Chapter 103 Xiao Shenjing, why?
Inside the mourning hall.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
As an old acquaintance of Xiao Shenjing, Fu Shun had already begun to clear the area with great insight.
The mourning hall was eerily silent, with only the occasional faint crackling of the eternal flames, which made the small space seem like a frozen tomb.
The people from the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence were silently taken away, not daring to even breathe.
The old marquis's cloudy eyes were filled with shock and pain. His lips moved a few times, his gaze shifting between Yunxi's back and the emperor's face. In the end, he could only lower his head in despair and be helped out, his back hunched.
The heavy door closed behind me, shutting out the last sound from the outside world.
Only they and the wary knife remained for a moment; the air was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.
"Yunxi," Xiao Shenjing finally spoke, his voice dry and hoarse, "None of this was what I wanted."
The emperor attempted to explain.
A very soft, cold sneer escaped from Yunxi's lips. "Stop with your hypocritical act. It's disgusting."
Her words were clear and cold, like an icicle piercing through frozen air.
Xiao Shenjing frowned, his heart aching from the undisguised disgust.
He took a deep breath, his voice tinged with urgency, trying to convince her with facts: "Minister Fan died while rescuing villagers trapped by the fire! The fire broke out suddenly, and the situation was critical. He rushed into the fire without hesitation. How could all of this be my doing?"
"If I really wanted him dead, why would I go to such lengths?" He even took a step forward, instinctively reaching out to comfort her as she was consumed by hatred.
However, he had only taken one step.
"Stop." Two words, cold and hard as iron.
Yunxi suddenly turned around.
Those eyes were no longer empty and lifeless; they were now churning with the most intense hatred and pain, burning Xiao Shen like tangible flames, forcing him to freeze in mid-air, unable to advance even an inch further.
Xiao Shenjing's throat tightened. "Yunxi"
"Shut up." Yun Xi interrupted him sharply, tears streaming down her face, but unable to wash away the hatred in her eyes. "You used the Crown Prince's tutor as bait to send him to provide disaster relief, and then you personally sent him to his death. Xiao Shenjing, you are a faithless and incompetent ruler, an executioner who only knows how to kill with power and intrigue!" Her pupils trembled violently with agitation. "What about the country and the people? In your eyes, they are nothing but tools to consolidate your imperial power. No one's life is worth as much as your imperial dignity."
Ignoring his increasingly pale face, Yun Xi pointed to the black coffin, to the few lonely, charred bones, her fingertips trembling violently with extreme agitation: "You did this on purpose! You hate him, you despise him. You hate him for the heinous crimes he committed by deceiving the emperor, and this is your punishment for him, burning him alive in that desolate, godforsaken place."
"I didn't!" Xiao Shenjing's voice suddenly rose. "I sent him because I trust his abilities."
"Trust his abilities?" Yun Xi's voice suddenly turned sharp, her venomous gaze fixed on Xiao Shenjing's face. "After his accident, you sent people to my tavern every day pretending to be customers. You treat me like a fool, trying to keep me in the dark forever?"
"I was just afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it, I wanted to protect you, I just wanted to..."
The emperor's voice was hoarse, as if he had been driven to desperation. He tried to explain his intentions, trying to make her understand that he only wanted her to have a few more days of false peace before the bad news arrived, even if it was just a few days.
But Yunxi wouldn't listen to anything.
"You're clearly hiding something!"
"I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter." Xiao Shenjing felt a sharp pain in his heart from her gaze, and softened his voice to comfort her.
"That was a life, Xiao Shenjing, how will you explain this?" She questioned him with hatred, almost word by word, "Xiao Shenjing, why wasn't it you who died? Why are you alive and well? Why?"
Her words, like a dagger dipped in deadly poison, pierced deeply into Xiao Shenjing's heart.
Looking into those bloodshot eyes, now filled only with cold hatred, Xiao Shenjing opened his mouth, wanting to say something, to explain something, to salvage something. But in the end, all the words stuck in his throat, piling up into a bitterness and desolation that almost overwhelmed him.
Finally, it turned into a plea that was almost a pleas for mercy: "Yunxi, please believe me, okay?"
"The one person I least want to hurt is you."
In a deathly silence.
"Xiao Shenjing, I believe in you," Yun Xi said, staggering as she supported herself on her knees and slowly tried to stand up.
"It was you who told me I wouldn't give them anything dangerous!"
She got up with such difficulty, as if she were squeezing out the last bit of strength.
Xiao Shenjing's fingers twitched suddenly, but in the end he could only suppress them at his side.
"You said it yourself, these two jobs are risky, but not very risky."
"Xiao Shenjing," she leaned against the coffin, her throat choked with sobs, making it hard for her to breathe. She could barely speak, but she was in pain and she hated it.
