Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Let’s get wet in the snow together today.

Roche looked at his eldest son who was twitching in his arms, his red eyes almost popping out.

Veins bulged on his forehead as he tried his best to suppress his murderous intent. His eyes were fixed on Xie Zhiyan, as if he wanted to eat him alive.

"endure."

"Don't lose the big picture for the sake of small gains and ruin our big plan." Xie Juyuan was also tense all over, suppressing his palpitations, and quickly stood in front of Luo's father and son, speaking silently.

He held Roche's hand tightly, and used all his strength to avoid shouting out loud.

If Luo Qi had not been stopped by Xie Juyuan, he would have almost lost his mind and would have wanted to kill people regardless of the consequences.

"What can you do to him? He is the son raised by Xie Huaiqian." Xie Juyuan said gritting his teeth.

Luo Qi gradually calmed down. Xie Huaiqian had dared to break into the Mobei royal court alone with only 180 personal soldiers. If he had not retired due to serious injuries, the Xie family would have been more than just a legend in Yumen Pass.

The man in front of me, who looks gentle and noble, and even has some of the temperament of a civil official, is not a young man from a noble family who holds a high position in the government.

Xie Zhiyan was able to lead the Black Armor Army and defeat the fierce Turkic tribes, making them terrified.

Not to mention that both sides would perish together, if he made any unusual movement now, he would probably die on the spot.

"I'll listen to you." Roche suddenly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were still blood red.

He looked down at his son struggling in pain in his arms and said in a hoarse voice, "Xian'er, don't be afraid. Bear with it. I'll take you to find the imperial physician right away!"

"It will definitely be cured."

However, Luo Xian's sanity had been destroyed by the severe pain. He could not listen to any comfort. He just instinctively grasped Luo Qi's hand tightly, with blood covering his entire face, and let out a shrill whine.

"Aye, kill him, kill him for me."

"He just wanted to avenge that bitch Xie Qingwan, so why would he torture me like this?"

"I want to kill Xie Zhiyan and make sure his body is not intact."

"Luo Xian, that's enough!" Luo Qi shouted coldly. In a hurry, he only had time to raise his hand and dislocate Luo Xian's jaw, making him speechless.

"My son is so rude. He is talking nonsense because he is in great pain. Qingwan's death is also a pain for him." Seeing Xie Juyuan's face change slightly, Luo Qi quickly explained dryly.

Luo Xian was speechless and struggled even harder. Blood gushed out, quickly staining half of his robe red. The most shocking thing was that there was an arrow in his eye socket, and his eyeball must have exploded. The surrounding flesh and blood was blurred, and he kept making incoherent howls.

On the high slope, the saint was surrounded by the Jinwu Guards, and he watched the bloody scene below with an expressionless face.

He seemed to find it amusing and chuckled nonchalantly. After pondering for a moment, he sideways glanced at Xiao Xuan, whose face was still pale.

"Xu'an," the sage said slowly, even with a subtle hint of teasing, "I just saw that it might be because you were blocking the way, disrupting Sanlang's sight, that his arrow lost its aim and accidentally hit the young master of the Luo family."

The sage's voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. He said lightly, "Xu'an, why are you still standing there? Go and apologize to the Jiedushi and the young master of the Luo family on behalf of Sanlang."

"Remember to say a few words of comfort. Fortunately, no one was killed."

When Xiao Xuan was called, he was startled and came to his senses.

He subconsciously clenched his fists and glanced towards Xie Zhiyan solemnly. His fingertips were still trembling and cold sweat was pouring down his back. Xiao Xuan knew better than anyone that if Xie Zhiyan really wanted to take his life, he would only become a corpse.

As for Luo Xian being shot, it was by no means a mistake, but a naked provocation.

The great fear made his throat tighten, but since the saint had already spoken, he naturally did not dare to disobey.

Even if he was dissatisfied or felt ashamed, he could only suppress his emotions, take a deep breath, and drive his horse to the front of Roche, whose face was ashen.

Xiao Xu'an dismounted and bowed deeply, his voice hoarse as if squeezed out from between his teeth: "What happened today is my fault. It was because Xu'an was standing in the wrong position, which disturbed Xie Sanlang's sight and caused the arrow to hit him by mistake."

