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Lin Xu used almost all her strength to take a step over the unconscious girl who had collapsed on the ground. The girl with the slanted eyes had been poisoned by the soft fragrance she had hidden in the ring, and was now completely unconscious.
The courtyard was now deserted, and the little maid who had gone earlier to find the snow lotus seeds to stew for her was unlikely to return anytime soon. Lin Xu forced herself to calm down, lifted her skirts with both hands, and hurried towards a secluded path outside the palace.
She vaguely remembered that not long after she married into the villa, in order to find the black-clad guard who often secretly visited the villa, she had sent Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan to carefully search every part of the mansion. At that time, they discovered that in addition to the side gate of the villa that could be used as an escape route, there was also a very hidden low wall in the east wing where she was now located. The corner of the wall was very loose, and if the old bricks and stones were moved, it would be possible for a person to pass through.
At the time, she naturally didn't make a fuss, but simply had Zhou Qi and Zhou Quan carefully draw out the location of the low wall for her, just in case. Little did she expect that it would happen today.
Lin Xu patted the mortar and dust off her hands and looked at the hole in the corner of the wall. It was indeed about half a zhang wide, but now that she was getting bigger, she might have to put in more effort.
With this in mind, she laboriously squatted down, no longer caring that the mud would stain her luxurious clothes, and desperately held her breath to pass through the hole.
After passing through this place, not far ahead is the southern moat of Mujing, where carriages always gather, and she can easily escape there.
Looking up, it was nearly late afternoon, and the setting sun shone on the wall.
If Zhu Ling's journey had been smooth, she would probably have already informed the person she was looking for—
It's too late. We can't delay any longer.
Lin Xu gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength to stand up, and, enduring the pain and exhaustion that spread throughout his body, walked towards the South City River, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
In a corner she hadn't noticed, a pair of clear, dark eyes were staring at her intently.
...
As dusk settled, a plain-colored carriage made of coarse cloth hurried from the south of the city, heading straight for the inner city, and then stopped directly in front of the imposing and solemn General's Mansion. It was heavily guarded, solemn and majestic.
In the inner courtyard, the man, who had just finished practicing his sword and taken a bath, changed into a simple, straight-collared robe and walked straight into the study.
The steward, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, then whispered something in Duan Jinru's ear.
Duan Jinru's imposing eyebrows furrowed slightly, his gaze calm and composed.
"not see."
The steward looked extremely embarrassed. He then took out a sandalwood waist tag, inlaid with gold and jade, from his pocket and tentatively looked at Duan Jinru.
Even a fleeting glance at the heavy waist tag bearing the characters "Duanhe" is enough to make one's mind linger for a moment.
Duan Jinru neither confirmed nor denied, but simply asked in a calm voice, "Where is the person?"
The steward hurriedly asked tentatively, "That lady is waiting at the gate right now, you see..."
Duan Jinru nodded, a strange sharpness flashing across his expression. "No need, I'll go to the door to see her."
The general's mansion was enormous, yet its interior was decorated with an unusually solemn air. The garden contained only a few old pine trees and a long path paved with gravel. Duan Jinru strode across the courtyard, his robes rustling in the wind. He hadn't gone far when a soft female voice came from the corridor on one side of the garden.
“Pei Shu”.
Peishu is his courtesy name.
Duan Jinru stopped in his tracks at the sound, and before he even turned around, a smile had already appeared on his lips as he looked back at the slender and quiet figure.
"You have a cold right now, why did you come out?"
Song Jiaoling had delicate features and a serene gaze like autumn water as she gracefully walked towards him. She lowered her eyes slightly, simply pursing her lips and shaking her head.
"It's nothing. I just heard you finished practicing your sword and wanted to come out and take another look at you."
Duan Jinru smiled and said, "It's only been a short while since we parted. It's alright. Since you're not feeling well, you should go back to your room and rest. I'll come see you when I'm done with my work."
After Song Jiaoling had thoroughly angered her rather pedantic father by pleading with everyone in front of the palace for Princess Kunrou a few days ago, the father and daughter were now estranged. Song Anyi even declared that he no longer considered her a daughter, so Song Jiaoling moved in with Duan Jinru. Although the two were not engaged, they were deeply in love and lived like husband and wife.
However, aside from Song Anyi's attitude, Prince Mao looked down on Song Jiaoling's background and hesitated to speak, which made Song Jiaoling's position in the mansion increasingly awkward. The servants only respectfully called her Miss Song, and no one else dared to be disrespectful.
Fortunately, although Duan Jinru is now a general in the palace guards and holds most of the power of the imperial guards, he has always treated her the same and has never been cold to her.
However, Song Jiaoling felt a strange unease stirring within her.
"Then... Peishu, when will you be back?"
Duan Jinru's eyes were hidden in the fading sunset, making them difficult for her to see clearly.
"It's nothing. You can go back now."
Another gust of cold wind swept through, making the old pine trees in the courtyard whistle. Song Jiaoling watched Duan Jinru stride out in only a thin shirt, her expression gradually becoming serious.
.
Lin Xu didn't know how long she had waited, but even leaning against the car, her body felt numb from the cold. As she was deep in thought, she suddenly saw the door slowly open, followed by a burst of flames that ignited a bright, daylight-like atmosphere.
It was the tall Duan Jinru, dressed in a lake-blue casual suit, standing under the eaves, looking at her through the night.
