◇ Chapter 100 (100) Are you using me or loving me (Part 2)
Bai Kang ignored his provocation and continued to stand in front of Lianzhi. Their hands were tightly clasped together. Lianzhi hid behind him, shivering with cold.
"Don't be afraid." Bai Kang whispered to comfort him.
Suddenly, Lianzhi raised her hand, grabbed Bai Kang's arm with her five fingers, and threw him backward. Bai Kang fell down unexpectedly, and his knees hit the sharp stones, bleeding profusely.
Lianzhi used all her strength, her right hand hanging down, looking at him expressionlessly. He was no match for Bo Kang in size and strength, and his right arm seemed dislocated.
The temperature in his body was rapidly decreasing along with his blood. More and more people from Mobei and Beihai disguised as merchants gathered around him. Obviously, all of them obeyed Lianzhi's orders.
They were deceived again.
Sadly, until this time, Bai Kang didn't care about his knee injury. When he looked at Lianzhi, all he thought about was whether his right hand would hurt.
Just as the two Mobei men were about to step forward and tie up Bai Kang, Lianzhi suddenly woke up and stopped them, saying, "Wait! He's my man, and I should handle him."
"Your man? Did he think of you when he surrendered to the King of Longxi?" Arus sneered, "Do you dare to ask him?"
Bo Kang was shocked. He had thought that Arus was left by the King of Longxi to monitor Lianzhi. Lianzhi had said the same thing... Oh, that might be a lie.
"It's not your turn to speak here." Lianzhi looked behind her warily. "They still have more than thirty people hiding nearby. Dealing with more than thirty people at once will be too conspicuous. If you don't want to make things worse, just follow my orders. Now, let Bo Kang go."
Upon hearing this, Arus reluctantly raised his hand. The two men then let go of Bo Kang. Bo Kang silently observed that although Arus was unruly, he was very obedient to Lianzhi.
He didn't seem to be the King of Longxi's man. Their relationship, or rather, the relationship between Lianzhi and Mobei, was not that simple.
The two Mobei men retreated behind Arus. Bai Kang didn't move. Just when everyone thought Lianzhi would untie him and send him away, a silver hairpin was placed across Bai Kang's throat, flashing a cold light, and everyone was stunned.
"Killing one is indeed easier than killing thirty." Lianzhi muttered.
"Are you serious?" Arus panicked. "He's an official appointed by the court. Killing him would be too conspicuous! Are you trying to make us wanted?"
"I think you're the one who wants to submit to the King of Longxi," Lianzhi said coldly. "It's come to this. What's the point of issuing a wanted notice? If you don't kill him now, we'll be exposed when he returns!"
No one stopped him. The silver hairpin sank into his skin, and Bo Kang closed his eyes in despair.
"Do you really want to kill me, Lian'er?" Bai Kang asked. Lianzhi paused for a moment, and that simple moment gave Bai Kang hope.
"Prince! Lord Arus!"
In the distance, a maid came running over, "Your Highness, please come over here immediately!"
Lianzhi was stunned, and his movements were forced to stop. He took one last look at Bo Kang, then glared at Arus and gestured, "Follow me."
No one came to untie Bo Kang. The prince seemed to have more important matters to attend to. After waiting for a long time, Bo Kang quietly untied himself. He only had time to take off his outer robe, carry the guard's bloody body on his back, and escape from the courtyard.
He can't go back.
If the other party was exposed, he would also be exposed. Going back now would definitely implicate others. Lianzhi's cold eyes seemed to still be before his eyes, but it was like seeing flowers in the fog.
He hastily buried the guard's body, using dry grass to mask the smell. Wearing only a single layer of clothing, he rushed back to the courtyard. The spot he had been in was deserted. Standing on the rooftop, he could clearly see below. A light was on in the side room, and several maids were conversing with the Mobei man.
The person traveling with Lianzhi, along with her maid, was hard to guess. However, Bo Kang didn't understand why Princess Jinyang, who had been staying at Yanmen Gate for years, was willing to get involved in the struggle for the throne and support Lianzhi?
He, the King of Longxi, and perhaps even more people, were all fooled by Lianzhi. What a trick! Princess Jinyang might have been deceived by Lianzhi as well.
