Chapter 45 Shenxiao, you are not my selfish desire...
When Wen Jie returned to the private room, only the Second Prince and a few servants remained in the hall, presumably waiting for the doctor to arrive.
When the Second Prince saw Wen Tinglan return alone, his expression instantly darkened even more. "Lord Wen, didn't you catch that thief?"
Wen Tinglan stood by the door with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent. He nodded slightly and said, "That person was highly skilled in martial arts and his movements were clearly trained. He must have been a hired assassin. I, Wen, was not capable enough to let him escape."
The second prince seemed to have associated his words with someone unpleasant, and his expression instantly turned ferocious. He sneered repeatedly until the wound on his face was torn apart, at which point he began to restrain himself.
He then asked, "If that's the case, why didn't Lord Wen allow my guards to chase after them together?"
Although the Second Prince already had someone he suspected and never thought that Wen Jie was the one who harmed him, Wen Jie's actions inevitably made people somewhat concerned.
Wen Tinglan showed no panic at being suddenly pointed out, but instead asked him, "How does Your Highness know that there are no other assassins hiding in the hall?"
The second prince was startled upon hearing this. If there were other assassins left in the hall at that time and he had sent out his guards, wouldn't he have fallen into a trap of luring the tiger away from the mountain?
Moreover, it's possible that there were other assassins lurking among them at the time, but they didn't act because they saw someone nearby.
After all, given how determined that person was to kill him, how could he not have a backup plan?
The second prince grew increasingly fearful as he thought about it, and at that moment Wen Tinglan continued, "Besides, this matter really shouldn't be publicized."
He didn't explain much, but the second prince knew perfectly well what he meant.
If word of his self-directed assassination attempt reached His Majesty's ears, then his stupidity would be confirmed. He had always believed that his advantage over his third brother lay in his intelligence, but if he didn't even have that, how could he compete with him?
Furthermore, he wanted to touch the burning wound on his face but stopped halfway, just as the emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty had to be in good health. If he had a scar on his face, he would be ineligible for that position no matter what.
Therefore, even if all his teeth break today, he has to swallow them all.
After figuring out these two points, his gaze towards Wen Tinglan became much warmer and more affectionate: "Lord Wen is truly talented! I will never forget your guidance."
"However, I have another question for you, sir. What do you mean by saying that there might be other assassins hiding in the hall?"
He had already concluded that the mastermind was his half-brother, the Third Prince, and this question was intended to test whether Wen Jie was aware of the Third Prince's plans beforehand. He wanted to know whether the Third Prince's assassination attempt on him today was a coincidence or a calculated move after learning of his scheme.
Wen Tinglan wasn't buying his feigned ignorance and said directly, "Your Highness surely already has a plan, so why ask me?"
The Second Prince looked slightly embarrassed by Wen's directness. "There are quite a few people attending the banquet today, and many of them are not under my command. In your opinion, Lord Wen, how should I silence the gossip?"
Wen Tinglan's face already showed some weariness. Upon hearing this, he didn't beat around the bush with him: "If Your Highness is really afraid of that possibility, then you should make a decisive decision."
The second prince was slightly taken aback; Wen Jie was telling him to clip his own wings...
He weighed his thoughts for a moment, but did not reveal his attitude. "I apologize for the poor hospitality tonight, sir. I will come to apologize in person tomorrow. I have many things to do tonight, so I will not see you off, sir."
Wen Tinglan nodded, bowed to him, and then left without looking back.
Once he was completely out of sight, the leader of the men in black beside the Second Prince leaned down and asked in his ear, "Your Highness, should I follow you?"
The Second Prince waved his hand, "No need. Wen Jie is always meticulous and discreet. Besides, do you think my foolish third brother would even catch his eye?"
When the Third Prince was mentioned, his face instantly darkened, and he ordered, "I have something else for you to do."
As expected, at the third alleyway to the east, the carriage was still there, not having left. However, the driver, Xiao Xu, looked slightly uneasy and silently winked at Wen Tinglan.
Wen Tinglan paused, then casually lifted the curtain and boarded the carriage.
However, before he could even sit down, a beam of snow-white moonlight suddenly fell on his neck.
Despite the frost-like chill, Wen Tinglan felt as if the skin touching it was being burned away.
He reached out and touched the longsword lying across his throat. His snow-white fingers, in the night, were even more captivating than the sword itself, forged from cold jade.
"Ah Yu," he said in a low, hoarse voice, but then pushed the blade a little closer to his own neck, leaving a faint red mark. "In all these years, have you ever thought of me?"
