Chapter 27 "This man is so handsome, Your Highness, look!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down, Your Majesty, please calm down. Taking care of your health is the most important thing..." Granny Sun comforted her while waving her hand to signal the guards to leave.
Once only her trusted confidantes remained in the hall, she approached and whispered, "Your Majesty, why be so angry? There's plenty of time; just wait for the next opportunity..."
"What next time!" the Empress suddenly snapped. "Now that His Majesty has taken notice, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven to harm Yuhe again!"
Granny Sun was taken aback by this sudden outburst of anger and immediately lowered her head, daring not to say another word.
The Empress paced back and forth in the hall, her anger fading and replaced by a deep, melancholy.
I wonder if His Majesty will suspect her in this matter.
What I fear most is that His Majesty might develop a dislike for her, which could ultimately implicate her family...
The matter of Cao Zhang was already widely discussed and ridiculed, and it also led to repeated attacks on the Cao family by their political enemies in the court. If they were to be convicted of murdering the princess, the Cao family's century-old legacy would be destroyed in an instant!
The Empress felt a tightness in her chest, and her fingertips dug deeply into her palms.
She stopped and looked at Granny Sun. "In the name of Fengyi Palace, send some of the best tonics to Yuhe. Tell her that I heard she was ill and I am worried about her. I hope she can rest and recuperate in peace."
...
Jiang Fushi leaned listlessly against the soft pillows, unable to even pick up her usual medical books or concentrate on reading them.
The kitchen tried all sorts of ways to cook for her, but she would only take a couple of bites before shaking her head and pushing the food away.
That day, as she was drifting off to sleep, Qingdai entered quietly and whispered, "Your Highness, someone from Fengyi Palace has arrived."
Jiang Fushi frowned wearily, feeling annoyed, but still forced herself to get up, change her clothes, and receive the guest.
Unexpectedly, the visitor was quite understanding and did not make her work. Instead, he asked her to rest quietly in the inner room, and then Granny Sun personally brought in the reward.
"Her Majesty the Empress heard that the Princess was unwell and was very concerned. She specially sent this old servant to visit her. These tonics were all personally selected by Her Majesty. She hopes that Her Highness will recover soon."
Granny Sun spoke respectfully, her face showing just the right amount of concern.
Jiang Fushi leaned against the pillow and nodded slightly, her voice weak: "Thank you for making this trip, Granny. Please convey my gratitude to the Empress Dowager for her concern."
“Your Highness is too kind. This old servant will certainly convey your message.” Granny Sun bowed respectfully. “This old servant dares not disturb Your Highness’s rest; I will take my leave now.”
After Granny Sun and her entourage left, the bedchamber returned to silence. Jiang Fushi gazed at the table full of exquisite brocade boxes, the last vestiges of warmth in her eyes fading away.
The Empress has arrived again.
Such contrived concern, if unknown to others, might lead them to believe that the Empress is incredibly kind to her and treats her like her own daughter.
Who could have imagined that she was trying to kill her again and again from behind the scenes?
"Qingdai," she called softly, "let Rongrong come over and carefully examine these rewards."
She paused, then said coldly, "Check if there's been any tampering."
Qingdai dared not delay and immediately obeyed the order to summon Rongrong.
Rongrong carefully examined each medicinal herb and tonic, and finally reported, "Your Highness, there is no problem with these medicinal herbs. Moreover, they all appear to be of extremely high quality."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fushi gave a mocking laugh.
Was the Empress's action a pretense to show concern for her father, the Emperor? Or was it a sign of fear and an eagerness to make amends after her scheme failed?
But it doesn't matter anymore.
In this round, she ultimately escaped unscathed.
She rubbed her temples wearily. Although she felt better after a good night's sleep, the physical exhaustion became apparent as soon as her tense mind relaxed.
As the saying goes, a doctor cannot heal himself. Although she is well-versed in pharmacology, the illness caused by this mental and physical exhaustion does require time to recover.
Just after noon, Lou Bingling arrived at the mansion and was led directly into Qingdai's bedroom.
Seeing that Jiang Fushi's face was still pale but her spirits were still good, Lou Bingling was clearly relieved. She took Jiang Fushi's hand, her fingertips trembling slightly from lingering fear.
Jiang Fushi immediately dismissed the palace servants who were standing by.
Seeing that there was no one else in the hall, Lou Bingling dared to lower her voice and say, "How could this be? What happened to Your Highness at the imperial mausoleum? There are rumors circulating outside. I only heard that something serious happened, but I don't know the details."
