Chapter 27 (The 27th chapter is missing)
Silence fell instantly.
Zong Cheng kept urging, "I have to go and find out the truth."
Rong Si interrupted in a deep voice, "No need."
He walked slowly forward, watching the beads bobbing on the water's surface, emitting a clear and dreamlike light.
A sharp glint flashed in the man's unfathomable pupils.
Zong Cheng didn't understand why it was suddenly no longer needed. "Why?"
Rong Si remained silent, stepped forward, and scooped up a bead from the water.
Having been tricked into this gloomy ambush, the bloodlust he felt after the perilous battle amidst swords, spears, and arrows slowly gathered and swelled in his heart, eroding all his will.
Until one moment it suddenly erupted.
Rong Si's teeth itched, so he slowly rubbed them together.
So distant.
*
The rain in Shang'an lasted all day, extinguishing the heat of midsummer and even making people feel somewhat cold.
Yu Wanyin sat beside Chu Yu's sickbed, holding a bowl of medicine, and somewhat clumsily tried to imitate how he took care of himself, feeding him the medicine.
Yu Wanyin has probably always been the one being taken care of; she's not very good at taking care of others.
She fed him with a spoon, but some still spilled out from the young nobleman's thin, rosy lips.
Yu Wanyin quickly wiped it to avoid getting it on his wound.
Her movements were gentle, like a tiny feather slowly brushing against the man's chest.
Halfway through applying the herbal medicine, Yu Wanyin's hand was suddenly grasped.
She looked up and found Chu Yu staring at her with his bloodshot black eyes.
"You're awake." Yu Wanyin tried to pull her hand away, but it was firmly pressed against her chest.
Chu Yu's consciousness had not fully recovered during his illness, and he held onto her as his subconscious command, knowing only that he could not let go.
If you let go, she will run away.
Despite his high fever, the man's palms were cool, which inexplicably gave Yu Wanyin goosebumps again.
Seeing that she couldn't pull away, Yu Wanyin said helplessly, "Let me go first, you need to take your medicine."
After a moment, Chu Yu's movements slowed down, and he gradually let go of Chu Yu's hand.
He became a little more lucid. "How long have I been asleep?"
"It's been a day." Yu Wanyin held the medicine to his lips.
A day is really long.
Chu Yu stared at the medicine bowl in her hand for a moment, lost in thought. "Have a lot of people come to the manor? Are they bothering you?"
“No.” Yu Wanyin pursed her lips. “It’s just that the situation was urgent today, and I was afraid that if you woke up, it would delay the relocation of the capital, so I took it upon myself to process your official documents.”
Chu Yu thought it was something else, "You can read the official document however you want."
"You should take another look later." Yu Wanyin had only dealt with a few things in a hurry and was still a little worried.
Chu Yu listened and smiled slightly, then drank the medicine she handed him in one gulp. "What was Madam's approval?"
Yu Wanyin felt that he was making fun of her, so she repeated everything she had told Chao Yue that day.
Chu Yu listened and nodded, his gaze almost glued to her face.
Yu Wanyin became increasingly stuttering as she spoke.
Finally, seeing that he didn't raise any objections, Yu Wanyin asked, "Were you even listening?"
"Yes." Chu Yu's voice carried a unique frailty and clear quality.
Yu Wanyin was worried, "Aren't you afraid I'll mess things up?"
"This dynasty was already on its last legs, so whatever Yao Yao does is a lifesaver."
Yu Wanyin's lips tightened, thinking he was bluffing her.
Chu Yu wasn't bluffing her.
From the moment she rescued him more than a decade ago, he knew she was no ordinary person.
The things that came in today were indeed all trivial matters.
Logically speaking, he shouldn't have been allowed to approve it.
The replies she sent out were all perfectly timed.
There's nothing to be afraid of messing things up.
If things go wrong, it must be because of someone below.
After all, everyone knows how chaotic the court is right now, and Chu Yu understands this situation all too well.
It is quite common for an order to be issued, pass through several layers of communication, and become a different order.
Chu Yu was more concerned about, "You said you had them go to the outskirts of the city to clear the roads as usual?"
