Chapter 97 Conspiracy
The candlelight flickered in the study, casting Qin Xiu's tall figure on the wall, like a beast waiting for its opportunity.
Ning Pavilion.
Jiang Qingning sat alone behind the desk with an account book spread out in front of him, but his eyes were not on it.
The moonlight outside the window is cold and clear, shining in the courtyard, creating a quiet atmosphere.
Zi Su walked in quietly and whispered, "Miss, the light in Miss Wen's room went out at the beginning of the night, and there has been no movement since then. But over in the outer courtyard, the light in the guard room was on until midnight."
Jiang Qingning tapped lightly with his fingertips on the smooth rosewood table, making a slight tapping sound.
"Wen Ziyi turned off the lights early, perhaps to conserve her energy, or perhaps she had already made some moves."
"But was Wei Zhai's late sleep a coincidence, or did he sense something? That old fox Fu Boqian... have someone keep a close eye on him."
Zi Su replied, "Yes, I have already instructed the guards in the outer courtyard to be alert these days, especially to patrol more frequently at night and make more noise."
Jiang Qingning nodded tiredly and waved his hand, saying, "That's good. You go back and rest first. I want to go out for a walk."
Zi Su knew that she couldn't persuade Jiang Qingning, so she bowed obediently: "Yes, you should rest early."
Jiang Qingning, wearing a light blue cloak, climbed onto the high platform in the backyard that had been repaired and decorated.
She stood at the highest point of Ning Pavilion, overlooking the nearby capital city. This was the place that her father and brother had tried their best to protect, but it did not belong to her family.
Even so, she chose to tell Qin Xiu the news as soon as possible, partly to protect herself and partly to not disappoint her father and brother.
"Why do we have to make so many choices just to live?"
Jiang Qingning laughed at himself, turned around and was about to leave, but his eyes met with the person on the other side of the wall.
Qin Xiu stood at the place where they first looked at each other a month ago, gazing into the distance and meeting Jiang Qingning's gaze. Jiang Qingning felt as if they were in another world. She smiled at him, then realized belatedly that Qin Xiu seemed unable to see.
So she bowed to him from a distance, just like she did on the day they first met, stopped to look at him for a while, and then left completely.
Three days later, at dusk.
To the west of the city, there is Xiefang Garden.
Xiefang Garden is famous for its summer lotus flowers. At this moment, the lights are on, and the pavilions and towers are hidden among the lush flowers and trees. Exquisite glass lanterns are hung everywhere, illuminating the courtyard with brilliance.
The garden is full of lotus flowers, which is indeed a beautiful scene.
The sounds of stringed instruments and orchestras mingled with the guests' laughter and conversation. In name, it was a private banquet hosted by Lin Heng, the eldest son of the Duke of Fengguo, to entertain several merchants from the north who had traveled from afar. However, the atmosphere in the Assassin's Garden was filled with a subtle tension.
"Young Master Lin, hello, Lord Lin!"
"Master Lin is here, our business today..."
"Don't worry, what belongs to you will definitely not run away. Young Master Lin is a very good man, so how could he miss out on your benefits?"
Lin Heng, wearing a brand new royal blue brocade robe, stood on the steps in front of the main hall with high spirits, accepting the compliments of the guests with satisfaction, feeling that his future was bright.
Thinking of the border map in his arms that the Northern Di envoy had just handed to him, Lin Heng's heart became even more excited, and the image of Jiang Qingning flashed before his eyes.
After this matter is accomplished, he will definitely go to Ning Pavilion to propose marriage!
It is almost three quarters past midnight.
Lin Heng left the noisy main hall under the pretext of changing clothes, and under the protection of two trusted guards, he walked through the winding corridors and headed towards his heavily guarded study deep in the courtyard.
There were many sentries and hidden guards around the study, all of whom were the elite of the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion.
Lin Heng stepped into the study and solemnly took out a red sandalwood box from under the desk. It looked ordinary but actually contained an ingenious mechanism. Then he checked the windows and door bolts and turned around with satisfaction to leave.
“Click…”
An extremely slight sound, like the crisp sound of a dead branch breaking, came from the east side of the study.
Lin Heng paused as he closed the door, then turned around abruptly and shouted, "Who?!"
The two guards behind him instantly drew their swords and looked vigilantly towards the source of the sound.
It was quiet outside the window, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Did I hear it wrong?" a guard asked doubtfully.
Lin Heng frowned and signaled one person to guard the door. He took the other one and approached the window carefully.
"Bang!"
The window was suddenly pushed open. The moonlight outside was like water. There was no one around. The flowers under the window swayed gently in the night breeze.
"You are really suspicious." Lin Heng sneered and breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, a black shadow as fast as a ghost hung down from the beam above their heads, and reached out to grab the rosewood box under the desk with a clear purpose.
“Bold!”
Lin Heng stepped forward in horror. The guard behind him reacted very quickly and slashed at the black shadow fiercely. However, the other party seemed to have eyes and twisted his body to avoid the attack from behind, while kicking the side of the desk.
In a flash, the black shadow's fingers had touched the lock of the rosewood box.
"Oh no, get out of the way! There's a trap!" the guard shouted hurriedly.
The black shadow seemed to have anticipated this and quickly unlocked the secret lock and grabbed the wooden box.
"Put it down!" Lin Heng's eyes were bloodshot and he drew his sword and stabbed at the black shadow.
A cold murderous intent flashed in Wen Ziyi's eyes. Knowing that she couldn't keep fighting for long, she turned around, rushed to the window, and jumped out.
"Stop her! Send a signal!" Lin Heng shouted angrily, with endless panic in his heart.
The guards standing outside the door immediately took out their bamboo whistles and blew them with all their might. The sharp and piercing whistle sound pierced the night sky of Xiefang Garden.
Immediately afterwards, loud noises erupted from all over Xiefang Garden, flames shot up into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and endless chaos sounded in the front yard.
"The fire is happening!"
"There's an assassin! Protect the lord!"
"Don't panic! Don't be impulsive!"
Unexpectedly, the entire Xiefang Garden fell into chaos in an instant.
On the beam, Wen Ziyi was startled by the sudden explosion, and then reacted and turned to run. Almost a second later, countless arrows flew onto the roof.
"It's up there, chase after it!"
Lin Heng rushed out of the study, flew onto the roof, and quickly chased after Wen Ziyi.
A fierce look flashed in Wen Ziyi's eyes. Just as she was about to turn around and fight back, a huge fishing net soaked in tung oil fell on her without warning.
“Sizzle!”
The barbs on the fishing net instantly tore her nightgown, leaving several bloody wounds on her arms and shoulders. She felt a burning pain and the rosewood box in her hand fell out.
"No!" Wen Ziyi was shocked and angry, and reached out to grab it desperately.
"Get it!"
A cold voice sounded in the darkness, filled with unhesitating decisiveness and without any mercy.
As the voice fell, several figures leaped out silently from the darkness and surrounded Wen Ziyi. Their movements were agile and ruthless, and they coordinated with each other tacitly.
Wen Ziyi reacted with horror, realizing that she was definitely being framed. The scene from three days ago flashed through her mind, and she instantly identified the real culprit behind the scenes.
It’s Jiang Qingning!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com