024
In the governor's mansion of Shannan Prefecture, Governor Lin was wondering why there had been no reply to the letter he sent to Guangping County. Just as he was about to send someone to make contact, a servant came to report.
"Master, someone outside the manor requests an audience."
"Who?" His brow furrowed even more deeply. "Which guest from your household?"
The steward was also quite puzzled. "It shouldn't be. That man only said that he came from Guangping County and had important business to discuss with you."
"Then let him in."
Then, Governor Lin looked the man up and down. His coarse clothes could not conceal his bearing; he had only ever seen such a person among high-ranking officials in the capital, apart from princes and nobles.
Although they did not know his identity, they dared not be negligent.
Prefect Lin stood up, his round belly protruding. His tone softened slightly as he spoke to the man whose origins were unknown. "May I ask your honorable name, young master, and why you wish to see me?"
"My surname is Su..." Su Duan smiled gently. "I am here to visit the Prefect, but it is for the sake of Prefect Lin."
"Oh?" Seeing his humble attitude, Governor Lin inwardly mocked himself for misjudging the person. How could someone suddenly appear with such an extraordinary background?
So he relaxed and slumped back into his chair, saying with a hint of arrogance, "My younger brother is doing well in Guangping County. Is there anything else that Young Master Su needs to trouble you with?"
Su Duan was not affected by his attitude, but merely raised the corners of his mouth slightly, his tone also somewhat strange and unpredictable, "Does the governor know that Prefect Lin is currently being held in custody by General Yu, and his fate is unknown?"
Prefect Lin suddenly stood up, his eyes wide as he pointed at him, "Don't talk nonsense!"
"Whether this commoner is talking nonsense or not, wouldn't it be clear if Your Excellency sent someone to investigate secretly?" Su Duan's dark eyes were slightly lowered, and his tone was persuasive. "Your Excellency cares about the people and has delegated power to General Yu, but perhaps he doesn't think that way."
"After all, General Yu has so many troops behind him, who knows if he might have ulterior motives?"
As Governor Lin listened, his expression grew increasingly tense, his face turning as black as ink.
Imprison...disloyal...
"Someone come here!"
Su Duan, below, lowered his head slightly, concealing the triumphant look in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the two of them also mentioned Su Duan, who had already set off.
"How could you let him go to see the governor alone?" Yu Baizhou placed a piece on the board and asked his question. "If something happens to him, Mr. Su may not be able to escape unscathed."
Song Ling lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before making her move. "I don't know much about Mr. Su, but his words are extremely sharp. If he hadn't walked right into the trap, he would never have put himself in such a helpless and difficult situation."
"General, you can rest assured. You should worry about yourself first..."
"Your chess game is really terrible."
Yu Baizhou felt a little feverish after hearing what she said, and chuckled sheepishly, "I've only ever seen General Zhong play chess and learned a little from him. How can I compare to you?"
"Plan carefully before you act; don't be reckless." Song Ling stopped him from his eager attempt to surround her again. "A general doesn't need to be a great player, but rather understand the art of strategic planning."
"One wrong step can lead to total defeat, while a moment of deep thought can turn a desperate situation into a life-saving one."
Song Ling made his final move.
It has reached a dead end.
"Why did you take such a risk?" Yu Baizhou pondered for a moment, then carefully placed a piece before suddenly realizing something.
Looking at the game again, he realized he had no way to play. From the very beginning, he had fallen into a trap, and all his supposed strategies were actually just probing her train of thought...
He lost this round completely.
But Song Ling did not make the last move. Just by looking at his expression, she could see through his thoughts: "Playing chess is not the goal, and winning chess is not the goal either."
"To achieve what the person who sets out the game plans is the goal."
Yu Baizhou suddenly realized that what he had truly understood was the principle behind the chess pieces. What he needed to learn was not the skill of chess, but the methods and strategies of setting up the pieces.
"You understand immediately," Song Ling said with a smile, handing him a cup of tea. "Let's stop here for today. Since General is on his day off, why not take a good rest?"
“No need…” Yu Baizhou waved his hand, “Training soldiers doesn’t require much effort, there’s no need to rest.”
Looking at his physique, Song Ling couldn't help but recall the scene when she had treated his injuries with acupuncture. At that time, although he had many scars and was wrapped in bandages, his tanned muscles were firm, and his back was strong, making him look powerful...
When Song Ling subconsciously glanced at his shoulder and back again, she was so burned that she looked away for a moment, but then she suddenly met his questioning eyes.
"Cough cough cough—"
For some reason, I suddenly started coughing.
Yu Baizhou was startled, thinking her illness had relapsed. He frowned and stepped forward to pat her back, then hurriedly poured her some water, saying, "You drink this first, I'll go find a doctor."
“No need…” Song Ling suddenly grabbed his wrist, then realized it was inappropriate and let go, her tone somewhat awkward, “No need… I just choked a little.”
"Really not going to?"
Yu Baizhou looked at her suspiciously, which reminded Song Ling of her earlier overstepping of boundaries. She immediately stood up, feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, saying, "Really, there's no need."
She truly hated that bastard Chu Zhaoyan at this moment, for idly stuffing all sorts of random books into her bedroom... She was also incredibly annoyed at herself for being so curious last night to open them and see what they were, only to find they were forbidden books...
The more she thought about it, the redder her ears became. In order not to let him notice anything unusual, she hurriedly left the room.
"Oh, girl—"
Yu Baizhou was left behind and, due to the angle, did not notice Song Ling's unusual behavior. He thought he was just too stupid to have angered her and left, and immediately felt a little guilty.
As soon as Song Ling arrived at the courtyard where she was temporarily staying, she saw that bastard lying idly in a rocking chair reading a book.
