Chapter 14 Cousin Shan Podai, the way you're staring at me is making my heart...

Cui Yiluo took a step to follow his pace.

She suddenly softened her tone, her voice gentle and sweet: "Cousin, please don't be angry. I will definitely be more careful in the future."

Jiang Yunjin's expression did not soften in the slightest, and it was impossible to tell whether he believed her or not.

Cui Yilu bit her lip, a hint of disappointment in her voice: "Is my cousin planning to stop talking to me?"

The man beside her paused slightly, a hint of helplessness creeping into his voice: "No."

Cui Yilu smiled happily at him: "That's good. I was just worried that my cousin would ignore me."

"Cousin, I will keep your secret."

Jiang Yunjin suddenly looked up.

Seeing his surprise, Cui Yiluo seemed to find it amusing, and the corners of her mouth lifted in a playful and lively manner, but her expression remained completely innocent and pure: "It's the person behind my cousin, isn't that His Majesty?"

Jiang Yunjin's gaze suddenly became complicated.

Meeting his deep gaze, she said softly, "But don't worry, cousin, let's keep this a secret between us, known only to the two of us."

The shadows of the trees swayed, blocking out the moonlight, and the air seemed to stagnate between the two.

Cui Yilu blinked her eyelashes slightly: "Cousin, staring at me like that is making me uneasy. Just now you told me to follow the rules, so what does this mean now?"

Jiang Yunjin quickly looked away and said in a low voice, "Excuse me."

Cui Yiluo couldn't help but smile slightly, lowering her eyes to hide the pleasure rising within them.

"Cousin! Big brother!"

Jiang Zhaoyue's voice drifted from not far away with the drizzle.

In the vast darkness, Lan Hui and her family of four, accompanied by several servants, rode in on horseback. Several flames flickered, dispelling the darkness, and the light grew brighter as the figures approached.

Cui Yiluo breathed a sigh of relief without showing any emotion.

Upon seeing Cui Yiluo, Lan Hui spurred her horse even more anxiously and galloped to Cui Yiluo's side in no time.

Lan Hui nimbly dismounted and rushed forward to thoroughly examine Cui Yiluo.

"I was terrified! Commander Yuan said there were assassins in the woods, and Shenzhi escorted you away first. But your uncle and I waited and waited in the tent for a long time and you still didn't come. We thought something had happened to you again!"

Lan Hui choked up as she finished speaking: "It's all my aunt's fault."

Cui Yiluo felt a pang of sadness, thinking that Lan Hui was blaming herself for bringing her out and causing her to encounter the assassin. She quickly comforted her, saying, "Aunt, you're too kind. It just rained along the way, and my cousin and I took shelter from the rain, which is why we were late."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Jiang Yunjin, her eyes, brimming with tears, filled with pleading.

But almost as soon as Cui Yiluo gave him a look, he turned his eyes away to avoid eye contact, his actions decisive.

This means they're not willing to help her.

Seeing Lan Hui's guilty expression, Cui Yiluo felt a pang of pity. After all, Lan Hui was the only person in the world who truly cared for her. In Cui Yiluo's eyes, Lan Hui was her only blood relative.

Just as she was about to speak again to comfort him, she heard the man beside her give a soft "hmm," his voice as clear as a mountain spring: "What my cousin said is true, Aunt doesn't need to worry."

Cui Yiluo's eyes curved like crescent moons reflected in the river, and she silently said to him: Thank you, cousin.

As expected, Jiang Yunjin ignored her.

At this moment, several people followed behind, and the servants held torches, instantly illuminating the small area.

Jiang Yunjin's clothes were pure white, and in the firelight, the blood splattered on the front of his clothes looked even more glaring. Jiang Mingxun, seeing his elder brother covered in blood, exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, you fought with the assassins?"

Uncle Jiang Wen turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Shenzhi, you..."

In everyone's eyes, Jiang Yunjin was polite and sensible from a young age, and as he grew up, he became even more exceptionally talented, upright and pure, like flawless white jade. Jiang Wen and the others were not unaware that he practiced martial arts, but when they actually saw him kill and stained with blood, they were still horrified, as if he had committed a heinous crime of betraying his master and ancestors.

Jiang Yunjin's eyes darkened, and he gave a soft "hmm," not intending to explain to Jiang Wen and the others.

He didn't care what others thought of him, but if this got back to his grandmother, he would be in trouble.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yunjin's sharp eyebrows furrowed, and his expression became solemn.

When Jiang Wen and the others saw his expression, it felt like a chilling rain on their skin, and they snapped out of their daze.

Jiang Yunjin was not only their relative, but also a powerful minister highly regarded by the emperor. He was promoted to the position of Grand Chancellor at a young age, holding the power of life and death. So what if he killed someone with his own hands now?

Their words were insubordination.

