Liu Er
Xie Lingxi was startled and suddenly looked up. A burly man, about eight feet tall, had somehow moved in front of her. Upon seeing the man she was holding, he exclaimed, "Liu Xu?!"
That voice was so arrogant that Xie Lingxi hugged the person tighter and asked, her lips curving into a pursed expression, "Who are you?"
Who am I?
The burly man repeated the sentence in an ambiguous tone, spitting out a mouthful of saliva, "I'm your grandfather!"
Having said that, he reached out to snatch the man, but seeing that Liu Xu was unconscious, he became even more furious. Fortunately, he had saved money on the inn tonight and was traveling faster, otherwise this kid would have been harmed by the female demon!
This man was Liu Erlang.
He received a letter from Liu Xu a few days ago, and even closed his pig shop. He packed his travel money and coarse clothes and headed to the capital overnight, but unexpectedly, continuous heavy rains delayed his journey.
Speaking of those officials who forced marriages...
Liu Ne glanced at the disheveled state of the woman before him. Though he was oblivious, he could tell that the woman had been incredibly gentle with Liu Xu, and both of them were covered in blood, suggesting they had been chased and attacked.
Brother Liu glanced at the cleaver with its snow-white blade sticking out of his bundle, and guiltily put it back inside.
He awkwardly withdrew his hand, trying to speak in a refined, scholarly manner—
"Sister-in-law, I have offended you."
Xie Lingxi had found it strange earlier. She didn't know this person, so he was obviously not a young master from a prominent family. Moreover, his behavior was crude and rude, unlike the scholar who knew Liu Xu.
Upon closer inspection, the two seemed to resemble each other. When Liu Ne uttered those words, Xie Lingxi suddenly realized, "Second Brother Liu."
While leisurely admiring the flowers, Liu Xu once told her about his older brothers. Although Xie Lingxi didn't seem to care much at the time, she still silently remembered it.
Erlang is the most impatient and doesn't like to think things through, but he has the best heart.
Before Xie Lingxi could say anything else, Liu Ne picked up Liu Xu and threw the kitchen knife from the bundle to Xie Lingxi, asking, "Sister-in-law, where do you live?"
The night wind made Xie Lingxi shiver, but at that moment her heart calmed down. She gripped the hilt of her knife tightly with her uninjured hand and came to her senses: "This way."
The night road was difficult to walk, and Xie Lingxi could barely see with the light from the snow blade. Although she took the wrong path several times, she managed to find her way home.
She and Liu Ne remained silent the whole way, each secretly observing the other. After a long while, Liu Ne couldn't help but say, "...Our family is very poor, and we are often harassed by debt collectors. Our most precious possession is this younger brother who is good at studying..."
He paused for a moment, then said, "You... can find someone better."
Xie Lingxi was soaked to the bone by the night rain and was quite exhausted, but upon hearing this, she replied without hesitation: "He's fine."
Liu Ne: "I mean..."
As Xie Lingxi turned the corner of the alley where the attack had occurred, she couldn't help but glance at the blood-red sausage on the ground. It turned out that the butcher had casually dumped it on the ground when he was packing up his stall.
Liu Erlang was also a pig butcher.
Xie Lingxi turned her head and suddenly asked, "You don't agree to this marriage?"
Seeing that Liu remained silent, he chuckled softly, with a hint of self-mockery in his voice, "That's right, we never paid respects to our parents, so we can't be considered a proper couple."
Xie Lingxi looked at Liu Ne quietly, her words sharp: "Second brother, did you come to Chang'an to act as an intermediary to persuade Liu Xu to leave me, or do you intend to use this knife to force us to divorce?"
The cleaver gleamed, reflecting Xie Lingxi's watery eyes.
Liu opened her mouth, at a loss for words.
—He doesn't know either! He was so angry at the time that he stormed over, but now, after all these days, he doesn't even know what he was thinking.
What if Liu Xu and this noblewoman were truly in love? What if there was no forced prostitution or coerced marriage involved?