Book, book, book... Song Ling stepped forward and took the book from his hand. She glanced at the cover and, sure enough, it was the same as the one he had secretly slipped into her bedroom.
But she already burned it, so how come he still has it?
"Why do you always read such vulgar things instead of studying properly?" Song Ling angrily threw the book at Chu Zhaoyan.
"Can't I even read a book?" Chu Zhaoyan pouted, feeling wronged. "Besides, what's wrong with reading? Love between men and women is a natural thing, okay? Seventeen, you're taught by those old guys all day long, how come your thinking is as outdated as theirs?"
Song Ling would never admit that she was taking her anger out on someone else.
Seeing her like this, Chu Zhaoyan seemed to suddenly realize something and asked, "Could it be that you saw the book I left with you? Where is it? Have you finished reading it? I'm still waiting to read it."
“It’s gone,” Song Ling said sneer. “I burned it.”
"Ah?!" Chu Zhaoyan jumped up immediately. "That's a rare supplementary volume that I searched for months to find! It's even more wonderful than those family heirlooms passed down by newlyweds!"
"I haven't even seen it yet, I'm sharing it with you first!" Chu Zhaoyan's eyes immediately reddened, and she looked at Song Ling as if she were a heartless man. "Seventeen, I hate you!"
"Waaaah, you've changed. You were never this heartless when I shared books with you before..."
Song Ling's lips twitched slightly, "But you didn't read these books before..."
Well, now it's her fault. That bastard Chu Zhaoyan is getting more and more perverse, especially since he's a grown man who cries like a reincarnated god of tears, shedding more tears than a little girl.
"Stop crying!" Song Ling irritably raised her right hand to cover her ears. "I'll send someone to find you a few more..."
"Really?" Chu Zhaoyan's eyes were still filled with tears, and snot was hanging from the tip of her nose. She looked disgusting.
Song Ling frowned, pulled out a handkerchief and threw it to him, saying with disgust, "Hurry up and tidy yourself up, it's filthy."
"Hmph, now you're complaining about how dirty people are, but why didn't you say that when you asked me to do work for you?"
He wiped his nose arrogantly, then, seeing the slight contortion on Song Ling's face, he awkwardly turned away the handkerchief he was about to hand back, saying, "I'll wash it clean before giving it back to you."
“No need,” Song Ling raised her hand to stop her, “Just throw it away.”
She is clean. It's not that she dislikes him.
"Alright, just don't forget to buy me books. I won't read anything that's not exciting." Chu Zhaoyan raised her head, looking just like a proud, haughty cat.
Shameless.
Song Ling thought to herself that she was complaining, but she didn't say it out of consideration for his feelings, otherwise he would definitely have exploded.
However, it would be wrong to say that Chu Zhaoyan only knew how to flaunt her beauty and dressed up like a woman.
Others may not know, but Song Ling knows it better than anyone else. In terms of skill, he has never been inferior to anyone else.
Just like that, as soon as Shi Yu entered the courtyard, his expression hardened, he abandoned his usual demeanor, and drew a short sword from his sleeve, thrusting it forward.
Shi Yu's eyes narrowed instantly. He dodged to the side, then used his first-aid kit to block the attack, and randomly grabbed a stick from the side to start hitting him.
But Shi Yu was, after all, a doctor by profession. Even if he knew some martial arts, it was only for strengthening his body. How could he be a match for Chu Zhaoyan?
As they were being pushed back, Shi Yu glanced at Song Ling's side out of the corner of her eye, but Song Ling showed no intention of making a move. Shi Yu's heart sank; Song Ling was truly ruthless.
Both of them were disciples of Huailai, and considering only the past kindness they had shown each other, how could Song Ling be so heartless and indifferent?
Although she was once a junior in their eyes, she is now the head of Huailai Pavilion. The grudges between the two are complicated, and she cannot and has no right to interfere.
"Pfft—" The dagger pierced Shi Yu's left shoulder, and blood instantly stained his white clothes.
"Are you serious?! Chu Zhaoyan, are you crazy?!" Shi Yu tightly gripped his wrist as he tried to stab him harder, his voice hoarse and strained.
“I’m not just serious,” Chu Zhaoyan’s eyes were bloodshot, “I fucking want you dead!”
"Does it hurt?" He stared at Shi Yu with a somewhat manic expression. "Ayan is in even more pain, do you know that?"
"She's dead, yet you still act all high and mighty, playing the role of a gentle young master... Why should you!"
"Shi Yu, what right do you have! Doesn't your heart hurt?"
A dark glint flashed in Shi Yu's eyes. She subconsciously looked over at Song Ling but saw that she did not seem to be acting strangely.
With a strength he didn't know he had, he pushed Chu Zhaoyan away, and then ruthlessly pulled out the dagger.
"Clang—"
The crisp sound shattered the silence.
Shi Yu's hand, which was covering her left shoulder, was covered in bright red blood. When she looked at Song Ling, her voice was weak, "Seventeen, I'm injured... Could you..."
"No, I'm sorry."
Song Ling shook her head slightly, "You go first."
“I already know about that matter… Shi Yu,” Song Ling looked at him calmly, “I am here today, and I cannot stand by and watch my fellow disciples kill each other.”
Shi Yu… What an unfamiliar and ridiculous name. This was the first time Song Ling had called him that. Shi Yu’s heart felt as if it had fallen into an abyss of ice.
"I will atone for my sins against Suiyan in the future." He left these words coldly, clutching his shoulder as he departed.
Hearing his cold and indifferent words, Chu Zhaoyan suddenly stood up, gripped her knife, and was about to rush forward, but was stopped by Song Ling.
"Zhao Yan, don't do anything you'll regret."
Yes... Ah Yan had told him not to kill anyone, and he immediately collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
But she's dead...
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