Jiang Wen forced a smile, his heart pounding, trying to smooth things over, when a clear, melodious female voice suddenly rang out:

“My cousin is a righteous man. He happened to be passing by and saw an assassin trying to hurt me, so he fought back. Swords have no eyes, and death and injury are inevitable. The most important thing is to avoid harming innocent people.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was stunned. Jiang Zhaoyue, who was the most expressive of her emotions, stared wide-eyed in surprise.

It seemed no one expected that the usually gentle Cui Yiluo would defend someone and utter such sharp words. Not only did she not deliberately conceal Jiang Yunjin's murder, but she also directly acknowledged it as a righteous act of eliminating evil.

Jiang Yunjin turned his head slightly to look at Cui Yiluo, his eyes deep and unfathomable, his upright profile flickering in and out of focus under the swaying flames.

Cui Yiluo noticed him looking over out of the corner of her eye, and turned to look at him as well. Her gentle smile contained both a tender comfort and a hint of pride, but these two contradictory expressions blended together gracefully and subtly on her face.

Suddenly, the woods fell silent, save for the gentle patter of rain on the green leaves. Lan Hui was the first to react, smiling broadly, "Shenzhi, thank you so much this time. Your aunt will definitely thank you properly when we get back."

Jiang Yunjin's expression did not soften because of Lan Hui and the others' attitude; he simply nodded slightly in response.

"By the way, cousin, didn't you say you were going to fish by the stream? Why are you here in the crabapple forest?"

Jiang Zhaoyue asked in confusion.

Cui Yiluo's expression remained unchanged as she calmly explained, "I was originally going, but I heard that Commander Yuan would be going to Houqin Forest this afternoon. I haven't returned the outer robe he lent me at the last lotus banquet, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to return it to him."

After saying that, she secretly turned to look at Jiang Yunjin. He was perceptive; her words might deceive Jiang Zhaoyue and Lan Hui, but they might not be able to deceive him.

The man's expression was indifferent, and his gaze never lingered on them for a moment, as if he wasn't listening to them at all.

Lan Hui's expression turned somewhat serious: "Yi Luo, has Assistant Minister Cheng sent you a letter?"

Cui Yiluo showed a perfectly timed look of doubt: "Master Cheng did indeed want to meet me before, but it would be against the rules for me to meet him in private, so I refused. But he seemed particularly insistent, and I don't know why... By the way, why did Aunt suddenly ask about this?"

"He was injured by a wild beast by the stream today and nearly died, but fortunately he encountered the Imperial Guards on patrol."

Cui Yiluo subconsciously asked, "What?"

Lan Hui's voice tinged with anger, "He said he went to the stream because he had an appointment with you, but he clearly wants to pin this accident on you!"

Cui Yiluo said innocently and helplessly, "Aunt, I did not make an appointment with him."

"Your aunt believes in you."

Lan Hui patted Cui Yiluo's hand reassuringly, but her face remained ashen.

The thought of Cui Yiluo marrying an old man her grandfather's age, and her stepson already eyeing her even before the marriage, made Lan Hui both angry and sad. Cheng Yi was already in his early forties, while Cui Yiluo was only eighteen. How could she possibly win?

Jiang Zhaoyue chimed in, "In my opinion, this Master Cheng heard that you were going to the stream, so he followed you, only to encounter a wild beast instead. But you don't need to worry, cousin. The Yunyi Guard has already investigated and found that you never sent him a letter. He really is something, how could he tell such a flimsy lie?"

Jiang Zhaoyue kept arguing on Cui Yiluo's behalf, but Cui Yiluo wouldn't listen to a word she said.

That person clearly knew she was going to the Crab Grove, otherwise he wouldn't have sent his shadow guards.

But if she knew the stream was a trap, why would she still let wild beasts go to the stream?

-

The simultaneous occurrence of the beast and the assassin spread rapidly, creating an atmosphere of panic. All that was known was that Yuan Ling had encountered the assassin while hunting, with Cui Yiluo and Jiang Yunjin completely hidden from view. It was unclear whether Yuan Ling or Jiang Yunjin had given the order.

The camp was placed on high alert. The emperor was furious and lost all interest. He ordered the army to set off for the capital the next day and left the Yunyi Guard behind to investigate.

As soon as the order was given, the palace servants immediately began packing their bags, and the imperial guards also increased their patrols. The commotion did not subside until late at night.

In the stillness of the night, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard.

Outside a magnificent and imposing tent, the python patterns embroidered on the tent still looked awe-inspiring in the night. The tent was heavily guarded, while the inside was brightly lit.

A man in black approached and knelt down outside the tent.

"Sui Lin requests an audience with Your Highness."

"Come in."

The man in black immediately lifted the tent flap and went inside.

The interior furnishings were even more luxurious, and the tent occupied a large area, yet it did not feel empty at all.

"Your Highness, those useless fools have all been killed, and their eyes have been soaked and sent back to the palace. It should still be in time for Chi Nu to take them."

The man leaning against the mahogany couch was playing with a white rabbit. His thin fingers were so pale they were almost bloodless as he stroked the soft nape of its neck. His smile was both ruthless and playful.

