Chapter 19 It's always too easy to think of Yunxi
Along with the crowd that poured in came blinding torches, illuminating everything in the room and revealing the intimate moments on the bed.
Fortunately, the clothes of the two people on the bed were only slightly disheveled.
But Zi Shu's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes, gleaming with spring light, trembled, clearly showing that she was moved.
Looking at her, Xiao Shenjing unconsciously clenched his fist at his side, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Xu Yuansi was stunned for a moment, then immediately sat up and stood in front of Zi Shu, asking, "What are you doing?"
Xiao Shenjing didn't raise his eyebrows, coldly uttering a single word.
"kill."
He wanted to see it with his own eyes.
That way, no mistakes will happen.
With a clang, Dao Yi drew his knife without hesitation and walked towards the two people on the bed against the light.
"Why are you killing us? Why?" Xu Yuansi was shocked and couldn't believe it. "Who are you? You can tell me anything you want."
Xiao Shenjing acted as if he hadn't heard.
Zi Shu trembled with fear. She threw herself in front of Xu Yuansi and asked in a pitiful voice, "Young master, I have already proven that I am not the person you are looking for. Why will you still not let us go?"
The blade is getting closer and closer.
The tall, strong figure was elongated by the candlelight, resembling a wild beast about to open its blood-red maw.
Death is like a giant hand gripping your throat.
Zi Shu pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with locust flowers and wiped her eyes. Her eyes were red and she said desperately, "Young master, I will do whatever you want me to do. I only beg you to let go of Brother Xu. Please, please let him go!"
Xiao Shenjing suddenly turned his head to look at her.
Looking at that familiar face.
He couldn't help but recall the time at Snake Ridge Mountain when he said, "Yunxi, Yuwei has been delicate since childhood and can't handle being frightened, but you are not, do you understand?"
What did she say then?
What did Yunxi say? Did she ever beg him like that?
No
Even when the robber swung his knife at her, she just stared at him and smiled, never begging for mercy, and she didn't say a single word to him.
There was never a moment when he clearly realized that the woman in front of him was not Yunxi.
Yunxi is dead; Yunxi no longer exists in this world.
"Dao Yi." Xiao Shenjing suddenly felt listless, and even the killing intent he had been carrying vanished instantly.
Dao Yi immediately stopped in his tracks, turned sideways, and stood respectfully with his head bowed.
Awaiting instructions from Xiao Shenjing.
Just then, a guard suddenly appeared outside and handed a secret report carried by a carrier pigeon to the page who was guarding the door.
"Young Master"
The urgent report, sealed with sealing wax, was something no one dared to delay.
"Give it to me," Xiao Shenjing said without turning his head.
As Zi Shu and Xu Yuansi quietly comforted each other, Xiao Shenjing slowly opened the secret report in his hand.
He glanced at Xu Yuansi casually, gave a cold laugh that was hard to decipher, and said, "Lock him up and take him back to the capital for interrogation."
Zi Shu stared at Xiao Shenjing in disbelief and asked, "Why? What exactly did he do wrong?"
Xiao Shenjing, his body icy cold, turned around, took a step, and walked towards the outside.
Like a high and mighty god, holding the power of life and death, taking or taking as he pleases.
Dao Yi, upon receiving orders, bent Xu Yuansi's arms behind his back without further ado.
Zi Shu cried and frantically tried to stop them, "Let him go! You're not allowed to touch his Brother Xu!"
Xu Yuansi quickly reassured her, "Zishu, it's alright. I'm innocent, so there won't be any problems."
He let the knife be pressed against his hand, and instead tried his best to smile and comfort her, "Don't cry, you'll hurt yourself. Stay home and wait for me, I'll be back soon."
Before he could finish speaking, Dao Yi dragged him away.
"Brother Xu!" Zi Shu refused to believe it. Her face streaked with tears, she chased after him barefoot, trying to rescue Xu Yuansi from Dao Yi's grasp. "Why are you arresting people arbitrarily? I'm going to report this to the authorities. The Yangzhou government won't do anything, so I'll appeal to the emperor!"
