A tender kiss. "Qin Luo! Fourth Brother will never leave you..."
He smiled in the darkness, lowered his eyes and said softly, "What nonsense are you talking about? From now on, we will not die, only live." He added, "No more crying, and no more tears. Qin Luo, you must laugh it off. Do you understand?"
The girl in his arms suddenly said sharply, "Chu Yening, what about you? I said we'd walk side by side!" She added, "Seeing is believing. I didn't cry; when did you see me cry?"
Chu Yening couldn't help but chuckle. He nodded, "Yes, that's right, so I won't let you cry. Neither in the past nor in the future..."
He couldn't see her face in the darkness, but could tell by her breath. Seeing that she had calmed down a bit, he asked, "Where is that old monk?"
Qin Weixi said, "He has died."
He then asked, "Are you afraid?"
Qin Weixi shook his head: "How could that be!"
He smiled upon hearing this: "This is the Qin Weixi I know, the one who fears neither heaven nor earth." Then he paused: "It is not advisable to alert him at this time. I will send someone to find out which temple he is in, and leave his funeral arrangements to the temple."
She inhaled a faint smell of blood again, and quickly reached out to touch his cheek and arm...
"Are you injured? Where is that person? Is it Ma Lianren? And I tripped over someone just now."
Chu Yening said casually, "They're all dead. Someone came to meet him, but it wasn't Ma Lianren."
"Not Ma Lianren?" In the darkness, she stared intently in the direction he was speaking, and asked again, "Are you injured?"
Chu Yening laughed: "No. Qin Luo, let's go outside and talk. This is a secret passage. I just discovered that it connects to a patch of wasteland in the west of the city. If we walk straight out from behind here, we'll see the light."
Qin Weixi immediately understood: "So the old monk was holding on to his last breath, knowing he was about to die, and he wanted to guide us to discover the hidden passage?" She felt around his arms: "It's good that you're alright. Whether it is or not doesn't matter, we have plenty of opportunities, we have a long future ahead of us."
But if something happens to someone, then it's truly goodbye forever.
Chu Yening suddenly raised his hand and gently touched the top of her head: "Yes, we have a long future ahead of us."
She suddenly remembered Sparrow Tongue and Nine Bends still in the front yard: "If Sparrow Tongue and the others come in, and there really are poisonous plants in that bamboo grove..."
She couldn't see his expression in the darkness, but she heard him say arrogantly, "Do you think the people I, Chu Yening, bring out can't get out of this maze?"
Qin Weixi raised her head again, about to speak to him, when her forehead suddenly brushed against his neck and his throat, which was still moving. She then realized that she had just...
Chu Yening released his embrace and bent down, saying to her, "Come on up, your fourth brother will carry you. There are insects and ants all over the place down there, don't get your clothes dirty. Also, there are many seemingly inconspicuous traps ahead."
She laughed at his words, groping for him in the darkness, and tapped his back with her fingertip: "Let's go together. I told you I'm not that delicate." She then asked, "How will Third Brother and the others leave? And what about that unconscious thief?"
However, Chu Yening had already pulled her over without giving her a chance to explain and carried her on his back.
"They have their own ways of getting that little thief out."
She recalled the "little tyrant" he had called out when he jumped down into the cave, and couldn't help but ask again, "Did you hear what Pei Qing said that day?"
Chu Yening said nonchalantly, "That's not entirely wrong. Haven't you seen another side of Dad? He's the one who'd say 'You little rascal, don't let me catch you!' But every time, I've escaped faster than a gust of wind."
She immediately raised her voice: "But we can't let her talk about you."
He raised an eyebrow: "Then who can say?"
"No one!"
In the darkness, he turned back to look at her again: "But speaking of which, isn't Little Seven the most vengeful sister?"
Qin Weixi knew he was referring to the incident when Wei Zhong got drunk that day. She said, "If a woman is to get married, she still needs to meet a good man."
In the darkness, Chu Yening heard her say again: "How do you know the most precious thing a woman in this world possesses? Fourth Brother, what else do you know?"
Chu Yening led her step by step toward the light, a smile playing on his lips, as if he were a child: "My dad, who used to talk to the moon all the time!"
“Oh. There’s another one. Everyone says there’s a fool in the capital who loves his wife so much that he gives most of his monthly salary to the people of Great Xia before he even gets home.”
