Chapter 50: Those Who Are Willing Take the Bait
They left in the evening and returned in the evening. Apart from Xie Huailing having an extra piece of clothing, almost nothing had changed.
She slept again in the carriage, and when she got off, she was in better spirits. At least she didn't have that look on her face that said, "Isn't the bed in the Divine Marquis's mansion a kind of torture device?" Once she passed the Heavenly Spring Pool, the razor-sharp pavilion was right in front of her.
The maid was waiting at the entrance of the building. When she saw her return, she stepped forward and said, "Miss, the master of the building is waiting for you."
Xie Huailing held her head and sighed slowly. She straightened her collar, which had been asken to sleep in, and first instructed Shaman to find Yang Wuxie to investigate Long Xiaoyun. Then she took the hand warmer from the maid and stepped into the building: "I know, I know. If he's not waiting for me to do my work, how can he still be sleeping?"
She knew perfectly well that with the letter she had sent back, Su Mengzhen would be waiting for her long ago.
Upon reaching the second floor, the figure of the red-clad swordsman appeared before the pillar, a lone plum tree standing upright amidst the dark, rosy hues of the setting sun, its pride not in its bark, but in its unique, vibrant beauty. An occasional cough interrupted his wait; he covered his lips with a handkerchief, unable to lift his head. After coughing for a while, he lowered the handkerchief, but then crumpled it in his palm to conceal the bloodstains. He simply said, "The plum blossom, whether vertical or deep, crooked or broken, is still the plum blossom."
He heard the sound of her footsteps on the steps and knew she had arrived: "Come here."
Xie Huailing then went to his side. A line of white snow was draped on the railing in front of him, thick and cold. The Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion outside the railing was all white in the snow, and the bricks and tiles under the snow were just like ink on the landscape.
However, she was not robbed of her purity by this all-encompassing whiteness, just as he would not be robbed of his radiance.
"What did you discover about Li Tanhua at the Divine Marquis's Mansion?" Su Mengzhen asked.
The faint smell of blood vanished in an instant. Xie Huailing pretended not to have smelled it and said, "To be honest, we did find quite a few things. First of all, the beds in the Marquis's mansion are really hard to sleep on. How can a dignified marquis's mansion be like this?"
Su Mengzhen then came to see her. Her face, pale in the winter sun, was almost unnaturally white, resembling the snow outside the building, making the faint dark circles under her eyes even more unbearable to look at. He had originally intended to say something else, but seeing her like this, he could only say, "Didn't the Divine Marquis's Mansion let you sleep?"
Xie Huailing found someone to complain to and vented, "It would be better not to sleep at all. How much can I get done if I don't sleep? Just add the guest room bed to the torture package."
Su Mengzhen saw through the truth and knew her character: "No matter how badly she was hurting, it shouldn't have come to this. It's just that it happened in the Divine Marquis's Mansion's unworthy building."
“But Master,” Xie Huailing stared at him, “that’s not what I want to hear.”
She pointed to her eyes, clearly demanding an explanation for the injustice he had done, even though she herself rarely spoke of reason. But since he had specifically asked, Su Mengzhen was willing to answer.
He could tell too well that she wasn't doing well, so he conceded, "Then we won't go next time. I'll send someone to pick you up, and you'll come back no matter how late it is."
Xie Huailing was finally satisfied with his somewhat reluctant reply. Shaman only offered cold comments, saying that this job should still be done by Su Mengzhen, as there are many categories in their world of expressionless faces. She then said what Su Mengzhen really wanted to hear: "That's more like it, OP—let me think about Li Xunhuan's side."
Like a letter, she recounted everything Su Mengzhen didn't know in great detail: "His injuries are quite severe, six sword wounds, three knife wounds, a fatal wound on his chest, and a kind of bewitching poison. I must say, the famous Little Li Tan Hua is quite difficult to kill. As for the cause and effect, he said that he listened to his friend's advice and went to that noodle stall specifically to eat, which led to the ambush. From what I saw, there were at least six people who ambushed him, which is quite ruthless."
