Chapter 47: Maybe if I kill him, Ying will change her mind.
When Ying returned to the tunnel where the One-Eyed Dragon lived, she found that the prison was empty and the girls had all run away in the chaos.
Holding a torch, she followed the messy footprints on the ground, and sure enough, she found the entrance to another secret passage on the north side of the earth building. It was bottomless and only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It was the secret passage leading to the outside of the village that she and Wei Yiner had mentioned.
Xie Xuanlan's voice suddenly rang out from behind him: "Are you planning to go alone again?"
Turning around from Ying, I saw him first, and then I saw the two people behind him. They were actually Senior Sister Yiyun from Xuandu Temple, holding the dusty Ah He.
"Ah He!"
Cong Ying's eyes lit up, and he rushed forward, embracing her in his arms. His heart, which had been tense for so long, suddenly relaxed, and he choked out a sob, "Great... I finally found you. I was so scared."
"Sister... wuwu... Sister Yin'er is lost!"
Ah He was terrified, weeping profusely, unable to articulate the entire story. Senior Sister Yiyun explained, "Ever since you told me about this, I've been tracking it all the way to Ghost Crying Peak. I didn't expect to arrive too late, and the situation was already chaotic. I don't know where these girls escaped from, and I encountered a few of them. I also found Ah He in a grass nest."
Ah He sobbed, "They killed people. Sister Yin'er told me... not to move, and then she ran out and disappeared!"
Cong Ying asked her, "Is Wei Yin'er going to help you lure the bad guys away?"
"Wow... I... I don't know..."
"Stop crying!"
Congying's voice was a little harsh, and Ah He was so scared that she stopped talking immediately. However, she couldn't hold back her tears, which flowed down her still purple cheeks. She didn't even dare to wipe them away.
Thinking of the suffering she had endured, Cong Ying immediately softened her heart and comforted her softly: "Sister doesn't blame you, I was just too anxious. Do you still remember where you hid at that time?"
Ah He nodded hesitantly.
Cong Ying said, "Let's go find her."
Seeing that she was about to go find someone again, Xie Xuanlan, who had been watching for a long time, finally couldn't help but meddle in her affairs. He said to her with a cold face: "I guess even if you find her, you will have to find someone else. I will assign a few personal guards to you to prevent you from getting into trouble again. I can't leave to save you."
Your Lord and the General of the Cavalry were in a stalemate at the foot of the mountain, and something could happen at any time. Xie Xuanlan had to wipe out the remaining bandits and make sure Prince Huai didn't do anything tricky, so he couldn't spare the time to accompany them in person - in his own words, he couldn't personally supervise her and prevent her from having an affair with Prince Jin and causing trouble again.
Cong Ying hadn't even expected him to help her, so she was truly grateful for his timely help. Wen Ran smiled at him and said, "Okay."
Xie Xuanlan took off the Thousand Miles Eye that was hanging on his waist and threw it to her: "Take this with you too, and find someone faster."
Cong Ying carefully put it away and said, "Thank you, Sanlang."
Xie Xuanlan nodded: "Do what you can and come back early."
He watched Cong Ying's back disappear outside the mountain stronghold, then turned around and dispatched his followers to search carefully for the whereabouts of the One-Eyed Dragon along the exit of the secret passage.
＊
In the dense forest on the south side of Guikuzhang, Xuan Xiangling was in a stalemate with Wang Zhaoshen's 4,000 heavily armored soldiers.
Unlike the hostility between your lord and Wang Zhaoshen, Xuan Xiangling is too familiar with them, and some of them are familiar faces who once served under him.
Ten years ago, before Xuan Xiangling became a son-in-law of the emperor, he was the young commander of the Xuan army in the Northwest Camp.
Now he is imprisoned in Yunjing, his glory is gone, and his followers have ended up becoming bandits, having become their leaders.
Xuan Xiangling felt sorry for them, but still tried to persuade them with words: "If you surrender now, you can still ignore the rumors. Her Highness the Princess and I will do our best to protect you."
