Hanging Knife (10)

He Zhangjing's eyes flashed and he frowned: "How can I trust you?" Having worked with her for many years, He Zhangjing naturally knew how untrustworthy she was.

Li Qi moved the dagger that was against his chin up to his cheek and gently patted it. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes smiled maliciously and sarcastically: "Do you have any other choice now besides trusting me?"

He Zhangjing shrank back in despair, his shoulders slumped weakly, his head lowered deeply, and the cold dagger slid across his cheek.

Seeing this, Li Qi put away the dagger, put it on his body, and said jokingly: "I'll wait for you at the County Lord's Mansion, don't let me down."

Li Qi turned and left gracefully. Her slender figure gradually moved away in He Zhangjing's eyes, slowly turning into a tiny black dot until it disappeared. He Zhangjing then withdrew his gaze, turned his head and locked Chen Hu with a sinister look.

Chen Hu happened to look over, and when he met He Zhangjing's gaze, the corners of his lips stiffened uncomfortably.

-

County Princess's Mansion.

After taking a shower, Li Qi changed into a dry and fitting dress, pulled the rocking chair to the window, sat in it, rocking, and looked out through the window in front of her.

The grass, trees and shrubs in the yard have sprouted new leaves. In the rich and lush green, there are a few early-blooming red and white flowers, swaying back and forth in the spring breeze, like colorful broken jade falling in the dense green fields, presenting a vibrant scene full of spring.

Finally, this place is no longer a vast expanse of white snow. She doesn't like snow, and she doesn't like the sight of things being smashed into ruins by the public's anger. Li Qi likes this spring scene very much, and she feels the vitality of spring!

The scenery was so relaxing that Li Qi's breathing became smoother and her body felt so light that she seemed to be able to become an immortal at any time.

Two figures, one in blue and one in white, walked in through the crescent-shaped gate of the courtyard. Li Qi looked closely and saw that they were Qinglan and Yelan.

After a while, the door behind them was pushed open, and the two of them walked forward, waiting on the left and right.

Li Qi rocked in her chair, feeling the spring breeze coming in from the window, and said comfortably, "What's the matter?"

Qinglan hesitated for a moment, then slowly pulled out a bright yellow scroll from her sleeve and handed it to Li Qi, holding it in both hands: "This is the official imperial edict from the palace, conferring the title of consort."

Li Qi paused, and the feeling of comfort she had just felt disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The words Feng Siji said in the cell were still lingering in her ears. His look of wanting to cry but not crying, and his humble and pleading tone made Li Qi feel a little uneasy.

She secretly pinched her fingers and didn't say anything for a while.

Seeing her silence, Qinglan assumed she didn't want to go, and hesitated, "This was brought here by Li Ke. Li Ke sent a message saying that if the county lady doesn't want to go, she doesn't have to. After all, she holds the power now, and all she needs is an opportunity. There's no need to obey and enter the palace."

Li Qi waved her hand and said, "Let's discuss this later."

She continued rocking her chair and turned to ask about Dong Mingrong's news.

Qinglan had no choice but to take the imperial edict back and said with her head down, "Yeshu received news last night. After Zhang Zhouzhu captured her in Yunzhou, he did not risk moving her. She has been in Yunzhou the whole time. However, people who checked the news a few days ago said that she later escaped from Zhang Zhouzhu on her own and her current whereabouts are unknown."

Although this news was only received yesterday, considering the time it took them to find out about Mingrong's escape and for the letter to be delivered to Kyoto, the real situation was that Mingrong had already escaped from Zhang Zhouzhu's clutches long ago.

Li Qi was no longer worried and felt relieved. She believed that since Dong Mingrong was able to escape, she would definitely be able to return to Kyoto and be with Li Qi.

Li Qi then asked Ye Lan, "Did Shengxiang's funeral go smoothly?"

Ye Lan nodded, "It's all done."

Her tone was a little lifeless. Li Qi glanced at her and said nothing.

Ever since Shengxiang came to Tingzhuyuan, she has been with Yelan every day. Now that she is gone, it is normal for Yelan to feel bad.

