The night was quiet, but the second young master of Prince Su's Mansion was quite noisy. His tone was as arrogant as his voice. Wan Jinlan, who was some distance away, could hear his words clearly.
Wan Jinlan was clinging to the pole on the corridor. In the darkness, no one could notice that there was anyone here.
The two red lanterns at the gate of the courtyard were blown up by the wind, and the shadows cast by the branches extending from the wall swayed on the ground. Xiao Qi, who was only a little over ten years old, was dressed in a rich blue brocade robe and came out of the courtyard with his personal servant, stepping out.
"Young Master, you quarrel with the Prince every day, what do you want to do?"
The lantern-carrying servant couldn't stand Xiao Qi's constant troublemaking. The princess wouldn't do anything to the prince, but those like him who served him were bound to be scolded and punished.
Xiao Qi snorted coldly, "When he comes back, Mother will treat him well. I just want to tell him that Mother will only treat me well. Why do you think he came back?"
Xiao Qi stamped his feet in anger.
He rolled his eyes and said, "That Mr. Wu is staying in the guest house. We will kick him out of the palace tomorrow."
The servant persuaded him, "Don't worry, sir. Yu Liu is just average looking. Why should you continue to offend the prince because of her? The prince is your brother and will inherit the palace in the future..."
The servant was kicked before he could finish his words. "My mother is only good to me. The palace belongs to me, what does it have to do with him? If you dare to say another word, get out of here, you traitor."
The servant was speechless and dared not say anything more.
The master and servant walked down the corridor. Wan Jinlan listened to Xiao Qi complaining all the way and being disrespectful to Xiao Nianshen in various ways.
In the darkness of the night, Wan Jinlan left Prince Su's Mansion silently like a nimble black cat.
The next day, Wu Ye was in trouble again by Xiao Qi.
Xiao Nian Shen inevitably had another quarrel with Xiao Qi. Xiao Nian Shen felt that Xiao Qi was quite annoying, so he simply temporarily placed Wu Ye in the house outside. By the time he was settled, it was already dark.
The sky was gloomy, dark clouds gathered overhead, and it felt like it would rain at any moment.
At the corner of the street, Wan Jinlan saw with his own eyes Xiao Nianshen getting on a carriage and leaving from the door of the house.
Yu Song was worried about her going alone. "Master, why don't you go directly to Pei? If the Duke was really killed by Pei, and Pei wanted to accomplish something in the capital thousands of miles away, she must have someone working for her. Prince Su is very likely involved."
Wan Jinlan naturally understood this truth, but if you really look into it carefully, she once helped Princess Kangping and Wu Ye on the river on her way back to Kyoto, and she also vaguely felt that Wu Ye had some unspeakable feelings for her.
After she returned to Kyoto from Yangzhou, she heard from her brother Zhijing that the county lady had brought Wu Ye to the mansion, vaguely revealing her intention to marry her children to each other's families.
She was not gambling with the emotions that might have been blown away by the wind long ago, but was mainly relying on Jiang Shang's help.
"You stay here and if anything happens, follow the old rules."
Yu Song was quite helpless. His master liked to do everything herself. As a secret guard, he had to follow her to find out the situation and keep watch.
There were not many servants in the house that Xiao Nianshen arranged for Wu Ye, and most of them were in the outer courtyard.
As usual, Wan Jinlan poked a hole in the window paper and looked inside. If he didn't see anyone, he would change to another room.
Before they could find which room Wu Ye was in, they heard birds singing from the streets outside.
She simply went up to the roof and lay there quietly.
Not long after, the sound of the courtyard door being pushed open was heard, and then it was suspected that it was Xiao Nian Shen who spoke: "Go to the outer courtyard and guard it."
The sound of a door being pushed open.
After that, Wan Jinlan heard no other noise.
She lay on the ridge, moving her body slowly, and lifted two tiles in succession, but she didn't see anyone in the room below. Soon she was sweating all over.
The sky darkened completely.
"Click, click"
It's the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.
Wan Jinlan felt relieved and casually wiped the raindrops that fell on her forehead. With the interference of the raindrops, her movements were easier to hide.
He lifted another tile and put his eyes down. The scene he saw almost made his jaw drop.
In the past, Xiao Feng had a reputation for being aloof from women, and she once suspected that he had a homosexual relationship.
She had heard of nobles who were into homosexuality, but she couldn't imagine what it would be like for two men to be together.
Watching Xiao Nianshen carefully wiping out the scars on Wu Ye's body, she wondered whether Wu Ye's injuries were caused by the beating of Xiao Qi, the naughty kid, or by Xiao Nianshen.
If Wu Ye and Xiao Nianshen were in this kind of relationship, could she still rely on the affection they had in the past to get anything out of him?
When Wan Jinlan fell into self-doubt, Wu Ye had finished applying the medicine and had finally put on his clothes.
