Chapter 81 Where to Escape To? Staying in this beautiful hell is worse than…
"grown ups!"
When Lu Jinshi saw Huan Xun leap into the water, he was so shocked that his eyes widened and his mouth remained agape.
At this moment, the two boats were about several tens of feet apart, and the shimmering waves rippled gently between the gunwales.
They had already noticed her figure when Yu Nie and his group boarded that magnificent and luxurious painted boat.
More accurately, he noticed her figure.
On the riverbank, on the bridge, and among other tourists, everyone was startled by this sudden and unexpected scene, and they all craned their necks to look into the river.
A figure in black and a figure in dark blue leaped out of the ship's side almost simultaneously, like two arrows shooting across the water, swimming towards the person who had fallen in.
Underwater currents were turbulent. Yu Nie struggled to extend his hand above the water, only to be dragged into deeper water by a sudden swirling current.
Seeing her figure being swallowed by the river, Hua Ruo and the others on the painted boat were anxious and worried. Song Ai raised her foot to jump in to save her, but was pulled back by the guards beside her.
Several guards had already gone down to help.
Huan Xun stared at the pale figure floating in the water, moving extremely fast.
Gu Xiangzhi's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, locking onto the gradually descending Yu Nie.
The two engaged in a silent contest in the raging torrent.
Just as Huan Xun's fingers were about to touch Yu Nie's sleeve, it seemed he was about to save the man.
As a more turbulent undercurrent swept in, Yu Nie's body suddenly tilted to the side.
With quick reflexes, Gu Xiangzhi used the momentum of the water to catch the unconscious Yu Nie.
He glanced at Huan Xun, then turned and headed upstream without pausing for a moment.
As he watched Yu Nie being carried away into the distance, a familiar feeling flashed through Huan Xun's heart.
Based on this feeling, for the first time, he felt an unprecedented "killing intent" towards Gu Xiangzhi, a person with whom he currently had no conflict in the court.
The people on the pleasure boat saw the figure tightly embraced by Gu Xiangzhi, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Several guards were already waiting by the ship, and they swiftly pulled each person onto the deck.
Everyone's eyes and minds were focused on Yu Nie, and no one noticed Huan Xun, who had just struggled out of the water, before hurriedly retreating back into the painted boat.
Lu Jinshi urged the boatman to row the small boat faster until it stopped beside Huan Xun.
Huan Xun rested one hand on the swaying bow of the boat, watching the pale figure in Gu Xiangzhi's arms gradually disappear into the distance as the painted boat sailed away, and wiped the water from his face.
Only when the boat was out of sight did he use his arms to grab the edge of the boat and get on board.
"My lord... my lord, are you alright?" Lu Jinshi's dark face was filled with anxiety.
Huan Xun shook his head, wrung out his soaked clothes, and water droplets dripped down between his fingers.
He took the towel handed to him by the boatman and wiped the water off his hands.
Lu Jinshi looked like he was about to die of fright, and muttered, "You're so far away, there are plenty of people on that pleasure boat, why did you still want to save her?"
Upon hearing Lu Jinshi's words, Huan Xun was taken aback. He thought for a long time, his mind filled with the image of the panicked figure when he fell into the water, but he couldn't find a suitable reason.
He kept his eyes downcast and remained silent, repeatedly wiping his fingers with a handkerchief.
Seeing that he did not respond, and recalling the scene of the raging waves just now, Lu Jinshi couldn't help but add: "I know that you have developed good swimming skills in Lingnan, but you have been afraid of water since you were a child. Isn't it the thing you hate to get involved with these things?"
"So you want me to watch her die?" His voice suddenly rang out, his hand-wiping motion continuing as if he were questioning her.
Lu Jinshi was momentarily speechless, opening his mouth but saying nothing more.
He certainly had the answer in his mind. Just because Yu Nie had this relationship with the master he relied on, he couldn't let her die.
But he...
He glanced at Huan Xun's expression again, and felt that things weren't so simple.
However, he dared not ask this question to Huan Xun's face.
Everyone knows that this young master dislikes people mentioning his private affairs.
Huan Xun's clothes were already soaked.
He said, "Let's go back."
The thought that they had finally found a good time to come out and relax, hoping to let their master temporarily escape the troubles of the court and have a good time, only to have their peace and quiet disturbed by this incident, made Lu Jinshi feel unhappy.
With so many people on the pleasure boat, and them being so far away, it was not advisable to rescue them.
Besides, the Imperial Horse Administration personnel were also present; given their capabilities, they wouldn't have let anyone die.
But Huan Xun had already spoken, so Lu Jinshi could only give the boatman a look, signaling him to move closer to the shore.
Once ashore, Huan Xun glanced at the painted boat in the middle of the back river before mounting his horse and leaving.
Inside the painted boat.
Gu Xiang carefully carried the unconscious Yu Nie to the bed. Just as he was about to raise his hand to help her, he stopped abruptly because of her status.