Jiang Fushi briefly recounted her failed escape attempt, how she was sent back to the Zhai Palace by a mysterious person, and how the Empress attempted to frame her for adultery and ultimately killed her to silence her.
Lou Bingling was shocked upon hearing this: "My people waited for Your Highness at the mountain god temple for seven whole days but did not see you. I thought... I never expected that Her Majesty the Empress would hate Your Highness so much that she would want to kill you."
Jiang Fushi shook her head helplessly, then changed the subject and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time: "Was I rescued by someone that night by your people?"
“It shouldn’t be.” Lou Bingling shook her head, her expression certain: “I asked them immediately when they came back to report, and none of them had met with His Highness. I thought His Highness had canceled the plan at the last minute.”
Jiang Fushi bit her lip.
Regardless of who that person was that night, whether they were protecting her or had ulterior motives, she can no longer risk her life alone.
She looked up at Lou Bingling: "Bingling, your household is frequented by many talented military men. Do you know where you can find a bodyguard with a clean background, high martial arts skills, and who is reliable enough?"
"Hmm..." Lou Bingling pondered for a moment: "Does Your Highness wish to add another layer of protection to your side?"
“But such a person is hard to come by. He must be outstanding in martial arts, have a clean background, and be loyal to His Highness… I’m afraid it will be difficult to find one in a short time.” Lou Bingling looked troubled.
"However, I can go back and ask my father to select some young guards with respectable family backgrounds from among his personal guards for Your Highness to review."
"Alright." Jiang Fushi nodded; this was the safest option at the moment.
Lou Bingling took out a flat square box carefully sealed with oiled paper and gently pushed it in front of Jiang Fushi: "Your Highness, this is the travel permit that was prepared for you. Although this trip did not go as planned, I still give it to you in the hope that it will put your mind at ease."
“There are three travel permits inside, each with a different destination. The name field is blank; you can fill it in when you need it.” She lowered her voice. “The source is absolutely clean; they are from my mother’s household for emergencies. They can’t be traced back to us.”
As her fingertips lightly touched the cool oil paper, Jiang Fushi felt as if she had been struck hard in the softest part of her heart. She hadn't expected that, in her most isolated and helpless moment, Bingling had already silently paved the way for her.
"Thank you, Bingling." Her voice was slightly hoarse as she tightly tucked the wooden box into her sleeve. "I will never forget this kindness."
"I only wish that Your Highness... will one day achieve your wish and have a bright future."
...
Zhan Xiao returned to Anpingfang.
He took a bath, pouring cold well water over himself from head to toe. Water droplets rolled down his taut lines, and under the moonlight, crisscrossing scars covered his back.
Before the water had dried, he casually grabbed a clean, dark-colored short-sleeved shirt and put it on.
He stepped inside and sat down at the wooden table. He placed the Jade Folding Sword across his lap, took out a piece of chamois leather, and began to wipe the blade, from the guard to the tip, again and again. The cold surface of the sword reflected his calm, expressionless eyes.
The candlelight crackled softly.
He put down his sword, leaned against the couch fully clothed, and closed his eyes to rest.
At dawn, before the sky was bright, Zhan Xiao suddenly opened his eyes. A light but clear footstep approached slowly and finally stopped in front of his door.
In an instant, Zhan Xiao silently moved to the side of the door, his fingertips resting on the hilt of his sword.
A moment later, a restrained knock sounded on the door.
"Ah Xiao?"
It's carpenter Lei.
Zhan Xiao concealed his murderous aura and did not respond immediately.
Lei knocked twice more, muttering to himself, "Still not back?"
Just as he turned to leave, the door behind him opened silently.
Zhan Xiao stood in the shadows inside the door, watching him.
"You're back! I was just trying my luck to see if you were back." A-Lei turned around, a simple smile spreading across his face.
"What's up?"
"Oh, is that so?" Lei took out a plain letter from his pocket. "About seven or eight days ago, someone came looking for you and said you weren't here, so they asked me to pass this on."
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhan Xiao's eyes, but his expression remained cold and stern: "Who is it? When?"
A Lei scratched his head: "About seven days ago, around noon. The person who came was a rather respectable-looking servant."
Zhan Xiao took the letter, his fingertips touching a clear wax seal with a wind pattern on the back.
"Oh right, wait for me, I'll be right back." As if he suddenly remembered something, Lei ran home and soon came out carrying a uniquely shaped wooden moon lantern.
The main body of the lamp is a round, bright moon, made of countless delicate wooden pieces joined together with mortise and tenon joints. When closed, it fits perfectly, and when opened, it emits a warm glow.