“Hmm.” Yu Wanyin looked at him. “I heard that he is not a foreigner. To put it bluntly, no matter how great the grudge between you and Yingzhou is, they share the same fate.
"So the priority is to preserve military strength, to negotiate peace first, and to take further action if negotiations fail."
Chu Yu's eyebrows twitched slightly, even though he really wanted Rong Si to die.
But things have priorities, so there's no need to rush.
Yu Wanyin asked again, "What do you think?"
"Madam's considerations are more thorough than mine."
Yu Wanyin's eyelids twitched. She had always thought that Chu Yu was quite strict in political matters.
How could I possibly go along with her like this?
But the more Chu Yu went along with her, the more terrifying the sinister and ruthless nature in his bones became.
It made it very difficult for her to figure out what he was thinking.
His easygoing nature in some areas means he can be extremely stubborn in others.
That is the forbidden zone that cannot be touched.
After taking the medicine, Chu Yu tidied up briefly and sat down at his desk again.
Yu Wanyin sat down beside her.
He wouldn't let her leave.
Although she helped him with some things today, she doesn't like to worry about things once someone else is taking care of them.
Yu Wanyin idly twirled the handkerchief in her hand.
It wasn't until Wu Zhou arrived with a heavily wounded soldier to deliver the message, "Prime Minister, Madam..."
The soldier was severely wounded, his flesh mangled and a horrifying sight.
Yu Wanyin frowned, "This is..."
Wu Zhou explained, "The people we sent out to clear the roads today have returned with news."
The soldier knelt down and bowed, saying, "This humble servant has failed in his duties. I beg Your Excellency and Madam for punishment."
Chu Yu wasn't surprised to see them so badly injured. "What happened?"
“Those bandits were unreasonable. As soon as we arrived, they attacked us, and they were ruthless... Even the commander and deputy envoy did not return. Most of our brothers were killed.”
Yu Wanyin hadn't known they were bandits before, but upon hearing the word "bandits," she perked up her ears and looked over. "Are they... bandits?"
"yes."
Chu Yu looked at Yu Wanyin for a moment, then asked, "Neither negotiation nor offering benefits worked?"
"Those bandits are insatiable," the soldier's eyebrows twitched slightly, shifting all the blame onto others. "They robbed us of our loot, then turned on us, using very unusual and sophisticated weaponry. And judging by the quantity of their weapons, it was definitely not the firepower of ordinary robbers. We fought back fiercely..."
As Yu Wanyin listened to this description, her brows furrowed even more deeply.
It sounds like...
Chu Yu considered carefully, "Are they still outside the city?"
"They also captured many prisoners of war and weapons, and hung the heads of several generals on the city wall to provoke trouble. Judging from this, it seems they have made a considerable haul and are preparing to escape."
Chu Yu understood and gestured for him to leave.
He turned his head and saw that Yu Wanyin looked deep in thought. Without warning, he took her hand and said, "Bandits are all unreasonable and have no mercy."
"They saw the potential profits and wanted to gain more, so it's not surprising that negotiations didn't work."
Yu Wanyin looked into Chu Yu's eyes, "Was it like this when you went there last time?"
Chu Yu feigned magnanimity, saying, "Actually, he has a grudge against me, so it's fine if he wants to come after me. I can let him settle accounts with me after the crisis in Yingzhou is over."
"But the current matter concerns Yingzhou, and they are unwilling to negotiate peace. This shows a lack of understanding of the bigger picture and a failure to grasp the importance of the situation."
"His personal grudges have implicated tens of thousands of people, which is indeed the work of bandits."
In reality, Chu Yu knew very well that he was extremely petty.
He still wanted Rong Si dead, and wanted to completely erase the trace of this person's existence from Yu Wanyin's world.
He took in all the changes in Yu Wanyin's expression. "Yaoyao, that coachman's actions are really not worth your time."
Yu Wanyin's heart skipped a beat when he suddenly pointed out her thoughts. "So, the thieves blocking the outskirts of the city, it was them?"
Chu Yu looked at her closely. "You don't know?"
Yu Wanyin said solemnly, "How could I know that I haven't left your study all day?"