"Zi'an, bear with me for a few more days. When the weather warms up, I will take you to the front lines. With your talent, you will surely stand out before our father and be valued."
Seeing that Wu Ye was silent, Xiao Nianshen raised a disapproving smile at the corner of his lips. He gently smoothed the wrinkles on his lapel before turning around and leaving the house.
Wan Jinlan lay quietly on the roof, his eyes looking over the ridge as the servant holding an umbrella escorted Xiao Nianshen out of the second gate under the rain.
The sound of the courtyard door closing was heard, and then a loud "bang" came from below.
Where Wan Jinlan couldn't see, Xiao Nianshen touched the area next to his hair crown with his dry fingers. It was a little wet there, so he squinted and looked back.
Wan Jinlan lowered his eyes and saw that things from the Duobao Pavilion had fallen to the ground, and Wu Ye was sitting on the ground with his knees hugged and his head buried, his shoulders shaking silently.
Wan Jinlan's heart suddenly calmed down again.
Another incense stick of time passed, and when Wan Jinlan was almost soaked by the rain, she jumped down silently and pushed the door open.
Wu Ye's path to imperial examination was cut short due to family changes, and his future prospects came to nothing. It was under such circumstances that he met Xiao Nianshen.
Xiao Nian understood his ambitions well, and his words always touched his heart. After a few conversations, he regarded him as a close friend.
Xiao Nianshen had also vaguely confided to him about the Prince Su's Mansion. He placed his hopes on him and was determined to achieve great things, so he left Kyoto with him without hesitation.
What he didn't expect was that on the second day after arriving at Prince Su's Mansion, after a banquet, he woke up absurdly on Xiao Nian's couch the next morning.
He didn't want to go on like this, but the world was so big that there was no way out for him, Wu.
When Wu Ye was in deep pain, he suddenly heard the sound of the door being pushed open. He was startled, thinking that Xiao Nianshen had returned.
The moment he walked into the main hall, he was stunned.
Water was still dripping down Wan Jinlan's forehead, and his face was covered in a mess, making him look extremely embarrassed.
It took Wu Ye a while to come back to his senses and recognize the person.
"Miss Wan, is that you?"
Wu Ye saw Wan Jinlan casually wiping his messy face with his sleeve. He looked around but couldn't find a towel.
"Why are you here?" Wu Ye knew that she and King Qi were exiled, and the news of their disappearance on the way to exile had also spread back to Kyoto, but he didn't expect to see her here.
Wan Jinlan gave a bitter laugh. "The world is so vast, and there's no place for me to stay. I've come here today to ask you for a favor. I've shamelessly come to you, Master Wu, and I hope you can help me, considering the favors I've shown you and the Lady of Kangping County."
Looking at her miserable appearance, Master Wu thought of their experiences, and couldn't help but feel that they were both wanderers in the world.
Wu Ye gave her a soothing look, went out, and told the servants not to enter the main courtyard. He then closed the courtyard gate, and after entering the main hall, he locked the door from the inside.
"I wonder what Miss Wan has brought you here for? If I can help, I will do my best."
Wan Jinlan lowered his eyes. "My father died from poisoning by my former Second Aunt Lin. Master Wu, do you know who gave Lin the letter?"
Wu Ye already had a guess, and now that his guess came true, he suddenly fell silent.
Seeing this, Wan Jinlan no longer needed to confirm and asked again: "Were you involved in my father's death?"
"I, Wu Ye, swear to heaven that the death of the Duke of Zhenguo has nothing to do with me."
People nowadays respect heaven, earth, ghosts and gods. Wan Jinlan saw him holding up two fingers and swearing solemnly, without a trace of guilt in his eyes, and he had his own judgment in his heart.
Seeing that water was still dripping from the corner of her clothes, Wu Ye went into the inner room and took out a cloak and handed it to her.
Wan Jinlan naturally couldn't be hard on his own body, so he took it and wrapped himself up.
"You said it had nothing to do with you, and I believe you, but can you tell me what you know?"
It was raining heavily outside, and the windows were crackling with the slanting rain.
Wu Ye whispered about what happened before the Duke of Zhenguo was poisoned.
"Before Prince Su escorted Prince Guangling into the capital, someone from Bingzhou came to the Prince Su's Palace in Kyoto. After Prince Su arrived, rumors spread throughout the capital about Concubine Wan and Prince Su. I was considered Xiao Nian Shen's advisor, and I also encountered people from Bingzhou. By chance, I saw the second wife of the Wan family's carriage have an accident at Qingyufang, and the figure of that person hurriedly passed by. I didn't take it seriously at first, but two days later, I heard the news that the Duke of Zhenguo had been poisoned."
When Wan Jinlan wanted to ask Xiao Nianshen if he knew, she faintly heard the sound of birds singing.