The leader on the opposite side sneered, "I heard the Prince Consort has been dismissed from his position and can barely protect himself, so how could he possibly care about us? I'm afraid he wants to capture us and bring us back to earn merit to curry favor with Her Royal Highness the Princess?"
Others said, "When the young commander abandoned us and went to Beijing to enjoy wealth and glory, the Xuan army changed its surname to Wang!"
Xuan Xiangling tightened his grip on the reins: "The one you should all be loyal to is the Emperor of the Great Zhou. His surname is neither Xuan nor Wang."
"The life and death of the soldiers depends on the general. The emperor doesn't know me, so I won't listen to him!"
This was a military tune sung by soldiers at the border. After the leader had mocked them loudly, he straightened his armor and slowly drew the long sword from his waist.
The old grudges from the past and the new hatreds of today are superimposed on each other, and it is already a matter of life and death.
Xuan Xiangling closed his eyes and sighed, then drew the sword from his waist and led the army sent by Princess Chun'an to encircle and suppress his old colleagues whom he had not seen for many years.
In the dense forests to the south, close combat ensued, the cries of killing shook the heavens, startling birds into flying swarms like locusts.
…
"We can't go any further south. We must hurry and tell the Third Young Master."
From his thousand-mile vision, Zong Ying saw the riot in the south and said worriedly, "There's chaos here. I'm afraid General Wang won't be able to hold out for much longer. If he attacks the village without hesitation, we'll all be in danger."
She turned around and counted the girls she had just found. There were probably only half of them in the dungeon. Her heart sank and she blamed herself, "If I hadn't taught them to escape on their own, they might have been safer than they are now."
Yiyun comforted her: "You can't predict everything in the world, you can only do your best."
At this point, the two of them had no choice but to take the girls, escorted by the Fengchen Guards' personal guards, back to the mountain stronghold for a while. Yiyun stayed behind to take care of their food and rest, while Congying hurried to find Xie Xuanlan to report the news.
Just as Xie Xuanlan was about to descend the mountain, he received a tip from his entourage: "Prince Huai's personal guards have found a dead body and quietly hidden it in a building on the other side. They're searching for Prince Huai, apparently hoping to claim credit for it."
"Picking up a dead body to claim credit?" Xie Xuanlan felt strange. "Did you see the face clearly?"
"I saw it clearly, but..." The attendant scratched his head uncertainly. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible. He thought he was just playing tricks on himself. "From what I can see, that man looks a lot like the Prince of Jin."
He accompanied Xie Xuanlan to visit Prince Jin's mansion at night and vaguely remembered what Prince Jin looked like.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xuanlan reined in his horse and turned back to the stronghold. "Capture the messenger and silence him forever."
The attendants obeyed the order solemnly, and Xie Xuanlan quickly rushed to the earthen building he mentioned. The guards of the Huai County Prince who had brought the news had left one person to guard the gate. The gatekeeper stammered and tried to stop Xie Xuanlan, but he was hit on the back of the neck with the back of his knife, and his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground unconscious.
When Xie Xuanlan stepped into the room, he saw that the person thrown on the earthen kang was indeed the Prince of Jin.
He was being dragged and tied up, his face as pale as a corpse, and blood still oozing from his arm. Xie Xuanlan put his fingers together to check his breathing; it was barely perceptible and intermittent, indicating he had already stepped into Yama's palace.
"It would be great if he really died."
Xie Xuanlan sneered: "It's a pity that someone doesn't want you to die. I'm afraid you will be sad."
He stood beside the earthen kang, looking down at Prince Jin for a long time. He really couldn't understand what was so wrong with this sickly guy that was worthy of Jiang Congying's attention. Apart from being lame and coughing, he was not even as good as Du Rupan, that blockhead.
The more he couldn't figure it out, the more uncomfortable he felt. It was as if Jiang Congying had some other secret between him and her, and she had excluded him.
He hated the feeling of being deceived.
Maybe I can kill him now... Xie Xuanlan's mind moved slightly.
