was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had misunderstood. His ears turned red instantly, and he quickly replied "Yes," obediently getting up and letting Wu Gou Lang stand on his head and act arrogantly.

Even before he knelt down to beg for forgiveness, several guards from Jizhou had already stepped forward, their iron-like hands gripping Yang Hui's arms and binding him tightly.

Seeing that Yang Hui had been subdued, Liu Su, the governor of Ji Province, quickly walked up to Zhou Yanzhi, bowed respectfully, and said in a respectful voice, "Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi's gaze softened considerably. He reached out to help him up and said gently, "Uncle Liu, there's no need for such formalities."

Liu Su was a subordinate of Prince An and also a close friend of Prince An. He had been guarding Ji Province for Prince An.

He treated Zhou Yanzhi very well, and Zhou Yanzhi always treated him as a junior.

Liu Su straightened up, looked at Zhou Yanzhi's disheveled appearance, and couldn't help but tear up, saying in a trembling voice, "Your Highness has suffered."

Zhou Yanzhi shook his head, "It's not bitter."

Upon hearing this, Liu Su felt a pang of sadness again.

He watched Zhou Yanzhi grow up. This child has always been thoughtful. Even if he suffers injustice, he won't say anything unless others ask.

Although she smiled and said "it's not bitter" at this moment, the weariness hidden in her eyes could not be lied to.

Enraged, Liu Su kicked Yang Hui, who was kneeling beside him, to the ground. He turned to Zhou Yanzhi and said, "Your Highness, Guard Ji explained the reasons to me on the way here, and our men have already gone up the mountain and sealed off the horse farm. It's just that this person..."

He pointed to Yang Hui, who was slumped on the ground, his tone clearly indignant, "Keeping a private army, stealing government silver, and now there's another charge of murdering a member of the royal family, how should he be dealt with?"

Looking down at Yang Hui's resentful eyes, Zhou Yanzhi calmly said, "His crime is no small matter. Put him in prison for now, and in a few days, I will personally escort him back to the capital."

Liu Su nodded in agreement, "Then we will do as the Crown Prince says."

Zhou Yanzhi continued, "Uncle Liu, there's something else I need to trouble you with."

Liu Su said solemnly, "Your Highness, please speak freely."

As the fog gradually dissipated, Zhou Yanzhi's gaze fell on the military camp opposite the cliff, and he said in a deep voice, "Now that Yang Hui has been captured, Yangqu is leaderless and may descend into chaos. In the next few days, we may need to trouble Uncle Liu to stay in Yangqu and stabilize the situation."

"Of course." Liu Su nodded, his tone solemn. "Your Highness, rest assured, Yangqu will not cause any trouble."

Zhou Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief, a smile playing on his lips. He turned to Liu Su and said, "Once this matter is settled, I will personally explain Uncle Liu's achievements to His Majesty."

"You brat, why are you being so polite with Uncle Liu?" Liu Su chuckled and scolded, the worry in his eyes fading somewhat.

It seems he's alright now; he can even joke around.

But the next second...

As Zhou Yanzhi smiled faintly, the tense atmosphere he had been maintaining for days finally dissipated, and a wave of weariness swept over him. In Liu Su's panicked gaze, he suddenly slammed his body to the ground.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"grown ups!"

"..."

...

Meanwhile, in a dilapidated temple near Yangqu.

Beneath the cobweb-covered beams, a faded half-Buddha statue sits on a high platform. The Buddha's head is broken, with only half remaining. One compassionate eye is slightly lowered, gazing at the bonfire in the center of the hall.

A cold wind swept through the hall, and the brocade curtains danced within.

The soft crackling of burning firewood reached her ears. Jie Xiangsi lay on the cold blue bricks, her brow furrowed, her lips white from the cold.

A dull ache came from the back of my neck, and I slowly woke up, relieved of my longing.

The first thing that catches the eye is a dark corner of clothing. Looking up, there is a hand holding firewood, covered with scars that are still pinkish, like fresh wounds.

Hearing the noise, the man said something in a low voice.

"woke up?"

Her voice was still hoarse, and Jie Xiangsi's heart trembled as all the memories before she fell into a coma flooded back into her mind.