Li Qi rested her head on her hands and lay back in the rocking chair. She looked out the window at the spring scenery in the garden and said to Ye Lan, "If you can't muster up the energy, you can go back to the Linche military camp and have some fun and relax. After all, you're not into martial arts or literature, so you might as well help out in the barracks."

Upon hearing this, Ye Lan blushed with embarrassment, biting her tongue and saying ashamedly, "It's unbecoming for a girl like me to stay in the barracks all day. And because of what happened last time, I actually regret it. I should have studied martial arts with the county lady and the general, or studied literature with Shengxiang. Otherwise, I can't help at all, and I always feel bad.

"I was thinking that once I learned it, I would go to the palace with you and help you a little."

Li Qi smiled softly and looked at her: "So you want to learn it all over again?"

Ye Lan wanted to agree, but then he thought about it and felt a little uncomfortable. He frowned and said, "But then I have to report before dawn, and I have to carry a sword that I can't even lift. I get sleepy when I read those books. Oh, what should I do? County Master, can you teach me how to avoid reporting without getting sleepy?"

As soon as these words were spoken, before Li Qi could say anything, she saw a crack appear on Qinglan's cold face. Qinglan tried hard to hold her breath, and her neck became thick from holding it in.

Li Qi looked at him in amusement, but she remained silent. Qinglan finally lost her temper and said, "Miss Yelan, you should go to the military camp. Who says farming and cooking can't help the county lord? Food is the most important thing for the people. Without people farming and cooking, we can't even fight the war, let alone recapture Yunzhou."

Ye Lan felt relieved and looked at Li Qi with doubt: "Is this true?"

Li Qi smiled and nodded. "Well, pack up and go back to the barracks. Lin Che might need your care too. I saw him at Qingqi Temple today and he didn't look well."

Ye Lan paused for a moment before remembering that today was the day Yunzhou fell.

It is also the anniversary of General Dong's parents' death, so he must be extremely sad.

Ye Lan no longer hesitated, took the few things he had and returned to the military camp.

Only Li Qi and Qinglan were left in the empty house. The spring breeze blew from time to time, bringing the fragrance of flowers in the air to their nostrils. Li Qi sniffed the refreshing fragrance and thought of Yunzhou.

Yunzhou's terrain was rugged, its mountains steep and precipitous, and home to many exotic flowers and plants. Every spring and summer, the air would be filled with a rich, intoxicating fragrance, far more pleasant than the one she was experiencing now, but even that was enough to comfort her spirit, which had been empty for years.

Li Qi stood up from the rocking chair and turned to Qinglan, saying, "Go back to Feng Siji's place and bring back some of his thicker clothes."

Qinglan nodded and slowly walked out of the room.

After she left, Li Qi was not idle either, and went into the kitchen of the county lord's mansion.

The kitchen hadn't been used for a long time, and a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the stove and countertops. Li Qi fetched some water herself, dampened a handkerchief, and meticulously wiped away the dust, cleaning the stove and cutting board as well.

After cleaning the kitchen, Li Qi went to the backyard of the county lord's mansion to pick vegetables.

It was originally a back garden, but it was later spotted by Ye Lan, who dug it up to grow vegetables. Li Qi thought that there was a garden in the front yard anyway, so she let her do it.

Li Qi saw the greenhouse vegetables all over the yard, big and green, and she could tell at a glance that they were planted too early.

But it was still a cold winter day earlier, and Li Qi couldn't help but sigh that Ye Lan's skills were so good that he could not only grow vegetables in the snow, but also make them grow so well.

Li Qi looked at the greenhouse in wonder, not knowing what it was used for. She bent down and went in, picked a basket of vegetables and carried it out.

As soon as she returned to the kitchen, she saw Qinglan walking into the courtyard with a bag on her back. Seeing Li Qi, Qinglan hurried forward and said, "Are you hungry, County Master? Please let me do it."

As he was about to take Li Qi's basket, Li Qi dodged sideways and said, "Put your bag down first, then come help me."

Qinglan couldn't disobey, so she didn't insist. She put the bag full of Feng Siji's clothes into the closet and rushed to help Li Qi.