"Xu'an is here to apologize to you two."

Xiao Xuan and Luo Xian were brothers-in-law, but because of Xie Zhiyan's arrows, their relationship was obviously completely damaged.

Luo Xian opened his mouth and made a "ka ka ka" sound, but no sound came out. However, it was obvious that he was cursing extremely viciously.

Xiao Xuan also looked reluctant.

However, the real instigator, the arrogant and domineering Sanlang Xie, was just folding his arms and watching coldly as if it had nothing to do with him.

Roche's face turned pale with anger. Looking at his son groaning in pain and feeling the various looks from all around him, he had never suffered such injustice in his life.

His chest heaved violently for a moment, and he felt a fishy and sweet taste rushing to his throat. His eyes went black, and he almost vomited blood. If he hadn't had good concentration and clenched his teeth tightly, he would probably have been in an even more embarrassing situation.

"Your Highness' words are too serious. My son was reckless. It was my own fault for not being cautious enough."

The extremely absurd scene became "reasonable" because of a few words from the saint and Xiao Xuan's apology.

The court officials who were able to participate in the winter hunting were naturally smart people. As a member of the prince's faction, Xie Zhiyan was originally at odds with Prince An. He did not want to be the one affected, so he naturally stayed away.

However, there are some officials who are not sober-minded and think they are being righteous: "This is too ridiculous..."

"Xie Sanlang's archery skills are exceptional and unparalleled, known to everyone. How could he have slipped up so many times today? It's really far-fetched and a bit overbearing."

His voice was not loud, but it instantly drew everyone's attention.

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan slowly raised his eyes, looking past the crowd and landing on the official who spoke.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, his eyes were calm, and he slowly raised the long arrow in his hand: "Swords and knives have no eyes in the hunting grounds. How about you try it too?"

His tone was relaxed, even agreeing: "No matter how good your archery skills are, there will always be times when you miss."

"Why don't you try and see if I can still slip?"

"This...this..." The official was almost scared to death. His face turned red and his body was shaking.

Xie Zhiyan raised his eyebrows: "Why, are you afraid before this prince even draws his bow?"

The official immediately broke out in a cold sweat and retreated into the crowd, not daring to say another word.

Xie Zhiyan withdrew his gaze and raised his eyebrows, but a hint of cold sneer flashed across the depths of his eyes.

Luo Xian was carried down the mountain, and the saint lost interest in hunting. He waved his hand, and soon everyone dispersed.

Sheng Puzhu quietly rode her horse to Xie Zhiyan's front, raised her beautiful chin slightly and said, "My dear, you are so brave."

She praised him generously, and her sparkling almond-shaped eyes seemed to hide broken stars. Xie Zhiyan's cruelty before did not make her feel uncomfortable.

Their eyes met, and she saw absolute strength in his eyes. As long as she thought that this man belonged to her alone, the throbbing in her heart was so hot that she could hardly suppress it. An indescribable emotion spread in her heart. No matter how domineering and ruthless he was, it still made her heartbroken.

Xie Zhiyan turned his head and naturally stretched out his hand. Under the cover of his cloak, he gently grasped Sheng Puzhu's hand which was on the saddle.

His palms were dry, a contrast to the softness of her fingertips.

"The scene was bloody." He lowered his voice very low, suppressing the smile on the corner of his lips: "Are you scared?"

Sheng Puzhu immediately shook her head, scratched Xie Zhiyan's palm lightly with her fingertips, and looked up at him. There was no fear in her dark and clear almond-shaped eyes, but rather a gleam of spirit.

“Not scared.”

"I just feel very happy."

Sheng Puzhu said this, looking far away, and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear clearly, "My dear, you didn't kill him because you still have great use for the Luo family in Yongzhou, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan's eyes flashed with admiration. He did not deny it directly, but just used his thumb to silently scratch the delicate skin on the back of her hand twice. Everything was said without words.

The Luo family has been entrenched in Yongzhou for a long time. In recent years, due to the saint's deliberate delegation of power, they have held military power and their position has been widely implicated.

