Chapter 44 Jiang Yinyue pressed her forehead against Wei Qin's...

"Smack."

Jiang Yinyue's slap landed squarely on Wei Xichen's cheek.

Crisp and clear, with an echo, it penetrates the barrier of time.

The crackling and popping of firecrackers echoed for miles around.

Fifteen-year-old Jiang Yinyue, despite being ill, stood in the crowd watching a grand procession.

"If the selection of concubines in the Eastern Palace is so grand, I wonder what a grand occasion it will be when the Crown Prince marries the Crown Princess."

"It's quite unusual. It's almost as grand as a princess's wedding procession. I've never seen such a grand procession when the royal family takes a concubine."

"She was originally destined to be the Crown Princess, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she was unable to write a perfect love story."

Wearing a cloak to conceal her haggard appearance, Jiang Yinyue stood alone among the onlookers. Ignoring her family's objections, she had secretly run away from the mansion, her broken heart extinguished amidst the sounds of gongs and drums.

Those almond-shaped eyes, peeking out from under the hood, were brimming with tears.

Tears streamed down.

Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the young girl bids farewell to her former naive self.

Inside the tavern, Jiang Yinyue could no longer recall how jarring the firecrackers had been or how noisy the gongs and drums had been that day. She stared coldly at Wei Xichen in front of her, her eyes devoid of tears.

Wei Xichen, whose face had been slapped to the side, raised his hand to touch his slightly swollen cheek. His cheek didn't hurt, but his throat felt dry and swollen.

A pure heart is like a smooth and translucent piece of jade. But even the rarest and most beautiful jade loses its priceless value once it has inclusions or cracks.

His affection for her, after experiencing speculation and distrust, probably became cheap.

"Niannian, we can't go back, can we?"

It's not a question, it's an affirmative statement.

The once within-reach moon has become a reflection in a mirror, seemingly so close yet unattainable.

What if the mirror is broken?

The barrier between him and her was not only the thousands of days and nights that had passed, but also Wei Qin.

The gentle-looking man suddenly smiled and took a big step back.

In the end, he couldn't bear to hurt her, and couldn't bring himself to use the force that Yan Zhuyi had mentioned on her.

But how much effort would it take to deal with Wei Qin?

Wei Xichen examined himself, examining the self that the officials had described as a gentle and beautiful jade.

Is it a lack of self-understanding, or are all the officials just flattering him?

The hem of her dress was torn by Qi Bao's bite, and the moon-white brocade was ripped to shreds.

The dark night no longer concealed its darkness.

Even jade has no perfect pieces.

"I disliked Wei Qin from the very first moment I saw him."

Sensing the threat, Jiang Yinyue stepped back from the table. "Wei Xichen, you've truly impressed me."

Besides being suspicious, he is also very hypocritical.

Wei Xichen sat back down at the table, leaned back against the wall, and placed his hands on his open knees. He looked less gentle and more dejected.

The complex aura clashed sharply with his handsome face.

"No matter how much I try to make amends, it will be in vain, won't it?"

"yes."

"As long as Wei Qin remains in the court, I will not tolerate him for another day."

Jiang Yinyue wanted to grab the broken porcelain on the ground and slash through his nonchalant, gloomy demeanor.

A quarrel that tears apart decorum is better than a threat disguised as gentle words.

The venomous snake flicked its tongue and burrowed into her clothes, leaving a chill on her skin.

No wonder my father said, "There are no truths at the dinner table, no gentlemen in the court, and those who play power games have dirty hearts."

Arguing was pointless, so Jiang Yinyue silently turned around and walked towards the sunlit doorway.

Qi Bao followed Jiang Yin Yue with her ears pressed to her head, her tail tucked between her hind legs, and her head drooping.

As Jiang Yinyue walked to the door, blocking the beams of summer sunlight, the wine shop became even darker.

Wei Xichen sat there, shrouded in gloom.

**

As the person and the dog walked out of the guards' protective range, Dujuan arrived with reinforcements.

The energetic Cui Shihan strode forward and grabbed Jiang Yinyue's shoulders. "Is something the matter?"