She smiled and said, "Is it Zhou Quan, the Vice Minister of Revenue?"
Chu Yening remained silent.
Qin Weixi looked at his profile in the dim light. It was the day they met honestly at the Qin family's old house after ten years. It seemed that there were so many things between them that they could talk for several nights.
Afterwards, he took her to Chengxin Nunnery to meet his sister-in-law Zhu Ruo and nephew Jiu Bao. Many things happened after that, so much so that the two of them hadn't been able to sit down and have a proper talk under the moonlight and in the quiet night like they had that day.
"Fourth Brother, there are still many things I haven't told you yet."
Chu Yening immediately interrupted her: "I know."
"What do you know?" She craned her neck to look at him again, her long eyelashes and sharply defined features drawing her in. "You don't know everything, do you? Do you know that when we were little, we almost got engaged..."
Chu Yening said, "We have plenty of opportunities." He turned to look at Qin Weixi, a strange glint in his eyes: "Determine what?"
Qin Weixi smiled and said, "I won't tell you."
A faint light suddenly appeared before me, and when I looked up, I saw a vast starry river.
In the desolate grassland, Chu Yening placed Qin Weixi on a large rock, squatted down and looked at her: "Are you hurt?"
Qin Weixi shook her head and asked him in return, "And you?"
Chu Yening's lips curled into a slight smile, and she suddenly pretended to rub her shoulder in pain: "Ouch, my head hurts, my shoulder hurts, my chest hurts, do you want me to rub it?"
Qin Weixi looked at him silently, then suddenly frowned slightly, her expression showing some restraint, and slowly said, "Fourth Brother, I..." She then collapsed onto the rock and fainted.
Chu Yening immediately stood up to check on her, her voice trembling with panic: "What's wrong?"
On the large rock, Qin Weixi suddenly chuckled and opened her eyes to look at him.
Chu Yening paused slightly, then sighed with feigned helplessness, but a faint smile appeared in his eyes. He said, "Qin Luo, stay here. I'll go take a look ahead. I won't go far; I'll stay within your sight."
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Weixi grabbed his wrist: "Don't..." She stood up.
She was afraid, she was afraid just like that day by Haizi Lake, until she watched him leave in the suburbs of Beijing, which marked ten years of separation.
"Fourth brother, you can never, ever leave me again, like my brother, father, and mother..."
Chu Yening felt as if his heart was being torn apart, and suddenly he recalled the scene he had witnessed under the drizzling rain.
"Qin Luo! Fourth Brother will never leave you, and you will always be my first choice, Chu Yening."
In the vast, starry night, he suddenly turned around, pulled his wrist from her hand, and then cupped her face firmly in his hands. Without hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her.
His breath was ragged, a tender, warm kiss lingered, and the girl standing before him, her hair styled in a high bun, radiant with beauty, looked utterly bewildered in her clear, spring-like eyes. He suddenly remembered the delicate crabapple blossoms he had planted atop Xiaguang Peak, as vibrant as she had been in her youth. A pale yellow silk dress or a brocade gown like crimson tassels, her smile as beautiful as a flower. Every smile and gesture from her youth seemed like yesterday, soothing him during those cold, desolate nights on the frontier at the end of his decade-long journey. The crabapple blossoms may not last through the seasons, but they would forever remain in his heart.
No longer was it the icy coldness of her embrace, nor those hands as frigid as the depths of winter. A moment later, she met a pair of intensely burning dark eyes.
"Qin Luo, your fourth brother can't wait a moment longer. I'm really afraid that one day a thief will steal your heart..."
Before Qin Weixi could think any further, she watched helplessly as he collapsed into her arms, his chin resting on her right shoulder, his limbs limp and powerless, as if he had lost all feeling.
"Fourth Brother?" She turned his body around and saw that he had already fainted, and a thin layer of sweat had appeared on his forehead. She then looked down and saw a faint patch of blood on his chest and abdomen under his black robe.
*
It was already late at night, but everyone was busy in the study of the Marquis of Jingning's residence. Doctor Dong had just finished bandaging and applying medicine to stop the bleeding of Chu Yening, who was still unconscious. Large beads of sweat had unknowingly appeared on his forehead. He took the handkerchief handed to him by Xiao He and wiped his forehead, saying, "Fortunately, no vital organs were injured, but he has lost too much blood and will probably need to rest for a while."
