Chapter 14: Cousin Shanpodai, staring at me like this makes me feel...

Cui Yiluo stepped up to keep up with his pace.

She suddenly softened her attitude, her voice soft and sweet: "Cousin, don't be angry, I will be careful in the future."

Jiang Yunjin's expression did not soften at all, and it was hard to tell whether he believed it or not.

Cui Yiluo bit her lip, feeling somewhat lost. "Cousin, are you planning on never talking to me again?"

The man beside him was slightly startled, his tone tinged with a barely perceptible sense of helplessness: "No."

Cui Yiluo smiled happily at him: "That's good, I was just worried that my cousin would ignore me."

"Cousin, I will keep your secret."

Jiang Yunjin suddenly raised his eyes.

Seeing his surprise, Cui Yiluo seemed to find it amusing. The corners of her mouth raised playfully and cleverly, but her expression was pure and innocent. "It's the person behind my cousin. That person is not His Majesty, right?"

Jiang Yunjin's eyes suddenly became complicated.

Facing his deep gaze, she whispered, "But don't worry, cousin. This matter will be a secret between us, known only to you and me."

The shadows of the trees swayed, the moonlight was blocked out, and the air flowed stagnantly between the two of them.

Cui Yiluo blinked her eyelashes lightly: "Cousin, you staring at me like this makes me uneasy. Just now, you asked me to behave myself. What do you mean by this now?"

Jiang Yunjin quickly looked away and whispered, "Excuse me."

Cui Yiluo couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips, and lowered her eyes to hide the joy rising in her eyes.

The gentle drizzle fell softly on the faces and bodies of the two people. Suddenly, in the light white mist, more than a dozen figures appeared across the mist.

"Cousin! Big brother!"

Jiang Zhaoyue's voice drifted in from not far away with the drizzle.

In the vast darkness, Lan Hui's family of four arrived on horseback, accompanied by several servants. Several flames danced, dispelling the darkness, and the light grew brighter as the figures approached.

Cui Yiluo breathed a sigh of relief without making a sound.

Seeing Cui Yiluo, Lan Hui kicked the horse's belly even more anxiously, and soon ran in front of Cui Yiluo.

Lan Hui jumped off the horse swiftly and rushed forward to examine Cui Yiluo carefully.

"I was so scared! Commander Yuan said there was an assassin in the woods, so Shen Zhi escorted you away first. But your uncle and I waited in the tent for ages, but you never showed up. We thought something had happened to you again!"

Lan Hui began to choke up at the end of her speech: "It's all my aunt's fault."

Cui Yiluo felt a pang of pain, thinking Lan Hui was blaming herself for bringing her out and causing her to run into the assassin. She quickly consoled her, "Aunt, you're too kind. It just rained on the way, and my cousin and I took shelter, which delayed us."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Jiang Yunjin, his watery eyes full of pleading.

But almost as soon as Cui Yiluo gave her a look, he turned his eyes away and avoided the gaze, his action decisively.

This means he is unwilling to help her.

Cui Yiluo couldn't bear Lan Hui's guilty look. After all, Lan Hui was the only one in the world who was truly kind to her. In Cui Yiluo's eyes, Lan Hui was her only blood relative.

She was about to speak again to comfort him, but she heard the man beside her hum softly, his voice like a clear mountain spring flowing through: "What my cousin said is true, aunt, don't worry."

Cui Yiluo's eyes were curved like crescent moons reflected in the river water, and she said to him silently: Thank you, cousin.

As expected, Jiang Yunjin ignored her.

At this time, several people behind him also followed, and the servants held torches, instantly lighting up this small area.

Jiang Yunjin's clothes were pure white, and the blood splattered on the front of his clothes was even more glaring in the light of the fire. Jiang Mingxun saw that his brother's clothes were covered in blood and exclaimed in shock, "Brother, did you fight with the assassin?"

Uncle Jiang Wen took a quick look and exclaimed, "Shenzhi, you..."

In everyone's eyes, Jiang Yunjin had been a well-mannered and sensible person since childhood, and even more so as he grew up, a brilliant and brilliant man, as flawless as white jade. Jiang Wen and the others were well aware of his martial arts training, but seeing him kill someone with blood on his face still terrified them, as if they had committed the heinous crime of betraying their master and ancestors.

Jiang Yunjin's eyes were dark, and he nodded lightly, not intending to explain to Jiang Wen and the others.

He didn't care what others thought of him, but if this matter got to his grandmother's ears, he would be in trouble.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yunjin's sharp eyebrows frowned and his expression became solemn.

When Jiang Wen and the others saw his expression, they felt as if ice rain was falling on them, and they came to their senses.

Jiang Yunjin is not only their relative, but also highly regarded by the emperor. At a young age, he was promoted to the powerful position of Zhongshu Ling, holding the power of life and death. So what if he kills someone with his own hands now?

What they said was an act of disrespect.