The rest of the conversation abruptly ended when he saw the servants lying haphazardly in the courtyard.
Upon hearing the complaint to the emperor, Xiao Shenjing, who had already reached the archway, glanced at her from afar.
Zi Shu, dressed in a light blue dress, leaned on the threshold.
Her face was streaked with tears, as fragile and helpless as a willow branch swaying in the wind.
Xiao Shenjing withdrew his gaze without hesitation, as if he disdained to look at him any further.
Little did they know that Zi Shu behind them had gently tilted her head.
Her eyes were filled with tears, and she seemed like a completely different person in an instant.
Early the next morning.
The people at Laifu Inn are all ready to go.
Because of the restless activity in Nanjing, Xiao Shenjing had no choice but to temporarily abandon his original trip south and change his route back to the capital.
When Xiao Shenjing and his party appeared at the Grand Canal dock,
From afar, I could see a slender figure standing at the crossroads. She was standing beside a carriage, with a maid standing next to her.
Xiao Shenjing glanced at it once and then turned and got into the carriage.
They don't care at all what she's going to do.
"Zi Shu, what brings you here? Go back quickly," Xu Yuansi, locked in the prison cart, said anxiously.
Zi Shu smiled at him and said, "Brother Xu, I'll go with you."
"No." Xu Yuan refused immediately without even thinking. "The journey is long, Zishu, you should go back quickly and wait for me at home, okay?"
"Brother Xu, please don't try to persuade me anymore." Zi Shu smiled gently at him. "My mind is made up. No matter where you are, I will be with you."
"Zi Shu" Xu Yuansi's eyes trembled, her heart filled with tender emotions.
Yangzhou has a well-developed waterway transportation system, so taking a boat is naturally the fastest option.
The page had already rented a large boat. While the servants were unloading the luggage, Zi Shu pursed her lips, held her handkerchief, and walked to Xiao Shenjing's side.
She curtsied, bowed her head, and softly called out, "Young Master."
His tone was respectful yet distant, and she didn't dare to get angry even though he treated her like that. It seems she was truly used to being submissive.
Xiao Shenjing glanced at her sideways.
His gaze lingered on the exposed part of her neck.
Delicate and frail, Yunxi would never expose such a weakness to others.
Has she ever bowed her head like this in front of him?
It seemed not; she always looked at him with raised eyebrows, sometimes with a smile, sometimes with anger, and sometimes with reproach.
This woman reminded him of Yunxi all too easily.
This made Xiao Shenjing frown deeply.
"Young master, may I ride on your boat? I will certainly pay the full price."
"What will you do if I disagree?" His tone was not as indifferent as usual, but carried a clear hint of sarcasm.
Zi Shu held her handkerchief and glanced at the ferry crossing.
“There are many cargo ships going to the capital every day.”
"Should I call you stupid or naive? A lone, weak woman going to such a chaotic place, aren't you afraid of being buried alive?"
His tone was filled with undisguised contempt.
"What can I do?" Zi Shu looked up and asked him, her almond-shaped eyes filled with weakness and helplessness. "Young Master forcibly took away my husband. I had no choice but to go. I don't know if my husband is alive or dead. I just want to stay with him as much as possible."
Every word her husband uttered was on her lips.
Xiao Shenjing took a step and left.
Seeing this, Zi Shu raised her voice again and said, "Young master, I will definitely pay the market price for my ride on your boat."
Xiao Shenjing ignored him completely.
But others naturally heard what he said.
So Zi Shu boarded the ship without any hindrance. Dao Yi even gave her a cabin on the first floor and instructed her, "Don't come out easily."
Zi Shu naturally wished she would never have to see Xiao Shenjing again, so she rarely showed herself on the plank.
She just didn't expect to get seasick.
They had only been on the ship for an hour.
She felt dizzy and nauseous, even when lying in bed.
“Madam,” Nianxia said, sitting by the window and patting her back to help her catch her breath, “would you like to go up to the deck for some fresh air?”
Zi Shu immediately shook her head fiercely.
