Chapter 73 Locking the Phoenix Tree (Part 6) How much pent-up frustration must one have endured?
"Have you heard? There was a thief at your house last night."
"Where would I hear that? And where did you get this news from?"
"Didn't you notice that there are twice as many guards patrolling over Vegetable Alley? Judging by that, what happened last night was quite serious."
Old Zhao was squatting by the pool picking vegetables when he heard this, and his hands trembled.
This morning, as usual, he waited for Guisheng at the door of his house, but no one came. Fearing that he would be late and be scolded by his superiors, he had no choice but to drive the cart to deliver the vegetables himself. However, as soon as he arrived at the side gate, he was stopped by the guards with a stern shout, and the cart and the man were overturned.
The scale of the operation was so impressive that they practically investigated every single fly that passed by.
Old Zhao became increasingly uneasy, feeling that Gui Sheng was definitely involved in the matter.
If that's the case, wouldn't I be an accomplice who handed over the knife? In this dignified royal palace, crushing a vegetable deliveryman would be as easy as crushing an ant.
While he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him. His hand trembled, and he tore off half a vegetable leaf.
"Stop what you're doing!"
The newcomer was Steward Zhou from the inner courtyard. He was usually the kindest person, but now he had a stern face and pointed at him and several men in the courtyard, saying, "You, and you guys, take off your shirts."
Old Zhao's heart sank suddenly. He threw down the vegetable leaves in his hand, his fingers unconsciously clutching his clothes.
Behind Steward Zhou stood two guards with swords, their eyes as sharp as hawks, clearly brooking no disobedience.
Several vegetable farmers working the rough work in the yard looked at each other, some muttering under their breath, "What kind of situation is this?" But they didn't dare to delay and slowly loosened their belts.
Old Zhao swallowed hard, his fingertips trembling as he untied the drawstring of his coarse cloth jacket. The icy morning breeze rushed into his arms, making him shiver.
Manager Zhou squinted, his gaze sweeping over everyone's chests and backs inch by inch, as if searching for something.
Old Zhao glanced over and saw that Uncle Gen beside him was dark and rough, covered with old scars and sunburn marks. Young Li Ya'er, on the other hand, had fair skin, but there was a fresh scab on his shoulder, as if he had fallen. Zhang Tuozi, on the far side, had a hunched back, his ribs were clearly visible, and his skin was loose and drooping. He was obviously a poor man who had been starving for many years.
Old Zhao looked down at his thin chest, which showed no abnormalities except for a few calluses from years of carrying loads in his early years, but his heart was beating faster and faster.
Why are they being asked to take off their clothes for no reason? Could this be related to the thief from last night?
Just as she was feeling bewildered, Steward Zhou's gaze suddenly fell on the wound on Li Ya'er's shoulder, and he frowned: "How did you get this wound?"
Li Ya'er trembled with fright and stammered, "Replying to the steward, I accidentally bumped into it a few days ago when I was moving firewood..."
Manager Zhou didn't say anything, but reached out and pressed the scab, making Li Ya'er wince in pain.
Old Zhao held his breath, glancing out of the corner of his eye as he saw Steward Zhou's fingers rubbing near Li Ya'er's shoulder blade a few times, as if confirming something.
"Alright." Manager Zhou finally withdrew his hand, his face still gloomy, but he waved his hand, "Put them on."
Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and hurriedly gathered their clothes. Old Zhao's hands were still trembling as he tied his belt, but he felt even more uneasy.
What exactly is Steward Zhou looking for? Could it be that the thief was injured last night? If so, then Gui Sheng…
He dared not think any further, only feeling that the sky above the Prince's mansion seemed even gloomier than usual.
-
In the cramped attic, dust floated in the slanting sunlight, and the musty smell of old paper mixed with the stench of blood weighed heavily on Song Qiling's breath.
She lay on her back on the cold floor, cold sweat soaking through her thin clothes, sticking to her back. The wound on her right shoulder was gruesome, the flesh gaping open, dark red bloodstains spreading darkly on the fabric.
She had pulled the arrow out through gritted teeth and tossed it aside, the tip still clinging to a sticky blood clot.
Each breath felt like a dull knife churning inside her chest, the pain making her vision blur. She trembled as she raised her hand, her fingertips touching her burning forehead.
As expected, I developed a fever.
She cursed in a hoarse voice.
Last night, she evaded the prince's pursuers, climbed through the window into this library, and hasn't come out since. Firstly, her wounds urgently need treatment; fortunately, the arrows weren't poisoned, and they were only superficial wounds. Secondly, her repeated escapes had exhausted her strength, and unfortunately, she had been caught in the cold rain all night, so she was probably suffering from a cold.
Footsteps faintly came from outside the attic, and the creaking sound of boots rolling over the wooden stairs made her stiffen. Song Qiling bit her lower lip tightly, enduring the pain as she curled up into the shadows, her fingers touching the cold dagger in her sleeve.
If discovered, there will be no choice but to fight to the death.
But the footsteps stopped on the next floor, followed by the rustling of pages turning. Song Qiling's tense back relaxed slightly, but then another wave of dizziness struck.
She closed her eyes, a suppressed gasp escaping her throat. With excessive blood loss and a high fever, she knew she wouldn't last much longer.
We need to find a way to get out of here...
She groped for the powder hidden in the lining of her belt, but her fingertips wouldn't obey her. The packet fell to the ground with a "thud," scattering fine white powder all over the floor.
