Chapter 21: Jackal (Text Plot) (Minor Revision) He, Xiao Chengjing, is...

The sun gradually set, dyeing the walls of Mucheng ochre.

Shu Yao saw from afar that the city gate was closed and couldn't help but wonder.

The city gate was closed before dark. It seems that the Lord of Mu City and Xiao Chengjing are indeed suspicious of each other.

Thinking of this, she stroked her chest unconsciously, secretly thanking herself for escaping in time.

Just as he was about to gallop on his horse, he suddenly heard the thunderous sound of hooves chasing him closely behind him.

It feels like walking alone on the road at night with someone following you step by step, which makes your back cold.

Shu Yao's heart tightened, and she squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, urging it to go faster.

But the sound of horse hooves behind me was getting closer and louder.

It actually looks like a well-trained military horse? !

Before Shu Yao could think about it, she heard a loud shout from behind, breaking through the air and penetrating into her ears: "Madam, please stay!"

Hearing the sound, Shu Yao's hand holding the reins couldn't help but tremble.

The chill instantly ran through his entire arm and reached his heart.

Stop? Or not?

Although running wildly at this moment is tantamount to admitting guilt, if the pursuers are sent by Xiao Chengjing...

If she reined in her horse as she was told, how confident would she be of escaping?

With a sigh, she squeezed her trembling fingers and pulled the reins sharply.

The horse felt pain and neighed loudly.

The front hooves were raised high and then stepped down heavily, splashing up some dust and mud.

Several Liang soldiers had caught up to them, forming a semi-encirclement.

Shu Yao looked closely and found that it was the team of scouts she had encountered on the road earlier.

He took a deep breath and forced a slightly awkward smile: "General, you called me... What's your order? I've already taken a detour and will never..."

The scout's face was expressionless. Before she could finish, he interrupted her, "No need to beat around the bush. Your Majesty has a request."

Shu Yao was stunned on the spot.

All the struggles and calculations shattered silently at this moment.

The shackles that she had finally broken free from were back on her again.

This time, it turned into real shackles that bound her hands and feet.

The soldiers pushed Shu Yao through the layers of fortified camp.

She stumbled forward, the hem of her cloak caked with mud and grass.

Suddenly, I saw a large tent with a golden roof and a coiled dragon in front of me.

The curtain was suddenly lifted, and the candlelight inside was so bright that she couldn't help but squint.

In the tent, Xiao Chengjing stood leisurely in front of a huge map, with his hands behind his back and his back facing the entrance.

Hearing the noise, he slowly turned around.

The flickering candlelight outlined his face.

His brows were still stern, but the corners of his lips were slightly raised in a subtle arc.

"Jiang Qing." He called softly with a smile, his voice gentle and deep, echoing in the silent tent, "Please give me some advice on how to find it."

Before he finished speaking, the man had already taken a step closer.

As the shadow fell, Shu Yao raised her face and met that gaze directly, a short sneer escaping her lips: "Your Majesty, thank you for mobilizing such a large army." As she spoke, she raised her wrist and shook it, and the shackles on her wrist rattled. "It's my fault."

Xiao Chengjing leaned forward slightly, looked down at her, and asked with interest: "Don't you have anything else to say?"

A cold breath approached silently.

Shu Yao forced herself to look away, her gaze falling on the jade pendant around his waist. She sneered slightly, "What I want to say is probably not what Your Majesty wants to hear. Chun Tao's life is still in Your Majesty's hands. I..." She squeezed out the remaining words from between her teeth, "It's better to shut up."

Xiao Chengjing took another half step forward: "Jiang Qing isn't worried about himself? Instead, he's worried about your maid?"

The two were only a few feet apart, and Shu Yao could even see her own reflection in his eyes.

Not wanting to lose face, she raised her head again, her gaze unwavering: "What this subject has done is worthy of death ten times. Your Majesty has not taken my life..." She strained her lips to reveal an almost bleak smile, "What else is there for this subject to worry about?"

Xiao Chengjing chuckled as if he had heard something interesting: "You're quite careless."

