Chapter 82: Going crazy and breaking ten skills with one force.
Princess Chun'an's condition was a little bad.
Her left arm was grazed by Agula's arrow, which was not a big deal, but her lower abdomen was cramping as if a thousand-pound ice block fell on her. The pain made her collapse to the ground, and she felt that everything in front of her was floating.
However, when Xie Xuanlan approached, she still picked up the dagger and stared at him coldly.
Cong Ying stepped forward to support her. Seeing the bright red blood dripping down the hem of her skirt, her voice trembled. "Don't be afraid, Your Highness. He won't... he won't kill you."
She recalled the description of the princess by the teacher of the Xuzhou female school when she was young. She was graceful and looked like a goddess. She also recalled the first time she saw her in the Chuigong Palace. She was sitting high on the nine-tiered steps of the Chuigong Palace. She was extremely majestic and inviolable.
Now lying in a pool of blood, so fragile and disheveled, Cong Ying's voice choked for a moment, and she couldn't help crying.
The princess slowly stood up, her eyes meeting Xie Xuanlan's for a moment. One was burning with hatred, the other with a cold, icy glare. They both harbored murderous intent towards each other, but in front of Cong Ying, they tacitly restrained themselves.
Xie Xuanlan ordered his attendants, "Go and tie up a carrying pole. Princess, please bear with me for a while."
The group cleaned up the mess. Xie Xuanlan cut off the heads of the Western Tatars and hung them behind the horses. Seeing Cong Ying hesitating and not daring to get on the horse, he actually laughed in a good mood.
He said, "You cannot come with me. I will send someone to take you out quietly and find you a doctor. You must rest well in your tent. Even if the king of heaven comes, you are not allowed to leave the tent."
As he spoke, he glanced at the seriously injured and unconscious King Jin intentionally or unintentionally.
In Xie Xuanlan's opinion, he had already told Congying not to get involved, but she still appeared in the enclosure with Prince Jin. It must be Prince Jin who lured her into the water.
Cong Ying understood that Xie Xuanlan was trying to distance herself from this matter, so she nodded in agreement. Then she said worriedly, "The Western Tartar envoy and Princess Wenshuang are both dead, and the princess is also... This matter has become so serious, who will take responsibility for this serious incident?"
Xie Xuanlan didn't give her a clear answer, but only said, "I'll come to see you later."
At this time, the camp was in a state of panic.
A guard patrolling the hunting grounds discovered the princess's hunting party slain, their bodies hidden in a tree, blood trickling down the trunk. The same fate befell the imperial guards assigned to the Western Tartar envoys, all of whom were slain with a single blow. The whereabouts of the Western Tartar envoys and the princess were unknown.
Emperor Fengqi panicked and ordered his son-in-law to select hundreds of elite imperial guards to enter the enclosure to search for the person, but Prime Minister Xie was reluctant to approve it.
He said slowly, "Your Majesty's body is precious. If this is a conspiracy by the Western Tartars to transfer the elite troops around Your Majesty and take advantage of the opportunity to launch an attack, who will bear the responsibility?"
Prince Consort Xuan said coldly: "If something happens to the princess, can Prime Minister Xie afford it?"
Minister Xie smiled. If Emperor Fengqi were here, he would recognize that smile; it was exactly the same smile he had thirty years ago when he heard about the Empress's difficult labor. He said, "Your Majesty is naturally the most important person in all matters."
He was stalling for time, waiting for the good news to come from the enclosure that the Western Tatar envoy had murdered the Princess of the Great Zhou. As for the Western Tatar envoy's mouth, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, so naturally his third brother would go and stop him.
Soon, hurried and chaotic footsteps were heard outside the tent. The guard who came to report the news was almost scared to death: "Prime Minister, Prime Minister, something happened!"
Xie Xiang walked outside: "Why are you so nervous? Speak slowly."
The guard who reported the news said, "Your Majesty and Prince Jin were assassinated and are seriously injured and unconscious. Their lives are unknown. The Third Young Master, the Third Young Master..."
