Night falls on the long street, where lanterns glitter, the atmosphere is bustling and lively, and people are packed together.
Jiang Chuting stood by the red railing on the third floor and looked down. The view from here was excellent, allowing her to see a lot and a wide distance. However, apart from the lanterns, all she could see now was a dense mass of people.
Autumn had arrived, and the night wind was chilly. Jiang Chuting's health was not as good as before. After standing for a while, he felt a bit cold. Just as he hugged his arms, he felt a warmth on his body as a cloak was draped over him.
Jiang Chuting glanced sideways, nodded, and said, "Thank you."
Pei Jing stood beside him with his hands behind his back. Just then, a child on the street was jostled and fell, crying loudly. His parents picked him up and tried to comfort him, but they couldn't stop the crying.
Taking in the scene, Pei Jing couldn't help but smile and said, "I also went out of the palace to join in the fun when I was very young, but I fell straight into the water and almost drowned."
Jiang Chuting asked in surprise, "Since you are still young, you should have guards following you when you go out. How could you fall into the water?"
"It was my mother who took me out of the palace. There weren't many people with me at the time, and I ran off and got separated." Actually, he didn't remember any of this. His mother told him about it when he was older. Pei Jing continued, "Fortunately, I was rescued by two people later."
Jiang Chuting said, "Fortunately." He had some questions. Xiao Jiu's mother should have been a concubine at the time. Why would she take a little prince out of the palace without permission?
Thinking about this person's personality, Pei Jing joked, "You're such a busybody, maybe you're the one who saved him."
Jiang Chuting smiled upon hearing this. He had indeed saved many children from drowning over the years, but there were hardly any coincidences.
"Are you wondering why I left the palace with my mother?" Pei Jing answered the question he hadn't asked earlier: "She was feeling depressed because of some things, so she took me out of the palace and away from Jincheng to clear her head."
Jiang Chuting: "That sounds quite carefree and unrestrained."
Pei Jing curled the corners of his lips: "That's just how she is, rather unconventional, even my father can't do anything about it."
Jiang Chuting smiled but remained silent.
Pei Jing gazed at his profile and said slowly, "I'll let you meet her later."
Jiang Chuting remained silent, glancing at the crowd for a while before suddenly letting out a soft laugh.
Pei Jing followed his gaze and saw a young man and woman. The man was carrying a small rabbit lantern, and the woman was holding a baby in her arms. The baby's big eyes were looking around, and it should only be a few months old. They were enjoying the lively atmosphere in a less crowded corner, chatting and laughing. The scene was very warm.
Pei Jing couldn't help but ask, "Do you know them?"
Jiang Chuting shook her head: "I don't know her, I just found her interesting." It seems that Shaojun has successfully found his sister, and the child is healthy, which is good.
Jiang Chuting turned around, lifted his clothes, and sat down at the table. Pei Jing followed and sat opposite him.
"Chu Ting, you really like children?" Pei Jing's tone sounded quite ordinary.
Now, he only calls him "Master" when he's being affectionate; otherwise, he just calls him by his name.
Jiang Chuting replied, "I don't dislike it."
Judging by the timeline, he's due to give birth next month. Pei Jing toyed with the wine glass in his hand, gave him a half-hearted smile, and said, "I don't like children."
Jiang Chuting remained silent, suddenly remembering the question Jiang Xian had asked him earlier.
Pei Jing stared at him and said softly, "Unless you give me a child."
The two stared at each other silently for a moment before Jiang Chuting looked away first. To avoid upsetting Pei Jing, he tried to respond whenever possible, even if it was just a simple "hmm." But in those situations, he usually chose to remain silent.
Pei Jing wasn't angry. Instead, he chuckled briefly and didn't continue the topic.
Behind him, Mo Lin and his men hung the lanterns they had bought all over the room. There were rabbit lanterns, lotus lanterns, carp lanterns and so on. Although the craftsmanship was not as exquisite as that of the palace lanterns, they were lifelike and very interesting.
The two were instantly enveloped in the warm glow of the lanterns.