As Sui Lin watched, he suddenly remembered the scene of him toying with the Red Slave. The Red Slave was a snake with a highly venomous body, named for its bright red color.

Seemingly noticing his subordinate's gaze lingering on the white rabbit for a few seconds, the man slowly curled his lips and said, "Don't worry, this rabbit is for my sister, I won't kill it."

Sui Lin hurriedly lowered his head and knelt down: "This subordinate dares not."

Xiao Zheng chuckled lightly: "Everyone has safely returned to their tents, right? Sui Lin, you know that letting her go this time will make it even harder for me to take action after we return to the capital. Not only that, but if Xiao Jing's people use this as an excuse to cause trouble, and Father is forced to abandon me and choose my brother, I will truly have nowhere to bury my body."

The Second Prince, Xiao Jing, was born to Empress Gu. He was gentle and kind, and there was a lot of support for him to be made crown prince. The Gu family and the Chu family behind Consort Qiong had always been evenly matched in the court, and even Xiao Jing and Xiao Zheng were evenly matched.

Below Xiao Zheng is his younger brother, the Seventh Prince, who shares the same mother. If Xiao Zheng loses, the Chu family will immediately switch their support to the Seventh Prince.

Sui Lin, fully aware of his master's predicament of being caught between a rock and a hard place, advised, "Your Highness, the Seventh Prince is still young. How can he be compared to Your Highness, who is in the prime of his life?"

"As long as they are born to the mother, the emperor will protect them like the apple of his eye. What difference does it make?"

With a fierce expression, Xiao Zheng grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of its neck and threw it aside in frustration. He then slowly walked over to Sui Lin, who was kneeling on the ground.

Her tone was slow and playful: "Sui Lin, why are you still trembling? You're overestimating me. You've accomplished something else today, why would I kill you?"

Sui Lin, who had been keeping her head down, looked up in surprise, then realized what Xiao Zheng meant by the other matter. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"What? Judging from your reaction, you don't seem to understand why I'm doing this."

Sui Lin simply lowered his head and obediently said, "Your Highness has your reasons, how dare I interfere?"

Xiao Zheng slowly walked back to the bedside and easily caught the rabbit that was trying to escape. He said to himself, "Hmph, what is the Cheng family? Lowly people don't even know their own worth. Since she wants to use us, we might as well do it without much trouble. It's shameful that Cui Yiluo was trampled on by such a coward."

After saying that, Xiao Zheng threw the white rabbit aside again, looking at it as if it were an ant.

Sui Lin lowered her head, her tone hesitant: "But what if His Majesty notices?"

Xiao Zheng chuckled, as if he had heard something extremely amusing. "You really underestimate my father. He already knew, otherwise why do you think she would have come to Xia Shou?"

Sui Lin looked surprised.

Just then, a male voice suddenly rang out from outside the tent: "Cousin, are you asleep?"

Xiao Zheng's face showed a hint of annoyance. He gave Sui Lin a wink, and Sui Lin, who was about to deal with the man, suddenly stopped when she saw Xiao Zheng raise his hand again.

"Come in."

A man dressed in fine clothes and wearing a flamboyant golden crown barged in, carrying a pot of wine in his hand. "It's good that you're not asleep, cousin. By the way, I've run into some trouble lately and would like to ask you for help."

Xiao Zheng leaned back on the couch, nodded impatiently, and gestured for him to continue.

Chu Ke smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Well, it's just about me and that illegitimate daughter of the Xie family, isn't it? I promised my aunt that I would break up with her, but these past few days she's been secretly sending me letters. You know your cousin is a man of deep feelings, and he really can't bear to see his delicate young lady heartbroken. So I wanted to ask my cousin to put in a good word for me with my aunt."

"What's so good about that illegitimate daughter?" Xiao Zheng sneered. "Is an illegitimate daughter with impure intentions worth all this trouble? My cousin comes from the Chu family, has a noble status, and is handsome and dashing. He deserves a better match."

Chu Ke's face lit up with anticipation: "Oh? From what my cousin is saying, you've found a beauty for me?"

Xiao Zheng smiled meaningfully and said, "Didn't you see her yesterday too? It was Madam Jiang's niece, surnamed Cui."

Chu Ke instantly remembered; once he had seen that beauty, he could never forget her. A hint of regret crossed his face: "But doesn't Miss Cui already have a fiancé?"

Xiao Zheng walked forward, fiddling with the rabbit, his voice low and seductive: "Cousin, you are the eldest son of the Chu family. How dare a mere sixth-rank official in charge of the Imperial Academy compare to you? He obediently handed over the person at your command."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ke couldn't contain himself: "Then I'll summon that supervisor when I return to the capital."

"In my opinion, cousin, you should start with Cui Yiluo."

A note from the author:

[Good Luck Lotus] Xiao Zheng is crazy; you can't judge him with normal people's perspectives.

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The next update will be on Friday at 9 AM. [heart emoji]