Chapter 114 This is an absolute humiliation!
Chapter 114
"You bastard!"
Shen Suining gritted her teeth and cursed. The other side shot three more arrows in her direction, each one piercing straight into the water. The force was so great that it could probably turn Ouyang Lan underwater into a hedgehog.
How could Shen Suining stand this insult? The two stood a little distance apart, and she took out several hidden weapons from her sleeve, giving him a taste of his own medicine.
The masked man moved swiftly, as if he had anticipated her reaction, and easily dodged it.
The two engaged in a long-range battle. Shen Suining knew she was no match for the masked man and dared not get close to fight him. After running out of darts, she tried to find an opportunity to escape.
A wise person knows when to yield. Ever since that bastard stabbed her with a sword, causing her to feel pain, she is no longer the impulsive Shen Suining.
But the masked man clearly had no intention of letting her go easily. He didn't draw his weapon and tried to block Shen Suining's path with his bare hands. Enraged, Shen Suining swung a side kick and grabbed a handful of spices, smashing them onto the mask.
The incense was specially made by Su Xiyao. Although it wouldn't kill anyone, it would cause red spots on the skin that came into contact with it, and it would itch terribly, taking three to five days to heal.
The masked man was visibly startled when hit by the spices, then drew his longsword and pressed forward step by step.
Shen Suining gritted her teeth, not daring to make any rash moves, and had no choice but to retreat step by step. The other party was a size larger and much taller than her, so she could only raise her head and retreat under the other party's coercion.
As she retreated to the water's edge, Shen Suining's heels touched the stone pillars on the bank. In this freezing weather, she even considered the possibility of escaping through water magic.
But the masked man seemed to sense her intentions, and suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms, flicking his longsword at her waist.
Shen Suining: "!"
The imperial token hanging at her waist fell into the hands of the masked man. Shen Suining was still in shock when she saw the masked man suddenly reach out and affectionately pat her head.
In Shen Suining's view, this action was nothing short of a provocation.
So she blocked the masked man's hand with her own and tried to snatch the Imperial Token from his other hand. The two fought bare-handed for a while. It was obvious that the other party was giving her the upper hand and did not fight back at all, but she did not gain any advantage.
Shen Suining was furious; this was an absolute humiliation!
But when she tried to sweep her leg to knock him over, the masked man easily leaped up and threw the imperial token she was trying to steal into the lake.
With a "plop," the masked man vanished into the night.
...
The next day, news of Ouyang Lan's drowning spread throughout Huadu, causing an uproar in the court. It was said that the retired prime minister, Ouyang Qitian, entered the palace before dawn and tearfully demanded an explanation from Li Bo before the emperor.
Li Bo was at his wits' end, having been arguing for a whole day, so he simply pretended to be sick and hid away.
Shen Suining had no time to watch the commotion inside the palace walls. All she could think about was finding that charlatan and stabbing him to vent her anger.
But this masked man was elusive, and apart from the fact that his martial arts were superior to hers, Shen Suining had no other clues. She could only gamble on when he would appear next.
Besides that, the only thing Shen Suining was certain of was that this person must be someone from the imperial court, and his movements and back view both seemed strangely familiar to Shen Suining.
Ke He Hansheng has rarely been home these past few days. Even when he does return, the two of them don't meet. Shen Suining has no way to verify her doubts. She spends most of her time at the mansion accompanying the Princess.
“Recently, one major event after another has occurred in the capital, and I have been quite uneasy. Seeing that you and Asheng are both well has put my mind at ease.” The Princess lay on her side on the couch, holding Shen Suining’s hand tightly.
Shen Suining comforted her, saying, "Everyone is doing well. Mother-in-law, you don't need to worry about things outside. The most important thing is to focus on taking care of your health."
“That’s true, but I can’t help but worry about you,” the princess sighed heavily. “You’re alright, you don’t cause me much trouble. But I don’t know what’s wrong with Ah Sheng. He came to me yesterday with a large red patch on his neck. I don’t know if he touched something he shouldn’t have.”
Shen Suining's pupils contracted.
erythema?
The eldest princess did not notice Shen Suining's abnormality. Perhaps due to her age, she had been restless lately, having nightmares every night. She often dreamed of He Changxin when he was still alive, dreaming that he had angered Li Bo and was about to be severely punished.
As his wife, the eldest princess knew that her husband's temper was not very good. He was an upright man with an impatient nature. Unlike those civil officials who could say flattering things, he often angered His Majesty the Emperor.
The most serious incident occurred when He Changxin repeatedly proposed reforming the military system. Li Bo warned him several times, and in his haste, he argued back in court. The Censorate seized on this and accused him of being too powerful and disrespectful to the emperor. Enraged, Li Bo not only ordered him to be publicly flogged but also stripped him of his official position and title and exiled him to Minzhou.
When the eldest princess learned of this, she went to the palace overnight and knelt in front of Shou Kang Palace all night. She knew that her brother was determined to punish He Changxin and that the only one who could save him from this predicament was the Empress Dowager.
It was then that the eldest princess realized that behind the seemingly peaceful relationship between her brother and mother, they had long since reached a point of irreconcilable conflict. In order to protect herself, her mother had even extended her reach to the court, to the point that she could check and balance her brother. Only then did she realize that, after all these years, Li Bo still harbored resentment over what happened to Xu Jin.
