surrender
Xie Lingxi took the item wrapped in gray silk. It was cold in her hand, like an icy spring.
She lifted a corner and was surprised to see that her jade pendant, which had been taken from her by the Prince of Pingnan, was stained with a few streaks of blood, like a red plum blossom venturing into the snow, lying quietly inside.
Could it be that her and Liu Xu's entry into the stone cave last night has been discovered by others? Otherwise, why would this jade pendant be here?
Xie Lingxi quickly gave Liu Xu a wink, and the latter leaned over. Upon seeing the items inside, both of them were filled with shock. Even so, she remained calm and said with a smile that it was just a guard she had bought from the human market a few days ago who had caused some trouble.
He immediately stood up, got up from his seat, and asked, "Where is that person?"
Chuntao replied, "It's still lying in front of the door."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lingxi moved like the wind, passing through the crowd, and soon arrived at the door. Seeing that Liu Xu did not know what to do, she called out to him, "Liu Lang, come with me."
As dusk settles, dappled shadows fall on the trees in the long courtyard, and the flowers and birds have all gone to rest. A bright, clear moon emerges from the western clouds, slowly unveiling the silent prelude to the spring night.
Xie Lingxi quickened her pace, her slender shadow casting a long shadow on the ground, which then stretched to the ancient and imposing plaque of the Xie residence.
Where are they?
There was no one in front of the door at this time. Fortunately, it was nighttime, unlike the bustling streets during the day. Otherwise, the news of a "bloody person" lying in front of the Xie family would have spread throughout the entire circle of powerful and wealthy people in less than a day.
Chun Tao felt a wave of fear and exclaimed in surprise, "That person is still here!"
The group looked around, and just as Xie Lingxi suspected it was a case of making an example of someone, a faint sound came from behind the evergreen tree beside her. She was about to go over to take a look when she saw Liu Xu step forward and slightly block her way, saying, "Be careful, it might be a trap."
Xie Lingxi was taken aback. She stared at Liu Xu's clothes for a few seconds, then stepped forward. Sure enough, a "bloody person" was shrouded in darkness, struggling and saying, "Third Sister Xie, I'm here."
This habit of climbing in through the door...
Xie Lingxi tentatively asked, "Understand?"
Zhang Liaoran coughed twice. "It's me, Third Sister."
"Please let me in first, since I brought you the jade pendant."
He was the one who sent this jade pendant. Judging from his blood-covered appearance, what misfortune had befallen him?
Xie Lingxi was deep in thought, not making any rash moves. Liu Xu, unaware that he was the monk who had divined Xie Lingxi's fate in the temple, scrutinized him carefully, asking warily, "Where did you get this jade pendant?"
Liao Ran had nowhere to lie comfortably, so he kept his mouth shut and remained silent.
Upon seeing this, Liu Xu bent down and reached out to grab it.
"Why!"
This action startled Xie Lingxi. "Chengzhi, send the guards."
How could such a handsome and pure young man have his clothes stained with the dirty blood of others?
Liao Ran, whose face was already flushed, squinted, thinking that Liu Xu was about to punch him. When Xie Lingxi complained that it was dirty and asked the guards to do it, he stopped pretending and jumped up suddenly, patting his butt.
"Okay, don't hit me, let's talk this out. I'll go in myself, is that alright?"
His completely unharmed appearance surprised everyone. "Are you alright?"
Xie Lingxi took half a step forward, then, smelling the bloody stench emanating from him, she subtly took two steps back. "What's with the blood on you?"
Liu Xu, who had grown up in the countryside of Jiangzhou, sniffed carefully after hearing this and said, "It's dog blood."
"I've heard that dog's blood is used to ward off evil spirits and misfortune. What kind of wicked thing have you done?"
Chun Tao led them into a secluded courtyard and quickly cleared the area. Xie Lingxi then sat down on a bench nearby, looking down at the people who had found a clean place to lie down.