“Last time I tried to pay you back, you refused to accept it. I thought about it and realized I couldn’t accept such a great favor from you for nothing, so I made you a little trinket.”
“You live alone and are often away from home on delivery missions. When you come back at night, having a light on makes it feel less lonely.”
Perhaps fearing that Zhan Xiao wouldn't even accept this, A Lei squeezed into the room without saying a word and hung the lamp under the beam in the main room.
"Alright." Lei looked at it with satisfaction: "Look, open it up and you can put a candle flame or a luminous pearl inside. Even if you don't put anything in it, just hanging it there is a keepsake. In short, when you come home, you can see it as soon as you open the door, so it's like having something waiting for you to come back."
Zhan Xiao stood still, his gaze sweeping over the lamp.
After seeing Ah Lei off, he turned back and bolted the door. He took out a letter, which was blank. Then, he fetched some well water and sprinkled it on the paper. Instantly, a line of clear handwriting appeared on the paper:
As he closed the letter, a hint of anger rose to Zhan Xiao's brow.
He changed into a black outfit, put on a mask, and arrived at the Invitation Moon Pavilion located in the west of the city.
This is a famous place in the capital for listening to music and appreciating music. Like the Worry-Free Tavern, it is located in the bustling city center, using the noise to cover up countless secrets.
This is one of the core strongholds of the media organization in Beijing.
Here, as long as you can afford the price, you can buy any information about the martial arts world or even the imperial court; the more secretive and astonishing the information, the more expensive it is.
As soon as Zhan Xiao stepped into the main hall, a steward-like man immediately bowed and led the way, bypassing the noisy front hall and passing through several corridors. Deep within the elegant courtyard with its winding stream, a middle-aged man dressed as a Confucian merchant was already waiting for him.
It was Wen Yuan, the person in charge of this base.
"What do you mean?" Zhan Xiao asked coldly, a hint of murderous intent emanating from him.
He has never revealed his address, yet the media has come knocking on his door.
Wen Yuan remained calm and smiled, "Brother Hanren, since we at Fengmei are in the business of trading news from all over the world, we naturally need to know every distinguished guest inside and out. But we also have principles, and we will never sell out the identity and whereabouts of our clients. This time, we are only taking the liberty of ensuring that the news is delivered without any problems."
“Besides,” he said, picking up the teapot and pouring a cup for Zhan Xiao, “your name is renowned throughout the martial world. The name ‘Cold Blade’ is the nightmare of countless people. How could we possibly cut off our own arm to become enemies with a powerhouse like you?”
As soon as Wen Yuan finished speaking, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zhan Xiao did not move, nor did his gaze change, but a chilling killing intent, almost tangible, spread out, silently choking Wen Yuan's breath.
Wen Yuan's smile froze for a moment, and the fingers that were pushing the teacup twitched subconsciously, but he eventually regained his composure.
The stagnant, suffocating atmosphere lasted for a full three breaths. Just as cold sweat was about to bead on Wen Yuan's forehead, the murderous intent that had enveloped him suddenly receded like a tide.
Zhan Xiao's dark robes fluttered slightly, and he sat down calmly, as if there had never been a moment of tension.
Seeing this, Wen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and clapped his hands twice with a smile. The door to the room opened, and several songstresses carrying musical instruments slowly entered. They tried to sit next to Zhan Xiao in a coquettish manner, but were forced to freeze in place by Zhan Xiao's cold gaze, which was filled with murderous intent, and dared not take another step forward.
"It is said in the martial world that Han Ren never kills women. I thought you were a man who cherishes women, which is why I wanted to curry favor with you. I did not expect you to be so virtuous. I was being presumptuous." Wen Yuan waved his hand to dismiss the crowd.
Zhan Xiao raised his hand slightly, but did not touch the teacup. He simply flicked his finger lightly on the rim of the cup.
A clear, melodious chirping sound.
The white porcelain teacup snapped cleanly in two from the middle, the cut surface as smooth as a mirror. The tea inside, however, was enveloped by an invisible force, maintaining its cylindrical shape and suspended in mid-air without a single drop spilling.
The water jet remained suspended in the air for three breaths before crashing down, leaving a dark stain on the table.
Wen Yuan's composure froze instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he stared in shock.
I had long heard that the Cold Blade Sword Technique was divine, but I never knew that his cultivation had reached the realm of 'condensing Qi into Qi and lifting heavy objects with ease'! This is beyond the reach of ordinary martial arts; it requires an extremely refined control over one's internal energy.
Faced with such absolute power, Han Ren could kill him in less than a second, without even needing to use his sword; a single burst of energy would be enough to take his life.
This is a silent warning.
