The bearded man didn't react.

He stared in the direction of the palace, his eyes seeming to churn with a raging storm.

Ye Zhen was looking down the slope.

On the steep, sloping slope, there are many small wild bamboo stumps.

She could roll down there and cover up the cat scratches on her body.

Ye Zhen has no masochistic tendencies.

However, Lady Hou would definitely check on her injuries, but Ye Zhen was not afraid of Lady Hou.

But her father-in-law, the Marquis of Zhongyong, will be returning to the capital in triumph the day after tomorrow. He has been fighting on the battlefield for many years and is not easily fooled.

Once he discovers the truth, Ye Zhen will not escape the charge of murder.

Ye Zhen didn't want to risk his life.

Once the head of the village discovers Granny Feng, she will immediately send someone to inform them to return.

Based on the timeline, the person arriving should already be on their way.

She wanted to find a suitable place where the village head and the others could see her fall, but that was difficult.

Ye Zhen didn't have time to waste.

But she wasn't sure if the bearded man would actually help her.

Or perhaps she does something else that ruins her plans.

The village head's calls grew closer and closer.

Ye Zhen looked at the bearded man and saw that his wounds had not been treated and that his clothes were soaked with blood.

She suddenly straightened her face and began to lecture, "Nonsense! In this life, nothing can go perfectly."

"If you threaten suicide at the slightest setback, wouldn't that only cause pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies?"

"You treat life so lightly, while some people go through countless hardships just to survive. Think about those who care about you."

With his brows slightly furrowed, Xie Tingzhou's gaze shifted to Ye Zhen's face.

A hint of melancholy lurking within the biting cold transformed into a spirit of inquiry.

What did I do that made this short man think I was going to commit suicide?

Before he could figure it out, Ye Zhen tackled him to the ground with a forceful tug.

The hard chest made Ye Zhen frown, and she subconsciously glanced at the man.

His beard covered most of his face, but his long eyebrows that reached his temples, high nose and deep-set eyes were still visible. When he looked at people with his eyes half-closed, it seemed as if he could see right through them.

Ye Zhen suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

But she was perfectly justified, pressing the herbs against his wound and stuffing them into his hand.

That was originally prepared for herself.

Her eyes were full of sincerity: "Even if no one in the world cares about you, you should care about yourself."

This medicine can stop the bleeding. Don't do anything foolish again; just live well.

She seemed to have done a great deed, and quickly got up.

Then she leaned down the slope and called out, "Granny Feng... Granny Feng, are you down there? Answer me if I hear you... Ah..."

Before Xie Tingzhou could get up, Ye Zhen successfully rolled down the slope.

She used her internal energy to protect herself, preventing herself from getting too hurt from the fall, but took the opportunity to tear off the cotton cloth that was cushioning her body and stuff it into her sleeve.

The blood from the cat's scratch immediately stained her dress, making it look exactly like a cut from a thin bamboo stake.

Just as the villagers arrived, they saw Ye Zhen anxiously searching for Granny Feng down the slope, before losing his footing and falling down.

"Young Madam..."

The village head was terrified and immediately began to rescue the person from his location down the slope.

Everyone followed, and no one noticed that there were still people on the slope.

Xie Tingzhou fiddled with the herbs and slowly stood up.

Two dark figures appeared silently.

One of them respectfully said, "Master, the one who fell down was the second young mistress of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. They are looking for Granny Feng, who serves the Marquis's wife."

Another person added, "My subordinates searched the surrounding area and found no one else besides this group."

Those people on the estate have no fighting skills; I suspect it was the second young mistress who helped you just now.

Only the second young mistress left the team.

And he even tackled his master to the ground.

He himself found it unbelievable after saying it, "Wasn't it said that the second young mistress grew up in the southern village, had nothing of value, and was weak and easy to bully?"

His master is eight feet tall and has superb martial arts skills. Even if he catches him off guard, he might not be able to take him down.

The second young mistress accomplished it; how could she be an ordinary person?

But then he heard a groan of pain coming from down the slope, and he became uncertain again. If he was really that bad, how did he fall?

Could it be that the master has taken a liking to her and is deliberately making her throw herself into his arms?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Xie Tingzhou's cold gaze swept over him.

The guard, Xing Ze, immediately snapped to attention and quickly changed the subject, "From what I can see, the person who made the move seems to have a grudge against that assassin."

Xie Tingzhou also noticed this, because all the stones were aimed at one assassin and were all aimed at killing him.

If she was the one who just made the move, then this whole thing is rather strange.

The assassin was a palace guard. She was a woman living in the inner quarters of the palace and had not grown up in the capital. How could she have any grudges with people in the palace?

Xie Tingzhou's eyes flickered slightly. "Follow them."

Xing Ze ran away quickly.

Another guard, Fu Guang, took out some medicine and tentatively said, "Master, shall I apply the medicine for you?"

As soon as their master appeared, they were assassinated.

His master forbade him and Xing Ze to be exposed around him, and all the assassins were dealt with by his master personally.

Since last night, there have been five waves of assassins. Even the most powerful master gets tired eventually.

Therefore, he was wounded in the abdomen by the assassin, but his master seemed to feel no pain at all, perhaps his heart was aching even more.

Fu Guang glanced resentfully in the direction of the palace.

Xie Tingzhou took the porcelain bottle from Fu Guang's hand and began to undress.

He was about to brush the person away when they lunged at him.

But a woman appeared alone in the mountains and showed no fear upon seeing him.

Listening to her nonsensical words again, he felt an inexplicable urge to see what she was up to.

Now I know.

She pretended to misunderstand that he was going to commit suicide, and kept urging him to live, but deliberately pressed on his wound so that he could not get up in time.

As if recalling some unpleasant memory, Xie Tingzhou's eyes turned cold.

Xing Ze returned shortly after his wound was treated.

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