Going out might lead you to run into Xiao Shenjing, but he's unpredictable, so it's best to avoid him.
I forced myself to eat a few sour plums to suppress the nausea, but soon after, I vomited violently again.
Even so, she endured until nightfall, and only when no one was around did she force herself to go to the deck for some fresh air, despite feeling nauseous and seeing stars.
I thought it was late at night and everyone was gone from the deck, but I was surprised to see Xiao Shenjing there anyway.
He stood facing the wind, dressed in dark black robes, with his hands behind his back.
Hearing the sound, I turned around.
He was clearly surprised for a moment when he saw Zi Shu.
She wore an outer robe, her long black hair cascading down, which made her face appear even paler.
Its figure was solitary, as if it were about to transform into the wind and drift away.
Zi Shu also saw Xiao Shenjing. She subconsciously wanted to leave, but couldn't help feeling nauseous, so she suddenly threw herself onto the ship's side and dry heaved.
He strained so hard that the veins in his neck bulged, and he looked extremely uncomfortable.
Nianxia quickly patted her back and handed her the water in the bamboo cup.
A refreshing breeze blew over her, and Zi Shu finally felt her dizziness subside considerably.
She felt as if she had finally come back to life, tilting her head back to face the moonlight, savoring the comfort of the moment.
Unexpectedly, this scene caused Xiao Shenjing's expression to change abruptly.
He caught a cold that time, and unexpectedly fell seriously ill and was bedridden.
Upon hearing this, Yunxi secretly climbed over the wall to deliver the fox fur coat. This was seen by outsiders and spread. As a result, Marquis Jiangyuan punished Yunxi by making her copy the "Admonitions for Women" in the ancestral hall and kneeling for a month.
The night she was released, she climbed over the wall to see him again.
She was dressed in a silver satin robe, her long black hair flowing freely, and she sat on the wall watching the moon.
Just like Zi Shu at this moment.
The old image of memory overlapped perfectly with the figure of a person not far away.
A storm instantly raged in Xiao Shenjing's eyes.
She can swim, but gets seasick. If she really lived by the water all year round, how could she get seasick?
The journey from Yangzhou back to the capital via the Grand Canal takes only a few days.
Zi Shu stayed in the cabin as much as possible, and for a while the sea was calm.
As the ship approached the Kyoto dock, Xiao Shenjing was surprised that Zishu would come to find him.
He stared at her silently and said, "Come in."
"Young Master," Zi Shu bowed to him, coughed a few times, and respectfully asked, "May I ask where my husband will be escorted?"
Xiao Shenjing didn't answer her question, but instead asked, "Do you have any grievances?"
Zi Shu twisted her handkerchief, pursed her lips, and finally mustered up the courage to say, "It would be a lie to say I have no resentment, but what can I do even if I do?"
"Although I do not know your identity, sir, I know you are not an ordinary person. I only ask that you, sir, will spare my husband and me after you have investigated the truth."
Although the reason for arresting Xu Yuansi was that his background was different.
But everyone knows that this must have been a pretext that Xiao Shenjing made up.
Xu Yuansi grew up in Jingsheng from a young age. He came from a respectable family, studied at a private school, and learned medicine from others, all of which are documented.
Whether or not to release someone is just a matter of what the person in front of you says.
Xiao Shenjing: "If he has no problems, we will naturally release him."
"Where will he be taken this time?" Zi Shu asked with a worried expression.
Xiao Shenjing said indifferently, "His original household registration was in the capital. According to the current laws, he will naturally be detained in the Shuntian Prefecture."
Zi Shu covered her mouth with her embroidered handkerchief, coughed a few more times, then thanked them and gracefully left.
Xiao Shenjing stared at her back until she disappeared before turning his gaze away.
He couldn't help but think of Yunxi again.
She walks with a powerful stride and often climbs walls and trees.
Unlike ordinary young ladies, her back view was so arrogant that she could be recognized at a glance.
When disembarking.
Xiao Shenjing was the first to step out of the cabin.
He didn't need to worry about his luggage; more than a dozen people were busy carrying it on the ship. He disembarked, waving a sky-blue folding fan.
