Chapter 115 While you adorn yourself in your secluded mansion, I fight bloody battles outside.
He suddenly remembered, four years ago.
He came to Jizhou City, Yong'an County, because of a mission.
The snow that day was very light, with fine snowflakes sparsely scattered on the branches of the old plum tree in the Lu family courtyard.
Lu Zhaoruo sat on the swing under the plum tree, dressed in a plain-colored jacket and skirt, with a book open on her lap.
The swing swayed gently as she lowered her eyes and read aloud sentences from the book. Her voice was clear and crisp, each word striking his heart.
At that time, he was huddled in the shade of a nearby roof, his shoulder badly injured, blood soaking his clothes, gritting his teeth and enduring the excruciating pain.
He had only taken refuge here to escape pursuit, but he was captivated by the sound of someone reading aloud.
He looked up and saw her engrossed in reading, her lips unconsciously curving into a slight smile. Tiny snowflakes landed on her hair and the pages of the book, but she was completely unaware, as if the entire noisy world had faded away, leaving only her, the book, and a lonely plum tree behind her.
It was just that one glance.
He clutched his bleeding wound, gazing down at the unreal, serene scene in the biting wind, his heart pounding like a drum.
That one glance set his heart on her.
He snapped out of his reverie, a lump forming in his throat, and his steps faltered slightly.
In the months that followed, he witnessed several bandits abducting her, hurling vulgarities and insults at her.
He was furious and filled with murderous intent, so he took action and dealt with the bandits.
However... he himself was also drugged by a potent sleeping potion hidden by the thief, and his mind became confused and delirious.
When he regained some consciousness, he saw her lying unconscious on the ground, her clothes stained with blood, and he realized that he had committed the same beastly acts against her as those of the bandits.
In that instant, he felt as if struck by lightning; regret and self-loathing overwhelmed him.
Because he had an urgent mission to attend to, he gave her the jade pendant he always carried with him, saying, "My wife, wait for me..."
"After I have finished my important business, I will return in three months to marry you in a grand ceremony."
He wanted to take responsibility and spend the rest of his life making amends for the sins of that day.
She hated him to the core.
Three years later, he was ordered to return to Yong'an County and laid a trap to eradicate the salt smuggling forces that had been entrenched there.
Besides the cold mission documents, he also carried a long-cherished wish that had been hidden for many years...
He was thinking that once this matter was settled, he would formally and openly propose marriage to the Lu family.
He never expected that the salt smugglers' all-out attack was actually aimed at assassinating Shen Rongzhi and massacring the entire Shen family.
On the night of the operation, he personally went to the outskirts of the Shen family's residence to check the manpower and escape routes that had been arranged in advance.
In the biting wind, he suddenly noticed a glaring red lantern hanging high in front of the Shen residence; the character "囍" (double happiness) pierced his eyes painfully in the night.
Tonight is her wedding night!
He stood frozen in the shadows, the last glimmer of hope in his heart instantly crushed by the overwhelming red.
Even more unexpectedly, Shen Rongzhi was so despicable!
After the ceremony, he abandoned her and fled overseas, leaving her alone on her wedding night to face the salt smugglers' knives and the ridicule of the entire city the next day.
He gazed at the tightly closed vermilion door, as if he could glimpse how utterly helpless and isolated she was beneath the phoenix coronet and wedding gown within.
A fierce battle suddenly broke out.
His men clashed with the salt smugglers who wanted to massacre the Shen family in the alleys outside the wall.
The sound of swords clashing was muffled, and blood silently seeped into the cracks between the bricks.
He stood at the center of the battle, calmly directing the annihilation efforts while eliminating any threats that attempted to approach the Shen family's gate.
The red lanterns swaying in the wind reflected his cold, lonely profile and the dark red spreading at his feet.
Until the very last breath, when the murderous intent dissipated.
He quickly ordered his subordinates to clean up the scene completely.
