Chapter 74 Don't look at anyone else, just look at me...
Zhang Yan, the Vice Minister of Works, was executed by being torn apart by five horses in the suburbs of the capital. The next day, the head of the Xu family in Jingzhou was beheaded at the Meridian Gate.
For two consecutive days, the people of Li Dynasty could witness the punishments.
For ordinary people, treason was something they wouldn't even dare to think about, let alone carry out. There were words of contempt and indignation all around. The execution ground was crowded with people who came to watch the execution.
The story of how over a hundred members of the Bian family in Suzhou died trying to petition Zhang Yan and the head of the Xu family for treason was gradually spreading among the people of the capital.
"Fortunately, they still have a daughter, so there are people who are running around trying to clear their names."
"The maid who carried her away was both brave and resourceful; without her, there would have been no follow-up."
"That's right, but it's still not worth it... More than a hundred lives were lost in vain. If it weren't for His Highness Prince Su's request to reopen the case and conduct a thorough investigation, the truth might never have seen the light of day."
More than half a month has passed, and the matter is still being discussed in the capital, and even in the palace.
Upon hearing this, Biezhi, dressed as a palace maid, exchanged glances with Fu Shuning, who turned around to look at her.
The whispering guards caught a glimpse of Fu Shuning out of the corner of their eyes, their expressions shifting several times before they turned and bowed, watching her head towards their palace.
Following closely behind Fu Shuning, Biezhi lowered her head slightly, not letting anyone see her face, until she entered Fu Shuning's palace, at which point she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why did you decide to sneak into the palace today, sister?" Fu Shuning asked hurriedly upon returning to the palace. She had already been suspicious when she learned that her sister planned to sneak into the palace without telling her brother. Suddenly, her eyes widened as if she remembered something: "The books were discovered?"
"Definitely not." The branch is well hidden; there's absolutely no chance of it being discovered.
Fu Shuning breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good."
Biezhi took out a book she had hidden in her bosom, and then took a book from Huachao, who was also dressed as a palace maid, and gave it to Fu Shuning. "I got it when I was on a mission last year. I found it yesterday while cleaning the courtyard. I'm bringing it to you."
Fu Shuning took the book with a puzzled look, and her eyes widened again when she opened one of the volumes and saw the paintings inside.
The men in the book are all exceptionally handsome, so lifelike that they seem to truly exist in the world.
Biezhi noticed her doubt and raised an eyebrow slightly: "The men in the book are all real people." After a short pause, she added: "And they are not just men from the capital."
That's precisely why it's so rare.
“I heard about this book a long time ago, but each of the major bookstores in the capital only has two copies, totaling no more than twenty-eight.” Biezhi lowered her eyes and glanced at the handsome man in the book. She had met him a few times before. “The painting is not as good-looking as he is in person.”
Fu Shuning, staring in astonishment, glanced at the picture in the book. The man in the book was unbelievably handsome, the kind of handsome that no one could deny upon seeing him. "This is not as handsome as the real person. How much more handsome is he in person?"
Biezhi had seen this man several times before, always in the book pavilion next to Baiding Tower. She had also inquired about him and learned that he was a regular visitor to the book pavilion.
She pondered for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "He's in the capital. Shall we go and see him now?"
"Okay, okay." Fu Shuning nodded hurriedly.
The moment they stood up, they both thought of Fu Huaiqing, who was currently meeting with court officials at Chengtian Palace, and silently sat back down. Their intuition told them that if they went there today, he would definitely catch them.
The two looked at each other and sipped their tea slowly.
Biezhi felt dizzy just thinking about Fu Huaiqing, whose mood had become increasingly unpredictable these past two days. Just yesterday, when she went to the palace to find him, she had only exchanged a few words with a guard, but he had tossed and turned her over in silence all night, so fierce that her legs were trembling when she got up today.
Admittedly, that guard was indeed quite handsome, and she did glance at him a few more times. However, among all the guards in the palace, there wasn't a single ugly man; they were all strikingly good-looking. She couldn't possibly be blamed…
It's not like she demanded they be so good-looking, nor was it her choice of guards, so what does it have to do with her?
Thinking it over, Biezhi suddenly felt very reasonable and confident: "Come on, I'll take you there."
"Hmm?" Fu Shuning asked, puzzled, but her body language betrayed her as she stood up. "My brother's side..."
Biezhi's gaze was very firm, and she nodded resolutely: "Even if the sky falls, I will hold it up."
Fu Shuning, who had long regarded her as her backer, was overjoyed upon hearing this. She lifted her skirt and blinked, saying, "Let's go, let's go."
The way a branch comes is the same way it leaves.
Since she was skilled in martial arts, the two of them decided to avoid having too many people around and gossip. They didn't take Hua Chao and the others with them, but left them at the courtyard where Bie Zhi was staying in the capital. The two of them changed their clothes and left.
The last time Biezhi saw the man in the book was in the book pavilion next to Baidinglou. "I inquired and found out that he was the second son of the Xie family, a merchant family in the capital. I heard that his elder brother and two younger brothers were also very handsome, but they were only slightly inferior to him."
