Every word is written in tears.
Chu Feixuan and his group were beating drums and gongs, and the courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence not far away was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"Who are you?"
The courtyard in winter is always quiet and cool. The cold wind blows through the bare trees in the courtyard, and the branches sway slightly. Sui He looks at the person kneeling in front of him with a dark and inscrutable gaze.
He collapsed to his knees with a thud, swaying precariously as if he were about to faint. His clothes were soaked in blood, clinging stickily to his body. Blood was still gushing from the wound on his shoulder blade, and beneath the wound, one could vaguely see the stark white bone.
Given such a tragic situation, it's no wonder Xiao Kai didn't suspect anything.
"Reporting to the patriarch, I am the headmaster's subordinate. The academy is really unable to hold on any longer, and the headmaster has no other choice but to ask the patriarch for help."
He spoke very quickly, and Sui He and Cong Lan exchanged a quick glance. She looked away, missing the way he cautiously looked up at them.
He calmly said, "Let me see the token."
He knelt on the ground and remained silent for a moment, which was unusual for him. "Oh, oh, I didn't realize it at first. Here you go."
Sui He took the token in his hand and examined it carefully. "It is indeed Alan's token."
To someone familiar with her, Sui He's extremely gentle tone also represented her deepest anger.
"What happened?"
"The playboy sent men to surround the Mountain and Sea Academy. Many of the academy's disciples resisted but were beaten and seriously injured by the soldiers guarding the academy."
"Doesn't the academy have specialized doctors?"
"Master! They stole the doctor, leaving only a meager amount of water and food. We won't starve, but we won't have enough to eat either." Overwhelmed with emotion, he cried out, "Young Master Xi said that if the young master doesn't show up again, he wouldn't hesitate to make the Mountain and Sea Academy a bloodbath."
He knelt on the ground, crying and kowtowing, "Please, patriarch, save the disciples of the academy! The disciples from aristocratic families are somewhat restrained in their teasing of young masters, but those disciples from commoner backgrounds already have a hard time in winter. If they don't have water and food, they probably won't survive the winter. I beg you, patriarch, to save them!"
Puyang Kai: "Xi Yushao failed to make a move on his junior sister, and now he's using the academy's disciples to threaten her. What a despicable person!"
Cong Lan held his shoulder, "Calm down."
“Teacher, the young master only said that my junior sister was captured by Xi Yushao, without going into details. But as far as I know, Xi Yushao is ruthless, and my junior sister must have suffered a lot.”
"Xiao Kai, you go back first."
As soon as He spoke, Puyang Kai fell silent.
“I’ll handle this. I’ll find a way to get water and food, and take him down for treatment first.” Sui He gripped the letter tightly in his hand.
The letter was indeed written in Ni Zuilan's handwriting. Besides Ni Zuilan's letter, there were other letters from disciples of Shan Hai Academy, each word filled with anguish.
The blood-stained envelope, the blood-red fingerprints on the edges of the paper—Sui He could almost imagine the posture they took when they wrote the letter.
After returning to the house with He and Cong Lan, he asked, "How much of it is true and how much is false?"
"The Spring and Autumn Annals style of writing: the injury is real, the cry for help is fake."
Sui He and Ni Zuilan had known each other for many years, and Sui He knew her personality all too well. Beneath her gentle and scholarly demeanor lay a stubborn and proud nature. At first, she was even unwilling to accept the Sui family's help.
With the passing of the former headmaster, not many people coveted the position of headmaster of the Mountain and Sea Academy. Most officials in the court criticized Ni Zuilan, a woman, for her position, believing that there was someone else who was more suitable to be the teacher of the students. This seemed like a humble way of refusing the position, but in reality, it was a self-recommendation.
Under such circumstances, she would rather the Shanhai Academy not receive any funding from the imperial court than accept the academy becoming a stepping stone for the court to pursue fame and fortune.
The more she was pressured, the more she resisted. The same was true of the disciples she taught.
“Alan is probably in trouble. Although the handwriting is similar, Xi Yushao’s skills are not impossible to imitate.”
“It just so happens to be this time. Chu Feixuan and the others are guarding the palace gates. We don’t have many people to go to the academy right now. Besides, the Pei family’s secret passage is simple, and too many people would easily attract attention.” Cong Lan paced back and forth, shaking her head frequently.
"No, the risk is too great. We only have one secret passage leading out of the city; we cannot act rashly."
"Enough!"
After shouting, Sui He looked up and rubbed his forehead, saying, "Sorry."