In the corner of the carriage, Hengbo's hand gripping the sword suddenly tightened. She had naively believed that even if the world changed and things didn't go as planned, even if the two of them went their separate ways, she would still wish him joy every year and happiness every spring without any reservations.
In the end, however, I was far less magnanimous than I had imagined, and when we met again, resentment and complaints were the first things that came to mind.
Not receiving a reply, Wen Tinglan didn't mind. He turned his head to look at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in the darkness, which had shed its disguise.
He had imagined countless times what the majestic Princess Shenxiao would look like when she grew up, and what it would be like when they met again.
But it turns out that no matter how they reunited, he was happy to accept it.
Even though she wanted her own life.
His icy expression melted away, replaced by a gentle warmth: "Ayu, I miss you so much."
Hengbo finally sheathed his sword, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and ignored him.
Wen Tinglan, however, wouldn't let her off the hook, deliberately moving closer to her, "Is Ayu angry with me?"
The breath, carrying the cool fragrance of orchids, brushed against the fine hairs on Hengbo's face, sending shivers down his spine.
Yokobo couldn't help but push his face away slightly with the hilt of her sword, rolling her eyes at him with a hint of resentment, letting him figure it out for himself.
Wen Tinglan was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh. It turned out that there was nothing unfamiliar about her; at least, Princess Shenxiao's eye-rolling had never changed.
Hengbo couldn't help but smile when she saw Wen Tinglan's two sharp canine teeth that she accidentally revealed.
Although Wen Jie had been known since childhood for being upright, well-mannered, and mature beyond his years, if he were truly like that, how could he be inseparable from the willful and unruly Princess Shenxiao?
After all, his oft-repeated phrase "Princess, slow down" is always followed by "Wait for me."
It's a pity that only A-Yu knows about the two canine teeth that grew wildly behind his cold, thin lips, except for his family who watched him grow up.
“Ayu,” Wen Tinglan suddenly stopped smiling and said solemnly, “The Second Prince’s life is not worth risking your life for. If there is anything you want to do, you can give orders to your old subordinates.”
The smile on Hengbo's face faded, and she shook her head as she looked directly into Wen Tinglan's earnest eyes.
She had seen the fire that illuminated the entire world that night, and she was unwilling to add even one more life to it.
Wen Tinglan remained silent. He understood her rejection, and he was not unaware of the persistence behind it. But precisely because of this, a longing that had been buried deep in his heart was now spreading like wildfire.
Suddenly, he knelt down in the moving carriage, offering not only the gold a man should kneel before, but also his entire way out for the rest of his life.
Despite the jolting of the carriage, Wen Tinglan's voice remained as steady as unyielding ice: "Living a life of mere survival is not a fate that the old guard accepts, nor is a prosperous era that Ji Heng can bear."
“Shenxiao, you are not my personal choice, you are the one everyone hopes for.”
Hengbo's body suddenly stiffened. She had always considered herself a passerby in Yujing. If she could survive after everything was over, she wanted to return to Biyun Mountain.
She was born in Yujing, but never considered herself to belong here. The task Wen Jie entrusted to her was too difficult, too heavy, and too unrealistic; she dared not accept it.
After a long stalemate, Wen Tinglan finally gave in first. He dusted off his clothes, sat down again, and smiled calmly: "Ayu, you have to choose your own path. I won't force you."
Hengbo didn't feel any relief. Ayu could choose her own path, but what about Shenxiao? Shenxiao was never free.
...
The carriage sped along the road, kicking up dust, while at the end of the road stood two figures almost entirely shrouded in the night.
"Young master, the princess is also in the carriage." Hei Feng finally revealed this bloody truth to Shen Guitang. If they hadn't arrived a step too late, it would have been because the princess and Wen Jie had planned this all along.
Neither of these possibilities is something Shen Guitang can readily accept, especially since when he first saw Wen Jie appear, this murderous figure beside him exuded killing intent from the very marrow of his bones.
Shen Guitang glanced at him and turned to leave. Hei Feng quickly followed, "Young Master, where are you going?"
"Let's go for a drink."
"Huh?" Black Wind wanted to ask him if he didn't like drinking, but seeing that he was in a really bad mood tonight, he wisely shut his mouth. "Okay, okay."
Thinking about it, his young master was really pitiful. He had finally fallen in love once in over twenty years, but the girl already had a fiancé... Thinking of this, Hei Feng's gaze towards Shen Guitang softened considerably.
Unexpectedly, Shen Guitang frowned as he looked at him: "Why are you following me? I'll go drink, and you," he pointed to Mingcui Tower not far away, "go clean up the traces left by the little princess."
Black Wind: ...How desperate must a person be to sympathize with a devil?
After wandering around, Shen Guitang finally stopped in front of the courtyard of a house in the west of the city.