Li Qi cooked personally, and Qinglan helped her. As the sun was setting, they made a few side dishes.

She put the side dishes into the lunch box, sealed it, and told Qinglan to get Feng Siji's clothes. Then she carried the lunch box and her bag out the door.

Qinglan watched her figure slowly walk away in the blood-red sunset. She could tell from where she was going that the county lady must be going to the prison to find Lord Feng.

-

There was nothing special about the prison, it was just as damp and cold as before.

Li Qi was familiar with the place and found Feng Siji.

The cell he was in was the same one she used to be in. At that time, Feng Siji was holding a storybook and reading it intently under the oil lamp on the table.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Feng Siji slowly raised his head from the book, and saw the red that he had been thinking about. Joy quietly crept up the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

Feng Siji closed the book, stood up, walked to the prison door, and looked at Li Qi's face closely through the gap in the fence.

Her soft long hair was casually tied up with a plain hairpin, with one or two strands of hair hanging down from her temples, and her red lips and bright eyes made her look charming.

Even though the oil lamp was dim, it could not hide her beauty in the slightest. She was like a cold moon shining on a bright red flower, with a pretty face, cool and bright.

The jailer guarding outside the prison seemed to have received Chen Hu's instructions in advance. Without Li Qi's instruction, he took the initiative to step forward and open the door of the cell.

Then he sensibly retreated to a distance where he could neither see nor hear.

Li Qi walked in and passed by Feng Siji. A strand of hair brushed against his nose, carrying a faint fragrance of hair.

Feng Siji's eyes suddenly became blurred, and the scene in the Gold Storage Pavilion emerged in his mind.

He stood behind her and forced her to lie on the windowsill. From his angle, he could see her snow-white buttocks and her slender waist. The wind occasionally blew her hair back, brushing against his nose and leaving a lingering fragrance.

It's like an addictive taste.

"I made a few side dishes for you, feel free to try them," Li Qi opened the lunch box, took out the food inside, and placed them neatly on the small table.

Feng Si hurried to the table and glanced down.

A plate of seasonal vegetables, a dish of steamed fish, a bowl of wild flower soup, and two bowls of clear porridge.

"You made it yourself?" Feng Siji seemed unable to believe it. A flash of surprise flashed across his eyes, which disappeared in an instant, and then full of doubts appeared again.

In the past in Qianzhou, Li Qi also said that there was a table of dishes that she cooked for him personally.

But Feng Siji later tasted it and found that it was clearly Ye Lan's handiwork, but he did not expose it. He just thought that she had the intention but not the strength, and he was satisfied.

Now there was another table full of dishes she had made herself. Although Feng Siji was surprised, he was also inevitably confused.

Li Qi nodded seriously, put the lunch box aside, and sat down on a small stool. "I made it myself, and Qinglan helped me. Don't worry, other than the vegetables and wildflowers planted by Ye Lan, there was absolutely no Ye Lan involved in anything else."

Feng Siji was slightly stunned, then understood what she meant. She already knew that the dish she had cooked before had been exposed.

He didn't mention that, but sat down beside her, picked up the bowl of wild flower soup and took a sip.

Sweet, fragrant and smooth, melts in your mouth.

Feng Si swallowed it quickly and gracefully, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth. He felt as if he had a sweet flower in his mouth.

Feng Siji gently picked up the petals with a spoon and said, "What an amazing skill."

Li Qi lay on the table, her hands supporting her cheeks as she watched him eat. She smiled faintly and said, "It tastes very special, doesn't it? This is what my mother taught me to make. Back then, it was with her special cooking skills that she won Dong Yan's heart, and the love between the man and the woman led to the birth of me."

Feng Siji paused as he fiddled with the flower petals.

He raised his eyes and glanced at Li Qi. Seeing her bright smile and her peach blossom eyes sparkling with spring light that was even brighter than this year, his heart suddenly tightened.

Feng Siji put down the soup, reached out, and rubbed the top of Li Qi's head: "If you feel sad, just tell me. There is no need to force yourself to smile like this."

