cooperate
Xu Ruoyan became interested, raised an eyebrow, and looked at him leisurely: "Cooperation? What do you want me to cooperate with you on?"
Pei Jue's words rang out like a thunderclap: "I am the third prince of the previous dynasty."
Xu Ruoyan was genuinely stunned this time.
The former third prince not only lives deep in the mountains, but he's also gone blind?
Shouldn't the princes and grandsons of the emperor be staying in the palace and enjoying a life of luxury? If you're going to make something up, at least make it believable.
She snorted coldly: "Don't try to fool me."
Pei Jue wasn't annoyed and patiently explained, "I'm not lying to you. I was framed and ended up in this situation. If you still don't believe me, I can show you our royal family's token."
Xu Ruoyan stared at Pei Jue for a long time and realized that his expression was not joking, so she wavered a little.
Pei Jue certainly doesn't seem like the type to lie, and besides, even if she saw a royal token, she wouldn't be able to tell if it was real or fake.
"Then I'll believe you for now." Xu Ruoyan touched her nose and suddenly remembered that no one had introduced her to the current situation since she arrived here. She didn't even know what year it was. This was a good opportunity to ask Pei Jue.
So she asked tentatively, "What year and month is it now?"
Pei Jue was puzzled, but still obediently replied, "It's been a year since Emperor Qingwu was enthroned. Why does Madam ask such a question?"
Xu Ruoyan ignored his question and asked, "So that means the previous dynasty only collapsed a year ago?"
Pei Jue nodded.
Since the previous dynasty still existed last year, and Pei Jue has now fallen into such a predicament, Xu Ruoyan could guess the gist of it. It was nothing more than the usual royal drama: rebellion, usurpation, annexation, and the like.
Xu Ruoyan looked at the down-on-his-luck prince in front of her with a curious gaze.
It seems he belongs to the group that was eliminated in the torrent of history.
"So who's in power now?"
Pei Jue slowly lowered his eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice was a little tight: "My elder brother, Pei Qi."
Xu Ruoyan let out a long "Aww". She understood the family feud.
Xu Ruoyan didn't press the other party too much about their family conflicts. After roughly understanding the situation, she spoke earnestly: "If you ask me, you shouldn't compete with your brother for the throne. After all, it's the primogeniture system, and it's only right that he, as the eldest son, inherits the throne."
Contrary to her expectations, Pei Jue was not comforted. Instead, his voice gradually became more vicious: "When I was young, he and his mother killed my mother to get rid of me. Now that he sees his throne is in danger, he secretly gathers rebellious forces and finally kills my father. How can I not avenge the murder of my mother and father!"
Seeing that he was getting more and more agitated, Xu Ruoyan thought to herself that she was doomed and had really walked into a trap. In order not to let his anger affect her, Xu Ruoyan quickly apologized to him in a humble voice: "It's my fault, I shouldn't have said those things."
Seeing that Pei Jue gradually calmed down under her comforting words, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Then tell me, how do you want me to help you?"
"Help me cure my eyes," Pei Jue said, then seemed to think the request was a bit excessive, and quickly added, "It's okay if you can't cure them."
Xu Ruoyan: "..."
Where did that fierce spirit go?
"The secret guard organization that I led back then has been rebuilt and is in the process of recovery. Their recovery will take time and financial support. And if we want to build a force from scratch that can rival the Imperial Guard and other central armies, financial support is also indispensable."
"Furthermore, we need to gradually build up our influence in the court to create momentum for seizing power. No matter which step we take, we need someone in the court to support us."
Xu Ruoyan's head throbbed with every word. She had thought that after her rebirth, she could simply live a peaceful life in this dark, secluded mountain valley, but who knew that Pei Jue would cause her such a huge mess? With both secret guards and the imperial court involved, it sounded like she could easily lose her head.
Seeing that she didn't react for a while, Pei Jue said in a low voice, "It's okay if Madam doesn't want to help me. I won't force you. You can leave."
Xu Ruoyan still ignored him and asked one last question: "Why did you choose me?"
Pei Jue remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Because you are the person I trust most besides Zhu Ying, and you also have the ability to help me."
Xu Ruoyan chuckled: "We've only lived together for two months. Are you so sure you've seen through me? What if I end up betraying you anyway?"
Pei Jue shook his head: "You won't."
"Moreover," his cool voice echoed in Xu Ruoyan's ears, as if it were frost that sealed away many stories, waiting for the warm sun to melt away that layer of ice and reveal the stories in his heart, "the person I lived with for twenty years, didn't he still betray me in the end?"
As Xu Ruoyan listened to his words, her intuition told her that this matter was far from simple.
But none of that matters at this moment. What matters is that she seems to have finally figured out what she should do after coming into this world.
Since her rebirth, facing this unfamiliar place, all she wanted to do was save up more money and escape. As for where to go or what to do after escaping, she had no answer.
At that moment, Pei Jue gave her an answer.