"There's no point in being afraid." Shu Yao tilted her head, her eyebrows raised slightly, with a hint of provocation, "Does Your Majesty want to see this subject weep and beg for mercy?"

"Oh?" Xiao Chengjing's eyes showed even more interest, as if he saw a cat that had been hiding its claws finally showing its claws.

His voice was low and filled with subtle allure, his breath almost brushing her ears: "Jiang Qing, if you don't give it a try, how do you know it won't work?"

"Try?" Shu Yao suddenly laughed out loud, unable to hide the sarcasm on her lips. "Your Majesty has used swift measures to recapture Yumen, and Li State's vassalage is a foregone conclusion. I am no longer of any use to you, yet Your Majesty is determined to capture me." She paused for a moment, her tone growing colder. "I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare my life. Your Majesty... are you willing to do so?"

The tent suddenly became eerily quiet.

The smile on Xiao Chengjing's face gradually faded, and his deep eyes were fixed on her face.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "You're becoming even more outrageous now. Why don't you continue to act like you did in the Clerk's Courtyard?"

"Why waste your energy?" Shu Yao shook her head slightly and sneered. "I pretended to be submissive before, but didn't His Majesty see through me? If I continue to act submissive now, won't His Majesty be suspicious? Will he suspect that I, a discarded pawn, have other plans?"

Xiao Chengjing stared into her unflinching eyes, which were frank and almost cruel.

His Adam's apple moved slightly, and his voice was extremely low, whispering: "Any other plans?" He deliberately dragged out the last word, his eyes moving between her eyebrows, "I hope you have some plans..."

Shu Yao stared at Xiao Chengjing for a few seconds, pursed her lips, and slowly formed a question mark.

In modern times, his face would definitely look like a doctor or lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Why does he only talk nonsense when he opens his mouth?

The shackles on her wrists made Shuyao unable to move, and she couldn't help but miss the days in the Documentary Court.

At that time, one could still use official duties as an excuse to maintain some dignity.

Now that he was in prison, even refusal became a luxury.

Seeing her bowing her head and remaining silent, Xiao Chengjing thought there was no need to rush, so he returned to his desk, picked up his pen again, and read the memorial.

However, after writing only three lines with the red brush, he heard the rustling of chains and looked up.

But I saw Shu Yao kneeling on the ground, rubbing her wrist with her head down.

Because of her posture, her sleeves fell to her elbows, revealing a piece of delicate skin.

On it, there was a circle of red marks from shackles, and there was swelling around it.

The wolf hair between his fingers paused slightly, almost spoiling the memorial.

He immediately shouted, "Cui Jinzhong! Bring me the Jade Face Cream!"

In just half a cup of tea, Cui Jinzhong walked in holding a small celadon jar, with red marks on the tip of his nose from the spring chill.

Xiao Chengjing took the jar, lifted the lid with his fingertips.

A faint bitter medicinal fragrance spreads.

Cui Jinzhong had just left when he stood up, walked to Shu Yao, lifted the corner of his robe, bent his knees and half-knelt.

Shu Yao was so startled that she almost jumped up. She hastily reached out to grab the medicine jar, saying, "I will do it myself. I dare not trouble Your Majesty."

However, Xiao Chengjing turned his wrist, causing her to miss.

Shu Yao was afraid of offending him, so her hands froze in mid-air, unable to move forward or backward.

Xiao Chengjing, however, grabbed the edge of her sleeve without explanation, his voice hoarse, with a hint of indescribable hesitation: "Don't move."

The wide sleeves with dragon patterns overlapped with her coarse linen clothes, which was extremely eye-catching.

Fortunately, he did not do anything beyond the rules, and Shu Yao felt relieved.

He condescended to apply medicine to her, so what else could she say?

Shu Yao couldn't help but glance at him secretly, but happened to meet his eyes which were so close yet so deep.

There seemed to be an undercurrent surging in his eyes, with inexplicable regret and pity floating in his eyes.