The people below stopped talking. The two maids went into the room and quickly came out. The candlelight in the room was still flickering. Bo Kang saw the opportunity and jumped off the eaves while the maids were changing shifts.
Afraid of being overheard by the people inside, Bo Kang clung to the roof beams tightly. The wound on his knee was still bleeding, and his fingers were frozen stiff, barely able to hold on. Just as he was about to kick the window open and rush in, a dark figure passed by. When he saw the figure outside, he opened the window in surprise.
The person inside is Lianzhi.
Compared to his surprise, Bai Kang breathed a sigh of relief and jumped into the house. Before Lianzhi came out, he held her tightly in his arms and closed the window regardless of Lianzhi's struggle.
His hands were frozen so hard they hurt and stiffened, and his body was freezing cold, so cold that Lianzhi was sneezing. He lifted the man up and looked at the door warily, plotting how to sneak out.
“Snap—”
A palm strike landed, and Lianzhi's face turned red with anger: "Are you crazy? Are you coming back to die?"
"I don't believe you really want to kill me." Bai Kang licked the corner of his lips and said through gritted teeth, "I have something to ask you. When did you start lying to me? In Rongcheng? When we got married? Or. Before that -"
Was their earlier meeting in Liangzhou Lianzhi's intentional act?
The blade was pressed against Bai Kang's throat, but he remained unmoved and even took a step forward. Lianzhi hadn't expected him to be so mad. She withdrew her hand in frustration, "Yes, I was lying to you. From the very beginning, no... from before we even met, I was lying to you. Haven't you ever thought about why Chang Yuzhu invited you to go to Liangzhou with her?"
Bai Kang was stunned. Of course, Chang Yuzhu couldn't be Lianzhi's accomplice...
"Aren't you curious about why Yan Xi Niang said those things to you?" Lian Zhi held his face with one hand, her eyes filled with pity. "There was no order from the Queen Mother at all. I was the one who killed Yan Chengxi, and I transferred you to my side on purpose. Why should I promote you, a mere guard from a humble family?"
Chang Yuzhu had originally invited him to Liangzhou because he had heard a friend talk about the local customs and people of Liangzhou and was drawn to the area. Chang Yuzhu had mentioned to him that the friend was a disciple of the Tiger Guard Commander, but he didn't know the other person and didn't take it seriously.
I see.
From then on, Lianzhi and Yan Xi Niang knew each other.
"I thought you would be smarter than King Longxi." Lianzhi sighed softly.
When I first woke up in Liangzhou, I was in a stable.
Lianzhi lay sprawled on the horse's back, a Mobei man leading the horse, unsure where he was going. Though he didn't understand why, his instincts compelled him to grip the man's neck tightly. Despite his small frame and obvious malnutrition, Lianzhi fought tooth and nail, even with all his might.
The other party was convinced by his defeat and confessed that he was a junior officer of the Mobei Army named Arus, who was ordered to guard the abducted young prince of the Helan tribe. He was punished for violating military discipline and secretly took the young prince away before escaping.
While bathing, Lianzhi noticed the tattoo on his lower back and the white jade plaque that symbolized his status, which he had never removed. He had seen that pattern before.
Among the relics left to him by his mother, there was also an identical jade plaque.
He was reborn in the body of Helian Zhulan, a young prince of the Helan tribe who had a faint blood relationship with him but had died for unknown reasons. He made a deal with Arus: if Arus would assist him and submit to him, and he succeeded in his revenge and returned to the North Sea, he would not only forgive Arus's mistakes but also report to the Queen that it was Arus who had taken care of him all these years and made him king and prime minister.
Arus believed it. Why not? He was desperate, and he couldn't defeat Lianzhi. But where could a foreigner without a token or a pass, with a weak boy, go?
While wandering, Lianzhi realized they were in Liangzhou, the territory of the King of Longxi. Liangzhou was close to the Mobei Desert, so he couldn't reach the Beihai region directly from Liangzhou. But leaving Liangzhou for the capital wasn't easy either. Although he had never met the King of Longxi, he knew that when his father was still alive, he had sent him to Liangzhou to guard the border—a nice gesture, but in reality, a disguised exile.