"fine."

"wait for me."

Jiang Yinyue grasped Cui Shihan's hand and shook her head. "Let's go."

The Cui family should try to avoid clashes with the Dong family, as it would be detrimental to the Cui family.

Wei Xichen's target is her and Wei Qin; there's no need to drag Cui Shihan into this mess.

Two girls were walking on the path leading to Han's noodle shop.

Cui Shihan hesitated several times before finally slamming her fist in exasperation, "Ugh! So frustrating!"

I really wanted to punch that man twice. How can someone who covets a subject's wife be considered upright?

The girl's anger was written on her face, but Jiang Yinyue's chaotic thoughts were calmed by this sense of loyalty.

She took Cui Shihan's arm, no longer wanting to speculate about Cui Shihan's attitude towards Wei Qin.

She's probably overthinking it.

**

The yamen runners dispatched by the Yangzhou government, led by Wei Qin, pursued the fleeing salt merchants for three days and finally found their hideout.

The salt merchants, banding together for mutual support, hid in the woods in the mountain valley.

Supported by his colleagues from the Salt Transport Office, Wei Qin walked to the edge of the highest point of the valley and looked down at the lush, intertwined branches at the bottom of the valley.

The official who helped Wei Qin was named Tang Zhan. He was one of the few classmates who could talk to Wei Qin back then, and he even sat at the same desk as Wei Qin.

They also have a classmate who now works at the Salt Transport Bureau.

The two men admired Wei Qin immensely, especially Tang Zhan, who would mention their friendship to everyone he met.

Taking advantage of the absence of outsiders, Tang Zhan, with his round face, gossiped about the Crown Prince, "Your Highness is really something, how can you treat the wounded like this! Oh dear, Brother Wei, slow down."

With one arm around Tang Zhan's shoulder and the other covering the "wound" on his lower abdomen, Wei Qin appeared somewhat frail to the other constables.

The seemingly frail man's casually uttered words struck the heart of his hidden "prey" with the force of a thousand pounds.

"Have you all heard of the burning of the camps?" Wei Qin leaned on Tang Zhan's shoulder, leaned forward, and placed one long leg on the highest rock in the valley. "It's summer, the heat is intense, the grass and trees are lush but dry, you can hide here or you can die here."

Wei Qin raised a finger to sense the wind direction. "The moon wanes after it is full, and water overflows when it is full. If you keep going with the wind for too long, you will get burned. Think carefully, everyone. Once the wind changes direction, I will not give you a chance to escape."

He dislikes fire, but doesn't mind using it.

The salt merchants and their families, hiding among the grass and trees in the mountain hollow, looked up at the lush foliage and had the illusion that they had walked into a trap.

No, it's not an illusion.

The leading salt merchants looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wei Qin, who was above, ordered his yamen runners to light torches and spoke in a clear voice in the wind, "The wind has changed. Have you all thought it through? Show yourselves within ten days."

"One, two, three... nine, set fire."

"Wait!"

A salt merchant hurriedly walked to the open space, looked up at the pursuing soldiers above, gritted his teeth but was helpless, "Wei Qin, you've gone too far!"

Wei Qin's lips curled into a sneer, "You brought this on yourself, and now you're blaming others? Take him down!"

Groups of yamen runners descended the winding mountain road.

The prey didn't even dare to resist.

The pursuers had the advantage of terrain, and under the fire attack, they had no chance of winning!

Business people are used to weighing the pros and cons, let alone making life-or-death decisions.

The procession escorting the prisoners moved in a long, winding manner through the woods.

Tang Zhan, riding his horse, laughed and said, "We've done a great service this time. Will we receive a reward from His Highness the Crown Prince? A treat of wine would be nice!"

Wei Qin, also on horseback, covered his "wound" and stared at the two rows of prisoners being escorted ahead. If Prefect Lin Yu had led the way, the yamen runners would have received some rewards from the Crown Prince. But with him leading the way, the yamen runners would only feel that they would not get any benefits from following him.