He frowned quickly, lowered his eyes in concentration, and avoided her gaze.

He dipped his fingertips in the ointment and applied it carefully to the wound, his movements as slow as if he was holding a fragile ancient book.

Even his breathing was extremely light, making him look like a completely different person from the emperor who was usually ruthless and ruthless.

The cool ointment instantly relieved the dull pain in her wrist.

However, he did not withdraw his hand immediately. His fingertips lingered on her wrist bone, allowing the shackles to dig into his palm.

After a long pause, he suddenly heard a light click and he actually untied the shackles with his own hands.

Her wrist, which had been freed, hung in the air. Shu Yao stared blankly at the fallen shackles, looking a little bit at a loss.

Xiao Chengjing's Adam's apple moved slightly. He wanted to ask her why she didn't want to stay with him and why she didn't see him waiting for her for fifteen years?

Does he, a king, have to confess in person: Look, I am the bastard you saved back then. I still care about you today, and the reason I keep you by my side now is not entirely for the sake of the court situation?

He can't do it.

He wanted her to discover it herself, remember it herself, and then come to him on her own initiative.

But what about her?

Either they were secretly alienated, or they were full of vigilance, as if all his special treatment and extraordinary favors were just imperial schemes with ulterior motives.

Myriad thoughts swirled in my chest, rushing to my lips, condensing into a resentful question: "Why are you running away?"

Shu Yao rubbed her red wrist, half-smiled: "Jin asked Li for a hostage, so I had to be imprisoned. Your Majesty wants to negotiate with Li, so I still have to be imprisoned..." There seemed to be broken ice in her eyes, "I just don't want to be imprisoned, there's no need to worry about so many reasons..."

He suddenly tightened his knuckles, then loosened them dejectedly after a moment: "Perhaps this place of mine is not the place of freedom you want." There was a hint of confusion in his voice that he had never shown to others, "But at least I can protect you, let you live in luxury, without suffering from the hardships of wandering and being devoured by wolves and tigers." His voice gradually became low at the end of his words, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

Shu Yao swallowed unconsciously.

Perhaps it was because his imperial majesty was too great, or perhaps his aura was too close.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, and she secretly grumbled: "Not being devoured by wolves, tigers and leopards? How is that possible?! He, Xiao Chengjing, is the biggest jackal!"

Then, she scoffed and said sarcastically, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty. But..." She casually fiddled with the chains on the ground, making a series of rustling sounds. "There is one thing I don't understand, and I hope Your Majesty can enlighten me."

Xiao Chengjing was still half-kneeling on the ground, his dark clothes like a splash of thick ink, pouring heavily on the carpet.

He slowly raised his eyes and said solemnly: "You say."

Shu Yao looked around uncomfortably, took a deep breath, and finally steeled herself. She met the compelling gaze and asked tentatively, "Your Majesty keeps saying things with a hidden meaning... Could it be that you want to take me as your consort?"

Shu Yao regretted the moment she said it.

Xiao Chengjing tightened the celadon medicine jar, as if he wanted to tighten the lid, which was already tightly fitted, a little tighter.

A smile that could not be suppressed escaped from the corner of his tightly pursed lips.

He slowly stood up, his movements revealing an almost deliberate calmness.

He placed the medicine jar on the corner of the table, with a slight clicking sound.

The smile in his eyes suddenly faded, like ink dripping into water, instantly dyeing his eyes: "Jiang Qing..." His Adam's apple moved slightly, as if it was burned by something, "...are you so impatient?"

He pronounced the word "anxious" lightly and slowly, with the ending tone rising, like a weeping willow in spring lightly sweeping across the heart, making it itchy.

Shu Yao's ears felt hot, and she quickly covered her face with her hands, feeling annoyed at herself for asking him.

The author has something to say:

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The review is open, you can comment by adding it to your collection [Let me review]

I'll take a day off tomorrow and update the results on Thursday. If there are byes, I'll update the next day to rest and recuperate. [Panda Head]

A little correction, explain why the male protagonist is so twisted [Sahua]