A few drops of sweat appeared on Liu Ne's forehead and trickled down.
God knows, he also hid a cleaver in his bag!
No!
He heard himself speak, his tone cheerful, but upon closer listening, there was a slight tremor in his voice, "Liu Xu has been away from home for several months, and I miss him terribly! I heard he got married and even gave a red envelope!"
He shook the bag and said, "This kid still isn't awake, haha! Hurry home, hurry home!"
...
The lotus flowers in front of the hall were scattered by the rain. The three of them quietly entered the house, and Chun Tao, Chu Liu, and Liu Zhi, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed up to them.
Seeing Xie Lingxi soaking wet and her clothes stained with blood, he rushed forward: "Miss! Where have you been!"
"Something happened," Xie Lingxi said, taking a handkerchief to wipe the water from her face. After a moment, she quickly called out, "Liuzhi, go and wash your young master."
Upon seeing Liu Ne, Liu Zhi called out "Second Master" and carefully helped the unconscious Liu Xu down. Seeing the jagged wounds on his body, she said, "Wife, we need to find a doctor!"
He looked up and, with his sharp eyes, spotted Xie Lingxi's hand hidden behind her back. He exclaimed in shock, "Wife! Your hand!"
What a bloody scene it was! A once warm and delicate hand was now frozen blue and purple. The wound that pierced through the palm had caused the surrounding flesh to necrotize several times. If it wasn't treated soon, it would be ruined!
Chun Tao had never seen such a horrifying wound before. Tears welled up in her eyes, but her mistress still had a calm expression and calmly ordered, "Go to Huichun Hall and make a big scene."
It had rained all night, and now, as the gongs and drums sounded, some women had already begun kneading dough.
It was still dark, and the road was flooded, making it difficult to walk.
The old doctor was startled awake from his sleep. When he opened his eyes, he saw a gleaming knife hanging high above his head.
Ouch!
He's going to meet the King of Hell!
This is why Liu Ne, finding Liu Zhi too slow, simply took a knife and went to her door.
The old doctor was frail and slept soundly, impossible to wake up no matter what he did. But this old fellow was the best; he instantly made the doctor clear-headed and alert.
After hearing this, the old doctor hurriedly picked up his medical kit and followed Liu Ne out the door.
As I walked through the alley, a steamed bun shop happened to be setting up its stall. The old lady greeted me with a few words: "Dr. Wang, is there anything I can help you with?"
The old doctor said, "Yes! If we don't go soon, the person will die!"
...
A dying man lies on his bed, groaning in agony.
Liu Xu was unconscious for a few moments, and when he woke up, the doctor had not yet arrived.
He looked up and saw his own magnificent house, filled with a subtle fragrance. Beside him, Xie Lingxi was fast asleep, slumped over the table.
Liu Xu shifted his body, but Xie Lingxi seemed to sense something, grabbing the hem of his robe with one hand and slowly opening his eyes.
"Chengzhi?"
Xie Lingxi's eyes were slightly red, and her eyelids were slightly drooping. She propped herself up and sat up, frowning as she straightened her sleeves. "What time is it?"
She had just washed herself and changed into a dress embroidered with hibiscus and auspicious clouds. It wasn't fancy, but it had a serene and elegant charm.
Her hair was as smooth as brocade, and it had been washed with soapberry. Amidst the frost and mist, the shadows of flowers floated faintly.
It's so beautiful...
Liu Xu finally came to his senses and covered the bright flowers in front of him. "It's not long yet, it's only the fifth watch."
It was indeed cleaned, otherwise Xie Lingxi would never have touched the bed, table, or chairs in this room. Seeing Liu Xu's pale face, she became anxious: "Why aren't you here yet?"
"Perhaps the roads were slippery because of the rain."
Although Liu Xu was still sleepy, the pain all over his body made it difficult for him to fall asleep. He took the opportunity to put his arm around Xie Lingxi's forearm and said, "Lingxi, it hurts so much."
