Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Death Escape (Part 3)

The fragrant curtains are entwined, and the zithers and drums are playing.

The two women helped the tall man back to the side room, gently helped him lie down on the brocade quilt covered with greasy powder, and patiently took off his shoes and socks.

"Go fetch some water for the general." The woman kneeling on Ji Sui's left suddenly instructed another person.

The woman bit her lip reluctantly and walked out angrily.

After the others left, the woman in red on the couch half-undressed, revealing her impressive figure. She pressed herself against Ji Sui's body and whispered seductively in his ear, "General, please allow me to undress you."

Women like them have served countless men in their lives and have seen all kinds of them, but men with a figure and appearance like Ji Bai are very rare. Therefore, even if they know that they will not get any status, they are willing to serve for just one night.

For a long time, the lying man still kept his eyes closed and did not respond. The woman simply plucked up the courage to reach out to the man's exquisite silver waist belt with a tiger pattern.

The moment her fingertips touched the waist belt, she suddenly felt an unfriendly gaze coming from above her head. She looked up in a daze and met a pair of deep and cold eyes.

Completely different from the charming and intoxicating peach blossom eyes she had seen on the pleasure boat during the day, the chill emanating from them made her feel as if she had fallen into a snow cellar, with the icy wind penetrating her skin.

She tried to make a final struggle: "General... General..."

"roll."

The man's sharp tone immediately dispelled all her thoughts. She hurriedly gathered up her clothes and crawled out of the house.

Ji Sui opened his bloodshot eyes wide and stared at the ceiling of the tent, with Lin Zhen's appearance constantly flashing in his mind.

The nervous yet calm expression on her face when she held him in her arms for the first time, the way she prayed devoutly for her mother by the river, the way her eyes sparkled under the fireworks...

There was even the look on her face as she ordered him to kneel down as punishment, and the resolute look on her face as she pointed the sword at him on a rainy night.

Ji Sui suddenly frowned, grabbed an embroidered pillow from the side and covered his head with it, then fell into a deep sleep.

*

During the days when Lin Zhen was not in the Music Bureau, Du Sanniang would often come to check on him. Recently, a guest stayed in her room for three consecutive nights and left tonight. She finally had time to come to the side room to take a look.

As soon as she approached the yard, she saw that it was pitch black inside and sighed softly in her heart.

Lin Zhen left, and she could probably guess where she went. After all, there were not many places where one could be away for several days without being noticed by the Music Bureau.

However, she didn't know whether Lin Zhen was in trouble or not...

Du Sanniang walked into the deserted courtyard, stroked the dusty stone steps with her handkerchief, and sat down in front of the main house.

She looked at the empty yard and couldn't help feeling a little lonely. She thought of Lin Zhen again.

She was clearly a kind and tender girl, but she always had an arrogant look that kept people at a distance. This girl...

Du Sanniang couldn't help but smile.

About a quarter of an hour later, the night was deep and the wind was blowing. Du Sanniang felt herself getting colder and colder. She rubbed her arms, stood up, stamped her feet and prepared to leave.

"Bang—"

Suddenly there was a noise coming from the inner room. Du Sanniang paused for a moment, thinking that she had misheard. She slowly leaned towards the wooden door and listened carefully, and actually heard a faint sound.

Few people usually come to this side room, but even so, she still tried to push the door with extreme caution.

The moment the door was pushed open, she saw someone lying on the ground. Who else could it be but Lin Zhen?

"Lin Zhen!" Du Sanniang called out and hurried forward to help her up.

Du Sanniang originally wanted to help Lin Zhen sit down at the table, but she found that her whole body was burning hot and she couldn't even sit still, so she had to help her back to the couch.

"Lin Zhen." Looking at the woman with her eyes closed on the couch, Du Sanniang patted her cheek gently, trying to wake her up.

Lin Zhen's forehead was covered in beads of sweat. His face was pale and he was completely unconscious. His lips were dry and pale, and he could only mumble vaguely, "Water...water..."

Du Sanniang turned around and looked at the teapot that had fallen to the ground. She must have wanted to pour some water to drink just now, but the teapot just rolled on the ground, and not a drop of water came out.

Du Sanniang leaned over and pulled over the brocade quilt from the inside, covering Lin Zhen tightly with it. Then she hurried back to her room to get some tea, half-supported Lin Zhen and fed her mouthful by mouthful.

Feeling the heat on her forehead, Du Sanniang went to get some cold water and wiped her face over and over again. Seeing that Lin Zhen's complexion finally looked better, she finally let go of her worries and sat on the small stool in front of the couch, closing her eyes for a while.

On the second day, Lin Zhen was awake for half a day, but refused to say anything. Before nightfall, she had a fever again. This time, Du Sanniang worked hard for half the night but to no avail. Not only did she not recover, but her condition became worse.

After finally waiting until dawn, Du Sanniang hurried to report to the Secretary of the Music Bureau and asked him to summon the doctor, but he coldly refused.

She had no choice but to go out and get the medicine and boil it herself. However, Lin Zhen didn't eat a single bite and vomited it all out. Seeing the girl in front of her as weak as a flower that would wither at any time, she suddenly had an idea.

