◇ Chapter 46 (46) I will report... (Part 2)
Before going to bed last night, Lianzhi secretly told Bai Kang that he transferred the guard here because he suspected that there was something wrong with him.
Lianzhi whispered softly in his ear, and he could still clearly recall the touch of her lips against his ear. Bo Kang had originally wanted to ask Lianzhi why she had chosen that man, as he was very jealous. He was afraid that if he said that, Lianzhi would get angry, and even more afraid that Lianzhi would notice his feelings and the two of them would become distant.
Unexpectedly, Lianzhi took the initiative to admit it to him, and said that she approached the other party to lure the snake out of its hole.
"He's not an ordinary person, let alone an untrained palace soldier." Lianzhi changed her position and lay down, analyzing lazily. But Bo Kang shook his head: "Then he doesn't look like a well-trained guard either."
Bai Kang had lived for over twenty years, and had been a guard for over a decade, so he was accustomed to the appearance of palace guards. Lian Zhi smiled and said, "I think he looks a bit like him."
"Did you learn this from your adoptive father?" Bai Kang asked. Lianzhi had been bringing up Liangzhou affairs with him lately, and he had anticipated this.
"Is it someone from over there?"
"Brother Kang, you have the answer, right?" Lianzhi said.
That person was the secret guard beside Emperor Jianguang.
Bai Kang had never seen a secret guard before, not even before, and he had never seen a secret guard around him. Naturally, he did not realize the other party's identity. He just thought that the man was a little strange.
"I have a way to lure him out." Lianzhi said, "Brother Kang, I helped you, you owe me a favor."
The two of them huddled close together, Bai Kang wrapping his arms around him, holding him close to his chest. From outside the tent, Lian Zhi was barely visible. The rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing. The temperature quickly rose, returning to its usual summer heat. The cramped bed was so hot that even his scalding breath had a dry, dry quality.
"Okay, I owe you a favor." Bo Kang continued to smile silently. Lian Zhi felt that the strange atmosphere had returned and quickly changed the subject: "Did you hear what they said?"
At this point, Bai Kang hesitated. Without him saying anything, Lianzhi could already guess he was scolding him, saying how difficult he was to deal with and how bad-tempered he was. He had done this on purpose, moving the person closer so he could not only keep an eye on him but also give him some time to taunt him.
I will continue to hit him with cups tomorrow.
"They said you were a poor little thing." Bo Kang said, "They said you were misunderstood by your husband. How pitiful."
"Really?" Lianzhi was suspicious. She actually gossiped about him. How annoying!
"Of course it's true." Bai Kang lied seriously, "You're a poor little thing, they definitely won't scold you. They all scolded me, saying that I'm a heartless man who treats my wife harshly because of such a small matter..."
Lianzhi couldn't stand it anymore. What kind of husband and wife were he and Bai Kang? They pretended not to be husband and wife in front of outsiders, and even mentioned it in private.
"They're not wrong," Lianzhi said coldly, "You've indeed treated me harshly."
Glancing at Bo Kang's stunned expression, Lianzhi felt relieved and said smugly, "You don't invite me to your place for dinner, and you don't come to accompany me. Of course you treat me harshly. In someone else's house, I would have fallen out of favor."
"Where did you hear that?" Bo Kang said helplessly. Lianzhi was young, but she knew a lot, but what she knew was not serious.
"Of course it's Chunfeng Tower." Lianzhi smiled. "In the past, those brothers and sisters who were redeemed would come back to the tower to tell about their lives in the master's house. Some were doing well, while others were not..."
No.
He hadn't heard it in Chunfeng Tower. Back in the cold palace, there were always little eunuchs who flattered the powerful and looked down on the weak, mocking him, saying that his mother had fallen out of favor and his father no longer wanted them; that he was only fit to eat slop in the cold palace, and couldn't compare to the unlimited glory of the Empress and her children.