It was both a warning to him not to act rashly again and a deterrent to prevent him from faking it. He truly deserved to be called the number one person in the world, with an extraordinary aura.
Zhan Xiao cut to the chase: "The information I need."
Wen Yuan didn't hesitate for a moment: "Some time ago, the spies found out that the master of Yun Shen Pavilion is not dead and is currently hiding in Da Que Kingdom."
Since he was 12 years old, when his three adoptive mothers died tragically in front of Zhan Xiao.
To survive and seek revenge, he worked as a lowly escort in a security escort agency, traveling all over the country with the escort team, enduring wind and rain. He also worked as a porter at the ferry, earning a few copper coins a day. He even guarded the mortuary for a funeral shop, keeping company with coffins and the dead, with phosphorescent green lights floating in front of him at midnight, all for the sake of earning a few more coins of "courage money".
He used every copper coin stained with blood and sweat to investigate clues, and finally killed his first enemy when he was sixteen years old, and learned that the mastermind behind it all was Yun Shen Ge.
Years have passed, and he single-handedly uprooted the Yun Shen Pavilion's influence in the Sheng Kingdom, leaving countless lives lost to his sword. However, the Pavilion Master, Yun Tianlei, seemed to have vanished into thin air. After searching for so long, he finally heard that name again.
"The Great Que Kingdom, its exact location."
Wen Yuan smiled and said, "The Great Que Kingdom and my Great Sheng Kingdom have never had diplomatic relations. There are many checkpoints and we don't speak the same language. It is already quite an achievement that our Fengmei spies were able to confirm that the person was in their territory."
The implication was that he wanted more money, and Zhan Xiao waited for his next words.
Wen Yuan extended his index finger and waved it slowly in the air: "Ten thousand taels, and our Fengmei will guarantee to dig up Yun Tianlei's whereabouts in the Great Que Kingdom from top to bottom."
Zhan Xiao remained silent for a moment, then took out a silver note from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Deposit".
Wen Yuan leaned forward and saw the number on the banknote, thinking to himself that the deal was done.
"Your Excellency is indeed decisive. We will immediately activate the secret agents of the Great Que Kingdom. We will notify you as usual once we have any news."
...
Lou Bingling acted swiftly, and the next day she had someone lead more than ten capable young men into the princess's residence. Dozens of young men stood ramrod straight in the courtyard of the princess's residence, exuding an air of military discipline.
The courtyard had already been set up. Jiang Fushi sat in a rosewood armchair under the eaves, with the commander of the princess's guards acting as the examiner, ordering them to demonstrate their martial arts skills and spar with each other.
But for some reason, these young men, who should have been skilled in the military, were performing poorly at this moment, their moves were stiff and lacked any sharpness.
In the shadow of the eaves not far away, Xing'e flicked her fingertips, and a small hidden weapon in her hand shot out silently, accurately hitting the knee tendon of a person who was about to exert force, causing his move to be instantly deformed.
With the two sisters, 'Moon Shadow', secretly causing trouble, these Grand Commandant's personal guards naturally all "underperformed".
Jiang Fushi grew increasingly uninterested and disappointed: how could these people, given their current behavior, become her confidants and be entrusted with her life?
She sighed deeply and was about to wave her hand to indicate that the day was over.
At this moment, a palace maid standing by offered a cup of warm ginseng tea and whispered, "Your Highness, while the best soldiers in the army are certainly loyal and brave, they may not know the ways of the martial arts world. Why not try setting up a public arena? With a generous reward, there will surely be brave men. I'm sure many skilled martial arts heroes will come after hearing the news."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fushi's eyes brightened slightly.
That makes sense.
Instead of relying on these hesitant personal guards, it would be better to open the gates wide, use the arena to create momentum, and personally select a capable person.
She immediately ordered everyone in the manor to begin preparations for the arena.
The palace maid who had offered the advice smiled knowingly, and carrying the tea tray, she slowly retreated along the corridor to a secluded spot behind a rockery.
Yue'e quickly changed out of her palace maid's clothes and nodded to Xing'e on the opposite roof. After the two exchanged a silent glance, Yue'e quietly left the princess's residence.
Back at the Worry-Free Tavern, Yue'e went straight to the quiet room where Yunniang handled her affairs. As soon as she reached the corridor, she saw a man dressed in a black and purple outfit with his back to her, flipping through a file in his hand.
It's... it's Han Ren! He's here too!
Yue'e instinctively paused, a chill running down her spine, causing her to tense up instantly.
Although she had never fought Han Ren, rumors about his ruthless style and terrifying strength had already taken root in people's hearts.
