Chapter 13: Xie Yan She is not a little woman
The moonlight was dim, and thousands of lanterns were lit one after another between the eaves and buildings, like blooming trees of fire and silver flowers.
The crowd was surging, the vendors selling sugar figures were shouting, the jugglers were spitting out balls of fire, and the men and women wearing masks were walking through the crowd, and laughter and joy were heard everywhere.
In contrast, the third floor of the Yanyun Pavilion was eerily quiet.
Outside the half-open carved wooden window, Jiang Cichen lowered his eyes nonchalantly, and then his gaze fixed the next moment.
"It's absurd to convict an unmarried woman based solely on your own conjecture."
Jiang Cichen sneered, "She is not some little girl."
Xie Yan closed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Do you have any evidence? You only saw her once and thought that her silhouette under the veil resembled the assassin who killed Shen Zhiyan before. That's too far-fetched. Eight out of ten women in the world look alike when they wear a veil."
Jiang Cichen raised his hand to signal him to be quiet, his eyes still fixed on the girl. Xie Yan followed Jiang Cichen's gaze.
In the crowd, a girl in a green silk dress was particularly eye-catching. Her jade-white face was almost transparent under the light, her eyebrows were as dark as distant mountains, her almond-shaped eyes were as clear as stars, and she was looking up at a glass revolving lantern high up.
A peddler stopped her and enthusiastically handed her a fox mask. Luo Wan put the mask on her face. The servant next to Pei Shaochuan took out his purse and took out a piece of silver. The peddler took the silver with a smile on his face.
The three of them then blended into the crowd and headed towards the lively lantern riddle area.
In the attic, Jiang Cichen took in the entire scene: "Who said I only met her once?"
The casual glance he got on the long street after the wild hunt left a deep impression on Jiang Cichen. The outline of the woman under her veil was too similar to that of the assassin in Wutan Town.
Jiang Cichen sent someone to investigate her background. Chi Wanwan, the daughter of Chi Jing'an, had been running around with her grandfather to seek medical treatment due to serious illness in the past few years. After her grandfather passed away, she had been doing business selling tea and only returned to the capital some time ago.
After seeing the portrait of "Chi Wanwan", Jiang Cichen happened to recognize that this was the woman who deliberately threw the veil at him in Jinxi City.
Every appearance is just right, like a carefully arranged chess game.
If there are too many coincidences, they are no longer coincidences.
I checked her whereabouts again, but according to the coachman who set out from Jinxi City, they did not pass through Wutan Town and went directly back to the capital. In this way, they were heading in the opposite direction.
Xie Yan met his gaze and said helplessly, "I know you want to say that Wutan Town is the first time."
"No." Jiang Cichen said lazily: "Jinxi City is the first one."
"You said that Jinxi City assassin was also her?" Xie Yan looked at him with a look of disbelief. "Then how did she know that Shen Zhiyan would leave from Wutan Town?"
"It wasn't this incident, it was another one. Two days after we took over Jinxi City, she was standing on the street during the parade." Jiang Cichen chuckled, as if recounting a very funny story: "She tried to attract my attention by despicable means."
Xie Yan sighed lightly, picked up the teacup and said, "Then she succeeded."
Jiang Cichen didn't refute his words, but just lowered his head to read the military book.
While drinking tea, Xie Yan cast his gaze towards the long street lantern festival outside the window. The three people who had been there at the beginning were no longer on this street.
As for Chi Wanwan's life experience, Xie Yan also knew a little about it. It might not be a coincidence that there were only two cities between Jinxi City and the capital.
Outside the elegant pavilion, the black shadow stopped, raised his hand and knocked on the window frame three times, then twice more.
Xie Yan then turned his gaze back: "Come in."
The door opened slightly, and Chen Nanyuan bowed and walked in, bringing with him a wisp of the cold night wind. He knelt on one knee and saluted with his fists clasped together: "Sir, I am back."
Jiang Cichen raised his eyes upon hearing this: "What did you find out?"
Chen Nanyuan said, "Chi Wanwan is indeed Shen Zhiyan's first student, chosen by Shen Zhiyan himself."
Logically speaking, considering Shen Zhiyan's family background and qualifications, a mere position as a junior tutor would be a real disgrace to him. However, the royal family has always been suspicious. Shen Zhiyan was held hostage in Xiliang for ten years, so it is understandable that the Northern Kingdom's royal family did not dare to easily reuse him.
Recently, I heard that Shen Zhiyan made an exception and accepted his first student in Hongwenguan, who was "Chi Wanwan". Chen Nanyuan was sent to investigate the situation in Hongwenguan.
Xie Yan hesitated for a moment and asked Jiang Cichen, "She has an ordinary family background, so why did Shen Zhiyan choose her? Is it because of her good looks? Food, sex, and nature are all part of human nature, and even Shen Zhiyan is not immune to this."
Jiang Cichen asked in surprise: "Do you think she is pretty?"
Xie Yan hesitated and said, "...don't you think so?"
Jiang Cichen changed the subject without leaving a trace: "If his purpose could be easily guessed, then he would not be Shen Zhiyan." He put down the military book and supported his chin with his hand: "What else did you find out?"
Chen Nanyuan touched his nose and said, "We also found out that Chi Wanwan broke a string while practicing the piano this morning. During class this afternoon, Gu Sihan and Pei Shaochuan even had a fight over her."
Xie Yan gave a short, light laugh. "I believe you now. She's no mean woman. How could a mean woman break a zither string? Two young masters even fought over her. She's truly a beauty that brings disaster." Then he said seriously, "But I still don't believe she's the killer."
Jiang Cichen wasn't surprised. Instead, he showed an expected sneer on his face. He stretched and said, "It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. When the truth comes out, just don't feel stupid."