Prince Consort Xuan's face suddenly turned pale. He turned and ran towards the princess's tent. Prime Minister Xie looked at his back and smiled, then asked, "How is the Third Young Master?"
The guard said, "The Third Young Master has returned victorious from hunting, but hanging from his horse's back are... all the heads of Western Tatar envoys."
The Western Tartars killed the princess, and Xie Xuanlan killed the Western Tartars, eliminating his political enemies while also distancing himself from the issue. This outcome was exactly as Xie Xiang had planned, but he vaguely sensed something was amiss. He pondered and murmured, "There's no need to be so high-profile... What about the others?"
The guard said, "It seems to be heading towards the King's tent."
Prime Minister Xie frowned: What urgent matter is there that requires us to see the King of England first?
"Let's go, I'll go take a look too."
In the King of England's tent, the King of England and the Prince of Huai, father and son, were also very excited after hearing the spy's report.
The Prince of Huai clapped his hands repeatedly, "Great! Both your Lord and the Prince of Jin are in trouble. As long as they die, I will be the only one who can become the Crown Prince! Although Xie San is unruly, he is very efficient in his work. By the way, Father, do you think Xie San will get involved with us?"
The King of England looked very composed, unlike his father, who showed his emotions so visibly. He spoke slowly, "Wen Shuang said she would leave the evidence of Dianma Powder with the Jiang girl. Everyone knows that she is Xie San's fiancée, whom he had protected so much. Once she dies, there will be no way to defend herself. If any blame is to be borne, it will be Xie's."
"That's good." Prince Huai was full of confidence: "Now I just wait for my sister to come back and tell me the good news."
But the person they waited for first was Xie Xuanlan.
He washed his face briefly, his damp temples appearing even darker and smoother. He was still wearing the same narrow, vermilion-colored shirt with scale patterns he'd worn when he left the enclosure, but the hem was a deep, splashing crimson. If it weren't for the faint scent of blood, his leisurely stroll would have given him the languid air of a playboy.
He had his hands behind his back, carrying a heavy red package and a knife.
Prince Huai came forward and said, "I came back early. I heard there was a big commotion in the enclosure. Why did you get here first?"
Xie Xuanlan smiled and said, "I came to tell my uncle and cousin a message."
The Prince of Huai said, "We already know. Hey, have you seen Ah Shuang? She also went to the enclosure. Such a big thing happened, but she hasn't returned yet. I don't know where she is in the mountains."
"Oh, I have."
Xie Xuanlan responded lightly and threw the package he was holding into the arms of Prince Huai. The package fell apart, revealing a bloody head. It was the missing Princess Wen Shuang.
“Ah—help—!”
Prince Huai threw his head away, his face turned pale with fear, and he fell to the ground. Then the purple-blue blade of the Yanzhi Knife was pressed against his neck.
The King of England was so frightened that he stood up and said, "Third nephew, what are you doing? Let Zezhen go!"
"I have something to ask you, and you'd better tell me the truth, or I'll recognize you as my cousin, but I won't recognize the knife in your hand."
Xie Xuanlan curled the corners of his mouth coldly.
"My wife and the princess' horses were both sprayed with horse powder. Who did this?"
Prince Huai felt a sharp pain in his neck and was too scared to swallow his saliva. He rolled his eyes repeatedly in fear.
After a long while, he weakly admitted: "It was...Wen Shuang who did it."
Xie Xuanlan asked again, "Who ordered those Western Tartar beasts to kill your lord?"
Prince Huai: "It's me..."
"These Western Tartar beasts are willing to risk the wrath of the Great Zhou Emperor. What did you promise them?"
The Prince of Huai County hesitated and couldn't answer, glancing at the King of Ying. His father had only asked him to give orders to the Western Tartars, but the specific benefits he promised were discussed personally with the Western Tartar warrior Agula.
King Ying said, "You should ask Prime Minister Xie about these matters. Why are you making things difficult for Zezhen?"
Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao has arrived. When Xie Xiang entered the room, he first saw a human head rolling at his feet. He also saw Xie Xuanlan holding the Prince of Huai with a knife. He shouted repeatedly: "Zi Wang! What are you doing? Put down the knife!"