This was also one of the Crown Prince's objectives.

If it were someone else being targeted, they might develop mouth ulcers and become listless, but Wei Qin, who is impervious to reason, doesn't care at all.

The wind direction changes rapidly, shifting from favorable to unfavorable in an instant, with flying sand blinding the eyes.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

One after another, white-feathered arrows were fired, piercing the prisoner's chest and the yamen runner's throat.

The oriole is unaware of the mantis behind!

Tang Zhan was shocked, "An assassin!"

The constables drew their swords to block the arrows coming from all directions.

Spittles of blood gushed out, staining the midday grass.

Wei Qin dodged a hidden arrow to the side, stepped onto the horse's back and lunged at the panicked Tang Zhan, tumbling off the horse with him. He then sprang to his feet and picked up a long sword that had been drawn from its sheath on the ground.

"Hide!"

Tang Zhan covered his head and fled, hiding in the bushes, where he witnessed in horror the bloody scenes unfolding one after another.

Dozens of men in black leaped to the ground and began slashing at anyone they encountered.

Several salt merchants died instantly.

A fierce battle was about to break out, and the yamen runners were retreating in defeat.

The number of men in black was small, but each one was fierce and brutal, capable of taking on ten opponents at once.

Wei Qin was entangled by someone, blade against blade, their strength clashing.

He didn't press them to tell him who they were or what their purpose was, because he wouldn't get an answer anyway.

With a powerful swing, Wei Qin deflected the opponent's steel blade, twisting his wrist with lightning speed, his retreat turning into advance, defense into offense, forcing the opponent to retreat repeatedly.

A voice came from the tree branch diagonally above.

"Kill Wei Qin, leave no survivors."

Wei Qin looked up and saw a person in a black cloak in the distance, who was probably the leader of this assassination attempt.

One by one, the yamen runners fell to the ground, and the prisoners were even less likely to escape their fate.

Wei Qin was attacked from both sides, and his face was covered in blood of unknown origin.

Forced by the three men to a poplar tree, he used his knife to block their blades, then used the tree trunk as leverage to move upwards, before leaping into the air and landing on his horse.

"drive!"

Horse hooves trod on blood, a lone rider leaving the rest in the dust.

These people are after him; only if he can distract them can the remaining constables and prisoners possibly save their lives.

The cloaked man leading the pack shouted, "Chase them! Don't let them fail!"

Dozens of men in black whistled, summoning their mounts.

But upon hearing another melodious and strange whistle, the horses lost their sense of direction and ran around aimlessly like headless flies.

The usually quiet woods were shattered by the sound of horses' hooves.

After whistling, Wei Qin spurred his horse forward and released a signal arrow.

The whistle-pierced through layers of branches and leaves, exploding in the sky.

The men in black steadied their horses and continued their pursuit, following the hoofprints left by Wei Qin's horse.

From noon until dusk, Wei Qin, whose path was repeatedly blocked, fell off his horse.

The horse he was riding was tripped by a rope.

The cloaked man reappeared on a tree, shouting, "Kill!"

A man in black leaped off his horse, raised his knife, and slashed at Wei Qin, who was rolling on the ground trying to get up.

"Bang!"

Wei Qin, lying on his back, held a musket, wisps of smoke rising from the muzzle.

The man in black fell to the ground, his steel knife falling from his hand.

A ray of sunlight reflected off the blade.

"A musket?" The cloaked man, blinded by the light, turned his face away to avoid it.

Wei Qin held the musket that Jiang Yinyue had secretly given him, turned the muzzle, and pointed it directly at the leader in the tree.

"Bang!"

The pain of flesh being pierced through surged through him, and Wei Qin rolled over to avoid it, spitting out a mouthful of sweet and foul-smelling blood.

The other side also possessed firearms.

People from the imperial court!

Wei Qin gripped the gun in one hand and used the tip of his knife as a fulcrum in the other, swaying as he stood up. Covered in blood and grime, he resembled a pine tree burned by a raging fire, its body covered in ashes, yet it stood firm.