The usually serious Song Ai turned pale with anxiety. Before he could give any orders, she rushed forward and pressed her hands together against Yu Nie's chest, her movements swift yet methodical.
All eyes were on Yu Nie.
After Song Ai pressed the pressure point two or three times, the person lying on the couch trembled twice, followed by a violent cough.
"Hah..." Yu Nie suddenly arched his back and spat out several mouthfuls of water.
The suffocating pressure in her chest finally dissipated with a cough, and after a few moments, she managed to open her heavy eyelids a crack.
In the hazy light and shadow, the first thing that caught her eye was the anxious gaze of Song Ai and the others. Then, turning her head slightly, she saw that behind the crowd, Gu Xiangzhi's eyes, which were usually covered with frost, seemed to have melted a bit of their coldness and quietly fell on her.
Seeing that she had finally opened her eyes, Zhao Huashu and Hua Ruo both breathed a sigh of relief.
The two hurried forward, their faces still showing lingering fear.
Zhao Huashu said, "My sister has no idea how fast my heart was pounding in my chest. Thank goodness... thank goodness you are safe and sound."
“That’s right.” Zhao Hua Ruo hurriedly replied, her tone full of regret: “If I had known, I would have let the servants pick it up, and this wouldn’t have happened.”
After the two finished speaking, Zhao Huashu turned around and called out, "Quickly, brew a cup of warm tea. Let Princess Shunhe calm down and soothe her nerves."
The maidservant who was standing by was already waiting for instructions. She responded with "Yes" and quickly turned around to prepare.
Yu Nie herself did not expect such a thing to happen. Before, when she was in Huaiyuan, she went to the mountain with Lang Xi and the others to pick sour jujubes. Some of the trees were growing near the cliffs, and Lang Xi and A Hui were able to hold her without any problems.
Who knew such a big accident would happen this time.
She sat up, propping herself up on the edge of the couch, her voice tinged with embarrassment and guilt: "I'm sorry for making you worry. I thought the handkerchief hadn't fallen far and would be easy to retrieve, but I didn't expect to encounter an undercurrent."
As she spoke, she felt a pang of regret. It seemed she couldn't be so reckless in the future, causing so much trouble for others unnecessarily.
Seeing her struggle to sit up, Zhao Huashu reached out to support her arm: "Don't say that. It's better that your sister is safe and sound. But you, you choked on so much water, you must be feeling terrible right now."
Yu Nie shook his head.
Zhao Huaruo said, "How could I not feel uncomfortable? Let's go back to Hongzheng Pavilion now and send someone to the Imperial Medical Bureau to call the imperial physician to give my sister a proper diagnosis and treatment."
She was very worried: "If something happens to my sister's health, how will my sister Hua Shu and I explain it to my brother and the Jie people?"
Before Yu Nie could speak, Zhao Hua Ruo instructed the guards outside to bring the boat ashore.
Not wanting to spoil their fun, Yu Nie said she could go back alone, but Zhao Huaruo and the others insisted on staying with her no matter what.
After watching the three of them pass the buck for a long time, Gu Xiangzhi finally spoke up: "Your Highnesses need not worry. Your humble servant and Song Juling will accompany Princess Shunhe back to her residence."
When he spoke, Zhao Huashu didn't know how to respond.
Zhao Huaruo's gaze shifted between the two of them before she hurriedly said, "How can this be? Supervisor Gu just risked his life to save Sister Shunhe. If he were to accompany her alone, how could Sister Huashu and I feel at ease?"
It seems that Zhao Huashu finally found a reason to care about him from these words.
“What Hua Ruo said makes sense…” Her voice trailed off slightly, and she asked softly, “I wonder if the Junior Supervisor was injured just now?”
Gu Xiang, holding his wide sleeves, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am well and thank you for your concern."
Seeing that he kept his eyes down, Zhao Huashu felt a pang of sadness and remained silent.
Despite their insistence on seeing him off, Yu Nie finally gave in and allowed them to accompany him back to the mansion.
Not long after entering the hall, the imperial physicians arrived upon hearing the news.
The head imperial physician examined Yu Nie, concentrating intently for about half a cup of tea's time.
Fortunately, there were no other problems.
The Imperial Medical Bureau prescribed several doses of calming medicine, which were then handed over to the accompanying physician for preparation. The physician carefully instructed Song Juling on the method of decocting and taking the medicine before taking his leave with his medicine box.
After examination and treatment, it was learned that she was actually fine.
Zhao Huaruo and Zhao Huashu were finally relieved.
Remembering the imperial physician's earlier advice to "rest and recuperate," Zhao Huashu said, "The imperial physician just said that the most important thing for you right now is to rest and recuperate. Hua Ruo and I will not disturb you any further. Just lie down and take good care of yourself. We will come to see you again in a few days."
Yu Nie nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Sister and Sister Hua Ruo. Because of this mishap today, I will accompany you on a boat trip another day when I have time."
