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The next day, the two set off for Yangqu before dawn. In order to reach the post station as soon as possible to arrange the interception plan, they both decided to travel on horseback.
The winter snow was muddy and the wind blowing in her face was incredibly cold and biting, but Jie Xiangsi laughed heartily. Looking at the deep hoofprints in the snow behind her, she couldn't help but ride even faster.
Since the Xiao family's incident, I haven't felt this kind of extreme freedom for a long time; it's been a long time since I've experienced it.
Looking at Jie Xiangsi, who was riding her horse with great spirit and joy beside him, Zhou Yanzhi couldn't help but chuckle, "I didn't expect my cousin to be such a good rider."
"Of course, I am Xiao..."
Once again, riding on horseback and experiencing the freedom of speeding with the wind, Jie Xiangsi was incredibly excited. For a moment, she forgot her current identity. Fortunately, she noticed the slight change in Zhou Yanzhi's expression and quickly made amends.
"I could mount a horse skillfully when I was a child."
Zhou Yanzhi raised an eyebrow without making a sound, and went along with the praise: "My cousin is indeed exceptionally talented."
Jie Xiangsi chuckled awkwardly, "Cousin, you flatter me."
Under the hazy dawn light, on a narrow path, a man and a woman of similar age galloped on horseback, the hems of their clothes fluttering in the wind like butterflies in flight.
In the morning mist, the two rode their horses one after the other toward the rising sun in the distance.
The clatter of hooves echoed as the night faded and the warmth of the new day enveloped the earth.
...
After a day's journey, Jie Xiangsi and Zhou Yanzhi finally arrived at Yangqu territory just before sunset. Not only were the two of them exhausted, but even their horse was panting heavily.
Jie Xiangsi bent down to stroke the horse's head, fed it some water, and said to Zhou Yanzhi beside her, "Cousin, we are still quite a distance from here to enter the city. Why don't we find a post station to rest for a while?"
“Okay.” Zhou Yanzhi nodded.
After all, they still don't know who was sent to Yangqu to replace him.
The two found an inn, and Zhou Yanzhi took out the fake travel permit that Wu Goulang had brought from the capital to check in. However... Xie Xiangsi always felt that Zhou Yanzhi's expression was a little strange when he looked at her travel permit.
It seems a bit...gritting his teeth.
Once inside the room and after seeing the travel permit, Jie Xiangsi finally understood why.
Because... although her identity on that travel permit was still Zhou Yanzhi's cousin, it was the kind of unspeakable sister he loved!
She said that when checking in, Zhou Yanzhi only asked for one room, and why the innkeeper looked at her so strangely. Did he think that this was another couple who were not recognized by their families and were eloping for love?
Looking at the only bed in the room, Jie Xiangsi clenched the travel permit in her hand, feeling that the person who forged the travel permit for Zhou Yanzhi was truly wicked.
There's only one bed, how are she and Zhou Yanzhi supposed to sleep?!
Seeing this, Zhou Yanzhi thought she was angry, so he quickly explained, "Um... I didn't expect Su Feng to make such a travel permit. Don't worry, I won't do anything out of line... no, I won't do anything at all."
Jie Xiangsi silently cursed Su Feng for a while, but smiled faintly on her face, "It's alright, I believe in my cousin's character."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief, and in his heart, he also planned to teach Su Feng a lesson once he returned to the capital.
...
The moon rises above the branches, and outside the window, the wind and snow rustle.
Jie Xiangsi sat by the window, looking at the chessboard on the table with a troubled expression, the black chess piece in her hand hesitant to be placed.
Just now, she played a game against herself on a whim. At first, the black and white pieces were evenly matched, fighting back and forth. But now, the black piece has been forced into a corner by the white piece. No matter where she plays next, the black piece can only live a little longer, but it cannot completely break free from the white piece's control.
After a long silence, Jie Xiangsi sighed and threw the black piece back into the chess jar.
