secretly causing trouble
As dawn approached, Sui Zhixu returned to bed, snuggled into Fan Lingzhang's arms, and closed his eyes to rest.
It was as if nothing had happened last night, until Sonia's spider came looking for her.
The eight legs were kicking and thumping on the wooden board, making a lot of noise. If it weren't for the sudden realization that Shania's Gu worm was a spider Gu, Sui Zhixu would have almost killed it.
The spider leaped up and down, just like a living, breathing Shania, though Xu couldn't understand it.
She doesn't have a companion Gu, and her ability to understand Jiang Li and Jiang Yun stems from her knowledge of their Gu worm habits and language, coupled with their speaking styles. This doesn't mean she can understand everyone.
Seeing it jumping around, Sui Zhixu felt that Shania had succeeded, but she wasn't sure. She knocked on Jiang Yun's door.
"Madam, it's still early." Jiang Yun opened the door half-dead. He had stayed up all night listening to them talk and was exhausted.
It has to be said that after Jiang Yun and Wu Shanyue spent time together, Jiang Yun gradually spent more time lying in bed.
"I don't understand the Thousand Threads Gu."
Seeing Xu's innocent expression, Jiang Yun closed her eyes, sighed, and brushed past her as she went downstairs.
Where's the spider?
spider?
Sui Zhixu looked around, but where was the spider? Where had the spider gone?
"The spider is here!"
Fan Lingzhang's voice trembled. When Xu entered the room, he saw him clinging to a pillar and climbing upwards, muttering to himself.
"King Spider, let's talk this out. You don't have to catch me. Oh my god, we have no grudge against each other. Stop climbing up! Don't come any closer! How come you have so many legs?"
Sui Zhixu: "..."
“You’re really afraid of both snakes and spiders.” Sui Zhixu still remembered the way he saw Xiao Xiaoqing in the middle of the night.
"I'm not afraid of snakes. It was Xiao Xiaoqing who insisted on slapping my face. He woke me up. I was dreaming and I thought it was a ghost. Spiders are different. They have so many legs, and each leg has hair."
The spider jumped and scurried about, becoming even more excited. It spun silk beneath the pillar, the silk rising step by step.
It's clearly Sonia's twisted sense of humor.
Su Zhixu sighed, "Sonia!"
Jiang Yun took the broom and swept the spider away, the black and red spider clearly drawing a bright arc in the air.
Fan Lingzhang saw through the window that it was rolling over on the grass outside, its plump body preventing it from turning over, so he felt relieved and climbed down to hug Sui Zhixu.
"Ah Ling, I'm scared..."
Fan Lingzhang was a head taller than Sui Zhixu. He rested his chin on Sui Zhixu's head, and Sui Zhixu slapped him in annoyance.
"Are you afraid of women with many legs?"
"Well, it's one thing for it to be a small spider, but it's also so fat."
Jiang Yun put the broom back in its place and said coldly, "She said things were all arranged, but seeing how scared he was, she found it amusing and wanted to scare him."
"Oh, right," he added, "the Yue department is almost finished too. Someone should be looking for us in the next day or two."
Fan Lingzhang clung to Sui Zhixu like a giant backpack. Sui Zhixu patted him, telling him to get off, but he seemed not to hear her and continued to rub against her affectionately.
Xu Zhixu sighed helplessly, "Alright, I'll go down the mountain today to inform them and have a backup plan."
"You stay on the mountain, I'll be back tonight."
Upon receiving Sui Zhixu's reply, Jiang Yun, not wanting to see them flirting, turned and left immediately upon witnessing this scene. He had been sleeping soundly with his wife in his arms.
Sui Zhixu bent over, annoyed by his teasing. "Didn't you sleep well last night? Why are you so clingy today?"
"I'm not the one who didn't sleep well," Fan Lingzhang said in a muffled voice, his eyes showing concern.
She didn't speak. They knew each other too well. They had been married for two years, and now they were inseparable, having gone through life and death together.
They are an indispensable part of each other's hearts.
"hug."
Sui Zhixu turned around in his arms and hugged him tightly.
"It will be alright," she murmured. "I won't leave you and run away."
"Hmph, you wouldn't."
"Wait for me at home. I'll show you my house then; it's much better than Jiang Yun's." Sui Zhixu tilted her head back in his arms.
He lowered his head and gently kissed the delicate skin on Sui Zhixu's earlobe and neck.
It tickled a little, and she wanted to dodge, but she was held tightly in someone's arms. She thought she could run away, but then she thought better of it. Little Hibiscus was a delicate, crybaby flower; she'd just have to appease him.
After a long while, their foreheads touched, and their breathing gradually calmed down as they breathed heavily together.
Sui Zhixu stroked his face, "You stay here obediently, Jiang Yun won't bully you."