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly got off the carriage.
Duan Jinru's features were cold and sharp, his long hair half-disheveled, as if he had just finished bathing. Upon seeing her appear, his eyes flickered for a moment, but ultimately remained calm, instead speaking in a cold voice:
What are you doing here?
As Lin Xu thought to himself how noble Duan Jinru was now, and how he could no longer be seen as the refined scholar he once was in the school, he was about to curtsy when he heard Duan Jinru say, "Lin Xu, even if you have now recognized the Princess as your godmother, this is not a place where you can come and go as you please."
Lin Xu gave a bitter smile to herself. She then stopped bending down and simply looked at him with a shallow gaze.
"General Duan should know that my sudden visit must have important matters to discuss."
Duan Jinru didn't answer, only staring sharply at her. Not far behind him was a servant carrying a torch, illuminating the sky. The cold, rich scent of pine wood wafted in from the open door, but it was definitely not the usual woody aroma of Mujing.
Seeing Lin Xu's pale face, Duan Jinru's gaze briefly swept over her wrinkled, dirty clothes, messy hair, and exceptionally unsightly appearance.
This woman, who was always aloof and loved beauty, must have encountered something terrible to look like this. But he and she had never really had any connection; there were plenty of powerful men willing to bow down to her… so why did she bother coming to him?
Taking advantage of his distraction, she spoke with unusual calmness, each word uttered softly:
"I have something that the general has been searching for for a long time."
A cold wind swept over him, and Duan Jinru raised his eyebrows, his expression becoming more serious. "Really?"
"General Duan helped me twice in times of crisis, so he knows I am a man of my word. Consider this my way of repaying him."
Duan Jinru gave a soft chuckle, recalling his conversation with Dou Yanxun at the Dou family not long ago, and his expression became solemn:
"What kind of tricks are you two playing now? Are you trying to drag me into this too?"
He had never forgotten how loving and affectionate the couple had always been.
He also knew that Lin Xu's intelligence and courage were second to none among men; her earnest remonstrance before the emperor alone had already spread throughout Dayu, making her a household name and a universally praised heroine. How could such a shrewd woman betray her husband? And why should he believe her?
Lin Xu's gaze remained fixed, without the slightest hesitation.
"No. In fact... to tell you the truth, I married into the Dou family all these years just for this moment."
An incredulous light flashed in Duan Jinru's eyes. He almost doubted his ears. The next moment, he saw Lin Xu take out an envelope-like object from his sleeve and wave it in front of him.
"If the general has any doubts, he may verify it himself."
For over a year, Duan Jinru had been diligently investigating the events at Shaojing Garden that day. Entrusted by his uncle, Prince Mao, he was determined to find the person who attempted the assassination. He had searched every corner of the restaurant, but the only place where traces and the murder weapon remained was the private room where Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun had been.
At that time, Dou Yanxun was just a notorious playboy, and he naturally didn't take him seriously at first. But now that Dou Yanxun has risen higher and higher and is now an imperial inspector personally appointed by the emperor, he can no longer underestimate him.
So the investigation began with the abandoned child who was expelled from the Dou family and left to languish in the wilderness.
At first, he gained nothing; after all, the northern frontier was remote, and he was usually busy with matters of state, so he was completely clueless. However, a turning point came one afternoon…
When he was on duty at the palace and conducting his routine inspection, he happened to see several officials from the Censorate walking and talking slowly outside the Golden Palace after court.
Dou Yanxun was among them.
Duan Jinru merely squinted at Dou Yanxun's back for a moment before suddenly realizing that his actions clearly revealed something strange. Even when he was casually chatting with Jiang Heng beside him, stepping over a patch of dusty fallen leaves on the side of the steps, Dou Yanxun remained composed, continuing his conversation with Jiang Heng as usual, without pausing in the slightest.
But Duan Jinru's gaze was fixed on that inconspicuous inch of ground behind him.
—And the fallen leaves he trampled should have left a mark, or a clump of dust blown away by the wind… but after he passed by, not a trace remained behind him. He had perfectly erased his tracks in an extremely short time.
Dou Yanxun, however, was clearly laughing and joking with someone at that moment, which meant that it was a subconscious action.
It is an instinct that elite soldiers or shadow assassins can only develop after years of lying low.
Duan Jinru frowned, a chill creeping into his heart.
Having practiced martial arts for years, and having lived a life of constant danger alongside his uncle since childhood, no one but him could easily comprehend the shock and astonishment before him. This man was no ordinary martial arts disciple, and given the appearance of Dou Huaisheng, a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, it was entirely impossible for him to have raised a son with such cunning and skill. His usual demeanor had never been a mere facade!
But what use would such hidden martial arts skills be to a frail, abandoned soldier from the northern frontier?
Duan Jinru snapped out of his daze, feeling a surge of emotion within him.
He looked up from the letter he had finished reading and then looked up at Lin Xu, who was sitting in front of him, looking weak. His long fingers gripped the two sheets of paper tightly, just inches from the flickering candle on the table.
"...Once these things are presented, the Dou family, this great tree, will instantly collapse. Have you thought this through?"
Lin Xu sat quietly opposite, letting the teacup in front of her steam, her gaze unmoved. Perhaps she was tired, for she looked exhausted, her eyes lowered.
He simply responded with a faint "yes":
"Um."
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