"You clearly—" She could only pound her chest violently, trying to tear a hole in it so she could release her endless pain and regret, "You said you would have the relevant officials fully cooperate."
Xiao Shenjing, whose real name was Yunxi, felt a bitter taste in his throat.
"I believe you now, Xiao Shenjing." Large tears rolled down Yunxi's face, which was filled with hatred. "I told you, if anything happens to them because of this, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life."
She pounded her chest violently, making a dull thud, as if trying to vent her heart-wrenching pain and anger: "Is it because I didn't kneel down and beg you back then that you treat me like this? Is it too late for me to kneel down now?"
She lunged forward and grabbed Xiao Shenjing's arm.
She looked up at him, "Xiao Shenjing, I'll do anything you want, just give my older brother back to me, okay?"
"Xiao Shenjing, I'll kowtow to you, please give my elder brother back to me, okay?"
As she spoke, she actually knelt down and kowtowed.
Xiao Shenjing panicked and grabbed her, stopping her movement.
Her tears fell onto the back of his hand.
It was scalding hot.
Xiao Shenjing held her tightly, his heart aching with fear and trepidation. His heart felt like it had been struck by an iron hammer, the pain so intense that his throat tightened as if being choked and tightened inch by inch, threatening to break him. He struggled, his veins bulging, and urgently promised, "Yunxi, trust me. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation."
"Xiao Shenjing, why don't you die? Why isn't it you who died? Why?" Yunxi couldn't hear anything and pushed him away forcefully.
Yunxi staggered back a step, turned around, and refused to look at Xiao Shenjing again, as if he were just a wisp of polluted air.
He seemed to be something utterly filthy, his body swaying precariously from extreme anger and grief, yet he stubbornly stood supporting the coffin, gazing at the few bones, tears welling up in his eyes once more.
"I have already sent people to Hejian Prefecture to investigate this matter. It is just a skeleton, perhaps..." Xiao Shenjing wanted to make a promise, but in the end he dared not.
Disaster relief efforts are usually coordinated by multiple levels of officials, including prefectural and county officials, governors, and provincial inspectors.
With so many witnesses, it's impossible for officials to protect each other.
However, these words ignited Yunxi's hope.
She turned her head abruptly. "Maybe what?"
Xiao Shenjing strained to speak, "Perhaps it's just local officials deceiving their superiors."
But what if everything is true? Then Yunxi
He didn't want to think about it anymore.
One sentence made the light in Yunxi's eyes shine brightly.
Yes, these are just skeletons.
How can you be sure it's the eldest brother's?
What if my elder brother offended someone while doing disaster relief?
She absolutely had to go find him.
He's definitely still alive, waiting for her to rescue him.
Just like how he had saved her from fire time and time again before, this time it was her turn to do it.
The coefficient of the withdrawn force is regressed.
Her eyes lit up, and she stood up again.
It was as if they had finally grasped at a straw in the darkness of despair.
She forcefully wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, then strode towards the door.
"Yunxi, where are you going?" Xiao Shenjing asked worriedly and quickly chased after her.
Yunxi stopped and looked back at Xiao Shenjing from the bright sunlight.
Her eyes were still red and wet with tears. She should have looked fragile and helpless, but she looked like a rainbow after a storm.
So dazzling.
She only said two sentences.
"Don't follow me."
"I'm going to bring my older brother back."
Then he turned around resolutely.
Xiao Shenjing opened his mouth as if to say something, but then suddenly swallowed it back down.
He clenched his fists, steadied himself, and called Dao Yi over, instructing him to take Yun Xi back.
Then, he quickly returned to the palace.
He issued a series of orders in the East Warm Pavilion.
If Yunxi wants to go, then he will do everything in his power to support her.
Inside the East Warm Pavilion, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the emperor's resolute and iron-like face. Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Shenjing uttered a series of decrees, each word clear and resounding.
The orders came like a sudden storm, filling the vast East Warm Pavilion with an impenetrable atmosphere.
The eunuchs held their breath, their brushes flying across the paper, afraid of missing a single word. Xiao Shenjing stood with his hands behind his back behind his desk, his gaze piercing through the window lattice as he watched the snowflakes fall from the sky.
When Yunxi wanted to go, he used the power of the entire country to pave the way for her, even if it meant digging three feet into the ground in Youzhou and Hejian Prefecture.
This was his last bargaining chip.
If Fan Zishi is truly lucky, he is still alive.
This was the last glimmer of hope that Xiao Shenjing could stand shoulder to shoulder with Yunxi. Grasp this glimmer of light, and perhaps, perhaps, he could still reverse the already predetermined fate.
If that report is true, Fan Zishi has already...
The thought had barely formed when a sharp pain pierced his heart. Xiao Shenjing abruptly pursed his thin lips, his jawline tightening like a knife, forcefully severing the image that could have dragged him into the abyss of despair.
No!
At this moment, he could not think about it, nor dared to think about it!