She is going to the General's Mansion.

Although Du Sanniang had never been to the General's Mansion, who on this street would not know its location? She found out after asking a few questions.

Shi Zhu happened to be out on errands. Du Sanniang had seen Shi Zhu before and recognized him, so she quickly stepped forward to stop him, even forgetting to greet him. She said directly, "Sir, could you please ask the general to go to the Jiaofangsi? Lin Zhen... Lin Zhen is in trouble."

Shi Zhu took a step back, staying away from Du Sanniang. He glanced at her calmly and said, "The general has been staying at Luyinfang recently and has ordered that no one should be seen."

Du Sanniang's heart sank as Shi Zhu spoke. She was about to ask again when he continued, "Also, you can't just approach the General's Mansion casually. If you do that again, I'll beat you to death."

After Shizhu finished speaking, he took the horse in front of him, jumped on it, and rode away.

*

Lin Zhen felt so hot all over that she felt as if she was immersed in a sea of ​​fire. Her eyes, lips and teeth were filled with heat, and she turned from side to side impatiently.

After an unknown amount of time, the heat waves finally subsided a little. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself on a meadow.

That was the place her mother would secretly take her to when she was young. She had never told her mother that she liked it there, but her mother seemed to know it very well.

"Lin Zhen."

Her mother would always call her these two words tenderly, and then gently stroke the hair by her ears.

Ten years have passed, and her mother's appearance has begun to blur in her memory, but the voice engraved deep in her mind has never faded away.

"Mother... I'm sorry... I can't do what you asked me to do..."

Before her death, her mother entrusted her younger sister and the entire family to her. She had tried her best, but still failed to protect them.

She put her sister in danger several times, she failed to notice her father's abnormality in time, and she shouldn't have been hesitant about Lin Chuyi, so that in the end she had to use drastic methods to stop him, which in turn aroused his boundless anger and hatred.

Lin Zhen slowly closed her eyes, tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes, and she pinched her fingertips tightly.

Suddenly, a warm feeling came over her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw the gentle woman in front of her smiling at her. Her fingertips gently stroked the side of her face, "Lin Zhen, you've done very well, really well."

"It is your mother's hard work to entrust you with such a burden."

She felt that her mother was tidying up the hair by her ears, just like she used to.

That is the source of her strength and her only reliance.

The slightly furrowed brows were smoothed out bit by bit, and a smile gradually appeared on that cold face.

After the ice and snow melted, the gorgeous beauty that had been hidden for a long time bloomed wantonly and unrestrainedly.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful.

"Lin Zhen, wake up, we're going home."

Everything in front of her became dark again, and her mother's gentle voice was still echoing in her ears. She tried hard to respond, but she couldn't move for a long time.

Waves of heat swept towards her again, and Lin Zhen frowned uneasily again.

"Lin Zhen, wake up!"

"Lin Zhen! Wake up!"

Du Sanniang never expected that such a thing would happen when she came back after just a short trip out. A raging fire broke out in the warehouse behind Lin Zhen's yard, and the fire spread to her house.

Looking at the house being licked by the flames, Du Sanniang became more and more anxious. She knocked on the door violently, but found that it seemed to be locked from the inside. No matter how hard she pushed or kicked, she couldn't open it.

Lin Zhen was clearly sleeping on the couch before she left, so how could he have the strength to lock the door?

Although Du Sanniang had doubts in her heart, now was not the time to think about it. She knocked on the door with all her strength and shouted loudly inside, trying to wake up Lin Zhen who was sleeping on the couch.

Outside the yard, several people were running back and forth in a hurry, but they were all rushing to put out the fire in the warehouse. No one cared about Du Sanniang who was shouting helplessly in the yard.

After all, compared with the treasures in the warehouse, a poor girl who had offended the general was of no value at all.

The sounds in my ears became brighter and clearer, no longer soft whispers, but loud roars.

Lin Zhen finally woke up slowly. Looking at the raging flames burning in the corner of the house, she was stunned for a moment, and then she started coughing because of the thick smoke in the house.

She heard Du Sanniang's voice and wanted to answer her, but found that her throat was choked and she couldn't speak at all. The high fever in her body subsided, and she finally regained some strength. She climbed up from the couch and stumbled towards the door.

Du Sanniang had been so anxiously knocking on the door and shouting that she hadn't heard the coughing inside. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the lock being pulled from inside. She hurriedly stopped and shouted inside, "Lin Zhen! Open the door quickly!"

The room was pitch black except for the firelight. She couldn't see the location of the door lock at all and could only grope and pull the bolt.

After a long while of trying to open the door, she realized that someone had installed a lock on the door latch, a lock that had never been in her room.

Lin Zhen's heart sank and she stopped what she was doing.

At this moment, there was a sudden loud noise from the doors and windows. A large porcelain vat smashed in from the window, scattering porcelain shards and water everywhere. Du Sanniang stretched out her hand to her from the broken window, "Lin Zhen, hurry!"