Pei Jing tilted his head back, downed the wine in one gulp, turned his head, and looked at the night sky: "There will be fireworks in a little while, watch them before going home."
Jiang Chuting: "Mm."
After parting ways with Shaojun, Lin Zhi wandered around. Finally, he sent all his subordinates away, found a place to sit down by the roadside, hugged his sword, and stared blankly at the sword tassel.
Several hours passed before they realized it was already quite late.
The long street was bustling with people, many of whom were carrying lanterns. It took him a moment for his slow-witted mind to remember that Zhao Chengyang had told him yesterday that there was a lantern festival tonight and invited him to come and play.
But he was in a slump and had no interest in enjoying the excitement. He planned to go back to his place and leave Jincheng early the next morning.
Lin Zhi had only taken a few steps after standing up when a faint blue figure flashed past in his peripheral vision. Instantly, his mind was stirred and his blood surged. He turned his head sharply, only to see that the person in blue with black hair had already blended into the crowd and was gradually disappearing into the distance.
Although he couldn't see the face, the similar slender figure and clothing were enough to drive Lin Zhi crazy. He wouldn't let go of even the slightest possibility.
Lin Zhi took off running, ignoring everyone blocking his way, shouting with red eyes, "Chu Ting, Chu Ting!!!"
The street was noisy, but the man continued walking, seemingly unaware of his heart-wrenching screams.
Lin Zhi was in such a hurry that he almost knocked someone over. He instinctively helped him up, but when he looked up again, the person was already gone.
"Chu Ting, Chu Ting..." Lin Zhixin was extremely anxious. After a moment of dizziness, she finally regained her balance and chased after him in the direction she had just come from.
He was panting, his hair disheveled, and the night wind stung his throat like a knife.
Reaching an intersection, unsure which way to go, he subconsciously turned his head and caught a glimpse of a blue-clad figure disappearing into a dark alleyway on the left. Without a second thought, he gave chase.
"Chu Ting, Chu Ting! Is that you? Please come out and see me, Chu Ting!"
"I was wrong, so wrong! I'm not married, I only love you! Come out and see me! Please!!"
Lin Zhi felt lost and panicked, her nose tingled, her eyes were wet, and her face was streaked with tears. She pleaded, "I really miss you so much. Please come out and see me. I miss you so much, Chu Ting..."
Lin Zhi's head was throbbing and dizzy. Before long, he was lost in the alley and didn't know which way to go. Suddenly, he heard the sound of clothes rustling. Lin Zhi turned a corner in the direction of the sound, but still didn't see anyone.
There was only one door in front of me, which looked like the back entrance of some restaurant. Should I go in here?
Lin Zhi was completely incapable of thinking at the moment. Without a second thought, he climbed over the wall and entered. All he wanted to do was find that person.
The backyard was large and dimly lit. Lin Zhi, gripping his sword, had only gone halfway when he suddenly heard a sharp shout: "Who goes there!"
Lin Zhi realized with a start that she might have wandered into a place she shouldn't have, and turned to leave, but it was too late.
The people who suddenly appeared from all sides were extremely fast and surrounded him in an instant, all drawing their long swords and exuding killing intent.
Lin Zhi calmed down, turned around and bowed to the leader, saying, "I'm sorry, I came here after someone, I didn't mean to trespass."
"No one came here before you, and you still want to argue?" The man sneered, and without saying another word, raised his hand and ordered, "Take him down!"
Lin Zhi had already seen the waist tag hanging on his body, and his heart sank, realizing something was wrong.
These are the Imperial Guards, the emperor's personal guards. Not only did he fail to find his target, but he also accidentally wandered into this place; he'll definitely be mistaken for an assassin.
The men rushed over, and Lin Zhi had no choice but to draw his sword to fight back. There were many of them, and their martial arts skills were not bad. They were also full of killing intent, so he was not in a good position to deal with them. If the fight continued, he would definitely be defeated.
Lin Zhi didn't want to get into a conflict with them, so while struggling to deal with them, he called out, "I really just accidentally wandered in! Please stop and let me find out who I am. I mean no harm!"