He touched something and Xie Lingxi winced in pain, shuddering for a moment, but still let him lean on him. He patted him gently, just like he was coaxing a child, saying, "I've already lit some calming incense."
"A word of comfort from you, Madam Xie, is more effective than any calming incense."
Liu Xu lowered his eyes, embraced the girl who was covered in the fragrance of flowers, and said all the pitiful things he could think of, hoping to gain Xie Lingxi's pity.
Taking advantage of Xie Lingxi's relaxed back, he suddenly straightened up and swept up her pale yellow wide sleeve. In front of him, her arm was covered in bruises, about the size of a fist, a shocking sight.
He asked, "What is this?"
Xie Lingxi instinctively tried to hide, but her shoulder was pressed down, so she could only stammer, "It's just a minor injury."
How can it be a minor injury?
While visible wounds are certainly horrifying, the wounds inflicted by internal force in the shadows must be of unknown extent to which the flesh and blood have necrosis!
Liu Xu stopped pretending and took back all his words of vulnerability. He got out of bed and quickly and sharply said, "I'm going to find a doctor!"
But then they saw their second brother bringing back a man with a knife. His cloth shoes were completely soaked, and he looked shocked. It was none other than Doctor Wang from Huichuntang.
"Second Brother?!"
Liu glared at him, then gestured for the doctor to sit down. "It's this kid!"
Seeing the man lively and energetic, yet with a distressed expression, the old doctor was on the verge of tears: "Lord Liu! Where have you hurt yourself this time?"
"Arms, legs, and back."
Without saying a word, Liu Ne pressed him down to sit and began to strip him of his clothes. Liu Xu covered himself tightly, refusing to reveal anything, and cried out, "Please, doctor, examine my wife first!"
...
Xie Lingxi wanted to hide.
But in full view of everyone, when the doctor examined his palm, the old doctor trembled and exclaimed, "Heavens!"
He asked cautiously, "Why are you all being hunted down every day?"
Xie Lingxi smiled: "A life full of twists and turns."
After changing the dressing, the doctor peeled off Liu Xu's clothes and saw several knife wounds that reached deep into his ribs. His hands trembled even more, as if he had discovered some secret. "This...this, I still want to live a few more years to hold my grandson..."
The Liu family is in danger; from now on, they will refuse medical treatment to save their own lives!
But he just happens to be a doctor!
Old Lang felt a chill run down his spine and asked, as if seeking confirmation, "There won't be a next time, right?"
Xie Lingxi: "I also hope there won't be a next time."
Liu Ne was confused when he heard the phrase "misfortune", but now that he heard it, he couldn't wait to tie Liu Xu up and take him home.
Chang'an is terrifying!
He couldn't help but grab Liu Xu's arm, but then he heard the man shout a few times, saying, "Lingxi, don't look."
The next second, Liu Erlang dismissed the thought, sighing that his younger brother was quite considerate. Then he saw Xie Lingxi crush the herbs and directly reach out, saying, "What? You, Liu Chengzhi, are really so desirable that I can't even take a look at you?"
While secretly delighted that Xie Lingxi had personally applied the medicine, Liu Xu covered his face and said painfully, "...It doesn't look good, don't look."
...
Inside the house, everyone was talking past each other, while outside, a commotion was brewing.
Amidst the chirping of orioles and swallows, Yan Ji crushed a Xiuyan jade cup.
"Everyone's dead?"
Ling Xiao knelt upright and whispered, "Your Highness, the assassin we hired is dead."
"Liu Chengzhi knows martial arts?"
Ling Xiao: "Probably not."
"Ling Yu just came from West Street and heard that the Liu couple's life or death is uncertain. It seems they have been stabbed several times and have consulted countless doctors, all of whom left with long faces."
Seeing that Yan Ji's expression had turned sour again, and that the other precious jade pot was showing signs of cracking, Ling Xiao's expression was about to break. He hurriedly said, "Perhaps a master can help."
Yan Ji pondered upon hearing this, then slammed his cup down heavily. "You mean—that swordsman famous throughout Chang'an?"
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