Song Qiling stared at the powder, then suddenly tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a bleak smile.
How did she end up in such a miserable state?
-
The spring sun shines obliquely, and the peach blossoms are bright and beautiful.
Zhao Heng hosted a banquet in the garden, inviting several young masters from prominent families to appreciate the flowers and compose poems. Gu Lianzhou, Liu Dai, Yu Qi, and others sat around a blue stone table, on which were laid out exquisite tea and snacks, while a servant was pouring wine from a wine pot.
"Thump—"
A goose-feather arrow pierced the air and landed steadily in a bronze pot in the distance. Cheers erupted in the garden, startling the birds on the branches into flapping their wings and taking flight.
"Great aim!" Yu Qi clapped his hands and laughed, then casually picked up a candied plum from the plate on the stone table and popped it into his mouth, his eyes squinting from the sourness. "Again! Again!"
He turned to Zhao Heng and winked, saying, "Young Master, weren't you looking worried the other day about how you'd offended that young lady? Why aren't you with your fiancée today, instead of keeping us here to entertain you?"
Zhao Heng was tilting his head back and finishing his drink when he heard this. He put down his cup with a "thud" and laughed, "You have the best memory."
He pondered for a moment, then a smile deepened in his eyes. "I have already sent someone to the Li family to deliver an invitation, inviting the brother and sister to come to my residence as guests."
"You certainly know how to save trouble." Although Yu Qi was still clueless about love, he felt this was inappropriate. "Aren't you afraid the girl will be angry with you and not come to the appointment?"
Zhao Heng raised an eyebrow slightly and said firmly, "No, that won't happen."
He paused, then added, "At least not today."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qi was even more bewildered. "What do you mean by that?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Heng sat up straight, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes: "Father had some free time today and agreed to help me find a husband."
Hmm, why does that sound so strange?
It was as if a father had taken the time to order clothes for his son, yet Zhao Heng acted as if he had gotten a bargain.
Yu Qi was speechless for a moment, his lips twitched slightly, and he said dryly, "Ha, Your Highness is indeed very busy, even having to find time to plan your own son's marriage."
He was unaware of the secrets behind it. Zhao Heng chuckled twice, glancing at Gu Lianzhou who was sitting quietly to the side. He noticed that Gu Lianzhou's fingers were lightly touching a strangely shaped leather bag at his waist, and couldn't help but tease him, "Brother Gu's sachet... is quite unique."
It's no wonder he noticed the purse; it was neither made of silk nor ordinary cotton, but a dull, grayish blob hanging at Gu Lianzhou's waist, looking completely out of place with his fine clothes.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qi suddenly leaned over, nudged Gu Lianzhou's shoulder with his elbow, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Could it be a love token from some lover?"
As soon as he finished speaking, ambiguous laughter erupted in the garden.
Gu Lianzhou was not annoyed. He bent down, pulled out an arrow from the quiver, and threw it into the distance. The arrow fell with a "whoosh" and passed through the swaying copper pot earring, causing the pot to vibrate with a "humming" sound.
"Wow, Brother Gu's move is truly..."
Yu Qi's praise suddenly seemed distant, and Gu Lianzhou felt a buzzing in his ears, as if soft whispers were echoing deep in his mind.
As if sensing something, he looked down at his toes and saw a few strands of dodder swimming out from the sole of his boot. He subconsciously rubbed his toes, but the dodder became more active, its tips pointing upwards and extending into the distance.
Gu Lianzhou's fingertips trembled slightly.
He could clearly feel the dodder seed moving along his meridians, causing him inexplicable restlessness.
After being silent for several days, today is unusual, as if... I was woken up by something.
He raised his eyes without making a sound, his gaze passing over the artificial hills and pavilions, and landing on the gray-eaved, red-railed pavilion in the distance.
"Brother Gu, Brother Gu?" Yu Qi's noisy voice suddenly exploded in my ears.
Gu Lianzhou frowned, propped himself up on the table and stood up. With a "bang", the quiver at his feet was knocked to the ground, and more than ten wooden arrows rolled out, making a mess on the ground.
"Excuse me." He took a deep breath, suppressing his discomfort, and walked around the stone table to leave. "I'm going to change my clothes."
Seeing his pale face, Yu Qi and the others assumed he was suffering from the torment of the cycle of rebirth and dared not stop him.
Zhao Heng turned to his servant and instructed, "Lead the way for Young Master Gu."
But Gu Lianzhou hurried along, saying without turning his head, "No need, I'll be right back." As soon as he finished speaking, his clothes fluttered and he disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
Yu Qi felt a deep empathy for what he was seeing, rubbing his stomach and clicking his tongue in amazement: "How much must one have been holding it in?"
A sudden downpour last night soaked the back garden.
The cobblestone path was covered with puddles that hadn't dried yet, and the muddy soil clung stickily to the soles of his boots. Gu Lianzhou paid no attention to the rain-soaked hem of his clothes, only eager to find out one thing.
That's why the dodder detached from his body and sent a strand away.
But that peculiar dodder plant kept stopping and starting, as if it was waiting for him, and continued to swim forward once he caught up.
This scene was truly bizarre.
He walked through lush flowerbeds, around jagged rock formations, and along the pebbly path, finally stopping in front of a secluded building.
The dodder vine climbed up the vermilion door, skillfully slipping into the gap of the brass lock. In just a few breaths, a very soft "click" came from inside the lock cylinder, and the lock opened.
Gu Lianzhou: "..."
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