She couldn't find a way to break the deadlock.
Looking at the steady flame of the oil lamp on the table, Jie Xiangsi's eyes involuntarily reddened.
Actually, she wasn't one to cry. When her mother passed away, she was still young and didn't understand why her mother would just take a nap and then not get up. She didn't cry much, but she would run to the ancestral hall every day, bring her mother's memorial tablet back to her room, and sleep with her.
She didn't cry when her father left her in the capital because her brother was with her. Later, her brother went to the battlefield with their father, and she became more sensible and understood why they never came home, so she held back her tears.
Later, as she grew up, she became the most carefree girl in the capital, and she cried even less.
But now, she inexplicably wanted to cry. The family's injustice was not resolved, her brother was missing, and the New Year, which should have been a symbol of reunion, was instead filled with no relatives by her side. Even the body she was in was not her own.
Like a black piece on a chessboard, isolated and helpless.
Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of him as Zhou Yanzhi, wearing an outer robe, approached.
Zhou Yanzhi glanced at Xie Xiangsi's slightly red eyes, his heart trembled slightly, then glanced at the chessboard on the table, frowned and thought for a moment, then reached out and took a black piece from the chess jar and placed it down, gently comforting her, "Even if we can't win this way, the white piece can only win by half a point."
Looking down at the black pieces, whose situation remained unchanged, Jie Xiangsi said dejectedly, "But the black pieces still can't win."
What she wanted was to win, even if it was just by half a point.
Looking into Xie Xiangsi's tearful eyes, Zhou Yanzhi tilted his head and coughed lightly, then turned back to continue comforting her, "Although I don't know why you're suddenly so down, if we can't win this game, then..."
He suddenly reached out and scattered the chess pieces on the board, then looked down at Xie Xiangsi's puzzled gaze and said, "Disrupt the game and start a new one."
Looking at the chaotic chess game, Xie Xiangsi fell silent. After a while, she suddenly laughed, leaned back slightly on the soft pillow, and looked up at Zhou Yanzhi with a leisurely air. "Is Cousin teaching Xiangsi how to cheat?"
Zhou Yanzhi: "..."
Of course not!
As Zhou Yanzhi placed the chess pieces back into the jar one by one, he whispered, "Cousin."
"Um?"
"I know you're not upset about this game."
Upon hearing this, Jie Xiangsi's fingertips trembled slightly.
He figured it out.
"I don't know what you're going to do."
Zhou Yanzhi put the last black piece back into the chess jar, rested one hand on the table, stared into Xie Xiangsi's dark eyes, and continued, "But, as long as it's not something immoral or immoral, you can do whatever you want, I won't stop you."
After a moment of surprise, Jie Xiangsi smiled slightly. "Cousin, you're joking. What could Xiangsi possibly want to do? Xiangsi simply wants to realize her ideals and ambitions."
Zhou Yanzhi sighed helplessly, "Cousin."
Just as Jie Xiangsi was about to start spouting nonsense again, Zhou Yanzhi suddenly lowered his hand from the table, bringing the two of them extremely close in an instant, so close that they could almost see each other's eyelashes.
Sensing Xie Xiangsi's suddenly disordered breathing, Zhou Yanzhi's long eyelashes trembled slightly. His hands, gripping the table so tightly they turned white from excessive tension, were fixed on Xie Xiangsi. With a trembling voice, he slowly spoke.
"If you trust me, I am willing to be the knife in your hand."
His solemnity was like making some eternal vow, making one's ears burn with emotion.
Since it was the first time he had spoken sweet words, Zhou Yanzhi was a little shy, his face turning bright red. But he still looked firmly at Xie Xiangsi, not wanting to miss any expression on her face.
He believed she knew what he meant.
Jie Xiangsi could naturally understand the meaning behind his words, but she could not hide her shock.
Zhou Yanzhi... was expressing his feelings to her.
