Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Never leave the bed.
The pair of peach blossom eyes behind the curtain were slightly curved, and the stars were reflected in his dark pupils, as if falling into the deep sea.
This is not a dog, it's clearly a wolf.
*
Two days after Ji Bai left, Lin Zhen was taken to the Yong'an Marquis' Mansion in a sedan chair. This was the first time that Lin Zhen took the initiative to see her since she joined the Jiaofangsi.
The sedan chair was parked at the back corner door. When Lin Zhen was led into the east side room by the maid, Lin was leaning on the chaise longue with her eyes closed. There was a hint of dark circles under her eyes, and she had a headband wrapped around her head even in the summer.
After Lin Zhen entered the house, all the servants left on their own, leaving only a nanny beside Lin.
Lin seemed extremely tired. She knew Lin Zhen had arrived, but she didn't even open her eyes. She only raised her hand vaguely and said, "Sit down."
Lin Zhen paused for a moment, then sat down on a wooden bench not far from the door.
Silence followed. After a full half-minute, Lin finally opened her eyes and took off her headband. She looked at Lin Zhen, seemingly suppressing some emotion, and asked in a cold voice, "Tell me, what do you want?"
Lin Zhen frowned slightly and looked up at her.
Before Lin Zhen could speak, Lin pressed him again, "Do you want money? Or do you want to leave the Jiaofangsi?"
"You really don't want to be with him, do you? I know my own son well. Although he has a kind heart, he is too gentle and not brave enough. He doesn't have any outstanding talents. With Miss Lin's high standards, I'm afraid she would look down on him."
"Mrs. Lin..."
After a brief pause, Lin Zhen was finally able to speak, but just as the words came out of his mouth, a crisp sound came from Lin Zhen's ears.
Mrs. Lin seemed to have no intention of listening to any of Lin Zhen's answers. She picked up the teacup on the table and angrily smashed it at the edge of Lin Zhen's skirt.
Her chest heaved violently, her suppressed anger finally erupting. Her once-pretty face was distorted by the intense emotion, her usual dignified demeanor gone. She spoke almost hysterically, "If you don't want this or that, why are you still pestering him? Why? Why?!"
Looking at the broken teacup at her feet, Lin Zhen's heart suddenly calmed down. It turned out that she didn't need to say anything.
The atmosphere was truly awkward. The nanny beside Lin Zhen slowly stepped forward, bending down to pick up the broken porcelain at Lin Zhen's feet while trying to smooth things over. "I hope you won't mind, young lady. A few days ago, the prince returned home in a state of utter despair. Since then, he has been running a high fever and talking in his sleep. Madam has been taking care of him day and night for several days. It was only yesterday that he showed some improvement. Madam is so anxious that she is acting like this."
At that time, Lin's anger finally subsided. She looked at the clothes and attire of the Jiaofangsi that Lin Zhen was wearing, and finally softened her heart.
She had also seen, once upon a time, the noble and proud look of this girl before her...
And that pair of eyes and eyebrows that are so similar to mine.
After a long silence, Lin finally sighed softly, "In the future, if you need any help, you can write to me privately. You don't have to bother with Ning Shilu. You should know that he can't help you."
This was the first time Lin Zhen heard such sincere words from Lin's mouth.
"aunt……"
This was also the first time Lin Zhen had addressed her like this since the incident at the Lin Mansion. She finally asked the question she had always wanted to ask but hadn't: "Lin Zhen does have something to ask Aunt. The maid at the Mansion once said that while my sisters and I were at Lanruo Temple, Aunt was invited back to stay at the Mansion by my father. Lin Zhen wants to ask Aunt... do you know... why my father committed suicide?"
Mrs. Lin had not expected Lin Zhen to ask such a question. She was slightly startled. After a moment, she said calmly, "Your father has been in poor mental health for a long time. You should know that during my stay in the mansion, his condition became even more serious. I think he couldn't bear the pain, so he decided to stay silent."
She seemed to feel that such words were too cruel to Lin Zhen. After she finished speaking, Lin took a deep breath.
As if she had made a decision, she signaled the nanny beside her to look out the window. After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, she looked at Lin Zhen and said slowly, "Lin Zhen, I don't have the ability to cross you off the Ministry of Rites' list, but I do have a way to get you out of the capital."
"You should leave now. The mountains are high and the waters are far away. There is no need to come back."
It was the same old woman who led Lin Zhen through the corridor and to the back corner door.
As he was about to leave the corridor, Lin Zhen saw a familiar figure on a small bridge not far away. It seemed to be...
A gradual burst of crisp laughter interrupted Lin Zhen's thoughts. She subconsciously turned around and looked at the couple walking towards her.
Ning Shilu's face was still sickly pale, and a woman in a light red skirt was holding his arm and chatting with him.