He had already killed many people today, and adding another King Jin would be just a matter of a flick of the blade. Kill him, and then pass it on to the King of Huai County. From then on, he and Jiang Congying could have a peaceful and close relationship, and no one would interfere.
This thought was like a vine that grew wildly in the light, and instantly filled Xie Xuanlan's mind. His expression did not change, but the way he stared at Prince Jin changed.
The wind, tinged with the smell of fresh blood, blew into the room, hitting the back of his neck like a breath of bewitching cold air from the devil. Xie Xuanlan's grip on the Yanzhi knife slowly tightened, the blade trembling and clanging in its sheath. His reason and restraint were like a strand of hair constantly stretched, teetering on the edge of breaking.
He pushed lightly with his thumb, and an inch of sharp green light poured out from the sheath -
Doing this will cause a lot of trouble.
Xie Xuanlan pondered, trying to persuade himself to give up:
He had no desire to take advantage of someone's misfortune, kill someone, and frame them. He would be reduced to a sinister villain for the rest of his life. He had promised Jiang Congying not to kill the Prince of Jin, and he shouldn't break his promise to her. The Prince of Jin held a special position in the court; his sudden death would undoubtedly cause unrest...
There are many reasons why we cannot kill King Jin, but there is only one reason why we want to kill him -
Maybe if he died, Jiang Congying would change her mind.
In an instant, he was enveloped by a huge sense of sadness and powerlessness. He thought to himself with self-mockery that he was so jealous of King Jin that he had to deceive his own heart in secret. It turned out that matters of love could make people so distracted, unable to control their actions, and heartbroken.
It was obvious that he was the one holding the butcher knife, yet he could only be slaughtered.
"That's all."
Xie Xuanlan pushed the blade back into its sheath and whispered to King Jin, "You are already a dying man. If I kill you, you will succeed."
He was also more afraid that one day the truth would come out and Jiang Congying would know the truth and look at him with disappointment.
He turned to leave, but Ying had just learned his whereabouts from his escort and rushed over, bumping into him.
She hadn't noticed Xie Xuanlan's surprised and guilty look yet, and she said hurriedly, "Prince Consort Xuan and General Wang's Tibetan soldiers are fighting, and the outcome is still unknown. You—"
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Prince Jin lying on the earthen kang, and Cong Ying's words came to an abrupt end.
What she saw was the King of Jin tied up with ropes and unconscious, with the wound on his arm still bleeding, while Xie Xuanlan was holding a knife and subconsciously hid behind her in front of her.
She looked at him in disbelief: "What are you... planning to do?"
Xie Xuanlan said nothing, letting her push him away and put her arms between him and the King of Jin.
She looked so frightened, her lips had almost lost their color, and she was looking at him with the same disappointed look he had just imagined.
Xie Xuanlan thought he was calm, but he didn't know that the hair that held his heart was just breaking at this moment. He laughed and said, "Of course, whatever you guess is what I plan to do."
He took a step forward and said excitedly, "Don't come over here, stop!"
Xie Xuanlan frowned: "Even if ten of you stood in a row, can you really stop me?"
"I know that there are few people in the world who can stop the Third Young Master."
Cong Ying's eyes gradually turned red, and her tone could not hide the disappointment and grievance, but her expression was stubborn and stiff. She took out the dagger given by King Jin from her arms, but held it across her neck.
The blade is sharp and the skin is delicate, and a slight touch will leave a glaring red line.
Xie Xuanlan's pupils suddenly shrank, and his blood rushed straight to the sky: "Jiang Congying! Put down the knife!"
Cong Ying said, "I won't try to stop the Third Young Master, but I have my own choices. If I have to watch my benefactor being humiliated, I would rather die with him."
Between him and Prince Jin, she made her choice without any hesitation.
At this moment, Xie Xuanlan's heart was truly in dire straits and boiling, but what was even deeper than this was fear. He stared at the dagger in Cong Ying's hand, even breathing lightly, and retreated step by step until he reached the door.