She didn't even bother to kick him. Instead, she pulled out a handkerchief, covered her mouth and nose, and said, "Take him to wash up."
Just as Chun Tao was about to call for help, Liao Ran on the ground seemed to be stimulated, his body tensed, and he said excitedly, "I don't want to! I don't want to!"
That hoarse voice was really annoying.
Xie Lingxi frowned and made a quick decision: "Knock him out."
Chun Tao was an incredibly strong maid. Before she was sold to the slave market, her family sold pigs. Upon hearing this, she picked up a carrying pole from the ground and was about to hit Zhang Liaoran on the head.
Zhang Liaoran nimbly dodged to the side several times, and said sadly, "Heaven is going to destroy the Great Yan!"
Upon hearing this, Chun Tao was startled and took a step back in a panic. She glanced at the Third Miss and found that all the gentle edges on her face had crumbled completely, and the little-known tenderness that was often in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by a chilling coldness.
Even the usually cheerful top scholar seemed like a completely different person this time, his whole body now sculpted into a steel frame.
Xie Lingxi pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, and said in a flat tone, "Speak louder?"
"You came to my Xie family just to spout such nonsense?"
“Chuntao,” she called, “find a wad of cloth to gag him and throw him out the back door.”
The Xie family had painstakingly built their fortune over generations, exhausting all their efforts. However, they were surrounded by wolves and sheep, eyeing them covetously. If someone overheard this and reported it to the emperor, all one hundred or so members of the Xie family would be imprisoned and beheaded.
The side courtyard was dimly lit with few lamps, and the roof tiles, which had been neglected for years, were loose and seemed to sing a ghostly song when blown by the wind. The cold and eerie atmosphere, combined with the few people present, finally made Zhang Liaoran feel uneasy: "Wait! I have something important to say!"
After a while, he obediently took the clean robe from the servant and put it on. He then sat down with his knees together, looking at the two devils beside him.
The Xie family members had all gone to rest. They usually didn't concern themselves with Xie Lingxi's affairs, so since she said she wanted to handle it, they smiled and let her do as she pleased.
At this moment, only the three of them were in the side courtyard.
The spring night was slightly chilly. Xie Lingxi wrapped herself in an outer robe and spoke softly, "Speak."
She glanced at Liu Xu, who was standing there shielding her from the wind, and half-pulled his hand, "Chengzhi, sit down."
Liu Xu was in a state of turmoil. He and Xie Lingxi knew perfectly well that there must be a reason behind Zhang Liaoran's words. Since he came to Chang'an, he had seen both prosperity and decadence, and had even stepped into the secrets of the royal family, inadvertently glimpsing the conspiracies in everyone's hearts.
The bustling city of Chang'an was far from being as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.
As soon as he sat down, Zhang Liaoran said, "General Pei has reported the case of the drowned eunuch to the Three Judicial Offices. The Dali Temple has now taken over the case, and it will probably be called over to the Ministry of Justice to handle it together soon."
Xie Lingxi frowned: "They're really fast."
"What does this have to do with me?"
Zhang Liaoran pointed to his palm: "This jade pendant was found on that eunuch."
Xie Lingxi suddenly realized: "You... has anyone else seen this jade pendant?"
Zhang Liaoran smiled and said, "You should be glad I took it in time."
"To be honest, I have a huge lingering fear of this jade pendant. I came out of the house to get a drink of water, and as I passed by the courtyard where the corpse was kept, I immediately spotted this green tassel. Luckily, no one was around, so I snatched the jade pendant and ran. After drinking the water, I hid in the house, but something just didn't feel right."
"I immediately packed my clothes and went down the mountain, but I was so hungry that I thought I could set up a fortune-telling stall to earn some money for food. But after only a few fortunes, I got splashed with dirty dog blood... Tsk tsk, people's hearts have changed!"