With her hands still bound behind her back, she could only struggle to sit up using the strength of her arms, raising her eyes to cast a cold glance at him, "What exactly do you want to do?"

The man was still masked, only revealing a pair of sharp eyes.

Hearing the question, he found it rather amusing, and chuckled softly, a laugh devoid of any warmth. Turning to look at her, his eyes narrowed slightly, he countered, "Have you ever heard of kidnappers telling their reasons to hostages?"

Sensing the sarcasm in his tone, Jie Xiangsi didn't respond.

Before she could think it through, the man turned his head and continued speaking to himself, "You are the daughter of the Prefect of Danzhou, and you understand love and longing. Right?"

Although it is a question, the tone is completely affirmative.

Before she could respond, he added, "I didn't expect you to be Zhou Ce'an's cousin. That's quite a pleasant surprise."

Upon hearing this, Jie Xiangsi's pupils suddenly contracted.

So, he kidnapped her mainly because she was the daughter of the governor of Danzhou?

Jie Xiangsi frowned slightly. The person who tried to assassinate her on New Year's Eve was also because of her identity. What exactly did the governor of Danzhou do to attract so many enemies to his daughter?

So, she slowly said, "So?"

"So?" The man seemed surprised by her confidence. He paused for a moment, then scoffed and looked at her, saying, "How can you be so self-righteous? No wonder you're the daughter of a corrupt official."

Jie Xiangsi: "..."

Is there any necessary connection between this conclusion and what she said earlier?

She didn't rush to refute, but instead leaned forward slightly and tentatively asked, "You...hate my father?"

"Dislike?" The man repeated the word as if playing with it, then turned around and said mockingly, "Listen carefully, I don't dislike your father, I hate him."

The word "hate" was pronounced with extreme emphasis.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly flipped his right hand and a sharp knife was drawn out with a "whoosh".

The sharp tip pressed lightly against Xie Xiangsi's face, sliding down her cheekbone to her jaw and then to her undulating neck. With just a little force, Xie Xiangsi would surely bleed.

He heard the increasingly heavy breathing beside him, and let out a lazy, muffled chuckle. He gently lifted Xie Xiangsi's chin with the back of his knife, his eyes flashing with even greater sharpness.

"And you, I hate you."

Before he finished speaking, he was instantly close by, his voice booming in Jie Xiangsi's ears, his tone chillingly cold.

"Why can you live without knowing anything?! Why is my family torn apart because of your father, yet you can still live peacefully under his protection?!"

The hostility in her words was so strong that Xie Xiangsi couldn't help but frown. She wasn't the real Xie Xiangsi; she was just a lonely soul residing in someone else's body.

This is really...

An unexpected disaster.

She didn't dodge the knife; instead, she met his gaze. Her voice was soft, but without a trace of fear: "I'm sorry for what you've suffered. Once my affairs are settled, you can kill me or torture me as you please, okay?"

Anyway, she died long ago during the first snowfall, and her current life is nothing but a stolen one.

Seemingly surprised by her words, the man paused for a moment, then said coldly, "Don't you understand your own situation? You dare to negotiate with me?"

Sensing the disdain in his tone, Xie Xiangsi calmly said, "You're not killing me immediately because you want to use me to threaten Zhou Yanzhi. But if you're holding a dead man hostage, do you think... he'll be threatened by you first, or you'll be the one he retaliates against first?"

"Oh?" He twirled the dagger in his hand and said indifferently, "It seems you are very confident in your position in his heart."

Jie Xiangsi smiled faintly, "That's natural."

The man in black asked, "You saved his life?"

After all... he couldn't think of anything else besides this.

Surely it couldn't be that Zhou Ce'an has fallen for someone?

Jie Xiangsi shook her head: "No, he loves me."

Upon hearing this, the man paused in his twirling of the dagger, surprised by this answer. A strange look appeared in his eyes as he looked at her. "Did I ask?"

Jie Xiangsi blinked and replied, "You didn't ask, I just wanted to say it myself."

Man in black: "..."

Speechless.

He chuckled softly twice, deftly sheathed his sword, lazily raised his hand and clapped twice, giving Xie Xiangsi a thumbs-up, and said earnestly, "You're amazing."

The cycad actually bloomed.