Fu Shuning's eyes lit up: "You've met all of them, sister?"
"No." Biezhi carefully lowered the booklet that was covering her face. The book pavilion was only about a hundred steps away from Baiding Tower. It wouldn't be good if her senior brothers and sisters saw it by accident. She looked around to make sure that no one she knew was around. "I just heard about it. I was thinking of finding an opportunity to go and see it."
At this point, she suddenly remembered something.
She had also mentioned this to 'Jiran'.
Biezhi: "..."
Fu Shuning received no reply for a long time, and her gaze, which had been peering outside, turned back slightly: "Sister?"
"Huh?" Biezhi suddenly came to her senses.
Fu Shuning asked again, "Between him and my brother, who's better looking?"
“Fu Huaiqing.” Biezhi didn’t hesitate for a moment.
She remained firm on this point. Seeing the meaningful expression on the girl's fair face, she added, "It's not that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that he is indeed handsome."
So beautiful that even though she was very angry last night and only wanted to kick him off the bed, she became a little confused when she saw his face.
Moreover, Biezhi strongly suspects that Fu Huaiqing did it on purpose.
He knew he liked her looks and deliberately seduced her.
Damn it, a vulnerability has been discovered.
"He won't keep doing this forever, will he...?"
The girl's sweet words carried a hint of helplessness, yet also a touch of excitement, as if she were looking forward to it. Fu Shuning asked, puzzled, "What?"
"Your brother caught you red-handed." Biezhi pouted, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
Fu Shuning asked in surprise, "What leverage?"
"He knew I liked handsome men, and he deliberately seduced me every day." Biezhi paused, clenched her fist, and slammed it on the table. "Mainly because I couldn't resist his temptations either!"
Fu Shuning froze for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, looking at the girl with sparkling almond eyes with great amusement.
She could hardly imagine her brother deliberately using his looks to seduce other women; it was completely different from the image she knew. In her memory, her brother was mostly a steady and decisive man who had moved between the battlefield and the court since he was young, never showing his emotions.
Fu Shuning thought it was very good.
It's good that there are other branches around him.
"Here he comes." Bie Zhi caught a glimpse of the man crossing the threshold and gestured with her chin in his direction, indicating that the man at the front was Xie's second son.
Upon hearing this, Fu Shuning followed her gaze.
The man at the front had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. His figure was as steadfast as a pine tree standing before the group of men. A faint smile flickered in his peach blossom eyes as he looked around before settling on the innkeeper who had come to greet him.
The moment Fu Shuning saw the man, she realized that Bie Zhi's words were true; the man was indeed even more handsome than in the book.
Looking at his handsome face, Biezhi's expression relaxed a bit, and perhaps because she hadn't seen the man for a while, "he seems even more handsome than he was six months ago."
"Yeah?"
Biezhi nodded: "Mhm."
Suddenly, her chin, which was halfway down the path, paused in mid-air. Her neck stiffened slightly, and she turned inch by inch toward the window of the study. When her gaze met the depths of Fu Huaiqing's dark pupils, she blinked.
When did he arrive? He didn't make a sound at all!
Fu Huaiqing glanced at the figure standing in front of the library, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment before slowly withdrawing his eyes. "Is it handsome?"
Biezhi: "..."
Although his expression was very serious, she felt that she still couldn't speak against her conscience.
She nodded honestly: "It looks good."
Fu Huaiqing: "..."
Hearing this, Fu Shuning, who had already huddled behind her, silently cheered her on in her heart, and also felt that her judgment was indeed sharp, having found the right backer at a glance.
Fu Huaiqing frowned, his voice deepening: "What's so good about it?"
Before he could finish speaking, everything went black.
A palm, slightly warm, covered her eyes, and the man's clear, spring-like voice drifted in on a gentle breeze, "Look less at other people."
Upon hearing his words, she swiftly tiptoed and covered his mouth, her round almond-shaped eyes quickly scanning the surroundings before glaring at him.
Fu Huaiqing smiled slightly and took her hand that was resting on his face.
The man's long, slender fingers, with their distinct knuckles, slowly and deliberately slipped between the girl's fingers, interlocking them tightly. He led her straight ahead, past the many figures in the library, and strode out.
Having witnessed the whole thing, Fu Shuning looked at her brother's back, which seemed to be asserting his dominance, glanced back at Jiang Yue who hadn't followed, and tilted her head.
When Biezhi, who had been led away, saw that Fu Shuning hadn't followed, she subconsciously looked back.
Before she could even turn her gaze half an inch, everything went black again as the man's palm once more covered her vision.
The large hand that had been on her eyes moved down slightly, pressing against her cheeks and gently pulling her head back from behind.
Just as she was about to tell him that she only wanted to turn around and find Fu Shuning, the man's handsome face suddenly loomed large before her eyes, his deep eyes carrying a faint smile.
"Don't look at anyone else, just look at me."
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Author's note: I'm here! I'm here!
I have two important meetings to attend tomorrow morning and afternoon. The afternoon one might go on until around 7 or 8 pm. There will be no update tomorrow. See you on Saturday!
I will also add an extra chapter when the nutrient solution reaches 3000.
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