Pretending to have amnesia
"My lord has sent word from the capital." The sun had just risen when Song Zhimin, as usual, opened the letter, but found something unusual inside.
"Why would Lou Xuan personally go to see the injured person in Minxiang?" Song Zhimin felt somewhat uneasy.
"The identity of the injured person hasn't been confirmed yet, but we've drawn a picture based on the accounts of the people who helped them." The people standing below were smugly pleased with themselves when they heard Song Zhimin tear up the portrait.
"How is that woman?!" Song Zhimin shouted, grabbing the man's collar with red eyes.
"I just suffered some minor injuries." The man swallowed hard, looking at Song Jimin with some fear as she suddenly became angry.
"Alright, alright, you really did hide it from me for so long!" A masked man walked in from outside. Song Zhimin snorted coldly and released the man.
"Is Ziyuan still causing trouble?" The masked man sat on the wooden chair, not replying, but simply drinking his tea.
"As expected of someone raised by Lou Xuan, the taste is indeed excellent." Song Zhimin glared angrily at the broken calligraphy brush in his hand. "Are you crazy? Ziyuan is their trump card to keep them in check! You dare touch her!"
"Why are you still feeling sorry for her? Did I give you permission to expose Luo Luoxiang back then? You wasted so much time in Beizhou just to save her!" The masked man threw a teacup at Song Zhimin.
"I wouldn't stoop to lay a hand on a mere young woman, but if I find out you're secretly favoring her, I'll make sure she doesn't get away with it!" The masked man laughed, enjoying Song Zhimin's angry yet timid expression.
"Stop thinking about Jiang Jin. Her heart and soul are completely devoted to Wei Shu now. Even if you died in front of her, she would only look at you coldly." The masked man's words pierced Song Zhimin's heart like knives.
"Don't harm Ziyuan. She's stubborn; it would be bad if she really intended to kill you," Song Zhimin said coldly, suppressing his anger.
"I'm not stupid. How's the medicine coming along? If it's still not working, kill them all and replace them with a new batch." The masked man casually decided the fate of many people with a wave of his sleeve.
"Song Zhimin, if you're not loyal, I can send you and the evidence of your crimes back to Lou Xuan. Do you think Jiang Jin's indifference will turn into endless disgust?" The masked man laughed heartily as he watched Song Zhimin's expression change.
"That's more fun. You can be my dog, and she can be Lou Xuan's dog. Maybe I can even pair her up with someone else for you someday." The masked man's venomous gaze fell on Song Zhimin before shifting away.
"Alright, I'm going to check on my caged bird. I wonder what tricks she'll pull today." The masked man walked cheerfully to Ziyuan's door, but his expression turned cold when he saw she was still asleep.
"Splash her awake. Does she still think she's some kind of noblewoman here?" The maid guarding the door hesitated, looking at the masked man.
"What, do you want to go to the back mountain?" The masked man glanced at the maid, then pushed open the door. The maid didn't hesitate and quickly fetched a basin of water, splashing it on Ziyuan.
"Who is it!" Zi Yuan was suddenly awakened. The cold water in winter was particularly biting. The masked man pulled her off the bed.
"She splashed water on you, how about I send her to the back mountain?" The masked man's ghostly voice rang in Zi Yuan's ears, and the maidservant immediately collapsed to the ground, kowtowing to the two men.
"Wife, save me! Wife, save me!" Blood flowed down the cold water and onto Ziyuan's body.
"You're insane! Would she treat me like this without your permission?!" Ziyuan, enduring the chill, helped the maid up. "Are you even human? Do you have any respect for human life?!"
"Human life? Do you even value human life?" The masked man grabbed Zi Yuan by the neck and threw her aside. He then drew his sword and pointed it at the maid.
"All I know is that in my world, life is worth less than grass!" A flash of red light appeared before Zi Yuan's eyes, and the maid collapsed lifelessly to the ground, a cold sword embedded in her body.
"What else do you want?" Zi Yuan drew her sword and placed it against her neck. "You've killed so many maids because of me lately, are you trying to make me break down out of guilt and be at your mercy?"
The masked man calmly watched Zi Yuan's actions. "This old lady has never been like this. Whether A Jin and Wei Shu have a falling out is their business. A Jin isn't stupid; she'll see through your scheme!"
As Zi Yuan forcefully slashed her neck with her sword, the masked man caught the blade, and blood dripped onto the ground.
"Death is always the easiest way, but unfortunately I won't let you die." The masked man grabbed Zi Yuan's wrist, forcing her to release her grip on the sword.
"You're a complete madman!" Zi Yuan, propping herself up on her hands, stared directly at the masked man. "You treat human life like dirt! How are you any different from those corrupt officials who hold high positions?" Zi Yuan deliberately contradicted the masked man, hoping to get him to say something different.
"So what? All 367 members of my family are dead! I want them to be buried with me! I want the entire royal family and noble clans of the capital to be buried with me!" The masked man grabbed Zi Yuan by the neck in a fit of rage.
"Alright, you've heard things you shouldn't have. Go scout the road to the Yellow Springs now and wait for Lou Xuan and Jiang Jin to arrive!" Zi Yuan's face turned purple, and she could barely breathe. Her struggles gradually subsided, and in a daze, she seemed to see Song Zhimin.