Jiang Wen was terrified and tried to force a smile to change the situation, but a clear female voice suddenly rang out:

"My cousin is a righteous man. He happened to pass by and saw an assassin trying to hurt me, so he fought back. Swords have no eyes, and casualties are inevitable. The most important thing is to avoid accidentally hurting innocent people."

As soon as the words fell, everyone present was stunned. Jiang Zhaoyue, who was the one who showed his emotions most on his face, widened his eyes in surprise.

No one seemed to have expected that the usually mild-mannered Cui Yiluo would defend someone and speak so sharply. Not only did she not deliberately conceal Jiang Yunjin's murder, she also directly acknowledged it as a righteous act to eliminate evil.

Jiang Yunjin turned his head slightly to look at Cui Yiluo, his eyes deep and obscure, and his upright profile flickered in the swaying flames.

Cui Yiluo noticed him looking at her out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at him. Her light smile contained both gentle comfort and a hint of pride, but these two contradictory expressions blended together gracefully on her face.

The woods suddenly fell silent, save for the gentle patter of rain on the green leaves. Lan Hui was the first to react, smiling broadly, "Shenzhi, thanks to you this time. Auntie will definitely thank you when she gets home."

Jiang Yunjin's expression did not soften because of Lan Hui and the others' attitude. He just nodded slightly in response.

"By the way, cousin, didn't you say you were going to the stream to fish? Why are you here in Houqilin?"

Jiang Zhaoyue asked doubtfully.

Cui Yiluo's expression showed no sign of abnormality as she explained calmly, "I was going to go, but I heard Commander Yuan would be going to Houqi Forest this afternoon. He hasn't returned the outer robe he lent me at the Lotus Feast, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to return it to him."

After saying that, she quietly turned her head to look at Jiang Yunjin. He was sharp-minded. Her words might deceive Jiang Zhaoyue and Lan Hui, but not necessarily him.

But the man had an indifferent expression, his eyes never stopped on them for a moment, and it seemed that he was not listening to them at all.

Lan Hui's expression became somewhat serious: "Yiluo, has Cheng Yuanwailang ever given you a letter?"

Cui Yiluo expressed a hint of just the right amount of confusion. "Mr. Cheng did want to meet me before, but I thought it was against protocol for me to meet him privately, so I declined. But he seemed particularly insistent, and I don't know why... By the way, why did Aunt ask about this all of a sudden?"

"He was injured by a wild beast by the stream today and nearly died. Fortunately, he encountered a patrol of imperial guards."

Cui Yiluo subconsciously asked, "What?"

Lan Hui spoke with a hint of anger, "He said he went to the stream because he had an appointment with you. He clearly wants to blame this accident on you!"

Cui Yiluo said innocently and helplessly: "Aunt, I didn't make an appointment with him."

"Auntie believes in you."

Lan Hui patted Cui Yiluo's hand comfortingly, but her face remained ashen.

Lan Hui felt angry and sad when she thought that Cui Yiluo was going to marry an old man as old as her grandfather, and her stepson was eyeing her covetously before she even got married. Cheng Yi was already in his early forties, and Cui Yiluo was only eighteen. How could she possibly win against him?

Jiang Zhaoyue said, "In my opinion, Mr. Cheng heard you were going to the stream, so he followed you and ended up encountering a ferocious beast. But don't worry, cousin. The Yun Yi Guards have already verified that you never gave him the letter. He's really a fool to tell such a lame lie."

Jiang Zhaoyue kept on nagging about the injustice done to Cui Yiluo, but Cui Yiluo didn't hear a word she said.

That person clearly knew that she was going to Houqinlin, otherwise he would not have sent a shadow guard over.

But since she knew that the stream was a trap set by her, why would she let the beast go to the stream?

-

The simultaneous occurrence of the beast and the assassin spread quickly, creating a panic. However, everyone only knew that Yuan Ling had encountered the assassin while hunting, and Cui Yiluo and Jiang Yunjin had completely disappeared from the scene. It was unclear whether the order came from Yuan Ling or Jiang Yunjin.

The camp was on alert. The emperor was furious and lost all interest. He ordered to return to the capital the next day and asked Yun Yiwei to stay and investigate.

As soon as the order was issued, the palace servants immediately started packing their bags, and the imperial guards also stepped up their patrols. The busy movement did not stop until late at night.

In the dead of night, all you can hear is the wind hitting the leaves.

Outside a gorgeous and noble tent, the python pattern embroidered on the tent is still majestic in the night. The tent is heavily guarded outside and the lights inside are bright.

A man in black approached and knelt outside the tent door.

"Sui Lin requests to see His Highness."

"Come in."

The man in black immediately lifted the curtain and went in.

I saw that the furnishings inside the tent were even more luxurious. Although the tent occupied a large area, it did not feel empty inside at all.

"Your Highness, those bastards have been killed. Their eyeballs have been soaked and sent back to the palace. They should still be in time for Chi Nu to take them."

The man leaning on the mahogany couch was playing with a white rabbit. His thin fingers were so cold and white that they were almost bloodless. He stroked the rabbit's soft neck from time to time, with a cruel and playful smile on his face.

