Xie Yuancheng just smiled and said that these are just differences between success and failure, and there is no distinction between good and bad people.
“Ying’er, we are at the top because we succeeded. If we had failed, this would have been our fate, no, it would have been even worse than theirs. I have many enemies.”
"Don't talk nonsense. We are lucky people and we don't steal other people's things. Linyang is yours to begin with."
"Yes, I sometimes think that just fighting for what's rightfully yours, without encroaching on other people's territory, might be the key to success."
Xie Yuancheng spurred the horse's belly, and the horse galloped up quickly. I pulled on the handle of the saddle, knowing he was thinking about something, so I didn't disturb him.
We went straight into the backyard of the yamen. As soon as we dismounted, Xie Yuancheng led me to the main hall, where people were covered in sand powder and kneeling in a row.
Xie Yuancheng told me to wait in the back room. Two men in black brought over the Marquis's official robes, which he quickly changed into. I noticed that his belt was askew, so I went over to straighten it for him and also helped him put his official hat on.
Xie Yuancheng smiled so sweetly at me, and before I could even react, he was gone. I wanted to take a few more glances; wearing that outfit, he looked even more aloof and imposing.
I was sitting in the back room, having just finished a cup of tea, when I heard Xie Yuancheng's voice. He was going to interrogate me personally?
"Madam, this is what the Marquis arranged." A soldier brought in a plate of food. I looked at it and saw some braised dishes and a bottle of wine. It must have been hard for them.
"You all go out and have some fun. Don't worry about me, I definitely won't go to court."
They were clearly stunned; probably no one had suggested they go out and play, it was like an elder talking to a younger person. They were only about fifteen or sixteen years old, still quite young.
"Yes." The soldier hesitated for a moment before replying, then went to stand outside.
I took a few sips and drank half a bottle of flower wine. It tasted really good. They must have been torturing me before, because I could always hear some crying. But after drinking half a pot of wine, I didn't find it strange anymore.
"Please spare our lives, my lord! We are just ordinary people. Our master betrayed us, telling us to take the children and lie in ambush. There were plenty of places to hide around, and we thought we could escape unscathed. That's why we made a mistake."
"Waaah~ I'm just a little kid, and the Marquis is an adult. We're just kids, you can't bully us, waaaah~"
"My lord, we are all flesh and blood. Now that our lord is gone, please spare our lives. We will live in seclusion in the mountains and never come out to see anyone again!"
"Yes, we are all pitiful people, my lord. We will not come back once we leave Linyang, and we will not do bad things again."
The pleas for mercy from those people were more and more eloquent than the last, with them kowtowing and playing the victim. Some even threatened Xie Yuancheng with his reputation. It was really hard to comment on.
“You use poisonous insects as ambushes. Since you are so skilled at using Gu, you are certainly not ordinary people. You are willing to sell your children to make mistakes. They are so young and they already know how to lie. If your family doesn’t teach them, someone else will.”
Xie Yuancheng's voice was colder than the wind. I was about to stand up to listen when I felt a little dizzy. I looked back at the braised meat and the wine. These seemed to have a hypnotic effect, and the wine tasted similar to what I had at the manor.
Screams came from the lobby, and the more I thought about it, the sleepier I became. I tried to ignore them, and that made me feel a little better. Xie Yuancheng is so considerate of me. I've been with him for so long, and even in the most disturbing scenes, I'm not afraid. I just don't like those crawling things.
I recalled the ambush we suffered today. I was perfectly clear-headed at the time, and it just so happened that I stumbled upon it. If I hadn't acted rashly and shot the arrow, I wouldn't have discovered their treacherous scheme, and we would have ended up in a tragic situation.
"I confess, I confess!" After an unknown amount of time, the sound of confession came from the main hall. They were all born from raising Gu poison and were full of lies, so they could not be released easily.
The victor is king, the loser is villain. Letting a tiger return to the mountain will only create more hidden dangers in the future. If I were in Xie Yuancheng's position, I wouldn't let them leave either. Once they've grown strong enough, that's when we'll be in trouble.
I'm starting to put on airs. I'm so considerate of him now, I've even thought of the reasons and consequences for him. I'm just worried that he'll be under too much pressure, so I always take on all the pressure for my sake.
The noise in the hall subsided, and then Lord Wu's voice rang out. When I looked up again, Xie Yuancheng was walking towards me.
"Ying'er, look at you, you're all sweaty. I told you not to drink too much, but you just have to."
This guy actually said that I should drink more than he did. It was clearly the food he sent, which included my favorite braised dishes and a light-tasting but potent wine.
"How did it go?" I asked softly. He said he had confessed everything. I raised my eyelids slightly and said, "Be careful not to be fooled. I've heard that people who raise Gu poison are like cunning rabbits with multiple burrows."
"Ying'er, you're so smart. Don't worry, we'll nip them in the bud. We won't leave them any way out, and we won't give them any hope that they'll come back."
"That's good. Come and help me, I want to go back to the manor." I reached out to him and acted coquettishly. Xie Yuancheng then came over and carried me away, saying, "Hmph! I asked you to help me, not to carry me."
"Ying'er, if you want me to carry you, you're asking for support, so of course I'll carry you."
"You're overthinking things. I'm not a porcelain doll, why do I need you to protect me like this? I can help you in the future."
"Yes, Ying'er did a great job for me today. We were able to come back without any casualties because of you. I'll cook you something nice when I get back as a way of thanking you."
"Alright, but I want to take a nap. I was just saying I wanted to see the scenery, but it's better to stay in the manor. Quickly give me the book the shopkeeper gave me. I want to study it carefully so I can offer you advice in the future. Maybe it will be of some use."
"Ying'er~" Xie Yuancheng stopped responding when this topic came up. I stared at him, but he still didn't reply even after we mounted our horses.
This really can't be rushed. I changed the subject again, bringing the conversation back to these people: "You still haven't told me what's going on with these people."
"Go back and wash Ying'er clean, then I'll tell you slowly~" Xie Yuancheng leaned against my back, and the horse galloped up quickly.
After wandering around outside, I felt much better when I got back to the mansion. I kept asking him questions, and Xie Yuancheng would come up with a reason every now and then.
"Ying'er, let's go play with Xizhi after our bath. I haven't played with the children in a long time."
"Don't interrupt, just tell me. I'm all ears when it comes to these people. If you don't tell me, I won't let go. Anyway, I'm only a little shorter than you."
"Ying'er~ You always bully me~" Xie Yuancheng winked at me, and I found it adorable. I was so curious about how he did it. One second he was a cold-faced marquis, and the next second he changed.
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