Seizing the throne for fun sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
After figuring it out, Xu Ruoyan smiled happily, grabbed Pei Jue's hand and made him make a fist, then extended her own fist and touched it with his.
"Then let's say that, my accomplice."
Back in her room, Xu Ruoyan brought out all the medical books she had bought over the past few days, turned on the lamp, and began to study them.
It was too late for her to delve into Pei Jue's plan. But whatever Pei Jue's next plan, his blindness was his biggest obstacle. The most urgent task was to get him out of the village.
Although Xu Ruoyan was proficient in modern medicine, ancient and modern times were different. At least in the modern era, it was a society governed by law, and few people would use poison. She had never seen Pei Juezhong's poison before; it was practically a completely new field. Fortunately, acupuncture was a universal art form, and after modern modifications, its efficacy had become even stronger. Overall, it wasn't a hopeless situation.
However, she was facing a poison she had never seen before, with no precedent for treatment, so she couldn't be careless or act rashly. Xu Ruoyan planned to discuss it with Pei Jue before making a decision.
Before she knew it, it was late at night. Xu Ruoyan turned off the light, rubbed her eyes, and soon fell into a deep sleep after lying down.
Meanwhile, on Pei Jue's side, the flames still flickered in the night, providing a glimmer of light for those who were still awake.
"Master, Madam has gone to sleep."
Pei Jue nodded slightly.
The conversation with Xu Ruoyan at dusk still lingered in my mind.
Does he truly trust Xu Ruoyan?
He didn't believe what he said, Zhu Ying wouldn't believe it, and Xu Ruoyan naturally wouldn't believe it either.
He said that to Xu Ruoyan only to get her to accept his invitation. Given Xu Ruoyan's exceptional intelligence, Pei Jue didn't believe she would unconditionally believe what he said.
However, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he completely distrusts her. After all, Pei Jue would never choose to work with someone whose background he doesn't know. Moreover, agreeing to cooperate with Xu Ruoyan is tantamount to handing over a part of his future to her.
Zhu Ying understood that her master had his own considerations, but she still couldn't help but worry: "Master, is it really okay for you to tell Madam your identity?"
"Besides her, is there a more suitable candidate?"
The bamboo shadows silently bowed their heads.
Indeed, there isn't. Xu Ruoyan and Pei Jue's status as husband and wife makes it easier for them to travel outside; Xu Ruoyan's martial arts skills are not weak, and she can protect Pei Jue when necessary; she herself has heavy daily tasks and needs to run back and forth between Pei Jue and Wuying Pavilion, making it inconvenient for her to take care of Pei Jue or protect him at all times.
No matter what, Xu Ruoyan is the most suitable candidate at present.
After a long silence, Zhu Ying said, "I will dispatch a small group of my strongest guards to protect your safety overnight."
Pei Jue remained silent, which was tantamount to acquiescence.
He certainly understood that winning over Xu Ruoyan was very risky, but from the moment he decided to stand against his brother several years ago, he never made a decision when he was absolutely certain of success.
Isn't life just a certainty made up of countless uncertainties?
That night, Pei Jue and Xu Ruoyan were both fast asleep. Zhu Ying rushed back to Wuying Pavilion to mobilize manpower. In the quiet courtyard, only the sound of the wind passing by could be heard.
Under the thick darkness, a dark figure leaped onto the roof, craning its neck to look down at something.
After a while, the person determined the direction, jumped down, landed lightly, and headed straight for Xu Ruoyan's room.
When he tiptoed into Xu Ruoyan's room, what greeted his eyes was not the precious medicinal herbs he had long coveted, but a human face.
A... human face?
The man dodged backward abruptly, but being unfamiliar with the surroundings, he crashed into the door frame with a thud.
Xu Ruoyan snorted disdainfully and threw the short knife straight at the man's face.
However, Xu Ruoyan did not expect that this person was not to be trifled with. In the blink of an eye, he leaned back and barely dodged Xu Ruoyan's murderous slash.
He's got some skills.
As she thought this, Xu Ruoyan dodged a kick from the opposite side, and at the same time, another short knife flew out of her hand, once again heading towards the man's heart.
The man seemed to have figured out Xu Ruoyan's moves, and hurriedly took two steps back before quickly dodging away.
Then he tripped over the excessively high threshold.
"Idiot." Xu Ruoyan rolled her eyes impatiently, then quickly stepped forward and dislocated his arm. Then, as if by magic, she pulled out a long hemp rope and tied the man up tightly.
The man was about to scream in pain when he suddenly felt a lightness in his body. Looking down, he saw that Xu Ruoyan had lifted him up.
In her terror, a scream caught in her throat. The man's eyes widened as he stared intently at Xu Ruoyan, his legs kicking wildly in the air, twisting himself into a pretzel shape.
He couldn't understand how a woman who looked like she couldn't even kill a chicken could have such great strength.
Xu Ruoyan was too lazy to argue with him. With a dark face, she grabbed the man by the collar, kicked open Pei Jue's door, and threw the man next to Pei Jue's bed: "Don't sleep, your troubles have come knocking on your door."
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