Perhaps it was because she had seen Fu Mingguang not long ago, and after so many years, this scene was repeated, so she couldn't help but think of her, her sad and helpless eyes.
Years later, even after firmly establishing herself as the head of the Sui family, she still encountered this situation, being threatened by a junior member who held her mistress and best friend hostage.
"My wife." Cong Lan hugged her from behind, his hand slipping between her fingers, their fingers intertwined.
“Calm down, we have other ideas. Sima Xian may not know what Xi Yushao did. There are many disciples from aristocratic families in Shanhai Academy. Madam, have you forgotten about the young master of the Cui family in Boling? Old Master Cui dotes on his youngest son. He won't ignore him. Xu, it's up to you. She will make all the arrangements.”
Sui He closed his eyes. "I hope so."
Mother and daughter are of one heart; at the Taoist temple on the outskirts of Chang'an, Sui Zhixu clutched her chest.
"Ah Ling, what's wrong?" Jiang Li stepped forward to help her, pushing Fan Lingzhang, who had fallen behind, aside.
She waved her hand, "It's nothing, I probably just didn't get enough rest, it's nothing serious."
Sui Zhixu shook his head. "Aniang, come with me to the surrounding villages."
"Where are you going and what are you going to do?"
"Let's pay a visit to Grandpa Cui, who appreciates the winter snow and plum blossoms."
In her previous life, Fu Mingguang had been searching for the cause of her mother's death, but unfortunately, everyone who knew the situation was dead. All she knew was that something had happened at the Shanhai Academy, and someone had sent a message to the Prime Minister's residence looking for her mother to rescue her.
The dark look in Xu's eyes was clearly the work of Xi Yushao; in his past life, his senior brother had been too lenient by simply killing him.
“Xi Yushao has besieged Shanhai Academy in my name. If I don’t show up, he will massacre the academy. And the youngest son of Old Master Cui is studying at Shanhai Academy. The Cui family of Boling has a very high status.”
Jiang Li didn't understand any of this. "More powerful than the emperor?"
"The Emperor?" Sui Zhixu chuckled softly. "His Majesty doesn't seem to be that old yet."
"The ancestors of the Cui family were the mentors of the Sima family, the imperial tutors, that is, the emperor's teachers. In some ways, they were more powerful than the emperor."
Jiang Li: "The emperor is such a hassle."
Her eyes reflected the aloof figure of her mistress, whose indifferent face smiled as brightly as spring flowers, every smile and frown exploding in Jiang Li's heart.
Ah Ling is so cute, such a lovely young lady.
Chang'an will have a grand fireworks display during the New Year. She didn't bring A-Ling to see it last year, and she can't let Sima Xian ruin her plans this year.
"What is Ah Niang thinking about?"
"I want to smoke... I want to castrate that beast Xi Yushao!"
Sui Zhixu: "Huh?"
"Mother-in-law, don't talk nonsense." Fan Lingzhang stepped forward and covered Sui Zhixu's ears.
Sui Zhixu looked up at him with her peach blossom eyes, her watery eyes revealing confusion.
So cute!
Fan Lingzhang put his long arm around Sui Zhixu, who frowned and sighed softly.
Those two are so childish, there's just no way to deal with them.
"Let's get down to business."
Cui Xingzhi, though his name sounds quiet, is actually as lively and unrestrained as a rabbit.
He was the youngest son of Old Master Cui, and was even younger than the current young master of the Cui family, who was also the eldest daughter of his eldest brother.
When she was studying at the academy, she often heard his name; he was known as the Little Tyrant of Boling.
Fan Lingzhang blinked. "That sounds pretty domineering."
"He's known for his strong sense of justice and has asked me about matters of the martial world. I doubt he'll stay at the academy anytime soon. Since this concerns me, I need to go there to avoid him passing the buck to me later. Besides..."
Xu sighed. The academy had many students, and many admired the Shanhai Academy and traveled thousands of miles to Chang'an to study and pursue fame and fortune. Whether they were from noble families or were commoners, they all deserved to be persecuted.
"madman."
She couldn't even count the number of aristocratic disciples in the academy on her fingers, yet he dared to surround them.
"You stay here, I'm going now."
Fan Lingzhang pleaded pitifully, "Can't I stay with you?"
“No, Old Master Cui is old-fashioned and conservative. I’m afraid he… It’s alright, I’ll be back soon. No matter how powerful the Cui family of Boling is, the Sui family is not to be trifled with.”