Su Mengzhen and she were of the same mind, and Su Mengzhen asked, "Which friend of Li Tanhua?"
"His name is Long Xiaoyun, but he is unknown and cannot be considered a famous knight-errant."
As Xie Huailing spoke, she tucked her hands deeper into her sleeves and brought up her arrangements and Lin Shiyin's matter again: "I asked Shaman to call Steward Yang to investigate. If they act quickly, they should be able to find out in the next day or two. Even if they can't find out... well, that's still a kind of finding out. Also, when I came back, I ran into Li Xunhuan's cousin, Lin Shiyin, at the entrance of the Divine Marquis's Mansion."
Is she involved in this?
"It's hard to say, but she doesn't seem to like her cousin's friend very much," Xie Huailing said.
As she spoke, a cold wind blew, whipping her hair. Unwilling to remove her hands, she shook her head twice to toss her hair to one side. Just then, the unpredictable snowflakes landed on the strands of hair on her forehead, partially obscuring her vision. She shook her head again, but couldn't shake them off. Su Mengzhen flicked his sleeve, and the snowflakes fluttered away in the wind of his palm.
She didn't even thank him. Not only that, but she immediately started making fun of him again: "Cousin, I don't like your friend either."
This sudden performance was quite a surprise. Su Mengzhen frowned inwardly, thought for a moment, and asked, "What did Wuqing do?"
Xie Huailing said plaintively, complaining to him, "The head constable just sits there the whole time, and I can't get anything out of him."
This is true. Although he and Wuqing have a good personal relationship, they never mix public and private matters. The Divine Marquis's Mansion rarely gets involved with martial arts forces and takes the security of Bianjing as its responsibility. They would not want to see Xie Huailing, who represents the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, involved too much in the assassination of Li Xunhuan or have too much interest in investigating it, even though she is Li Xunhuan's savior.
There have been many examples of clashes between the imperial court and the martial arts world, but few are good ones. In the eyes of the Divine Marquis's Mansion, Bianjing cannot afford for Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou and Li Yuan to reunite.
Look at her, deliberately lowering her brows to torment him again. He's making up for all the time he's missed with women in his first twenty-odd years with her. Su Mengzhen looked away, then quickly looked back: "I can't control that."
Frustrated by his failure, Xie Huailing immediately changed his tune and continued, "That's all. As for who did it, there are only a handful of people in the world who would dare to attack Li Xunhuan. Whoever it was, it's all very bad news. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that someone simply wanted to clean up their family because they had too many people. I don't have any guesses right now. Anyway, Li Yuan owes a debt of gratitude to Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou, so we can't deny it. In the end, it's all related to us."
In fact, Wuqing wasn't wrong in her precautions. She did intend to take advantage of Li Yuan's influence. Ultimately, she had her own intentions, and Wuqing couldn't stop her.
After listening, Su Mengzhen nodded slightly: "That's right, there are many benefits to be gained from this matter. You made a decisive decision and did a good job."
As the snow intensified, the two turned and went up the stairs.
One after the other, Xie Huailing's voice trailed Su Mengzhen by half a step as she slowly caught up: "What are your plans, Master?"
Su Mengzhen pondered for a moment and said, "The court forces supporting the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion are still too few. In the final battle against the Six and a Half Hall, the court is an indispensable part. In your opinion, could we start from this matter, from the debt of saving our lives?"
Xie Huailing replied, "We can begin, but it's not quite appropriate to entrust the debt of saving our lives to this place."
What do you mean?
"Grand Tutor Li is a leader of the upright officials, and his character is that of a gentleman. His will is firm and unyielding. While it is possible to persuade him to act against his principles by starting with favors, it is not a long-term solution. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and it is a worst possible strategy. The best way to deal with favors is to keep them as favors forever. Only in this way will everyone in Li Garden remember the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion."
"So, in your opinion, how should we begin?"
"There aren't that many twists and turns. OP, if you want to profit from this, just wait for the right opportunity to get involved. There's probably no better way."