As Suilin watched, he suddenly remembered the time when he played with Chinu. Chinu is a highly poisonous snake, named after its red body.

As if noticing that his subordinate's gaze lingered on the white rabbit for a few moments, the man slowly curled his lips and said, "Don't worry, this rabbit is for my sister, I won't kill it."

Sui Lin quickly lowered his head and knelt down: "I dare not."

Xiao Zheng chuckled. "Everyone has returned to the tent safely, right? Sui Lin, you know that if I let her go this time, it will be even harder for me to take action after returning to the capital. Furthermore, if Xiao Jing's men exploit this situation, and my father is forced to abandon me for my brother, I will be left with no place to bury my body."

The second prince, Xiao Jing, was born to Queen Gu. He was gentle and generous, and there was a lot of support for him to be the crown prince. The Gu family and the Chu family behind Concubine Qiong had always shared power in the court, and even Xiao Jing and Xiao Zheng were evenly matched.

Under Xiao Zheng, there is a younger brother, the Seventh Prince, who is from the same mother. If Xiao Zheng is defeated, the Chu family will immediately turn to support the Seventh Prince.

Sui Lin understood his master's predicament, facing both wolves in front and tigers behind, and consoled him, "Your Highness, the Seventh Prince is still young. How can he compare to Your Highness, who is in his prime?"

"As long as it's born by my mother, my father will protect it like an eyeball. What's the difference?"

Xiao Zheng's face was full of cruelty. He grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of the neck and threw it away in anger, then slowly walked to Sui Lin who was kneeling on the ground.

Her tone was slow and playful. "Sui Lin, why are you still trembling? You must be thinking too badly of me. You accomplished something else today. How could I kill you?"

Sui Lin, who had been keeping her head down, looked up in surprise, then realized what Xiao Zheng was talking about. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Why? Judging from your reaction, you don't seem to understand why I did this."

Sui Lin simply lowered his head and said obediently, "Your Highness has his own reasons. How dare I interfere?"

Xiao Zheng slowly walked back to the couch and easily caught the fleeing rabbit. He muttered to himself, "Hmph, the Cheng family is nothing. They're such lowly people who don't know their own worth. Since she wants to borrow our help, we might as well do it. It won't take much effort. Cui Yiluo actually got stepped on by such a loser. It's really shameful."

After saying that, Xiao Zheng threw the white rabbit away again, looking at it as if it were an ant.

Sui Lin lowered his head and said hesitantly, "But will His Majesty notice this?"

Xiao Zheng chuckled, as if he had heard something extremely amusing. "You really underestimate my father. He knew it a long time ago, otherwise why do you think she came to Xia Shou?"

Sui Lin looked surprised.

At this moment, a male voice suddenly sounded outside the tent: "Cousin, are you asleep?"

A look of annoyance appeared on Xiao Zheng's face, and he winked at Sui Lin. Sui Lin was about to deal with the man, but suddenly saw Xiao Zheng raise his hand again, and he quickly paused.

"Come in."

A man in gorgeous clothes and a flamboyant golden crown rushed in, holding a pot of wine in his hand. "Cousin, I'm glad you didn't sleep. By the way, my cousin has been in some trouble recently, and I want to ask for your help."

Xiao Zheng leaned on the couch, nodded impatiently, and motioned him to continue.

Chu Ke's face was full of ingratiating smiles as he spoke, "Hey, isn't it just about me and that concubine of the Xie family? I promised my aunt that I would break up with her, but she has been secretly sending me letters these past few days. You know your cousin is a man of loyalty and he really can't bear to see this delicate young lady sad. So I want to ask my cousin to help me talk to my aunt about it."

"What's so good about that concubine?" Xiao Zheng sneered, "A concubine with impure intentions is worth all your trouble? My cousin is from the Chu family, of noble status, and handsome. He should have a better match."

Chu Ke's face showed anticipation: "Oh? From what my cousin said, you found a beautiful woman for me?"

Xiao Zheng smiled meaningfully and said, "Didn't you see her yesterday? She's Madam Jiang's niece, whose surname is Cui."

Chu Ke remembered it instantly. Once he had seen that beauty, he would never forget her. He showed some regret: "But doesn't Miss Cui have a fiancé?"

Xiao Zheng walked forward, fiddling with the rabbit, his voice low and seductive, "Cousin, you are the eldest son of the Chu family. How dare a mere sixth-rank Imperial College Supervisor compete with you? He obediently handed the person over at the mere command of your cousin."

Chu Ke couldn't hold back after hearing this: "Then I'll call the Supervisor when I return to the capital."

"Eh—" Xiao Zheng stretched out his arm to stop him. "That being said, it's beneath my dignity for my cousin to personally come forward to ask for the daughter of a lowly official."

"In my opinion, cousin, it would be better for you to start with Cui Yiluo."

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[Good Luck Lianlian] Xiao Zheng is crazy, you can't look at him with normal people's thinking

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