Fan Lingzhang was amused by her, "Why would he bully me? Besides, how could I be so easily bullied?"
"Worry."
"Don't worry, I won't go out. I'll stay inside and wait for you until evening."
Sui Zhixu nodded, then nuzzled her head against his neck like a cat.
"I'm leaving." She quickly finished tidying up her makeup and walked along the side streets if she didn't encounter anyone. If she did, she would announce Jiang Yun's name. This time, she didn't use Thirteen Niang's face. That face could be used before Jiang Yun's wedding, but it was best not to appear after the wedding.
She only wanted to tease the three men who coveted her small building; appearing and disappearing without a trace was the best course of action.
As Xu walked outside, no one paid any attention to her. Just as she was about to reach a side path, someone suddenly called her from behind.
"My lady, could you please wait a moment?"
Xi Yushao walked up to Sui Zhixu. It was quite a coincidence; he had just come out of Sima Xian's bamboo house and had only taken a few steps when he ran into her.
Isn't this also a kind of fate?
Xi Yushao's eyes were filled with laughter, "Is my wife dressed up to go down the mountain?"
Sui Zhixu turned around, certain that he was up to no good, but what had she revealed? Her disguise skills were among the best in Tianque Tower, if not the best, especially after Cao Ning's death. Apart from the teacher who taught her the techniques, there shouldn't be anyone in the tower better than her. It couldn't be that a genius had actually emerged from the tower and mastered the disguise skills in just a few years.
She believed her disguise was flawless, unaware that Xi Yushao relied entirely on his intuition; he had an unwavering faith in his instincts. When he saw Shisan Niang dressed as Sui Zhixu, trying to swindle money from them by mimicking the mannerisms of commoners, he found it all laughable.
It turns out that beneath her calm and composed face lies a myriad of emotions, and she's quite adorable.
“Oh, my lord, you don’t know how many things newlyweds need. This is a crucial time for the Holy Son, and we can’t be powerless to help him.”
Knowing the veiled meaning in Xu's words, the veiled implications, and the mocking look in his eyes, it's hard not to let one's imagination run wild.
Xi Yushao's lips twitched, then he burst into laughter.
Sui Zhixu quickly stopped him, "Oh dear, sir, this is a serious matter. You should at least save some face, otherwise, if this gets to the Holy Son, we won't be able to explain it to him, won't we?"
"Yes, yes, yes, what you say makes sense, my lady. I won't disturb you any longer as you prepare for the Holy Son's important matter." Xi Yushao laughed heartily and waved for Sui Zhixu to leave.
A dark glint flashed in Sui Zhixu's eyes. She gripped the dagger tightly in her sleeve, chuckled twice, and bid farewell to Xi Yushao.
He seemed to be in a very good mood, his eyes narrowed into slits, standing there watching Sui Zhixu's departing figure until it disappeared completely around the bend at the foot of the mountain, at which point he casually withdrew his gaze.
That's really interesting.
—
The journey was smooth, and any obstacles that appeared were like cat scratches, causing no real pain or discomfort, which made Sui Zhixu even more vigilant.
However, she could put all of that aside for the time being; she needed to work with Chu Ke and Cheng Zhijie to make some arrangements for the future.
It was impossible for Chu Ke to leave; whether it was his concern for his younger brother or his vibrant curiosity, various factors could compel him to stay.
Sure enough, when Xu Gang arrived at the Ming family's house, he saw him at the entrance of the neighboring house, where he was talking to a woman.
?
My wife?
As Chu Ke approached his thirties, he began to experience romantic feelings.
Chu Ke always had his own way of handling marriage matters. His parents passed away one after another, and his mother entrusted him to the head of the Mo Clan before her death. Before he took over the position of head of the Mo Clan, perhaps someone would still care about his marriage. But after the previous head of the Mo Clan passed away, given his fiery personality, no one in the clan dared to introduce him to a potential wife.
He said all he wanted was to find someone like his mother, Madam Zheng, who was gentle, kind, intelligent, courageous, resourceful, and as shrewd as autumn frost.
He doesn't want a wife, he wants a celestial being! He's truly a heart of stone.
Gorgeous and alluring, charming and adorable, innocent and lively, aloof and ethereal...
He disliked everything about it, and even the presence of a woman talking to him made him feel uncomfortable.
Is he the one who speaks so cautiously?
"Madam Mei, I won't let you fall into such a desperate situation."
"It's all my fault. I caused a rift between my brothers, Sui and Cheng. Waaah—"
From Sui Zhixu's perspective, all he could see was Sui Chuke bowing his head to comfort his weeping wife.
Are Sui Chuke and Cheng Zhijie at odds? She's only been on the mountain for less than a month, what could be so serious that could cause a rift between the two brothers?