"It will be no easy task. Since it involves the grandson of an important official, the Divine Marquis's Mansion will definitely take action, and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion will have a hard time finding an opportunity."
"No."
Xie Huailing said this.
Su Mengzhen's robes stopped, no longer sweeping over a certain step. He turned around, and Xie Huailing was looking at him.
Her eyes held a detached, cloud-like gaze, replacing the previous emptiness, reflecting him completely, leaving nothing else to be considered: "Whether it's difficult or not is not something you need to consider. You just need to tell me whether you want it or not."
Just like the arrogance of disdain, what he wanted and admired was always this kind of arrogance.
Even the throbbing pain in his chest was somewhat alleviated. He didn't doubt that she couldn't do it. Yes, he said she was arrogant and conceited, but didn't he also look down on everyone else because of her?
"What are your plans?" Su Mengzhen asked.
"Wait." Without needing to say more, Xie Huailing understood his meaning. "Just wait for a while, and everything will come to you."
The moment she saw Li Xunhuan, she had already thought of many things. She did not tolerate hesitation, so she could do many things in an instant: "I sent Li Xunhuan to the Divine Marquis's Mansion. The Divine Marquis's Mansion will definitely want to find out the truth about Li Xunhuan. As long as there is any possibility that he might harm the descendants of loyal and virtuous officials and the lineage of the upright officials, Zhuge Shenhou, who still wants to support the Song Dynasty, will not let go."
"But there are people who don't want the Divine Marquis's Mansion to be on good terms with Li Garden, just as the Divine Marquis's Mansion doesn't want the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion to be on good terms with Li Garden. 'He' can't stand seeing the Divine Marquis's Mansion and Li Garden getting closer and closer. Every day that Li Xunhuan is recuperating in Li Garden makes him uneasy."
"Besides, this matter might not necessarily be..."
Xie Huailing cut her off at the right moment, but Su Mengzhen knew who she was talking about and who wrote it; it was indeed the worst-case scenario.
His own judgment was being weighed repeatedly, reflecting on the dire state of affairs and the incompetence of the court, but also inevitably a thought crossed his mind: "In your opinion, the right to investigate this matter will ultimately not fall into the hands of the Divine Marquis's Mansion?"
Xie Huailing nodded and said, "If I were 'him,' I would do the same."
The corruption and treachery of the imperial court can be used as chess pieces, manipulated with a little skill. Even the upright and honorable Divine Marquis's Mansion was placed on the chessboard from the very beginning. The moment she saw Li Xunhuan on the snowy night, she understood all the rights and wrongs.
"But the Divine Marquis's Mansion will not give up willingly. The official channels are untraceable, but the Jianghu is free. The Divine Marquis's Mansion will find another way, but in Bianjing, Zhuge Divine Marquis does not have many options. Coincidentally, regarding the Wuzheng Manor, Jinfeng Xiyu Tower owes the Chief Constable a favor."
So all we have to do is wait.
Xie Huailing slightly curled her lips, but it wasn't a smile.
In the freezing cold, her heart was very, very cold.
The matter was settled, and the two continued upstairs. Dusk fell, snow began to fall, and all was silent. After climbing a few more floors, they reached her room. The longing brewing from not returning home all night reached its peak. The chill in her body and the warmth of the handkerchief no longer felt like torment. Just thinking of her comfortable bed made Xie Huailing unable to suppress a long yawn. Sleepiness had already washed over her. She waved dismissively at Su Mengzhen, saying "See you tomorrow," and prepared to close the door.
Su Mengzhen pointed two fingers at the door to stop her movement, and then brought up a thing she had missed: "There's one more thing. Recently, someone has been investigating your whereabouts. It seems to be Liufenbantang. What did you and Di Feijing talk about? Is it related to this?"
When this name was mentioned, Xie Huailing fell silent, which was uncharacteristic of hers.
"I'll handle the investigation myself. As for Di Feijing, I'll talk to you about it another time. There's nothing of great importance to it," she said quietly. "But there is something I do need to discuss with you, so I'd like you to make a decision."
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