Yongzhou is only an hour away from Chang'an by galloping. If the Luo family wants to turn against the party, they may even have the opportunity to attack Chang'an directly.

If Luo Xian is killed now, forcing Luo Qiche to lose control, it will only alert the enemy and is not the best time.

When most of the people had left, Xie Juyuan pretended to ride past Xie Zhiyan, deliberately slowing down his pace, his eyes becoming even more complicated. "Sanlang, regarding today's incident, it was not wise for you to openly provoke him."

"The Crown Prince has passed away, and the Crown Princess was unable to give birth to the eldest grandson as the Saint wished."

"Even if you feel dissatisfied, the decision of the Saint to adopt Prince An as his heir is already a tacit agreement between the government and the people."

"If you were smart, you would know what to do. After all, you can't write two 'thank you' characters with one stroke. Even if we split up, we're still one family. I don't want to fight you."

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan just glanced at him indifferently, with a cold curve at the corner of his lips, but did not respond.

After the winter hunt, it was New Year’s Eve in the blink of an eye.

Because it is still the mourning period for the elders, the Jingguo Mansion this year is particularly deserted compared to previous years.

After dinner, Princess Shoukang asked Nanny Yan to bring out the red envelopes, one for each of Sheng Puzhu and Xie Zhiyan. "It's snowing heavily today, so there's no need to stay up with me. You should go back early."

Sheng Puzhu felt that this was not a good idea. The eldest princess seemed quite lonely and aloof. Xie Zhiyan quietly squeezed her hand, his voice not deliberately lowered: "Father will be back tonight, and mother has no time to gossip with the lady."

Sheng Puzhu coughed awkwardly and pinched him secretly.

Princess Shoukang saw the couple's little tricks and couldn't help blushing. She glared at her unscrupulous son and said, "Go quickly, go quickly, don't disturb me."

It was snowing heavily outside, covering the eaves of the courtyard with a layer of pure white. The lanterns in the corridor emitted a hazy glow, and the cold air instantly blew in my face, adding a bit of chill.

Sheng Puzhu subconsciously gathered his cloak, and when he reached the bottom of the stairs, the snow had almost covered his shoes because he had no time to clean it.

Xie Zhiyan saw that the tip of Sheng Puzhu's nose was slightly red from the cold, so he stopped and leaned forward slightly.

Without saying a word, he picked the person up.

"My dear."

Sheng Puzhu let out a soft cry, and before she could react, she fell steadily into a man's strong arms.

She subconsciously stretched out her arms, wrapped them around Xie Zhiyan's neck, raised her head, and looked into his deep eyes.

"The snow is deep and the roads are slippery." Xie Zhiyan explained with a smile on his face, "I'll carry Madam and walk with her, it's safer."

Sheng Puju did not refuse. Ever since she came back from Yumen Pass, she began to take for granted all the kindness he showed her. She was a person who could not endure hardship, so she was naturally willing to do so if she could avoid walking.

"good."

"Thank you, my dear."

"As the old year is about to end, what is your wish, madam?" Xie Zhiyan pinched her waist with his big hand, and there was a cool breath all over his body.

Sheng Puzhu looked at his well-defined jawline, tilted her head back, and gently kissed his Adam's apple: "Year after year, I want to grow old with you."

The rustling sound of falling snow seemed to stop at this moment.

Snowflakes were blown up by the wind and landed on Xie Zhiyan's thick eyelashes. They were melted by the hot air he exhaled, making them look misty, which made his eyes, which were always deep and unfathomable, seem to be filled with tender feelings.

"lady……"

Xie Zhiyan's throat tightened and his heart was hit hard.

The next moment, he unexpectedly hugged her and spun around in a circle without any warning.

They were no longer young. Xie Zhiyan carried the person to the garden. The wind was cold and the snow was heavy. The black hair was gradually covered with snow-white white flowers.

Sheng Puzhu was caught off guard and let out a soft cry.

Xie Zhiyan was breathing heavily, his eyes burning: "Let's get wet in the snow together today, and grow old together in this life."

It seemed as if the only sounds left between heaven and earth were the intertwined breathing and heartbeats.

He held her in his arms and walked step by step towards their brightly lit Yunyu Hall.