“Alright.” Fan Lingzhang understood what she meant. It was indeed inappropriate for a merchant like him to show up. It didn’t matter to him, but it would be bad if he messed things up.
In the vast snowfield, Jiang Li put a hat on Sui Zhixu's head, and the two rode away.
"How is Chang'an?" Fan Lingzhang asked Alu, who had returned, after watching them leave.
"Just as you predicted, madam."
Let's go back to the present.
Half a month is enough time for them to do a lot.
Chu Feixuan and General Wang Zhonglang, one wielding a sword and the other a spear, moved with imposing speed.
"Let me see what King Wei is capable of!"
Wang Piao: "It's an absolute disgrace."
Caught in a pincer attack, King Wei raised his longsword to block the weapons of the two men.
The remaining troops quickly joined in the fighting, and the Imperial Guard leader, seeing this, immediately ordered, "The rest of you, follow me!"
"Release the arrows!"
On the streets of Chang'an, Dan Hong, disguised as a soldier, shouted at the top of her lungs, "Quick! Go to the palace gates to rescue them!"
"Something terrible has happened! The Prince of Wei has been intercepted at the palace gates! We must rush to his rescue!"
Dan Hong did not return to the Sui family to mingle with all sorts of people; disguising herself as a man was commonplace for her.
She took a step forward, her hoarse voice echoing through the streets and alleys of Chang'an, but she was soon stopped by someone.
"What happened?"
"General Chu and the Lieutenant General somehow gathered their troops and rushed towards the palace gate!" Dan Hong said breathlessly.
The man opposite him shuddered. "Quickly, someone come with me!"
Danhong stood still, silently watching them rush towards the palace gate, occasionally able to hear the sounds of fighting at the gate in the distance. Ah, they've taken the bait. How boring.
Very good!
I'll be able to see my wife soon!
Implement the next step of the plan.
I wonder how my wife is doing?
As Xu Hengjian took the man's head, he strode into the Shanhai Academy.
"Reporting to the old master, we have not found Thirteen Lang."
"Reporting, we have not found Thirteen Lang."
The elderly Mr. Cui sat in his wooden wheelchair, pounding the armrests violently. "Cough cough, hurry up and go find it!"
"Grandfather, don't worry, Uncle Thirteen will be alright. Look, when Uncle Thirteen sees you later, he'll start talking about you again." The woman in the wheelchair gently patted his back, glancing at the mess in the courtyard.
The woman in the turquoise dress held a long sword, wielding it with ease and grace, looking truly elegant.
"Granddaughter, send someone to look for Uncle Thirteen again."
Old Master Cui waved his hand, and Madam Cui ordered another group of people to go down and look for the person.
"Help! Oh my god, that bastard has captured me, the king! I am a member of the Cui family of Boling!" Cui Xingzhi opened his eyes to find himself hanging from a tree.
"Aaaaaaah! Someone help! No, I'm afraid of heights!"
Following Zhixu on his way to find Xi Yushao, he heard someone shouting halfway, paused, and turned around.
"...How did you get up in the tree?"
"What do you mean, 'Quickly, quickly,' put me down! Some damned bastard hung me up in a tree! Which old codger had the audacity to hang me like this? I woke up and here I am."
Even though Xu remained silent, she didn't know either.
"I'm not saying anything more, just help me log off now."
She swung her sword, and Cui Xingzhi fell to the ground with a thud. He yelled, "Damn it, you almost killed me!"
"Let's go." As Sui Zhixu sheathed her sword and was about to get up, Cui Xingzhi grabbed her dress.
Sui Zhixu: "..."
"Take me with you! I'm going to be a legendary martial arts master in the future. You'll definitely suffer if you don't take me."
"...Old Master Cui has been looking for you everywhere, you don't want him to worry, do you?"
"What? My father!"
Taking advantage of the situation, Xu snatched her clothes. She was anxious to find Xi Yushao and didn't have time for a long chat with him.
"It's alright, I'm not dead. He can wait a little longer. I'll go with you; you also want to know where Xi Yushao is, right?"
Do you know where he is?
Noticing Sui Zhixu's suspicious gaze, Cui Xingzhi jumped up. "You suspect me?"
"Or what?"
“I really know, come with me.” Cui Xingzhi grabbed Sui Zhixu’s wrist and ran southwest.
He said as he ran, "I'm not lying to you."
Sui Zhixu: She remained extremely skeptical. Oh well, Fang Zheng was just making things up anyway.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