So what? Whether it is him or Chen Fengke, the throne will never be the empress dowager's son's turn to sit on it. That's enough.
Bai Kang leaned over to look at Lian Zhi's expression. In the dim candlelight, Lian Zhi was clearly smiling, but Bai Kang felt that his expression spoke. He instantly understood the meaning of that look and gently placed his palms over Lian Zhi's eyes: "I won't send you back."
Lianzhi: “?”
"I won't send you back to that kind of place," said Bo Kang.
"Of course. If I weren't here, my adoptive father would have sent someone else." Lianzhi nonchalantly played with Bo Kang's hair. "Besides, who else could be as pretty as me? You should be secretly laughing since it was me who sent you here... I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I'm really sleepy and I'm going to sleep. Remember to come back to the study later."
Bo Kang was stunned: "You won't keep me?"
Lianzhi didn't respond, but began to snore quietly. With Bai Kang around, he always fell asleep quickly, and his sleeping posture had changed from the cautious, curled-up position they'd first encountered to now, stretched out, embracing Bai Kang's arm as he slept. Bai Kang looked at his profile, his expression slowly becoming serious.
The Daning Kingdom and the Beihai Territory have been friends for a long time, and he has recently heard some rumors from His Majesty that His Majesty intends to have a marriage alliance with the Beihai Territory, and this matter will definitely be handed over to the Ministry of Rites.
Perhaps it was because there were more and more foreigners in the capital recently, and he had seen more people from the North Sea and the Qiang people, so he always felt that Lianzhi's appearance was somewhat similar...
People from the North Sea.
The last time he saw Lianzhi's tattoo, he had some doubts. That pattern looked more like something a northern tribe would wear. Bo Kang stared at Lianzhi's profile for a long moment, then smiled in relief.
It doesn’t matter whether Lianzhi is from Mobei or Beihai, as long as she doesn’t leave him and the status quo is maintained.
"I brought you some sugar cakes and wanted to ask you to get up and have a bite." Bai Kang gently stroked Lianzhi's face and murmured.
The people in the mansion discovered that the cold war between Lord Bai and his wife had lasted for two days.
It had been so long, so they certainly wouldn't have rashly suspected that the Madam had fallen from grace—although they thought it was definitely just another temper tantrum. But it was truly bizarre that the Master would actually be angry with the Madam; he must have been genuinely mad.
Even Qinghe couldn't stand it anymore. Although he didn't like Lianzhi, he also felt that a man as upright as their master shouldn't do such a childish thing. But he still went against everyone's expectations and asked indirectly: "Master, what happened between you and Master Lianzhi recently?"
"Why don't you ask him what he's doing?" Bo Kang looked up at him and said, "Continue grinding your ink."
Of course, the source lies with the Master. After all, they knew that the Madam had a bad temper, but only lashed out when no one provoked her. The Master was the one who called the shots in the mansion. Qing He smiled sheepishly, didn't ask any more questions, and switched to a cinnabar ink stick to continue grinding.
"Hey, let me tell you." Bo Kang spoke again, "Do you think the lady likes me?"
Qinghe didn't dare to answer.
"He definitely still doesn't like me." Bo Kang muttered to himself, "If he liked me, how could he hang out with a guard every day and not pay attention to me..."
Hearing this, Qing He was shocked. The shock of hearing such a shocking secret was no less than being struck by lightning. Could their master mean that there was something fishy going on between the lady and the guards?
Qing He was completely stunned. He didn't say anything. Bo Kang was getting impatient and flicked his brush, urging him, "Speak."
"Madam, you usually like to play and fight with us servants." Qinghe praised Lianzhi against her conscience.
Then why doesn't he like me? Bo Kang sighed, not pretending, but asking sincerely.
When Lianzhi got the reply for the third time that Bai Kang did not come to his room, he was so angry that he overturned the vase on the table.
