assassination
As if sensing Lin Xu's gaze, Dou Yanxun turned his head and raised his eyelids.
It was clearly a question directed at her.
Lin Xu looked around, then lowered his voice and said in a tone only he could hear, "There's clearly something wrong with this shop!"
How do you know?
She was about to remind Dou Yanxun to put down his teacup when she saw him take a sip.
Lin Xu couldn't help but feel helpless, and then said:
"This teahouse is located halfway up the mountain. There are no houses nearby, so it's unlikely that ordinary people would drink tea here. Those sitting inside must be people who have come to take shelter from the rain while traveling up the mountain. But look at them, their clothes are clean without a single rain stain. This rain has been falling since morning, and their clothes show no signs of being wet, which means they've been waiting here for quite some time..."
"If it's not to avoid the rain, then sitting in the shop for so long must only be for one reason—"
As Lin Xu spoke in a low voice, she noticed that Dou Yanxun remained perfectly calm upon hearing her words. Her heart skipped a beat, and she blurted out, "You have a problem too!"
She stared at Dou Yanxun in shock, trying to glean something from his deep eyes, but Dou Yanxun slowly put down his teacup. At the same time, a sudden metallic clanging sound came from outside the window—
That was the sound of a sword being drawn! Judging from the sound, it was clearly not even a sword; she heard several distinct "clanging" sounds.
Lin Xu was both shocked and frightened. Zhu Ling and Rong Wei behind her couldn't help but scream in alarm. For a moment, she couldn't see what had climbed in through the window. Then she saw the people who had been sitting in the shop suddenly stand up, each with a fierce look on their faces. They took out sharp short blades that they had hidden under the stools and rushed forward to fight with the men in black who had climbed in through the window.
The old shopkeeper and his waiter, who had obviously known in advance, were cowering behind the wine cabinet in great fear.
Meanwhile, Dou Yanxun, standing beside him, calmly continued drinking his tea.
Are all the people sitting in the shop his subordinates, who received advance notice and were lying in ambush here?
What was the purpose of that group of men in black who broke in through the window?
She didn't quite understand.
Judging from the imposing figures of these men in black, they were clearly heading straight for Dou Yanxun and his group. However, the people already waiting inside the shop were also highly skilled, and the assassins fought desperately but couldn't get close at all.
As for Master Ma, he seemed to have known about this all along. He bowed to Dou Yanxun, shook his head in praise, and said:
"Lord Dou is indeed a man of extraordinary wisdom and strategy; I admire him greatly."
The fight before them was extremely fierce, with everyone displaying a cruel killing intent.
Lin Xu sat down next to Dou Yanxun, looking at the shards and bloodstains on the ground, and couldn't help but feel a little scared.
In a short while, the group of men in black were all wounded. Seeing that they were outmatched, one of the smaller men tried to escape through the window. The burly man who had been sitting in the shop eating flatbread was about to give chase when he heard Dou Yanxun speak calmly:
"Let him go, there's no need to chase after him."
The big man then stopped and subdued the few who were still alive.
Master Ma looked puzzled. "Why does Your Excellency need to leave one alive?"
Dou Yanxun finally finished the bowl of tea. He looked up, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the torrential rain outside the window.
"Someone has to tip me off so that the people behind the scenes know what will happen if they dare to plot against me."
Master Ma shook his head upon hearing this, and seeing that he was about to start praising Dou Yanxun again, Lin Xu stood up, looked at the men captured under the sword, and asked loudly:
"Who are you? Why are you attempting to assassinate me?"
The leader of the men in black, naturally, remained silent with a grim face.
But the burly man wielding the knife didn't even blink. With a single raised hand, he severed the black-clad man's right ear. In an instant, a scream was heard as blood gushed from the wound, splattering crimson blood onto those nearby.
Even though Lin Xu was standing far away, he could still smell the blood.
The man in black naturally became frightened and immediately began to beg for mercy, repeatedly clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.
"My lord, spare me...my lord, spare me...I was instructed by an official to come here today, but my purpose is not to take Lord Dou's life. That person said that Lord Dou only needs to suffer minor injuries and bleed a little. But our real purpose...is to take Lady Dou's life..."
They actually came to kill her! Lin Xu's heart trembled.
Who exactly is instigating this group? And who does she have such a grudge against?
Dou Yanxun said to the burly man:
“This man is still hiding something. Take him away for questioning. My wife is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see such things.”
The big man nodded and quickly led his men away, taking the few survivors with him.
The shopkeeper quickly brought over another plate of tea and steamed millet cakes, his hands trembling. "Please enjoy, Lord Dou."
But Lin Xu had already lost her appetite. She looked down at the ripples in her teacup, her mind still reeling from the shock and doubt. Zhu Ling and Rong Wei beside her were also pale with fright from the bloody scene they had just witnessed. This was the first time they had ever seen someone kill with their own eyes.
Lin Xu thought for a moment, then looked at Dou Yanxun: "Do you know who is the mastermind behind these people?"
He was unusually calm today.
A layer of worry slowly rose in Dou Yanxun's eyes, and the chilling look that had been hidden in his eyes before softened when he looked at her.
"It's just a guess."
When pressed for further details, he refused to say anything.
Lin Xu could only hold the teacup. Having just survived a brush with death, she felt a chill all over her body. Outside the window, torture was clearly taking place, but thanks to Dou Yanxun's instructions, there was not a sound in the hall. Only the occasional splash of blood could be seen.
Lin Xu didn't want to think about it anymore, so she closed her eyes.
After a while, the burly man finally came back in. His cheek was also stained with a trace of blood. He walked up to her and Dou Yanxun, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Excellency, I have questioned them thoroughly. They are bandits who usually live on the mountainside. They make a living by robbing merchants and escort agencies. Sometimes when they are out of money, they also hire hitmen to commit murder."