The men in black attacked with knives, while the cloaked man raised his musket and aimed it at Wei Qin.

"Bang!"

"Bang! Bang!"

In the blink of an eye, several people in front of Wei Qin fell to the ground.

He turned his phoenix eyes, blurred by blood, and watched the cloaked man fall from the tree branch.

The remaining men in black were thrown into disarray by the deafening roar of gunfire.

None were spared.

The vast forest is home to wild animals.

Wei Qin clutched his lower abdomen and walked toward the cloaked man.

"careful!"

A burly man helped the swaying Wei Qin up. "Are they the Crown Prince's men?"

"no."

It couldn't be a confidant sent by the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince wouldn't slaughter those salt merchants who surrendered without resistance, nor would he kill innocent yamen runners.

Wei Qin endured the pain and stepped forward, tearing off the cloaked man's mask under his angry glare.

The burly man examined it carefully, then suddenly turned his head.

It was sent by Tao Qian!

Wei Qin kicked the struggling man unconscious.

Destroying what one cannot have is Tao Qian's consistent style. It seems that in the struggle for the new leadership, Chief Minister Dong has outmaneuvered Tao Qian.

Tao Qian, who had benefited others, harbored resentment and attempted to kill him, then pin the blame on the Crown Prince, thus sowing discord between the Crown Prince and Jiang Song.

The burly man gritted his teeth and said, "Hand him over to the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince will analyze the pros and cons himself."

"Those yamen runners and salt merchants were all killed."

Another young man rode up on horseback, interrupting their conversation.

Wei Qin closed his eyes, his knuckles cracking. "Where's Tang Zhan?"

The youth remained silent.

The little round-faced girl hiding in the bushes was not spared.

A metallic taste rose in his throat, and Wei Qin used his knife as a crutch, enduring the pain from his abdominal wound as he turned back.

"Give the order to turn the tables on them."

Rather than letting Wei Xichen figure out the cause and effect, it's better to let him experience the danger firsthand.

Only through personal experience can one truly feel it, and even anger will burn brighter.

That evening, gunshots were heard near the post station.

Startled awake, the little tabby cat jumped onto Wei Xichen's lap.

As soon as Wei Xichen stood up, a large number of guards rushed into the small room to protect the crown prince's safety.

Blades clashed outside the post station.

Swords flash and shadows dance under the moonlight.

The burly man leaped onto the highest roof of the inn, picked up an arrow, and pierced the chest of the dying cloaked man before throwing him into the courtyard.

The cloaked man also had a musket hidden inside his robe.

Under the cover of darkness, the young man with a scar on his face abandoned several men in black who had just died.

A man in a silver robe raised his sleeve under the moonlight, signaling everyone to evacuate quickly.

Groups of guards passed through the archers and chased after the figures that leaped across rooftops and walls, all the way to the canal.

The sails fluttered in the wind like the sleeves of a man in a silver robe.

The large ship carried a series of blurry figures away from the shore.

Hundreds of white-feathered arrows were stuck diagonally at the stern of the ship.

Wei Xichen, who had personally ridden to catch up, held a sniper rifle and looked into the distance, where he saw a tall man wearing a black cloak with gold thread standing at the stern of the boat.

The hood covered most of his face.

The white-feathered arrows that attacked him, spreading out like swallowtails, ironically became the force that propelled him into the clouds.

As Wei Xichen was making his identification, the man in the telescope held a bow and arrow and shot an arrow with a "whoosh," which arced through the night sky.

"Your Highness, be careful!"

The deputy commander of the guards swung his sword and intercepted the incoming arrow.

Wei Xichen did not back down, but stared intently at the departing ship.

"Send the order to block all ferry crossings and prepare to intercept them."

The deputy commander of the guards stammered, "I'm afraid it's too late."

The other side came prepared, while they were completely unprepared.

Wei Xichen took the broken arrow handed to him by the guard and clenched his fist.

Fu Zhong, who arrived shortly after, was panting heavily and said, "Your Highness, among those assassins who were shot, one... one of them is..."

What is it?