The smile that the man had managed to force into his eyes disappeared when he saw Lin Zhen.
After all, he became like this because he helped himself. Lin Zhen stood there, opened his lips slightly, and before he could say a word, he saw Ning Shilu turned around and left in panic.
The old woman beside her urged, "Let's go, young lady."
*
Recently, no matter whether Lin Zhen was staying in the Jiaofangsi or going somewhere else, there was always someone following him closely.
She knew that it was the person Ji Sui left behind.
Therefore, she could only lure Ji Bai's men away first, and then let Hongye go to see Lin Yue.
That day, Hongye came back from outside and went to find Lin Zhen who was at Du Sanniang's house. The two of them went back to the side room together.
Hidden in Lin Zhen's sleeves were a topographic map that Du Sanniang had taken from the front yard of the Jiaofangsi and a fake household registration that was given to him by Lin.
That household registration can only allow one person to leave. Now Ning Shilu has no time to take care of Lin Yue anymore. Lin Zhen quickly made a decision in her heart: she wants to send Lin Yue away from Kyoto.
Most of the wing rooms of the Jiaofangsi were in the front courtyard, and the path leading to the side rooms was always deserted. Lin Zhen lowered his head and frowned in thought, not paying much attention to the road. As soon as he came out of the path, he bumped into a menacing man.
The annual autumn sacrifice of the Great Zhou Dynasty is approaching. The eldest prince, who is far away at the border, has returned to Beijing a few days ago. The emperor's condition has not improved, and daily government affairs are handled by the cabinet and the six ministries. Naturally, he cannot attend the autumn sacrifice in person this time.
The emperor had not appointed a crown prince, so the selection of the person for the autumn sacrifice became particularly important. As soon as the eldest prince returned to Beijing, he asked to see the emperor in person. The cabinet rejected the eldest prince's request on the grounds that the emperor's condition was critical and he should not be disturbed.
In the court, the ministers from the eldest prince's faction, the queen's faction, and the third prince's faction argued endlessly, and the commotion lasted for most of the day before the court was dispersed.
There are two ways to get back to the general's mansion from the palace. Ji Sui somehow pointed to the road that passes through the Jiaofangsi.
He was feeling annoyed when he saw that the door of the side room was tightly closed.
Lin Zhen never closes the door during the day.
The man's brows furrowed even tighter. He raised his foot and kicked open the door of the side room without patience. Sure enough, there was no one inside.
Compared to the anger that rose in his heart last time when he found out that Lin Zhen had escaped, this time, Ji Bai felt a few more indescribable emotions in his chest.
He said nothing, and walked out with a gloomy face, but was unexpectedly bumped into by a woman.
His emotions had reached a critical point, and when he was about to explode, he caught a glimpse of the woman who was Lin Zhen.
"Where are you going?"
Ji Wei grabbed Lin Zhen's wrist and locked his eyes on her.
His sudden question made Lin Zhen alert instantly. She reacted violently by shaking off Ji Sui's hand and subconsciously tightened her sleeves, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Could it be that I need the general's permission to even take a single step in the Music Bureau?"
Lin Zhen didn't want to continue to argue with him, so he left after saying that.
How could Ji Bai give up so easily? He followed her in two steps, not caring whether anyone else saw it. He grabbed Lin Zhen's wrist again and walked side by side with her.
"If this general really doesn't allow you, you really can't even take a step out of that room."
Ji Sui said this calmly, but Lin Zhen had already shaken his hand away fiercely, "What are you crazy about?"
"Am I crazy? If I were really crazy, I should have locked you in the house and not let you leave the bed the last time you dared to run away!"
Ji Sui blocked Lin Zhen's way and pushed her against a tree, staring at her with his dark eyes. He hoped to see fear and submission in Lin Zhen's eyes.
"Then you try it."
Lin Zhen looked at Ji Sui without avoiding him at all, and there was no sign of retreat in his clear and beautiful phoenix eyes.
In response, she was met with a gust of fist wind. Ji Bai's hand was clenched into a fist and he smashed it hard on Lin Zhen's temple.
Veins popped up on the man's forehead. At that moment, Ji Wei really wanted to take out eight or ten chains to lock her up tightly, and preferably seal her mouth, and of course, those eyes that he hated.
Lin Zhen closed his eyes due to the gust of wind. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the man had gone far away.
Watching him walk away, the walls in Lin Zhen's heart collapsed at that moment. She breathed a sigh of relief, lowered her eyes, and silently straightened her clothes before heading to the side room.
*
On the way back to the General's Mansion, the driver suddenly heard Ji Sui shout angrily: "If you don't know the way, get back home as soon as possible."
“…”
The driver waved his whip and continued to drive the horse in a sullen manner, but he couldn't help muttering in his heart: The road just now was clearly chosen by you.
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