Upon hearing the knock, the servant put on his coat and hurried over to open the door, shouting for directions. However, the moment he met the person's icy gaze, his drowsiness vanished instantly.
Shen Guitang was led into the house by him. It turned out that this seemingly inconspicuous courtyard was actually quite extraordinary inside. This was the branch of Bumingtang in Yujing.
He instructed the servant, "Call Aunt Chen to see me. Also, bring me some Qianqiu Xue." After saying that, he stepped past the man and nimbly passed through the many hidden mechanisms set up in the corridor to go up to the pavilion.
Although no one else lives in the attic besides him, it remains spotless even after many days of absence, indicating that Aunt Shen has arranged for someone to clean it daily.
He had just turned on the light when there was a knock at the door. Shen Guitang, who was rummaging through something on the bookshelf, didn't even turn around and said, "Come in."
However, the person who came in did not make a sound. Shen Guitang turned around in confusion and saw a woman with a rather unfamiliar face.
The woman was holding the Thousand Autumn Snow that Shen Guitang had ordered. When she saw him looking at her, she nervously explained, "Aunt Shen has gone out and hasn't returned yet. We've already sent someone to inform her."
Shen Guitang nodded, gesturing for her to place the wine on the table. "Miss Bai, I didn't expect you to still be here."
It turns out that this person was Bai Sanniang, a key witness in the case of Zhao Lian embezzling funds for the construction of the mausoleum.
For some reason, Bai San Niang was somewhat afraid of Shen Guitang: "After the case was closed, I returned to the village, but since my mother was no longer there, I didn't know what to do there. So, I came back, and I can still do some odd jobs."
Shen Guitang neither confirmed nor denied this, only sighing, "The Pavilion helped you kill your uncle and aunt, and you testified against Zhao Lian for the Pavilion. That's enough. The Pavilion of Undying is no good place. Why bother coming here?"
Bai San Niang thought Shen Guitang was trying to get rid of her, and she panicked.
She and her mother lived a simple life in Baijia Village, doing some timber processing work. Although they weren't rich, they were at least able to eat their fill.
However, at the beginning of the year, her uncle and aunt returned to the village for the Spring Festival and stayed at their house. She and her mother kindly entertained them, but her uncle became so despicable that he set his sights on his widowed sister-in-law. One night, after getting drunk, he forced himself on her mother in front of her, and her aunt not only did not stop him, but also cursed her mother as a vixen who seduced her husband.
Unable to bear the humiliation, her mother threw herself into a well the next day. Meanwhile, her uncle claimed that he had acted recklessly while drunk, and threatened her by mentioning his relationship with Zhao Lian, the head of the Ministry of Works.
The couple imprisoned Bai San Niang in the pigsty for many days under the pretext that she had gone mad from excessive grief, in an attempt to drive her completely insane.
She almost went crazy, but she hated it so much!
It was this hatred that sustained her as she escaped. No matter what, she was going to report to the authorities in Yujing and make them pay for their crimes in blood!
Fortunately, Heaven had eyes, and she actually met a judge from the Dali Temple in Yujing.
His eyes held pity, but his words plunged her into an icy abyss: "Young lady, the Dali Temple can investigate cases, but it cannot make decisions for you. Even if your uncle has truly broken the law, in the end, he will only receive a beating."
Are you satisfied with this result?
Covered in filth, Bai Sanniang gritted her teeth: "No! How could I be satisfied!"
Seeing this, the fair-skinned young judge smiled, revealing a pair of dimples: "In that case, I'll show you the way to the Yellow Springs, young lady, shall I?"
Bai San Niang had seen Shen Guitang take action. In fact, the ledgers in her uncle's possession, which showed his collusion with Zhao Lian, were discovered by Shen Guitang.
The thought of that pool of blood and flesh made Bai San Niang shudder.
But at this moment, she wanted to fight for a path worth pursuing: "Young master, I am already on the road to the underworld," she clenched her fingers, as if in doing so she could grasp her own destiny, "and I do not want to turn back."
In her most unbearable yet most desperate moment, it was Buming Pavilion that gave meaning to her life. Therefore, she was unwilling to leave.
"That's enough," Shen Guitang had seen too many stubborn people like this, so she stopped trying to persuade him. "Go down."
Seeing that he no longer mentioned letting her leave, Bai San Niang breathed a sigh of relief. However, before leaving, she couldn't help but say, "Young master, you are a good person." After saying that, she quickly withdrew.
Shen Guitang gave a self-deprecating laugh: Me? A good person?
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-02-19 16:52:08 and 2024-02-21 10:37:17!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 point;
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: point_lèlèlè 2 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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