Even though Yunxi was extremely anxious and wished she could rush to Hejian Prefecture immediately.
But now that Xiao Bei is not here, and only the wet nurse is there, she is not at ease with herself.
However, the journey was long and it was winter, so it was impossible to bring the Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) on the way.
As she held Yuanxiao in her arms, gritting her teeth and racking her brains for a solution, Dao Yi stepped out from the doorway.
"Leave it to me."
Yunxi suddenly looked up.
Since she stabbed Xiao Shenjing last time, Dao Yi has not spoken to her for a long time.
He always saw himself as a shadow, remaining silent and taciturn.
Yunxi agreed to Dao Yi's suggestion almost without thinking.
She glanced at the sky.
It was too late, and the weather was snowy; she still needed to prepare things for the journey.
Furthermore, it's difficult to pick up the pace of travel, so it's better to set off early tomorrow morning.
"I'm going to buy some things. You watch the Yuanxiao for now." She handed the Yuanxiao to Dao Yi.
Just as she was about to leave, her nanny chased after her and draped a red fox fur cloak over her shoulders, saying with concern, "Miss, it's cold and the roads are slippery, so please drive carefully."
"Okay." Yunxi nodded.
The alley where she lived was not far from the market, so she didn't call for a horse-drawn carriage.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and most of them seemed to be in a hurry.
Yunxi was lost in thought when suddenly an old beggar woman rushed up to her, "Miss Song, Miss Song, it's you!"
Seeing that she was half-blind and could barely stand with her cane, Yunxi kindly helped her up and explained, "I am not Miss Song, you have mistaken me for someone else."
At that moment, something was stuffed into Yunxi's hand.
Her expression froze for a moment, and she immediately looked at the old beggar woman.
The old beggar woman seemed oblivious to everything, and gently squeezed Yunxi's hand with her bare hands, a strength unlike that of a frail old woman.
“You, you’re not Miss Song, but how come you look so much like her?”
"I'm not," Yunxi replied, but her heart was pounding.
Who could be delivering the message to her?
Could it be the eldest brother?
If he's the older brother, why doesn't he just meet her directly?
If it's not the eldest brother, then who is it?
Yunxi was in a state of confusion and couldn't wait to open the note.
But she knew that she was accompanied by bodyguards.
The other party is clearly trying to cover their tracks by using this method.
So she sold everything as quickly as possible and returned to the courtyard.
Using the excuse of changing clothes, I closed the door.
Her fingertips trembled as she opened the note.
She desperately wanted to see the familiar handwriting.
When she finally saw the handwriting on the note, she was first taken aback, and then felt a complex mix of emotions.
How could it be him?
Why would he come to the capital?
Don't you want to live anymore?
But she had no time to think about it, as the other party was already waiting for her in Peach Blossom Village.
Yunxi put on her hood and had no choice but to head to the tavern again.
She was afraid that the guards around her would discover his whereabouts, so she glanced at him hurriedly as she entered the tavern.
But I didn't see any familiar faces.
Where are they?
"Shopkeeper," finally the old man in the gray robe sitting in the corner called out.
Yunxi's heart skipped a beat. Even though the voice was deliberately suppressed, those who knew the person could still recognize it.
Just as Laiwang was about to step forward, Yunxi subtly blocked his way and said, "I'll go, you go check the fire on the stove."
She walked toward the corner as usual, her skirt brushing against the dusty ground, but her heart was pounding in her chest.
The old man in the gray robe was in the shadows, his tattered felt hat pulled low, revealing only a few strands of withered white hair at his temples and the deeply lined lower half of his face. The table was empty, without even a cup of coarse tea.
"Sir," Yunxi asked, standing beside his table, "what would you like to order?"
The old man raised his head, the shadow of his felt hat obscuring most of his eyebrows and eyes, leaving only a sliver of cloudy light. He extended his hands, covered with leather gloves, and said, "I have nothing of value to offer, but could you tell my fortune as payment for the wine? How about that?"
Yunxi's hand clenched subtly within her sleeve, her nails digging into her palm, but her face remained impassive, even curving into a perfectly measured, polite smile for a fortune teller: "Oh? May I ask what divination you wish to have done, sir?"
The old man's eyes seemed to penetrate the shadow of the felt hat and lock onto Yunxi's pupils, which froze instantly.
He scattered a few copper coins, and after a long while, he slowly said in a deliberately drawn-out tone: "The divination says: Wild geese fly north, with no return date. The old nest is overturned, and the old branches are broken."
What does this mean?
Yunxi didn't understand.
Until I heard him say, "My old friend has passed away."
Old friend?
Which old friend?
She suppressed her turbulent emotions, maintaining the demeanor of a shopkeeper who was both intrigued and skeptical of the tricks of the trade, and smiled gently: "Sir, this divination is quite novel. In that case, a pot of 'Shaochunzi' will be my treat to warm you up."