Fortunately, a heavy snow fell that night, and the swirling snowflakes quickly covered up the bloodstains and stench, as if nothing had ever happened.
But he knew that Shen Rongzhi's voyage had an unspeakable purpose behind it.
He could only watch helplessly as she remained unaware of the truth, waiting in the empty, desolate mansion for three long years.
But how could he possibly know—
In her previous life, Lu Zhaoruo had spent a full thirty years in seclusion.
The next day.
When Lu Zhaoruo opened her eyes again, the sun was shining brightly through the window, and it was nearly 9:00 AM.
She was slightly taken aback and found herself completely clean, wearing a soft nightgown, with no trace of the previous night's filth or blood on her face or hands.
Seeing that her face was still filled with fear after she woke up, Dongrou, who was standing by her side, quickly stepped forward and whispered, "My lady, you're awake..."
Lu Zhaoruo rubbed her temples, and fragmented memories gradually pieced together...
It seems that the villain carried her back last night...
Dongrou noticed her confusion, calmed herself down, and explained softly, "Last night, a masked man brought you back, which really startled me! Fortunately, Sun Jing followed closely behind and quickly told me not to panic, saying that he was a benefactor. The man also said that he had no ill intentions and was just bringing you back."
She paused, then continued, "He instructed me to immediately wash and change your clothes, and to burn all the blood-stained clothes you wore last night, and strictly forbade anyone to make a sound. When Sun Jing nodded in agreement, I did as he said."
Dong Rou was intelligent and composed. She knew that something terrible must have happened. Seeing that the man had no ill intentions and that Sun Jing was there, she quickly did as she was told and handled everything perfectly.
He then stayed by her bedside, never leaving her side, until Lu Zhaoruo woke up.
Abao rushed into her arms, full of worry: "Mother, what happened last night? Are you alright?"
Just as Lu Zhaoruo was about to speak, she suddenly heard sobbing and the rustling of clothes coming from outside the courtyard.
Dongrou hurriedly whispered, "Madam, it's Sun Jing and his sister Fu'er. Ever since that mysterious person brought you back and left last night, Sun Jing has been kneeling in the courtyard... Fu'er also came this morning and is kneeling outside. Neither of them has gotten up yet."
Lu Zhaoruo's gaze sharpened slightly: "Let them in."
Soon, Sun Jing led his younger sister, Fu'er, inside.
The brother and sister knelt down on the ground with a "plop".
Sun Jing's forehead pressed against the ground, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion: "I failed in my duty to protect my master and deserve to die! Please punish me severely, my lady!"
Fu'er also sobbed softly beside her, her thin shoulders trembling.
Lu Zhaoruo gestured for Dongrou to take the trembling Fu'er aside and comfort her gently. She then looked calmly at Sun Jing, who was kneeling on the ground: "What exactly happened after you chased after him last night? Tell me in detail."
Sun Jing didn't dare to raise his head, his voice full of regret: "Your subordinate is incompetent! Last night, when Fu'er went out to buy sweet cakes, she was kidnapped by two villains and forced to wait in the alley, just to lure me away. After chasing for two streets, I realized I had fallen into a trap and hurriedly turned back, but on the way I met a benefactor who was wearing a veiled hat and was extremely skilled."
He paused, then continued, "My benefactor has subdued those two villains and rescued Fu'er... but Fu'er was so frightened that she fainted on the spot. When my benefactor learned that my wife was in danger, he immediately ordered me to take Fu'er back to the embroidery tower to settle her in, and then take the two bound villains to a deserted house a hundred miles outside the city to wait for them."
"He said he would come to rescue you immediately. I did as he said, and now I'm restless and anxious in this deserted house..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoruo thought to herself, "No wonder he hasn't returned yet."
Sun Jing lowered his voice even further, revealing a hint of lingering fear: "Soon after, my benefactor carried you, who was unconscious, to the scene. He...he killed those two thieves right in front of me, leaving them...cleanly, without leaving anything behind."
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