Xie Yan suddenly remembered something, his mind racing, "According to your logic, that person should have contacted Chi Wanwan."
If "Chi Wanwan" is the assassin of Wutan Town, then the assassin's shadow captured in Wutan Town will definitely try to contact her.
During these days, apart from meeting Pei Shaochuan at the Zuixian Inn, no suspicious people appeared around Chi Wanwan.
The mission was not completed, but Shadow didn't move at all. What was even more incredible was that his mission was to assassinate Shen Zhiyan.
Jiang Cichen's eyebrows twitched slightly, the candlelight dancing on his well-defined face, making his ink-black eyes appear even deeper. He said calmly, "In the capital, various forces are watching closely, and he dare not act rashly."
Xie Yan asked cryptically, "Is his identity real?"
There is a rule in Tingyu Tower that if the "master" dies, the "shadow" cannot live alone, but few shadows will take the initiative to die in his place, and most of them will conspire to find a way to survive.
There were even cases where shadows defected after their masters died, so Tingyu Tower had a third-level death warrior who was specifically responsible for eliminating traitors.
But that person is different. He is not a simple shadow. He will definitely not abide by all the rules of Tingyu Tower. However, he is still willing to die for his master. It can be seen that the relationship between the two is not ordinary.
Besides, perhaps that person had predicted correctly that people would not kill him after knowing his identity.
However, he might not necessarily kill the assassins of Tingyu Tower, so he was willing to risk exposing his identity to save his master's life.
It can be said to be sincere and heartfelt.
"It's verified, it's true, and it's been sent back safely." Jiang Cichen said coldly, "You should reflect on why Yanyun Pavilion has no record of this incident."
Xie Yan shrugged and said frankly, "If Yanyun Pavilion knew everything, how could the other organizations in the martial arts world survive? Besides, someone must have arranged everything in advance, so they kept it a secret from everyone."
Jiang Cichen: “…”
A large firework shot straight into the sky with a "whoosh". Jiang Cichen turned his head and saw fireworks blooming outside the window at this moment. The brilliant flames reflected in his eyes looked like stars falling into the Milky Way.
The colorful fireworks immediately illuminated the entire pavilion, and the room was no longer filled with the monotonous orange and yellow candlelight, but an incomparable and colorful world.
The frontier outside the Great Wall was filled with smoke of gunpowder, unlike the capital. He hadn't seen fireworks in the capital for three years.
Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps coming up the stairs was heard outside, and a young man rushed in anxiously.
He was wearing similar clothes to Chen Nanyuan and had the same face as Chen Nanyuan.
Chen Beizhe's chest heaved violently. He paused, lowered his head, and said, "Master, she's lost. She got separated from the young master of the Pei family, and he's looking for her everywhere."
Ever since Jiang Cichen saw Luo Wan on the street and became suspicious of her, Chen Beizhe was sent by Jiang Cichen to secretly follow Luo Wan.
Chen Beizhe has received professional training. Even if there are huge crowds of people during the Lantern Festival, if he loses a girl in the blink of an eye, it is either Chen Beizhe taking advantage of the situation or Luo Wan did it on purpose.
Jiang Cichen raised his eyebrows and glanced at Xie Yan, then raised his hand to take down the long sword hanging on the wall. His fingertips touched the cold sheath, his wrist bones flipped, and with a light "clang" sound, his thumb pushed open the three-inch green blade, and fireworks reflected on the sharp edge of the blade.
The fireworks outside the window stopped. In the candlelight, Jiang Cichen curled his lips with a mischievous smile: "I will go and catch her for you now, so that you can see the true face of this 'little girl'."
Xie Yan didn't say anything, but just clasped his fists and looked like he admired her.
As Jiang Cichen left, he said, "Go to the barracks and get thirty military sticks."
"Yes!" Chen Beizhe responded.
If Shen Zhiyan hadn't delayed time for the Wutan Town incident, they might not have been able to catch up.
That person was under attack from all sides in the capital and did not dare to act rashly, but Luo Wan was not being watched by many eyes. Since she had to complete the mission of Tingyu Tower, she would take action sooner or later.
As soon as he returned to the capital, Jiang Cichen simply arranged for secret guards to guard Shen Zhiyan and wait for the opportunity.
The night wind swept past with a chill, and the faint sound of the night watchman's clapper came from the distance.
Chen Nanyuan followed Jiang Cichen and said, "The secret guards are always on guard, so Master Shen shouldn't be in any danger."
"Give orders, when someone shows up, don't alert the enemy."
Unlike the bustling long street, the Prime Minister's Mansion was completely silent, with only a few teams of guards carrying lanterns moving silently through the corridors.
The young man was wrapped in a black brocade robe with gold webbing. He was half squatting on the eaves, one hand on his knee. The cuffs of his clothes had dark red edges. The robe was black in color with red as the lining.
The lanterns under the eaves were dim and could not illuminate his eyes and brows half hidden in the shadows. His peach blossom eyes were still as cold as cold stars.
The wind blew, and a dead leaf brushed against the sword tassel and fell.
Is it a rabbit or a fox?
The courtyard was deep, and the only room with candles burning was Shen Zhiyan's room.
The candlelight flickered slightly, and two figures appeared on the window paper, one tall and one short, like a crane and a civet cat playing chess under the moon.
Not long after, Jiang Cichen saw Luo Wan stepping out of the door with a book in her arms, and Shen Zhiyan holding a lamp to see her off.
"Thank you, Master..." Luo Wan turned around and bowed.
Shen Zhiyan seemed to sense something. He looked up at the shadow on the eaves of the Wutong tree and said loudly, "General Jiang!"
The author has something to say:
----------------------
New characters are online~~~ [Come on][Come on][Come on]
P.S.: The "Chi Wanwan" in double quotes refers to Luo Wan~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