Doctor Dong had some doubts: "Logically speaking, the Marquis has followed the General in many battles over the south and north, and his swordsmanship is superb. He is also skilled in archery, so it is unlikely that he would be injured because of this."
Tao Qingyun, who was inside the room, and Jiuqu Queshe, Songyang Zijin, and the others who were standing in the outer room looking into the inner room, fell silent upon hearing this.
Qin Weixi knelt on the ground, her hand firmly grasping Chu Yening's hand resting on the edge of the bed. Even now, this valiant general, who had led troops for ten years in the Northwest, was completely naked. She supported him as they walked under the starry sky, searching for a way out. Only when Tao Qingyun and Jiang Yuanjun found her did she learn that there were more than ten recently deceased corpses at the bottom of the cave. Thus, Chu Yening had single-handedly withstood the attacks of these dozen or so men.
Thinking of what Doctor Dong had said, she got up again and went to the low table by the bed to take the hidden arrow. There was originally an arrow inside, but now it was empty, which meant that he had already used it at the bottom of the cave.
He was clearly injured, yet she didn't notice at all. How could someone who had fought alongside Uncle Chu for years and survived even amidst swords and spears be injured? What exactly happened in that cave?
After settling Sun Shaopu and the other men who were still unconscious, Zhong Ti came to the study. Luo Ling arrived at the same time, accompanied by Jiang Yuanjun. He had personally gone to the Luo residence and told Luo Ling everything that had happened that day before coming to the Marquis's mansion. At this moment, Luo Ling's eyes were full of deep thought. He asked Song Yang, "Is there anyone else who knows about this?"
Songyang understood the importance of the eldest brother of the Luo family to the Marquis, and stepped forward to reply, "No. Some time ago, the palace sent two cooks, one from the Imperial Kitchen and the other from the Imperial Food Bureau. However, we returned from the eaves, so they didn't know. Moreover, the Marquis's study is a very important place. The Marquis has already ordered us to guard it more strictly."
Luo Ling nodded in satisfaction. On his way here, he had heard Jiang Yuanjun recount the events of the night in detail, and he had also learned from Doctor Dong that Chu Yening was unharmed. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He slowly walked over and gently patted the girl who had been quietly watching over him by the bedside.
Qin Weixi looked up and said, "Brother..."
Luo Ling smiled and said, "With Uncle Chu's blessing, Ye Ning will surely be blessed by Heaven."
Jiang Yuanjun stepped forward at this moment, looking down at the girl with red eyes on the ground and the person he had known since childhood on the bed. He swallowed slightly and said softly, "Seventh Sister, we are all here."
Tao Qingyun, his usual playful demeanor gone, now wore a slightly cold expression. He gritted his teeth and said, "This Ma Lianren, does he think he can control everything? So many of us were in that house, and we couldn't find a trace of him." He then craned his neck to look at the unconscious person on the bed and muttered, "Usually covered in thorns, but now he's quiet. But then again, isn't anyone down there Ma Lianren?"
Long before Chu Yening returned to the Marquis's residence unconscious, Qin Weixi recounted their conversation about Ma Lianren at the bottom of the cave to the others. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanjun immediately ordered A Xiao to secretly bring the drunken old man to identify him, but the old man shook his head. However, earlier that morning at Woxue Pavilion, the two had only glanced briefly at the powdered Lianren without examining her closely, so how could Chu Yening be certain that Ma Lianren wasn't at the bottom of the cave? But when Jiuqu and the others roughly carried back the body of "Ma Lianren," they saw that "Ma Lianren" wasn't lame, and they understood.
Jiuqu angrily said, "We surrounded that house like an iron barrel, there's no way anyone could escape."
Zhong Ti pondered for a while with his hands behind his back: "I think this Ma Lianren might be the person Gao Jian saw that day. This person may be a person of high position and power, or there may be someone behind him."
Luo Ling looked up at the crescent moon on the horizon, lost in thought. After a while, he said, "Seventh Sister said there's a blank memorial tablet in the Green Diamond Room. I've been wondering if it's related to what happened back then." He looked at Zhong Ti: "Uncle Zhong, that person hasn't woken up yet?"