There were so many things in the Shangshu Mansion that they couldn't help but get smashed. Lianzhi just listened to the noise and glanced at the person squatting at his feet and ordered, "Help me massage my legs."
The guard responded, and then whispered comfortingly, "Don't be sad, Madam. The master is just too busy."
Lianzhi shook her head, tears still falling: "How could he ignore me without any explanation?"
The beauty's tears were so pitiful that even the guard was just following orders and lurking beside Lianzhi. Seeing him like this, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
"Don't call me Madam. I don't like it. If it weren't for my adoptive father's order, I wouldn't have come to this shabby place." Lianzhi curled her lips and continued. A dark light flashed in the guard's eyes: "I thought you and the master were in love."
Lianzhi shuddered. "That's not the case. Chu Xiu, in the entire Shangshu Mansion, apart from Xiao Wenzi, you and I are the closest. Bai Kang said that he had to contact King Mu and couldn't take care of me, but who knows if he has made a new confidant outside..."
At this point, his expression changed slightly, and he stopped talking, smiling and covering up, "I shouldn't have told you this."
The guard shook his head: "As long as the young master is comfortable."
After accidentally letting the cat out of the bag, Lianzhi didn't mention anything about Baikang again for the rest of the day. Perhaps his expression was too sad, and even the guards couldn't tell whether he was trying to spy on them, get information, or simply felt sympathy for Lianzhi.
By the end of the month, news of a planned marriage between the Daning Kingdom and the Beihai Territory had spread through the capital. While the Beihai Territory had long been affiliated with the Daning Kingdom, privately, the people still disliked the foreign tribes. Upon hearing this, coupled with the increasing number of foreigners in the capital, their discontent intensified.
But soon, as more foreign merchants opened shops in the capital, these voices gradually faded. Beihai Territory's furs and gemstones were inexpensive and of high quality, offering a unique quality not found in the capital. While communication with the Daning people wasn't easy, these merchants didn't embarrass their customers, leading more people to realize that Beihai Territory had truly submitted to Daning.
A few years ago, the Northern Sea Territory had also offered a marriage alliance, but the then-emperor had rejected it. This time, the Northern Sea Territory was offering to marry their daughter, and at this point, they couldn't refuse again. Logically, this princess would have been part of the harem, but for some reason, Emperor Jianguang refused to marry her, stating that he intended to marry her to a member of the imperial family.
Bai Kang had been negotiating with the North Sea envoys for a long time over this matter, always worried that they would think that Emperor Jianguang looked down on their princess. He had spent two days at the posthouse and finally returned home. Just as he was about to go back to his study to rest, he got off the carriage and was met by a person. Bai Kang looked up and saw that the person coming was not Lianzhi, and he was immediately furious: "Who is it!"
It turned out to be that guard, Chu Xiu.
"Sir, Madam requests a visit from you," the guard said respectfully. After spending a few days with Lianzhi, he'd grown tired of seeing her distressed, so he'd gone to ask for Bai Kang's help—not quite out of place, as he also wanted to know how the situation in the North Sea was being handled.
He could send a message back to the palace.
"No, leave him alone." Bai Kang rubbed his forehead and told the servant to hurry up and go to the study with him. Finally, he remembered something and said to the housekeeper, "Call Lianzi and serve the writing brush and ink."
After hearing the guard's report, Lianzhi naturally broke a few more teacups.
It rained lightly again at night.
It had been rainy in Beijing this year, and the rain had soaked the window lattices. Lianzhi, unusually still awake, opened the window and said to the guards still waiting outside, "I want to go out. Chu Xiu, could you accompany me for a walk?"
Bai Kang was awakened by a servant, and when he woke up from his sleep, he heard the servant hurriedly inviting him to the courtyard gate. Just as he was about to send the servant away, he saw Lianzi, who he had called in to clean the study today, quickly kneel down and shout, "My lord! I want to report Young Master Lianzhi and Guard Chu Xiu for having an affair. I want to escape from the Shangshu Mansion!"