The smile on Li Qi's face disappeared in an instant.

Tears gradually filled Peach Blossom's eyes, replacing the bright spring light.

Feng Si quickly moved the hand that was stroking her hair down, and his fingertips gently brushed the corners of Li Qi's red eyes. "Do you miss your mother?"

No matter what Li Qi did to Feng Siji, he had to admit that from the first time he saw her in Qianzhou, her every frown and movement touched every nerve of his.

After she left, Feng Siji got to know her thoroughly inside and out.

Today was the day Yunzhou fell eight years ago, and it was also the beginning of her losing everything.

He knew it very well, better than the maids around her, and he remembered it very clearly.

Li Qi looked up at him. She didn't think there was anything wrong at first, but when he asked her that, her nose and heart suddenly felt sore, and many grievances rushed to her heart. She grabbed the stool, moved closer to him, and leaned on his shoulder.

"Not really, what about you?"

"I don't really think about it. Why are you jealous?" Feng Siji pointed it out, stretched out his hand to hold her in his arms, and said softly with a smile: "I used to think about it, but then I felt it was useless, so I stopped thinking about it."

Li Qi raised her head and looked at him, "You lied to me."

Feng Siji paused, "What do you mean?"

"Your parents shouldn't be like you said, one is a hairpin lady and the other is a poor scholar."

Why do you say that?

Li Qi stared at him with a look of absolute certainty and said, "Because you're a pervert."

Feng Siji: "..."

"If your parents were truly as loving and affectionate as you claim, and loved you so much, you couldn't be a pervert. You would be a gentle and reasonable person, definitely not like you are now."

Feng Siji's eyes gradually darkened, and the strength of his embrace on Li Qi unconsciously tightened, causing pain to Li Qi's slender waist.

But Li Qi didn't say anything. This little pain couldn't do anything to her. Instead, it made her feel a sense of existence.

She pressed, "Is that so?"

Feng Siji asked back: "What is going on now?"

"No matter how I exploited and deceived you, you only advanced and never retreated. Even when you discovered I was deceiving and using you, you didn't think of revenge or severing ties with me. Instead, you coerced me, acting like you were determined to get me even at the cost of your life."

Li Qi pressed him, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of me leaving you, afraid of no one loving you, or afraid of returning to your original state? Or maybe, just like me, you've never had anything. That fabricated care and warmth from Qianzhou, even if it was short-lived, will bring you back to memory and comfort for the rest of your life. Since it's so rare, of course you'll have to do whatever it takes to possess it, to seize it, right?"

Feng Siji didn't answer, but his gradually stiffening body was enough to explain everything.

Li Qi laughed, and it turned out that he was just a pitiful person like her.

"So, what are your parents?"

Feng Siji lowered his eyes and looked at the bowl of wild flower soup in front of him. "My parents are both from aristocratic families. My grandfather accepted bribes and fabricated a case for personal gain, which led to the destruction of my mother's family. My father, driven by his conscience, married my mother in the name of paying off a debt, but she was the daughter of a criminal. In order not to implicate my grandfather, my father severed ties with the family and sought a new career through the imperial examination.

"Since my grandfather caused the destruction of my mother's family, how can this marriage be perfect?"

Feng Siji stopped talking here. No matter how many things he said, they all turned into his deep sigh, ringing in Li Qi's ears.

Even without listening to him, Li Qi could guess what would happen next.

Inevitably, the couple quarreled all day long over old matters, and after so many arguments, the little guilt in Feng Yijun's heart was shattered. The couple was not on good terms, and as a kind-hearted and honest official who served the people, he could not linger in brothels. But he always had to have a close friend by his bedside.

Later, Feng Yijun must have taken one or two concubines that he liked. Taking concubines was a common practice for men, and no one would think that this would tarnish his reputation as an honest official. Everyone could accept it, but his wife could not.

Li Qi looked at the wooden hairpin on Feng Siji's hair crown. "She probably didn't have the time or the energy to teach you those skills. These things are either left by her, or you learned them secretly."