Zhong Ti nodded: "Once the Marquis wakes up, we'll go together to interrogate him."
Luo Ling said, "I have a plan, but I don't know if it will work. However, Ye Ning is not awake yet, so we can only go along with it."
Tao Qingyun's eyes lit up: "Tell me quickly."
Luo Lingdao said, "Since Ma Lianren hasn't appeared, perhaps he's on guard and hasn't been in that house recently. He must know about what happened there, and he absolutely cannot go back now. In that case, he can't go back to Woxue Pavilion either. As for leaving the city, he couldn't leave because of the curfew. If he really is from the Eastern Depot, he would still be hiding there."
Qin Weixi had been listening silently to Luo Ling's speech, but at this moment he and Tao Qingyun suddenly said in unison, "But the city gates will be wide open at dawn tomorrow, and he may leave the city!"
Luo Ling smiled with satisfaction and nodded. He turned to look at Song Yang Jiuqu and the others: "Tonight, I need you to work hard again and cause some trouble in this Marquis's mansion. Disguise yourselves as still-alive assassins, and leave two of you to head straight for the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Prison. As for the inner court and the outer court..." He looked at Jiang Yuanjun.
The group looked at Zhong Ti in unison. Zhong Ti stroked his black beard and pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "This Sun thief is also a member of the Eastern Depot. Perhaps he really has some connection. We should wait until the young prince wakes up before discussing this matter further."
Jiang Yuanjun understood the implication and asked Luo Ling, "Brother, do you mean to create the illusion that Ye Ning has been assassinated again tonight, and then have someone in the know say that it was done by the Eastern Depot and others? Use this as a pretext to thoroughly investigate suspicious persons in these four directions. This person has one characteristic: he has a leg ailment. Also, it was because of this incident that Father ordered the city gates to be closed, so he can't leave the city and will be locked up inside. We can use the pretext of catching an assassin to conduct a large-scale search, which will leave this person with nowhere to escape! If there is anyone suspicious, then Third Master Fang's identity is currently unknown, but he is suspected of protecting this pitiful person. We can tell from the incense and candles that were purchased. The servants may not recognize him because they are protecting their master, but if this person appears, the drunken old man will definitely identify him."
"As for the series of events that happened in that house tonight, Ma Lianren will handle them secretly because of his status, and suffer in silence."
Luo Ling nodded and asked Song Yang and the others, "Where is that old man now?"
Songyang nodded: "Don't worry, Lord Luo. We were afraid that the old man might be harmed because of this, so we have arranged for him to stay with Old Man Zhang at the tea house in the suburbs."
Luo Ling nodded slightly: "Excellent."
Tao Qingyun suddenly laughed and said, "What a brilliant plan!" After saying that, she strode out of the house and walked towards the several dead bodies in the courtyard, saying with great disdain, "These people have come in handy. How could there be no murderers left after an assassination attempt?"
Song Zijin pondered for a moment: "I'm afraid that the investigation will eventually trace it back to these people."
Luo Lingdao said, "Since Ma Lianren dares to use these people, their family backgrounds will be completely hidden, like a blank sheet of paper."
Sparrow Tongue stepped forward and said, "Should I go back and steal a few more?"
Luo Ling smiled with his hands behind his back: "No need. You just need to say in unison that the leader has been helped to escape and that someone saw them fleeing towards the East Depot. Then we will take turns to conduct a thorough search of everyone connected to Ye Ning, including the people from the Zhenfu Division."
Tao Qingyun's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she burst into laughter: "Then the Liang family won't investigate because of this."
Zhong Ti glanced at the corpses lying upside down in the courtyard, frowned, and said, "When the people from the palace arrive, tell them to take these unlucky things away as soon as possible."
Jiuqu laughed heartily: "Old Zhong, what haven't you seen on the battlefield? Why are you being so cautious now?"
Zhong Ti glanced at him with his hands behind his back: "That's different." He then looked around at the people in the room, sighed, and said, "But you have to leave one of you here for me." As he spoke, he pointed to the ground: "That scoundrel is still down there. We can't lose him even if we lose someone else."
Luo Ling smiled and said, "Uncle Zhong is right."
Tao Qingyun retorted sarcastically, "That Sun scoundrel is a real stubborn mule!"