"The retainer of Minister Tao Qian!"

On the large ship, the man in the silver robe removed half of his silver mask, cupped his hands in greeting to the group, and said, "It's been a long time, old friends."

Counting the days, it's been seventeen years since I parted ways with some people.

These people were hidden in inconspicuous corners, and their identities included carpenters, bricklayers, butchers, doctors, merchants, school teachers, and advisors to famous families. They were all more or less older.

The man in the silver robe dared not use the jade pendant with the swimming scales to summon them unless it was absolutely necessary.

At the railing at the stern, a burly man handed over a medicine packet. "Young Master."

"No, thank you."

"The wound still needs to be treated promptly."

"That way, we won't arouse their suspicion."

"We only have one young master."

A young man wearing a hood stood with his hands behind his back. Underneath his cloak, which was billowing in the wind, was an exquisitely beautiful jade pendant with swimming scales.

It was definitely not made by an ordinary jade craftsman.

"I only have one chance for each level."

**

The following evening, the sunset painted the sky red, a scene of tragic grandeur.

One horse-drawn carriage after another carried the corpses of yamen runners and prisoners into the city.

All officials, yamen runners, guards, and attendants in the city bowed in salute to the Crown Prince.

The relatives of the tragically deceased wept uncontrollably, and the whole city was filled with mourning.

Jiang Yinyue was squeezed in the crowd, her heart breaking. When she saw Wei Qin walking at the back of the convoy, she felt not relief but lingering fear.

She ran forward, but was stopped by the soldiers.

She watched as Wei Qin, covered in blood, walked up to Wei Xichen and whispered something to him.

Wei Xichen nodded, as if agreeing to a suggestion.

It should be a proposal to compensate the families of the officials who died in the line of duty.

Through the wall of soldiers, Jiang Yinyue weaved through the crowd, staying dozens of steps away from Wei Qin, never leaving his side. Every step Wei Qin took resonated in her heart.

As the crowd dispersed, the man left in the sunset on the long street suddenly knelt down.

The wound is bleeding.

Jiang Yinyue bypassed the Wei family members and was the first to rush over.

"Wei Qin!"

The Wei family stayed at a distance, but no one dared to approach Wei Qin and touch upon his grief.

Cui Shihan, who had originally come to complain to Wei Qin, stood with her arms crossed in front of the weeping willows by the roadside, her fingernails digging into her arms.

Jiang Yinyue knelt beside Wei Qin, her hands trembling as she dared not touch his dirty face.

Wei Qin rarely showed his grief, but at this moment, he made no attempt to hide it, firstly for the innocent victims, and secondly for his classmates.

When he was young, Tang Zhan was one of the few people who were willing to take the initiative to get close to him.

During his years studying at the private school, the round-faced student would often hold a bag of roasted chestnuts and happily share half a bag with him.

"My mom cooked this. Eat it while it's hot."

"Hey, wait for me, let's go together."

"Why are you always dressed so lightly? Let me lend you some clothes for winter."

"Second place in the imperial examination, you've really made something of yourself, becoming a transport commissioner appointed by the court!"

Overwhelmed with grief, Wei Qin blurred the grime on his face.

Jiang Yinyue wiped his tears with her sleeve, and they spilled from her eyes.

Passersby were discussing how Wei Qin had survived, and Jiang Yinyue vaguely recalled the scene where she was questioned.

Why didn't the assassin kill her?

She covered Wei Qin's ears, and the usually clean young lady pressed her forehead against Wei Qin's side forehead.

"Don't listen, ignore it."

Beneath his delicate fingertips, the man's skin burned hot.

The wound was getting infected, and Wei Qin's soul was about to dissipate in the wind.

It was the gunshot wound to the abdomen that dispelled the doubts of the generals around Wei Xichen.

They imagined that Wei Qin had also gone through a fierce battle and narrowly escaped death.

With Jiang Yinyue's comforting words, Wei Qin regained some consciousness. He leaned against his wife's shoulder and finally caught his breath.

-----------------------

Author's Note: 100 small red envelopes