Xie Xuanlan's cold gaze swept over Prince Ying and Prime Minister Xie, then he looked down at Prince Huai and said, "It seems that your usefulness has ended here."
After he finished speaking, there was a flash of silver light like flowing water, and the skull of Prince Huai rolled to the ground.
Blood gushed from the severed neck like a waterfall, and even the seasoned King of England stumbled back with a scream. Amidst the blood-soaked mist, Xie Xuanlan sneered, wiping his knife with his sleeve. Beads of blood formed on his brow, accentuating his handsome face and piercing eyes, making him look like a cruel, mad, and voluptuous ghost.
He held the knife in his hand and walked towards Prime Minister Xie and King Ying. King Ying rushed out of the tent in panic, shouting, "Someone! He's crazy! Come and save me!"
Xie Xiang frowned as he looked at his third son approaching. Even he couldn't help but feel nervous. He said in a cold voice: "A princess, a prince, you have committed such a murderous crime. Even I can't protect you. It seems that you have thought about your own end."
"I've already said that no one from the Ying Palace can join in the conspiracy." Xie Xuanlan stared at Xie Xiang: "They want to kill Ah Ying. Does father know about this?"
Xie Xiang said, "I don't know."
Xie Xuanlan sneered.
This sarcastic sneer infuriated Xie Xiang, and he shouted, "If you have the guts, you can kill me too!"
"That's not the case," Xie Xuanlan said, "otherwise I would be in mourning for three years and it would delay my getting married and having children."
Xie Xiang was so angry that veins on his forehead were throbbing. He had to hold on to the edge of the table to stay standing and avoid fainting immediately.
Outside the tent, the sounds of swords clashing and footsteps could be heard. It was the Imperial Guards who had heard the news and were coming to intercept them. They shouted across the tent, "Is Third Young Master Xie in the tent? The Emperor has commanded Third Young Master Xie to remove his armor and come before the Emperor!"
Xie Xuanlan sheathed his sword and threw it to Xie Xiang: "I'm going to see the emperor. Let's take care of ourselves."
*
Cong Ying had a slightly fractured rib, so the imperial physician came and put a splint on her, and then treated her with acupuncture and massage to relieve the pain. She drank a bowl of thick, bitter medicine and took a nap on the couch. When she awoke, it was already dusk, and the surroundings were quiet and unsettling.
She tried to get up, but first let out a cry of pain.
A middle-aged woman walked in. She was gentle and kind, and said, "The Third Young Master asked me to look after his wife. Does she need water or the toilet?"
Cong Ying shook her head.
The woman said, "Lady, just lie down and don't move. Take good care of your injury and it will heal in half a month. If you move around too much, you might develop a serious illness."
She said her last name was Li, and Cong Ying asked her, "Madame Li, what happened outside?"
Nanny Li was only taking care of things in the tent and didn't know much about it. She asked the attendant who was guarding the tent to ask about it. The attendant was gone for half an hour and came back. He told her everything Cong Ying had asked about it through the screen.
"The Third Young Master has been summoned to appear before the Emperor, and has not yet come out."
"The imperial physician's office is in a state of panic. I heard that your lady had a miscarriage and her condition was critical. She barely managed to escape death. The Prince of Jin was also seriously injured. Several imperial physicians have been to the hospital, but he still hasn't woken up."
There was also a story that was spreading like wildfire outside: Third Master Xie rushed into the Yingwang tent carrying the head of Princess Wenshuang and then beheaded the Huaiwang. Even a grown man like him felt a chill run down his spine when he heard this. He thought that since Madam Jiang didn't ask, he shouldn't say anything in front of her, so as not to scare her.
Congying sighed and nodded, then reluctantly ate some food. She asked Nanny Li to help her wash up and then lie down to rest.
This time she slept for a long time and dreamed that basins of blood were poured out of the princess's tent. She woke up restlessly and saw a faint light on the screen, reflecting two figures and vaguely heard muffled voices.
With a hint of a smile, he said, "I just came to see her. How could I possibly do anything wrong to her when she's like this?"