He had underestimated Congying's determination and stubbornness, so he didn't dare to underestimate her again.
He cautiously advised her: "Put the knife down. It's my fault for saying such things. Don't worry, I won't kill him."
Cong Ying loosened his grip on the knife, still holding it across his neck, and said to him, "There are riots both north and south of Guikuizhang. Please, Third Young Master, come forward to stabilize the situation. I will take care of His Highness the Prince of Jin."
Xie Xuanlan: “…Okay.”
With a "clang", the door of the earthen house closed in front of him. Xie Xuanlan was frustrated, but this time he didn't dare to get angry at all. He was silent for a while and looked at the attendant who showed Congying the way.
The attendant knew that he had caused a great disaster, and his legs were trembling with regret.
Xie Xuanlan was in no mood to argue with him. As he put on his armor, he ordered, "You and your men will guard here. Do not allow the Huai Junwang's men to approach. If anyone tries to force their way in, they will be killed. You may not be able to block them, but you can certainly kill them, right?"
The attendants nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."
In the earthen house, Cong Ying heard Xie Xuanlan walking away, so she returned to the earthen kang, cut the rope with a dagger, and cut a piece of clean cloth from her dress. When she was about to bandage Prince Jin's wound, there was a knock on the door.
"Madam Jiang, this is the plantain and Panax notoginseng that the Third Young Master sent, along with a bottle of Shaodaozi liquor and a basin of water."
Seeing that Xie Xuanlan had suffered a loss, the attendant stood far away from the threshold, bent down and stretched out his arm, and stuffed the item through the crack of the door. Wine can dissolve pus, and herbal juice can stop bleeding. Cong Ying took the item and thanked him in a gentle voice.
The attendant quickly waved his hands and said no, no.
This time, Cong Ying sat down and carefully cleaned King Jin's wound with herbs and wine. He found that the wound was deeper than before and couldn't help but frowned.
She remembered the knife in Xie Xuanlan's hand.
In fact, she did not want to doubt the Third Young Master too much, but the life and death of King Jin was just a matter of his decision. If she did not express her attitude more strongly, she was afraid that the Third Young Master would really cause trouble.
She held the Prince of Jin's hand, wiped the wound with wine, and squeezed herbal juice on it. There was no needle and thread to sew him up here, and Cong Ying didn't have the skills to do it, so she had to use a little more force when wrapping the bandage. Unexpectedly, the tightening force woke the Prince of Jin.
He opened his eyes and met Cong Ying's worried gaze. She placed the back of her cold, soft hand against his forehead to test the temperature: "A bit feverish."
"I'm sorry to have caused you trouble..." King Jin sighed softly, "I'm really not as good as I used to be."
In his past life, even a broken arm wouldn't have stopped him from fighting through the night, dashing thousands of miles. Not to mention his past life, even just now, when he was trapped in the chaos and sharing his feelings with Xie Xuanlan, searching the mountains and suppressing bandits was as easy as chopping melons and vegetables. His high spirits were still there, but when he opened his eyes again, he was still injured and crippled. Lao Aying's concern and worry made him feel a bit of self-loathing.
"Not him."
Cong Ying poured him some water: "What?"
The King of Jin said, "My injury was not caused by Xie Sannong. Even if you hadn't come, he wouldn't have killed me."
Cong Ying's eyelashes drooped slightly: "Your Highness heard everything?"
"Um."
If you keep your worries in your heart, no matter how many grievances you have, you won't feel sad as long as you don't think about it too much. What you fear most is someone asking about your concern, because it will surge up from your heart, get stuck in your throat, and become an emotion that is difficult to swallow.
Prince Jin reached out and touched the scar on her neck that looked like a red line. His eyes were fixed on her. "But he shouldn't have let you get hurt. He treated you like this. Are you still willing to choose him?"
Cong Ying gently pressed the red corners of her eyes, and after a long time, she still nodded firmly.
Prince Jin felt mixed emotions.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I’m trying to make a list, so I’ll post it in advance tomorrow morning.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