She turned to get the wine, her back ramrod straight, as if nothing had happened. But no one saw that her fingers were trembling slightly in her hands, which hung at her sides.
In the shadows of the corner, the old man in the gray robe lowered his head again, his felt hat completely concealing his expression.
Yunxi walked towards the counter almost simultaneously.
Wild geese fly north, with no return date in sight.
north.
Lu Xiuran?
Yunxi's pupils suddenly opened.
Is he referring to Lu Xiuran?
No, no, no, how could that be?
Didn't Xiao Shenjing say that Lu Xiuran was safe inside the city?
Can we really believe what he says?
Yunxi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
It was as if she lived in a false world, a world woven from lies by Xiao Shenjing.
A person who dares to seize the throne will never give up until he achieves his goal.
If someone can kill even their own siblings, what kind of person can't they kill, or wouldn't they kill?
So, even the eldest brother, Lu Xiuran, is dead?
Did they all die because of Xiao Shenjing's scheme?
In the end, he still pretended to be so innocent?
Xiao Shenjing!
Before leaving, the old fortune teller glanced at Yunxi.
He walked out of the tavern without saying a word.
The figure quickly disappeared into the street.
Laiwang, who was tidying up the table, suddenly spoke up: "Shopkeeper, this medicine bag was left behind by that old man."
"There's so much blood." Laiwang was about to throw it away in disgust.
"Stop!" Yun Xi suddenly shouted to stop them.
Laiwang trembled with fright.
Yunxi looked at the things in Laiwang's hands.
All the guesses were confirmed at this moment, and the overwhelming anger made her eyes turn bloodshot for a moment, and her fingers under her sleeves trembled uncontrollably.
"Bring it here," Yunxi said, forcing herself to remain calm.
Laiwang handed it over, and noticing her strange expression, asked, "Shopkeeper, what's wrong?"
Yunxi smiled at him and said, "It's too cold today."
Laiwang scratched his head.
I don't quite understand the connection between these two things.
But I didn't ask any further questions.
Yunxi clutched the medicine pouch, feeling a chill run through her body, so cold that her bones trembled and she could hardly breathe.
But she had to endure it.
Once exposed, she might not even be able to leave the capital.
She couldn't stand being in this place anymore.
She wanted to find the answers to all of this herself and refused to listen to another word from Xiao Shenjing.
She went back to get her luggage and then headed towards the Juhe Pavilion in the north of the city.
That was the place where Xu Yuansi and he had agreed to meet when Xu Yuansi fled the capital.
She knew he would be waiting for her there.
The guards who followed naturally dared not stop her, and hurriedly returned to report the news of Yunxi leaving the city to Xiao Shenjing.
Xiao Shenjing was furious.
They chased after him at breakneck speed.
However, they found the three unconscious guards in the Gathering Pavilion in the north of the city.
In that instant, Xiao Shenjing's face turned completely cold.
If Yunxi was trying to save Fan Zishi, then she would naturally know that the people he sent were there to protect her, and they would certainly do everything they could to help her along the way.
The guard slowly woke up and immediately saw the emperor, dressed in a dragon robe, looking down at him from a high position.
Startled, he trembled and, ignoring his dizziness, immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
Xiao Shenjing lowered his eyes and asked, "Tell me, what happened?"
"Empress Yun suddenly left the city, and my subordinates immediately followed her in a small team. But when we reached the Juhe Pavilion, we suddenly lost her. Just as my subordinates were about to look around, Empress Yun suddenly appeared and sprayed a sleeping potion on my subordinates."
"Useless trash!" Xiao Shenjing kicked the other man to the ground in anger. "You think you can be taken down by a mere sleeping pill? Have all those years of training been for nothing?"
Faced with the emperor's wrath, the guard suppressed his surging anger and knelt down again in fear, reporting, "Your Majesty, three more lurking thieves attacked simultaneously. They are strong and skilled with curved swords, and one of them, an old man in a gray robe, is their leader."
Xiao Shenjing instantly lowered his brow, like a precipitous peak suddenly pressing down with dark clouds, or a sharp blade tempered with ice.
The guard's report then completely sealed his fate.
The guard crouched even lower, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly, yet he clearly uttered the fatal report: "The thieves seem to be communicating in a Turkic language."
"Turkic language?" Xiao Shenjing tilted his head slightly, his gaze returning to the guard. His gaze was like an unyielding, icy abyss, carrying a chilling calm as he asked, "Can you decipher its meaning?"
"The man in the gray robe spoke excellent Mandarin, moved nimbly like an old man, and called out the name of Empress Yun."
Xu Yuansi!
How dare he?
In an instant, Xiao Shenjing felt a scorching wave of heat rush to the top of his head.
His chest heaved violently, and he could almost hear the sound of his blood boiling in his veins.
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