A person like that must be hated. As long as there's hatred, there's always a way to make them obey. For three months, Lianzhi had been trying to figure out how to infiltrate the Longxi Palace. One day, they arrived at a brothel and heard several merchants there say that Emperor Lingdi's paintings of beauties were circulating in the capital, and many musicians from across Daning were imitating them. Lianzhi wasn't particularly angry—he was a beauty to begin with, so why wouldn't he imitate him?
What made him angry was that he was given such a humiliating posthumous title as Emperor Ling.
Helian Zhulan bore a resemblance to him, or rather, to his mother. With this face and the painting of a beauty he had purchased, Lianzhi had easily entered the Longxi Palace. He also knew that with this face, he would surely be able to return to the capital without any problems.
Upon learning that Emperor Jianguang was searching for a young man who resembled Chen Fenglian, Lianzhi was unsure of his purpose but quickly devised a plan. Meanwhile, Yan Xiniang and the disciples of the Huben Commander entered the capital and took refuge with the Chang Mansion, while also luring Bai Kang and Chang Yuzhu to Liangzhou.
The King of Longxi outwardly trusted him and treated Lianzhi as a distinguished guest. Secretly, Arus went to the King of Longxi and volunteered to monitor Lianzhi. The King of Longxi always believed in Lianzhi's promise, convinced that he was helping Lianzhi return to the North Sea, and that the young prince of the Helan tribe would be grateful for his kindness and help him ascend the throne.
After lying dormant for several months, Lianzhi, upon hearing that Bo Kang had departed from the capital, began to frequently visit the Sanhui River. Liangzhou suffered from a perennial drought, and many people would offer prayers and sacrifices by the river.
He waited for a long time until one day, a girl from the neighborhood came to ask the priest to pray for her soul to be reborn. Lianzhi also knew about the girl's situation and had someone secretly send some silver to her.
It’s better this way. Compared to living alone in pain in the world, maybe leaving is also an option.
Suddenly, a tall figure pushed him aside, ran to the river, grabbed the little girl and ran away. Lianzhi was stunned. After a long time, the little girl came back on her own. The person who had taken her away turned back and stood beside him.
The figure is familiar, no different from three years ago.
It’s indeed Bo Kang.
What happened next was a natural progression. Afraid that Bai Kang would recognize him and not want to take him back, Lianzhi fabricated an identity for herself. She was even afraid that Bai Kang had no money, so she considerately asked the Liangzhou prefect to lend him the 1,000 taels of silver on credit - of course, it was Lianzhi's own money. If Bai Kang's plan really failed because he was reluctant to spend the money, wouldn't that be ridiculous?
But he didn't expect that when the two of them looked at each other from afar through the railing of Chunfeng Tower, Bai Kang's face turned red for a moment.
Why do we blush?
Why are you willing to take him away so easily?
He asked Arus to cooperate with him and pretend to be a coerced victim. He asked Arus to follow him to the capital and pretended that he came with the mission of being the governor of Liangzhou. He made Bai Kang think that he had his own difficulties and made Bai Kang feel soft-hearted towards him.
However, every night before going to bed, Lianzhi would recall the moment she saw him in Chunfeng Tower.
Why is Bo Kang blushing?
Could it be that Bo Kang really likes him as rumored?
If that's the case, that would be... great.
"Even our reunion was your plan?" Bai Kang's voice was hoarse, the biting cold wind piercing his bones, but it couldn't even begin to chill him. Lianzhi nodded, her tone cold and cruel: "From the first day you came to my side. I told you, I had Yan Chengxi killed. He violated palace rules and must die! I know all your plans, and I also know why you came to my side as a royal guard..."
He didn't finish. Bai Kang stared at him with his bloodshot eyes, filled with pain. The pain spread like a tide. Lian Zhi thought he was going to do something and involuntarily shrank back. But Bai Kang just supported his shoulders and asked word by word: "Don't you have any feelings for me at all? Even if you used me... did you never love me at all?"
After a while, Lianzhi chuckled.
"If I had known earlier, I should have arranged a marriage for you before I died, brother." Lianzhi sighed softly. Bo Kang gripped his shoulders tightly and kissed him recklessly. He couldn't tell if it was the taste of blood on his lips or the iron tang rising in his throat. Lianzhi lay motionless beneath him, unaffected by him, passively enduring as usual.