Zhao Huashu smiled and replied "Okay," then turned back to instruct Song Ai, "If Hua Yan makes any move, send someone to report immediately." Song Ai bowed in agreement, and after Hua Ruo said a few more intimate words, the two of them left hand in hand.
Upon reaching the entrance to the sleeping quarters, Hua Shu glanced at Gu Xiangzhi standing at the door before continuing to walk towards the gate.
Watching the two figures depart, Yu Nie turned to Song Ai and said, "See my two older sisters off for me."
Song Ai replied "Yes," then turned and quickly followed.
After Zhao Huashu and the others left, Gu Xiangzhi came in.
Cuiwei tried to stop him, but he deterred her with a single look, and she dared not step forward.
Yu Nie, who was half-lying on the couch, felt that this person's face was not so hateful at this moment, and she was not afraid when he walked over.
Even the fear he had instilled in her that night seemed to have lessened somewhat.
When he reached the edge of the collapsed building and looked down at her...
She looked at him, her lips slightly pale, and asked, "Did you save me because you were afraid there would be no one to go and arrange a marriage alliance?"
He didn't say anything.
Then he saw her lying on the bed saying, "Don't worry, even if I die now, the Jie people will not want to marry into the royal family."
When she returned, the maids in the mansion had just changed her clothes and given her a bath.
At this moment, she had no pearls or gold hairpins on her head, and her face was plain white, exactly the same as when he ordered his men to rescue her in Jingyuan.
Considering the strange things she had done in the inner courtyard these past two days, he could easily guess that it had nothing to do with her persuading the Jie tribe to cancel the marriage alliance.
"How did you contact them?" She hadn't even left the front door these past few days, and he didn't think she had any chance of meeting the Jie people.
Yu Nie smiled gently, not intending to tell him the truth, but simply said:
"You don't need to know those trivial matters, just know that in two days, the imperial decree to cancel the marriage alliance will be issued. Neither I nor Hua Shu and the others will be used as sacrifices."
She turned to look at him: "I know you were afraid that if I died, it would implicate Hua Shu in the marriage alliance, which is why you jumped into the water to save me, but in any case, I have to thank you."
Gu Xiangzhi did not respond to her words, and dismissed the maids present.
He pondered for a moment, then asked her, "So if the marriage is canceled, what are you going to do?"
He guessed: "Playing dead to escape?"
Zhao Huayan was only recalled to Jian'an as a pawn in a political marriage. If she is no longer needed for such a marriage, then she has lost her value.
She was either sent back to Shuoyang to continue praying for the country, or she would stay in Jian'an and become an unappreciated princess.
In his opinion, he didn't think she would choose either of those two paths.
Gu Xiangzhi's guess was correct.
Neither of these two paths is what Yu Nie wants.
Right now, all she wants is to meet Langxi and the others, return to Lingbao Temple, and continue being a lazy bum who deals in gunpowder.
Jian'an was even more chaotic than she had imagined. As a princess, she didn't even have the ability to send the murderer to prison.
Instead of staying in this beautiful hell, it's better to leave early and enjoy her freedom as a little Taoist priest.
She had previously agreed to Huan Xun's request and promised to serve him.
He had never treated her unfairly or hurt her in any real way; in fact, at this moment, he could be considered quite good to her.
But a hurdle remained in her heart. She would never forget the numerous misdeeds recorded in history books, the bloodstains on his hands, and for this reason, she was unwilling to be an accomplice to evil.
Even though Huan Xun in front of her was relatively kind, she never dared to hope that she could change anything.
How could a future executioner who would treat human life as worthless and wield the power of life and death be easily reformed by a few words of advice or a bit of kindness?
The saying goes, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger," and the same applies to serving a dangerous person.
The only right thing to do is to escape and get away from him.
Thinking of this, she curled her lip and said, "Junior Supervisor Gu is right. Playing dead is a good idea. That's what I've been thinking about."
"You think you can escape your fate of being Zhao Huayan's double by playing dead?"
“I don’t have to play dead.” She was willing to negotiate: “As long as Supervisor Gu turns a blind eye, I’ve escaped this time and won’t implicate anyone else. I’m no longer of any use to Supervisor Gu, so what’s the point of keeping me around?”
Gu Xiangzhi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, his deep eyes revealing little emotion. He merely glanced at her briefly before turning his gaze away.
His gaze slowly swept from the display rack supporting the gossamer-thin nightgowns to the dressing table displaying cosmetics and lipsticks.
Everything inside the hall exudes the delicate and gentle charm of a young woman.
If it were anyone else, faced with such a scene of a young lady's quarters, they would surely follow etiquette and deliberately avoid looking at her, for fear of being impolite.
But he seemed to disregard etiquette, looking around openly and clearly seeing every exquisite detail in the hall.
Looking at the decorations in her bedchamber, he raised his hand, touched the hanging curtains, and slowly said, "Princess, you probably haven't seen clearly yet. It's not a matter of whether I keep you or not, but rather, it's about you..."
As he spoke, he turned to look at her: "Can you still escape the identity of 'Shunhe'?"
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