Lin Zhen was half-supported and half-helped by Du Sanniang as he jumped out of the window. After they both stood steadily, Lin Zhen wanted to say a word of thanks, but as soon as she raised her eyes, she saw Du Sanniang staring at her.

Lin Zhen didn't understand what was going on, so he just frowned slightly and looked at her.

Looking at the originally cold and beautiful face in front of her, which was now blackened by the thick smoke and was still staring at her in confusion, Du Sanniang could not hold back her laughter any longer.

Lin Zhen had no idea what she was laughing at, but the laughter came so inexplicably that her ears turned red and she subconsciously lowered her eyes.

Suddenly, a handkerchief was extended to her eyes. Lin Zhen, who was not used to being too close to others, instinctively stepped back, but only for a moment. Then Ren Du Sanniang took the handkerchief and wiped her cheek again and again.

She finally understood what was going on. After feeling Du Sanniang's movements gradually slow down, Lin Zhen slowly opened her mouth and said, "Sanniang..."

"Let's go," Du Sanniang said almost at the same time, "Let's leave here, Lin Zhen."

When Lin Zhen had a high fever, she took the initiative to take off Lin Zhen's clothes and wiped her. Her white body covered by layers of clothes was covered with mottled purple marks. How could she not know what that was after spending several years in the Jiaofangsi?

The great general wanted Lin Zhen so much, yet he put her in such a situation.

He shouldn't treat Lin Zhen like this. No one should treat such a beautiful girl like this.

However, this was just wishful thinking. Du Sanniang had no idea what Lin Zhen was thinking. She did not tell him what Shi Zhu had said. She just smiled awkwardly and said casually, "I don't know how big the fire at the Jiaofangsi will be tonight. Many people will take this opportunity to escape. I want to leave too."

She smiled and continued, "Lin Zhen, you should go too. Perhaps you can try another life?"

Lin Zhen seemed to be responding, but also murmured to himself: "Can I...?"

Du Sanniang suddenly grasped Lin Zhen's hand and nodded happily: "Of course!"

"Hurry up! What are you dawdling for, you good-for-nothings?"

The voice of the Music Bureau's official came from outside the courtyard. Du Sanniang hurriedly pulled Lin Zhen to the wall. She looked Lin Zhen up and down. She was wearing a red leaf dress, which was far less eye-catching than a white dress. She looked at Lin Zhen's face again, and simply wiped Lin Zhen's face with the dirty corner of her handkerchief.

After the group passed by the yard, Du Sanniang pushed Lin Zhen out of the yard.

"Let's go!"

After watching Lin Zhen's figure disappear into the night, Du Sanniang clutched her handkerchief tightly and returned to the yard.

*

At the hour of Xu, Kong Jinghe walked out of the duty room of the Dali Temple. In the darkness, a man suddenly walked towards him hurriedly with his head down, almost bumping into him. When he looked closely, he found that it was the Secretary of the Dali Temple.

"Brother Sun, you left early this morning, why are you back on duty at this hour? Is there any important case?"

Kong Jinghe stopped the man and asked him politely.

Seeing that he was stopped by his superiors, the man smiled sheepishly, picked up his wet robe and shook it towards Kong Jinghe: "The Third Prince returned to the city from the temporary palace today, and many colleagues went to Yandang Mountain to pick him up. This duty room finally had half a day of leisure, so I went to sit in the Music Bureau."

He quickly waved his hands, eager to explain, "Sir, I really just went out for a drink. It was bad luck. There was a fire in the Music Bureau today. Everyone was in a panic, and my clothes were soaked by the spilled wine. To avoid my wife from misunderstanding, I came back to change clothes."

As the man spoke, he noticed that Kong Jinghe's eyes were wandering in a trance. He couldn't help but waved his hand in front of him, "...Sir?"

Kong Jinghe suddenly grabbed his hand and asked, "When did it happen?!"

"About... half an hour ago..."

Before the man finished speaking, he saw Kong Jinghe running out in a panic. He just thought that even someone as noble as Lord Kong would have his own confidante in the Music Bureau. He sneered and walked towards the duty room.

*

There were more than just officials from the Dali Temple in the Jiaofangsi that night, so the news of the fire in the Jiaofangsi quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys, and Shizhu naturally knew about it as well.

Therefore, when he saw Kong Jinghe who came to the General's Mansion to ask to see Ji Sui, he insisted that he did not know where his master was.

"The assassin who was imprisoned in the Dali Temple a few days ago has made a new confession today. I must meet the general immediately. If I delay, you will have to bear the consequences!" Kong Jinghe slammed the table and glared at Shizhu with his eyes, showing the majesty of the Dali Temple Shaoqing.

This is a matter of great importance. If favorable evidence can be obtained from the assassin to prove the master's innocence, it will also reduce Meng Liangyu's suspicion of the master, which will make him relax his vigilance and let the master go to Yizhou.

He finally relented.

*

In the painted boat by the Green River, Ji Sui suddenly stood up from the pile of makeup. He grabbed Kong Jinghe's collar and asked coldly, "Say it again."