"Are you crazy!" Song Zhimin kicked the masked man away and knocked Zi Yuan unconscious. "If she dies, how will we threaten Jiang Jin!" Song Zhimin carried Zi Yuan out of the house, found a clean bed, put her on it, and thoughtfully covered her with a blanket.
"She heard something she shouldn't have." The masked man looked at Song Zhimin and Ziyuan on the bed with a sinister gaze.
"Didn't you say that yourself? Unless you bring Zhai Wan here now, I will absolutely not let you hurt Ziyuan!" Song Zhimin met the masked man's murderous gaze.
"Then keep an eye on her. If she dares to leak even a little bit, I'll kill you all." The masked man flicked his sleeves and left. Song Zhimin looked at Ziyuan, who had her eyes closed on the bed, and sighed. "Since we've already reached a dead end, we can only go all the way down this path."
The sound of the lock clicking shut came from outside the door. Ziyuan, lying on the couch, slowly opened her eyes, recalling incredulously what she had just heard.
"Song Zhimin is actually connected to the mastermind? Doesn't that mean His Highness and Ajin are in great danger?" Zi Yuan carefully got off the bed and tried to open the window, but found it sealed shut.
"They'll definitely be keeping a close watch on me these next few days. Even with my pigeons, I won't be able to send messages like I did the last two times." Thinking this, Ziyuan threw everything in the room onto the floor.
"Go and call Song Zhimin over, I need to see him!" Zi Yuan's voice was so strong that even Song Zhimin, who was resting some distance away, could hear her.
Without another word, Song Zhimin's voice came from outside the door, asking someone to unlock the door. "It really is you!"
Zi Yuan picked up the teacup in her hand and smashed it at Song Zhimin. "I knew it! I saw you on my deathbed, and when I woke up, your scent was still here. Song Zhimin, how dare you betray His Highness! If it weren't for His Highness, you would have died long ago! I'm going to kill you!" Zi Yuan lunged at Song Zhimin, making a death gesture, determined to kill Song Zhimin and eliminate the traitor for Lou Xuan.
In a panic, Song Zhimin could only retaliate. After a few moves, Ziyuan spotted the corner of the table, found the right angle, and fell backward along with Song Zhimin's momentum. Blood flowed down the back of her head to her neck. Before losing consciousness, Ziyuan saw the anxious look in Song Zhimin's eyes.
"Ouch!" Zi Yuan woke up to find several maids wiping her face. The pain in the back of her head snapped her out of her thoughts. She slowly rubbed away the nail marks on her wrist. Although they were somewhat bloody and mangled, no one would be able to tell that words had been carved on them.
"Who are you? Why did you kidnap me!" Zi Yuan feigned ignorance and shrank into the bed.
Song Zhimin hesitated upon hearing Zi Yuan's voice, but ultimately carried the medicine into the room. She had expected to hear Zi Yuan's curses, but instead, she heard her concern.
"Song Zhimin, were you also kidnapped by them?" Zi Yuan pushed aside the surrounding maids and walked to Song Zhimin's side.
"You weren't tortured, were you? My head is killing me, they must have beaten me." Song Zhimin looked at Ziyuan with eyes full of concern, not a trace of resentment.
"I'm fine. They said you fainted, so they let me out to take care of you." Song Zhimin checked Zi Yuan's pulse and, finding nothing wrong, pulled her down to sit.
"Don't worry, we're not in any immediate danger here. You should rest and recover since you're injured." Song Zhimin handed the medicine on the table to Ziyuan.
"Can I not drink it? I hate taking medicine the most." Ziyuan still acted coquettishly as before, but her fingertips slowly sank into her palm.
"No, you need to drink the medicine to get better, and only then can we figure out how to escape." Hearing this, Ziyuan pinched her nose and drank the medicine.
"Then I'll go rest now. Take care of yourself." Zi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the maids who had been surrounding the couch leave the room one by one.
Wrapped in the blanket, watching Song Zhimin sitting outside, she suppressed the urge to kill him countless times.
“Song Zhimin is not someone who trusts easily, especially with that masked man who looks like a madman.”
Zi Yuan's pills had already been taken, so even if she wanted to fake injuries, there was no way. She could only take it one step at a time, deny everything to the death, and wait for the right opportunity to spread the news. Once that was done, her mission would be complete.
"This way." The masked man led a healer into the room. Zi Yuan had her back to Song Zhimin, afraid that he might reveal some flaw that would ruin the entire plan.
"Why are you still here? Aren't you going to get out?" The masked man glanced at Song Zhimin, then strode open the curtain.
"Who are you!" Zi Yuan instinctively attacked, but was easily caught by the man.
"A mere trick. Let's see if she's really lost her mind. If she dares to lie, I'll drag her to the back mountain!"
"If you dare to arrest me, I'll kill you!" Zi Yuan looked exactly the same as before. The doctor carefully took her pulse and pondered for a long time before saying, "It seems she suffered a head injury, but it's nothing serious. As long as she takes good care of herself, her life will not be in danger."
"Then keep an eye on her!" The masked man was about to leave when Zi Yuan grabbed his sleeve and kicked over the healer's box, scattering ceramic shards everywhere. "Who do you think you are? If you've got the guts, give me a quick death!"
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