Xia Ning took off the bamboo tube from the pigeon's feet and released the pigeon into the night.
After he opened it and read it, he whispered, "Superintendent, Young Marquis Gu and Yu Qizhe requested permission to send troops to Xianyang in the upper study, and the emperor approved it. Gu Yun is on his way to Xianyang with 20,000 Lingnan troops."
There was an oil lamp lit in the study, and the bean-sized wick was dancing. Cheng Ying picked up the scissors and raised his hand to cut off the lamp flame. He looked indifferent and sneered.
"I can't wait any longer and have to take action." He narrowed his eyes slightly. Compared to Yu Qizhe, he was actually the one who couldn't wait any longer.
Putting down the scissors, Cheng Ying said, "Let's make the arrangements. We'll set off at midnight tonight."
Xia Ning's expression changed and he left immediately.
After he left, Cheng Ying leaned back in her chair for a long time before she opened the wooden box on the table, took out a green porcelain jar, rubbed the shiny body of the jar, and finally clenched her hands, stood up and walked out.
In the backyard room, Yu Jiao was already lying on the bed, ready to fall asleep. But when she thought that her senior brother might let her leave the city tomorrow, she tossed and turned. She didn't know whether her senior brother would go back on his word, so she always felt uneasy.
Suddenly, voices were heard outside. Yu Jiao vaguely recognized it as Cheng Ying's voice. She pinched the corner of the quilt, wondering what her senior brother was doing here so late.
There was a knock on the door, and the maid asked softly, "Miss, are you asleep? The governor wants to see you for something."
Yu Jiao sat up, reached for the tinderbox on the stool beside the bed, and lit the candle.
She took her clothes off the rack, dressed herself, and then opened the door.
When she looked up, she saw Cheng Ying's tall figure standing outside the door. She didn't know if it was because of the darkness of the night, but she inexplicably felt a sense of oppression from him.
Yu Jiao took two steps back to make room, and Cheng Ying followed in.
"Go make a pot of tea." Yu Jiao ordered the maid outside the house.
The maid brought in hot tea soon. Yu Jiao and Cheng Ying were already sitting at the table. She raised her eyes and asked, "Brother, what's the matter with you coming here?"
Cheng Ying slowed down her voice and said, "It's nothing. I just feel a little uncomfortable when I think about you leaving Xianyang tomorrow. I want to see you more."
He looked deeply at Yu Jiao's face, as if he wanted to engrave her current appearance in his heart forever.
Yu Jiao felt a little chilly when he looked at her, but she felt a little relieved after hearing her senior brother's words of assurance.
"Brother, don't worry. After I return to Beijing, I will immediately go to the palace to see Liu Ziqi and ask him to agree to pardon you. Then you can return to Beijing." Yu Jiao poured him a cup of tea. Thinking of the future, she smiled more and suggested, "Brother, if you are willing, you can go to the clinic I opened and we can still see patients together like before."
Cheng Ying also raised the corners of her lips, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She seemed to be interested and said, "Oh? That does sound very good, but how are you going to explain to Liu Ziqi and Yu Qizhe why you want to protect me like this? Or should you tell them about my past life? Aren't you afraid that they will regard you and me as monsters?"
Yu Jiao paused while pouring the tea, and almost spilled the hot tea on the table. She shook her head: "I won't tell them this. I... can convince Liu Ziqi. He loves me very much as his sister. Even for the sake of the late Princess Huaiyang, he will agree to my request."
Cheng Ying raised her hand to take the teapot from her hand, poured two cups of tea steadily, pushed one of the cups in front of Yu Jiao, and sneered: "Jiao Jiao, you are too naive. He is the emperor now. Anyone who threatens the power in the hands of the emperor will be killed without mercy."
"That was someone else. I believe Liu Ziqi wouldn't do that." Ever since Yu Jiao was adopted by Liu Ziqi and brought back to the Liu family, he has treated her very well. What's more, Liu Ziqi is a gentleman with a bright and upright character, very different from Emperor Mingzheng.
Cheng Ying's smile deepened, as if she was amused by her innocence.
He leaned back on his chair with his head raised, his expression lazy, and he sighed: "I should be happy that you are trying to prove that I, your senior brother, have a place in your heart."
But how could he be willing to let her go, watching her being with another man all day long and being intimate with other people, while he could only pretend to be her senior brother. Even if it was painful, he could only watch from afar and observe her life.
Cheng Ying reached for the porcelain jar in her sleeve and rubbed the bottle slowly with her fingertips.
It doesn't matter. He will soon be able to own her completely. As long as she forgets everything about the past, she will belong to him alone, both body and mind.
He has committed many sins of murder in this life, and he is afraid that he will be reborn as an animal in the next life. He does not ask for an afterlife, he just wants her to accompany him for the rest of his life.
Yu Jiao saw the sadness in his smile and felt very sad. She called softly, "Brother, don't be unhappy. There are many more worthwhile things in this world."
Her heart is not with her senior brother, so it is not worth his persistence.
Cheng Ying's expression became warm, and she said with a smile: "Yes, after tonight, it will be a brand new beginning."
Seeing that he seemed to have come to terms with it, Yu Jiao began to relax.
Cheng Ying stood up, and Yu Jiao thought he was leaving, so she also stood up to see him off.
The tall and slender figure stood in front of her, blocking out the candlelight. Yu Jiao was completely covered by his shadow. Yu Jiao raised her head and met his dark and deep eyes. She felt a chill on her spine and instinctively turned around to run away.
A large hand with distinct joints grabbed her waist and pressed her against the door.
"Brother, what are you doing?" Yu Jiao panicked and tried to push him away in resistance, but the muscles under her palms were hard and his tall body did not move at all.
Yu Jiao turned to pull his hand, but his big hand was so strong that it shackled her slender waist like an iron chain.
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