Chapter 15: Resign and Rekindle Your Romance with Zhang Yin?

Zhu Qing was stunned by this sudden windfall of wealth; she was dizzy and seemed to see golden bubbles of riches before her eyes.

Completely unaware, Tian Jiuzhu, who had been kneeling to the side, stood up at some point and spoke coldly, "How can things be so easy? Godfather, you don't know her well. Do you trust her? The situation is chaotic right now, and there are many fickle people who would betray you to save their own lives. What if she becomes a rebel when she ends up with Huang Chao?"

Lying on the hospital bed, Hua Ning heard this and struggled to turn over, reaching out to grab Tian Jiuzhu's skirt: "How could that be! Qingqing has worked with us for so long, don't you know what kind of person she is?"

Tian Jiuzhu glanced at Hua Ning with pride and snorted, "You can't judge a book by its cover. Of course I don't know what kind of person Zhu Qing is."

Bao Fu frowned and said, "Jiuzhu, you're being a bit..." As he spoke, he glanced at Tian Lingzi, whose expression was solemn, and dared not continue.

Tian Jiuzhu continued, "Besides, the position of judge is related to the military. Is Godfather really comfortable entrusting her with military and political affairs?"

Tian Lingzi scoffed, saying coldly, "What's there to be afraid of? As long as we have her family under our control, we're not afraid she'll disobey us."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly chilling Zhu Qing to the bone. She immediately thought of the kind and amiable Zhu family members, who might very well become hostages. The joy of her promotion and wealth hadn't even had time to savor before it was already—

*Snap*, it's gone.

Before she could defend herself, Tian Lingzi continued, "As for that spy..." He stared at Zhu Qing for a moment, "I hope you're not lying."

As Tian Lingzi spoke, he gestured to the Shence Army soldiers guarding the door: "Go search that official and see if there are any clues."

The Shence Army obeyed the order and left.

Zhu Qing's heart clenched. The spy's identity was fabricated; how could he possibly find anything?

She was getting anxious and secretly glanced at Feng Huaihe, trying to make eye contact with him to see how to get through this situation.

However, when she looked over, Feng Huaihe did not look at her. He was just standing by her table, looking down at the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the table.

He was completely absorbed, seemingly engrossed in something, looking at or thinking about nothing.

Zhu Qing was extremely anxious. The little relief she had just felt was now replaced by a pounding unease. Her eyes were fixed on the direction of the door, and she hoped that the Earth would explode right now and that the Shence Army would never return!

However, things didn't go as planned. The Shence Army not only returned, but they returned exceptionally quickly.

They stepped across the threshold, each carrying something in their hands.

Zhu Qing was extremely anxious and confused. She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what she could do. She could only watch helplessly as the leader of the Shence Army held the object high above his head and presented it to Tian Lingzi.

She had even planned out how she would die.

Zhu Qing's face was all wrinkled as she kept comforting herself. This was for the best; this way, her family wouldn't be implicated, and they wouldn't become hostages in Tian Lingzi's hands.

With a mournful face, Zhu Qing said to Tian Lingzi, "Please let me die a little more gracefully, just don't use water torture, I'm afraid of water!"

She had barely finished speaking when she heard the Shence Army say, "Lieutenant, we found this. The officer's name is Cao Jiao, but that's an alias... She is indeed a spy."

Zhu Qingkugua's expression froze instantly.

What?

Spy?

She just casually mentioned it, and it actually came true?! Am I dreaming? Or am I hallucinating from being so afraid of dying?

Zhu Qing nervously pinched her thigh secretly.

It hurt terribly, it wasn't a dream, it was real! That person in charge was actually a spy!

Zhu Qing was overjoyed!

Her mood was like a rollercoaster. She watched as Tian Lingzi took the package. It was an ordinary box, and inside were some government documents recording the supply of grain.

Tian Lingzi took it out and looked at it from left to right, but couldn't understand it. It was just that the content on the surface was official business, but in reality it was all messed up and disorganized, and it was more like a special coded message.

In any case, Cao Jiao was dead. Tian Lingzi couldn't understand and no longer cared. He angrily threw the box away. "My shogunate actually produced such a traitor. It seems you were right, Huaihe. Fortunately, your chief secretary didn't let anyone in, otherwise the losses would probably be more than this."

Feng Huaihe nodded slightly without saying a word.

Tian Lingzi glanced at Zhu Qing, who instinctively shrank back.

Tian Lingzi said nothing, rose from his general's seat, and led his men away.

Tian Jiuzhu glanced at their retreating figures, hesitated for a moment, and finally gritted her teeth and followed them out.

In an instant, only a few people remained quietly in the recording room.