Jiang Yuanjun then suddenly asked Jiuqu, "Ning has not returned since leaving the manor tonight. Has he sent anyone back?"
Living in a noble family, in a grand mansion, it's difficult for members of these aristocratic families to survive without some shrewdness and calculation. Besides, he knew that the man had always been wary of others.
Jiuqu knew that the Marquis did not trust the two people from the palace and would be even more wary of them. But since the one asking the question was the Crown Prince, he hesitated and said, "This afternoon, someone from the manor disguised himself as the Marquis and returned to the manor. He has been staying in the study ever since. Before the order was issued, my subordinates instructed them to keep a close eye on those two people from the palace." As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Yuanjun and said, "My subordinates said that those two people had nothing to do today and stayed in their rooms."
Jiuqu recalled the scene from earlier that day, where the Marquis had asked him to deal with those petty culprits, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Jiang Yuanjun quickly added, "Brother, I will go to the inner court and the outer court. I will return to the palace immediately, knock on the palace gate, and report to Father Emperor to capture the assassin!" He hesitated for a moment, then asked Jiuqu for some spies' sake. He turned back to Songyang, who had a sword at his waist, and said gently, "Lend me your sword."
Songyang hurriedly offered it with both hands, saying, "I dare not."
Jiang Yuanjun picked up the wine jar and gulped it down. Then, holding the sword in both hands, she drew it from its sheath and swung it without hesitation at her own arm. Tao Qingyun and Luo Ling, seeing this, and Qin Weixi, who turned around abruptly upon hearing the sound of the sword, hurriedly tried to stop her, but it was too late.
He said, "Today, Qingyun and I were going to my brother's residence for a drink and to stay overnight. Everyone in the Eastern Palace knows about this. So let's have a good time and get drunk. When Father asks, I hope you will all say that we were injured after Ye Ning was injured, and Jiu Qu came to the Luo residence for help. We were injured when we arrived."
Jiang Yuanjun looked at everyone, then her gaze settled on Qin Weixi. She smiled at her and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Jiuqu Songyang Queshe and Zijin stepped forward, some with cuts and some with injuries, saying, "Since things have come to this, let's all face this together!"
Seeing this, Tao Qingyun walked to the center, picked up two jars of sake, and handed one to Luo Ling, saying with a smile, "You are right! I completely agree!"
Luo Ling accepted the drink and downed it in one gulp.
"You..." Qin Weixi's eyes were filled with tears as she stood up and bowed to everyone: "Qin Heng and Xiao Ci's daughter, on behalf of the Qin family, bows to all my elder brothers, elder sisters, and uncles."
Zhong Ti chuckled softly, his hands behind his back, and said heartily, "Little girl, please get up. In the world of martial arts, how can one avoid getting hurt? Besides, we have already witnessed the true clash of swords on the battlefield."
Que She and the others immediately chimed in, "Miss, we are for the Qin family, for the Duke of Dingguo, for Madam Xiao, for the Duke of Dingguo's heir, and also for General Chu!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you for reading, and thank you all for your support! Sweet treat! [Heart eyes]
Because of the heavy burdens that the main and supporting characters carried in their youth, I am grateful to all the friends who have been accompanying me through this bittersweet journey. [Heart emoji] This story began with a sudden inspiration, about their eight years of friendship in the capital, and the love that blossomed from childhood friends to old friends between Chu Yening and Qin Weixi.
Luo Ling's words, "Though our names differ, we were born on the same land, and we'll weather the storms together." Tao Qingyun's desperate rush to Jiangnan for rescue, "Even if we're both riddled with bullets today, I'll drag you away." There's also the innocent and carefree Xiao Xing, the doting brother Qin Shuoguang who practically raises his younger sister in his palm, and the gentle and refined Crown Prince Jiang Yuanjun, who, despite being part of the eight-person circle, never considers himself the heir apparent. And then there's Qin Weixi's close friend, the exceptionally beautiful Jiang Yuanfu. Their shared childhood memories—the colorful porcelain cups with butterflies and flowers they used together, the little jackets and skirts they wore together—all these intermittent inspirations compelled me to write this story immediately.
I'm just a newbie, and my writing isn't very good yet, but I'll keep trying to write better stories. [Starry eyes] If you like my stories, could you click on a twinkling star?
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