It's windy and the weather is gloomy today; I don't know when the rain will start.
Although Zi Shu had already used most of the things she brought on the ship, she still had some left over from the purchases she made along the way.
Knowing that they didn't know how much longer they would be staying in Kyoto, they naturally couldn't bear to throw anything away.
While coughing, he rolled up his sleeves and helped Nianxia move the boxes.
Xu Yuansi was escorted out of the cabin, and his eyes had just adjusted to the light when he saw this scene.
They quickly walked over, dragging their chains along.
"My wife asked me to come."
Seeing the clinking and jingling on his wrists and ankles, Zi Shu's eyes stung with tears, and she quickly stopped him, saying, "Husband, you don't need to. These things aren't heavy."
After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but cough lightly.
Xu Yuansi shook his head. "This is something a man should do. Let me do it."
After saying that, he picked up the box and walked towards the shore.
Zi Shu had no choice but to follow.
Seeing this, Dao Er, who was escorting him, did not dare to stop him and silently followed behind.
There are oxcarts available for rent at the dock.
Zi Shu asked Nian Xia to rent a horse and load the things onto it.
Seeing Xu Yuansi's hands, which he usually used to write and prepare medicine, now locked in chains, his wrists rubbed red from the chains, Zi Shu finally couldn't help but hug him, calling him "husband."
Xu Yuansi held her in his arms and gently patted her back to comfort her, saying, "My wife, don't worry. This capital city is under the emperor's nose. I believe that Shuntian Prefecture will soon clear my name."
His expression was somewhat somber as he said this.
Zi Shu, who was buried in his arms, naturally did not see it.
Zi Shu nodded.
Xu Yuansi was about the same height as Xiao Shenjing, and his broad shoulders made Zishu reluctant to part with him.
It is said that newlyweds are in the honeymoon phase, but her wedding night with him was interrupted twice in a row, leaving her with nowhere to express her love.
Xu Yuansi was clearly the same as her.
He held her close, unwilling to let go.
"Look, look!" A woman smiled and pointed to Yunxi and Xu Yuansi, saying, "Look, they are truly a match made in heaven."
“Didn’t you see the man is wearing chains? He must have committed a heinous crime; he’s no good,” another woman said.
"But he is really handsome." The woman who spoke first didn't seem to care.
When Xiao Shenjing turned around, he saw the two people intimately embracing.
He watched as that familiar face, now radiating an unfamiliar, shy smile, nestled in another man's arms.
My eyes are filled with a reluctance to part, like spring itself.
Xiao Shenjing withdrew his gaze expressionlessly and said to Dao Yi beside him, "Dao Er has neglected his duties; deduct one month's salary."
"Huh?" Even Dao Yi, who is usually quick-witted, was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously glanced at his master and then turned back to find Dao Er.
He immediately spotted the two figures embracing, and his silly younger brother standing behind them.
"Knife One".
Summer rains come quickly.
Just as the group entered the post station, the rain began to pelt down.
The ground was instantly slammed into small puddles, each the size of a bean.
Soon, Xiao Shenjing and his entourage of guards and maids entered the post station to take shelter from the rain. Even the horses were led into the stables so they didn't get wet.
Dao Er had just been fined that morning, so he didn't dare to let Xu Yuansi out to take shelter from the rain without permission. He could only hurry back to the eaves.
The prison van was left all alone in the torrential rain.
Zi Shu followed behind Xiao Shenjing and his group.
So when her oxcart arrived at the post station in the heavy rain, she saw this scene.
The torrential rain pelted Xu Yuansi.
He was trapped in the prison van with nowhere to shelter from the rain.
Zi Shu clenched her hands.
For a moment, the ox was inexplicably startled.
The old man driving the car said, "Wife, the rain is too heavy. Could you go and talk to the officials and ask if we could go inside and take shelter as well?"
"Okay." Zi Shu took out the only umbrella, lifted her skirt, and got out of the car.
As they passed the prison cart, Xu Yuansi wiped the water off his face and instructed, "Wife, go inside and take shelter from the rain. You've just recovered from your cold, so don't get wet again."