He had barely uttered a sentence when several dazzling fireworks suddenly exploded in the night sky, brilliant and magnificent. Then, one after another, fireworks exploded with a series of loud bangs, completely silencing any remaining attempts at explanation.
Outside, a spectacular fireworks display unfolds, while inside, a chilling battle rages on.
Lin Zhi already had several wounds on his body, and his purple clothes were soaked with blood and stained dark, but he was still struggling to hold on, gritting his teeth and saying, "Even if they are the Imperial Guards, shouldn't they not kill people indiscriminately? I didn't know there was any important person here before I came!"
The head guard watching the battle narrowed his eyes and sneered, "You say you don't know? The remnants of the traitors dared to assassinate, but they don't have the guts to admit it. What a joke."
After he finished speaking, he drew his sword and joined the fight. In the end, Lin Zhi was outnumbered and subdued. His sword was knocked to the ground, and he was pinned down and subdued on the ground, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, unable to move.
"Go ahead and report to them first, and see how to handle it," the leader ordered, stepping onto the tassel of Lin Zhi's longsword.
Lin Zhi's eyes were bloodshot, his whole body was trembling, and he struggled and roared, "Take your foot off me!"
The man glanced down, flicked his toe to pick up the sword, examined it, and then ordered, "Too noisy. Gag him."
Lin Zhi had a tattered burlap stuffed in his mouth, and he was breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on him with hatred.
A spectacular display of fireworks lit up the sky, and people on the street cheered with joy. Jiang Chuting and Pei Jing stood back in front of the railing, admiring the beautiful scenery together, when suddenly their eyebrows twitched and they looked behind them.
Pei Jing noticed his expression, and Jiang Chuting said, "There seems to be some movement in the backyard."
"Oh, really?" Pei Jing said calmly and unhurriedly, "Don't worry, someone will handle it."
Seeing that he remained silent, she smiled and gestured, "Look at the fireworks, they're here again, how beautiful!"
Jiang Chuting looked away and continued to tilt her head slightly, but she seemed somewhat absent-minded.
Before the fireworks had even stopped, Mo Lin approached Pei Jing and reported, "Your Majesty, an assassin broke in just now, but he has been apprehended. Hopefully, he didn't disturb you."
“I didn’t.” Pei Jing raised his chin and pointed to Jiang Chuting beside him: “But my master seems to have had his mood spoiled.”
Mo Lin lowered his head: "It was my dereliction of duty. I will take him into custody and interrogate him to see who instructed him."
Pei Jing smiled and said casually, "There are too many people who want to assassinate me. Can I interrogate them all? I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give them a chance."
Pei Jing put his arm around Jiang Chuting's waist and leaned closer, saying sweetly, "Master, if you kiss me, I'll forgive his sins, okay? Aren't you the kindest person?"
Jiang Chuting calmly pulled his arm away, sat back down at the table, and said, "This is your business, I won't interfere."
Mo Lin raised his eyes to look at Jiang Chuting, then quickly lowered them again.
Pei Jing stood there, staring at him for a moment with an inscrutable expression, then snorted coldly, "You're so stingy. What's wrong with a kiss? Will you die from a kiss? It's not like we've never kissed before."
Jiang Chuting shook his head and remained silent.
Pei Jing flicked his sleeve and sat back down with Mo Lin, saying, "If Master doesn't care, the opportunity is gone. It's just bad luck for him."
Staring directly at Jiang Chuting's expressionless face, two flames of excitement and pleasure flickered deep within Pei Jing's eyes. Without shifting his gaze for a moment, he said, "In that case, Mo Lin, do as you say. Be sure to interrogate her severely and use torture to get all the information you need to know."
Mo Lin said in a low voice, "Yes, I understand." He took two steps back, accepted the order, and left.
Jiang Chuting sat quietly for a while, and when he came to his senses, he found that his ears were much quieter. He didn't know when the fireworks had stopped, and the little one in his belly was kicking and turning.
Feeling suddenly tired, Jiang Chuting said to Pei Jing, "I'm a little tired, I'll go back first."
Pei Jing blinked her eyes, stood up to help him up, and said obediently, "Okay, Master, I'll see you off."
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