“Ah Hui.” Mingyi threw herself into Cheng Zhijie’s arms, looking pitiful. “I must have been judging you by my own petty standards. Madam Mei must have realized that our relationship was special, which is why she put all the credit on you.”
Cheng Zhijie caught Mingyi steadily, and she obediently snuggled into his arms, secretly making a face at Mei Niangzi.
Sui Zhixu felt that after her trip, everything had changed.
As she rubbed her forehead, Mingyi saw him, pushed Cheng Zhijie aside, and ran to Sui Zhixu.
"Ah Xu, you're back!"
As soon as she entered the town, Xu secretly changed her appearance in the alley. She was wearing a completely different set of clothes, so who could recognize that the ordinary Miao woman who entered the alley at the beginning was actually a wealthy woman dressed in luxurious clothes?
"Well, I came back to explain some things. How are you?" Sui Zhixu caught her. Mingyi was much more sincere than before, looking pitiful and weak. She took her arm and smiled broadly.
"I'm fine. Except for the occasional croaking of frogs from next door, everything is fine. But winter is coming, and all the frogs, toads, and birds chirping in the branches will have to leave."
Ming Yichong protected Mei Niangzi and bared his teeth fiercely with Chu Ke, not even sparing Cheng Zhijie, whose attitude had softened slightly.
Sui Zhixu roughly understood something. She had heard Mingyi mention the young woman she had saved, and it was probably the one in front of her. She looked at her curiously for a few moments, and Sui Chuke immediately stood in front of her.
"Sui Zhixu, don't listen to her nonsense!"
Sui Zhixu felt nothing, but found it somewhat amazing that Sui Chuke "liked" this kind of woman.
"I have something important to discuss. Please come with me."
As she passed by Sui Chuke, she said, "Are you sure you haven't lost your mind and suddenly felt a surge of your inner sense of justice?"
"Do I look like such a stupid person?" Sui Chu asked rudely, clearly having lost his temper again.
Sui Zhixu shook his head inwardly; he really was a hothead.
She didn't know the details of the incident, but it was probably true. The two brothers had conflicting accounts of how their mother was sold into servitude to bury her, and they couldn't agree on the matter.
"Put your own things aside for now, or do you want to seize the position early? Let me hand it over to you."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Did you get cursed after going up the mountain?"
After hearing Chu Ke's words, he stopped lingering. Cheng Zhijie tried to take Mingyi's hand, but Mingyi had already ignored it completely, clearly using him and then discarding him.
"Wait for me to come back."
Mingyi turned and headed back to her own home, yelling, "Ugh, you're so annoying! Get out of here, get out of here!"
Helpless, Cheng Zhijie could only follow Sui Zhixu.
Inside the study, Sui Zhixu laid out a map and began sketching. "Jingzhou, here, and Chang'an—leave manpower in every place you can. Sima Xian isn't someone you can easily deal with; he can't possibly leave himself no room to maneuver."
Sui Chuke looked completely bewildered. Compared to Cheng Zhijie, who knew some inside information, he was like a blank sheet of paper. However, with his years of experience as the head of the monastery, he sensed something.
"Three years ago, his garrison failed. Although he had reasons to deny it, the Emperor had already become suspicious. In these three years, the military generals in the court have changed frequently. The subordinates that Sima Xian found should not be worse than General Yang back then, but the remaining ones are few and far between." Sui Chuke has been in Luoyang, the eastern capital, for many years and has some knowledge of court affairs.
Sui Zhixu shook her head. She had thought of the same thing as Chu Ke, but she didn't know where to start. All she could do was be wary of everyone.
"First inform Chu Feixuan and Father. Father wants you to stay away from Chang'an, and he needs your help in the local areas."
Cheng Zhijie said, "Don't worry."
"How is the situation in Chang'an?"
Cheng Zhijie: "His Majesty did not take Xi Niangzi into the harem. Instead, he bestowed upon her the title of County Princess, which dampened the ambitions of many powerful figures in Chang'an. As a result, the marriage between Xi Niangzi and Xun Wang fell through. Xi Niangzi is now very famous in Chang'an. However, my teacher sent word that His Majesty went to see Tao Ning, who was once in the palace of Empress Wenzhao, and they talked all night. Tao Ning died suddenly in the early morning."
Tao Ning? A key figure in the Pei and Lu family cases; Sui Zhixu hadn't heard her name in a long time.
The Emperor's thoughts are hard to fathom. Knowing that Xu is currently focused on the most urgent matter and cannot afford to concern himself with such things, he said, "Let's put this matter aside for now. Once the news of Sima Xian's presence reaches Chang'an, the Emperor will have his own deductions."
In any case, nothing will happen to their family or the Prime Minister's residence at this critical juncture.
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