After the kiss, Lianzhi wiped her mouth and continued to swear: "It's only because you haven't gotten married that you rely on me... Ugh!"
Bai Kang kissed her again. A figure flashed past the window again, but he had his back to the window and was completely unaware. Lian Zhi pushed him away desperately, but to no avail.
His own arm had only just been bandaged, and the dislocated area was agonizing. He felt strangely warmer, even his body no longer as cold. Bai Kang picked him up again and tried to carry him away. Lian Zhi came to her senses, hammered him hard, and roared in a low voice, "Are you crazy? Where are you going?"
Bai Kang turned a deaf ear to them. Seeing that the people outside seemed to have noticed something was wrong, Lianzhi bit him hard on the back of the neck and said anxiously, "I told you, I don't love you. I don't have any feelings for you at all. Don't you understand?"
Bai Kang paused for a moment.
"It's okay." He quickly adjusted his mood, and the sadness on his body disappeared without a trace in an instant. "You were the one who provoked me first, Chen Fenglian."
He won't let Lianzhi leave.
If Lianzhi wanted to kill him, he would accept it.
"So what? I've condescended to be your wife for six months. That's enough!" Lianzhi desperately tried to pull at Bai Kang's hair, but found herself completely powerless. He continued to curse, "What's the point of taking me back? I don't like you! I don't like kissing you, I don't like doing that with you! You always hurt me..."
The conversation stopped abruptly. Lianzhi discovered that Bai Kang actually smiled.
Madman, really crazy! But it was I who drove him crazy. Lianzhi didn't know what to say, so she gritted her teeth and jumped down. Bo Kang quickly turned around to catch him, and the two of them fell to the ground at the same time, making a loud noise.
Bai Kang fell to his knees to catch him, his knees bleeding again. Lian Zhi wasn't much better either, her broken arm draped limply over a chair. Seeing the people outside, already aware of something was amiss and ready to break in, Lian Zhi cursed inwardly, "I was thinking I'd spare your life because of our six-month relationship. Now you're courting death, and I can't do anything about it!"
The maids and Mobei guards outside had already noticed Bai Kang's intrusion and hurriedly approached with swords drawn. However, Bai Kang just coughed twice and smiled, a smile that was uglier than crying.
"Lian'er." He gently wiped the red corners of Lianzhi's eyes, "Why are you crying?"
When he woke up again, Bai Kang was lying in the carriage.
The back of his neck, the back of his head, and his legs were all burning with pain. Bai Kang wanted to sit up, but he had no strength. Qing He quickly helped him up, turned his head slightly, and his neck also hurt badly. Chang Yuzhu and Yu Yao sat beside him. Seeing that he was awake, they quickly poured him a cup of tea: "Bai Kang, you're awake!"
Bo Kang narrowed his eyes, his voice almost inaudible: "...Where is this?"
"This is Liuzhuang, a suburb of Beijing." Chang Yuzhu held his hand. "It's been five days since you left. The Minister of War sent you back. You..."
Before he finished speaking, Bai Kangqiang leaned on the soft armrest and sat up.
"He didn't kill me." Bai Kang whispered. Chang Yuzhu didn't hear clearly and asked uncertainly: "Bai Kang, what did you say?"
"He didn't kill me." Bo Kang said, and then he laughed, "He didn't kill me, he didn't want to kill me."
Chang Yuzhu and Yuyao both understood what was going on. They looked at each other and sighed in unison.
"Don't think about it anymore, Master Bai," Yu Yao said. Seeing that Bai Kang was still sitting there in a daze, she continued to persuade him, "If Xiaozhu really loved you, he wouldn't want to see you like this."
Hearing this, Bai Kang came back to his senses: "You are right."
He wasn't just acquiescing in Yuyao's words. He knew Lianzhi, her temper. With Lianzhi's personality, as long as she still had some value, she would endure humiliation and coax him. How could she possibly say something so heartless, leaving no room for retreat?
How could she cry like that while making such harsh remarks?
【Author’s words】
The next chapter will be sweet o(￣▽￣)
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