Lying on the hospital bed, Hua Ning finally relaxed after everyone left. But as soon as she relaxed, she couldn't help but want to cry. She beckoned to Zhu Qing, who went over and knelt down in front of her. Hua Ning grabbed Zhu Qing's skirt and choked out:

"Thank goodness you're alright, thank goodness you were quick-witted. If it weren't for you last night, I would be dead. If you hadn't asked the secretary for help and brought in a doctor, my leg would be useless!"

Hua Ning suddenly chuckled, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Zhu Qing: "But from now on you'll be a judge! You've been promoted, and you won't have to copy these damned proclamations and memorials anymore. From now on, I'll follow you. If you really save the Tang Dynasty and Chang'an, don't forget me!"

The saying goes, "If you become rich and powerful, don't forget your family," but is it really that easy? Zhu Qing is now afraid that the family she has worked so hard to have will fall into Tian Lingzi's hands.

Looking at Hua Ning's sincere smile, Zhu Qing couldn't bring herself to say those discouraging words. She seemed to be infected by Hua Ning's smile and became a little more cheerful, saying, "You should focus on getting your leg back in shape first."

Bao Fu interjected, "Jiu Zhu said last time that once we died and the Shogunate was replaced, she could become the judge. Now that you've become the judge, I'm afraid she'll be unhappy. Will she retaliate against you?"

He looked at Zhu Qing with concern.

Hua Ning hesitated and said, "Is that possible? Although Sister Jiuzhu is more ambitious than us and doesn't care much about feelings, she doesn't seem like the kind of person who would hold a grudge or seek revenge behind someone's back."

Just as Zhu Qing was about to answer, Feng Huaihe, who had been standing next to her workstation, suddenly walked over slowly, stood tall, and said slowly, "Although Tian Jiuzhu is ambitious, she is also exceptionally diligent. She is not just a dreamer; she is a person who does practical work."

"Besides, she has a proud personality. Even if she is really dissatisfied, she will only compete fairly with Zhu Qing, not resort to underhanded tactics. You don't need to worry."

After the secretary spoke, Bao Fu and Hua Ning nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Feng Huaihe's gaze shifted to Zhu Qing: "You come here."

As Feng Huaihe spoke, he stepped out of the recording room first.

After greeting Hua Ning and Bao Fu, Zhu Qing hurriedly followed.

As soon as they entered the small courtyard outside the house, they saw Shence Army carrying three mahogany boxes filled with jewelry, silk fabrics, and rare herbs.

The jewelry and ornaments shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, highlighting the dust floating in the air; they were exquisite.

It's so sparkly, it's really shiny.

This was the first time Zhu Qing had ever seen gold and silver so directly, and he couldn't help but stop and stare, almost holding his breath.

I sighed inwardly, realizing that the allure of gold and silver wasn't just because they were money, but also because of their beautiful colors and luster. These colors were like a dream, easily evoking associations with all things beautiful.

"Zhu Qing, right? These are all things that Eunuch Tian instructed you to do. We'll escort you to your home. Otherwise, in these chaotic times, we're afraid you'll be targeted."

"That's what the Shence Army soldier who was supervising others as they carried the boxes said."

Zhu Qing was overjoyed. She hadn't expected the package to be delivered to her door. All these things were hers, and her family's living conditions would improve from now on!

She can buy lots of beautiful clothes for her sister-in-law and Manman!

However, telling the Shence Army where they live means that Tian Lingzi has the very foundation of their power.

As Zhu Qing hesitated, Feng Huaihe, who had already walked ahead, turned back and stood beside her, and a scent of ink wafted into Zhu Qing's nostrils.

She glanced to the side and saw Feng Huaihe standing tall and straight, blocking the direct sunlight. The light shone on him, enveloping him in brightness, making him look like an immortal, with a clear and pure temperament, as bright as a pine tree.

Feng Huaihe said slowly to the man, "Move him to the secretary's office first, and I will personally escort him later."

The man looked troubled: "But Lieutenant Tanaka instructed..."

"If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility."

"Alright." The man also coveted Feng Huaihe's identity and was afraid that he would speak ill of him to Tian Lingzi, so he had no choice but to agree and supervise the people moving the mahogany box into the secretary's office.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Feng Huaihe, annoyed that Zhu Qing was walking too slowly, reached out and grabbed her sleeve, leading her to the head secretary's courtyard.

Zhu Qing was pulled along so fast that her feet barely touched the ground, and hurriedly followed behind him. She noticed that Feng Huaihe's steps were still unsteady, but he walked with incredible speed.

Upon entering the chief secretary's office, Feng Huaihe sat down at the desk and instructed Zhu Qing, "Tian Lingzi won't really make you a judge; it's just for show. You don't need to take it too seriously. Just go through the motions each day, but if he tries to get you to meet any Taoist priest named Jingwan, be sure to refuse."