The inkstone beside him fell to the ground. Bo Kang stood up and said in a deep voice, "Take me there."
The night deepened, and the mansion was utterly silent, the only sound being the wind blowing past the gate. Bo Kang hastily donned his official uniform, clutching a dim candle as he hurried down the corridor, a suppressed rage evident between his brows. The candlelight cast a small shadow on his face, making him appear particularly gloomy.
Seeing his expression, Lianzi felt a hint of secret joy. When they reached the gate, he hurriedly said, "Sir, the carriage is parked there."
There were indeed voices in the car; Lianzi wasn't lying. Bai Kang's rage deepened, his fists clenched slightly, and he took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in his heart.
After a moment, he flung the door open.
The candlelight instantly illuminated the interior of the carriage. Lianzhi sat beside the carriage, looking at Bo Kang with a gloomy expression. The guard sat behind him, looking around in surprise, not realizing what had happened.
Bo Kang's eyes swept across the two of them like a knife, and he said coldly: "Catch them."
What was caught was not the guards and lotus branches, but the guards and lotus seeds.
All the guards in the palace had been summoned. It was easy to capture a guard, and it was even easier to capture Lianzi. The guard knew what was going on and glared at Lianzi: "Why!"
The truth was revealed, and Lianzi hung his head, silent. Lianzhi had already stood up, the surprise on his face long gone, replaced by a sneer. He walked over to Lianzi, looked down at him, and said with a smile, "Brother Kang and I have suspected you for a long time. Today we are just luring you into the trap."
After saying this, he ignored Lian Zi, who looked incredulous. Bo Kang picked him up and wrapped him in his coat. "Are you cold?"
Lianzhi glanced at him and said nothing.
He is angry again, but not seriously, so he is easy to coax.
Business was more important. Bai Kang patted Lianzhi's waist and had Lianzi and the guards taken away. The butler agreed, then quickly ran back and said awkwardly, "Sir, he..."
"Poisoned, huh? Don't worry, focus on interrogating Lianzi and make sure he doesn't die," Bo Kang said casually. When he heard Lianzhi's suspicion that Chu Xiu was a secret guard, he knew that if the truth came to light, Chu Xiu would definitely commit suicide by poisoning—that was the secret guard's mission.
Even if he is rescued, nothing can be learned from a loyal secret guard. We still have to find a breakthrough from Lianzi.
Lianzhi suddenly snorted coldly, "I won't die. I like you and want to survive and wait for your mercy. You've judged the wrong person."
"Are you jealous again?" Bai Kang pinched his face.
"Why would I be jealous of you? You're so funny." Lianzhi said. Bo Kang didn't continue the conversation. The most urgent thing now was to take Lianzhi back to her room and warm her up.
"But, baby," Bo Kang asked casually, "how can you be sure that Lianzi will tell on you?"
Lianzi is also a spy sent by Emperor Jianguang, a more secretive presence than the guard Chuxiu. But why would Lianzi, so loyal to Emperor Jianguang, betray him and allow him to capture Chuxiu, his "colleague"?
"He likes you." Lianzhi said as a matter of course.
Bai Kang was stunned.
Looking at his expression, Lianzhi was also stunned: "Brother Kang, you haven't realized that Lianzi likes you yet, right? He likes you, so he is willing to take the risk of betraying Chu Xiu to get rid of me, so that he can take my place."
Lianzhi's tone was unremarkable, as if he wasn't the one who was almost replaced. Hearing his nonchalant attitude, Bo Kang became unhappy: "Aren't you angry?"
"Why are you angry? Didn't you arrest the man? Besides, how could he replace me? I'm much prettier than him." Lianzhi said.
Bai Kang suppressed the bitterness in his heart and asked, "Then how can you be sure that Chu Xiu will agree to let you run away?"
"Because he likes me." Lianzhi said something shocking again.