Although she did want to be by Zhou Yanzhi's side, it was only a temporary measure to find out her brother's whereabouts. She never thought that Zhou Yanzhi would fall in love with her.
This was beyond her comprehension.
Tilting her head slightly, Jie Xiangsi stammered, "Cousin...you..."
"Knock knock—"
Suddenly, someone knocked heavily on the window twice.
Jie Xiangsi felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and quickly stepped back a few inches, pointing to the window and urgently saying, "Cousin, there's someone there!"
Knowing who was outside, Zhou Yanzhi closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
As soon as the window was opened, a dark figure darted into the room.
"grown ups."
Seeing Zhou Yanzhi's serious expression, Ji Feng knelt down and clasped his hands in thanks, "My lord, you have suffered."
Seeing this, Jie Xiangsi was about to sit up from the soft couch, but Zhou Yanzhi pressed her down again, saying, "Just sit down."
Zhou Yanzhi sat down, lifting his robe, and waved for Ji Feng to stand up. "Tell me, what's the situation in the capital right now?"
Sensing Zhou Yanzhi's different attitude towards Xie Xiangsi, Ji Feng keenly realized that he didn't need to avoid Xie Xiangsi about what was to come, so he bowed his head and replied "Yes" before beginning his report.
"Upon learning of the assassination attempt and the disappearance of the lord, His Majesty was furious and ordered the Ministry of Justice to thoroughly investigate the case. He also dispatched his personal guards to search for the lord. Meanwhile, in order to continue investigating the case of the disaster relief funds in Yangqu, Lord Song Baiyu volunteered to go to Yangqu. His Majesty granted his request, and the date was set for the fifth day of the month."
Upon hearing the familiar name, Zhou Yanzhi frowned.
Song Baiyu, a rising star in the capital, and a close advisor to the emperor.
Hearing this name, Jie Xiangsi frowned.
She knew Song Baiyu. He came from a poor family and was the second-place finisher in the previous imperial examination. He was now a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Although his official position was not high, he had a lot of opportunities to come into contact with the emperor.
Song Baiyu was also one of the top three in the imperial examinations. Within a year, he had won the emperor's favor and could be said to have a bright future.
Why would he volunteer to go to Yangqu?
Zhou Yanzhi was not only thinking about how to relieve his longing, but also about this problem.
Could it be for a promotion or a higher rank?
Zhou Yanzhi was puzzled. Logically speaking, given Song Baiyu's current situation, if he worked hard, he could at least become a third-rank official, if not a prime minister. Why did he have to get involved in this mess in Yangqu?
Seeing Zhou Yanzhi remain silent, Ji Feng tentatively asked, "My lord, do we still need to..."
He made a throat-slitting gesture.
"No need." Zhou Yanzhi waved his hand, pondered for a moment, then asked, "Does anyone else know that Song Baiyu is going to Yangqu?"
Ji Feng replied, "Besides our own people, only His Majesty and Lord Song know."
Zhou Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it seems that after my incident, His Majesty also realized that there was something fishy going on in the court, and he is now being very careful.
He then said in a deep voice, "Contact Su Feng and have him expedite the forging of Song Baiyu's travel permit and send it over. Oh, and don't forget Miss Biao's. Also, contact Qi Minghua and have him keep an eye on Song Baiyu. Once he leaves the capital, do everything you can to trap him."
If Song Baiyu is truly a loyal subject, he will personally apologize to him after investigating the Mingyangqu case. If Song Baiyu is not, then we can follow the clues and find out who is behind it all.
Ji Feng was startled and hesitated before asking, "...Not kill them?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi glared at him and said, "There's no direct evidence pointing to him, why would I kill him? Besides, when did I say I was going to kill him? I said 'intercept' him. Moreover, he's a close minister of the emperor, how could I dare to kill him?"
The monsoon felt wronged.
He doesn't have these complicated thoughts in his mind.
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