Hearing her answer, Chu Yu felt a slight surge of emotion, and without any hesitation, he spoke ill of her, saying, "It's good that you know now."
“That Rong Si is no good; he completely misunderstands your good intentions.”
"Now their true colors have been revealed."
His words revealed a harshness he had never shown before.
Yu Wanyin frowned and remained silent.
But Chu Yu could tell that she was in a bad mood.
She was probably very dissatisfied with another man.
Then he would be satisfied.
*
As evening approached, all prisoners of war and weapons were finally collected. Rong Si sat in the now-extinguished camp and opened a jar of strong liquor.
He grabbed a clean piece of cloth, bit it, and poured the strong liquor directly onto his wound.
The intense stinging sensation from the burning wound caused by the strong liquor turned the corners of his eyes bloodshot.
Blood mixed with alcohol flowed by.
Zong Cheng couldn't help but frown.
Rong Si poured out a glass of strong liquor, grabbed one end of the broken arrow, and pulled it out with a forceful pull.
Fresh blood gushed out of the wound instantly!
His clothes around his waist were soaked through.
A thin layer of sweat beaded on Rong Si's forehead, but his expression remained calm. He skillfully applied the herbs to the wound before releasing the cloth from his mouth.
Zong Cheng casually wrapped the prepared bandage around it, saying, "The Shang'an group was no match for us before, how come they suddenly became so clever?"
When they clashed with Chu Yu's troops a couple of days ago, they could sense that Chu Yu's men were quite capable, but they were hesitant to launch a full-scale attack, so they didn't have the upper hand and barely managed to draw.
The troops that fought at the beginning of today were far inferior to those raised by Chu Yu.
They were just a bunch of inexperienced soldiers with little combat capability.
They originally thought they could finish the battle quickly, but they were unexpectedly outmaneuvered.
The men handling the prisoners of war tidied up the boy who had led the way and brought him in, saying, "Tell us properly who arranged things for you today and what you were asked to do."
Rong Si's strong, muscular fingers slowly twirled the purple pearl.
It looked like he was pinching someone.
He leaned back in his seat with an air of authority, his naked upper body revealing strong, flowing muscles. The dried blood on his body added to his fierceness as he coldly glared at the people kneeling before him, being interrogated.
The boy recounted everything in detail, saying, "Their exact words were that someone above had given me a good job, and if I succeeded, these beads would be a reward from a noble person."
"My job is to impersonate the prime minister and suppress bandits."
Zong Cheng pressed on, "What kind of important person?"
"We don't know."
But Rong Si knew.
He didn't make it clear either.
Rong Si listened to his words and vaguely recalled what Yu Wanyin had said to him before he left.
"Perhaps it's because you still have something on me in the Prime Minister's residence that I'm helping you. I'm lest you get agitated and reveal our secrets."
At that time, she said fiercely, "I'm still willing to help you while you're in the Prime Minister's residence, but once you leave, I'll find an opportunity to silence you, and then you'll be no threat to me anymore."
He thought she was bluffing.
Rong Si laughed in anger.
This was the second time he had fallen for her trick.
Zong Cheng cursed, "Damn it, they were all ready to leave. This important person is clearly after our lord."
The boy did not deny it.
Zong Cheng thought there couldn't be anyone else. "It must be that bastard Chu Yu. He lost to us last time and got injured, so he wants to get revenge."
Rong Si listened quietly.
The cause and effect are not hard to imagine.
Perhaps it was because Chu Yu was injured and returned home that someone felt sorry for him and came up with an idea for him.
She managed to achieve a unity of purpose between husband and wife.
The man's sharp eyes grew increasingly gloomy.
His enmity with Chu Yu, and the malicious plot to kill him, fueled his growing resentment.
Didn't they say he was the same as Chu Yu before?
So quickly they've shown favoritism, wanting to kill Chu Yu just because he was slightly injured.
Well done.
Rong Si remained silent for a long time.
After all, he had once told her that if she were ever able to silence him, she should pray that he was completely dead.
If he's not dead, wait until he catches her...
So distant.
You absolutely must not let him catch you.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com