This was the second time Zhu Qing had heard of Taoist Jingwan.

Moreover, she had noticed Feng Huaihe's unusual reaction upon hearing this name in the secretary's office.

Zhu Qing didn't dare to ask any more questions, but simply nodded and said, "Today's events were too sudden, as we didn't have time to coordinate beforehand. You suggested that I become a spy in order to save me, but I don't think I can do that."

Feng Huaihe looked up at her: "I didn't ask you to actually do it."

"Huh? Then Tian Lingzi won't let go, will she?"

"With me here, what are you afraid of?"

Zhu Qing frowned: "But I'm just anxious." Besides, Zhu Qing had discovered Feng Huaihe's dark secrets, and she had already made up her mind that once the matter of the secret letter was over, she would stay away from him.

The painting of torture on the city wall in the dark room, and his sexual fantasies about Yingchun, are both quite creepy.

Zhu Qing said, "You helped me and saved me. If it weren't for you, I might have gone blind and died. Although your method of saving me was a bit flawed, I will keep my promise to cook soup and plant flowers for you."

She hesitated for a moment, secretly observing Feng Huaihe's expression, and said, "But I really can't do the job of being a spy. I'm a common person, afraid of death, and I'm also greedy for money. Now, by some twist of fate, I've received so much money from Eunuch Tian, ​​which is enough for my family and me to live in hiding for the rest of our lives."

Feng Huaihe listened quietly to these words, his expression unchanged, but he slowly raised his head, his dark eyes fixed on Zhu Qing without blinking.

For some reason, Zhu Qing suddenly felt a pang of panic in her chest.

Suddenly, he realized Feng Huaihe's true identity.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, he was the most brilliant strategist. He was unfathomable and elusive, a man of extreme cunning and ruthlessness.

I knew it from that dark room.

You should stay far away from these kinds of people, no matter if they are childhood friends, neighbors, or even if they seem friendly, because they can't change their sinister nature.

For example, Feng Huaihe's eyes were originally tender, warm, and lingering; as long as you looked at him, you felt as if his eyes were speaking.

But now, Feng Huaihe's eyes were calm and empty as he looked at Zhu Qing; there was nothing in them.

Looking at her like that, Zhu Qing felt as if a tiger was slowly approaching from behind, waiting to pounce on her.

She hurriedly said, "Actually, what I was saying..."

Feng Huaihe interrupted her, his voice icy: "What do you mean by saying this?"

"That's right. I'm afraid of dying, so I definitely can't do anything like being a spy. I plan to use the money that Eunuch Tian gave me to take my family away from Chang'an, find a relatively safe place, hide away, and live a peaceful life."

Zhu Qing was telling the truth, and she knew the course of history. Three months later, Huang Chao broke through Chang'an, and Tian Lingzi led Emperor Xizong of Tang to flee to Xingyuan.

Tian Lingzi would die soon, and there would be no time to arrest her. At that time, Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty was already on its last legs, and Tian Lingzi would not place his hopes on a mere secretary like her.

Although she was innocently caught up in this controversy, Zhu Qing still wanted to stay out of it and didn't want to involve her family.

Zhu Qing didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said, but after she finished speaking, she noticed that Feng Huaihe's expression was very unpleasant. She was a little unsure if she had said something wrong.

She could never learn to be confident. Growing up in that kind of family, she was extremely insecure and would doubt herself no matter what went wrong.

Just as she was about to explain that she had no other intentions, she heard Feng Huaihe laugh out loud, "Your idea is not bad either."

Feng Huaihe looked at her and smiled, a smile as gentle as water. Her gaze towards him was as tender and gentle as a spring breeze through the willows.

"The world is in chaos now, and everyone wants to live a peaceful life. Why be so cautious? There's nothing wrong with that."

The problem is, he guessed everything correctly.

He had thought before that Zhu Qing had returned, but because he held a grudge, he pretended not to know her, did not pursue his studies, and waited for an opportunity to act.

He might find an excuse to resign and leave the shogunate, pretending to have no choice, but actually going to Jin to find Zhang Yin in advance.

They guessed right.

So she was just pretending, Feng Huaihe thought to himself with a cold laugh, but his face remained unchanged. He bent his knuckles and tapped the gong table lightly. He said, "Alright, go and see where the forsythia should be planted. You promised."

Whether it's what she thinks or not, once the location for planting flowers is revealed, if it's the same as in her previous life, then all her lies will be exposed.

At that time, he would no longer hide it, but would make it clear and forcefully keep the person by his side.

He used the excuse of taking his family to escape the world, but in reality, he wanted to quit his job and go find Zhang Yin.

Do you want to rekindle your past romance with Zhang Yin?

Don't even think about it.