The burly man paused, seemingly hesitant, but still spoke:
"This time, they were hired by a young woman, who appeared to be a maidservant in an official's household. Her name was unknown; she had single eyelids and a short stature. All that was known was that people called her Aunt Zhen..."
Lin Xu's brow twitched. She recalled the way Fu Zhen would greet her with a smile in the mansion on ordinary days.
It was Fuzhen...
Could it be that the person who hired someone to kill her today was actually from the Bai family?
Dou Yanxun listened calmly, his expression showing no surprise whatsoever. Presumably, this was the same guess he had previously refused to make public.
Even though she knew that Bai Shi disliked her, Lin Xu still broke out in a cold sweat when she heard with her own ears that Bai Shi was willing to hire someone to get rid of her.
Was it not enough for her to marry off Fu Lian to Lai Ning to keep an eye on them? Did she have to go so far as to kill them to silence them before she would feel at ease? But why did Bai Shi suddenly have murderous intentions towards her?
Dou Yanxun knew she was not feeling well, so he reached out and covered her palm with his.
His palms were large and warm, and there was a faint scar on the palm of his right hand, which was now almost invisible. It was a tooth mark she left on the night of the Double Seventh Festival.
He gently stroked her cold hand; she was covered in a cold sweat after what had just happened.
"Although the Bai family is wary of me, eliminating me now would be far less advantageous than using me to secure a better position for the Dou family. She certainly wouldn't be that foolish. And because of this promotion, she harbors resentment. It's not that her son has gained the upper hand, nor does she want the villa to slip out of her control, so she turned the tables on you..."
His body temperature emanated from her palm, gradually calming her down.
“At first, I was just guessing. I stopped at this shop when I came to Donglai Town on business last time. Madam is really smart. You started thinking about this in less than half a cup of tea, and what you thought was actually correct. This place is located in a fortress and is the only way to Laining. I thought at the time that if someone wanted to do something to me, it would be most convenient to do so on my way to Laining before the handover takes place.”
Lin Xu listened quietly, but clearly caught the loophole in his words, and raised her eyes to glare at him.
"—So, when you came to Donglai Town last time, you already knew you would be coming to Laining to take up a post?"
He actually started planning so early.
Even though she already knew he had been hiding something, she hadn't expected Dou Yanxun to be so interested in his official career. She'd heard that he'd always been indifferent to politics and the Dou family had repeatedly urged him to take up an official post, but he'd refused. When did he change?
As if he had guessed what she was thinking, Dou Yanxun's expression remained completely unwavering:
"No, originally we only had a 50% chance of winning."
He paused, tightened his grip on her hand, and continued:
“I am not alone now, and without these powers, I cannot protect you.”
Lin Xu could hardly suppress the flutter in her heart and could only quickly look away. His gaze was full of tenderness and affection as he looked at her, making her momentarily uneasy. Moreover, with the clerk, servants, and others around, she was still not used to saying such things in front of outsiders.
"So, were all those people who were posing as customers in the store your subordinates?" she changed the subject. Actually, she didn't voice the rest of her question. She was puzzled as to why he had so many men under his command, all of whom were exceptionally skilled, even before he had officially taken office.
When it comes to these issues, Dou Yanxun usually refuses to speak. Sure enough, his expression darkened, and he said softly, "That's one way to understand it."
When the rain finally subsided, they had run out of tea, and the remaining bandits had been tied up. Although the shopkeeper declined to accept the money, the clerk beside Dou Yanxun left a few heavy silver coins on the table, enough for the teahouse's annual income.
After making the necessary preparations, they set off again, traveling slowly, and finally arrived in Laining County before dark.
Unlike Mujing, which is full of Jiangnan-style waterside pavilions, Laining is separated by Donglai Mountain, and even in the summer, it is still a bit chilly at dusk.
Laining is nestled against mountains and beside water. Although the county town is small, it has a moat called Qingluo, across which a stone bridge spans. Fishermen occasionally row across the bridge arches. By evening, the banks are bustling with activity. Because of its strategic location at the crossroads of north and south, the local customs are quite different from those of Mujing. Lin Xu looked out through the curtain and couldn't help but find it strange.
Along the street, carved lattice windows were set up in the houses, and vendors carrying loads of goods would occasionally shout out their wares. The aroma of food wafted through the streets and alleys.
Even though they had been delayed on their journey and it was already past dusk, a dark mass could be seen in the distance behind the stone bridge, where a group of people were already standing.
It seems we've been waiting for quite some time.
Those were the county magistrate of Laining and the local people who came to welcome Dou Yanxun.
Dou Yanxun, sitting in the carriage, showed no sign of nervousness, remaining as composed as he had been during the day. Soon, someone came to invite him, and Dou Yanxun put on his official hat and stepped down from the carriage in full view of everyone. Even though Lin Xu was sitting in the carriage, he could still hear the sounds coming from outside.
The ceremonial music band played auspicious tunes, and the county magistrate, leading a group of yamen runners, had been waiting there for a long time. They hurriedly put on smiles and stepped forward to greet Dou Yanxun.
Lin Xu watched his retreating figure from inside the carriage. Clad in green robes and silver belt, he exuded elegance and refinement. Standing there, he was naturally tall and slender, yet possessed a unique and distinguished air. If his appearance before had carried a hint of unruliness due to his striking good looks, now, adorned in official robes, his every gesture carried a composure born from years of experience and vicissitudes.
He was clearly no longer the纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled, dissolute young man) that he had initially come to know, the one that everyone in the capital described as frivolous, unambitious, and lacking in drive.
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