Xie Lingxi recalled the grand and imposing commentary and his lips twitched: "Your words are 'You are destined for a great calamity,' no wonder others have thrown things at you."
Zhang Liaoran: "Every word I spoke was the truth!"
Xie Lingxi: "But they don't believe it."
She examined the jade pendant closely. "This is definitely mine."
Liu Xu took it, recalling that when he first met Xie Lingxi, she was also wearing this jade. "They wanted to frame you for this."
Xie Lingxi: "Who killed Ah Cai?"
Liu Xu smiled gently, his eyes clear: "Third Sister should think the same way I do."
A light rain suddenly began to fall at night, pattering on the peach trees in the courtyard. The wooden door, long neglected, creaked incessantly. Xie Lingxi looked up at the string of raindrops on the eaves, then gently lowered her eyes. Her moon-white dress resembled a lotus in a pond, layer upon layer cradling a heart within her.
"He has a brilliant plan."
...
The next day, a young waiter quietly joined the Xie family's restaurant in Chang'an.
This waiter was said to have gotten in through several connections, and he was always given the easiest jobs. Not only that, but when no one was in the restaurant, he would open his mouth wide and stuff fine wine and food into it.
Even the Xie family's third daughter, who was known for her absolute authority, came to inspect the situation several times, but she couldn't do anything about it.
As the days slowly flowed into early summer, the damp chill in the air disappeared without a trace, and the vegetation grew even more lush, transforming from the pale yellow of the beginning of the year into an unforgettable, deep green.
Xie Lingxi wore only a thin spring shirt embroidered with a few yellow hibiscus flowers. The light pink plain shirt had a water-patterned sash that trailed on the ground and was cleverly tied into a fluttering butterfly.
She leaned against the sandalwood table in the private room on the second floor, her eyes lowered, quietly watching the crowds outside the window, which exuded the unique vitality of a bright and sunny day.
Seeing Zhang Liaoran slowly carrying two pork knuckles upstairs, he couldn't help but frown and say, "If you keep eating like this, I'm starting to suspect that you'll eat this shop until it closes down."
“Look at what you’re saying,” Zhang Liaoran sat down and took a big bite of meat, his lips glistening with oil, “Isn’t it true that I’m going to eat you until closing time?”
"Third Sister promised me, surely you haven't forgotten after only a few days?"
Xie Lingxi asked, "Have you found him?"
Zhang Liaoran: "No. But finding someone takes time, right?"
She made a deal with this fake monk. She would provide him with food, clothing, and a place to rest, while Zhang Liaoran would act as her informant in the capital. What they were looking for was a scholar who had passed the imperial examination along with Liu Xu.
This person's surname is Tang, given name Zexue, and he will be an important figure in saving the Xie family in the case of Zhulangtaotai.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, he died of exhaustion while carrying his mother to seek medical treatment on a snowy night. As a result, those involved in the matter in the court colluded with each other, and not a single person was willing to clear the name of the Xie family.
She had initially asked Liu Xu, this top scholar who foolishly inquired everywhere, and somehow managed to leave behind the image of a "social butterfly of Chang'an" in the circles of the powerful and wealthy.
Across from him, Liu Xu put down his teacup and retorted, "Now that things have come to this, is my trick still going to work?"
Indeed, they found out exactly where Tang Zexue came from and what his family background was, and even found one of his fellow townsmen.
He looked at Xie Lingxi, a beam of light shone on her face, revealing a gentle smile on her cheeks, and her thin dress accentuated her slender figure. Liu Xu couldn't help but blush slightly.
He picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup, his every move exuding elegance and ease as he strolled among the flowers, displaying a leisurely and carefree spirit.
Liu Xu served in the Hanlin Academy and would often sit at Xiaoyao Tower in his spare time, enjoying a relatively pleasant life in the capital.
The two were clearly quite familiar with each other. Xie Sanniang flicked her sleeve and teased, "I suppose so. You've completely offended the Fifth Prince, haven't you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com