Back in the room, Lianzhi jumped out of Bai Kang's arms and went back to her own bed. Before Bai Kang could ask, he took the initiative to explain: "I'm so smart and beautiful, who wouldn't like me? Besides, if I just use a little trick, wouldn't he be completely dazzled by me?"
"So, he must have been completely bewildered by me and agreed to help me make this happen!"
"Your Majesty, how could you, the ruler of a nation, say such things? As the Son of Heaven, your appearance should be the least of your worries. Your policy on statecraft is clearly flawless, so how could you utter such unorthodox words?"
"I'm not wrong. I also like ministers with outstanding looks. Is that wrong?"
The familiar words were like thunder, and Bai Kang lowered his head. Lianzhi's face and Chen Fenglian's face in front of him slowly overlapped.
Before Lianzhi could finish her words, Bo Kang hugged her again and pressed her down on the mattress. He was startled, but not too scared.
During this period of time, Bai Kang had been well-behaved and had not overstepped the boundaries. He was not worried about what Bai Kang might do to him, so he hugged Bai Kang's arm again and asked, "What's wrong with you? Are you sleepy?"
The face that was very cunning in the past is now very innocent.
"...Don't do this anymore." Bai Kang said sullenly.
Lianzhi didn't understand. Bo Kang added, "Stop using your little tricks. I'm your husband."
"Don't you like it? I won't do it again." Lianzhi said obediently, "Today's situation is special. From now on, I will listen to you."
Bai Kang pinched his cheeks and rubbed them twice.
Lianzi quickly confessed, stating that he was indeed a spy sent by Emperor Jianguang and that he had always intended to frame Lianzhi. However, the confession he submitted did not reveal much about what he had done for Emperor Jianguang, but rather how he had investigated Bo Kang's whereabouts and devised ways to eliminate Lianzhi.
The evidence was irrefutable. Bo Kang had intended to quietly dispose of the person, saying that Lianzi and Chuxiu had fallen in love with each other and had run away—he had all the pretexts ready. But the housekeeper came to report that Lianzi wanted to see Bo Kang.
"No," Bo Kang said firmly. What Lianzi thought of him was her business, and he was already being merciful by having the butler pass on the message.
"I'll go." Lianzhi stood up.
Bai Kang didn't want him to meet Lianzi. What if Lianzi still wanted to hurt him? Lianzhi didn't care much. Lianzi didn't know martial arts and couldn't hurt him.
The interrogation room was very quiet, with only Lianzi imprisoned there. Seeing him approach, the light in Lianzi's eyes dimmed instantly.
"Isn't Lord Bai here?" he asked softly, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred for Lianzhi. Lianzhi found this rather strange; many people used to hate him, believing him to be violent and harsh, punishing palace maids, or that he stood in someone's way of ascending the throne and therefore had to kill him.
Lianzi was the first one who hated him because of love.
He hadn't actually guessed that Lianzi was a spy; after all, he had always been overly cautious. If he hadn't recently discovered that he and Chu Xiu were meeting privately, Lianzi might not have been exposed.
Did he see that he had finally been exposed and had to seize the opportunity to get rid of him? Thinking that Lianzi hated him because of Bai Kang, Lianzhi felt inexplicably unhappy.
"Bai Kang won't like you." Lianzhi sat opposite Lianzi and said lightly.
Hearing this, Lianzi raised his head instantly. However, Lianzhi did not give him a chance to ask back. She looked at Lianzi's face and smiled.
He and Chen Fenglian were 80% similar. I don't know where Chen Fengke found these people; he couldn't have created someone so similar himself. But what if they were similar? It was wrong from the beginning.
"—because you have this face."
Lianzhi looked at Lianzi's eyes, which had suddenly dimmed, and with a smile, she told him word by word, "Chen Fengke told you that Bai Kang likes this face and that person? So you hate me, the one who looks most like me? You're wrong. Bai Kang hates this face. He will never fall in love with you, and of course, he won't love me either."
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