Feng Siji nodded quickly. "She sat in the room making hairpins every day. I always brought a low stool and sat by the door to watch her quietly. I didn't dare let her find out because she would be very angry if she found out. After my father took a concubine, she died of depression. Personally, my father was indeed not a good husband or father, but publicly, he was a good official loved by the people."

That's why he left a will, asking Feng Siji to be an official for the rest of his life and never show favoritism.

With no love from his mother and no care from his father, Feng Siji's life since childhood was not much different from Li Qi's.

Qianzhou's fictitious show of goodwill was like an addiction, haunting Feng Siji. How could he just let her go?

Even if it was fake, he wanted her to play the role for him for the rest of her life. Of course, if the fake could become real and she really fell in love with him, that would be the best. If not, he was willing to deceive himself until his death.

If only I could grasp the warmth I have never felt in my life.

Li Qi picked up the bowl of wild flower soup, scooped a spoonful with a spoon, and fed it to Feng Siji's lips. "Your mother was harmed by favoritism. You promised Master Feng that you would never show favoritism, but I have done this. Are you willing?"

"I'm not being partial," Feng Siji opened his mouth slightly and swallowed the soup she fed him. He felt that this mouthful of soup was much sweeter than the spoonful he had drunk earlier. After swallowing it, he said, "I gave myself for you. It's not partiality."

Li Qi nodded and fed him the bowl of wild flower soup spoonful by spoonful.

When the bowl was empty, Li Qi took the bag she had carried and handed it to Feng Siji. "The prison is damp and cold at night. Wear these clothes inside. Since Chen Hu has chosen you as his master, he will definitely turn a blind eye."

Feng Siji held the bundle and felt warm in his heart. He felt that she looked like a wife caring for her husband, but he didn't dare to say it out loud.

Li Qi continued, "Take care of yourself. If I don't come to see you in the future, if you need anything, just go to Chen Hu. But Chen Hu is a slave of two surnames, so you can't trust him completely. You should make your own decision."

Feng Siji sensed something was wrong and asked, "Where are you going?"

Li Qi smiled and said soothingly, "I've found Mingrong. I'm going to pick her up."

Feng Siji hummed without any suspicion. Seeing her stand up from the stool, he quickly stood up as well: "Are you leaving?"

"Well," Li Qi pointed at the narrow window where he looked. It was pitch black with a few lonely stars twinkling. "It's getting late. If it gets any later, I'm afraid the public anger will attack me."

Feng Siji frowned, not daring to keep her any longer. He held her in his arms and bent down to kiss her.

Li Qi sensed his intention and subconsciously dodged, but Feng Si quickly grabbed the back of her neck, and she froze like a kitten.

Feng Siji gently kissed her lips, their tongues met and their saliva exchanged. Her lips became a little red and painful from the kiss, and Feng Siji let her go.

Feng Siji saw a layer of shiny liquid on her lips and reached out to touch the peak of Li Qi's lips. "Let's go back. Did you bring the dagger?"

Li Qi nodded, and walked out of the cell with a firm and resolute back. She never looked back once, but she could clearly feel the gaze burning on her back, as scorching as sparks that could not be ignored.

Li Qi walked out of the long corridor and came to the room where the jailers changed shifts. Four or five jailers were gathered together playing mahjong and losing money. The messy room was filled with the smell of men's sweat and wild laughter.

Li Qi stood in the distance and coughed.

Attention was immediately drawn to the other side, and everyone looked over at the same time. One of them, who looked like the warden, hurried over and bowed to Li Qi with a smile, "County Master, what are your instructions?"

Li Qi gestured to him and walked to the corner.

He didn't dare to delay and hurried to catch up.

Li Qi stopped, turned around, stuffed a gold ingot into his hand, and said in a low voice, "Do you know Lord Feng in prison?"

The warden felt the hard, cool touch of the gold, and his heart warmed up. He nodded repeatedly, "I know, I know."

"Today, he publicly insulted my innocence at Qingqi Temple, deceiving everyone that I was his wife. I cannot swallow this anger. You must take this gold. You must not harm his life or body, but you must find another way to prevent him from leaving the country."