Her face changed, she took off her cloak and threw it to Wu Ye, then opened the window and jumped out.
"I'm leaving now. Be careful and find a way to erase all traces."
She quickly left these words and disappeared in the rain.
Wu Ye's mind raced as he remembered something and hurriedly put his cloak back into the cabinet in the room. Seeing the water stains on the ground, he quickly went out to get wet in the rain for a while, stepped on his wooden shoes in the rain, and then went back into the house to step on them again.
After finishing his work, he went out and stood under the eaves, his heart beating in his chest, when the gate of the courtyard was pushed open and Yu Xiao Nianshen walked in with an umbrella and a guard.
Wu Ye tried to calm himself down and asked in his usual indifferent tone, "Why did the prince come back again?"
Xiao Nianshen said nothing and walked straight into the main hall. He saw that the floor of the main hall was a mess with many watermarks. He narrowed his eyes slightly and pushed open the door of the inner room. He saw that the things on the treasure pavilion had fallen all over the floor, leaving no place to step.
Wu Ye's heart was beating fast, and he clenched his hands in his sleeves. "What on earth is the prince doing here again?"
Xiao Nianshen did not say anything, but looked at the two rooms connected to the main hall. After a while, a guard came to report that the rain was too heavy and there was no sign that anyone had been around the courtyard.
Wan Jinlan was wearing a tight suit and was very skilled in escaping. He would not leave any traces when he climbed over the wall. It was raining, so even if he left some traces, they would be difficult to find.
Now that she knew that Princess Pei was involved in her father's death, she would of course take the opportunity to take revenge.
Yu Song saw her heading towards Prince Su's Mansion without stopping, and he knew what she was going to do.
"Master, let me handle this matter. You should leave the city first."
Wan Jinlan shook her head. She wouldn't feel at ease unless she saw Pei close her eyes with her own eyes.
At this moment, Xiao Nianshen never expected that someone would rush to Prince Su's Mansion to kill her mother. He was wondering whether Wu Ye had contacted people in Kyoto and wanted to leave him.
Wu Ye had a precedent of secretly leaving him after becoming his person, but he was chased back by him.
Things had been very unpleasant at the palace these days because of Xiao Qi, and Wu Ye had repeatedly requested to move out. He had just settled everyone down today, and before he left, the person responsible for keeping an eye on Wu Ye came to inform him. Wu Ye closed the gate, and faint voices could be heard from inside the room.
He braved the rain and rushed back with his men. He surrounded the courtyard and checked it inside and out. Apart from the water marks in the main hall, there was nothing else suspicious.
Wu Ye dismissed everyone with a cold expression and stood guard in the outer courtyard. After the door closed, he held Wu Ye's still trembling hand and said, "Zi'an, given our current relationship, I don't think you would leave without saying goodbye again."
He stared at Wu Ye steadily, and his gaze made Wu Ye almost nauseous.
Wu Ye avoided looking away, but Xiao Nianshen forcibly pinched his chin.
Wu Ye was disgusted by Xiao Nianshen's different feelings towards him, but he was also relieved.
He himself was stuck in the mud, but he didn't want Wan Jinlan, who was in the same mess as him, to be noticed by Xiao Nianshen.
He lowered his eyes, forcing himself to show his submission, "Your Highness knows what I want. As long as I do it, Zi'an will not leave you."
Xiao Nian's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, and he changed the subject and asked, "Where did the water stains in Zi'an's room come from?"
Wu Ye had already prepared himself to be asked about the water marks. Although Xiao Nian Shen's question seemed to catch him off guard, he did not panic.
Wu Ye turned around and said in a low voice, "Zi'an had previously thought that living like this would be worse than just dying, but when he tried to pull down the gauze curtain, he couldn't pull it down for a long time. Zi'an thought, maybe God wouldn't let me hang myself like this, so I opened the door again and let the rain fall in the yard. If I caught a cold..."
Xiao Nianshen covered his mouth, his eyes showing guilt, "I pushed you too hard."
Wu Ye breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, Prince. As long as you give Zi'an what he wants, Zi'an will not leave."
While the two were interacting, Wan Jinlan quietly sneaked into Prince Su's Mansion on a rainy night. At this time, Pei had already fallen asleep.
Wan Jinlan stabbed Pei in the throat with one blow, but she didn't even make a sound. The girl who was guarding outside was snoring under the effect of the smoke.
The main culprit Pei is dead, and the news of Pei's death will be announced at the latest tomorrow morning. The best chance for her and Yu Song to leave Jinyang City is tonight.
Both of them entered the city by sneaking into the city wall at the southeast corner of Jinyang. They threw the Flying Tiger Claw at the two-meter-high city wall, and the two of them could sneak out in a few breaths.
The next morning, when Pei was found dead, Wan Jinlan and Yu Song were already sixty miles away from Jinyang.
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