"Okay." Zi Shu smiled at him, holding up her oil-paper umbrella.
When she walked down to the corridor, Xiao Shenjing was sitting by the window of the main house.
The rain pounded on the roof ornaments of the post station, and the rain chains hanging from the glazed tiles had turned into silver waterfalls.
Four maids stood behind him, their heads bowed and eyes lowered.
Under the open window facing the courtyard, Xiao Shenjing sat cross-legged, dressed in a jade-colored silk robe, with a celadon lotus petal cup beside him and a glass tea set in front of him.
Amidst the wisps of smoke, a refined gentleman, as if polished and sculpted, exudes a natural air of aloofness and nobility.
Zi Shu bowed at the window and asked with lowered eyes, "Young master, may the coachman and maid come in to take shelter from the rain?"
Xiao Shenjing grunted an "Mmm" without raising his eyes.
Zi Shu walked to the prison cart with her umbrella and waved to the driver.
The driver understood and drove the car into the courtyard.
The rain was so heavy that Xu Yuansi noticed that Zi Shu's skirt and shoulders were somewhat wet.
He shielded his eyes from the rain with his hand and said, "Wife, please go inside quickly, don't stand in the rain."
Zi Shu turned her head to him and said, "Husbands and wives should share joys and sorrows. How can I let you get soaked in the rain alone?"
The courtyard of the post station was not large to begin with.
Despite the sound of rain, her words still faintly reached Xiao Shenjing's ears.
He looked up through the rain curtain and gazed into the courtyard.
Then, Zi Shu climbed onto the prison cart and held the umbrella over Xu Yuansi's head.
Xu Yuansi gripped the wooden bars of the prison cart and loudly urged, "Wife, get down. I'm fine. You've just recovered and shouldn't get wet in the rain anymore."
The torrential rain pounded on the oil-paper umbrella and then quickly rolled down from the edge.
Zi Shu held the umbrella in one hand and smiled gently, "Husband, then come closer to me, how about we each take half?"
Her tone was as gentle as the wind, without any righteous refusal to reason, yet it proved her determination more than anything else.
Xu Yuansi couldn't bear to see his wife get caught in the rain. "My wife, I'm a real man. Getting a little rained on is nothing!"
"Husband," she said, her almond-shaped eyes crinkling. Her small, porcelain-white hand easily reached into the prison cart and wiped the raindrops from Xu Yuansi's face. She asked, "What if I were the one getting rained on right now?"
"My lady," Xu Yuansi looked at her from across the prison cart, speechless.
"See? My husband won't leave me, will he?" Seeing that the rain was still pouring down, she pulled a handkerchief from her bosom. "No matter what storms we face, as long as we're together, we're not afraid of anything."
Rain poured down, and wisps of blue smoke danced in the air.
She sat beside the prison cart, holding an oil-paper umbrella in one hand, the sleeve of which rolled down to her wrist, revealing half of her porcelain-white wrist.
Despite being so slender, as if it would easily break if folded, it selflessly held up a shelter for the man in the prison cart amidst the raging wind and rain.
Her unwavering choice and resolute following were as if no matter how great the storms, she would never abandon him or leave him.
Xiao Shenjing gripped the teacup tightly in his hand, staring intently at the scene in the rain.
He suddenly remembered what the child named Onion had said.
"Our eldest sister would give her heart for you. To help you, to find a way to be with you, she even risked her life to join the army. She's a woman who joined the army for you, and you didn't even save her. What did she do wrong? Why are you all bullying her like this? Why didn't you save her? Why won't you save her?"
As long as it's someone Yunxi has chosen, she's willing to risk everything, even going through fire and water.
She is passionate and courageous, and she will never back down from the person she chooses.
If she loves you, she will never betray you.
Why didn't you save her?
Boiling water was poured from the cup, and Xiao Shenjing only realized what was happening when his fingers turned red from the heat.
He loosened his grip.
With a "smash," the cup slammed onto the table, splashing hot water everywhere.
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