Nanny Li's voice dropped even lower, making it hard to hear. All she could hear was a repeated "I know, I know," followed by a hint of pleading: "I was taking her horseback riding and she accidentally fell. Please don't tell my mother."
Cong Ying hurriedly called out, "San Lang!"
The talking outside stopped abruptly, Nanny Li left, and Xie Xuanlan walked in from behind the screen, raised the bed curtain with one hand, and sat down beside the couch.
He had just bathed, and the rich scent of ylang-ylang and musk almost overwhelmed the bitter medicinal odor in the tent. He wore only thin clothing, his long hair languishing in a hazy, slightly damp sheen. With such an unapproachable lecherous demeanor, it was no wonder that Nanny Li stopped him and harassed him.
Cong Ying quickly grabbed him and asked, "How's the situation at the enclosure? So many Western Tartars died, and the princess and Prince Jin were injured. Will you be held responsible? I heard the emperor summoned you for the entire afternoon. Did he take his anger out on you? What did you say?"
She asked all the worries that had been lingering in her heart all day. After listening to her, Xie Xuanlan only said three words: "I'm fine."
Cong Ying is unsure what "nothing" means. Is it immortality? Or innocence?
Xie Xuanlan pulled out a jade porcelain bottle from his sleeve. "This is the Black Jade Fracture Ointment. It was given to me by a knight-errant when I was wandering around the martial arts world. It's very effective in healing bones and tendons. Remember to apply it to the wound once in the morning and once in the evening."
Cong Ying thought this was not right: "Why are you telling me this? What about you?"
Xie Xuanlan smiled and looked at her tenderly: "Do you want me to apply medicine for you?"
Cong Ying remained silent, staring at him intently, as if trying to find the source of her unease in his expression. Xie Xuanlan's warm palm slowly caressed her waist: "Alright, I'll obey your command."
He rolled up Cong Ying's undershirt, revealing a white, slender waist like a wish-fulfilling handle. He removed the splint and could see the black bruises on the broken bones. He pressed gently and heard Cong Ying gasp and cry out in pain.
He took out the intermittent ointment with Ying's silver hairpin, spread it on her wound, and slowly massaged it along the meridians with his fingertips.
A cool and warm feeling seeped into her skin, bringing an indescribable comfort. As Ying gradually relaxed under his massage, she heard him ask, "Why did you go to the paddock today?"
Cong Ying then told Xie Xuanlan how Princess Wen Shuang had kidnapped her and how she had colluded with the Western Tartars to hunt her down.
Xie Xuanlan said, "I thought it was the Prince of Jin who instigated you... So, he went into the enclosure specifically to rescue you?"
Cong Ying's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she replied, "I don't know."
In fact, she had this guess in her mind, so she was always concerned about the safety of King Jin. However, when she thought of the scene of Xie Xuanlan slashing people with a knife like a madman in the enclosure, she hesitated and did not dare to tell Xie Xuanlan.
But Xie Xuanlan sighed softly, "Aying, Prince Jin is willing to sacrifice his life to protect you. This time, I am grateful to him."
From Ying's heart was slightly moved, and he heard him say:
"I used to be suspicious and jealous, always thinking that since we were in love first, you should belong to me. So I was wary of him and looked down on him. But now I reflect on myself and realize that I am not superior to him in any way. I cherish my feelings for you, and his heart for you is no less contemptuous than mine. Ah Ying... I really feel a little ashamed of myself."
He recalled what he had seen today in the enclosure, when Prince Jin had committed suicide without hesitation. In order to block the knife for her, he had even used his flesh and blood to stop Xiao Wenshuang's sharp blade.
On the other hand, his father tacitly allowed Xiao Wenshuang to attack Aying. The danger Aying encountered today was actually because of him.
"I dare not think about it. If something happened to you today...what would I do..."
A huge sense of fear and powerlessness enveloped his heart. Xie Xuanlan leaned over and lay on Cong Ying's neck, smelling her breath and feeling her pulse, only then could he barely calm the murderous intent in his heart.
It was as if he had just experienced a heart-wrenching nightmare that made him dare not think about it.
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