Hearing the princess sigh, Shen Suining quickly suppressed her doubts and changed the subject to make her laugh. She said that winter was almost over and that she must ask He Hansheng to arrange a trip to Yangzhou when spring was in full bloom. She said that spring was the most beautiful time at Shuyu Manor, with beautiful spring colors covering the mountains and fields.
The eldest princess knew perfectly well that in the current situation, no one would be able to see the spring in Yangzhou. With Ouyang Lan dead, the Ouyang family would inevitably join forces with the Empress Dowager's camp to put pressure on Li Bo. Li Bo had no one left to rely on, and given time, the power of the court would probably fall into the hands of others. At that time, the situation in Huadu would probably change drastically.
Thinking of this, the eldest princess felt inexplicably flustered. She repeatedly instructed Shen Suining: "Ningning, Asheng has been acting rashly lately. Apart from you, I'm afraid no one can persuade him. He wasn't like this before. I don't know if it's because of his father's situation. If you have time, please give him some advice to prevent him from getting into trouble."
Shen Suining said, "I know, I will try to persuade him."
After leaving the Princess, Shen Suining recounted the things He Hansheng had done recently. It was already very unsettling since he killed He Bufan. Later, he ordered the expulsion of the peddler whom Li Bo had used to deliver messages to her, and he openly opposed Li Bo. Just as the Princess said, this did not seem like He Hansheng's style at all. However, Shen Suining had not found an opportunity to talk to him about these things properly.
She only vaguely knew that the war in the south was at a critical juncture, and the court needed military generals like them at any time. At this critical moment, Li Bo dared not touch He Hansheng.
But what happens next? Someone as smart as He Hansheng wouldn't leave himself no way out.
The more Shen Suining thought about it, the more horrified she became. She suddenly remembered the imperial token that the masked man had thrown into the water. If it were retrieved along with Ouyang Lan's body, and the Ouyang family and the Empress Dowager mistakenly believed that Li Bo was behind Ouyang Lan's killing, then Li Bo's position as emperor would truly be in jeopardy.
So, what exactly was the masked man's purpose in doing this? And which side did he stand on?
...
People always say that what you keep in mind will eventually come back to you.
Two days later, Shen Suining ran into the masked man near the Linjiang Villa.
He seemed to be on some kind of mission, holding a blood-stained sword in one hand and clutching his abdomen with the other, as if he were injured.
Shen Suining was on her way to Linjiang Villa to find Xu Lanji. She took a secluded path and was alone, with only a few guards in the shadows. When she bumped into the masked man, she was startled.
But the masked man seemed to have no wariness towards her. He simply pressed a finger to his lips as a shushing gesture. Immediately afterward, Shen Suining heard the sound of someone chasing after her. Before she could react, the masked man had already run away.
The person who caught up was Xiao Xiao, whom Shen Suining recognized as a member of the city defense army.
She was wondering why the city guards would patrol such a remote place when Xiao Xiao cupped his hands and said, "Madam, I was chasing an assassin and disturbed you. Please forgive me."
Oh, the assassin.
Shen Suining began to have doubts. She thought to herself that even the masked man had a mishap and almost got caught by the city defense army.
"Where did these assassins come from? Is anyone injured?" Shen Suining asked casually.
Xiao Xiao hesitated for a moment before telling the truth: "The assassin escaped from the home of Jian Zhenchuan, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, and happened to be encountered by me. But Madam, rest assured, Lord Jian is fine, just a little frightened. I have already ordered the guards around the Jian family's residence to be strengthened."
Shen Suining was startled. The Imperial Secretary was responsible for drafting imperial edicts and was a rare confidant of the emperor. He was also one of the few people Li Bo could trust. If the masked man wanted to kill him, it would be tantamount to eliminating everyone around Li Bo.
Xiao Xiao: "Did you see anyone suspicious just now, Madam?"
Shen Suining was deep in thought when she heard Xiao Xiao's words. She hesitated for a moment and pointed in the wrong direction. After Xiao Xiao and the city defense troops left, she gave a hand signal to the hidden guards and headed in the real direction where the masked man had escaped.
The masked man seemed to be waiting for her as well, not too far away, but sitting in the shady, watery spot of an old, dilapidated house.
He stared blankly at the water for a long time before raising his head to look at the person approaching after hearing footsteps.
Shen Suining clenched her fists, her gaze sharpening. Instantly, her guards swarmed out, surrounding the masked man by the water's edge. She met his gaze and stepped forward, calmly saying, "Including the time you stabbed me in front of the Dali Temple, you already owe me two lives. Now that things have come to this, are you still unwilling to show your true face?"
The masked man was silent for a while, then suddenly let out a muffled laugh that Shen Suining recognized all too well. Her heart sank, and she saw the tall figure sway a few times before falling straight into the water beside him.
Shen Suining was shocked and instinctively reached out to pull him back, but the masked man grabbed her arm instead. Caught off guard, the two of them fell into the water together.
"Young Master!"
The shouts of the people on the shore were completely drowned out by the sound of the water. Shen Suining felt the force in her arms pulling her in a certain direction. She held her breath and subconsciously tried to break free, but was pulled into that very familiar embrace.
The mask was lifted out of the water by the huge impact, and in the dim light, Shen Suining finally saw the true face beneath the mask.
It was He Hansheng.
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