Chapter 38 Tell Me the Truth

Lin Xiao was silent for a moment, then pursed his lips and said, "I'm sorry, Princess."

"Since leaving the capital, I've spent most of my time traveling, rushing back and forth. I haven't encountered anything interesting, nor have I been to Jiangnan..."

Lin Xiao is a secret guard, and he must be on missions whenever he leaves the capital. Where would he find the time to travel and enjoy the scenery? Chen Panyan's eyes were filled with regret.

She had asked without thinking it through, and seeing the atmosphere turn somber, Shen Panyan quickly said, "It's okay, Lin Xiao. I'm already very happy that you brought me out to play today."

"Lin Xiao, this tea is delicious, you should try some too."

After saying that, she reached out and poured him a cup of tea, handing it to him.

Lin Xiao: "...Thank you, Princess."

Shen Panyan shook her head, her almond-shaped eyes curving slightly, "Lin Xiao, you don't need to be so polite with me."

"In my heart, you are my best friend."

Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback: "Friend?"

Shen Panyan nodded hesitantly, "Yes, friend."

If they weren't friends, she didn't know how to describe their relationship.

In any case, they are not servants.

Seeing that Lin Xiao didn't speak, Shen Panyan thought he was unwilling and became a little nervous. "You, you don't want to be friends with me?"

Lin Xiao lowered his eyes. "No."

Shen Panyan: "Then why aren't you saying anything?"

Lin Xiao was silent for a moment, then said, "I was just a little surprised."

He never imagined that in the princess's heart, he was actually her best friend.

"It is my honor to be a friend of the princess."

Shen Panyan's almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents. "I'm also very lucky to have such a good friend as you."

The two chatted idly while eating the pastries on the table, but most of the time Chen Panyan asked questions and Lin Xiao answered them. As time passed, the sugar-coated fritters they had bought earlier had cooled down and were ready to eat.

Lin Xiao handed her the candied fruit. Shen Panyan picked it up, took a small bite, and instantly, the crispy and soft texture, along with the sweet sugar frosting, filled her lips. Shen Panyan's eyes lit up slightly.

"So this is what folk snacks taste like. In the past, when I happened to pass by in the capital, the maids below wouldn't let me buy any. They said that the food outside was terrible."

"I never imagined it was a lie."

"Lin Xiao, shall we buy some more to take back with us when we go back later?"

Lin Xiao said helplessly, "Princess, you are not in good health. These sugar-coated fruits are very oily. One taste is enough. You cannot eat too many."

"Alright." Shen Panyan lowered her eyes regretfully, but she knew that Lin Xiao was doing it for her own good.

There were four candied fruit balls in the string. She ate two and handed the rest to Lin Xiao.

"Lin Xiao, here you go."

Lin Xiao was taken aback. "Isn't the princess going to eat?"

"no."

Shen Panyan was a little embarrassed. "We agreed to travel together, and as I just said, we are good friends, so naturally I can't eat all of these sugar-coated fruits by myself. You should have a share too."

Seeing that Lin Xiao remained silent, Shen Panyan remembered what had happened last time and quickly added, "Don't worry, I was very careful when I ate it just now, I didn't touch anything underneath. That pastry incident last time was an accident, I didn't mean to. Lin Xiao, please, please don't mind..."

Lin Xiao snapped out of his daze and said, "I didn't mind."

He just didn't know how to answer.

Hearing that he didn't mind, Shen Panyan twisted her handkerchief with her knuckles, her cheeks burning even more. "Then, then take it quickly, you can't refuse!"

Lin Xiao hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and took it: "Thank you, Princess."

He wasn't particularly fond of food; whether something tasted good or bad, he didn't care much. But as soon as he put the sugar-coated fruit in his mouth, he found it quite delicious.

Lin Xiao lowered her eyelashes.

He thought he might understand why Forty-Three always liked to use his monthly allowance to buy all sorts of food.

Because it's really sweet.

Seeing that he had finished eating the sugar-coated fruit, Shen Panyan picked up another piece of pastry and put it to his lips.

"And there's also Hibiscus Seven-Piece Pastry, Linxiao, you should try some too."

He looked up and his eyes met hers in an instant.

The princess's eyes were beautiful, clear as water, and when she looked at him, they were like a bright crescent moon in the night sky, filling his entire field of vision.

Seeing that he didn't move, Shen Panyan assumed that he didn't like it. "What's wrong, Lin Xiao? Don't you like pastries? Shall we go out and buy something else later?"

Seeing the princess's clear eyes turn to concern, Lin Xiao suddenly lowered his eyes.

He recalled the warning Shadow had given him, and the words he had spoken to Forty-Three.

He knows exactly what he's doing.

Knowing it was impossible, I still plunged in headfirst.

Lin Xiao: "...No, I like it very much."

He gently took a bite of the pastry, and his soft lips accidentally touched her fingertips.

Shen Panyan blushed instantly, realizing that her behavior had been too inappropriate. She quickly put her hand down, took the tray of pastries towards him, and turned her head to avoid his gaze. "Since you like them, then eat more!"

Lin Xiao looked at her, and as if thinking of something, the corners of his lips curved slightly. "Okay."

*

The teahouse was sometimes quiet, sometimes noisy. With the tap of the gavel, the story reached its climax. The storyteller stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Honorable guests, if you want to know what happens next, please listen to the next episode."

That concludes today's story.

Shen Panyan, still enjoying the story, saw the storyteller get up to leave and immediately widened her almond-shaped eyes, filled with regret, "Is that all?"

Lin Xiao: "It's just some petty tricks the teahouse used; he won't leave."

"Princess, please wait a moment."