Moreover, all the assassins in the tavern were trained from childhood, except for Han Ren, who was personally brought back from outside by Yun Niang, whose strength far surpassed that of the others.
When he first entered the tavern, several top assassins, defiant of his abilities, joined forces to give him a hard time. However, within three breaths, they were all on the ground, either dead or crippled. And Hanren's sword hadn't even been drawn.
Yunniang then emerged from the inner room, breaking the deadlock.
Seeing that Yue'e was so frightened that her whole body stiffened, Yunniang nodded slightly to her, signaling her to relax.
"how?"
Yue'e respectfully reported, "Everything is fine at the Princess's residence. Princess Yuhe has decided to hold a public selection of guards. I believe this is the perfect opportunity for us to arrange for our men to infiltrate the area, so I have come to report."
Yunniang did not respond immediately, but looked at Hanren instead.
He remained as calm and composed as ever, and she wasn't even sure if Han Ren had heard Yue'e's words.
Han Ren came early this morning and asked her for some files about the Great Que Kingdom. He's been looking at them ever since, and I don't know what he's going to do with them.
Yunniang said, "Did you hear that? Your chance has come."
"……Um."
...
Princess's residence publicly recruited personal bodyguards. The moment the arena was set up, the news spread like wildfire throughout the capital, attracting countless commoners and martial arts practitioners to come and watch.
At the entrance of the government office.
Jiang Fushi sat behind a makeshift high platform with a gauze curtain. The arena was set up in the center of the wide square in front of the mansion gate. The people who wanted to register lined up from the registration desk next to the arena all the way to the street corner. The crowd was bustling and noisy.
Qingdai and Zisu stood on either side of the gauze curtain, scanning the surging crowd below.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, look! What's that man like?" Qingdai pointed to a burly man wielding double hammers on the arena, who was forcing his opponent to retreat repeatedly.
Jiang Fushi looked in the direction of the sound and saw that although the strong man's moves were fierce, they were too straightforward and had obvious flaws.
"Not very good." She couldn't help but tease, "All that strength, but not much of a brain. What, you like this type?"
Qingdai blushed instantly, "Oh dear, Your Highness, you're just making fun of me!"
A suppressed chuckle suddenly rang out from both inside and outside the gauze curtain.
The autumn sun was warm but not scorching. Jiang Fushi was infected by the relaxed atmosphere and sat lazily in the armchair with brocade cushions, watching the arena with great interest through the thin gauze.
The competition consists of three rounds. The first round tests strength, accuracy, and agility in order to quickly weed out those who are not qualified.
Bronze tripods weighing between 100 and 500 jin were displayed on the sidelines. Many applicants, their faces flushed, could only barely budge them, while some even twisted their backs as soon as they exerted force, drawing laughter from the crowd. After the tests, only a dozen or so people remained standing in the originally large crowd.
The second round was a real, drawn-out battle. Contestants took turns drawing bamboo slips and dueling in pairs according to the numbers on the slips. Only the final winners qualified for the third round, to face the princess's personal examination.
The atmosphere on the stage suddenly became tense.
The first pair to come on stage were a tall, thin man wielding a staff and a burly, dark-faced man wielding two swords.
The tall, thin man wielded his staff with incredible speed, attempting to use his long weapon against the short one, but the burly, dark-faced man wielded his twin swords with impenetrable precision, launching a fierce close-quarters attack.
Before twenty rounds were over, a "crack" was heard, the stick was cut in half by the double swords, and the tall, thin man was kicked off the stage.
"Bravo!" A burst of cheers erupted from the audience.
The burly, dark-faced man didn't step down; instead, he arrogantly clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Any other brothers willing to come up and offer their guidance?"
He actually intended to press his advantage in this second round and establish his dominance immediately! This undoubtedly ignited the flames of battle. Three more people went up to challenge him, but all were defeated by his twin swords.
"What amazing swordsmanship!"
"This person is likely to advance directly!"
Although the burly man with the dark face was slightly out of breath, the cheers and discussions from the audience emboldened him, and his gaze swept across the audience with a rather disdainful air.
For a moment, no one in the audience dared to step forward easily.
Just as Liu Zi, who was in charge of the ceremony, was about to speak, a figure in black landed in the center of the arena like a feather.
The autumn sunlight outlined his sharp profile, his brows and eyes deep and cold, and his whole being exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.
His unique, quiet demeanor immediately drew everyone's attention upon his appearance.
Both Qingdai and Zisu leaned forward slightly, as if by unspoken agreement.
"This person...is really handsome," Qingdai whispered, unable to hide her excitement. "Your Highness, look!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