With a wave of his hand, Lin Xiao sent a silver ingot falling from the second floor, landing steadily in front of the storyteller.

“Continue.”

At this point, the audience below the stage also expressed their dissatisfaction. They were all traveling merchants, and those who could afford to come to the teahouse to listen to storytelling were not short of a few copper coins. Before long, the teahouse waiter had collected a considerable amount of money.

The storyteller picked up the silver ingot and put it into his sleeve. He then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and smiled broadly, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sir."

After saying that, he cupped his hands to the tea drinkers below the stage and said, "Since you all have been so kind to keep me here, I will not disappoint you. I will continue my story."

"To tell you the story, this eldest son of the Feng family..." The storyteller's voice rose and fell, sometimes deliberately mysterious, sometimes passionate, which made the audience applaud and cheer.

As the story ended, the audience members were satisfied and got up to leave in twos and threes.

Shen Panyan and Lin Xiao got up and left, going down to the second floor.

Just as the two were passing some traveling merchants, their steps suddenly came to a halt.

"Hey, did you know that the bandits on Fengyang Road have been eliminated? Brother Yang, you often use that road to deliver goods, right? Now you can rest assured and don't have to worry about your goods being robbed anymore."

"Really? The bandits on that road have been around for years. The imperial court has tried to suppress them several times but failed. How could they suddenly disappear?"

"I don't know either. I heard that bandits on that road robbed a noblewoman from the capital and their entire village was massacred."

"The entire village has been massacred?!"

The onlookers gasped in shock. "Who is so ruthless as to slaughter the entire mountain stronghold? That's hundreds of lives lost."

"What's with all this talk about ruthlessness? Bandits' lives matter, but ours don't? If you ask me, this is better. It will prevent those bandits from coming down the mountain to rob our goods, forcing me to take a detour and increasing my travel and expenses by who knows how much."

"I didn't say it was bad, but what kind of 'golden branch and jade leaf' was this? They actually had their entire village slaughtered. Doesn't the imperial court always offer amnesty to bandits?"

"I've heard that it's something like Lord Mingyue..."

Almost instantly, a flash of silver light appeared, and a sharp longsword landed on the man's neck.

Lin Xiao's expression was grim, and the murderous intent in his eyes was almost impossible to suppress. "Is it any of your business to discuss matters of the imperial court?"

No one expected him to make a sudden move, and everyone was stunned.

"Brother... Brother, spare my life..." The man who had spoken earlier saw that Lin Xiao was dressed in martial robes, acted swiftly, and had a fierce aura; he was clearly no ordinary person. He immediately knelt down. "I... I was just saying it casually..."

"Just saying?" Lin Xiao sneered.

He could casually utter the name of Princess Mingyue. You should know that this matter had long been kept secret by His Majesty, and even the princess's personal maid, Mu Ying, did not know about it. How did he know?

Shen Panyan stood beside him, her face deathly pale.

As everyone gradually came to their senses, some were indignant, some were terrified, and some felt that Lin Xiao was abusing his power and wanted to stand up for that person. They quickly reached out and tugged at his sleeve, their voices trembling, "Lin Xiao, don't argue with them, let's go quickly..."

Sensing the princess's panic and fear, Lin Xiao immediately sheathed his sword. "Alright."

He grabbed the princess's wrist and quickly led her away from the crowd.

Shen Panyan held back her tears until they reached a secluded spot, where they finally fell silently. "Lin Xiao, how could this happen..."

She clutched his sleeve, flustered and incoherent, "The capital...is there anyone in the capital who knows about this...?"

Shen Panyan dared not think about what she would face if this matter were to spread throughout the capital.

The contempt and ridicule of the crowd, the reprimands of the civil and military officials, and her father—how would he view her? Was her future truly as Qiu Shuang had said, that she could only marry the Second Young Master Chu, the Vice Minister of Rites…? She didn't want that kind of life.

If that were the case, she would rather not live in this world.

Shen Panyan clutched her chest, her breathing becoming rapid, her body trembling, and her lips growing paler...

"Princess, don't overthink it. His Majesty has already sealed off this matter, and everyone who knew about it is dead." Lin Xiao spoke quickly, took out a pill from his waist and put it between her lips to calm her heart palpitations.

Shen Panyan's breathing gradually calmed down, and tears rolled down her cheeks like a beaded curtain. "But, but that person just now..."

She heard it; what he was talking about was himself.

Princess Mingyue! There could be no other person in Zhaoyan Kingdom who could hold this title besides her.

Suddenly, Shen Panyan remembered something and looked up, "Lin Xiao, was it Qiu Shuang? Was it Qiu Shuang who spread the word?"

That day, after she vomited blood, Lin Xiao rushed to take her down the mountain, not having time to pay attention to Qiu Shuang, who was still standing there.

All the bandits in the mountain stronghold were dead. Only Qiu Shuang knew about this, and she was still alive.

She had already spared her life out of consideration for their past relationship as master and servant, so why, why did she still treat her like this?

Tears streamed down her face as she lay by the riverbank.

Seeing the princess's face growing paler and paler, and fearing that she might vomit blood again like that day if things continued this way... Lin Xiao finally couldn't hold back and told the truth.

“Princess, Qiu Shuang is dead. The one who harmed you was Consort Hui. Her Majesty has stripped her of her rank and confined her to the Cold Palace. She would never harm you again.”

"Please don't make wild guesses. With your subordinates here, I will not let you get into such a dangerous situation."

Shen Panyan gripped his clothes tightly, her voice trembling, "Lin Xiao, do you know something...? Tell me, please tell me the truth."

She really didn't want to remain ignorant any longer.